Chương 280: Returning Home in Silk Garments

Qinghe City. A convoy of three carriages, exclusively provided by Master Song's ironworks, slowly entered through the East Gate. Leading the way were the Four Great Retainers: Xiong Ba, Nie Feng, Yang Jiye, and Knife. The group's weapons were all piled onto one carriage, while the four of them rode on horseback barehanded. Even so, given the terrifying aura radiating from their bodies, not a single person on the street dared to wander into their path and block the way.

Not to mention, the carriages bore the extremely distinct emblem of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion—a bright, cold silver half-moon. In this region, that symbol represented a supreme existence! Master Song was leisurely lying in the carriage, eating pastries and drinking tea. On one side, he listened to Zuo Mu explaining the common knowledge of the martial world; on the other, he cheerfully teased his two beautiful little maids. No matter what happened, life still had to go on.

If he truly had to face a Great Grandmaster, he wouldn't have any countermeasures anyway. Therefore, Song Que temporarily set the matter aside and continued looking for a solution while continuing his daily life exactly as before. For now, he just needed to live happily! The remaining pets were crammed together in the third carriage, except for Little Black. That guy was simply too terrifying, and Master Song didn't want to bring him out this time.

It was better to leave him at home to guard the Jade Sun Rice seedlings....... Having returned to the city as agreed to pick up Aunt Li and the others, Song Que also ran into Wu Yi and Guan Yu, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Brother Yi! Are you guys planning to make a trip to Yellow Leaf Town as well?" He merely asked casually, but to his surprise, Old Wu nodded happily:"That's right, Que. I haven't been back there in a long time. Today, I asked my uncle for a few days off to visit Fan and see how his life in Yellow Leaf is going." Speaking of which, Brother Yi's cousin, Chief Constable Wu Tian's son, Young Master Wu Fan, was currently 'grinding levels' in the treasured feng shui land of Yellow Leaf Town.

"Is Brother Guan going too?" Hearing Song Que's question, Guan Yu shook his head regretfully:"Young Master Song, I still have a lot of work and can't take time off. I only came to see everyone off this time."

"What a pity! I actually buried quite a lot of fine wine at the old house. It seems I won't be able to share a drink with Brother Guan this time." Old Guan's face immediately wrinkled like a bitter gourd, but what could he do? He didn't have a Chief Constable uncle; where could he get the privilege to just take days off whenever he wanted? It was truly hateful! Damned second-generation official! Guan Yu harbored deep resentment toward a certain someone.

Not having time to linger for too long, after chatting with Old Guan for a few sentences, Song Que called the Li family over. In truth, everyone was already prepared. It was just that Li Xin was clinging to his little lover, reluctant to part for a few days. After Master Song glared at him, the group was finally able to set off.

"Brother Guan, farewell! Rest assured, when I return, I'll have Brother Yi bring you a jug to taste!"

"Many thanks, Young Master Song!" Only then did Guan Yu's face light up with joy, happily waving as he watched everyone exit the city gates. ……. Along the way, since he was with his rare old friend Wu Yi, Song Que didn't hide inside the carriage anymore. Instead, he sat outside on the driver's seat to chat and catch up with him.

"Hehe, Brother Yi, have you broken through to the 3rd Grade yet?" Hit right in his sore spot, Wu Yi's face darkened, turning his head away without a word. Who knew that the more he acted like this, the more enthusiastic Scumbag Song became!

"Hehe, I have to tell you, Brother Yi, you're just too lazy! Look at Li Xin! He's wooing girls on one hand and practicing martial arts on the other—taking care of both sides and making both ends blossom! Now, he's already a 3rd Grade Muscle Refining martial artist!"

"You, on the other hand, are still a single dog! Are you wasting your energy on something else every day? Our bodies are our greatest capital; you need to practice some moderation!" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Old Wu was so enraged by this guy's words he almost spat out three liters of blood. Am I lazy?!

Ever since receiving the manual given by Song Que, he had been diligently practicing every single day, regardless of the scorching summer sun or the freezing winter cold! He couldn't break through because he just couldn't break through! He was still stuck at the grand completion of Flesh Refining, unable to find the trick to progressing! There were times when Wu Yi couldn't help but think pessimistically: Could it be that my aptitude is so trash it can't be saved?!

Watching the younger brothers around him breaking through every day like it was as common as eating and drinking, while he was still stuck in place, his heart was incredibly depressed. Right now, the only one I can bully is Zhong Hong! Wu Yi realized in despair. Fortunately for him, Brother Hong was busy supervising the construction project today and couldn't join them. Otherwise, Zhong Hong, flanked by several 3rd Grade experts, would be more than ready to teach this guy how to behave!

"Hehe, Brother Yi, you need to reflect on yourself and work harder! Otherwise, if the two Yang sisters surpass you, it would be too humiliating! Let me give you a small reminder: they are also martial artists now!"

"Hehe..."...

"Hahaha..." Having escaped the fate of being the 'last place' for the first time, Li Xin happily opened his mouth to share his 'experiences and insights,' making the entire group burst into joyous laughter. Except for Wu Yi, who had already begun regretting his choice today. Traveling with this bunch of freaks was truly asking for torture; there was no one stupider than him!

"How about this, Brother Yi? I've been in the city recently anyway, why don't we find a day to spar and increase our experience? Big Brother said that real combat is the fastest way to improve strength. This idea of mine isn't bad, right?" It wasn't often that 'Expert Li' got to bully a noob, so he didn't want to miss the chance to act smug! Wu Yi:..... He decisively pretended to be deaf, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep, ignoring the constant chattering of the people around him.

His mouth mumbled a few phrases like...

'Heart as clear as ice, even if the sky falls, I shall not fear'...

'Let him be strong, the gentle breeze brushes the hills; let him be fierce, the bright moon shines upon the great river'......... By early afternoon, the group finally arrived at Yellow Leaf Town. Thanks to Song Que having people repair the roads and suppress the bandits, the journey through the Huanglian Mountains was now much faster and more convenient. Before they even passed through the city gates, the person in charge of the Shunfeng Escort Agency branch here was already waiting to receive them grandly.

It was worth mentioning that, according to his will, this property had purchased the former courtyard of the Black Tiger Gang to establish a business branch. He did this not only here but also in several other towns around Qinghe County, and the business was doing very well. Currently, across the entire Qinghe region, Shunfeng was the absolute overlord of transportation!

Not only were the costs low and the speed fast, but it was also extremely safe and friendly, making it the top choice for commoners and merchants alike. After chatting with the manager here for a few sentences, Lu Ji, Liang Jing, and a newly appointed Town Mayor arrived together to pay their respects to the newly risen tycoon, Master Song. They insisted on inviting Song Que and his group to stay for a meal! Unfortunately, someone didn't agree.

With the new anti-shock carriages, even the female family members like Aunt Li and Er Ya didn't feel overly fatigued. Right now, Aunt Li's feelings of homesickness were overflowing, and she didn't want to delay for another second. Therefore, she constantly urged Grandee Song to hurry up and hit the road. With an elder making a request, what else could he do? Song Que had to decline the enthusiastic invitations from Lu, Liang, and the others.

After a brief chat, he promised to gather next time and continued the journey toward Giant Willow Village. It was worth mentioning that upon arriving here, Old Wu acted as if he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly found an excuse to visit his cousin and immediately separated from the group, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye. This left Li Xin feeling extremely regretful........ Giant Willow Village. It had been nearly a year since Song Que last returned here.

Today, the arrival of their group caused a massive sensation in Giant Willow Village. Thanks to Master Song's blessings, as the prestige of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion soared higher and higher, the place where he was born and raised naturally received the utmost care from the local Shunfeng Escort Agency branch and the local officials.

Not to mention that the natives of Giant Willow Village were given priority employment when they went to the city, making these mountain folks feel a sense of glory, their chests puffed out high! Even the road leading from Yellow Leaf Town to the village had been expanded at great effort. The carriage he rode in didn't experience the slightest bump or difficulty entering the village.

"Que, you've returned!" Pushing through the layers of onlookers, Village Chief Chung Kui's booming voice rang out excitedly from afar. Seeing the old man's face glowing with health, proving that his days were passing extremely comfortably, Song Que felt happy for him:"Uncle Chung! I haven't been back for just a year, but the village has changed so much I almost didn't recognize it!"

"Uncle Chung!"...

"Big Brother Chung!" Nodding in greeting to Li Xin, his mother, and the others, Chung Kui laughed heartily:"Haha, it's all thanks to you! The Shunfeng Escort Agency frequently sends merchant carts here to purchase goods, and they also hired quite a few strong young men to do odd jobs in the city. Because of this, every household in the village has started to have surplus food and money. Only then did they know to repair and renovate their houses!"

Looking around at the newly renovated houses lining the street, Village Chief Chung felt incredibly proud. Song Que didn't deny his contributions. He offered a few loud words of praise, making the old man's face turn even redder, feeling as light and tipsy as if he had drunk wine. After chatting for a while, Chung Kui dispersed the crowd of onlookers and personally led them toward the cemetery behind the village. Originally, Song Que's plan was to return to the house first to rest and wash up.

However, he couldn't sway Aunt Li's firm resolve to visit the graves immediately. Right now, she probably had many hardships and thoughts she wanted to share with her recently deceased husband. Seeing that the sky was still about two hours away from sunset, there was plenty of time to sweep the tombs. Song Que followed her lead, guiding the group straight to the place where Li Tie and Song Que's parents were buried.