My Improvement Has Been Limited . . .
Old Cha the elder of the family, wore a visage marked by concern. He addressed Cha Nantian, his son who had returned under complicated circumstances, with a sense of urgency, saying, "The passageway remains obstructed, and there appear to be limited options available to you. While it is within the realm of possibility for you to have returned to the Qing-Yun Realm, your arrival at the Cha Clan in such a manner is unwise. Are you not cognizant of the seventeen years of oppression we endured, all due to your actions?"
Cha Nantian, now forty years of age, responded with a somewhat monotone voice, "Have I not settled my debts from the bygone days? I was but twenty-three years old at the time; now I stand at the age of forty."
There was a profound anguish in his voice as he continued, "The prime years of my life were squandered on that matter. I apprehend the importance of a clan. If the Cha Clan finds it impossible to accommodate my presence, I shall depart. This world is vast, and I shall find my own refuge."
His return that day was driven by a singular purpose: the desire to reunite with his parents. Cha Nantian admitted his shortcomings as a son and expressed his yearning to revisit the place of his upbringing. He aspired to pay his respects to the ancestors and announce to the world, "Cha Nantian has returned."
Taking a deep breath, he posed a pivotal question, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Now, all I seek is your answer. Should I depart or remain?"
The elderly Cha Eun Xiao closed his eyes, experiencing a wave of emotions. He realized that his once-youthful son had indeed matured.
No longer was it the young Cha Nantian who had caused great upheaval and been banished from the family like an outcast. Instead, he now radiated vigor, strength, and confidence. However, there was an undeniable sense of distance in his demeanor toward his father. It was evident that, despite his desire to rejoin the clan, the elder Cha recognized the possibility of his son's expulsion.
Yet, this did not sadden him. Having endured the pain once before, he was prepared to face it again. The elder Cha felt a mixture of sorrow and pride, acknowledging that his son had finally come of age.
"I understand," Cha Eun Xiao acknowledged, bearing the weight of past wrongs. "Our clan caused you harm, but you must also recognize that we had no other recourse. You saw it firsthand - if we had not expelled you, the Cha Clan would have met its downfall. The Cha Clan does not belong to any individual but to all its members. We cannot allow it to crumble due to your actions."
After a moment of contemplation, he added, "This decision cannot rest on my shoulders alone; it must be deliberated by the clan's elders."
In a solemn tone, he directed, "Proceed to the inner sanctum. Reunite with your mother... She has nearly blinded herself through the countless tears she has shed over the years. Your presence will surely bring her immense relief and joy."
Cha Nantian's eyes welled with tears as he felt the profound sorrow his mother had endured, causing his previous grievances to fade into insignificance. His mother's pain eclipsed everything else.
"She has nearly blinded herself through the tears she shed..." he reflected.
"I will await the decision of the clan," Cha Nantian responded before making a swift departure for the inner sanctum. It was evident that he was eager to distance himself from the current situation.
The celebrated General Cha, who had once conquered the entire Land of Han-Yang, concealed his inner softness beneath a veneer of toughness. He attempted to maintain an air of indifference, but deep within, he grappled with the fear of once again being expelled by his own clan.
The transformation in Cha Nantian was nothing short of astonishing. This was not the impetuous youth who had once stirred turmoil and been cast out of the family like an unruly cur. His vitality, strength, and inner energy had all ascended to a commendable level. Even when confronted with his own father, he projected an air of nonchalance and confidence, yet an emotional chasm had grown between them.
Although he spoke of a desire to return to the clan, the elder Cha knew that a repeat expulsion wouldn't take him by surprise. Surprisingly, this prospect didn't burden him with sadness; having already weathered that storm once, Cha Nantian had grown immune to such sorrows. The older Cha experienced a complex blend of sorrow and pride, realizing that his son had indeed come of age.
"I understand," Cha Eun Xiao admitted, bearing the weight of past grievances. "Our clan caused you harm, but you must also recognize that we had no other recourse. You witnessed it firsthand; if we hadn't expelled you, the Cha Clan would have faced its own demise. The Cha Clan doesn't belong to any one individual; it belongs to every member of the clan. We cannot allow it to crumble due to your actions."
After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "This decision cannot rest on my shoulders alone; it should be discussed among the elders."
In a solemn tone, he directed, "Go to the inner sanctum. Reunite with your mother... She has nearly blinded herself through the countless tears she has shed over the years. Your presence will bring her immense relief and joy."
Cha Nantian's eyes welled with tears as he felt the profound sorrow his mother had endured. His previous grievances faded into insignificance, eclipsed by his mother's suffering.
"She has nearly blinded herself from all the tears she has shed..." he pondered.
"I will await the clan's decision," Cha Nantian replied before making a swift departure for the inner sanctum. It was clear that he had no desire to linger in the current situation.
The celebrated General Cha, who had once conquered the entire Land of Han-Yang, concealed his inner softness beneath a veneer of toughness. He attempted to maintain an air of indifference, but deep down, he grappled with the fear of once again being expelled by his own clan.
For now, he had no choice but to wait, akin to a prisoner anticipating his sentence. The answer, whether to stay or leave, would come in time. All he could do was exercise patience.
He couldn't help but feel fortunate about one thing: his decision not to bring Xiao Xiao back into this environment. He knew Xiao Xiao was resilient enough to forge his own path and future. Even in the face of starvation, Xiao Xiao would refuse to endure the hardships of staying in the clan.
Cha Eun Xiao had never truly experienced life within a family. Unfamiliar with the clan's rules and dynamics, he remained an outsider in this complex familial web. In contrast, Cha Nantian, despite nearly two decades away from home, still held profound connections to the family. Regardless of the circumstances, the clan remained paramount in his life, a bond that carried both positive and negative aspects.
As Cha Nantian prepared to depart, the old Cha couldn't resist asking, "Nantian, what is your current cultivation level?" He held little hope for positive news, knowing that at the age of twenty-three, Cha Nantian had already reached an astonishing sixth level of the Dream Origin Stage, marking him as a prodigious talent in cultivation, both within the Cha Clan and the entire Qing-Yun Realm. A promising future had beckoned.
However, his life had taken a drastic turn when he crossed paths with Yue Gongxue. A brutal confrontation had left him severely injured and demoted to the third level, with an enduring hidden injury. This led to his expulsion from the clan.
The old Cha's inquiry was casual, but deep down, he wished he hadn't asked. He recognized the hardships that Cha Nantian had endured, and he expected that his son's cultivation had suffered considerably. A man weakened by injury, how much progress could he realistically make in cultivation?
This conversation between father and son struck at Cha Nantian's sensitive nerves, and the father's inquiry into his cultivation progress felt like a probing of his vulnerabilities.
As Cha Nantian halted and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "My progress has been somewhat constrained due to various responsibilities. Presently, I stand at level eight of the Dream Origin Stage."
The older Cha smiled initially and responded, "Oh, indeed. Not bad." However, his casual demeanor quickly shifted, and he widened his eyes in disbelief. "What? What did you just say? What was that you said?"
Evidently, he hadn't been paying much attention at the outset, primarily aiming not to hurt his son's feelings. He had resolved to offer a positive response, regardless of what Cha Nantian shared. But when he comprehended the magnitude of his son's revelation, he was left utterly astonished, struggling to believe it.
"How can this be?" his thoughts raced. "My improvement has been limited. I am only at level eight of the Dream Origin Stage. That's all," Cha Nantian responded, attempting to maintain his composure.
He understood the source of his father's shock. Essentially, merely maintaining his cultivation level and not regressing to a lower stage was astonishing, given his extended stay in a lower realm plagued by poverty and the burden of an incurable injury. In the eyes of others, his survival, let alone any progress in cultivation, had been considered nearly impossible. The fact that he hadn't perished was a miracle in itself.
However, against all odds, not only had he not weakened but had, in fact, been completely cured and even advanced his cultivation. He had made a substantial leap, reaching level eight of the Dream Origin Stage, a feat that defied expectations.