93: The last family reunion dinner in 3397

While his family was still stunned, Chu Jingyu, with one arm around Chu Shengyuan, walked to the main seat in the room and sat down.

"Why is everyone so dazed? Today is a reunion dinner, let's all be happy."

Qin Hui's lips held a bitter smile, "Father, your arm..."

"What's losing an arm? It's good enough to come back alive." Chu Jingyu appeared very open-minded.

"No one is allowed to mention this arm again, understood?"

Chu Jingyu didn't want the atmosphere to become cold and tense because of his arm, so he asserted his authority as the patriarch, forbidding everyone from mentioning it again.

Seeing the others remain silent, Chu Jingyu's smile returned. "Sit, let's eat first."

In this somewhat somber atmosphere, Xu Yinyue's voice suddenly rang out, "Did my grandfather not come back with you?"

She looked nervously at the dignified Chu Jingyu, asking with mustered courage.

Chu Jingyu had not seen this young girl before, so his eyes naturally showed confusion. "Whose little girl is this?"

Qin Hui explained from the side, "She's Xu Yinghui's granddaughter. She's been here many times looking for her grandfather."

Chu Jingyu suddenly understood, then sighed, and got up to stand before the young girl. "Your grandfather died in the Howling Ice Valley. I'm sorry I couldn't bring his body back."

"It really was in the Ice Plain Mountain Valley?" Xu Yinyue murmured. Although she had already seen that scene and was mentally prepared,

after Chu Jingyu confirmed the news, tears still involuntarily streamed from her eyes.

Chu Jingyu didn't understand why she said 'it really was,' but continued, "Before your grandfather died, he entrusted my Chu family to look after you. From now on, you'll stay with our Chu family first.

Coincidentally, our Chu family has few daughters, so being my adopted granddaughter wouldn't be bad."

Xu Yinyue was momentarily undecided. She bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Patriarch. My heart is in turmoil right now, and I don't know how to respond to your generosity. May I go back and think about it carefully before giving you an answer?"

Chu Jingyu raised his gaze. She was indeed a clever child, not much different from his own Xiao Fan. So he smiled and nodded.

"Alright, you go back and think it over. But I, an old man, truly like you, and will treat you as my own granddaughter from now on."

Xu Yinyue curtsied again. She looked around. "I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

Knowing that she needed time alone to process her grandfather's death and vent her emotions, Chu Jingyu didn't force her to stay, nodding and allowing her to leave.

First, a small head emerged from the flat ground, then the Ginseng Baby, shaking the emerald green leaves on its head, leaped out from underground.

Beside Chu Shengfan, the Flower Medicine Butterfly also appeared, fluttering its wings.

Father and son exchanged glances, seemingly having thought of the same thing.

"Father, let them both treat you."

Chu Jingyu looked at the cooling dishes and sighed, "Come on, come on."

The Flower Medicine Butterfly flew from Chu Shengfan's side to Chu Jingyu's. It circled Chu Jingyu, fluttering its wings, and pink-purple dust fell from its wings onto Chu Jingyu's body, dissolving on him and healing the external injuries hidden beneath his robe.

The Ginseng Baby, meanwhile, hopped to Chu Jingyu's feet, then climbed up his legs to his shoulder.

It fumbled on its head with both hands, plucked two emerald green leaves, and brought them to Chu Jingyu's mouth for him to eat.

Then, it pressed its hands on Chu Jingyu's chest, its eyes tightly closed. A little bit of emerald green spiritual light gathered in its tiny palms. After a moment, a trace of dark, turbid Qi was drawn from Chu Jingyu's chest, then condensed into a small poisonous pellet in the Ginseng Baby's palm.

Seeing the black poisonous pellet, an expression of surprise appeared on Chu Jingyu's face; he hadn't even realized he had unknowingly been poisoned.

After the two Source Beasts finished treating him, Chu Jingyu summoned his injured Golden Armored Jade Pupil Beast and White-Browed Mountain Eagle.

The Golden Armored Jade Pupil Beast was better off, its injuries were external, with some parts of its carapace shattered, revealing the bloody soft flesh underneath.

The Flower Medicine Butterfly and Ginseng Baby took turns, and in a short while, the bloody soft flesh became smooth and restored to its original healthy color, while the white jade golden armor attached to it slowly repaired itself.

However, the dispirited and listless White-Browed Mountain Eagle left the two healing-proficient Source Beasts somewhat helpless. Its external injuries were easy to treat, but there was nothing they could do about its spiritual trauma.

Chu Jingyu sighed. The White-Browed Mountain Eagle's spiritual trauma was sustained while blocking the mental impact of the Illusion Crystal Ice Demon for him.

There were no Source Beasts in the family that could treat spiritual aspects. It seemed he would have to personally visit Sun Chunchen in town tomorrow to pay his New Year's greetings early and see if the old fellow had any ideas.

Chu Jingyu did not recall the White-Browed Mountain Eagle to its Source Beast space. Instead, he took out bedding, made a nest on a nearby chair, and placed it inside.

Then he took out the calming ornament from the nearby table, hoping its soothing scent could have some effect on it.

Upon smelling the calming scent, the White-Browed Mountain Eagle visibly relaxed somewhat.

Chu Jingyu gently stroked the White-Browed Mountain Eagle's wing feathers, then returned to his seat, asking his family to sit down and enjoy this already cold, last reunion dinner of 3397.

That night, Qin Hui drank a lot of wine and was somewhat drunk. He looked at the wine glass in his hand, his eyes a little hazy.

He should be happy; at least Father returned safely, at least the family was still whole.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Jiang Nian helped the somewhat drunk Qin Hui back to his room to rest.

Chu Shengfan was taken to the ancestral hall by Chu Jingyu.

Chu Shenghan took some food to find Xu Yinyue.

For a moment, only Chu Shengyuan was left in the vast central hall. He looked around blankly, pouting a bit childishly.

Then he glanced in the direction of the back mountain. Sensen and Jingjing (Wood Spirit Crystal Pattern Python) must be quite bored in the back mountain; why not go play with them?

Thinking of it, he acted. He secretly climbed over the wall from the back door and left, without alarming the gatekeepers.

Although it was late, the thick layer of snow on the ground allowed him to see in the dark back mountain. Coupled with the excellent physical fitness of a Mortal Rank Middle Tier Contract Master, Chu Shengyuan ran wildly through the forest like a frolicking rabbit, knowing no fear.

In the dark mountain gully, a python, about four to five meters long with a greenish-gray body, which had been coiled up resting, seemed to sense something.

It raised its head from its static position, its eyes keenly looking towards the mountainside.

Sensing its movement, another giant python with green patterns and embedded crystal fragments on its body also raised its head in confusion, vigilantly looking left and right.

It didn't sense any dangerous aura, so it tilted its head and nudged the neck of the first python.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss."

The greenish-gray giant python hissed, seemingly communicating something with the crystal-patterned giant python beside it, and then the crystal-patterned giant python's eyes also brightened.

The two pythons, one after another, silently slithered out of the mountain gully and climbed towards the middle of the mountain.