69: Chapter 69 Reuniting with an Old Friend

It was none other than the current Sect Head of the Cangyun Sect and commander of the Zhenluan Army, Senior Brother Gu Changfeng.

Following behind him were several faces you knew incredibly well. Chen Yue, Fang Qingyun, and a few Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters from back then. Over a decade had passed, and they had all entered middle age, shedding their former callowness to become the true core pillars of the Cangyun Sect.

The moment Senior Brother Gu Changfeng stepped into the courtyard, his gaze locked onto you like a magnet.

His breathing hitched for a fleeting moment.

After all these years, your appearance had barely changed; time seemed to have halted its steps upon you, and that cold, aloof temperament of yours was even more pronounced than it had been back then.

An unspeakable tremor surged in his heart.

"Senior Sister! It really is you!"

While Senior Brother Gu Changfeng was still stunned, Fang Qingyun and a few Junior Sisters behind him had already rushed up in excitement.

"Senior Sister, you're still alive! Thank goodness!" One Junior Sister's eyes were red-rimmed, her voice choked with sobs. "The Sect Head is unbelievable, keeping it from us for so long and making us secretly build a cenotaph for you!"

Holding Yaya in one arm, you smiled and patted the Junior Sister's shoulder. "I am fine, just some personal reasons that made it inconvenient for me to show my face in the Jianghu. You have all worked hard these past few years."

The corner of Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's mouth twitched slightly.

What did that have to do with him? But as he looked at the smile on your lips, he forcibly swallowed the words of rebuttal.

After reminiscing for a moment, Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's gaze swept across the courtyard. He saw the girl in your arms, saw Shitou and the others holding wooden sticks behind you, and finally, his gaze landed on the scar-faced man who had passed out on the ground.

His expression instantly darkened, and he released the pressure of a commander without reservation.

"All of you, disperse!" Senior Brother Gu Changfeng shouted coldly.

The surrounding soldiers, as if granted amnesty, quickly sheathed their weapons and retreated outside the courtyard.

Those few rogue soldiers who had been beaten away by you and had later returned with the deputy general were now pale with fright. They never imagined that the proprietress of a bookstore in this backwater village actually knew their commander, and judging by the situation, her status was incredibly high!

The few of them exchanged glances, their legs trembling, just as they wanted to shrink into the crowd amidst the chaos.

"Stop." Senior Brother Gu Changfeng stared at them coldly. "Did I allow you to leave?"

The rogue soldiers fell to their knees with a thud, kowtowing frantically and begging for mercy. "Commander, spare us! Commander, please spare us! We didn't know this young lady was your…"

"Drag them away. According to military law, those who plunder civilian women are to be beheaded." Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's tone was icy, devoid of any warmth.

"Wait!"

A slightly effeminate voice came from outside the courtyard. A middle-aged man wearing embroidered official robes, his face pale and beardless, walked in surrounded by a group of guards.

"Commander Gu, although these soldiers are at fault, their crimes do not warrant death, right?" The man in embroidered robes said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan personally promised that after the city is broken, the army would be allowed to pillage for one day. The soldiers have fought hard on the front lines, and now that it is time to reward them for their meritorious service, the Commander wants to behead soldiers with meritorious service for the sake of a woman. If this gets out, I fear it will chill the hearts of the soldiers."

You narrowed your eyes slightly and looked at the Junior Sister beside you.

The Junior Sister lowered her voice, her tone filled with undisguised disgust. "Senior Sister, this man is named Wei Zhong, the military supervisor sent by the current Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan. Ever since the Martial Dao Sect emerged, the royal family has increasingly restricted us. Regarding the army's one-day pillaging, the Sect Head, Senior Brother, argued and protested against it, but Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan said, 'Trading short-term pain for long-term gain is worth it,' and promised to compensate the people later. Now the army is a mix of good and bad, and often, the Sect Head, Senior Brother, cannot help himself…"

You nodded thoughtfully.

Power struggles, compromise, and concession—this was the reality of a chaotic world.

Senior Brother Gu Changfeng slowly turned around, his gaze stabbing at Wei Zhong like a knife.

"Supervisor Wei." Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's voice was not loud, yet it made everyone's eardrums ache. "I can ignore the rules in other places. But they touched my people. What, do I not even have the right to deal with three of my own soldiers now?"

The pressure of a Great Grandmaster bore down on Wei Zhong like a mountain tsunami.

Wei Zhong's face went pale, and he retreated two steps, cold sweat instantly seeping from his forehead. Although he represented the royal family, facing a genuine Great Grandmaster commander, he had absolutely no capital to stand his ground.

"Commander… Commander, you speak too seriously. Since they offended the Commander's old friend, it is naturally up to the Commander to deal with them." Wei Zhong gritted his teeth and backed down.

"Drag them away and behead them." Senior Brother Gu Changfeng waved his hand.

The personal guards pounced like wolves and tigers, dragging the wailing and begging rogue soldiers out of the courtyard. A moment later, several screams were heard, followed by dead silence.

With the trouble resolved, the atmosphere in the courtyard finally eased.

Everyone's gaze returned to you once more.

The Junior Sister who had been crying earlier moved closer, looking at Yaya in your arms, who had stopped crying and was biting her finger while curiously observing everyone. A flash of delight appeared in her eyes.

"What a cute baby!" The Junior Sister couldn't help but reach out to tease Yaya's cheek. She looked up, her eyes filled with a bit of gossipy excitement. "Senior Sister, is this your child? She looks just like you!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's body stiffened abruptly, his gaze locked firmly on Yaya, then looked at you.

Are you already married?

A sense of stifling frustration rose in his heart, and he muttered to himself: Such a big matter, why had no one ever reported it to him? Who was that man? How could he possibly deserve to marry Senior Sister Lin Shuang?

Seeing the look of anxiety and loss on Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's face, you found it somewhat amusing.

"No." You shook your head, your tone gentle. "This child is an orphan, abandoned outside the city. I felt pity for her, so I adopted her. It is not just her; the children in this courtyard were all adopted by me."

Upon hearing this, Senior Brother Gu Changfeng's tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

He let out a long sigh of relief and inwardly snorted: As expected, Senior Sister Lin Shuang has such high standards that she doesn't even think much of me; how could any other man in this world possibly catch her eye?

"Senior Sister Lin Shuang, my apologies." Senior Brother Gu Changfeng stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of apology. "Military affairs have been complicated recently, and the Zhenluan Army has been advancing too quickly; I didn't manage to keep track of you living in seclusion here. I let you be frightened."

"It is fine." You smiled faintly. "Let us go inside to talk."

You had Shitou take the children back to the backyard to settle down, while you led Senior Brother Gu Changfeng and several key figures of the Cangyun Sect into the main hall.

Although it was a simple blue-brick tiled house, the interior was kept spotless. You boiled water, washed the cups, and poured coarse tea for everyone.

Your movements were smooth and flowing, carrying an indescribable Dao charm.

Chen Yue held his teacup, looking at you with eyes full of admiration. "Senior Sister, you entered the Great Grandmaster Realm at thirty. Now that more than a decade has passed, with your talent, you must be close to touching the threshold of an Earthly Immortal, right?"