Having decided to stay in the capital city for another three years, Jing Yi and Qiu Ling finally went home. Their life seemed to not have changed much if one didn't consider that Jing Yi's mother wasn't around anymore: They still stayed at his uncle's house, helping out wherever their help was needed, and also went to work in the teahouse each day just like before to make sure that this place that Jing Yi's parents had helped to make into what it was today wouldn't decline.
At the back of his head, Jing Yi couldn't help but wonder why they were doing this on some days. Whether it was his or his uncle's side of the family, they would all come to an end in this current generation. He, for one, was with Qiu Ling so children were out of the question. On the other hand, while Guanyu was married to her husband, she still hadn't become pregnant and with each year, it became more unlikely that she ever would.
So even if the teahouse continued to do well, what was the use in that? His aunt and uncle wouldn't be able to take any riches with them, neither would Guanyu when her time came, and he himself was cultivating to ascend one day so what use was money to him?
If Sect Master Yuchi had heard that kind of irresponsible remark, he probably would have fainted from anger. Even though the trouble with the demon-hunting sects was over and things in the Yun Zou Sect and other righteous sects had stabilized in the past decade, the mundane troubles that the Sect Masters had to deal with were still very much real. Having a little more money definitely would've made each and every one of them laugh in their sleep.
Well, right now, the one who needed to plague himself with this kind of thing was Wu Min Huan anyway. His Master was still in closed-door cultivation after all. And while Wu Min Huan did feel how much of a trouble it was to need to deal with all the little daily matters of the sect, he had only done so for a few short years they didn't feel burned. Instead, he was intent on proving to his Master that he was just as good as that senior martial brother Yu of his. When his Master emerged from his closed-door cultivation, he wanted to show him that he had managed to do everything without a single fault.
Anyway, he would've been happy if he knew that there was the opportunity of getting a business outside of the sect that would bring in some money but, unfortunately, there was no way to for him to find out for the time being and Jing Yi didn't even think of anyone outside of the family when it came to the matters in the capital. Anyway, these were all just fleeting thoughts at the side. Most of his daily life was spent working and coming to terms with his mother's death.
While his life continued just as before, the people of the Jian Yi Sect that had also arrived in the capital city were about to be confronted with a big change. They had stopped at one of the best guesthouses in the city to make sure that their little junior would be comfortable.
This whole journey was just so that Hua Lin Yu would be able to see a little more of the world. Unfortunately, he really was too eye-catching. His senior martial brothers felt that there was no way to let him go outside without accompanying him. And even when they were there, they still felt that it would be better to take some precautions lest some scoundrel tried to take advantage of him.
It didn't help that their Master had told them before leaving that they definitely had to keep a close eye on him because there had been somebody after him when he originally came to their sect.
Finding out about this, Hua Lin Yu's seniors were distraught. How old had their little junior been when he came to them? Five years? Which lunatic would go after a five-year-old child? And now, even though he had gotten older, whatever grudge had prompted that person probably hadn't been resolved. Thus, their little junior was still in danger. Now, maybe even more than before. They had to do everything they could to make sure that nothing would happen to him!
In their attempt to keep him from harm, they might've been a little overzealous. And that was precisely what prompted the following problems to happen.
Feeling stifled being so closely guarded all day, Hua Lin Yu snuck out. Anyway, he just wanted to go and have a look. He would only go and walk through the streets for a while before going back. At the very least, that was what he thought.
Thus, Hua Lin Yu stroll through the capital city of the Long kingdom, looking everywhere. While they had already stopped in a few cities, none of them had been as big as this one. It was quite interesting for him to see. He couldn't help but stop at every single stall, look into every single store, and watch the people around him closely.
With a happy smile on his face, he finally went back to the guesthouse after a few hours when the two Huo brothers were already freaking out because they had noticed that their little junior had disappeared a long time ago. Just when he walked down the road, he suddenly noticed a burning gaze in his back.
Hua Lin Yu stopped in his tracks and then looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. In the end, his gaze landed on the roof of a nearby house.
A man with long silvery-white hair and a mask covering half his face was crouching there. Hua Lin Yu's eyes lit up when seeing him and his lips wanted to curve up in a sweet smile. At the last moment, he held himself back though.
This man hadn't bothered to come to see him even once in the past years and had also ignored him back in the Jian Yi Sect when they last saw each other. As if he would just happily greet him and let him back into his life. As if! Hmph!