229: Chapter 228 Post-War

After the Immortal King in White departed, the ancient arena in the Tianxu Realm quickly returned to its usual tranquility. Xiao Ye did not linger; he sheathed his sword and turned to walk off the arena.

As he passed the neutral Immortal Kings who had been invited to bear witness, they cupped their fists in a salute toward him. No one said much, but their eyes all held a complex sense of approval. Xiao Ye returned the salute without much small talk and took Li Dan back to the Xiao Realm by the same route.

When they returned to the Xiao Realm, the sky had already darkened. The lanterns under the eaves of the main courtyard glowed with warm yellow light. A-Zhu was in the yard collecting medicinal herbs that had been laid out to dry, Palace Master Mosha was sitting on the steps flipping through a pharmacopoeia, and Zhang Waner was poking her head out from the kitchen doorway. Seeing him enter, she poked her head out further and asked, "Is the fight over?"

"It is over." Xiao Ye walked into the courtyard, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it. "I won."

"Then, are we holding a banquet tomorrow?" Zhang Waner asked again.

Xiao Ye thought for a moment and nodded. "Let's hold one. It won't be a grand feast; just a meal for our own people. We'll take the opportunity to change the plaque."

Early the next morning, Li Dan had indeed already prepared the menu and red silk. Everyone in the Xiao Mansion was busy all morning, and by the afternoon, several tables were set up in the courtyard, filled with the same familiar faces.

The plaque above the main seat that read "Xiao Mansion" was taken down and replaced with a new one. It had only one more character than the original, and the handwriting was Xiao Ye's own—the words "Xiao Realm" were written in a flourishing, calligraphic style. The ink on the dark wooden plaque was particularly striking under the afternoon light.

The wisteria flowers in the courtyard hung down. When A-Zhu passed by carrying a fruit platter, she looked up at the new plaque, remarked "It's quite big," and walked away with the platter.

Everyone was chatting lively at the banquet. Liang Zhou had arrived at some point and was sitting in the corner with a glass of wine. He didn't say much, only raising the rim of his glass when everyone else toasted.

Fang Zhou was quite talkative, chatting about everything from the immortal mines of the Hengyu Mountain Range to the latest news of an arranged marriage spreading through the Ziluo Immortal Domain. Xiao Ye listened while picking at his food, occasionally chiming in. By the second half of the banquet, he took his wine and stood up to head to the open space behind the main courtyard.

It was currently an empty plot of land where several side courtyards were to be built later. He had specifically reserved this land, and construction hadn't started yet.

Palace Master Mosha had followed him at some point and stood still beside him. "Thinking about how to build it?"

Xiao Ye took a sip of wine. "Yes."

"Have you decided?"

"Not yet." Xiao Ye finished the remaining wine in his cup. "Let's get through this year first; we can think about next year's matters next year."

Palace Master Mosha did not ask again, and the two stood side by side on the open ground for a while. The night wind blew across the mountain ridge of the Xiao Realm, carrying the scent of the distant Spirit Fields, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway gently.

When Xiao Ye turned to walk toward the main courtyard, his steps were a bit lighter than when he had arrived. When he returned to the courtyard, the banquet had mostly dispersed. A-Zhu was cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, Zhang Waner was carrying a sleeping child into the room, and Liang Zhou was nowhere to be seen, leaving only an empty glass behind.

Xiao Ye sat down in the main seat, and Li Dan walked over to refill his cup with hot tea. "Master, there are several families coming to deliver congratulatory gifts tomorrow. Will you be seeing them?"

"Yes." Xiao Ye took the tea. "Those who come are guests. I will see them, sit with them, and chat for a few words. It won't be too busy."

Li Dan nodded and made another entry in the ledger. Just as he was about to withdraw, Xiao Ye suddenly called out to stop him. "Li Dan."

"Master?"

"This plaque, it hangs quite pleasingly to the eye." Xiao Ye took a sip of tea, his tone flat.

Hearing this, Li Dan smiled and replied, "It is indeed quite pleasing to the eye." He closed the ledger and quietly withdrew.

The courtyard gradually quieted down, with only the lanterns under the eaves still lit. Xiao Ye sat there until he finished the tea, then got up and walked back to the bedroom. On the way, he encountered A-Diao dozing on a pillar and casually gave its head a gentle pat. A-Diao half-opened one eye, let out a "ji" sound, and tilted its head to fall back asleep.

Xiao Ye walked through the corridor and pushed open the bedroom door. The lights were still on inside, and Palace Master Mosha was leaning against the headboard, flipping through her pharmacopoeia. Seeing him enter, she glanced up. "Is the plaque replaced?"

"Yes."

"Then what is there to be busy with tomorrow?"

Xiao Ye thought about it; there were indeed many things to do: the Spirit Fields needed to be expanded, the Formation needed to be reinforced again, and those side courtyards needed to be started. But he did not intend to count them one by one. He simply pulled back the quilt, lay down, pillowed his head with his hands, and said while gazing at the canopy, "Let's finish tomorrow first." Palace Master Mosha did not press further and turned a page of her book. The night outside the window was deep, and the wind of the Xiao Realm blew through the bamboo forest, as well as through the newly built plaque, making a faint sound.

Days passed by, one by one, unhurriedly, like the perennial stream at the foot of the Xiao Realm's mountain.

The medicinal herbs in the Spirit Fields were growing better and better, Li Dan's new ledger was already almost half full, and there were so many children in the backyard that Xiao Ye often couldn't remember all their names. But he was not in a hurry; whenever it was mealtime, he would just shout, "Kids, time to eat!" and a group of little ones would always scramble out from everywhere to gather around the table, the older ones holding the younger ones, noisy and lively.

Liang Zhou indeed did not live there for free. He diligently guarded the entrance to the Small World and would occasionally take the initiative to repair the wear and tear on the peripheral Formation. Although he didn't say much, he worked steadily and reliably.

Fang Zhou had visited twice, both times just dropping by for a meal while passing through. Xiao Ye didn't chase him away; adding another set of bowls and chopsticks in the backyard was not worth mentioning.

Li Dan's ledger had a separate page dedicated to "Social Exchanges," filled with the names of various immortal sects and noble families. Some had sent gifts, some had submitted visiting cards, and some had merely entrusted others to bring a greeting. Xiao Ye would occasionally flip to that page, not bothering to reply specifically, but he generally kept track of it in his mind.

The main hall of the Xiao Realm finally had its roof completed before winter set in. Xiao Ye stood in front of the hall for a while, not saying any grand words, just nodding and saying to Li Dan behind him, "The color of the roof tiles is good; it was a good choice."

"We chose from seven colors and finally settled on this one," Li Dan bowed slightly to the side. "They say it can help with Qi Gathering."

Xiao Ye looked up again; it was indeed pleasing to the eye, and when the sun was bright in winter, it could reflect a bit of warm golden light.

Palace Master Mosha had recently become obsessed with Alchemy. She built a small Alchemy room in her own courtyard and spent every day tinkering with various medicinal herbs. Occasionally, she would refine a few batches of high-quality Medicinal Pill and distribute them to the children in the backyard who were growing up.

Zhang Waner couldn't sit still, so she opened up a vegetable patch by the Spirit Fields. She planted all sorts of ordinary spirit vegetables, which grew quite well, allowing for a harvest every few days.

A-Zhu, along with a few of the older children, set up a swing at the foot of the mountain. Every evening, it was surrounded by people, and the queue could last until dark.

Xiao Ye would sometimes go over and sit for a while. He didn't swing, just sat on the rock nearby watching them play. That evening, he was sitting on the rock next to the swing, holding his little daughter who had just learned to speak in his arms. In the distance, several children were lining up waiting to swing, and A-Zhu was helping them push. Waves of laughter drifted over.

Bai Susu came over from the direction of the Spirit Fields, carrying a small basket of freshly picked Spirit Fruit. She sat down beside him and handed the basket to him. "Just picked, have a taste."

Xiao Ye took one and took a bite; it was perfectly sweet and sour, the juices melting in his mouth. His little daughter reached out for some too, so he broke off a small piece and handed it to her.

"Li Dan says he wants to expand the schoolhouse by another room next year," Bai Susu said, taking a fruit for herself to eat. "He says there are more and more children, and the current schoolhouse is a bit crowded."

"Expand it." Xiao Ye chewed the fruit flesh and nodded. "If there aren't enough rooms, build a few more; if there isn't enough yard space, enclose another piece of land."

Bai Susu didn't say anything more, just sat quietly beside him eating the fruit. The swing in the distance was still swaying, and the children's laughter mixed with the evening wind drifted through the courtyard walls.

A few days later, the maintenance for the several Formations around the Xiao Realm was completed. When Li Dan came to report, he mentioned in passing, "Master, a Sect Master from the neighboring immortal domain entrusted someone to bring a letter, saying they would like to pay you a visit and asking when it would be convenient for you."

"Let's make it next month." Xiao Ye was changing a diaper for a baby who had just turned one month old and didn't even look up. "There are too many banquets this month. The beginning of next month is relatively free. Invite him to come over for a simple meal."

Li Dan acknowledged this and left. Xiao Ye finished changing the diaper, picked up the baby, and bounced it slightly. The baby yawned, rolled its eyes, and fell back asleep.

That night, Xiao Ye was sitting on the steps of the main courtyard drinking evening tea. A-Diao was squatting on the stone railing nearby dozing, occasionally letting out a "ji" sound. The lights of the Xiao Realm in the distance stretched from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, twinkling like stars, spreading into a layer of gentle, warm light in the night. Xiao Ye finished the last sip of tea, put down the cup, and walked into the yard. He reached out to turn up the lantern under the eaves, and the light shone on the stone floor, casting a bit more warmth onto the laughter of the children drifting from afar.

He couldn't say why, but he felt at peace in his heart. The lights in the courtyard were still on, the children were still laughing, and life was moving forward, with steps taken steadily and firmly. He casually closed the courtyard gate and walked toward the main house. The evening wind blew from the direction of the Xiao Realm's mountain ridge, carrying the fresh scent of the Spirit Fields and the faint chirping of insects in the distance.