A sparrow flashed past the eye, and the ever-changing white clouds drifted across the azure sky, dyeing the green plain beneath their feet into a mottled expanse of dark ink-green and bright emerald.

Several days had passed since they left the Yuan family residence.

When they first arrived, it was the height of the New Year festival, and everyone had ridden their swiftest steeds to support the Yuan manor; they had started with eight fine horses, yet seven had nearly collapsed from exhaustion by the time they reached their destination.

Now it was the third month of spring. After spending two full months settling matters at the Yuan family’s estate, it was time to leave.

The return journey would not involve merely four people and eight horses.

The fifty thousand taels of gold gifted by the Yuan family were now stacked neatly upon five large carriages, each bearing a weight equivalent to a thousand catties. Of course, the wagons were also piled high with miscellaneous items to obscure the true cargo.

Furthermore, the Yuan family had dispatched an escort contingent composed of over a hundred estate guards, retainers, and retainers mixed with guests.

Naturally, everyone—whether the three from the He family or their own company—knew this so-called escort was merely a formality, at most there to run small errands and keep watch along the way.

Should they encounter any reckless bandits, not even the presence of He Yiming, a master of the Xiantian (Innate) realm, would be necessary; He Quanxin and his son alone could easily handle any group of horse thieves.

After all, the main route leading from here into the Tianluo Kingdom, reaching Taicang County, was a major official highway.

Even the most formidable bandits controlling the reaches of Tai’a County would not dare dispatch large forces here casually, lest they force the ruling powers of the Tianluo Kingdom to intervene severely against them.

As long as the robbers did not arrive in force, these men would absolutely not pay any attention to small raiding parties.

The entire convoy comprised ten large wagons. In addition to the five carrying gold, three were filled with numerous chests, constituting the dowries prepared by the Yuan family for the two young ladies. The final two wagons were naturally reserved for the two young ladies of the Yuan family themselves.

However, the two young ladies, lonely far from home and sharing a mutual sense of woe, had chosen not to travel separately but instead squeezed into a single carriage.

Leading the procession was He Quanxin. A faint displeasure lingered on his face; while he wasn't overtly grim, he clearly looked anything but happy.

Although He Yitian was outwardly joyous, he dared not reveal the slightest hint of it before his stern-faced father, nor did he dare joke with the person inside the carriage. His inner frustration naturally showed on his face as well.

Unexpectedly, this very demeanor eased He Quanxin’s suspicion, diverting any doubt away from him. Otherwise, given He Quanxin’s temper, even if he refrained from striking his son, a severe scolding would have been unavoidable.

The sun began to dip westward. Yuan Lixuan, riding ahead, glanced at the sky and spurred his horse back. "Uncle Shi, the day is growing late. There is a small town ahead; perhaps we should rest there for the night?"

Although Yuan Lixuan was not Yuan Chengzhi’s biological son, he had greatly impressed He Yiming and his brother during their stay, resulting in a sharp rise in status within the Yuan family, securing him a place as one of their core disciples. This time, he was placed in sole charge of overseeing the escort for the He family.

Nor had he disappointed Yuan Chengzhi or the others. He had bustled about, arranging everything methodically without causing He Quanxin and his two companions any worry whatsoever.

With this developing rapport and his demonstrated competence, coupled with his inherent cleverness, a bright future awaited him upon their return.

He Quanxin looked up toward the distance. "Very well. We will rest there."

With his permission granted, the entire party entered the small town and took over the largest inn, specifically vacating its single rear courtyard for the residence of He Quanxin’s trio and the two young ladies from the Yuan family.

This time, Yuan Chengzhi had spared no expense. The silver allocated was more than enough for the convoy’s expenses on the road, even if they had stayed in the most luxurious quarters. Alas, in a backwater town like this, which barely measured up to Taicang County, merely finding a decent courtyard was quite a feat.

Upon entering the rear courtyard and washing up, food was promptly served. After the five of them finished eating, the sisters Yuan Liwen and Yuan Lixun voluntarily began clearing the table.

Yuan Lixun’s movements were nimble and seemingly practiced with the servants, but Yuan Liwen appeared much clumsier. However, under the cover of her sister’s efficiency, it would have been hard to notice without careful scrutiny.

Once they finished tidying up, they immediately took their leave of He Quanxin, their prompt departure pleasing him greatly, as it showed no dithering.

Seeing them go, He Quanxin said, "Yiming, Yitian, in two more days, we will enter Taicang County territory. In three or four days at most, we will finally be home."

He Yitian seemed slightly excited. "Father, we have been away for over two months. Grandfather and the others must be terribly worried. But if Grandfather learns that Sixth Brother has already reached the Xiantian realm, I wonder how overjoyed he will be."

A faint smile touched He Quanxin’s lips. The thought of his father’s future look of astonishment brought a spark of anticipation even to his own heart.

However, when his gaze drifted past the doorway and toward the opposite side room, the smile in his eyes instantly faded considerably.

He Yiming and He Yitian exchanged a look, both harboring wry smiles inwardly.

"Uncle," He Yiming asked cautiously, "are you perhaps dissatisfied with my decision?"

He Quanxin shook his head slightly. "Yiming, you have already become a Xiantian powerhouse. Given your cultivation, I wouldn't object if you took not just one concubine, but seven or eight. I would have no objections."

He Yiming coughed, looking rather awkward.

A genuine smile finally surfaced on He Quanxin's face. "Since you had the courage to propose it, you must have the courage to face the consequences. Haven't you met Miss Lixun and found her agreeable? Why are you shrinking back now that you could ask for her?"

He Yiming offered a bitter smile. "Uncle, look at what you say."

He Quanxin slowly let his smile disappear. "Yiming, while I don't oppose you taking a concubine, you should not decide for Yitian. He does not possess your talent, nor can he ever equal you. If he allows lust to delay his cultivation, he might end up achieving nothing, unable even to break through the internal strength of the Seventh Layer."

He Yitian’s expression flickered, and he quickly stood up. "Father, please rest assured. Your son will diligently train and strive to break through the Seventh Layer limit barrier as soon as possible."

He Quanxin waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense! The Seventh Layer limit barrier is not something easily shattered! Look at your Second and Third Uncles; neither of them broke through that barrier until they had been at the peak of the Seventh Layer for nearly ten years." He glanced at He Yiming before him. "Do you think you are Yiming? He..."

He stopped there, suddenly realizing he no longer knew how to describe He Yiming’s uncanny ability to shatter limit barriers as if it were as simple as eating a meal.

Shaking his head, just as he was about to speak, he heard He Yiming laugh, "Uncle, if you are worried about this issue, then I can assure you that Elder Brother will certainly not disappoint you."

He Quanxin’s eyes brightened slightly. "How do you know?"

He Yiming said, "Uncle, you should recall that when Elder Brother left Hejia Village and came to the Yuan family, his internal strength cultivation was only at the mid-stage of the Seventh Layer, correct?"

"That's right," He Quanxin nodded gently. As He Yitian's father, he cared most for his son and was intimately aware of his progress. Unlike He Yiming, whose performance was so strange that He Wude had ordered that his cultivation must not be interfered with—which was why no one could ever truly gauge He Yiming's actual strength.

"Uncle, do you also remember the result of the battle between Elder Brother and Fan Haori at the Yuan estate?"

He Quanxin immediately grew agitated. How could he forget that fight? However, upon inquiry afterward, he learned the reason: He Yitian had consumed an Essence Golden Pill, which he had obtained from He Yiming.

"Yiming, you still have Essence Golden Pills?"

"That’s right. Not only do I have them, but Elder Brother has several as well," He Yiming replied cheerfully.

He Quanxin immediately turned back, his expression displeased. "Yitian, why didn't you tell me?"

He Yitian's face flushed slightly. "Father, Sixth Brother gave me four Essence Golden Pills initially, and I only consumed one. But I thought, since Sixth Brother obtained these pills, they should naturally be given to Second Uncle, so..."

He Quanxin nodded in satisfaction. "You intended to give them directly to your Second Uncle?"

"No," He Yitian stated seriously.

He Quanxin paused, his face darkening slightly. "Then how do you plan to handle them?"

"I plan to let Yixuan take one first, and then give the remaining two to Second Uncle," He Yitian’s voice was calm and undeniable, showing these words came from his true heart. "If I gave them directly to Second Uncle, there’s a chance Yixuan might not receive any."

He Quanxin’s expression slowly softened. He snorted lightly. "You young whelps, you all increasingly disregard us elders, making your own decisions about everything. Hmph..."

Though his expression was somewhat stern, the look in his eyes revealed immense satisfaction.

The third generation of the He family could consider one another; none were willing to hoard the benefits for themselves. This truly brought him immense comfort, especially after witnessing the fraternal strife and conflict between Yuan Zeyu and Yuan Zewei in the Yuan family. This factor held even greater weight in his eyes now.

He Yiming, with his keen intuition, immediately perceived his uncle's feelings and quickly spoke up. "Uncle, now you believe your nephew, right? As long as we have the Essence Golden Pills, not only can Elder Brother take one concubine, but he could take seven or eight more, and I don't think there would be any problem."

Saying this, he looked earnestly at his uncle, but the mischief glinting in his eyes was unmistakable.

He Quanxin looked at him, torn between laughter and tears. He hadn't expected the words he had just used to admonish him to be thrown back so quickly.

He shook his head. "Yiming, you..."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside. Although the sound was not loud, it could not escape the notice of He Yiming and He Quanxin.

Moments later, He Yiming frowned slightly. "It's our people."

He Quanxin said almost simultaneously, "It's people from the Yuan family."

Though their words differed, the meaning was the same: someone outside was arguing, and one party involved was one of the Yuan family attendants accompanying them.

He Yitian's face shifted slightly as he looked up, his gaze meeting that of his father and Sixth Brother.

The three exchanged glances, surprise evident in their hearts.

There were no large bandit forces here on the official road; a convoy of over a hundred people was already quite unusual. Unless they possessed significant strength, gathering such a group casually would be impossible.

Furthermore, Yuan Chengzhi had put considerable effort into flattering them by selecting the best among his retainers and attendants.

A century of family foundation truly surpassed the current He family. Not only were most of the retainers above the Sixth Layer of internal strength, but even the most common family attendants possessed cultivation at the Fifth Layer or above.

While they couldn't compare to great families with millennia of heritage, this convoy could be considered an elite force anywhere they went.

Yet, someone was causing a disturbance in the inn with them, which seemed quite irregular.

He Yitian abruptly stood up. "I'll go see."

By seniority, it should have been He Yiming to step forward. However, neither He Quanxin nor He Yitian now regarded him as an ordinary third-generation disciple of the He family; thus, this task naturally fell to He Yitian.

He Yiming hesitated slightly. "Elder Brother, Yuan Lixuan hasn't come out yet."

He Quanxin also nodded slightly. "Indeed. Let's wait a moment longer."

On this trip, Yuan Lixuan's arrangements had earned him significant trust and favor. To take over such a matter before he had a chance to act might damage the prestige he had just begun to establish.

He Yitian naturally had no objection. However, as a few more moments passed, the noise outside not only failed to subside but grew louder. Moreover, He Yiming’s frown deepened, and even He Yitian could sense the powerful, heart-stopping aura emanating from his Sixth Brother.

But he knew this was He Yiming suppressing his aura. If he released it fully, the formidable power he displayed in the battle against Lü Xinwen that day would be enough to strike terror into anyone.

He Quanxin suddenly snorted coldly. "Unacceptable behavior!"

He Yitian was momentarily taken aback. "Father, what's wrong?"

Although his internal strength was at the peak of the Seventh Layer, it was not enough for him to discern the specifics from the faint commotion outside the door.

He Yiming nudged him. "Elder Brother, a few new people arrived outside, demanding the best lodging in town and asking us to vacate the courtyard." A cold sneer touched his lips. "They said they wouldn't stay for free; they offered to pay double the price."

He Yitian also let out a dissatisfied snort. Anyone would be upset encountering such a situation mid-journey.

"Also, Yuan Lixuan has come out. He didn't pick a fight with them; he just informed them that the courtyard was already occupied and that there were female family members present. Therefore, he offered to vacate the best guest room he was occupying," He Yiming continued.

He Yitian expressed surprise. "When did Lixuan become so agreeable? That seems unlikely."

He Quanxin chuckled. "It’s not that he became agreeable, but considering who we are here, and the value of the goods we carry, he doesn't want trouble. Besides, this isn't Jinlin's Zheng Tong Prefecture. The Yuan family is isolated here. Since the other party is so aggressive, they must have some background." Saying this, He Quanxin nodded. "This boy Lixuan is good; he has potential worth cultivating."

If Yuan Lixuan knew that his act of yielding the room would earn He Quanxin's favor, he would surely marvel at his own good fortune.

He Yiming’s expression suddenly darkened. "They're fighting."

He Quanxin and his son were momentarily stunned, then heard the commotion outside grow louder, seemingly accompanied by cries of alarm.

Both men were inwardly aghast. He Yiming had judged the situation before any clash had even occurred, and more importantly, he was here but could still know the situation so clearly in a distant location.

At that moment, both He Quanxin and He Yitian gained a more visceral understanding of the capabilities of a Xiantian expert, and their reverence for He Yiming deepened further.

He Quanxin stood up. "Let's go out and see."

He Yiming and He Yitian both agreed. Since the disturbance originated from the rear courtyard, them remaining hidden would be inexcusable.

Before leaving the courtyard, He Yiming paused briefly, his gaze flicking toward the opposite side room.

A pair of bright eyes peered out through a crack in the window, watching the group. The eyes suddenly met He Yiming’s, startled for an instant before immediately returning to normal, then slowly drawing back.

He Yiming turned, a slight amusement in his heart, quickening his pace almost imperceptibly until he moved silently to his Elder Brother’s side. He Quanxin noticed nothing of this maneuver.

In the adjacent room, separated by a wall, Yuan Lixun felt a touch of annoyance. She watched Yuan Liwen, who was engrossed in her embroidery before the bed, feeling intensely envious.

If she could calm her mind like her sister, she wouldn't have peered out of curiosity only to be discovered by He Yiming.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Yuan Liwen looked up, flicked her wrist, and gently smoothed a stray thread in her hair with the needle tip. "Sister, what is it?"

Yuan Lixun hesitated. "Sister, why have you been so composed throughout this journey?"

Yuan Liwen looked up at her with surprise, seeming to consider something before finally saying, "Sister is composed because there is no path left to retreat." With that, she lowered her head again and resumed her meticulous embroidery.

Yuan Lixun opened her mouth but said nothing, only asking herself inwardly: Do you have a path to retreat?

P.S.: I leave Ningbo tomorrow, but White Crane guarantees that updates will continue without interruption, and the bonus chapter on Monday morning is guaranteed as well ^_^