The midsummer rain came heavy and urgent, turning the dirt road in front of Drunken Spring Tower into mud. The establishment was in an uproar, voices rising in argument.
This tavern was Gu Sanjin's property. On ordinary days, people from all walks of life would show him some respect. But today, seven or eight burly men had barged in, all dressed in identical black short jackets, standing side by side at the entrance, blocking the way in and out.
"Manager Gu, business at your Drunken Spring Tower is getting more and more prosperous," One-Eyed Li said, sitting cross-legged on a table with his shoes-still carrying rotten vegetable leaves-soiling the tabletop.
Behind him, two thugs were tossing peanut shells into a wine jar. The crisp sounds mixed with the gurgling of yellow wine, making Gu Sanjin's veins throb with anger.
"It's all thanks to the friends who patronize me. Hall Master Li, just state your terms for today," Gu Sanjin said, barely suppressing his fury. What the hell had gotten into these bastards today?
"Friends patronize you? Then why don't you treat us as friends, Manager Gu?" One-Eyed Li sneered, his small knife dancing like a butterfly in his hand before suddenly stabbing it into the wooden table before him.
Not giving Gu Sanjin a chance to interrupt, One-Eyed Li continued on his own.
"Our Black Knife Gang has been establishing our turf here for six months now. The entire southern district knows to pay protection fees."
"You're the only one who doesn't understand. What, looking down on us?"
One-Eyed Li pulled the knife from the table and gestured with it near Gu Sanjin's face.
"What if I don't show you face?"
A voice rang out. One-Eyed Li frowned impatiently, spat to the side, and was about to turn his head to see which bastard had grown tired of living.
Before he could turn around, he felt a chill at his neck.
"Urgh... urgh..."
One-Eyed Li clutched his neck and slowly collapsed. Before death, he seemed to see a wisp of blue energy drift past, then lost consciousness forever.
The blue spiritual Qi drifted by, like a piece of light silk, bursting into several sprays of blood mist in the air before floating back into the young man's hand and disappearing.
The young man wore a green robe with a green cauldron embroidered on his chest, smiling gently.
"Father, I'm back."
Gu Sanjin's mouth fell open, his eyes filled with shock, then reddened at the rims.
"An'er, is it you, An'er?"
"It's me, Father."
Gu An's eyes were also slightly moist. He had been away for eight years-to say he didn't miss home would be a lie. He had been reborn into this world and raised by his parents from childhood, so he had deep feelings for them.
"My son has grown up, even learned to kill. Come, let Father take a good look at you." Gu Sanjin looked at Gu An with satisfaction, praising him loudly.
"?"
This isn't right, is it?
Gu An felt the image of the kind father in his memory beginning to crumble.
"San'er, Si'er, you two handle things in the building. Make it clean." With that, Gu Sanjin pulled Gu An outside. "You don't know this, but in the years you've been away, your mother has been thinking about you constantly. Come, let's go home."
After walking a few dozen steps into a nearby alley, they arrived at a four-courtyard compound built of bluestone.
Passing through the main gate and the hanging flower gate, they reached the inner courtyard. Gu Sanjin called out loudly, "Wife! Wife! Look who's back!"
"Who is it, coming to the back courtyard so late at night?"
A figure in a blue dress pushed open the door-it was Gu An's mother, Liu Wan.
"An'er!!"
...
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Gu An sat by a round table laden with all kinds of delicacies.
A jade agate plate held an entire roasted lamb, a celadon sunflower-mouth bowl contained silverfish and bamboo shoot soup, and an ice chest was filled with minced golden carp and jade-white fish...
"Come, An'er, have some more." Gu An's mother ladled another bowl of soup.
"Enough, enough, Mother. I can't eat any more." Gu An hurriedly took the bowl. His mother smiled with narrowed eyes, clearly not listening. His father was also beaming-this meal was his handiwork, all dishes Gu An had loved as a child.
Among cultivators, many practiced inedia, subsisting on inedia pills. They believed that the turbid qi from grains was detrimental to cultivation, and that inedia could purify the body and mind, regulate the organs, and clear the meridians, benefiting a cultivator's qi condensation.
Gu An had also taken two inedia pills. They had no flavor. Whether in his past life or this one, Gu An craved good food, so he was even less willing to take inedia pills.
Suppressing one's nature, losing naturalness-that wasn't good for qi condensation either.
Besides, there was no evidence for such claims!
Gu An thought to himself, then took another fierce bite of roasted lamb chop.
"By the way, An'er, how long can you stay this time?" his mother asked expectantly.
Gu An's hand froze, and he blinked. "I have to leave tomorrow. But I'll be carrying out missions in Blackrock Commandery for the next three years, so coming back won't be difficult."
"Why so urgent? Can't you stay a couple more days?"
"Enough. My son is an immortal, naturally very busy."
Gu An's father saw his difficulty and interrupted his mother, stopping her from pressing further.
"Master, the City Lord has come to pay a visit."
At that moment, Steward Liu's voice came from outside the door.
"Heh, he's well-informed." Gu An's father clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"By the way, doesn't the City Lord know I went to cultivate at Qingyuan Sect? How could he let people cause trouble at the tavern?" Gu An asked in confusion.
Back then, at the Ascension Assembly, all the influential figures of Blackstone City had been present, with the City Lord seated prominently in the front. There was no way he didn't know.
"Of course he knows. The upper echelons of Blackstone City all know. On ordinary days, they don't cause trouble for our business. But the gangs at the bottom don't know. Stirring up something like this-he's probably here to apologize," Gu An's father explained.
Gu An suddenly understood and nodded. "Alright, then I won't meet him. Father, make sure to squeeze him good. As for the Black Knife Gang, I'll handle them."
Gu An's father rubbed his hands together like a fly and responded excitedly.
The next morning, sunlight dried the dew.
Gu An took out two Hundred Herb Nourishing Pills from his storage bag and watched his parents take them with water. Seeing the spots on their faces fade and their whole beings radiate vitality, Gu An smiled.
"Father, Mother, don't see me off. I'm leaving."
Gu An turned and left. With the Light Body Spell enhancing his movement, he vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. Gu An's father and mother watched for a long time before sighing and turning back into the house.
By then, Gu An had already found his way to a bluestone alley. A few scattered pedestrians passed by, and Gu An mingled among them.
"This is the place."
Looking up at the compound before him, the walls were dilapidated, several black bricks about to fall, and a pungent smell filled the air.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? Looking to die?" The thug in black short jacket at the entrance barked harshly, his right hand reaching out to push Gu An away.
"Clang."
The Qingyuan Sword left its sheath. Its bluish-gray blade cut through skin like slicing tofu, and the head flew off cleanly.
A semi-magical artifact had no standing in the cultivation world, but this was the mortal realm. Did you think my sword was not sharp?
After killing the thug, Gu An formed hand seals, his magic power surging. A three-foot-long water spear condensed in the air.
"Go!"
Gu An waved his right hand, and the water spear slammed heavily into the compound. Walls collapsed, bricks flew, and everything crumbled in an instant. Sensing the life forces inside gradually fading, Gu An nodded with satisfaction.
"Oh, there's one that slipped through."
Suddenly, a life force moved rapidly, fleeing in the opposite direction from Gu An.
"Whoosh."
The Qingyuan Sword shot out like a streak of flowing light, leaving a white trail in the air-Gu An had thrown it.
"Done."
Gu An retrieved the Qingyuan Sword, gave it a practiced turn, flicked off the bloodstains, and put it back into his storage bag. Then he summoned a Black-Scale Horse from his spirit beast pouch and galloped toward the city outskirts, leaving a street full of mortals trembling in fear.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuE8Vw9YmD
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