"Wang Ping … is that you …" the middle-aged woman said softly.
Wang Ping walked up to the woman and looked at her face, which no longer had the youthful look of the past. He smiled and said, "Zhou Ruotong!"
The middle-aged woman bit her lower lip and looked at Wang Ping in a daze. After a long time, she smiled and said, "I recognized you the moment I saw you … After so many years, you still came back."
Wang Ping looked at the woman in front of him and felt a little emotional. Beside the woman was a little girl in her teens. She looked very similar to Zhou Ruotong in the past.
"Is this your daughter?" Wang Ping asked.
The woman nodded and turned to the girl. "Call him uncle. He was mother's childhood friend."
"Uncle …" The girl seemed to be a little afraid of strangers. She stood behind her mother and said softly.
At this moment, some of the villagers also vaguely recognized Wang Ping. However, when they saw the armored soldiers, they didn't dare to go forward.
Wang Ping looked at the little girl and smiled. "What is your name?"
The little girl hid behind her mother and didn't say anything. Her eyes were filled with fear.
Wang Ping sighed and said to the woman, "I'll go to the back mountain to pay my respects to Grandpa Sun …"
The woman smiled. From start to finish, she didn't look at Qing Yi, who was standing beside Wang Ping. Instead, she pulled the child and stood beside her husband.
Her husband was a strong man who had obviously inherited his father-in-law's hunting skills.
However, if Wang Ping looked closely, he would find that this man was not unfamiliar.
Wang Ping turned around and walked toward the back mountain. Qing Yi looked deeply at the woman who was stroking the child's hair and walked toward Wang Ping.
Wang Ping had just taken a few steps when the little girl hiding behind her mother revealed her head and said loudly, "Uncle, my name is Xu Nianping!"
"Nianping … Nianping …" Wang Ping stopped and sighed. He didn't turn around and continued walking.
After they were far away and the villagers dispersed, the strong man standing beside the woman let out a long sigh and said softly, "Why did you have to do this …"
"Brother, don't say anymore."
Zhou Ruotong raised her head and smiled. Her smile was very beautiful, and her eyes were filled with happiness.
"I'm content to see him again."
Sun Tai's grave didn't have any weeds. Clearly, someone had been cleaning it up frequently. Wang Ping stood in front of the grave for a long time before leaving silently.
"Qing Yi, I think it won't be long before I go see my father … I haven't seen him for twenty years …" Wang Ping said softly.
Qing Yi didn't speak and just quietly followed Wang Ping. It was as if no matter where Wang Ping went, even if it was the yellow springs, she would never leave him. This had nothing to do with the agreement from back then, it was a kind of companionship.
"There are some things that should be clarified when the time comes …" Wang Ping looked back at Fallen Moon Village and gradually left.
Vast Water City, Wang Lin hadn't gone to the inn for a long time. He sat in the courtyard the entire day, waiting, waiting for Wang Ping to return.
Fallen leaves needed to return to their roots. Similarly, a wanderer would one day return to the knees of his loved ones.
Three months later, Vast Water City was filled with the aura of war. Some of the servants left, leaving behind an old servant. Because he had nowhere else to go, he chose to stay.
The entire Vast Water City seemed to be empty as people fled from the chaos of war. Although the Tianhang Empire's army didn't cause any casualties, panic still spread.
Vast Water City was occupied by the Tianhang Empire. The army continued to push forward. Wang Ping stood outside the city and didn't enter. Instead, he followed the army and left.
"Father, the current me hasn't completed my wish from back then. Once your son has, I'll come see you …"
The wheel of time continued to move forward. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter intersected several times. In the blink of an eye, another five years passed.
Wang Ping, 52 years old.
Great Qin and Duyun successively submitted. The Tianhang Empire became the only nation on planet Ran Yun.
From the time he left when he was 27 until now, 25 years had passed. Wang Ping had obtained everything he wanted. Even though there were many things he didn't know, even though all of this happened too quickly.
However, back then, Wang Lin had said "yes," so none of this was surprising.
After conquering the empire, Wang Ping didn't immediately come to see Wang Lin. Instead, he calmly looked at his own mountains and rivers, feeling the vastness of the world.
Wang Lin still sat in his courtyard every morning. He lived an ordinary life accompanied by his old servant. His heart had gradually sublimated over the past 50 years.
Ten years passed in peace and tranquility.
Wang Ping was sixty-two years old, and he looked very old. He had been a Paragon in the mortal world for ten years, and that had caused his heart to be even more tired. That kind of exhaustion caused him to miss his childhood, and the eight years he had spent in the mountains and rivers. What he missed even more was the feeling of having his father by his side during those twenty-eight years.
Qing Yi had also become an old woman and wrinkles appeared on her face. However, her gaze was even more gentle.
Even though they didn't have any children over the years … On this day, it was the late autumn of the 35th year since Wang Ping left his father. In the autumn of this year, leaves fluttered in the air and the autumn wind blew.
Wang Ping stepped down from his position as the sovereign of the mortal world. He gave his empire to the officials that had followed him all this time and left.
What he took with him, aside from these 35 years of memories, was only Qing Yi. He stepped onto the carriage to Vast Water City and slowly ran toward his father.
The carriage moved along the official road and the leaves that fell on both sides of the road were sent off by the wind. The wind caused by the carriage only caused the leaves to float up again. However, the places where the leaves landed were always around the tree. It was as if there was a mysterious force that made it so that the leaves wouldn't go far away. It was as if they didn't want to go far away.
Fallen leaves would always return to their roots and wanderers would always return to their loved ones.
Just like the distance between the fallen leaves and the earth, Vast Water City was getting closer and closer … Wang Lin was sitting in the courtyard. His only old servant had passed away three years ago, so he was the only one left in this big house.
Before him was a table with two chairs beside it. There were a few dishes, a pot of wine, and three pairs of chopsticks on the table.
The dishes were still steaming and the fragrance of the carriage spread out. When the wind blew by, it spread out of the mansion.
At the same time, the sound of horse hooves could be heard, and the sound of wheels rolling on the ground gradually echoed and stopped outside the mansion. Only a few long neighs could be heard, as if to tell others that the carriage had arrived … Wang Ping got down from the carriage, smiled warmly at Qing Yi, held her hand, and walked through the gate. On top of the gate, there was a green board with the words "Wang Mansion" written on it. It seemed to have witnessed the vicissitudes of time. The green color had slightly faded, and the red color had even revealed white marks.
Wang Lin raised his head. It was as if he had waited for this action for 35 years. He revealed a kind smile and softly said, "Come and sit down, the dishes are still hot."
These simple words revealed a calm warmth. There were no questions, no questions, and no politeness. It was as if Wang Ping often came back. Wang Lin's eyes revealed a gentle expression.
Wang Ping stared at his father. It had been 35 years since he left. He hadn't seen his father again. If he had, it was only in his dreams.
"Father …" Wang Ping knelt on the ground, two streams of tears soaking his clothes.
Qing Yi also knelt to the side and softly said, "Father …"
Wang Lin stood up and helped Wang Ping and Qing Yi up. He softly said, "Let's eat."
This meal lasted for a long time. A warmth that he hadn't felt for a long time appeared in Wang Ping's heart. This was a feeling he hadn't felt for 35 years … In the 35 years that Qing Yi had been with Wang Ping, she had guessed Wang Lin's identity long ago. She knew that this elder was the one who killed his way into planet Thousand Illusions alone and shocked all the cultivators of the Luo Tian Northern Region, Xu Mu!
After all, Yun Wufeng had mentioned the name Xu Mu before.
At this moment, there was still some disbelief in her eyes. She was unable to connect this kind old man in front of her with the famous Xu Mu of the Northern Region.
Qing Yi didn't tell Wang Ping about the legends of Xu Mu. After all, she hadn't even been born when the events of the past happened. Everything was hearsay, so she couldn't say it.
It wasn't until the moon gradually brightened and the autumn wind blew by that Wang Ping put down his chopsticks and looked at his father. There were thousands of things he wanted to say, but at this moment, he couldn't say a single one.
Wang Lin looked at Wang Ping and slowly said, "Ping Er, what do you want to ask?"
"Dad, I want to know about my mother …" It had been more than sixty years, and since Wang Ping could remember, he had only asked once. That time, he had seen his father's depression.
This was the second time he had asked.
Wang Lin silently pondered. After a long time, his eyes were filled with reminiscence as he looked at the moon in the sky and softly said, "I'll tell you a story … In a place very far from here, there is a cultivation planet. Its name is Rosefinch …"
Wang Lin's voice was filled with vicissitudes. He slowly spoke about a youth named Wang Lin and his nearly 900 years of life.
From entering the cultivation world to the Heng Yue Sect and the Tian Dao Sect, a portrait of Wang Lin's life gradually unfolded before Wang Ping and Qing Yi's eyes.
The story was very long, very long … but between the lines, there was an indescribable aura that caused the hearts of those who heard the story to tremble … Wang Ping stared at his father as he listened to the story. Qing Yi's eyes widened as she listened to the story. She couldn't help but be immersed in the story, even though she knew that the protagonist of the story was Wang Ping's father, the old man before her.
"That female cultivator is called Liu Mei …"
"Tomorrow is my birthday. Hehe, I forgot about it, but just now, my daughter suddenly said that daddy's birthday is going to be soon.
I don't know how she knew … Although tomorrow is my birthday, there will be a lot of updates. Everyone will wait and see. It seems like tomorrow will reveal the answer to this karma.
"Fellow cultivators, we have been together for one year. I remember that a few days after last year's birthday, the Renegade Celestial was uploaded. It is like a reincarnation cycle, and it has been one year.
Last year, the Renegade Celestial was uploaded, and one year later, with the help of fellow cultivators, it has achieved its current results. I will never forget it.
"Today is my birthday, so give me a birthday present. Hehe, monthly votes, recommendations, tips, they are all fine. If that doesn't work, just a click is fine.