"What happened?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Sir..."
Shu Zhi said softly, "It's nothing."
Lin Wanhua drew her sword and said, "Nü Zhi and I sparred a few rounds. I was a bit careless and injured her. I apologize, Lin Zhao, for hurting your person."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao nodded.
Immediately, Lin Wanhua's sword intent grew a bit. What did this mean? Nü Zhi is your person, so what about me? Why didn't you ask if I was injured?
"Miss Lin, are you not injured?"
Lin Zhao suddenly asked.
Lin Wanhua panicked, "No... I'm fine, I won."
"That's good."
Lin Zhao said, "Otherwise, we of the Mountain Peak Villa would not only be borrowing the Sword Tomb from Fusu Great Wall, but we would also have injured Miss Lin. That would be inexcusable."
"Mm-hmm..." Lin Wanhua smiled and nodded.
"Nü Zhi."
Lin Zhao looked at Nü Zhi, "Are you alright? If you are, let's return to Mountain Peak Villa."
"Mm, let's go back."
Nü Zhi got up, and a beam of sword light took them back to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. In the sword light, Lin Zhao cupped his fists in farewell to Lin Wanhua, who smiled and returned the gesture.
...
Mountain Peak Villa, early morning.
At a small table outside the Natural Residence, the two children, Zhang Luobai and Zhuang Yirong, were slurping down spiritual rice porridge. Lin Zhao had returned early and also had a bowl. After finishing it with the children, he discovered that his mental energy recovery had accelerated!
Indeed, it was a good thing!
"Dongcang."
He immediately looked up and said, "From now on, give me a bowl of spiritual rice porridge every day."
"Ah?"
Dongcang was surprised, "Didn't Young Master say that this spiritual rice porridge is only for the younger generation of Mountain Peak Villa?"
"That's what I said."
Lin Zhao crossed his arms and said leisurely, "Aren't the elders of Mountain Peak Villa already all over the fifth realm? Even you, Dongcang, are in the Return to Truth realm, and I'm just a mere middle fifth realm. So... is it too much for me to have a bowl of spiritual rice porridge every day?"
Dongcang chuckled, "Not at all, not at all~~~"
Liu Liying, on the side, smiled with dimples, but she didn't retort at her own Young Master.
"Master!"
Zhang Luobai licked the grains of rice off the edge of his bowl, "Master is only in the middle fifth realm? I always thought Master was already at the thirteenth realm..."
"Don't worry, it will happen."
Lin Zhao ruffled his hair and smiled, "You're bringing up sensitive topics! Have you eaten enough? If so, hurry down the mountain to the academy."
"Yes, Master!"
The mischievous child rushed into the living room, grabbed two satchels, and threw one to Zhuang Yirong, saying, "Zhuang Yirong, let's see who can get down the mountain faster!"
"I'm not afraid of you!"
The little girl shot up and headed straight for the mountain path.
"Hmph, silly girl!"
Zhang Luobai grinned and took a shortcut, flying across the lotus pond. However, as he skimmed over the lotus leaves, his body swayed, and he almost fell face-first. From a distance, Tong Yu, who was flying a sword in the wind, covered her mouth and chuckled.
Lin Zhao and Nü Zhi watched from afar with smiles.
...
A short while later, a disheveled man ascended the mountain. It was Tang Guangjun, carrying a celestial sword to the heavens.
"Mountain Master."
Tang Guangjun bowed respectfully.
"Tang Guangjun, is there something?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Yes."
Tang Guangjun said solemnly, "Recently, I have repeatedly touched the bottleneck of the twelfth realm, and even caught glimpses of the threshold of the thirteenth realm a few times. However, my state of mind is still lacking, so I wish to request leave for a few days from the Mountain Master."
He frowned, "I want to return to the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs to pay respects to my master, Li Xin. After all, Tang Guangjun's unresolved issue is still the old man. If this knot cannot be untied, I fear Tang Guangjun will never reach the thirteenth realm in this lifetime."
"I understand."
Lin Zhao nodded, "Go, your leave is granted."
"Thank you, Mountain Master!"
Tang Guangjun said with joy, "Then... I'll be going down the mountain?"
"Don't rush."
Lin Zhao said, "You're going back to pay respects to your master, shouldn't you prepare some offerings first?"
At that moment, Tang Guangjun's eyes lit up, then he scratched his head honestly, looking like he had something to say.
"Alright, alright."
Lin Zhao smiled, "Stop being coy. Tell me, what are your requests?"
"Mm."
Tang Guangjun said solemnly, "To be frank, Mountain Master, my master has always been a person of simple desires. After entering the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs, although he was ranked among the seventy-two generals through military merit, he... he only accepted offerings, eating the cold offerings from the human world. He never tasted truly delicious food in his life."
He fidgeted and smiled, "In my life, Tang Guangjun has eaten many delicious dishes from various places while traveling the martial world. But only the white fish soup you make, the braised mud carp, and Sister Dongcang's braised pork with bamboo shoots are most to my liking. I suspect my old man has never eaten such delicacies in his life..."
"I understand."
Lin Zhao stood up and smiled, "Dongcang, prepare the ingredients: white fish soup, braised mud carp, braised pork with bamboo shoots, and a bowl of white rice made from spiritual rice. Prepare it all for Tang Guangjun."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Dongcang smiled and nodded.
Lin Zhao went to the fish pond to get the white fish and mud carp, while Liu Liying floated away and picked scallions, garlic, chili peppers, and other seasonings from the vegetable garden north of the Natural Residence. Soon, the stove was lit again, and the familiar aroma of fish soup wafted out.
Tang Guangjun knelt dozens of meters away from the kitchen, his expression quite respectful. He had asked for good food for his old man, and it had caused the Mountain Master and Dongcang so much trouble. He was certainly indebted.
Besides, who was the Mountain Master? His status was too high. He was the junior disciple of the God of War Ding Muchan, a direct disciple of that person. Even if the old man was one of the seventy-two generals of the School of Military Affairs' Martial Temple, he was not worthy of having Lin Zhao personally cook for him.
A short while later, a large bowl of fish soup, a bowl of braised mud carp, braised pork with bamboo shoots, and a bowl of fragrant spiritual rice were ready. Dongcang packed everything into a basket and handed it to Tang Guangjun.
Tang Guangjun carefully summoned a wisp of sword intent to protect the basket, then placed it into his personal storage bag. He then cupped his fists and said, "Mountain Master, am I leaving now?"
"Go, return soon, and remember that you are from Mountain Peak Villa. Do not engage in conflict with anyone in the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs."
"Yes!"
...
The ends of the earth, the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs.
In the gap between the upper and lower realms, a divine court stood in a misty land amidst the mountains.
A sword light descended from the mountain and landed outside the gate of the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs, solidifying into the figure of Tang Guangjun in his worn short tunic, his sword on his back, looking disheveled, like a wandering swordsman who had toughed it out in the martial world.
"Yo!"
Outside the protective barrier of the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs, four eleventh-realm cultivators of the School of Military Affairs guarded the gate. One of them, a bearded man, grinned and said, "I wonder who has such strong sword intent. It turns out it's Tang Guangjun, the Great Sword Immortal, who's returned!"
"Haha~~~"
Another young cultivator in the fifth realm of the School of Military Affairs laughed, "Sword Immortal Tang, I heard Lord God of War punished you by sending you to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool to guard the gate. How was it, being under Lin Baiyi as a gatekeeper? Tsk tsk, a twelfth-realm sword cultivator of the School of Military Affairs must be highly respected, right?"
Tang Guangjun grinned, seemingly unaffected by their mockery. He cupped his fists and said, "Oh, I was just working for someone. Now... a wanderer returning home. I, Tang Guangjun, am rarely back to my old home. I have no other business than to go to the back of the Martial Temple to pay respects to my old man. I hope you elder brothers will let me pass."
"Hmph!"
The bearded cultivator in the fifth realm didn't make things too difficult. Tang Guangjun's demeanor was completely different from before. Otherwise, he, a peak twelfth-realm sword cultivator, would have looked down on them, these mere eleventh-realm gatekeepers, and wouldn't have paid them any mind, only shouting, "Open the gate quickly, lest you bring trouble upon yourselves!"
In a sense, this fellow had learned his lesson.
"Fine!"
The bearded man waved his hand, parting a corner of the protective barrier to let Tang Guangjun enter.
"Thanks!"
Before entering, Tang Guangjun flicked his hand, and four beams of light shot out, falling into the hands of the four gatekeepers. They were tea crisps wrapped in oil paper, possibly just out of the oven and still warm.
Tang Guangjun stepped into the gate, leaned back, and stuck his head out to look at the four men, smiling, "This is a specialty snack from our Snow Region Heavenly Pool, Zhang Family Tea Crisps. They're the best in the world, and they're still warm. I bought some for everyone to try."
In fact, this was one of the rare times Tang Guangjun had spent money at the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. To mend the strained relationship with the ancestral home of the School of Military Affairs, he had gone to great lengths. After all, he, as a mere offered disciple, had no salary and had been working for free. At most, Dongcang would send some relief supplies during festivals.
Outside the gate, the four eleventh-realm cultivators of the School of Military Affairs exchanged glances. They never expected to eat anything from him, Tang Guangjun, in their lifetimes. For a moment, their Dao hearts began to waver.
"Boss, do you think it's poisoned?"
"It's fine, Fourth Brother, you eat first."
...
The Martial Temple, the place where the sages of the School of Military Affairs were enshrined.
Tang Guangjun walked with hunched shoulders, his sword on his back, appearing inconspicuous as he was about to bypass the Martial Temple and head to the back mountain. Unexpectedly, at this moment, a figure emerged from the Martial Temple, clad in white, with a sword on his back, radiating a golden divine aura. It was Han Xin, the Immortal of War, one of the four sages of the School of Military Affairs.
"Oh?"
Han Xin glanced down at Tang Guangjun and smiled, "You're back?"
"Yes."
Tang Guangjun cupped his fists respectfully and said, "Tang Guangjun greets Lord Immortal of War. This trip... I'm back to pay respects to the old man."
"Prodigal son returns? Have you had your fill of eating shit?" Han Xin asked with a smile.
"Alas..."
This Immortal of War still spoke so sarcastically, but Tang Guangjun showed no anger. He even felt that the other party's words were quite reasonable. He still cupped his fists respectfully and said, "The mistakes made in my youthful arrogance are too late to regret now..."
"You, Tang Guangjun, have cultivated for a thousand years, and you still dare to talk about youthful arrogance?"
As he spoke, Han Xin suddenly sniffed and smelled a refreshing aroma of food. Just by smelling it, he felt reluctant to leave. He frowned, "What are you hiding in your storage bag?"
"Ah!?"
Tang Guangjun was dumbfounded. "You can smell the aroma of food through the storage bag?"
Is this Immortal of War a dog?