Home

"Caw, caw..." the sound rang out.

I stared straight ahead, my heart a mix of excitement and a strange calm, a seeming contradiction. My feelings for my loved ones had completely shattered my composure, yet I welcomed it.

As the secret chamber door opened, a ray of sunlight streamed in, falling upon me. The light made it difficult to see clearly what lay outside. After a moment, my vision cleared. A group of people stood there, watching me motionlessly, not a sound from anyone.

It felt like ages since I'd last seen the sun. The warmth on my skin was truly comforting. Are you all well? Are you really still concerned about me? I know that besides my mother, you are the ones who care for me the most in this world. Perhaps also my father, who drove me away.

After emerging from my seclusion in the secret chamber, I felt that my anger towards my father had vanished. Perhaps he had his own difficulties, I thought faintly.

Uncle Zhang hadn't changed at all, except he seemed even younger. His eyes were brighter, more piercing. Every movement he made seemed to blend perfectly with his surroundings...

First Wife appeared completely unchanged, still looking like she was thirty. However, beneath her gentle and kind demeanor, the subtle aura of a master hinted that she was no ordinary woman.

Brother Wang and Sister Yu hadn't changed much either. Brother Wang had become more composed, an aura slowly radiating from him, spreading outwards. It was the presence of a successful man, someone in a high position. Sister Yu seemed a bit more demure, less willful than before. It seemed Brother Wang had trained her well!

The identical bald brothers, without a doubt, must be my two disciples. Their heads, gleaming in the sunlight, felt incredibly familiar. It seemed like only yesterday, or perhaps a long time ago, these same two bald heads reflected the sun. The only difference was that the childishness had left their faces, replaced by the imposing aura of fierce generals, indicating their considerable skill.

The one holding a fan in his hand was definitely Ah Yu. He looked like a graceful young master, the immaturity of his youth gone, replaced by an air of scholarly elegance.

It seemed the most handsome one was my eldest brother. He was very sturdy, his chest muscles clearly defined, his back strong and his waist narrow. The vigor of youth was undeniable. That natural aura surprised me: he had already reached the First-grade realm.

"Hello everyone, long time no see, haha..." I thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anything better, so I just offered a casual greeting.

Brother Wang, Sister Yu, Uncle Zhang, First Wife, Ah Yu, the Li Brothers, and my eldest brother Lang Feng all looked at me.

Before them stood a man with an ethereal aura, exuding an otherworldly quality. To call him a youth would be inaccurate; the clarity in his eyes, as if he had seen through the world, was unmistakable to those who were themselves Gouketsu. Yet, to call him an adult would be strange, given his handsome, scholarly appearance. The young master had been in seclusion for ten years, but he should have emerged as an eighteen-year-old. But...

Uncle Zhang looked at me, his gaze immediately confirming I was his nephew. Although my current gaze was even more inscrutable than before, he was certain that only his nephew could be so unfathomable to him. He knew that he himself had now reached the Second-grade realm, and his ability to perceive others had greatly improved. For someone to still be incomprehensible to him now, it could only be his nephew, a person full of miracles.

"Nephew, it's been a long time. I never expected your realm to be even higher now, making you increasingly unfathomable to me. I am truly impressed, haha." Uncle Zhang said, looking at me with a smile. He seemed calm, but his slightly trembling hands revealed how emotional he was. He was, after all, the greatest jade sculptor in the world. Furthermore, over these past ten years, having already reached the realm of comprehending nature, his power had rapidly advanced to the First-grade realm. For his hands to tremble uncontrollably was almost impossible, yet it was happening now. It was clear how emotional Uncle Zhang was.

Everyone knew Uncle Zhang's skill in discerning people, and they also sensed the otherworldly aura and familiar demeanor emanating from me. They no longer had any doubts.

"Second brother."

"Young master."

"Master."

Everyone excitedly called out to their loved ones or the pillars of their hearts. They hadn't realized how important I was to them before, but after I went into seclusion, they discovered that they had long considered me, the mere seven or eight-year-old me, their emotional anchor.

I smiled, a strange smile, because I also wanted to cry, but I held back. I didn't want everyone to cry now.

"It's been a long time since we've been together. Let's go, we'll have a good chat back home." I had to lead everyone home, otherwise, who knew how long we'd stand here!

My home is my castle, Every brick and tile created with love. Everyone in my home smiling is my treasure, When I come home, I realize, I am truly important. My hands may become rough for my family, Ah~~~~~~~~~ What glory! What pride! You cook for me, I'll clean up, Ah~~~~~~~~~ The feeling of coming home, Is truly so good, Ah~~~~~~~~~ The feeling of coming home, Is truly so good.

Songs began to play in my mind, I didn't know who was singing them, but they represented my true feelings.

The feeling of coming home is truly so good, I thought silently, a surge of emotion rising within me. A desire to stop striving for power and just continue like this. But I knew it was impossible. My responsibilities were already set, whether for myself, for them, for my mother, and perhaps for her...

I wonder if she's still waiting for me?

Hahaha... I chuckled self-mockingly. We were so young then. I don't even know if she still remembers a boy who was once with her.

You must be around twenty now. You've probably gotten married. Are you happy? Oh, I'm so stupid. You're the precious young lady of the Yuwen Family, how could you not be happy?

I smiled faintly. Was it a smile? I don't know. My heart doesn't hurt at all, only a sense of emptiness, a lack of attachment, a renunciation of love. Perhaps I, a cultivator who has transcended the five elements, shouldn't have love!

I could only think this way. As I walked out of the gates of Star Peak Manor, I glanced back at the manor, which was much more luxurious than before. The faces of those loved ones flashed before my eyes.

It was them, all them, who diligently managed my business while I was in seclusion. Now, my Dragon Soaring Jade Shop has branches all over the Ming Dynasty, with a store in each of the nine provinces. The main issue now is that my strength isn't great enough; without sufficient force, jade shops are easily robbed by underworld figures.

Fortunately, before I went into seclusion, I had them train some children. It's thanks to these children that we could open stores in all nine provinces. We now have two hundred trained children. We took in 100 in the first year, and then about ten each year afterward. All of them were chosen for their excellent potential.

Eighty of them are currently out in the field; they are from the first three batches. The children who joined later are still too young.

They all share a unified external designation: "Star Peak Guard."