Five days later.
At the first pale light of dawn, Seedling and her father had already packed up and set out for home.
For this trip, Seedling had specifically accepted a mission from the sect's task hall to hunt demon beasts in the Mizhang Mountains, using it as a pretext to begin her journey home openly.
Jiang Fu'an said nothing. He merely checked their luggage and the horses' hooves in silence. Then father and daughter led two half-spirit horses out through the sect's side gate, one behind the other.
The horses' hooves struck the scattered gravel along the official road, producing a steady clip-clop.
Jiang Fu'an glanced at the top of his daughter's head and spoke with some helplessness:
"You have your own horse. Why insist on squeezing onto mine with me?"
His daughter was not particularly heavy, hardly a burden for this sturdy half-spirit horse.
But she had grown into a graceful young maiden after all, and Jiang Fu'an felt they ought to keep a little distance.
Seedling, however, did not mind in the slightest.
She even leaned back a little farther, finding a more comfortable position in her father's arms before saying:
"This official road is narrow. Two horses can't ride side by side.
"If we're too far apart, how am I supposed to talk with you? I've been holding in so much to tell you all the way.
"Besides, every month, Foundation Establishment Realm martial uncles at the Melodious Sound Sect give lectures at the Dao Discussion Platform. I've heard quite a lot about the cultivation world and its principles.
"A lot of it, I think you'll definitely find useful, Father."
Jiang Fu'an's heart stirred slightly.
He had only entered the path of cultivation recently and truly knew very little about the cultivation world.
Hearing his daughter