Chapter 256 : Returning Home
Chapter 256: Returning Home
After Chen Ming fed the Small Earth Snake some purified earth-attributed true essence, it transmitted a sense of fullness and satisfaction, then slowly returned to the sheath of the Taiyue Sword, coiled itself there, and began to slumber.
This little creature seemed to be in its growth phase—eat, sleep, and repeat. Once it woke up, it would seek food again.
It was also extremely picky—it wouldn’t eat grains or meat, only earth-attributed energy. Now, aside from the Taiyue Sword which could provide some earth energy, only he could afford to feed it.
If this Small Earth Snake hadn’t followed him and stayed in that cave, it would likely have starved to death.
This little snake could evade a martial artist’s spiritual sense, and its speed was extraordinarily fast. Keeping it by his side might come in handy someday.
Then, Chen Ming took out the book Nurturing Artifact Art, and with a burst of Gang Yuan, reduced it to powder. A demonic cultivation technique like this was a ticking time bomb if kept.
...
After three days passed, Yu Haitang came to find Chen Ming.
“Has Master Yuan decided on a plan to kill that Du Rusong?” she asked.
He replied, “To be honest, I carry an item that Du Rusong is determined to obtain. As soon as I leave Jiangzhou City, he will definitely come after me.”
Yu Haitang voiced her concern, “What if he never shows up? I can't follow you forever, can I?”
“Then let’s set a three-month limit. If he doesn’t appear within three months, you can consider your promise fulfilled.”
“Very well. So, when do we depart?”
“No time like the present—today. I plan to send Qianqian and her junior brother back to Qingfeng City.”
“Oh? I thought you intended to take her as your disciple.”
Chen Ming shook his head. “I carry too many karmic ties—not suitable to take disciples. In the future, I’ll have to trouble Miss Yu to take more care of her.”
Yu Haitang smiled. “Naturally. After all, she is my husband’s junior sister.”
Yeah, right.
Chen Ming secretly scoffed. With Yu Haitang’s intelligence, she had likely guessed that people from the White Feather Sect would interrogate Huo Qianqian, and yet she had done nothing. Clearly, she didn’t value Huo Qianqian’s life at all.
At the very least, Huo Qianqian’s life was worth less to her than Li Jinchuan’s.
Of course, that being said, even if Yu Haitang had gone out of her way to warn her, Huo Qianqian likely wouldn’t have severed ties with her sect just over a single warning.
Yu Haitang changed the topic. “Actually, there’s still an elder in Huo Qianqian’s sect. If she could gain his protection, neither White Feather Sect nor Xiaoshui Sect would dare disturb her.”
“Oh?” A trace of surprise crossed Chen Ming’s face. “If that’s the case, why has Qianqian ended up like this? Besides, I’ve never heard her mention this elder.”
Yu Haitang smiled. “Because she doesn’t know he exists. That elder’s surname is Shang, and he currently resides at the Sea-Calming King’s Mansion in Qingfeng City.”
...
That day, Chen Ming and Yu Haitang left Jiangzhou City by carriage, bringing with them over a dozen carts of goods.
From the looks of it, she had long planned to leave on a long journey.
Considering the pressure from Pan Zhiyuan, she was probably also trying to avoid the heat.
Inside a luxurious carriage.
Yu Haitang said, “Old Pan is close to making a breakthrough. For him, obtaining the qualification and unlocking the Divine Repository is of utmost importance. So, he currently doesn’t have time to bother with me.”
“What if he succeeds in taking that step?”
“Then I’ll have no choice but to obediently leave Jiangzhou.”
Just as they were speaking, a maid’s voice came from outside. “Mistress, the convoy behind us belongs to Princess Mingyu. They’ve caught up.”
“Understood.”
Yu Haitang looked at Chen Ming meaningfully and said, “It seems the rumors are true—you and Princess Mingyu hit it off at first sight. If you’re on good terms with her, why would you fear that First Grade Purple-Robed Inspector?”
Chen Ming said, “Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”
Before his words even fell, Princess Mingyu’s voice came through. “Is Lady Ziyi in the carriage?”
Yu Haitang smiled at him and replied, “Is that Princess Mingyu? Master Yuan is in my carriage.”
At this moment, the carriage came to a stop out of courtesy.
Chen Ming lifted the curtain and saw a luxurious carriage parked alongside theirs on the wide official road.
Princess Mingyu had just stepped down from her carriage and said with some grievance, “Why did Sister Yuan leave without saying goodbye? Don’t you consider me a friend?”
Chen Ming cupped his hands and said, “I’ve always remembered the Princess’s kindness. It’s just that I’ve been beset by troubles and didn’t want to drag you into them. That’s why I made such a desperate decision. I didn’t even inform Yingsnow about my departure.”
“Then why weren’t you afraid of dragging Miss Yu into this? Could it be you think I’m not as good as her?”
That was a tricky question.
Answer it wrong, and he’d offend both women.
Fortunately, Yu Haitang helped him out. “Your Highness has misunderstood. My journey with Master Yuan is purely a transaction. There’s no emotional involvement between us. Master Yuan, since Her Highness is also headed to Qingfeng City, why don’t you travel with her? I’ll go ahead and wait for you there.”
After speaking, Yu Haitang closed the carriage door and the convoy moved on.
Princess Mingyu finally looked pleased. “So Sister Yuan is also heading to Qingfeng City?”
“Mm. I’ve long heard that Qingfeng City is prosperous in trade and maintains commerce with the Southern Sea nations. I’ve been meaning to see it for myself.”
“Perfect! I’ll be your guide.”
“And me too.”
Prince Jingyang suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking at Chen Ming with a lascivious smile.
Chen Ming saluted him. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
To be honest, he didn’t want to get too close to Princess Mingyu. After all, she had a Divine Repository Realm expert by her side. If they happened to meet, his disguise might be seen through—now that would be awkward.
However, at the moment, he really couldn’t find a reasonable excuse to refuse, so he boarded her carriage and traveled with her.
This journey to Qingfeng City would still take some time. All he could do was stay in the carriage as much as possible to avoid encountering that Divine Repository Realm expert.
...
For nobles like Princess Mingyu and Prince Jingyang, travel was hardly rushed. In fact, they didn’t spend many hours on the road each day.
Following them, Chen Ming spent nearly half a month on the road before reaching Qingfeng City.
Throughout the journey, he shared meals and accommodations with Princess Mingyu.
Fortunately, each night he used cultivation as an excuse and sat in meditation instead of sleeping with her.
“This ‘Ziyi’ alias must never be exposed!”
Chen Ming resolved firmly in his heart.
Otherwise, he’d suffer ultimate social death.
Once they arrived in Qingfeng City, Princess Mingyu went to the new Sea-Calming King’s Mansion.
The old Sea-Calming King’s Mansion had been taken over by Shang Jianfei. The court was not so tactless as to forcibly reclaim it, so they chose another plot of land and built a new royal residence.
Once Princess Mingyu stepped down from her carriage, she immediately grabbed Chen Ming’s hand.
“This whole journey has been dusty and inconvenient. Now we can finally take a proper bath. Sister, let’s bathe together—”
Upon hearing that, Chen Ming immediately said,
“I have urgent business to discuss with Miss Yu. I can’t accompany you.”
Then he fled in panic.
He could feel that this Princess Mingyu had an unusually warm enthusiasm toward him. Although intimacy between women was not uncommon, bathing together was still a bit too strange.
After leaving the mansion, Chen Ming looked at the familiar streets and atmosphere outside, and a surge of emotion welled up within him.
Qingfeng City, he was finally back!
As he strolled down the street, he quickly noticed more pedestrians speaking with peculiar accents, and their clothing and demeanor differed from the locals.
Previously, there were a few foreigners in Qingfeng City—mostly short, thin, and dark-skinned people.
But these newcomers looked almost identical to the people of Great Jin, differing only in speech and temperament.
Chen Ming pricked up his ears and heard snippets of conversation among the crowd.
“Why are there so many people from Southern Chu this year?”
“Sigh, those Southern Chu folk are rich and extravagant. Business will only get harder for us.”
“Southern Chu people, huh? How dare they come do business on Great Jin’s land?”
“Where have you been? That’s all old history now. Great Jin and Southern Chu haven’t fought in over a hundred years. I heard that lately, the northern war hasn’t been going too well. Two months ago, Southern Chu sent an envoy to the capital to meet the emperor, announcing peace between the two nations. Several cities were officially approved for trade. Qingfeng City is one of them. So once they caught wind of it, these Southern Chu traders came flooding in…”
“……”
After listening, Chen Ming suddenly understood.
He had heard of Southern Chu’s envoy while in Xiazhou City, but before the negotiations concluded, he had been sent away on a mission.
He hadn’t expected the two countries to have reached an agreement by now.
This was truly a historic moment. Although the two nations had not fought for more than a century, there had never been an official declaration of peace.
Now, at last, peace had arrived.
For the first time in five hundred years, the common people could freely exchange across borders.
To be honest, Chen Ming was quite curious about this Southern Chu. For a mere land of three provinces to resist Great Jin, a nation with twenty-seven provinces, for five centuries without being conquered—it spoke volumes about its hidden strength.
Moreover, over a hundred years ago, the two nations had fought an earth-shattering war of unprecedented scale. Since that battle, both sides had been locked in stalemate, never engaging in full-scale war again.
It was said that both sides suffered devastating losses. Great Jin lost nearly a million elite soldiers, turning its national power from prosperity to decline, shifting from strategic expansion to strategic contraction.
As a result, in recent decades, the northern steppe kingdoms had repeatedly invaded, and Great Jin’s armies had been defeated time and again.
A few years ago, the northern stronghold of Drinking Horse City fell, ten thousand cavalry annihilated—shocking the entire court. The emperor even issued a decree of self-reproach.
That had happened before Chen Ming’s transmigration.
However, the northern frontiers were too distant from Jiangzhou, so the people felt little impact. After the initial shock, the matter quickly faded from memory.
Now, seeing things from a broader view, that war had indeed left deep consequences.
Lost in thought about the world’s shifting tides, Chen Ming unknowingly arrived before the gates of Chen Residence. Looking at the grand and stately doorway, he felt a wave of emotion.
This was the new home his elder brother Chen Rui had purchased, located in the heart of Qingfeng City, and it occupied quite a large area.
When he had left for Jiangzhou City to compete in the Azure Clouds List, they had not yet moved in. In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.
The gatekeeper was still Old Li. His body seemed hale and strong, his face ruddy and more spirited than before.
Seeing her (him in disguise) with such outstanding looks and elegant bearing, Old Li dared not be careless and politely asked,
“This is the Chen Residence. May I ask, young lady, whom are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for… Miss Yu.”
“Miss Yu?” Old Li was puzzled at first, then recalled something. “Ah, you must be Miss Yuan? The Second Madam has already instructed that when you arrive, you’re to go see her immediately.”
Second Madam—
The corner of Chen Ming’s mouth twitched. From how naturally Old Li said it, it was obvious that everyone in the household had already accepted this “Second Madam.”
And the Second Madam was, of course, the Second Master’s wife.
He had been gone for half a year, and somehow returned home to find himself with a wife he’d never met.
Led by a servant, Chen Ming entered the rear courtyard—his own private residence—and found Yu Haitang sitting under a large tree reading a book.
Attending her were not only her two usual maids, but also Chunxiang, Xiaxiang, Qiuxiang, and Dongxiang—four seasonal maids.
After so long, the four little maids had grown noticeably, looking more mature.
Especially Chunxiang and Xiaxiang—they no longer looked like rustic country girls. Their complexions were fairer, their appearances prettier, and their cultivation had advanced greatly, nearly reaching Sixth Grade.
It seemed neither of them had been slacking.
When Yu Haitang saw her, she teased,
“I thought you’d stay a few more days at the royal mansion. Back so soon?”
Chen Ming said,
“I didn’t expect that the peerlessly beautiful and talented Miss Yu would marry into such an inconspicuous little family.”
At that, the four maids beside them all showed faint displeasure.
Yu Haitang replied calmly,
“What of noble clans and great houses? Are they truly so exalted? For the sake of a mere maxim, they would even abandon their own blood. My husband may come from humble roots, but his character is pure and noble—far superior to those so-called aristocrats.”
Pure and noble character?
Is she talking about me?
Does she have some kind of filter over her eyes?
Chen Ming didn’t know what to say. If this went on, he wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face. So, he quickly changed the topic.
“Where are Qianqian and her junior brother?”
“They’re here in the residence. If you wish to see them, someone can take you.”
“No hurry. Since I’m a guest at your esteemed residence, I should first pay respects to the host, lest I be discourteous.”
“My elder brother and sister-in-law have gone out and are not home at the moment.”
“I see.”
“You’ll meet them naturally at mealtime.”
So, Chen Ming went to visit Huo Qianqian and Li Jinchuan first.
When he entered the courtyard where Li Jinchuan stayed, he found other guests there as well. One was Zhang Mingyu, the Third Senior Brother from Huo Sect. It had been a long time since they met; he now sported two mustaches and looked much more mature, exuding the air of a sect leader.
Zhuang Xiaotian was there too, wearing the uniform of a Seventh Grade Patrol Envoy. His cultivation had made tremendous progress—he had stepped into the Sixth Grade realm.
Chen Ming, under the guise of a stranger, exchanged formal greetings with them.
At that time, Li Jinchuan had already woken, though his face was still pale and his mood low.
Understandable—his sect master had died mysteriously, and he had been branded a traitor accused of poisoning his master. Anyone in his position would be devastated.
Zhang Mingyu consoled him,
“Jinchuan, don’t dwell on it. Focus on your recovery. Now that you’re in Qingfeng City, you’re safe. Neither White Feather Sect nor Black Feather Sect would dare make trouble here.”
Li Jinchuan’s lips twitched slightly in response.
“Jinchuan, Brother Chen always had high hopes for you. You mustn’t lose heart and disappoint him.”
Upon hearing that, Li Jinchuan’s body trembled slightly, and a faint light returned to his eyes.