Chapter 51
“Eh?” The Seventh Young Master was taken aback, murmuring, “Did I just say that my words are law? Then I want to become an immortal right here, right now! I want to master the talisman arts and die!”
“Master, look! A bird!” Gao Yuan pointed out the window.
“What bird?”
The Seventh Young Master and Zheng Fa looked up at the sky.
A gigantic bird, as large as the courtyard, soared overhead, its wings spread wide, casting a shadow that obscured the sunlight.
This colossal bird was covered in green feathers, with long red plumes only at the tips of its wings and tail. As it flew across the sky, it resembled a fiery streak of red and green.
“Qing Luan!” The Seventh Young Master suddenly jumped up. “My sister is back!”
He waved frantically at the sky, shouting, “Sister! Sister! Save me! Come rescue me!”
……
On the back of the Qing Luan, two young girls stood, one in front of the other.
The girl in front, dressed in red, craned her neck to look at the scenery below, pointing at the Zhao family estate as she introduced it to her companion behind her. “This is my home!”
“That over there is my courtyard. There’s a little fish pond inside, and I fell into it when I was little.”
“That small building is where my mother lives. She loves to listen to all those sweet, melodious things. I never liked going there.”
“We just passed my brother’s courtyard. It seems to have been renovated, and they built a little garden.”
The girl in the back, dressed in a simple green Daoist robe, watched her excited companion and gently asked, “You’ve been away from home for ten years, and you remember all this so clearly?”
The girl in red smiled shyly, biting her lip. “When I first went to Qing Mu Zong, I dreamed about home every night—so I drew this place from memory and took it out to look at from time to time. Even after ten years, the general layout hasn’t changed much.”
Seeing her friend’s slightly embarrassed expression, the girl in green chuckled softly and asked, “Was someone in that courtyard just waving at us? It looked like they were calling for a sister? Is that your brother?”
“No way!” The girl in red replied firmly. “That person looks like a disheveled scholar, definitely not my brother.”
Noticing the confusion on the green-clad girl’s face, she added, “You don’t know what my brother is like. He’s been vain since he was little and is so lazy.”
“When I hit him once, I knew how hard I hit. He could have healed in a day, but he lay in bed for three months just to avoid going to school! My mother spoiled him, and he’s probably even worse now!”
“...Maybe after ten years, people change?”
“Hmm, unless he’s been possessed by some old monster or something?” The girl in red stroked her chin. “But that’s impossible. What kind of old monster would be so blind as to take a liking to my brother?”
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**Chapter 58: Hobbies**
The Qing Luan folded its wings and landed, allowing the two girls to disembark.
“Zhang Shijie, let’s go see my mother first!” said the Zhao family’s young lady in red.
Zhang Shijie, the one she referred to, remained silent, merely nodding slightly, her expression somewhat aloof.
As they approached the two-story building where the lady resided, the Zhao young lady quickened her pace.
The lady, who rarely came downstairs, was already waiting at the entrance.
Upon seeing her mother’s figure, the Zhao young lady could no longer contain her excitement and dashed into her mother’s embrace.
“Mother!”
After ten years apart, a reunion should have brought a flood of words.
Yet at that moment, apart from a single “Mother,” she found herself unable to utter anything else. A sob escaped her chest, and she buried her head in her mother’s arms, tears streaming down.
The lady gently stroked her daughter’s hair, recalling the little girl who had left home, still small and just beginning to grow her hair, with tiny braids.
Now, the daughter in her arms had grown tall and graceful, even taller than her mother, with a thick mane of dark hair.
A wave of bittersweet emotion washed over her, and her eyes began to feel warm.
The lady sniffed, suppressing her tears as she scolded gently, “You’ve grown up, yet you still cry like a child when we meet. What a sight!”
But the hoarseness in her voice betrayed the turmoil within.
Zhang Shijie stood at a distance, seemingly wanting to give the long-separated mother and daughter some space.
The lady looked up and saw Zhang Shijie, patting her daughter’s back. “You brought a friend back, and you just leave her standing there without an introduction?”
The Zhao young lady lifted her head, her face streaked with tears. Embarrassed, she rubbed her face against her mother’s shoulder before turning to her companion. “Zhang Shijie, this is my mother.”
Zhang Shijie stepped a little closer, giving a slight nod to the lady, her expression polite yet distant, and she remained silent.
The Zhao young lady continued, “Mother, this is Zhang Shijie from Jiu Shan Zong, the youngest genius talisman master of the Bai Xian Alliance, and she’s already at the Golden Core level!”
The lady initially thought Zhang Shijie was a bit rude, but upon hearing her status, she felt that she was indeed worthy of respect.
Both Jiu Shan Zong and Qing Mu Zong were sects with Yuanying ancestors overseeing them, and the Bai Xian Alliance was even more extraordinary, being a close-knit coalition of many immortal sects with immense power, comprising countless cultivators.
Jiu Shan Zong and Qing Mu Zong were both members of the Bai Xian Alliance.
In such a vast power structure, for Zhang Shijie to be called the youngest genius talisman master by the Zhao young lady spoke volumes about her skills, not to mention she was a Golden Core cultivator.
The lady bowed deeply to Zhang Shijie, her expression serious. “I didn’t realize I was in the presence of a Golden Core cultivator. I apologize for my rudeness.”
Zhang Shijie’s demeanor remained cool, but her words were humble and polite. “No need for such formalities, Madam. Zhao Shimei is my friend, and Zhao Shuzu is also my elder. Let’s just talk as friends, without regard for our cultivation levels.”
“Well then…” The lady hesitated, glancing at her daughter. Seeing her nod, she continued, “Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you my niece. I’ve had the maid prepare some tea, please, come in and sit.”
Even so, the lady remained cautious, her heart racing, fearing she might offend this talented Golden Core cultivator.
The three of them ascended the small building, and after the Zhao young lady tidied herself up, they began to chat over tea.
The lady was anxious not to offend Zhang Shijie, so she kept an eye on her expression.
Gradually, she realized that Zhang Shijie wasn’t aloof or proud; she simply didn’t speak much. Whenever the lady tried to engage her in conversation, she would show a hint of awkwardness.
When the conversation was solely between the lady and her daughter, Zhang Shijie seemed to relax a bit.
Understanding her companion’s personality, the lady decided not to force conversation, and indeed, Zhang Shijie appeared more at ease, showing little interest in their discussions.
As she chatted with her daughter, Zhang Shijie seemed a bit bored and pointed to a small bookshelf nearby. “Can I take a look?”
“Feel free to treat it like your own home,” the lady said warmly.
Zhang Shijie nodded and began to browse through the books on the shelf.
After a while, the lady still worried about neglecting Zhang Shijie, occasionally glancing over, only to find her engrossed in a book, seemingly indifferent to their conversation.
“Are you interested in that book?” The lady glanced at what Zhang Shijie was holding, which was “Middle School Mathematics,” and chuckled. “I find it a headache, but I’ve heard it’s passed down from the Yuanying.”
Zhang Shijie looked up, thought for a moment, and nodded. “That’s probably not just talk. Can I take this book with me?”
The lady was slightly taken aback. Seeing that Zhang Shijie didn’t intend to explain further, she didn’t press for details and generously replied, “This was given by my son’s book boy. If you’re interested, feel free to take it.”
She thought for a moment, realizing that it was inappropriate for her and her daughter to converse while leaving their guest aside, especially with a Golden Core cultivator present.
So she turned to Zhang Shijie and said, “After such a long journey, I’ve had a clean guest room prepared for you, right next to Shan’er’s courtyard. You might want to rest there first?”
Zhang Shijie nodded and stood up, following the maid who was leading the way.
As she reached the door, she seemed to remember something and suddenly turned back to ask, “What’s the name of that book boy?”
“His name is Zheng Fa.”
“Zheng Fa.”
Zhang Shijie nodded, as if committing the name to memory, and took the book with her.
Once her figure disappeared from the small building, the lady gently placed a hand on her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
Her daughter, standing nearby, asked, “Mother, why are you so afraid of Zhang Shijie?”
The lady replied, somewhat exasperated, “Isn’t it because of you, bringing back such a formidable guest!”
Unexpectedly, her daughter ignored her words and asked another question, “Is that Zheng Fa the book boy you mentioned in your letter?”
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Mother, you told me to keep a spot for him as a personal attendant. That was fine before, but now it seems impossible.”
The lady was taken aback, frowning. “I’ve already promised him.”
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