Xu Qingxuan quickly interjected when she saw her mother’s heartbroken figure. “Stop asking mother about our younger brother. When the sect expelled him, mother was under house arrest and didn’t get to see him off. She wasn’t allowed to have any form of contact with him at all…”

Therefore, nobody had any leads on his whereabouts.

“Meng’er, could the Moon God Sect have… expelled him from their territory and sent someone to secretly…” Jiang Feng suddenly added.

Xu Meng immediately shook her head. “The sect is definitely capable of such acts if there are no possible repercussions, but they didn’t resort to such measures because of Xuan’er. They didn’t want her to hold a grudge against them. That loss would outweigh the gain. It’s also why I was never harmed even though they slandered me and put me under house arrest for so many years.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.” Jiang Feng bore great hatred for the Moon God Sect, but it wasn’t appropriate for him to spew hatred against the sect as his daughter was a holy maiden.

“As long as my younger brother is alive, we’ll find him one day. I assure you.” Jiang Chen said convincingly. He was extremely resolute. His family of five would one day be complete without a single missing member.

The family spent the rest of the day in great harmony after their reunion. Xu Meng was worried at first that her daughter might kick up a fuss or do something out of character, but that didn’t happen. Her daughter was very sensible. They stayed indoors for three whole days to enjoy this hard-earned familial bliss. They didn’t even take a single step out of the first division. 

“Mother, I promised master that I would leave for only three days. Will you be… going with father to Veluriyam Capital?” Xu Qingxuan knew that she’d have to ask this sooner or later.

Xu Meng was hesitant. If it were up to her, she’d definitely choose to always follow her husband instead of staying in a forsaken place like the Moon God Sect. But what of her daughter if she left like this? She loved her daughter just as much as she loved her husband and son.

Jiang Feng smiled as he held Xu Meng’s hand. “Meng’er, Jiang Chen and I have already discussed this. We will return to the Capital first, while you and Xuan’er return to the sect.”

Xu Meng was taken aback. She thought that her husband would insist on taking her away.

“Father, you should take mother with you. The sect will not punish me too harshly. A little bit of punishment is nothing for my parents’ sake.” Xu Qingxuan was determined. 

“If we take mother with us right now, that would be eloping. It’d be dishonorable to mother and puts you in a difficult situation. Father doesn’t want to elope with mother like a good-for-nothing. One day, father and I will come to the sect and openly ask for her. Nobody will be able to or dare hinder us then!” Jiang Chen was even more steadfast. His voice was filled with sway and dominance.

Jiang Feng nodded. “Meng’er, this is a promise from Chen’er and I. The day will not be too far away. We have to protect your reputation and prevent Xuan’er from getting dragged in. We must do this in an upright and honorable manner so that we may come together openly as a family again.”

Xu Meng didn’t want to be separated from her husband again, but she was sensible enough to understand that if she insisted on leaving with her husband, it would negatively affect her daughter and cause an enormous mess in the grander scheme of things. It wasn’t time to show their cards yet. Jiang Chen still couldn’t afford to reveal his identity as there was no guarantee that the Moon God Sect would yield just a young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. 

Once his identity was exposed, Pillfire City would absolutely try to hunt him down madly during  his journey back to the capital. Moreover, Pillfire City was the first place he’d have to pass through on his way back.

Xu Meng couldn’t bear to be separated. Tears dotted her face as she bid farewell. In spite of that, she was in a much better mood this time compared to thirty years ago. After all, they were only parting today for the sake of a better tomorrow.

Jiang Chen was also a little depressed after he sent his mother and sister off. He’d made such a decision due to the lack of a better choice. As a son, he didn’t want to see his parents apart from each other. But due to various complications, they had no choice but to bide their time for now. But he didn’t intend to sit idly by and wait. He was going to pick up the pace and reunite his entire family within five years at the latest.

Emperor Peerless also knew about Jiang Chen’s family situation. He offered words of comfort when he saw how depressed Jiang Chen was. “Little brother, I don’t know how to console you, but if you need my help, all you need to do is ask. I’ll invite every eminent wanderer in the cultivation world and we’ll pressure the Moon God Sect together!”

The emperor’s words lifted Jiang Chen’s spirits. “Old Brother Mo, don’t worry. A small matter like this doesn’t need such drastic actions. This trip has left me with few regrets. I’ve found both my parents and now they know about each other’s existence. I only have a small small regret left, but I’ll soon find a way to fix it. Old Brother Mo, you must be getting anxious after so many years of waiting. Tomorrow, we shall journey back to Veluriyam Capital!” 

Third Master Jing was depressed when he heard that they were leaving. If possible, he’d rather have them stay permanently in Frostmoon City, but that wasn’t realistic. He didn’t know for certain who Jiang Chen was, but he had a few hunches. All he knew was that Brother Shao definitely had an extraordinary background. Otherwise, there was no way Emperor Peerless would willingly be the young man’s henchman.

At the beginning, Jiang Chen’s impression of Third Master Jing was so rotten that he’d almost killed the man. But as time went on, they slowly became friends.

“Old Third, I once considered you an enemy, but now I think we can say that we’re friends. I’ll spare you the common courtesies. Holy Maiden Qing Xuan will keep an eye on your matters from now on.” Jiang Chen turned to face Captain Gu. “Captain Gu, you are now Emperor Peerless’ foster son. Nobody in the Moon God Sect will give you trouble anymore. However, you should become more sociable and open, make more friends. It’ll only benefit you.”

Gu Xintang listened to Jiang Chen’s advice intently and nodded with affirmation as he’d also realized that Sir Shao was the true leader of the group. Even his foster father followed his lead and acted according to his wishes.

“If you face any problems, seek out Holy Maiden Qing Xuan.” Jiang Chen advised once again. 

Third Master Jing and Gu Xintang had both contributed a lot to the family’s reunion. Since they were both of the Blues, it was a given that they’d seek Holy Maiden Qingxuan’s help. She’d also help them because of their involvement in her parent’s matters. After that, Jiang Chen handed a single Pinecrane Pill to both of them. 

“These pills are for you. Remember, you mustn’t show it to anyone or you’ll bring doom down upon yourselves. I won’t tell you the name of the pill as neither of you need to use it for now. If you’re still in the emperor realm after a few thousand years and your lifespan is at its end, you may consume the pill and extend your lifespan by at least thousand more years.”

A pill that extended an emperor cultivator’s life by a thousand years? Complicated expressions crossed Gu Xintang and Third Master Jing’s faces. Their breathing grew more rapid as well.

“You heard that right. Emperor realm, not sage realm. Remember, you have to keep it a secret, or else…” Jiang Chen patted their shoulders without finishing his sentence.

“Mm.” Third Master Jing and Gu Xintang nodded. They’d realized the pill’s value. There was a similar pill called the Longevity Pill for the sage realm. It’d taken the martial dao world by storm in recent years. However, nobody had ever heard of a similar pill for the emperor realm. This was truly an eye-opener. They never imagined that there’d be one for emperors too! It was a priceless pill that no amount of money could possibly buy.

“Don’t look down on this pill. It isn’t something that can be mass produced. It’s completely different from the Longevity Pill. The raw ingredients for this pill are already worth a million times more than the Longevity Pill. It’s also extremely difficult to obtain. There’s only a few of these in the world.”

Both now understood just how precious the pill was. To put in into simpler terms, it was a lifesaving pill. Jiang Chen didn’t say anything else. He waved them goodbye and left immediately after. 

Their group consisted of Emperor Peerless and his wife, Jiang Chen, his father, and also Liu Zhen. There was only five in the group, but the cultivation differences between them couldn’t be any greater. Long Xiaoxuan couldn’t be bothered to travel such long distances, so he hid himself on Jiang Chen’s body and continued to loaf around. Their group had a very interesting lineup.

Liu Zhen was the weakest amongst them, but that didn’t affect his status in the group. Jiang Chen was rather kind to him, while Jiang Feng didn’t neglect his brother just because he’d reunited with his son. He showed Liu Zhen a lot of care throughout the journey.  

Liu Zhen was in a very complicated mood all along. He was excited but also deeply moved.  If he hadn’t insisted on saving Jiang Feng, his life would likely be vastly different right now. He’d have to spend the rest of life in self-blame and would never be acquainted with eminent figures like Emperor Peerless and Jiang Chen. He was completely overwhelmed.

They arrived in Pillfire City territory after leaving the Tilted Moon Region. Jiang Chen had no business in the city, so he led the group right across the territory. After a month, they arrived at the heartland of the Upper Eight Regions. They were right between Pillfire City and Veluriyam Capital.

“Old Brother Mo, this should be the Great Yu Upper Region where the Great Yu Skysword Sect is located, right? I accepted money from the sect, but I’ve yet to refine the pill they requested. Why don’t we stop by their sect for a moment? It won’t take more a week before we can depart again.” Jiang Chen wasn’t the sort to break his promises.

The emperor was in a light mood. His dao partner’s injuries had been stabilized. The only issue that remained was the root of her injuries. He naturally wouldn’t mind one or two small detours. He chuckled. 

“We shall go wherever you want to go. The Skysword Sect is one of the most famous sects in the Upper Eight Regions. A short visit would be interesting.” 

……

Elder Lu of the Great Yu Skysword Sect was under a lot of stress lately. He’d already paid the bounty, yet the Ancient Reformation Pill was still nowhere to be seen. He was contemplating if he should request a refund from the Temple of Cleansing Fire and get them to hunt down the scammer by name of Shao Yuan. However, Pill King Shao Yuan suddenly arrived at the Great Yu Skysword Sect on this day. The smoldering fire of anxiety within Elder Lu’s heart was instantly extinguished upon news of his arrival.

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