Chapter 32: Going Home, Returning!

After staying with the Red Whale Gang for two days, Lu Changsheng set off for his hometown.

Li Feiyu brought two people to travel with him.

Lu Changsheng planned to settle his family before heading straight to Ruyi County, then return to Qingzhu Mountain.

Naturally, Li Feiyu would go back with him.

Bringing two people would make it easier to settle Lu Changsheng’s family later.

“I wonder how my parents are after these three years away.”

As he started his journey home, Lu Changsheng felt a mix of emotions, anxious about nearing his hometown.

After all, this was the home where he had lived for eighteen years.

Even with his past life memories awakened, these last eighteen years were still part of his life.

Six days later.

A horse-drawn cart traveling on a bumpy dirt road arrived at a small mountain village.

At the village entrance stood a stone pillar with “Woniu Village” carved on it.

Lu Changsheng, seeing the familiar scene from his memories, had the cart stop outside and walked quickly into the village alone.

There was no one at the village entrance. In the distance, he heard joyous music. Lu Changsheng guessed someone must be celebrating, with villagers gathered for a feast.

He walked towards his home.

As the music grew clearer, his heart skipped a beat and he quickened his pace.

He soon saw a two-courtyard tiled house surrounded by a fence.

The house was covered in red “double happiness” symbols. Tables were set up inside and outside the courtyard, with many villagers standing, squatting, or sitting around chatting.

Some were playing gongs, drums, and trumpets, while many children played around happily.

“Is my little brother getting married?”

Lu Changsheng felt a bit dazed looking at the familiar place where he had lived for eighteen years.

He was the third child in his family, with an older sister, an older brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother.

His younger brother was five years younger, now sixteen and about the right age for marriage.

“Young sir, who are you looking for?”

Just then, a woman with rough, dark skin noticed Lu Changsheng and came over with a child in her arms to ask.

Looking at the woman before him, Lu Changsheng felt a surge of emotion.

After a moment of silence, he said in a hoarse voice, “Sister, it’s me, Changsheng.”

The woman before him was Lu Changsheng’s eldest sister.

“Changsheng?”

Hearing this, the woman looked at the noble-looking young man before her in disbelief.

Then, carefully examining his face, similar to her brother who had left home three years ago without a word, her eyes grew moist and her voice choked as she said, “Changsheng, it is you!”

“Changsheng, where have you been? You’ve been gone for three years without a word. Do you know how worried Mom and Dad have been?”

“It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back. Dullard, this is your uncle, your second uncle.”

The woman, wiping her moist eyes with her sleeve-covered hand, joyfully told the two or three-year-old child in her arms.

She then moved to lead Lu Changsheng inside, but seemed afraid of dirtying his clothes and pulled her hand back.

She said to Lu Changsheng, “Today happens to be Changqing’s wedding day. I’ll go tell Mom and Dad.”

With that, she carried the child and quickly walked into the courtyard, shouting, “Dad, Mom, Changsheng is back!”

“Changsheng? Who’s that?”

“It’s Old Lu’s third son, the one who suddenly disappeared three years ago.”

“I always thought that kid was strange since he was little. How come he’s back after three years of no news?”

“He looks nothing like before.”

“Yeah, with that fair skin, he looks even more noble than city young masters.”

Other villagers, hearing the commotion, looked towards Lu Changsheng at the door and started discussing.

Soon, the woman led out two gray-haired, weather-beaten but neatly dressed elderly people from the house, looking towards Lu Changsheng in the courtyard.

Lu Changsheng also looked at the two elderly people.

In three years, his parents had aged far beyond his imagination.

He opened his mouth slightly, his lips trembling as he called out, “Dad, Mom!”

That day, something happened in Woniu Village that shocked everyone.

Old Lu’s third son, who had disappeared for three years, came home.

Normally, this wouldn’t concern other villagers much, maybe just some idle chatter.

But after this third son of the Lu Family returned, he threw a wedding banquet for his younger brother with over a hundred tables of food.

The feast lasted for half a month, and he even built big houses for Old Lu’s family and all his siblings, and bought them farmland.

This turned Old Lu into Squire Lu overnight.

Even the villagers of Woniu Village all received generous wedding gifts.

This event would be talked about in Woniu Village for decades to come.

Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng, the subject of all this talk, left Woniu Village with Li Feiyu just a day after arriving, heading back to Ruyi County.

“Why are you leaving so soon? Why not stay a bit longer?”

On the main road, Li Feiyu turned to Lu Changsheng and asked.

“There’s no need to stay longer. They’re all well, and their future is secure. I can rest easy now.”

Lu Changsheng shook his head, gazing at the blue sky as he spoke softly.

After three years apart, he had taken a path completely different from ordinary people.

Now, returning home, he saw a hint of unfamiliarity and awe in his parents’ and family’s eyes.

So, after ensuring his parents and family were well settled, with no more worries in his heart, he chose to leave directly.

……

Nine days later.

Ruyi County.

Outside the city gates.

“Brother Hong, no need to see us off further. The mountains are high and the waters long, we’ll meet again!”

“Until we meet again!”

Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu, leading their spirit horses, clasped their hands in farewell to Hong Yi.

“Until we meet again, may both fellow Daoists’ path in cultivation be ever-growing!”

Hong Yi cupped his fists and bowed, saying.

He looked more spirited than before.

A few days ago, he had shown the thirteen talismans Lu Changsheng gave him to his father, the Marquis of Ruyi.

He explained that a good friend of his had become a Talisman Master, and could steadily trade talismans with the Marquis’s mansion in the future.

Hearing this, and seeing that Hong Yi had obtained talismans without paying Spirit Stones, his father believed him.

He praised Hong Yi greatly, telling him to maintain good relations with Lu Changsheng, and entrusted him with some affairs of the Marquis’s mansion.

This delighted Hong Yi, making him more confident and energetic.

Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu returned the bow, then mounted their spirit horses and set off.

After traveling for a while, Li Feiyu said, “I noticed Hong Yi seemed much more enthusiastic towards you.”

“Although Hong Yi is from the Marquis’s family, he’s only a son of a concubine. His life isn’t particularly good.”

“Associating with a Talisman Master like me probably helps improve his status in the family.”

Lu Changsheng naturally knew the reason.

On this trip to retrieve his spirit horse, Hong Yi had brought him fifteen Spirit Stones, payment for the previous talismans.

He also mentioned that this matter had earned him praise from his father, the Marquis of Ruyi.

He hoped that if Lu Changsheng were to sell talismans in the future, he would give Hong Yi priority.

Lu Changsheng naturally agreed to this.

He also thought he could consider selling some talismans through Hong Yi’s channel.

Otherwise, with so many talismans on hand but lacking strength, trying to sell them would be troublesome.

“Indeed, it’s too hard to earn money for cultivation in the mortal world.”

Li Feiyu also sighed.

After chatting for a while, the two hit the main road and hurried on their way.