Cha Nantian's Worry . . .
Cha Nantian's eyes flew open, his surprise evident. He promptly rose from his seat and exclaimed, "How is that possible? The last time I went home, I did check on his cultivation status. How could he possibly improve so much?"
Song Jue responded, "Believe it or not, he is this powerful now. I am not lying."
Cha Nantian's mood remained somber despite the astonishing news. He got up and began pacing restlessly inside the tent, clearly preoccupied with worry.
"He… He doesn't know about that, does he?" Cha Nantian inquired.
"Absolutely not. No matter how dumb I am, I would never tell him that. He shouldn't know a thing about it," Song Jue assured him.
Cha Nantian heaved a long sigh and remarked, "Good… He is not going to leave with us anyway… Just let him… Just let him focus on his cultivation and wait for his fate… And we will see what then. I wanted him to live a peaceful life, but…"
He sighed again, his thoughts troubled.
Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over him, and he swiftly turned around to demand, "Who is it? Urhh… Xiao Xiao… Why are you here?"
To his surprise, Cha Eun Xiao was standing behind him, looking bewildered. Cha Eun Xiao stammered, "Well… this… this is… my tent…"
Cha Nantian's frustration mounted as he shouted, "You little prick! Can't you just make a sound when you come in?"
He felt irritated; he had meticulously ensured that no one else was present in the tent since he arrived. Yet, Cha Eun Xiao had seemingly materialized out of thin air.
[What on earth is going on?]
"Hmm. Xiao Xiao, you… Did you get in just now?" Cha Nantian inquired, his worry shifting from Cha Eun Xiao's stealthy entrance to whether he had overheard their conversation with Song Jue.
Cha Eun Xiao, perplexed by his father's behavior, replied, "Yes. Why? What is wrong? Why do you look so sad?"
Cha Nantian quickly brushed off his concerns. He took a deep breath and managed a smile, saying, "Good boy. You did a great job in the battle. I am proud of you."
He affectionately patted Cha Eun Xiao's shoulder, his stern facade softening. It had been a while since they had seen each other, and despite his attempts to be a stern father, he couldn't conceal the warmth in his eyes.
The three of them discussed the current state of the world for a while but soon shifted their focus. It became clear that none of them truly cared about the future of their world.
Cha Nantian became quite captivated by the little cat in Cha Eun Xiao's hands, exclaiming, "Where did you get it? It's adorable!" He reached out to take a closer look, but the cat, Erhuo, quickly evaded his touch and darted away. Cha Nantian was taken aback by its swiftness.
Erhuo, on the other hand, had a different plan. It thought, [Oh, dear. That's my master's father… I can't refuse him directly. But I absolutely detest being touched by others. I need to make a quick escape…]
[Didn't the quartermaster mention a nearby lake with fish?]
[Perfect! Let me go catch something to eat!]
And with that, Erhuo disappeared.
"That cat is remarkably quick!" Cha Nantian remarked, still pondering, [Did he overhear our earlier conversation?]
Simultaneously, he couldn't shake off his concern about Cha Eun Xiao's eventual discovery of the truth about his mother if he were to travel to the Qing-Yun Realm. These thoughts continued to trouble him, even as they had moved on to other topics of discussion.
"Since we've collectively decided to depart, I don't believe we should return to the capital," Cha Nantian asserted. He continued, "However, there are certain issues that require our attention."
Curious, Song Jue inquired, "What issues are you referring to?"
Cha Nantian explained, "Both you and I possess the means to use the secret tunnel to return to the Qing-Yun Realm. Cha Eun Xiao and the others, on the other hand, lack this option. They haven't undergone the Ascension Ablution and, as a result, cannot access the secret tunnel. Their only means of reaching the Qing-Yun Realm is by conventional methods."
Song Jue nodded, agreeing, "That's correct. So, what is the problem then?"
Cha Nantian elaborated, "Taking the conventional route to the Qing-Yun Realm isn't inherently problematic. The issue lies in the uncertainty of their arrival location. We won't have advance knowledge of where Cha Eun Xiao will land in the Qing-Yun Realm. It's a realm fraught with dangers, and he may encounter difficulties. We must exercise caution."
A concerned frown creased Cha Nantian's brow, and Song Jue could sense his brother's vexation.
[The Qing-Yun Realm is, by and large, a higher realm where cultivators from lower realms often arrive. While it's not exceedingly perilous, one must exercise prudence and refrain from rash actions to stay safe.]
[However, Cha Eun Xiao is an exception; he's unlike the typical cultivators. Furthermore, once he discovers information about his mother, he'll undoubtedly take action.]
[Attaining the Spirit Origin Stage at such a young age demonstrates his extraordinary talent, but in the grand scheme of things, he's a mere novice.]
[Should anyone uncover his identity, he'd be in grave danger.]
[They could incapacitate him with a single mental assault.]
[I can return to the Cha Clan, but Cha Eun Xiao can't accompany me there.]
[At least, not at this point.]
[Yet, he's capable of reaching the Qing-Yun Realm on his own. How can I prohibit him from reuniting with his family?]
[It just doesn't feel right.]
[But once he returns, things will spiral out of control. He'll discover all the secrets we've concealed from him.]
[Concealing the truth from him and the public will become impossible.]
Cha Nantian was deeply troubled, and Song Jue, too, felt powerless in the face of this dilemma.
"Cha Eun Xiao," Cha Nantian began, taking a deep breath as he prepared to broach the subject with his son.
Respectfully, Cha Eun Xiao replied, "Please, father."
Cha Nantian nodded and sighed as he continued, "Son, I owe you a great deal."
"At first, I never intended for you to pursue martial cultivation. My sole wish was for you to lead a tranquil and ordinary life. That's why I've indulged you the way I have. But, much to my surprise, you embarked on the path of cultivation independently. Now, as we're all aware, you've achieved remarkable success…"