Staring at the three golden lines on the small black cauldron, a brief silence fell over the valley entrance. This cauldron had not appeared in the family for more than a decade. Huchen Liang's eyes flickered a few times, but he did not speak again.
The gentle young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight stepped forward. Dressed in a black robe, he appeared slender and handsome. His cultivation was impressively strong, already at the late tenth layer of Qi Condensation. He cupped his hands towards Huchen Wuding. "Are you Young Master Wuding? I wonder if you remember Huchen Qiukong?"
Huchen Wuding looked at the person before him, and the image of a young boy flashed through his mind—a boy who would often secretly bring him things from his father. A smile touched his lips. "So it is Big Brother Qiukong. It has been over a dozen years. Your cultivation is already close to the Great Circle."
As he sized up the black-robed young man, Huchen Qiukong was also sizing him up. In Huchen Wuding's features, he seemed to see a thin yet stubborn young boy.
"It really is Young Master Wuding who has returned. The Family Head has arranged for several shifts of people to stand guard here. I was on rotation here for two months previously. Today, I finally got to wait for you," Huchen Qiukong said with a smile.
"Oh? Then I have truly troubled Big Brother Qiukong," Huchen Wuding said with a nod. His impression of the person before him was quite good.
"Oh, the Family Head made arrangements long ago. As soon as Young Master Wuding returns, I am to take you back to your previous residence. I will inform the Family Head shortly. He should be very happy," Huchen Qiukong said quickly. They had been arranged by the Family Head for the past few months, six shifts of them, to guard the valley entrance along with people from the other branches. These six were all trusted aides of the Family Head, and they had all known Huchen Wuding since childhood. This was also the Family Head's deliberate arrangement.
It was just that when Huchen Qiukong mentioned the words "Family Head," he didn't notice Huchen Wuding's expression, nor the sudden surge of aura from the hunchbacked old man who had been standing silently behind him. But with their cultivation levels, it was truly difficult for them to notice the change in the hunchbacked old man's aura.
"Hehe, he's really gone to a lot of trouble. He's much bolder now, daring to come and see me in broad daylight," Huchen Wuding said with a faint smile, a corner of his mouth curling up.
The moment he said this, the already quiet space, where only the two of them were talking, seemed to freeze in an instant. The smile on Huchen Qiukong's face stiffened. The other few people also looked either unnatural or angry, but no one spoke. This was a matter between father and son. No matter what opinions they had, it couldn't overcome the bond of blood.
After a moment, Huchen Qiukong could only give an awkward smile. "Young Master Wuding, why don't you come into the valley with me first? Now that you're back, you can't just stand here, right?"
"Alright then, Big Brother Qiukong, let's go," Huchen Wuding didn't want to make things difficult for Huchen Qiukong, nor did he want to stay here under the watchful eyes of everyone. He softened his expression and said.
Seeing that Huchen Wuding said no more, Huchen Qiukong was relieved. He then looked at the other four guards. "I will take Young Master Wuding over. You four can guard here for now." He was the captain of this small team. How could the others not obey his arrangements?
After speaking, without caring about the expressions of the four, he extended a hand to guide Huchen Wuding and started walking into the valley first. Huchen Wuding glanced at the other few guards, his face impassive, and then stepped forward, walking side by side with Huchen Qiukong. The two of them, Li Yan and his companion, had not said a word from beginning to end. At this time, they also followed. Looking at the purple-robed youth who was talking in a low voice with Huchen Qiukong in front, Li Yan smiled inwardly. 'This guy has really been through a lot. He has a way with people.'
Watching the four of them gradually walk away, Huchen Liang, among the remaining four guards, had a flicker in his eyes. He said to one of them, "Huchen Li, I'll be right back. Help me keep an eye out." After speaking, without paying any attention to Huchen Tuhu and the other person, he flew directly towards another direction in the valley.
The person called Huchen Li was the one who had glared at Huchen Tuhu earlier. It was clear that he was with Huchen Liang.
"Young Master Wuding is back. You guys must be in a hurry to go back and report. I say, Huchen Le, do you also need to go back and report to the Fourth Branch? Why don't I help you keep an eye out? Hehe," Huchen Tuhu said to the last guard, letting out a strange chuckle.
The guard called Huchen Le squinted his eyes but said nothing.
This team actually had people from the Family Head, the First Branch, the Second Branch, and the Fourth Branch all gathered together.
Huchen Wuding walked all the way into the valley. Looking at the familiar yet strange road, the scenes of the past were vivid in his mind, as if it were yesterday. Along the way, he met many clansmen. Under their astonished and puzzled gazes, Huchen Wuding spoke in a low voice with Huchen Qiukong and did not greet anyone else. Although some people here had already guessed Huchen Wuding's identity, they did not come forward to speak, their eyes just filled with complicated emotions.
Li Yan watched all of this and couldn't help but complain in his heart. 'This is nothing like what the old scholar said in his stories. When the illegitimate son returns, even the servants are all arrogant and give him a hard time, and then they can't wait to step on his face, only to be ruthlessly slapped in the face by him. It seems the stories the old scholar told were also nonsense.' Although he thought this in his heart, he understood very well that such a scene was impossible. Unless the Family Head really declared that Huchen Wuding was not his own flesh and blood. But if that were the case, he wouldn't have secretly protected Huchen Wuding and let him leave in the first place.
Therefore, the only ones who dared to openly suppress Huchen Wuding were those few mothers who were not related to him by blood, or his half-siblings. If the other servants did so, it was estimated that Huchen Wuding's father, who was afraid of his wife, would not show any mercy to these servants. After all, he was a Golden Core expert and the head of the family. How could he let others bully his son? That would be equivalent to letting a servant slap him in the face directly.
They shuttled through the pavilions in the valley for half an incense stick's time before a small courtyard appeared before them. Looking at the newly turned soil in front of the courtyard and the neatly trimmed flowers and plants on both sides of the road, Huchen Wuding stopped at the courtyard gate. This place had clearly been cleaned recently.
Although the courtyard gate was wiped clean, from the mottled red paint on it and the somewhat old and worn bricks and tiles on the courtyard wall, one could still see the meaning of being sealed for a long time.
Huchen Wuding stretched out a slightly trembling hand and gently pushed open the courtyard gate. He pushed it very, very slowly, as if he were pushing open a door to a long-sealed past. As the courtyard gate opened gently, a long, slow "creak" sounded. Huchen Wuding held his breath. His eyes, as the courtyard gate opened, stared unblinkingly into the courtyard. It was a familiar scene, but there was no familiar person smiling gently at him. He clearly knew the outcome of all this, but after his eyes swept over the entire courtyard, his heart still tightened, and two lines of hot tears flowed from his eyes.
Huchen Qiukong stood to the side. Seeing Huchen Wuding's appearance, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart and said softly, "Young Master Wuding, I will arrange for a few maids to come over later. It will be convenient to have them for any needs."
Huchen Wuding seemed not to have heard. His gaze was still sweeping back and forth in the courtyard, as if he were looking for something. After a long time, he gently let out a breath and turned his face to look at Huchen Qiukong. "No need. Wasn't it just me and my mother before? Besides, now I still have Uncle Sang and Brother Li."
Huchen Qiukong was stunned at first, but then he nodded silently. He then glanced at Li Yan and his companion. He had heard some things about the background of the people the young master had brought with him. But hadn't it been said before that the young master only had one guardian? And why was there an extra Qi Condensation cultivator? Although he was also at the late tenth layer of Qi Condensation, it was clear that this level of cultivation was not enough to protect the young master.
In his mind, he subconsciously thought that Li Yan should be the hunchbacked old man's junior or disciple.
He then cupped his hands to Zhuo Lingfeng. "Senior, if you have any instructions, you just need to send me a voice transmission." After speaking, he patted his waist, and with a flash of light, ten voice transmission talismans appeared in his hand. Then he respectfully handed them over.
Zhuo Lingfeng just glanced at the voice transmission talismans in Huchen Qiukong's hand, then with an impassive expression, he reached out his hand and took the ten voice transmission talismans.
Seeing this, Huchen Qiukong was relieved. He had been afraid that this person would not accept the Family Head's kindness and would refuse to accept the voice transmission talismans. In that case, if they encountered trouble in the family and could not inform the Family Head in time, it would be his incompetence.
He turned his head to look at Huchen Wuding again and gently patted his shoulder, about to speak. But with this pat, his expression couldn't help but be stunned. Because Huchen Wuding seemed to have imperceptibly slipped half a step, and this pat had missed. Although he was a little stunned, Huchen Qiukong quickly understood. With a bitter smile, he also awkwardly withdrew his palm.
"Young Master Wuding, you must be tired after traveling for days. You should rest for a while first. Later, a servant will bring some food over. Although we cultivators have already abstained from grain, these delicacies were ordered by the Family Head to relieve the fatigue of the journey. The food tastes quite good."
"I have to go and report to the Family Head now. I estimate that the Family Head will come to find you later this evening and will talk to you about the grand competition tomorrow." After speaking, without waiting for Huchen Wuding's reply, he floated away. It was clear that he wanted to report this matter to the Family Head as soon as possible.
Huchen Wuding looked back at Li Yan and his companion, said nothing, and walked directly into the courtyard.
The courtyard was not large, like many ordinary courtyards. There were also a few large trees in the courtyard, with a stone table and four stone stools under them. Huchen Wuding walked directly to the stone table. He stretched out his hand and rubbed the stone table back and forth for a long time before slowly sitting down on a stone stool. Then he stared blankly at the stone stool opposite him and said to himself.
"Before, my mother always sat on the stone stool opposite me. Every time I came back from cultivation, I would smell a strong fragrance as soon as I entered the courtyard gate. Although there were only one or two small dishes, the taste was very fragrant, very fragrant. My mother would sit on the stone stool and smile at me, and then she would urge me to wash my hands. When I came back, there would already be a bowl of rice full to the brim in front of me. She would keep giving me dishes, as if she were afraid I would go hungry..."
He just muttered to himself like this. Li Yan listened, feeling a little sentimental in his heart, which also made him think of his parents back home. And when Zhuo Lingfeng heard that the stone stool opposite Huchen Wuding was where his mother used to often sit, a wave of emotion appeared on his originally stoic expression. First, his figure paused for a moment, then he walked slowly towards the stone table. His steps were very light, as if he were afraid of disturbing others. Finally, he stood in front of the stone stool, his eyes staring straight at it, listening to Huchen Wuding's muttering.
Huchen Wuding only muttered to himself for a short while before raising his head and giving Li Yan an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I've made a fool of myself in front of Brother Li. Although my childhood was very unhappy, seeing these things still reminded me of my mother."
Li Yan nodded silently. He could understand Huchen Wuding's feelings, and he also had a better impression of him.
Huchen Wuding then stood up and walked towards the rooms in the courtyard. There were only four rooms in the courtyard. He pushed open the doors one by one and went in. It was not until about an incense stick's worth of time later that he walked out of a room slowly. But at this moment, his eyes were a little red. Most of the things here were still there, and the arrangement was still the same as before. It seemed that someone had come to tidy up here. It was just that after more than ten years, some things might have decayed or been damaged, so in his memory, there were still some things missing here.
"Uncle Sang, he might come later. I hope you won't make a move now, at least not before you reach the Golden Core realm," Huchen Wuding suddenly said, looking at Zhuo Lingfeng, who had been silently staring at the stone table and stools.