Were They Really Here for the Lu Household??
Silence fell over the main hall, with only the crackling of the fire in the stove.
Lu Sheng sat on the worn-out old wooden chair, his fingers unconsciously stroking the curled edges of the ledger, his gaze flickering uncertainly.
After a moment's hesitation, he slowly said, "If he doesn't return tonight, Shu'er, you will go to see him tomorrow."
Lu Shu nodded. "Okay."
Just as another elder was about to say something, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Just as another elder was about to speak, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, approaching from afar, the steps both chaotic and rapid.
A middle-aged man pushed open the wooden door and rushed in, the door slamming against the wall with a dull thud.
His face was filled with panic, and before the elders could speak, he cried out, "Grandpa! Something's wrong! A flying ship is heading this way!"
Lu Sheng and the others' expressions changed drastically, and they stood up from their chairs almost simultaneously.
The chair legs scraped against the brick surface with a dull thud.
"Let's go out and take a look!"
Lu Sheng took a deep breath and stepped out of the threshold first.
Several clan elders followed closely behind, their steps hurried.
A scattered group of Lu Household were already standing on the open ground outside the courtyard.
Everyone craned their necks to look at the horizon, their expressions blank, mixed with fear.
Following the gaze of the crowd, Lu Sheng and the others saw a flying boat slowly approaching from the horizon.
The massive ship blocked out a large portion of the sky, putting immense pressure on Lu Sheng and his companions.
However, after seeing the size of the flying boat, Lu Sheng and the others relaxed.
Elder Lu Xian even chuckled and shook his head, saying, "This flying boat is so huge; the people inside must be at least Golden Core Realm True Person, and possibly even Nascent Soul True Lord. They're definitely not here for our Lu Household."
The others listened and thought about it, and the more they thought about it, the more they realized it made sense.
The tension on everyone's faces visibly subsided, and smiles appeared on their faces.
"That's true. What level is our Lu Household at? If we want to offend True Person or True Lord, we'd better have the qualifications."
"Yeah, yeah, you scared me... I knew it, how could that be?"
However, those smiles gradually disappeared from their faces as the airship slowed down and drew closer.
When they saw the flying boat slowly come to a stop directly above Eastward Prospect Mountain, everyone felt a chill run down their spines and a cold sensation travel from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.
The mountain wind blew through the forest from the mountainside, making the branches of the old trees outside the courtyard rustle. No one dared to make a sound in the open space.
Even Lu Sheng, the great-grandfather of the Lu Household, turned pale at this moment.
Everyone stood frozen in place, staring up at the enormous ship that shrouded the entire mountain in shadow, completely dumbfounded.
After a long silence, Lu Shu finally managed to stammer out, "... Really... really here to take care of things at our Lu Household's place? Or perhaps they're in the mountains on some other business?"
Lu Sheng turned around and glared at him, then quickly sent a telepathic message to all the Lu Household: "If a powerful expert really comes down, be respectful and don't anger them!"
The other Lu Household nodded repeatedly, their palms sweating with nervousness.
Just then, several figures took off from the deck of the airship and flew straight towards their location.
The Lu Household members felt a chill run down their spines, and their bodies went numb.
Holy crap... are they really after the Lu Household?!
Are you kidding me?!
What merit or ability does the Lu Household possess to warrant such a prominent figure personally visiting their door?
Lu Sheng didn't dare to think too much and immediately raised his voice to lead the way in shouting, "This humble old man of the Lu Household respectfully welcomes your arrival, sir!"
He clasped his hands together, intending to bend down, but a gentle yet irresistible Spiritual Qi held him firmly in place, and no matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn't bend down even an inch.
Not only him, but also Lu Shu and Lu Xian beside him, and the old and young behind him, all were in the posture of preparing to bow, but they were also gently supported by that force and could not move.
The faces of the several Lu Household cultivators turned pale instantly, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
Wait... they won't even let them bow?!
Is this a deliberate attempt to wipe out the Lu Household?
Lu Sheng felt a sudden dizziness and a tightness in his chest.
Heaven is going to destroy the Lu Household!!
However, the next moment, a young voice came from the sky, tinged with nervousness. "Great-grandfather, grandfathers, uncles, and parents, please don't bow! How can elders bow to juniors?"
Everyone was taken aback, wondering if they had imagined it.
Lu Yang's father, Lu Xuelang, and mother Liu Qing, looked particularly bewildered, staring blankly at the approaching figures on the horizon.
Lu Xuelang murmured, "I... I think I heard Yang'er's voice?"
Liu Qing turned her head in astonishment. "You heard that too?"
Lu Sheng and the elders exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"... I think I heard that too."
"I heard it too."
Everyone craned their necks, watching the figures approach.
As the figure drew closer and its outline became clearer, they finally saw the person's face.
Everyone was stunned when they saw Lu Yang.
Although his appearance and temperament have changed a lot since he left home, his skin is more radiant and his features are more defined, making him look like a celestial being who has stepped out of a painting, the basic features of his face are still the same.
As his family members who watched him grow up, they could still vaguely recognize the remnants of that fifteen-year-old boy in him.
Especially Lu Xuelang and Liu Qing.
Their eyes widened in surprise and delight.
"Yang'er! It really is Yang'er!"
As parents, our child was only fifteen years old when he left, and it's been more than four years since we last saw him. It would be a lie to say we don't miss him.
However, they also knew that Lu Yang was working hard at the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect to pass the entrance examination, and every year was crucial, so he was naturally very busy.
Therefore, no matter how much they missed him, they never dared to express it in their letters home. They only hoped that Lu Yang could pass the test smoothly and then go home to visit him.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yang really came back!
And they returned in a way they could never have imagined!
The enormous flying ship hovering above Eastward Prospect Mountain, and the several middle-aged men and women beside it with their profound auras, were clearly extraordinary.
And then there's Lu Yang himself. After more than four years, he has changed so much that if it weren't for the familiarity in his features, they wouldn't even dare to believe that this is their child.
The clan elders, including Lu Sheng, exchanged glances, feeling as if their minds had exploded.
This is... Yang'er?!
Tread.
Lu Yang landed on the stone slab, his boots making a soft, crisp sound.
Lu Xuelang and Liu Qing's eyes were red. They instinctively wanted to step forward, but when they saw the expressionless middle-aged men and women behind Lu Yang, they hesitated.
Their lips moved a few times, as if they wanted to say something, but the words caught in their throats as they struggled to find the right words.
Looking at his parents, Lu Yang felt a surge of tenderness in his heart.
When he was a child, his father would carry him on his shoulders to pick wild fruit, and his mother would mend his torn clothes from practicing martial arts under the lamplight...
These memories, as if unfolded by a warm hand, surfaced clearly before my eyes.
He took a deep breath, strode forward, and knelt down deeply. "Father, Mother! Your unfilial son has only come back to see you after so many years in the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect!"
Lu Xuelang could no longer care that the several middle-aged men and women who looked unfathomable were still standing on the side. He quickly stepped forward and helped Lu Yang up.
He looked his son up and down, his gaze sweeping from his eyebrows to his shoulders, and from his shoulders to his arms, examining him carefully. His eyes were filled with relief, and his voice trembled slightly as he said, "Good! Good! It's good that you're back!"
Liu Qing hugged Lu Yang tightly, as if the child in her arms would disappear at any moment.
She hugged him for a while before letting go, her gaze lingering on Lu Yang's face. Her lips trembled slightly, and it took her a long time to finally ask, "... You... why did you come back? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Lu Yang sniffed, a mischievous and smug look on his face. "I've passed the entrance exam and officially become an outer disciple of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect. I wanted to give you all a surprise, so I sneaked back."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuelang and Liu Qing immediately smiled.
Liu Qing reached out and touched Lu Yang's cheek, then smoothed his wind-blown hair, saying with some emotion, "You've worked so hard these past years, it must have been tough for you."
Lu Xuelang nodded repeatedly. "It's great that you passed the test! Now you can relax a little. This is wonderful news!"
Lu Sheng and the Lu Household cultivators were all smiles, their earlier fear long since forgotten.
Lu Sheng's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride. "Our Lu Household has actually produced an outer disciple of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect! It's truly a blessing from our ancestors!"
The others chimed in, all grinning from ear to ear.
Lu Yang then turned to the other Lu Household, smiling as he greeted them one by one, "Great-grandfather, great-uncle, second-uncle, grandfather, and all the uncles and aunts... It's been a long time."
The Lu Household members nodded repeatedly, their faces showing affection, but Lu Yang could still clearly sense a hint of restraint.
When the elders responded to him, their gazes would occasionally drift involuntarily to the few middle-aged men and women standing silently behind him.
Lu Yang understood that this must be because of the flying boat and the protectors around it.
Lu Sheng hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist asking tentatively, his voice tinged with a hint of caution, "Yang'er... who are these seniors...?"