44: Chapter 44 Eager to Return Home

The bluestone steps at the entrance of the underground palace were dyed golden-red by the morning light as Zhao Meng directed the Guard Team to clear the battlefield.

Liu Chengfeng squatted before the cracked black stone tablet, pinching a bit of residual runic ash with his fingertips, his brow slightly furrowed.

No one noticed that Lin Yue's figure had already quietly retreated to a street corner.

He looked down at the dragon jade in his palm; after the four fragments were joined together, the jade's body was as warm and moist as warm jade.

The golden patterns inside flowed gently with his breathing, slowly injecting the Yin Gathering Formation's Spiritual Qi absorbed last night into his Meridians.

The Middle Foundation Establishment Stage spiritual power in his Dantian had stabilized, each circulation carrying the clear moisture of the dragon jade,

interweaving with the silver Radiance of the spirit radiance stone into an even more condensed power.

"Clan Chief?"

Lin Hu hurried to catch up with two guards, holding Green Wood Sect secret manuals salvaged from the underground palace.

"Captain Zhao said these evil Cultivator techniques might be useful and asked me to give them to you.

Also, Elder Liu said he wanted to talk to you about the dragon jade..."

Lin Yue took the manuals and casually stuffed them into his Storage Pouch, his voice calm and steady:

"No need.

Tell Captain Zhao and Elder Liu that there are still matters in Sunset Town, so we are setting off to return now."

Lin Hu was stunned:

"Leaving now? Without saying goodbye? They are still waiting..."

"No need for goodbyes."

Lin Yue interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the busy crowd in the square—

The workers from the Hundred Herbs Hall were treating the wounded, and members of the merchant guild were registering the spoils of war.

Several Cultivators surrounded Liu Chengfeng, clearly wanting to inquire about the whereabouts of the dragon jade.

The clamor and disputes never ceased, and he no longer had the heart to be drawn back into them.

"But..."

"Execute the order."

Lin Yue's tone brooked no argument as he turned and walked toward the Yingke Tower.

"Have Lin De and Lin Shi pack their things immediately and meet at the city gate in fifteen minutes. Do not be late."

Though full of doubt, Lin Hu responded in a deep voice:

"Yes!"

Returning to the Yingke Tower, Lin Yue did not go to the lobby but flipped directly into his room from the backyard.

The tea he hadn't finished drinking last night was still on the table, and the bedding on the couch was neatly folded, as if no one had ever stayed there.

He quickly unfastened the spirit radiance stone talisman from his waist and wiped the 'Radiance' sword clean,

storing it in his grotto-heaven along with the purified star marrow stone.

Finally, he looked at the small grass on the windowsill nourished by spirit river water—

Lin De had casually moved it from the roadside when they first arrived in Black Stone City.

At this moment, morning dew clung to the blades of grass, shimmering in the sunlight; it had actually grown twice as lush as when it first arrived.

With a slight movement of his fingertips, Lin Yue stored the flowerpot at the edge of the grotto-heaven's spiritual field, where the soil was most suitable for plants to grow.

Having finished packing, he pushed open the door and happened to meet the hurrying Lin De and Lin Shi.

Lin De carried a bulging medicine chest filled with Spiritual Plant seeds exchanged from Black Stone City;

Lin Shi held an iron box containing the Ink Silver Stone fragments gifted by Liu Chengfeng, his face still showing lingering excitement.

"Clan Chief, we're leaving already?"

Lin Shi couldn't help but ask.

"About the Mineral Exhibition Fair..."

"We'll discuss it after we return."

Lin Yue offered no further explanation and took the lead in walking out of the Yingke Tower.

"Take the side gate to avoid the square."

The three of them threaded through quiet alleys, leaving the clamor of Black Stone City behind them;

only the occasional sound of copper bells served as a reminder of last night's fierce battle.

The flagstone path in the alley was uneven, and the moss at the base of the walls was wet with dew.

The air was filled with the aroma of noodles drifting from a breakfast stall, ordinary and vivid, a world apart from the sinister darkness of the underground palace and the noise of the square.

"Clan Chief, look!"

Lin Shi suddenly stopped and pointed to the bulletin board at the corner. A newly written notice was posted there;

written in cinnabar were the words 'Remnants of Green Wood Sect Purged, Primary Credit to Lin Yue,' and beside it was a simple portrait that was exactly Lin Yue's likeness.

Lin Yue glanced at it without stopping his pace:

"Let's go."

Lin De sighed:

"Well, now all of Black Stone City knows your name."

"It's not necessarily a good thing,"

Lin Yue said indifferently.

A tall tree attracts the wind; the secrets of the dragon jade and the spirit radiance stone were already conspicuous enough.

Now, adding the achievement of 'thwarting the Green Wood Sect' would only attract more prying eyes.

He needed time; he needed to allow this power to thoroughly settle and take root in the soil of Sunset Town.

When they arrived at the North Gate, the guards saw Lin Yue and immediately straightened their backs to salute, their eyes full of awe.

Lin Yue nodded slightly and did not linger, leading Lin De and Lin Shi out of the city gate.

On the official road outside the city, several merchant caravans' carriages were slowly entering; the workers driving the carts also looked over as they passed—

clearly, the legends about this young Clan Chief had already spread outside the city.

"Go east, bypass the official road."

Lin Yue pointed to a fork in the road where the overgrown vegetation suggested few people passed through.

The three of them forged ahead through the wild grass, their pant legs dampened by morning dew, but no one cared.

Lin Shi couldn't help but ask:

"Clan Chief, are we really not going to cooperate with Black Stone City? Elder Liu said..."

"Cooperation is fine, but there is no need to fawn over them."

Lin Yue's voice echoed through the woods.

"The Foundation of Sunset Town lies in the Mineral Vein and our clansmen, not at the banquets of Black Stone City.

Once we guard the Mineral Vein more securely and make our strength even greater, people will naturally come with sincerity. There is no need to rush for it now."

Lin De stroked his beard, deep in thought:

"Is the Clan Chief afraid of a tall tree attracting the wind?"

"Yes."

Lin Yue nodded.

"The Blood Shadow Tower might be behind the Green Wood Sect, and there might be even more powerful forces behind the Blood Shadow Tower.

What we need to do now is not expand, but stabilize.

After returning, immediately reinforce the Spirit Gathering formation and carve out a secret passage from the depths of the Mineral Vein, just in case."

Lin Hu caught up from behind, carrying a bundle, clearly having run all the way:

"Clan Chief, everything is arranged!

I sent back the escorts Captain Zhao sent, saying we can manage on our own."

"Well done,"

Lin Yue praised.

Too much 'protection' can sometimes be a form of surveillance.

The four of them quickened their pace, heading toward Sunset Town.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground, and the birdsong in the forest was crisp and pleasant.

Occasionally, a spirit deer would dart out from the grass, look at them curiously, and then quickly vanish into the depths of the dense forest.

Away from the clamor and calculations of Black Stone City, Lin Yue's heart gradually calmed down.

He could clearly feel the World Tree in the grotto-heaven stretching its branches and leaves, and new sprouts on the spiritual field breaking through the soil.

The golden glow of the dragon jade and the silver ripples of the Spirit River reflected each other, forming a small, stable world that belonged to him.

This was his root.

At dusk, they climbed a mountain ridge and saw the silhouette of Sunset Town in the distance—

Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the rooftops, and the light barrier of the Spirit Gathering formation shimmered with a pale golden hue in the sunset.

In the mountain hollow where the Mineral Vein was located, the busy figures of clansmen could be vaguely seen.

"We're home."

Lin De said with a smile, his eyes slightly moist.

Lin Yue stood on the mountain ridge, looking at that familiar land, and tightened his grip on the 'Radiance' sword at his waist.

The warmth of the hilt was transmitted through his palm; it was the tenacity of the spirit radiance stone, the gentleness of the dragon jade, and even more so, the expectations of countless clansmen.

The storm in Black Stone City had temporarily subsided, while the story of Sunset Town had just turned to a new page.

What he needed to do was not linger in the praise of the outside world, but return to this land and use the sword in his hand,

and the Dao in his heart, to guard this hard-won peace and hope.

The mountain wind blew, carrying the unique fragrance of Sunset Town's Spiritual Plants.

Lin Yue took a deep breath and took the lead in walking down the mountain.

Lin De, Lin Shi, and Lin Hu followed closely behind, their four figures stretched long in the sunset, firm and steady,

stepping toward their home, toward the heavy responsibilities that awaited them.