Ryuu woke up early next day as he sat up giving a huge yawn, a maid entered the room greeting Ryuu, "Good Morning you're highness."
Ryuu eyes focused on the newcomer as his vision cleared he was greeted with a smiling visage of Biskha.
Ryuu was happy to see Biskha again, she was not only the first person he met after coming to Ayindril all those years ago but she had been one of the maids who had been taking care of him the longest, "Biskha Good Morning, but why are you here? Did not leave with Big Sister's group?"
Biskha: "Well her Highness send me to look after you in Aika's place, why you're Highness are you not happy to see me?"
Ryuu: "No no I am very happy to see, you have been taking care of me for so long why would I not be happy to see you, I was just curious that is why I asked why you were here, and Biskha drop this you're highness thing I told you I do not like it.", he finished speaking while pouting.
Biskha spoke with a smile, "Well Lord Ryuu, I told you that I cannot speak with you, without giving you any form of respect, also my Lord the village head man came and he invited you to attend a festival that is held yearly at this village in order to honor their ancestors."
Ryuu was stunned, "Festival, really so when will it be held?"
Biskha: "It will start around late morning, also he mentioned that there will be a small feast held and we all are invited to attend. Oh also your sisters send the items you requested."
Ryuu spoke happily, "That is the most wonderful news I received today. So any idea on what I should wear and any customs I should be aware of while visiting them, oh when do you think I should gift them those techniques."
Biskha: "There is no restriction on wearing anything and as for customs well they are a few, they have to fast till the start of the ceremony when they will drop various food specially the favorite food of the deceased on a bon fire according to them the smell of the burnt food will be carried to the deceased."
Ryuu nodded as he spoke, "Well then I also wish to join in their celebration, so send someone to inquire if it is possible for me to join, and if they have no problem then prepare a few of my mother's favorite food as well as a glass of nice wine. "
As the time for the celebration began Ryuu came along with a few of the maids present in his house as a few of them opted to stay back.
As Ryuu stepped inside the village, his friends quickly surrounded him.
Estelle: "Ryuu we were so worried we heard what happened while trying to hunt the Imoogi, it was so scary and huge, and we thought you were severely injured as such we tried to visit you but we were not allowed, boo hooo", she hugged him tightly as she cried hard.
He was soon engulfed in a hug by all his friends, Ryuu was confused he did not know how to react if he should be touched at their concern or feel embarrassed at how he defeated the Imoogi, will they also make fun of him if they heard about it just like his sister as his mind conjured an image of an older Ryuu walking towards some faceless people as he raised his hand as he greeted them, "Hey Everyone howdy~"
The people replied back in chorus, "Hello Daoist Vomit Boy!", he just wanted to crawl inside a hole and die.
Seeing the mental crisis Bisakha quickly send a mental message to him, 'Lord Ryuu this people just know you defeated the Imoogi how you did is not known to them, they will only know what you wish for them to know."
As such his face morphed into a big grin as his eyes lit up in an unholy flame and as such his friends were greeted with an awe inspiring tale along with some older people about how he defeated the Imoogi.
His little group was star struck as they looked at him with awe and some even with jealousy wishing they were in his shoes.
Meanwhile Bisakha looked with a frown on her face she was not in any form or position to say something to Ryuu but she did not like how he was mingling with some civilians who would never make a decent cultivator, Ryuu and those children are of different worlds this children will nothing but one day grow old and die without doing anything significant in their life where as her liege will not only become immortal but a very reverend person one day, this people will only cause heartache to her Lord nothing more nothing less.
Soon the festival began a huge bonfire was lit the village head went near it as he dropped a few things into the fire as he moved twice around it randomly dropping things on it and as soon as he moved further away, a single member from each household stood in a line as they went dropping the food items while they rotated around the bonfire twice, soon it was Ryuu's turn some of the villagers gossiped and his friends looked a little uncomfortable at that.
As Salome grabbed his arms and dragged him amidst their little group, before Percy asked, "Brother, this was meant for people who are deceased but you are Immortal cultivator why were you participating in this ceremony."
Ryuu spoke with a sad smile, "Just because you are cultivator it does not make you Immortal, they so called Immortal have such a huge life span that comparing them to normal humans makes them seem like Immortal but they too can be killed, and as for the ceremony I participated in order to honor my mother and aunt."
They were stunned to hear that, Estelle spoke in a small voice, "What do you mean by your mother and aunt wasn't she a cultivator?"
Ryuu spoke while he stared into space as his eyes glazed slightly, "My mother and aunt were very strong cultivators, but unfortunately we garner attention of wrong kind of people, they died trying to protect me."
The group was stunned silent as Xavier spoke, "What about you're other family members? Your sisters you talked so much about, why did they not help you?"
Ryuu: "My family is gone as for my sisters they are actually my teacher's daughters, well since my teacher treat me as a family, I call my teacher's daughters as such.", they were stunned to hear that, Ryuu continued, "The life of a cultivator is not easy it is filled with many difficulties and tribulations a single misstep will claim your life as well as your loved ones too."
Ryuu watched the bonfire roaring towards the sky his eyes filled with sadness, is it crime to wish to revert back time to when it was just the three of them a small a happy family, he raised his hand as he rubbed his eyes preventing the tears that were threatening to fall, after all neither his mother nor his aunt would love to see him so sad.