Chapter 18: Going Home

In the cultivation of the Dao, time holds no meaning; in the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.

Rong Shou successfully underwent his tribulation.

The Tribulation Cloud descended with nine bolts of Tribulation Lightning: eight for tempering the body, and one for the Heart Demon Tribulation. The most formidable was the Heart Demon Tribulation Lightning, but after it descended, it veered toward Su Xi.

In the end, it was refined by Su Xi's Dao Body, becoming a wisp of lightning silk within her Origin Spirit Mansion.

Fortunately, Rong Shou had set up a defensive array at the time; apart from him, no one saw the Tribulation Lightning enter Su Xi's Dao Body.

Otherwise, no matter who it was, he would have had to kill them to silence them.

Su Xi followed Rong Shou to practice in the back mountain; from the beginning, when sitting in meditation for over an hour would make her so miserable she had to get up and hop around, she could now sit in meditation for three months at a time without moving a muscle.

It was just that her cultivation realm remained at the Qi Refining stage, which left Rong Shou completely baffled.

Su Xi stood by the lake, looking at her reflection in the water; the childishness and playfulness were gone, replaced by the gentleness and composure of a young woman, especially those eyes, clear as a mirror and calm as still water.

Rong Shou walked toward Su Xi, followed by a large, pregnant calico cat.

Su Xi heard the light footsteps and looked over.

First, she called out "Master," then stared intently at the calico cat and pounced toward her, "Da Miao~ you are so round!"

A large, golden-furred cat arrived via Teleportation and slapped a paw onto Su Xi's face, "She is about to give birth; the Young Sect Master is not allowed to bother her."

Su Xi swiped him away, "Get out of the way, you troublemaker! Da Miao—"

Da Miao leaped lightly, dodging Su Xi's clutches, "Idiot."

"..." Su Xi lay on the ground and looked toward Rong Shou, "Master~ she called me names."

"She is right." Rong Shou threw a letter onto the ground, "Go down the mountain; a letter came from your home, your younger brother is getting married."

"My brother is only eight... oh, he is eighteen now, he can indeed start a family." Su Xi opened the letter, and after reading it, said, "The wedding is tomorrow, so this disciple must leave now."

Rong Shou frowned as he looked at her cultivation realm, which was still only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, "Let Da Jin go with you. After attending the wedding tomorrow, you may return the same day, or by nightfall the day after at the latest."

"Yes, Sect Master." The golden cat responded immediately, "Even if she doesn't want to come back, I will carry her back in my mouth."

"No, Master... I haven't been home in ten years; I should stay for a year or half a year to show filial piety to my parents." Su Xi also wanted to spend some time enjoying the warmth of her parents' company and fulfilling her duties as a child.

"The red dust of the mundane world is a demonic barrier for those who cultivate the Dao; it will hinder your practice. Letting you go back this time is also to sever worldly ties. From now on, focus your heart and mind and practice diligently under me."

After Rong Shou finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve and sent both Su Xi and Da Jin out of the South Dao Sect.

As they plummeted from the high altitude, Da Jin transformed into his true form—a giant cat as bright as the morning sun with majestic golden light—and caught Su Xi on his back.

Su Xi hugged Da Jin's neck and let out a sigh of relief, "Where did Master just whisk us off to?"

"We have already arrived near the capital, Yun Du." Da Jin replied.

"Tsk~ look at my Master's strength, isn't it amazing?" Su Xi shifted into a relaxed, cross-legged posture.

Da Jin flew through the air, "In the entire Ling Yu, aside from those who are in seclusion and never come out, the Sect Master is definitely the best in Ling Yu."

"Isn't it the entire continent?" Su Xi was slightly dissatisfied.

Da Jin replied, "The new Demon Lord of Mo Yu, Xie Guanyu, is said to have already entered the Demon Emperor realm; once he reaches Great Perfection, he will ascend, so he is a tiny bit higher than the Sect Master."

"Xie Guanyu told me that even he is afraid when Master gets serious." Su Xi replied; she hadn't expected that after the old Demon Lord successfully ascended, Xie Guanyu would become the Demon Lord, and he was even the old Demon Lord's godson.

When this news arrived, it truly gave her a shock.

"Who goes there?" Suddenly, a figure clad in black armor blocked the path in front of Su Xi and Da Jin.

Da Jin opened his mouth and replied, "Young Sect Master of the South Dao Sect, returning to Yun Du to visit family."

Su Xi nodded, "That's right."

Upon hearing Da Jin's words, the other party hurriedly bowed, "Commander of the Yun Du Imperial Guard, Cui Heng, pays respects to the Young Sect Master."

"No need for such formalities; may I go home now?" Su Xi asked.

Cui Heng asked, "Of course, where is the Young Sect Master's residence?"

Su Xi replied, "My father is the outer courtyard steward of the Xue Fu, named Su An; my mother shares the same surname and has the given name Xian, and my younger brother is Su Chen. When I went to the South Dao Sect to apprentice, they lived in the outer courtyard of the Xue Fu. Ten years have passed in a flash; I don't know if they are still there."

Cui Heng took off his helmet, revealing a handsome and imposing face, and smiled, "So the Young Sect Master is the daughter of Steward Su An. Steward Su has already left the Xue Fu and is now my neighbor right across the street. Your brother is no longer called Su Chen; to avoid the current imperial naming taboo, he has changed his name to Su Zhangqing. Tomorrow is his big wedding day."

"He changed his name, that's not bad. I came back this time just to attend my brother's wedding."

"Please! I will lead the way for the Young Sect Master."

"Thank you, Commander Cui."

Su Xi patted Da Jin and followed Cui Heng.

Su Zhai.

Everywhere was draped in red and hung with colorful decorations, a scene of great festivity.

Su Mu was bustling about, so busy she couldn't stop for a moment.

Su Fu was a bit distracted, looking toward the direction of the main gate from time to time, "I wonder if Xi-niuer will be able to come back."

"She is a disciple of the South Dao Sect now, even if she is just doing odd jobs in the outer sect. You worked as a servant in the Xue Fu for so many years, running around, pleasing this person, serving that person, so busy every day you couldn't even get a full night's sleep. The child is the same; it's hard enough for her to take care of herself, don't force these things." Su Mu handed him a broom, "Go sweep the gate, so you stop staring out there."

"Alright." Su Fu replied, though he was eager to stay at the gate.

Just as he stepped out the door, he saw the Imperial Guard Commander Cui Heng returning with a giant golden tiger. Many people nearby were peeking over the walls to watch.

Su Fu was also startled and wanted to run back into the house.

But sitting on the back of that giant tiger was a young girl wearing a white Dao Robe; she looked extremely pretty and somewhat familiar.

"Dad—" Su Xi leaped down from Da Jin's back and ran toward Su Fu, her face full of an excited smile.

Su Fu held the broom in his hand, his eyes blinking without pause as he watched Su Xi running toward him, fearing that if he blinked, all of this would be a lie, that his eyes had deceived him.

In the courtyard, Su Mu, who was directing the servants, heard the shouting outside, slapped her thigh, and ran out, "My heart and soul has come home! Servant, go notify the young master."

"Yes, Madam." A young servant boy ran toward the west courtyard.

Su Xi stopped in front of Su Fu, looking at her father who seemed shorter than in her memory, and playfully measured their heights, "Dad, your daughter is taller than you now."

Su Fu rubbed his eyes, wiping away the moisture, but they soon became blurry again, "Is it really you, Xi-niuer?"

"It's me," Su Xi said with a smile.

Su Mu came out from inside the door, and upon seeing Su Xi, who had grown taller and more incomparably beautiful and ethereal, she could not help but cover her mouth with both hands as tears streamed down uncontrollably, "My little Xi, you really have come back!"

Sending hearts to you babies, goodnight~