443: Chapter 453 Afterglow and Fallen Leaves

After leaving the capital, Su Ming galloped all the way south.

He did not have a flying Magical Artifact, so he could only circulate his water-attribute Spiritual Qi to his legs, performing an escape technique similar to secular Qinggong but far more miraculous.

The Ruoshui Art circulated endlessly within his body, ensuring his physical strength suffered almost no depletion.

The further south he went, the weaker the suppression of the Imperial Dragon Qi became. Although the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth remained thin, it was already enough for one to feel a hint of free breathing.

Three days later, in the evening.

An orange-red setting sun hung lazily over the distant mountaintop, burning the clouds across the sky into a magnificent sunset glow.

Su Ming's footsteps stopped before a familiar memorial archway.

"Qingshi Town."

The inscriptions on the archway had weathered five years of wind and rain, appearing somewhat mottled, yet the vigorous brushwork of the original carver could still be seen.

Su Ming stood under the archway, not entering immediately. He pressed down on his bamboo hat, his gaze extending forward along the street paved with bluestone slabs.

The scenes in the town seemed not to have changed much from five years ago. The shops on both sides of the street were still those old established brands; Auntie Wang, who sold tofu, seemed to have been replaced by her daughter-in-law; and the rhythmic clanging of iron-striking still drifted from the blacksmith shop at the corner.

Everything appeared so peaceful, so full of the breath of mundane life.

But within this seemingly unchanging familiarity, there was a sense of the passage of time and the feeling that things remained while people had changed.

Su Ming did not go to Su Family Village first. As early as five years ago, he had already left the papermaking foundation to his second brother and explained all the fallback plans in a letter. He knew that with his second brother's steadiness and Village Head Zhao Dequan's shrewdness, as long as Su Family Village did not court major disaster, it would be prosperous enough for several generations.

Once cultivators intervene in the lives of Mortals, what they bring is often not a blessing, but a disaster. As long as they are safe, not meeting is the best protection.

Su Ming walked straight through most of Qingshi Town and arrived at a quiet alley at the eastern end of the town.

At the end of the alley was a residence—the Zhou Residence.

The courtyard walls were high, the copper rings on the black-lacquered gates were polished bright, and the stone steps at the entrance were cleaned spotlessly. It was evident that this household lived quite decently in the town.

Su Ming stood before the door and lightly knocked on the door ring.

Thud, thud, thud.

A moment later, footsteps sounded from inside. A middle-aged gatekeeper wearing clean short brown clothes opened the side door, leaned half his body out, sized Su Ming up, and asked politely, "Young Master, who are you looking for?"

Su Ming took off his hat, revealing his face. "Student Su Ming, seeking an audience with Master Zhou."

The gatekeeper froze for a moment, then a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "It's Young Master Su! The master often talks about you! Please come in, I'll go report this right away!"

He hurriedly pulled open the side door, led Su Ming inside, and shouted toward the inner courtyard, "Uncle Fu, Young Master Su is here!"

A grey-haired old servant hurried out from the inner courtyard. Seeing Su Ming, tears welled up in his clouded eyes. "Young Master Su, it really is you! You've finally returned! The master has been looking forward to seeing you every day!"

Su Ming nodded slightly. "Uncle Fu, I hope you have been well."

The old servant nodded repeatedly, chattering as he led the way. "Well, well, I just missed you. The master is in the study, please, this way!"

Passing through the front courtyard and around the screen wall, they reached the main hall of the inner courtyard. The old locust tree in the yard was still lush, but in the late autumn season, the leaves had turned yellow. A slight breeze blew, and fallen leaves swirled down onto the blue brick ground.

Just as Su Ming reached the entrance of the main hall, a figure had already hurried out to meet him.

It was a middle-aged man in his early fifties, wearing a somewhat old green robe, with a three-strand beard. His face was thin, but he was high-spirited and his steps were steady.

It was indeed Zhou Wenhai.

The moment he saw Su Ming, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and he stood frozen on the spot.

Five years of time had not carved deep marks on his face. There were only a few more fine lines at the corners of his eyes and a few more strands of white hair at his temples.

Looking at this familiar face, Su Ming suddenly remembered the scene when he first entered the County School. Back then, he was still an ignorant youth; it was the person before him who taught him how to be a man and how to establish himself in this world.

"Student Su Ming pays respects to Master."

Su Ming took a step back, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on both knees, solemnly kowtowing amidst the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Zhou Wenhai's eyes grew hot. He stepped forward quickly, supported Su Ming's shoulders with both hands, and pulled him up.

"Get up! Quickly, get up!" His voice was somewhat choked as he patted Su Ming's shoulder forcefully. "Good lad, it really is you! This old man knew you were tough and wouldn't die so easily!"

He sized Su Ming up, his eyes full of gratification. "You've changed, you've changed. You're more steady and also sturdier. Good, very good!"

Su Ming looked at his mentor and said softly, "This student has been unfilial and caused Master to worry."

"What nonsense!" Zhou Wenhai pulled his hand and walked inside. "Come in and talk! Uncle Fu, quickly brew some tea, bring out that jar of Longjing I've been treasuring!"

The old servant smiled and went to comply.

Inside the inner hall, the furnishings were elegant. A landscape painting hung on the wall, and several ancient books were placed on the desk. The aroma of tea wafted up, dispelling the autumn chill.

The two sat opposite each other.

Zhou Wenhai asked about Su Ming's experiences over the past five years. Su Ming omitted the blood and gore and the cruelty of the cultivation world, only saying that he had met an expert in the Northern Border and learned some skills to make a living. Now that the court grievances had been cleared and Marquis Yongchang had been brought to justice, he could finally return openly to visit.

After listening, Zhou Wenhai remained silent for a long time.

He looked at Su Ming, his eyes full of pride. "You are stronger than this old man. Back then, I only knew how to submit memorials, but you actually got the job done."

Su Ming shook his head. "This student merely borrowed momentum. Without Master's teachings back then and Lord Liu's secret assistance, I would have been a pile of dry bones long ago."

Zhou Wenhai waved his hand, unwilling to mention those things further. He turned to talk about family matters, his tone much more relaxed.

"Not long after you left, Yu Lin was transferred to a neighboring county to serve as a County Magistrate." Zhou Wenhai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his eyes held a bit of gratification. "That lad is quite ambitious and hasn't shamed this old man. A letter arrived a few days ago saying his performance evaluation was top-tier; perhaps he can move up next year."

Su Ming felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Zhou Wenhai said these things because he wanted to tell him: everything is fine, no need to worry.

Zhou Wenhai smiled, then sighed again. "It's just that with this move, the distance is far, and it's rare for him to return even once a year. This old man only has this little grandson left to accompany me." He gestured toward the courtyard. "That lad is quite mischievous."

Su Ming followed his gaze. In the courtyard, a boy of five or six was chasing a calico cat, laughing non-stop.

"His name is Zhou Cheng, childhood name Shitou," Zhou Wenhai said, his eyes full of affection. "He's decent at studying, but he just can't sit still."

Su Ming looked at the child, took out a warm jade pendant from his robe, and handed it to Zhou Wenhai.

"Master, this is a small token of this student's heart. Let Shitou wear it; it can ensure his safety."

Zhou Wenhai took a look at the jade pendant and, knowing it was no ordinary object, hurriedly declined. Su Ming insisted on leaving it, saying only that it was an object for nourishing the body and had no other use. Unable to refuse, Zhou Wenhai had no choice but to accept it.

The sky grew dark.

Su Ming stood up, preparing to take his leave. Zhou Wenhai did not try to keep him, only seeing him to the courtyard gate.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the courtyard wall, stretching the shadow of the old locust tree very long. The little boy named Shitou ran out again, pulling on his grandfather's sleeve, and asked curiously, "Grandpa, who is that uncle?"

Zhou Wenhai looked down at his grandson and smiled. "That is Grandpa's student. A very remarkable student."