After returning to Tonglin County together, Lu Zheng didn’t intrude on the family reunion. He escorted them home and then returned to his own place, informing Liu Qingyan about the incident.
“Hu Zhou’s father?” Liu Qingyan said, astonished. “That tiger demon? He showed up?”
Lu Zheng nodded. “He did.”
“Where’s he been all these years? Did he just return? Or was it a chance encounter? How was he injured back then? Why did he leave? What did he say to Sister after coming back? How does he feel about Little Zhou? What does Little Zhou think?”
Liu Qingyan fired off a string of questions.
Lu Zheng: ⊙_⊙
Seeing Lu Zheng staring blankly without answering, Liu Qingyan asked in surprise, “You don’t know anything, do you?”
Lu Zheng: “…”
“They hadn’t seen each other in over a decade. As an outsider, how could I pry into their business?” Lu Zheng said helplessly. “If you’re curious, you can ask Little Zhou tomorrow.”
“Little Zhou calls you Master. How are you an outsider?” Liu Qingyan said seriously. “A master is like a father. His father was absent for years. As his master, why can’t you ask?”
Lu Zheng pursed his lips. “Because he could crush me with one slap.”
“What?” Liu Qingyan froze.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “He appeared without a sound, not a trace of his aura. With just a glance, he made those thugs’ organs burst, killing them instantly. When he released a bit of his demonic energy, I felt an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to act.”
“Act?”
“Yes. I didn’t know he was Hu Zhou’s father at the time, so I gripped my red jade sword,” Lu Zheng said. “But I had a feeling that if I made a move, he could kill me in an instant.”
Liu Qingyan’s face paled. “That powerful?”
Lu Zheng nodded. “Very powerful.”
“And he was gravely injured back then?”
Liu Qingyan had thought Hu Zhou’s father was just an ordinary tiger demon, perhaps with two or three hundred years of cultivation at most. She hadn’t expected him to be so formidable that even Lu Zheng couldn’t act against him.
At this rate, he must have at least five hundred years of cultivation.
Lu Zheng shrugged. “A powerful figure’s enemies are naturally powerful too.”
“That makes sense,” Liu Qingyan said, then added, “Since he’s back, what about his enemies? Are they dealt with?”
“How would I know?” Lu Zheng said helplessly. “Enough speculating. Tomorrow at noon, I’ll host a meal for Little Zhou’s family. You and Uncle Liu come too.”
“Alright!”
The next day, before Lu Zheng could head out, Hu Zhou’s family came to visit.
“Master!”
“Young Master Lu!”
“Mr. Hu!” Lu Zheng returned the greeting with a clasped-hand salute.
“You’re Zhou’er’s master. If you don’t mind, just call me Brother Hu,” Hu Yijun said with a slight smile, his weathered face carrying a unique charm.
“No, no, I couldn’t…” Lu Zheng began, but seeing Hu Zhou about to protest, he changed his mind and agreed. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony, Brother Hu!”
“Good.” Hu Yijun nodded. “That’s more like it. Are Mr. Liu and Miss Liu not here?”
Lu Zheng turned to Uncle Li. “Go to Benevolence Hall and invite Uncle Liu and Qingyan back. Tell them Little Zhou’s family is here and ask them to come for a chat.”
Then he instructed Aunt Liu, “Prepare all the food we have ready for lunch.”
He gestured invitingly. “Please!”
Moments later, Uncle Liu and Liu Qingyan returned, and everyone took their seats.
Hu Yijun’s eyes flashed as he saw them, a knowing smile appearing as he nodded in greeting.
Uncle Liu’s gaze flickered, aware that Hu Yijun had seen through his identity.
Indeed, his merit-based concealment could fool ordinary supernatural beings but not a powerful cultivator like Hu Yijun.
“Thank you all for saving Yuzhi’s life!” Hu Yijun began, expressing gratitude for rescuing Hu Zhou’s mother, Wang Yuzhi.
He stood, offering a deep bow with clasped hands.
“No, no, please!”
“Please, rise!”
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan hurried forward.
Uncle Liu added, “As healers, it’s our duty to show compassion. Mr. Hu, no need for such formality.”
Lu Zheng called Hu Yijun “Brother,” but Uncle Liu didn’t dare act superior, and calling him “senior” felt inappropriate, so he settled on “Mr. Hu” to keep things neutral.
However, an invisible qi barrier stopped the three a foot away. After Hu Yijun completed his bow, he returned to his seat.
Lu Zheng and the others,无奈, could only return the salute and sit down.
Liu Qingyan glanced at Wang Yuzhi. Though previously healed and in good spirits, years of toil had aged her, making the thirty-something woman appear in her forties.
But today, Wang Yuzhi’s complexion was radiant, her eyes bright, her aura gentle, and her skin noticeably smoother.
She now looked like a refined, elegant beauty.
Clearly, Hu Yijun had given her some rare treasure; otherwise, such a transformation overnight was impossible.
“Congratulations, Sister,” Liu Qingyan said, genuinely happy for her.
“Thank you!” Wang Yuzhi replied, still a bit shy and unaccustomed.
“Back then, I was ambushed by enemies and fled here. Later, I returned to the Southern Border to seek revenge. By the time I settled matters in the mountains and came back, the village had already fallen,” Hu Yijun explained.
He didn’t elaborate on who his enemies were, how he took revenge, or what “mountain matters” entailed, and Lu Zheng and the others naturally didn’t press.
“My injuries hadn’t healed, and I couldn’t help Yuzhi cultivate. I planned to retrieve a spiritual pill from a secret valley after my revenge, so she could step onto the path of cultivation and join me for a thousand years.”
“But…”
“I visited nearby villages, towns, and counties, asking around. Everyone said nearly all the people in that small village had died. I thought Yuzhi was gone too.”
“Since then, every three years, I’d stay a few days in Linshan Village. Yesterday, I was preparing to return when I sensed Zhou’er’s aura from the sky.”
Hu Yijun looked at Hu Zhou, who shifted uncomfortably, clearly not used to this stranger calling him “Zhou’er” so familiarly.
Hu Yijun smiled faintly. “Yuzhi and Zhou’er told me you taught him to read and reason. The title of Master is well-earned.”
He didn’t mention Lu Zheng teaching Hu Zhou fist techniques or blade skills.
To him, techniques like *Mountain-Carrying Eighteen Forms* or *Tiger Roar Blade* weren’t rare secrets.
Once he reunited with Hu Zhou and his mother, would Hu Zhou lack techniques?
Instead, he thanked them for guiding Hu Zhou’s thinking and behavior.
What particularly pleased Hu Yijun was that they didn’t impose their views on Hu Zhou but used teachings and real-life stories to let him think and learn independently.
“You’re too kind.”
“Little Zhou is a good boy, very obedient,” Liu Qingyan praised.
“Indeed,” Hu Yijun nodded.
They chatted casually, and then Hu Yijun brought up another matter.
“This time, I don’t want to be separated from Yuzhi and her son again. I plan to take them back to the Southern Border.”
His tone was calm, almost casual. “But Yuzhi is reluctant to leave Zhou’er, and Zhou’er doesn’t seem keen to go. So we came today to seek your opinions.”
