"Of course." Pei Ling cupped his hands politely. "Sorry for the trouble, Fourth Uncle."
"No trouble, no trouble. Ah..."
After ten years apart, the old master had aged considerably. His hair, once streaked with gray, had turned entirely silver. His cultivation had declined rather than advanced, and at this rate, his final day could not be far off.
"Grandfather." This kindly, composed old man had once been the most important person in Pei Ling's life.
"Ling'er." Old Master Pei narrowed his eyes and looked Pei Ling up and down. Only after making sure he was unharmed did he beckon. "You've finally come back."
"Yes." Pei Ling took Old Master Pei's wrist and gently sent Spiritual Power into him. He found that the old master's Spirit Root had already withered.
"I'm old and useless now. This whole family will have to be placed in your hands eventually." It was precisely because no one in the younger generations of the Pei Family had distinguished themselves that the old master had held on for so many years, neglecting his own cultivation. "I was never especially gifted. This was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Grandfather, don't say that. This family still needs you to watch over it. Don't you want to see those children grow up?"
A soft light flickered in Old Master Pei's eyes. "This family will be yours to look after from now on."
Pei Ling raised an eyebrow. He had only just escaped the trouble with the Profound Heart Sect, and now this. "Grandfather, put that out of your mind." He handed over a Storage Bag. "I think you'll find these useful. I need to stay here for a while anyway, so you could take the opportunity to enter Seclusion..."
But Old Master Pei was in no hurry to inspect