Returning Fully Laden

The carriage raced along the main road, its wheels crunching over the gravel in a steady rumble.

Zhao the Coachman sat on the driver's bench, his hands firmly gripping the reins. The black horse galloped at full speed, much faster than on the way there.

He had hurried on the journey there, but he hurried even more on the way back.

The master's family had spent several days in Star Dou Forest. Though they all appeared spirited, the old master's arm was wrapped in bandages, and there were bloodstains on the young master's clothes. They had clearly gone through a fierce battle.

He did not dare ask questions. He only wanted to return the master's family to the manor as quickly as possible.

Inside the carriage, five people sat crowded together. It was more cramped than before, yet no one complained.

Qing Zhengyue leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, resting. The Wind Wood Dragon Wings on his back had completely retracted, pressed close against his shoulder blades without any visible abnormality.

Yet his aura was more restrained than before, like a sharp blade returned to its sheath—showing no edge, but ready to be drawn at any moment.

Liu Yunlan sat beside her husband, head lowered as she took several small porcelain bottles from a cloth pouch. She checked them one by one and carefully put them away only after confirming that every stopper was secure.

Qing Hongyuan leaned against the opposite wall with his eyes closed, but the corners of his mouth remained slightly raised.

Fifth Soul Ring, Azure Snake Dragon Wing, thirty-thousand-year Wind Wood Dragon, fifty-sixth-level Soul King.

With every number he recalled, his smile grew a little wider.

Shen Wanqing sat beside her husband, leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed.

She had expended a great deal over the past few days, but she was in excellent spirits.

Qing Mufeng sat between his grandmother and mother. He lifted a corner of the window curtain and watched the fields and villages flash past outside.

It was already fully light. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting mottled shadows over them.

Farmers worked in the fields lining both sides of the road. When they saw the speeding carriage, they raised their heads, then lowered them again and continued their work.

No one would pay attention to this unremarkable carriage.

That was exactly what the Qing Clan wanted.

"Grandfather." Qing Mufeng lowered the curtain and turned toward the old man.

"Mm."

"After we return, how should we handle the Whale Rubber?"

Qing Zhengyue opened his eyes and glanced at his grandson.

"Write down the method for using it. I'll have someone purchase it in the coastal cities."

The old man's voice was low, but every word was clear. "The hundred-year and thousand-year varieties are plentiful and cheap, so buy them in bulk. I'll personally make a trip for the ten-thousand-year kind and look into the market while I'm there."

"I'll go." Qing Hongyuan opened his eyes. "You're already level seventy. You're too conspicuous and could easily draw attention. I'm only a fifty-sixth-level Soul King, and I'm not famous. No one will notice me."

Qing Zhengyue considered it, then nodded.

"That works. Take Zhao the Coachman with you. He knows the roads to the coast well."

Qing Hongyuan nodded and said nothing more.

Liu Yunlan raised her head, looked at her son, and reminded him, "Be careful. Don't cause trouble."

"I know, Mother." Qing Hongyuan replied with a smile.

The carriage continued onward without slowing.

The carriage fell silent once more.

No one spoke, but all five of them were thinking about the same thing: a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring.

This was the Qing Clan's greatest goal in a century. Before this, they had not even dared to imagine it.

But their grandson—her son—said it could be done, so they believed him.

It was not blind faith, but faith with reason behind it.

Whale Rubber body tempering, plant-type Soul Rings, External Soul Bones, the Azure Dragon Method.

Each was a road no predecessor had ever traveled, but together, those roads pointed toward the same destination.

A hundred thousand years.

Qing Mufeng leaned against the carriage window, closed his eyes, and began circulating the Azure Dragon Method.

Soul Power flowed through his meridians. All four pathways were open, and the speed was considerably faster than before he had absorbed his third Soul Ring.

The Soul Power of a thirty-fourth-level Soul Elder, bolstered by three Soul Rings, had already begun to take shape.

But it was still far from enough.

He opened his eyes and looked at the sky beyond the carriage window.

His target for the fourth Soul Ring was ten thousand years.

Jumping from five thousand nine hundred years to ten thousand was no small leap.

Whale Rubber enhancement could make the process safer.

The resentment impact of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring was several times stronger than that of a thousand-year Soul Ring.

Even as an Azure Dragon, he could not afford to let his guard down.

He withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and continued circulating the Azure Dragon Method.

The carriage raced along the main road for an entire day.

At dusk, it entered a familiar stretch of rolling hills.

In the distance, the outline of Qing Family Manor flickered in and out of view in the twilight. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the manor, drifting through the evening glow.

Zhao the Coachman flicked the reins, and the black horse quickened its pace.

The carriage entered through the manor's rear gate and came to a steady stop in the middle of the courtyard.

Zhao the Coachman jumped down from the driver's bench and opened the carriage door. Qing Zhengyue was the first to step out.

The old man took a deep breath of the air within the manor.

The familiar scent of grass and trees, the familiar smell of earth, the familiar feeling of home.

Liu Yunlan stepped down second. The old woman looked at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, then toward the kitchen in the distance, and muttered softly, "It's time to make dinner."

Qing Hongyuan jumped down, spread his arms, and stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones.

The Azure Snake Dragon Wing on his back trembled faintly in response to its master's thoughts, but he suppressed it.

After Shen Wanqing got down, she turned and held out a hand to help her son descend.

Qing Mufeng jumped from the carriage, his feet landing on the bluestone paving with a crisp sound.

He looked down at the familiar stone slabs beneath his feet, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

After being away from home for several days, he had finally returned.

Qing Zhengyue turned and looked at his family.

"Let's go to the main hall first. We have matters to discuss."

Five figures crossed the courtyard and headed toward the main hall.

The lamps had already been lit in the main hall. Candlelight flickered in the dusk, throwing the shadows of the five people onto the walls.

Qing Zhengyue sat in the seat of honor, while Liu Yunlan sat beside him. Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing took seats below them.

Qing Mufeng sat in a chair between his grandfather and grandmother. It was his exclusive seat.

Whenever the family held a discussion, he sat there.

Qing Zhengyue picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down.

"We gained a great deal from this trip."

The old man's voice was low but clear. "Feng'er completed his third Soul Ring, Hongyuan completed his Fifth Soul Ring, I broke through to level seventy, and we also obtained an External Soul Bone."

He took a folded sheet of paper from his robes, unfolded it, and placed it on the table.

It contained the method for using Whale Rubber that Qing Mufeng had written during the journey home. The handwriting was neat, and the instructions were clear and organized.

"This is the method for using Whale Rubber that Feng'er wrote," Qing Zhengyue said. "There are three stages: hundred-year, thousand-year, and ten-thousand-year. The dosage, method of consumption, and supporting measures for every stage are all clearly written."

He looked at his son and daughter-in-law.

"Hongyuan, leave for the coastal cities tomorrow and purchase Whale Rubber. Buy the hundred-year and thousand-year varieties in bulk. First look into the market for the ten-thousand-year variety. If the price is reasonable, buy it. If not, return and we'll discuss it again."

"Yes." Qing Hongyuan nodded.

"Wanqing, sort through the household accounts over the next few days and see how much liquid capital we have. This purchase will not be small, so make preparations in advance."

"Yes, Father." Shen Wanqing responded.

Qing Zhengyue then looked at his wife.

"Yunlan, consuming Whale Rubber must be paired with medicinal baths. Prepare the corresponding prescriptions according to the method Feng'er wrote."

Liu Yunlan nodded. "I'll review it tonight."

Finally, Qing Zhengyue looked at his grandson.

"Feng'er, rest well today. Starting tomorrow, you'll be the first to consume Whale Rubber according to the method you wrote."

"Alright." Qing Mufeng nodded.

Qing Zhengyue stood and swept his gaze over everyone present.

"In a hundred years, the Qing Clan has never known prosperity like this. But this is only the beginning."

The old man's voice was calm, but every word struck with weight. "A hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring is not the end. The Qing Clan still has a long road ahead."

He paused.

"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow will be a new day."