Chapter 593 – Reunion - Part 2

Before long, a carriage stopped by the lakeside, not far from the Star Manor.

Li Yuan listened closely. Once he was certain Zhen'er was inside, he transformed into a tiny insect and zipped toward the manor in a blink.

The Star Manor was heavily guarded, with even a fourth rank cultivator stationed within. But Li Yuan had long since surpassed that level.

A fourth rank was merely an ant to him. And ants never noticed the shadow of a hawk.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yuan landed in the narrow crevice between the tiles on a rear courtyard rooftop, silently watching the scene below.

Inside, the air was filled with the faint scent of incense. A middle-aged woman with gentle features was leading a group of children in prayer before a statue of Buddha.

The clay-and-stone Buddha before them was coated in gold leaf but held no real divinity.

Li Yuan had spoken with those from the Deathless Tomb. He knew that during the Xia Dynasty,

Buddhism

had once flourished, but it was really just a ritual construct devised by certain soul cultivators, tools to gather spiritual incense for their own cultivation.

Now, though, this golden Buddha was nothing more than a vessel for the woman’s faith.

After finishing the rites and offering incense, she gently dismissed the children, instructing the young maids to take them off to play. She remained alone, seated cross-legged in the hall, eyes closed in silent meditation, fingers turning a string of prayer beads, lips murmuring prayers under her breath.

Behind her, sunlight fell in slanted beams through the half-open door. Dry leaves rustled outside in the wind. Within, the air held a cool, tranquil stillness.

The tiny insect flitted its translucent wings and glided silently into the room. With a faint shimmer, it shifted back into human form.

Li Yuan stood quietly behind the woman.

A strange sensation welled up in his chest, of time folding in on itself.

He had seen her born, red-faced and wailing. Seen her grow tall and graceful. Seen her wed. Seen her become a mother. Now she led her grandchildren by the hand, their small voices calling her

Grandmother.

He hadn’t hidden his presence. So it only took a moment before the woman opened her eyes. Her calm gaze met his.

“Have you come to kill me, sir?” She smiled gently.

Li Yuan blinked, then chuckled. “And if I have?”

She returned the smile. “You made it through all the guards. Clearly you're formidable. But you didn’t act while the children were here, you waited until they left. For that, I thank you.”

She paused briefly, then added, “You must be here on assignment. I wouldn’t want you to have made the trip for nothing. Please, go ahead.”

With that, she closed her eyes once more. Fingers gripping her prayer beads, she resumed chanting, calm, steady, not a single tremor in her voice.

She waited, and waited... But death did not come. Opening her eyes, Zhen'er looked up in mild surprise.

“You’re not here to kill me?”

“No,” Li Yuan replied.

“But...we’ve never met,” she said, brows furrowing. “Why have you come?”

Li Yuan was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Have we really never met?”

Silence fell. Only the faint click of prayer beads could be heard in the stillness.

Suddenly, that sound stopped.

The woman stood abruptly and turned toward the youth beside her.

Her eyes widened as recognition dawned. Those eyes, lined now with the traces of age, filled with something beyond words. A storm of emotion surged behind them, the hope of recognition, the fear of being wrong, the thrill of a possibility too fragile to grasp.

The youth smiled gently and lifted his hand, miming the familiar motion of spinning a top in the air.

The woman choked up instantly. Her eyes reddened as tears welled. But years of poise and discipline held her in place. She didn’t scream, didn’t rush forward, didn’t break composure.

Zhen’er simply looked at him, and the tears began to fall. Her lips curved into a smile, slowly and warmly. She lifted a sleeve to wipe her tears, but the smile only grew brighter.

“I thought you were just a dream,” she whispered. “Those times when I was a child...I thought I imagined it.”

“I’m heading to the Eastern Sea. Thought I’d stop by to see you first,” Li Yuan said gently.

“Yes...you were always meant to go there. I even thought you were already there,” she replied softly.

Li Yuan took a deep breath. “Gather your enemies. Tell them you're hosting a banquet to apologize for the past.”

She blinked, caught off guard. “Is that why you came? Just for that?”

A bitter smile touched her lips. Assassins, blades at her throat, none of that had shaken her. She’d met it all with the calm of still water. But some wounds cut far deeper than knives. And they always came from family.

“You’ve misunderstood. I want you to host that banquet so they all come. That way, I can kill them all at once.” Li Yuan chuckled.

Then, he continued calmly, “I know it doesn’t excuse anything, but I had my reasons for not being there for you. In the end, I could only leave Zhao Chunxin to protect you from the shadows. Now, I’m heading to the Eastern Sea. What I need to do there isn’t what you think. And I don’t know when I’ll be back. So before I go, I want to take care of things for you.”

“You came to say goodbye?” she asked quietly. She paused, then murmured, “If we never truly met, what’s the point of saying goodbye? To those who walk the path of long life, I’m nothing more than a moment by the roadside. That you paused here at all, even briefly, is already enough for me.

“Besides, I’ve had my share of blessings. The Empress Dowager favored me. The Human Emperor doted on me. Even the Bladeseekers held me in esteem. All of it...likely thanks to you. You’ve already done more than enough. You don’t have to do this.”

“Still holding a grudge against me, are you?” Li Yuan smiled.

“The matters of the Central Capital, I can handle myself. You should conserve your strength and go to the Eastern Sea. Don’t waste time on my affairs.” Zhen'er replied evenly.

Li Yuan paused, then seemed to understand.

“Zhen'er, you...might not fully understand how powerful I am now. Let me put it this way: I could reduce this entire capital to rubble, if I wished. As for fourth rank cultivators? Even if every last one in the Central Capital came at me together, they wouldn’t last a single round. The capital is like a toy to me. Fourth rank martial artists, like clay dolls. You don’t need to worry. Wiping out your enemies would cost me nothing.”

“...” Zhen'er remained silent.

Li Yuan added, “The idea that the techniques of the Bladeseekers originated from the Eastern Sea? That’s pure fabrication. It was spread to clip your wings. To make the disciples of the Bladeseekers abandon you and head to the Eastern Sea.”

“But what can I do about it?” Zhen'er’s voice was low with sorrow.

“The truth is, none of the techniques of the Bladeseekers came from the Eastern Sea.” Li Yuan replied. “The real legacy lies with me. I’m their creator. Going to the Eastern Sea for it is like fishing in a tree, pointless and foolish. Once I’ve dealt with your enemies, the Bladeseekers will rally behind you. They’ll help you clean up the aftermath. If you want to rule, then I’ll make you Empress. And if you don’t, then go live free like a drifting cloud, wandering the world.”

He smiled. “A lifetime, a mere hundred years, it’s not so bad. Your sister’s quite envious of you, you know.”

“My...sister?” Zhen'er blinked, startled.

Li Yuan clapped his hands. From the gap between the roof tiles, a withered vine slithered out, slowly transforming into a quiet, refined-looking woman who stepped into view and stood before Zhen'er.

“She’s known as Lady Divine Crow in the south,” Li Yuan explained casually. “In the Western Extremes, the Nine Flames Tribe revere her as the Crowmother. She once fought in the Human Emperor’s war, and she’s one of the last remaining third rank cultivators on this land. And this is just one of her avatars.”

Li Yuan continued at a relaxed pace, “You should talk with your big sister. From now on, this part of her will stay with you. The rift between the Nine Flames Tribe and Great Zhou can finally be bridged. And when the time comes, send her some offerings, she’s got a sweet tooth.”

There were a total of four Tree’ers. One had gone to the Eastern Sea, and three remained in the Central Plains.

This time, Li Yuan would be taking two of them with him. Naturally, one would stay with his youngest daughter.

“...” Zhen'er fell into stunned silence.

It was only now she realized just how many powerful relatives she had. She didn’t quite know what to do with herself. especially in front of this newly revealed big sister. She had never fully understood her father.

Li Yuan had no grand titles to offer, no official standing to dazzle with. He was always like a ghost in history’s shadow, present but invisible.

But Sheng'er? Her name was everywhere. Lady Divine Crow. The Crowmother. One worshipped in the Central Plains, one revered in the Western Extremes, a mythical powerhouse in both realms.

Even now, countless shrines in the south of the Central Plains still offered incense to Yan Yu and Lady Divine Crow. If she revealed herself, half the region would fall to its knees in loyalty.

And as for the Nine Flames Tribe? With the Crowmother backing her, Zhen'er could trust them completely.

Who could have guessed that Lady Divine Crow and Crowmother were the same person?

Sheng'er reached out and gently held Zhen'er’s hand.

“Little sister,” she said softly, “Papa had his reasons. This time, let him help you.”

Zhen'er trembled slightly, but she didn’t pull away. She let Sheng'er hold her hand, slowly letting herself adjust to this long-lost sisterly bond.

After a moment, she murmured with hesitation, “But if I host this banquet and announce my apology, the others will grow suspicious. They’ll know something’s off. They’ll bring their strongest, and maybe even nearby troops... I just don’t want...don’t want you or

Father

to get hurt.”

She had finally acknowledged Li Yuan as her father.

Sheng'er giggled and waved it off. “Don’t worry. Papa’ll just stomp and squish them all flat. You just sit there, don’t move, enjoy your wine and snacks. He’s quick about it.”

Zhen'er looked at Li Yuan. He smiled back at her, patient and warm.

Only then did she lower her head slightly and murmur, “Alright then... just be careful, both of you.”