Chapter 55: Return Home and Reunion

The reason Cao Chengyu shouted was to have ordinary people help him relay his message. He wanted to remind Luo Yuzhu that she was not truly in danger, and at the same time, gain an upper hand in public opinion. This would prevent the Skywatch Tower from labeling him as a traitor and purging the mortal Cao family behind him. Of course, he would have to return to Immortal Palace City to move his family. His ancestral home lay in the northern part of Li Prefecture, near the border, so evacuation would be swift—he had no worries about being held to account.

The Great Yue ruled over five prefectures: Li, Chi, Luo, Yun, and Dan. Li Prefecture formed the northern region, bordering the Martial Kingdom. Chi Prefecture was the central territory, home to the capital. Dan Prefecture, fief of the Dan Prince, lay to the west; Luo Prefecture faced the eastern sea, while Yun Prefecture stood in the south.

After escaping the capital, Cao Chengyu could do nothing about Yang Jiuxuan's affairs. By the time he arrived in the city, he would not see him anyway—at most, he might curse him a few times. Only little Feng remained in the Skywatch Tower; Liu Yun should take care of him.

Touching the small spirit cat nestled at his chest, Cao Chengyu rode the yellow cloud toward Immortal Palace City. The journey there had taken three months, but the return was swift—flying meant he need not worry about rugged terrain, and he reached the city in just over ten days.

A year had passed. When he left, he was but a minor Daoist apprentice in the energy cultivation stage; now, he was a Daoist body cultivator, with a lifespan of two hundred and forty years, reaching his own expectations.

He wondered how his parents were now, and what had become of his aunt. Carrying the dream of returning home in glory, he traveled past familiar bun shops and breakfast stalls, faces on the street both familiar and strange. Cao Chengyu felt as though the world had changed, even as the people remained the same.

He himself had changed.

Arriving at the gate of the Cao residence, he saw two mortal guards, drowsy and half-asleep, who seemed to glimpse the young master through their haze.

Wait—young master!

One guard jolted awake, and upon seeing Cao Chengyu clearly, cried out in surprise.

"Young master, you're back!"

"Young master, Madam and Master have missed you dearly."

Cao Chengyu nodded kindly; he had always had a good relationship with the guards, often sharing his good fortune with them. Their excitement at seeing him was understandable.

He strode into the residence, and every servant and maid he encountered greeted him respectfully. After all, he had only been gone a year; his features were merely more mature, taller, and sturdier.

There was no chance he would return to find himself forgotten. This was his home, not some other place.

He looked toward the familiar study, a smile touching his lips as he gently knocked on the door.

A stern voice sounded at once: "Come in."

Pushing open the door, he saw his father, Cao Di, bent over the long desk, writing. His mother, Tang Shiwan, was not present—a rare occurrence for her not to be at his father's side.

"What is it—"

Cao Chengyu cleared his throat twice.

His father looked up, puzzled, and the instant he saw Cao Chengyu, delight flashed in his eyes. But he quickly suppressed it, speaking instead with feigned anger.

"Well, so you remember to come home. Gone more than a year without writing, I thought you’d died out there. Mr. Yang went to the capital recently—did you meet him on the road?"

"Um..."

"No, I did not," Cao Chengyu replied awkwardly. After all, his father was his father; as a son, he dared not retort.

Father and son stared at each other in silence.

After a while, his father slowly stood and embraced him. "It's good you're back. Go see your mother—she's been resting in her room lately."

"Is mother ill?"

"No, not exactly. You'll understand when you see her."

Cao Chengyu nodded, about to leave when he remembered something. He brushed his waist and produced a bottle of top-grade energy-nourishing pills, handing them to Cao Di.

"These are medicinal pills for health. They help children cultivate their vital energy. For adults, they strengthen mind and body, and for mortals, longevity is no problem at all."

Cao Di's face remained expressionless, but seeing his son's determination, he quietly accepted the pills. Once Cao Chengyu left, Cao Di grinned and rubbed his aching back. His body had suffered lately—his son's filial concern was comforting.

Leaving the study, Cao Chengyu walked to his mother's courtyard, only to be struck dumb by the sight before him.

His mother, heavily pregnant, was strolling with Xiao Lian's support. Judging by her swollen belly, she was nearly due.

Calculating quickly, he realized that in the year he’d been away, his parents had busied themselves with creating a little sibling.

It took some time for the pregnancy, but now the birth was imminent.

"This..." Cao Chengyu could only laugh and sigh, astonished they truly had succeeded.

His former "right-hand men," Xiao San and Xiao Lian—San had been redeemed by her family, while Xiao Lian had become his mother's personal maid.

Times had changed.

Cao Chengyu drew closer and coughed to attract attention.

Tang Shiwan turned, her eyes instantly reddening. She withdrew from Xiao Lian's support and ran to him, her hands gripping his cheeks like kneading clay, pinching left and right.

"Mom, calm down, be careful not to disturb the child."

"Hmph."

Mentioning this made her angry, but seeing the one she longed for brought joy to her heart. She said little more, instead letting Cao Chengyu support her as they strolled by the lotus pond.

Xiao Lian followed closely, silent, though her gaze occasionally lingered on the young master with a hint of yearning.

"Mom, you moved fast—I was gone just a year, and already there's a baby?"

"What do you know? If you refused to inherit the Cao family’s position, would I need to bring another into the world?"

"You're not young anymore, Mother—bearing a child is serious business. If anything happens to you, I'll still have to inherit the family."

"What nonsense."

In the past, with ancient medical knowledge, childbirth was perilous; mothers could easily die in labor. For women, giving birth was as dangerous as walking the edge of the underworld.

Now, with Cao Chengyu a cultivator, not to mention countless miraculous pills, even a single energy-nourishing pill could ensure a safe delivery for mother and child.

Before coming home, Cao Chengyu had visited the underground fire vein—the place where he’d discovered the Five Elements Sect’s legacy. He refined several bottles of energy-nourishing pills to help his parents recuperate.

These pills could nurture children’s bodies, and adults could benefit too. However, adults, having consumed grains for years, accumulated toxins and impurities, making it difficult to develop the physique for cultivation.

Taking the pills could expel some of these long-standing impurities and strengthen weak spots in the body.

In short, they were miraculous medicine for mortals, enhancing health in every way.