50: Chapter 50 Yunxi

The two of them squeezed through the city gate, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

An exceptionally wide bluestone avenue extended straight ahead, easily wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side.

The bluestone bricks underfoot had been polished smooth, with deep carriage ruts embedded in the center of the road.

On both sides of the road, houses stood packed tightly together, their upturned eaves and dark blue-black tiled roofs layered upon one another, surging into the distance like ocean waves.

The entire street was immersed in a bubbling cacophony of noise.

Ox carts hauling goods creaked as they moved, people on horseback wove through the crowd, and the sound of bells rang out crisply.

The hawking of vendors emerged from every corner, each cry louder than the last.

Young Masters and Young Misses in brightly colored clothing leaned in twos and threes against the carved railings of the street-side restaurants, pointing at the street scene below while chatting and laughing, occasionally letting drift down a few lines of poetry that others could not understand.

And beneath them, children with their hair tied in bunches chased each other, shouting happily as they wiggled through the crowd like loaches.

In front of almost every shop with an open door stood a sharp-eyed waiter, scanning the passersby with a practiced smile on their face, calling out clearly to invite customers inside: "Gentlemen, please, take a seat in the private room!" "Are you looking for a meal or a place to stay? We have excellent signature dishes!"

All sorts of sounds, colors, scents, and the surging tide of people steamed and mingled above this avenue, rushing toward them.

Yun Ming did not take Er Ya around to look at much, but instead headed straight home.

At this time, because her quality of life had improved and she no longer needed to do odd jobs or heavy labor, Qin Wan's complexion was completely different from before. Furthermore, without so many worries and no longer being bullied, she felt happy and appeared much younger.

When she heard the servants at home say that the Young Master had returned, she immediately dropped what she was doing and ran to the door.

Seeing that Yun Ming was also leading a seven or eight-year-old girl, Qin Wan thought it was Yun Ming's child.

Happily, she hugged Er Ya and asked: "Ming'er, when did you get married? Why didn't you tell your mother? Is the girl a fairy, and that's why you didn't say anything? It's okay, it's okay! Oh my, this little girl is so pretty."

Several servants nearby also offered their congratulations, hoping to get some wedding money.

Unexpectedly, Yun Ming said helplessly: "Mother, what nonsense are you spouting? I'm not even twenty yet; how could I have a child this big? This is my Disciple."

"Greetings, Teacher's Grandmother." Er Ya asked politely, looking pretty.

Qin Wan liked her even more: "It was Mother who was confused. But I really like this little girl; you must teach her well."

Yun Ming shrugged, not understanding how these two could like each other so much when they were clearly meeting for the first time.

"Have you eaten?" Qin Wan asked: "Let the servants make you some food."

Yun Ming said: "I'm not hungry. Besides, we were just passing by to see you, and we have to leave in a while."

"I wasn't asking you. Are you hungry, little girl?" Qin Wan rolled her eyes at Yun Ming and lectured him: "You haven't been back for so long, and now that you've finally returned, you want to leave again. Do you even have your mother in your heart anymore?"

"Wow, Mother, you have changed so much."

"Hmph, if you want to leave, then go. Mother can't keep you, but let the little girl stay and keep me company." Qin Wan looked at Er Ya kindly, rubbed her head, and asked: "Little girl, would you like to stay and keep Grandma company?"

Er Ya looked at Qin Wan, then glanced at Yun Ming.

Yun Ming said: "Don't be afraid. If you want to stay, stay; if you want to leave, leave. My mother won't force you."

"What do you mean? Am I that kind of person!" Qin Wan poked Yun Ming's head with her finger, causing the Qi Refining Level 8 Yun Ming to flee in panic.

Watching the mother and son teasing and scolding each other, Er Ya felt dazed as she recalled the past. She saw two dark figures who often beat and scolded her; she could no longer remember their faces, or perhaps she just didn't want to remember.

"I want to stay, to stay and protect Teacher's Grandmother."

Hearing Er Ya's words, both of them stopped what they were doing.

Qin Wan clapped her hands and laughed: "Good, good, then Grandma will rely on you for protection."

Yun Ming also smiled and said: "Fine, following me is too dangerous, and it will be safer if you stay."

Qin Wan keenly caught the word "dangerous," but she didn't show it immediately. Instead, she called the servants to prepare a large banquet, as she wanted to celebrate her son's return.

While the servants went to cook, Qin Wan pulled Er Ya aside and asked her all sorts of questions, only to discover that even though Er Ya had been following Yun Ming for almost a year, she didn't even have a name.

So, she took it upon herself to give Er Ya a name—Yun Xi.

They ate this meal until evening, and Yun Ming decided to rest for the night and set off again early tomorrow morning.

In the study, Yun Ming and Qin Wan sat face to face. He dismissed all the servants, and even told Er Ya to go to the guest room to Cultivate.

"Tell me, why is there danger?" Qin Wan looked at Yun Ming with displeasure. She didn't understand why there would be danger in Cultivating to become an immortal.

After pondering for a moment, Yun Ming spoke slowly: "Mother, no matter what happens in a moment, don't be afraid."

Before Qin Wan could ask what Yun Ming meant, she saw her son wave his hand, and the scene before her eyes changed instantly. It seemed she was no longer in the study, but in a pure white void.

"This! Where is this?" Qin Wan reached out to feel around, but could touch nothing: "Ming'er!"

"Mother, I'm still here." Hearing Yun Ming's words, Qin Wan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where are you?"

"We are still in the study; I have just severed our connection with this world."

"This... Is this something a person can do? Are you not just performing magic tricks?"

Yun Ming suddenly appeared in front of Qin Wan. The moment she saw Yun Ming, Qin Wan reached out, and only after touching him did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"What exactly is going on?" Qin Wan suppressed the fear in her heart and asked softly.

Yun Ming spoke slowly to explain: "Mother, I will explain it clearly to you, but I must prevent anyone with ulterior motives from overhearing."

Qin Wan nodded and listened quietly as Yun Ming said:

"I want to leave the Sunset Glow Sect, by faking my death."

"Faking your death?!"

Afterwards, Yun Ming explained his plan and the absurd reasons for it to Qin Wan in detail, though he deliberately concealed the card-drawing System and the Traits, simply glossing over them as an Opportunity.

After hearing this, Qin Wan felt somewhat dejected. Previously, when he was in the Sunset Glow Sect, he could come back to visit once a year. Now that he was leaving the Sunset Glow Sect, she didn't know when he would come back to see her next.

Seeing Qin Wan's dejected appearance, Yun Ming also felt a pang of heartache.

However, the constraints he received while staying in the Sunset Glow Sect were simply too many. The entire Sect was like a massive machine, and the objects this machine served were not every Disciple, but the few people at the tip of the pyramid.

He prepared to leave the Sunset Glow Sect mainly because of a few Traits: [Dao Fruit of Longevity] and [I Will Definitely Return] gave him nearly unlimited opportunities for trial and error, and [Accidentally Entering the Heavenly Family] could help him find various Heaven And Earth Treasures and resources to Cultivate.

Compared to staying in the Sunset Glow Sect and following the rules, it was better to go out and venture on his own.

But how to leave the Sunset Glow Sect was a major problem.

Sect Disciples cannot just leave whenever they want. Most of the Sect's Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals are not allowed to be passed on to outsiders, not even to one's own offspring.

If one insists on leaving, the Sect would choose to cripple their cultivation base.

Or, upon reaching a certain age, if one's cultivation makes no further progress, they can passively retire. However, this also means being stationed in various cities to protect the Human Race of the mortal world, and during that time, one must also report to the Sect every year.

Therefore, Yun Ming simply decided to go all the way and use the most extreme method to directly abandon the identity of Yun Ming.