When Su Mei arrived at the Town Head's residence, the guards immediately recognized her and ushered her into the courtyard.
"Healer Su," one of the guards greeted respectfully before gesturing toward the main hall. "The Town Head is waiting for you inside."
Su Mei nodded and proceeded toward the main hall.
Upon entering, she found Senior Yu Ze seated upon a grand bronze chair with intricate lion engravings carved into both sides. The imposing chair was not merely decorative; it symbolized his authority, power, and standing within the town.
"You're here."
Yu Ze looked up from what he was doing and gestured for Su Mei to sit down.
"Now, report to me."
Su Mei took her seat and remained silent for a moment, carefully arranging her thoughts.
"He has lost his memories, and I don't know how long it will take for them to return," she finally explained. "I want to adopt him since he has nowhere else to go."
Her words were not spoken on impulse. She had only reached this decision after serious deliberation.
"All I want is your permission and approval."
Yu Ze's expression immediately became solemn.
"Su Mei, you should know that the boy is not ordinary, and his identity is completely unknown. I don't want you to take such a risk," he warned. "What if his family comes looking for him one day? What will you do then?"
"Senior Yu Ze, I have thought this through carefully. I still want to adopt him."
The image of Su Lan and the boy laughing happily together suddenly surfaced in Su Mei's mind. The joy on her daughter's face was something she had not seen in a long time, and the memory was enough to harden her resolve.
Her eyes gradually became moist.
"Please do this for me in the name of my late husband. Let me adopt him as my son," she pleaded, tears finally escaping her eyes.
"Su Mei!"
Senior Yu Ze called out her name sharply.
Only then did he fully realize the seriousness of her determination.
His stern expression gradually softened.
Years ago, Su Mei's husband had sacrificed his life while saving Yu Ze. That was a debt Yu Ze had carried in his heart ever since. No matter how many years passed, he could never forget that life-saving grace.
Seeing the widow of the man who had saved him standing before him with tears in her eyes caused a complicated feeling to rise within his heart.
Yu Ze sighed heavily.
"Enough. There's no need to cry."
He rose from his seat and gently consoled her.
"If you have truly made your decision, then I will not stop you. From this day onward, you may adopt the child as your son."
Su Mei's eyes brightened.
"Thank you, Senior. I am truly grateful."
"Enough, enough," Yu Ze said, waving his hand dismissively. "There's no need for such formality between us."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully before asking, "What are you going to name him?"
"Su Yang," she replied with a warm smile.
"Su Yang…"
Yu Ze repeated the name slowly before nodding in approval.
"That's a nice and powerful name." A small smile appeared on his face. "You want him to have great attainments on the path of cultivation, don't you?"
Su Mei nodded in agreement.
If the heavens were willing, she truly hoped that the name would accompany the boy as he walked far along the path of cultivation.
"Alright. It's getting late, so you should head home."
Before she could leave, Yu Ze retrieved a storage ring and handed it to her.
"Give this to the children."
Su Mei looked at the ring curiously.
"What's inside?"
"Open it when you get home," Yu Ze replied mysteriously as he waved her off.
Su Mei bowed respectfully.
"Thank you again, Senior."
She then turned and left the main hall.
On her way out of the residence, she exchanged greetings with several guards. Before passing through the main gate, she stopped and retrieved a small bottle from her storage pouch.
"Take this."
She handed the guard stationed at the gate a bottle containing Rank One Qi Gathering Pills.
The guard's eyes immediately brightened.
"Thank you, Healer Su!"
Su Mei smiled faintly and continued on her way.
The moment she stepped out of the Yu residence, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, she sent a strand of spiritual sense into the storage ring Yu Ze had given her.
Her footsteps immediately halted.
Inside were one thousand inferior-grade spirit stones.
"One thousand…"
Su Mei was momentarily speechless.
For an ordinary cultivator, this was by no means a small amount of wealth.
She silently thanked Yu Ze in her heart before storing the ring away and continuing home.
As she walked through the town, however, her mind became occupied with thoughts about Su Yang, his mysterious background, and what the future might hold for their newly formed family.
She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice someone approaching from behind.
A hand suddenly tapped her shoulder.
Su Mei immediately turned around.
The moment she saw the person standing behind her, her expression changed.
"Elder Yi."
The man before her was a cultivator of the Profound Realm.
More importantly, he was an influential elder of the Heavenly Immortal Sword Sect, one of the strongest Rank One sects in the Southern Region.
With such an identity and cultivation, Elder Yi possessed considerable status.
Even Su Mei had to show him proper respect. After all, she regarded herself as nothing more than a humble healer with an Origin Realm cultivation.
"Greetings, Elder Yi."
Su Mei bowed respectfully.
Elder Yi did not waste time with unnecessary pleasantries.
"I heard you found a child by the riverside."
Su Mei's heart skipped a beat.
News certainly travelled quickly.
However, her expression remained calm.
"Yes, Elder. But he is currently unconscious and cannot see anyone," she lied without hesitation.
Elder Yi studied her briefly before nodding.
"Alright. That isn't the reason why I'm here anyway."
Su Mei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Elder Yi continued, "I wanted to thank you for healing my precious granddaughter the other time. I've been occupied with matters concerning the sect and didn't have the opportunity to thank you properly."
"It was nothing, Elder. I was merely doing my job," Su Mei answered politely.
"To you, perhaps it was merely your duty. But to me, her grandfather, it was far more than that."
Elder Yi reached into his storage ring and retrieved a beautiful jade pendant.
"Please accept this."
Su Mei's expression changed when she sensed the faint spiritual fluctuations emanating from the pendant.
"This is a Spirit Cleansing Jade Pendant," Elder Yi explained. "I acquired it at an auction in the capital."
Su Mei's eyes widened slightly.
She immediately understood that such an item could not possibly be cheap.
"No, Elder. This is far too expensive."
She hurriedly pushed the jade pendant back toward him.
Elder Yi frowned.
"Healer Su, you need to accept this, or I will regard your refusal as a form of disrespect."
Su Mei froze.
How could she continue refusing after he had put it that way?
After hesitating for several breaths, she reluctantly accepted the pendant.
"Then… thank you, Elder Yi."
Elder Yi's stern expression finally softened.
"That is better."
After exchanging a few more words, Su Mei bade him goodbye and continued toward her home.
By the time she reached her courtyard, the surroundings had become quiet.
She gently opened the door and entered her bedchamber.
The sight before her caused her footsteps to stop.
Su Lan and Su Yang were nestled together on the bed, both deeply asleep.
Su Lan had one arm loosely wrapped around the boy, while Su Yang slept peacefully beside her. Whatever quarrel or teasing had taken place between them earlier seemed to have been completely forgotten.
For a long moment, Su Mei simply stood there and watched them.
A gentle smile gradually appeared on her face.
Perhaps bringing the boy home had not been a mistake after all.
From this day onward, he would no longer be the nameless child they had discovered beneath the waterfall.
He had a name.
Su Yang.
And more importantly, he now had a family.
Su Mei quietly pulled the blanket over the two children, careful not to awaken them.
After leaving the bedchamber, she popped a Qi Restoration Pill into her mouth. Warm medicinal energy immediately spread through her meridians, slowly replenishing the spiritual energy she had consumed throughout the day.
She then headed toward the medicinal chamber.
Soon, the familiar glow of the pill furnace illuminated the quiet room as Su Mei returned to her work.