Chapter Forty-Four: Meeting Grandfather

“Hanyi is here? Where is he?” An old man, leaning heavily on a dragon-headed cane, hurriedly burst into the main hall.

Upon seeing him, Han Lu’s face lit up with joy. “Grandfather!” The newcomer was none other than Lord Meng, the patriarch of the Meng family and Han Lu’s maternal grandfather.

“Haha… It really is my precious grandson!” The old man strode forward and cheerfully patted Han Lu on the shoulder, but then his expression darkened.

“What happened to those bloodstains on you?”

His brows furrowed in concern.

At that moment, Han Lu looked a little disheveled, still bearing traces of blood on his clothes. Meng Liangchen, seeing this, quickly explained everything in detail—Han Lu’s disappearance, his chance encounter with Qi Lingxuan in Half-Moon City, and all that had transpired.

With a loud crack, the old man suddenly struck Meng Lei, the Meng family patriarch, with his cane. “Meng Lei, you rascal, did you know about this all along?”

“Father, I am the rightful head of the Meng family, after all. Can’t you spare me a bit of dignity in front of the juniors?” Meng Lei replied, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

“So what if you’re the head of the family? Does that mean you’re not my son? You rascal!” Lord Meng snorted.

Meng Lei could only sigh in resignation. “It was my sister who told me not to let you know. With your temper, had you learned of this, you’d have turned the Lu family upside down by now.”

Everyone in the Meng family knew about Lord Meng’s notorious temper, even his son-in-law Lu Tianhong.

“Hmph, that little rascal Lu Tianhong nearly lost my precious grandson, and you all kept it from me. What now? Planning to keep me in the dark forever? Just wait until I go knock some sense into him,” Lord Meng declared, thumping his cane hard on the floor.

“My dear brother-in-law, you’ll have to look after yourself then,” Meng Lei muttered, not daring to provoke the old man further.

Han Lu stepped forward. “Grandfather, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. And I haven’t congratulated you yet on your breakthrough to the level of Profound Lord! Here, I’ve brought you a five-hundred-year-old spiritual ginseng as a belated gift.”

“Nonsense. What could your grandfather possibly lack? Precious things should be used where they’re most needed. This five-hundred-year-old spiritual ginseng will do you more good than me.” Lord Meng waved him off.

Even the Meng family did not possess such an old and rare medicinal plant. Spiritual ginseng of this age could prolong life, and even a Profound Lord could benefit from it.

“Grandfather, I still have some left. Please, accept it.” Han Lu had brought back all the medicinal herbs from the cave left by the King of Heavenly Garments. Though none were miraculous treasures, even ordinary herbs become invaluable after centuries.

Seeing his grandfather’s skeptical gaze, Han Lu explained, “Grandfather, without a stroke of fortune, how could I have survived the Cloud Crystal Mountains?”

Lord Meng nodded thoughtfully. “Since you put it that way, I shall accept it.”

As Lord Meng held the spiritual ginseng in his hand, Han Lu wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow, hoping this gift would soften the blows his father was bound to receive—for all this trouble had started because of him.

“Master, madam says the food and wine are ready,” a guard’s voice called from outside.

“Grandfather, uncle, please go ahead. I’ll fetch Brother Chen and the others. Truth be told, if not for Brother Chen and his friends, Sister Lingxuan and I might not have made it back,” Han Lu said.

“Cousin Han, I’ll come with you,” Meng Liangchen offered, following along.

“Father, let’s go,” Meng Lei said.

“Hmph! Next time, just keep things from me again.”

“Never, never,” Meng Lei replied with a forced laugh.

When Han Lu and Meng Liangchen arrived at the guest room, they found Qi Lingxuan already there.

“Lingxuan, what brings you here?” Meng Liangchen asked.

“Aunt asked me to invite Brother Chen and the others to dinner,” Qi Lingxuan replied. “I’ll go check on Steward Wei and see how he’s doing.”

Steward Wei was also in one of the rooms, resting from his injuries.

“Hey, Young Master Meng, Brother Han is here, too. Have you seen Cao Dong?” Just then, Chen Jun and his group emerged from the room.

“Cao Dong? Wasn’t he unconscious when you brought him here?” Han Lu was surprised; after all that Cao Dong had done to Chen Jun, Chen Jun had still brought him back, repaying evil with kindness.

Suddenly, a guard at the door spoke up. “Are you talking about the man who came with you today, the one who was unconscious?”

“Yes.”

“He left a while ago. I saw he was a guest of the young master, so I didn’t ask further,” the guard replied respectfully.

“Ah,” Chen Jun sighed.

“Let him go, then. Does he really have the nerve to stay? If Brother Chen hadn’t insisted on bringing him back, I’d have left him to fend for himself in Wind Echo Valley,” Niu Gao said with evident displeasure at Cao Dong’s betrayal.

Chen Jun sighed again. “If he’s gone, so be it. By the way, Han Lu, what brings you here?”

“My grandfather and uncle have invited us to dine. They’re waiting for us.”

At that moment, Qi Lingxuan and Steward Wei also came out.

At the Meng family’s dining table—

“Han Lu, when do you plan to return home? How about I write a letter to the Lu family, and you stay here a while longer—keep your grandfather company,” Lord Meng suggested.

“Grandfather, the Lu family’s clan assembly is in eight days…” Han Lu began, but was interrupted.

“So that’s why. No wonder it’s so soon. It seems Lu Tianhong is having quite a headache with the Lu family’s internal affairs,” Lord Meng remarked shrewdly. Despite his usual boisterous manner, he saw through these matters with clarity.

“So, Han Lu, when do you intend to set out? Would you like me to send an escort?” Lord Meng asked, worried.

“My eldest cousin’s birthday is in three days. I’ll return after we celebrate,” Han Lu replied.

“That works. Enough of that talk. Come, let’s drink—no one leaves sober tonight!”

Of all present, Niu Gao held his liquor best. While everyone else was already tipsy, he was still clamoring for more, until Chen Jun finally dragged him away.

Han Lu felt a little dizzy himself. He’d had a couple of cups with his grandfather and uncle, then a few more with Chen Jun and Niu Gao—because, as Niu Gao put it, what kind of man can’t handle his drink?

Han Lu opened his door, sat at his desk, sipped a cup of strong tea, and let out a long breath. “Wine really isn’t for me.”

“Boy, your performance today pleased me greatly,” Old Man Ling suddenly appeared from the ring, stroking his beard.

“Master, you’re still here? I thought you’d dozed off,” Han Lu replied with a trace of grievance.

“Hehe, boy, are you blaming me for not intervening earlier?” Old Man Ling chuckled, unconcerned.

Under Han Lu’s questioning gaze, he continued, “If I step in every time you’re in trouble, you’ll grow dependent on me. That’s not good for your growth. Are you planning to live under my protection forever? In my current state, I don’t even know how long I can last. What would you do if I were gone?”

These words struck Han Lu like a thunderclap.

Indeed, when those men from the City Lord’s Mansion arrived, he hadn’t felt the slightest anxiety—because he knew, with his master there, nothing could happen to him. But if this continued, he would fall into a vicious cycle.

“Master, I understand now!” Han Lu took a deep breath.

“As long as you understand my intentions. Only this way can you grow quickly,” Old Man Ling nodded in satisfaction—a teachable disciple indeed.

Old Man Ling told Han Lu that unless he faced an inescapable life-or-death crisis or an opponent of vastly superior strength, he would not intervene.

For a fledgling to soar above the skies, it cannot always shelter beneath its mother’s wing.

“By the way, boy, have you noticed anything odd about the Dark Crow Finger technique while cultivating it?” Old Man Ling asked.

The Tenfold Dark Crow Finger technique was only partially remembered by Han Lu, so he referred to it as the Dark Crow Finger.

“You feel it too, Master? I sensed my perception increasing,” Han Lu said uncertainly, scratching his head.

“So it’s not just me. I thought it was my imagination. The Dark Crow Finger must be related to cultivating soul power. If we can crack its secret, perhaps I could…” Old Man Ling’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Soul power?” Han Lu was puzzled.

“Boy, it’s no good telling you too much now. You’ll know in the future. I’m going to study the Dark Crow Finger.” With a whoosh, Old Man Ling vanished.

“Hey, hey…”

Han Lu was left speechless.

Announcement: Only three weeks remain in the preliminary round of the Web Novel League! If you haven’t joined yet, hurry up! Massive prizes and a chance to become a legend await! Click here to participate.