Ji Jiuwu Returns Home

At dawn, a ray of sunshine swept across the earth, bringing warmth to all living beings.

On the city wall of the Long River Tribe, the patrolling guards were about to open the city gate when they suddenly saw a young man cultivating below the city wall, and their expressions changed drastically.

In the soldiers' minds, the night was a time of great terror. A person spending the night outside the city was likely to be eaten by monsters or strange creatures, or even possessed by them.

He shouted immediately, "There are people here! There are people under the city wall!"

The shout instantly startled his comrades, who gathered around the soldier. Following the direction he was pointing, they looked and, upon seeing the person clearly, one soldier in the crowd said, "That boy looks a bit like Ji Jiuwu, who disappeared three years ago. I heard his father searched for him for quite a while. Could he have been possessed by a demon?"

"Quickly... quickly go and fetch the priest, see if this kid has been possessed by a demon!" the city guard captain shouted hurriedly.

A moment later, a priest appeared on the city wall, carrying an exorcism sail. He saw Ji Jiuwu below the wall and sensed the aura emanating from him, then coldly snorted:

"Hmph! You bunch of idiots! How could that kid Jiuwu be possessed by a demon? The True Qi emanating from his body is no different from that of Celestial Person. Although his cultivation hasn't reached the Celestial Person Realm yet, the fact that he can emit True Qi means he can't be possessed by a demon. True Qi is the nemesis of demons."

Those present paled upon hearing this. True Qi was a unique characteristic of Celestial Person, but they couldn't understand how Ji Jiuwu, who hadn't even entered the Celestial Person Realm, could cultivate True Qi.

The priest could easily see the doubt in their eyes. He smiled and said, "If you want to know, just come with me and ask that kid Jiuwu. Let's go."

With that, the priest waved his hand, opened the city gate, and led the group out of the city. With the priest, a powerful expert at the Spirit Condensation Realm, in charge, no one was worried that Ji Jiuwu would suddenly attack.

Before the crowd even approached, Ji Jiuwu slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing the leading priest, he quickly stood up and respectfully bowed, saying, "Jiuwu greets Grandfather Jiu."

"Eh."

Seeing Ji Jiuwu's polite demeanor, the priest couldn't help but feel a little pleased, and jokingly said with a smile, "You've been away from home for three years and only come back once, and you've become quite the gentleman."

Ji Jiuwu smiled and said, "To be honest, Grandfather Jiu, this time when I left, I discovered a strange phenomenon in the sky. By chance, I became a disciple of a deity and not only learned martial arts techniques but also etiquette."

"Not bad, not bad."

The priest ignored the word "deity" and continued praising, "You've had quite an opportunity on this trip, lad! Congratulations!"

"Grandfather Jiu is too kind. Jiuwu was just lucky."

Ji Jiuwu scratched his head. "Grandfather Jiu, are you and my family doing well?"

The priest frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "Jiuwu, your grandfather is fine, but your father's lineage has encountered some minor troubles. You'll find out when you get back; your Grandfather Jiu won't say any more."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Jiuwu's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected that his family would run into trouble. His father was a powerful expert at the Spirit Condensation Realm, and if he were to encounter trouble, it would be no small matter.

"Grandfather Jiu, I'll go home first and then come to visit you later."

"Okay, go ahead."

The priest did not try to keep him, nor did he press him for details about Ji Jiuwu's adventures outside. In his view, Ji Jiuwu was the direct grandson of the Ji Lineage, and as long as he did not associate with demons or do anything to harm the tribe, there was no problem with him doing anything.

After watching Ji Jiuwu walk away, the soldiers showed regret on their faces. They still wanted to know how Ji Jiuwu had cultivated True Qi before even entering the Celestial Person Realm.

The priest, naturally aware of the soldiers' thoughts, sternly warned, "No one is to divulge what happened today. If I find out you've been gossiping outside, I'll send your entire families to feed the river god."

"We will obey the priest's command."

The soldiers all spoke in unison.

The captain in charge said, "Grandfather Jiu, shouldn't we report this to the clan?"

The priest said, "In a little while, you and I will go together to see the clan chief and the high priest, tell them about this matter, and let them decide."

"Promise."

After the captain responded, he followed the priest to the Shi Residence where the clan chief resided.

On the other side, Ji Jiuwu was eager to return home. He walked along the long street, and the houses on both sides of the road gradually changed from mud houses to stone houses. Before long, he stopped outside a stone mansion with a wall.

He stepped forward and gently knocked on the gate of the mansion. After a short while, the gate was opened from the inside, and a thin, middle-aged man dressed in linen clothes asked, "Who are you?"

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Ji Jiuwu smiled and said, "Uncle Yuan, I am Jiuwu."

Upon hearing the name "Jiuwu," the middle-aged man's face lit up with ecstatic joy. After scrutinizing him closely, he shouted, "Young Master Jiuwu, you're finally back! Master has been sending people to look for you for the past three years. Where have you been?"

"This is not the place to talk. I will explain to my father when I get back," Ji Jiuwu said calmly.

"It was my mistake, young master, please come in."

Seeing the drastic changes in Ji Jiuwu, Uncle Yuan understood that there were some questions he shouldn't ask.

Before long, a large group of people arrived in the courtyard. Leading them was a tall, broad-shouldered, dark-skinned middle-aged man with a wolf fang hanging around his neck, making him look exceptionally imposing.

Beside the middle-aged man stood a beautiful middle-aged woman with a wheat-colored complexion. Upon seeing Ji Jiuwu, the woman cried out, "Jiuwu, my son, you've finally returned!"

Just as the beautiful woman was about to pounce on Ji Jiuwu, the middle-aged man beside her stopped her. He stared intently at Ji Jiuwu Ji Jiuwu, as if trying to see right through him.

"The Jiuwu pays respects to his father and mother."

Ji Jiuwu was the first to bow.

The middle-aged man did not lower his guard because Ji Jiuwu had become more refined. He even used his divine sense to spy on Ji Jiuwu. Although the boy in front of him looked exactly like his son, the changes in him were too great.

The former Ji Jiuwu was a lawless wild boy with a bronze complexion. The young man before him, however, had fair skin, an elegant demeanor, and an air of a Great Shaman that made him wary.

"What's wrong with my husband?"

Seeing that her husband remained silent, the beautiful woman asked with a hint of resentment, "My son has finally come home, what's with all the airs he's putting on?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man asked calmly, "Are you really from 'Jiuwu?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Jiuwu was speechless. This was the second time he had been questioned like this today. He glanced around and said, "Father, I am indeed Jiuwu, but there are some things that are not convenient to say here."

Ji's father said in a deep voice, "Then come with me to see your grandfather."

"Good."

Ji Jiuwu did not refuse; he had originally wanted to see his grandfather anyway.

"My lord, Jiuwu has just returned. Can't you let him rest for a while?" the beautiful woman asked with great concern.

Ji's father said, "My lady, this matter cannot be delayed. You don't want Heng'er to have any more problems, do you?"

The beautiful woman's expression changed upon hearing this. She glanced at Ji Jiuwu and then turned her head away.

Ji Jiuwu was also unsettled and quickly asked, "What's wrong, brother?"

Ji's father said, "I will tell you along the way. Let's go."

"Good."

After Ji Jiuwu responded, he followed his father and left home, heading towards the city center.

It was still early morning, and there weren't many pedestrians in the city. Ji Jiuwu asked with concern, "Father, you still haven't told me what happened to my eldest brother?"

Seeing that the concern in Ji Jiuwu's eyes was genuine, Ji's father immediately said, "Your eldest brother was seriously injured a month ago. Although he survived, he has not yet woken up and will be unable to participate in the Lineage competition in seven days."

"How did he get injured, and what did the witch doctor say?"

Ji Jiuwu completely ignored the family head competition his father had mentioned and only cared about his elder brother's injuries.

Upon hearing these words, Ji's father was now certain that the boy before him was his son, Ji Jiuwu. Only the real Jiuwu would care so much about his elder brother. However, given his current condition, he would need to meet the clan chief and the high priest before he could remain in the tribe.

Jiuwu's father said calmly, "After we return, I will take you to visit your eldest brother."

"Um."

Ji Jiuwu nodded, subconsciously quickening her pace. A moment later, the two arrived outside the City Lord's Mansion...