Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 443: Sunset and Falling Leaves

After leaving the capital, Su Ming rode hard southward.

He had no flying apparatus, so he channeled water-attributed spiritual energy into his legs, performing an escape art similar to worldly lightness skill but far more wondrous.

The Like Water Art circulated endlessly within him, leaving his stamina almost untouched.

The farther south he went, the weaker the suppressive Dragon Qi of the imperial way became. Though the world's spiritual energy was still thin, he could already feel a breath of freedom.

Three days later in the evening.

An orange-red sunset hung lazily on a distant ridge, setting the clouds ablaze in brilliant dusk.

Su Ming’s steps stopped before a familiar archway.

Qingshi Town.

The characters on the arch had weathered five years of wind and rain and looked a little worn, but the carver’s strong strokes were still clear.

Su Ming stood beneath the arch but did not enter immediately. He pressed the conical hat on his head and let his gaze extend down the bluestone-paved street.The town looked much the same as five years ago. The shops flanking the road were still the old names; the tofu seller Wang Da-niang seemed to have been replaced by her daughter-in-law, and the clang of the blacksmith’s hammer still rang from the corner forge.

Everything felt peaceful, full of ordinary life.

Yet beneath that seeming constancy there was an unmistakable melancholy of change.

Su Ming did not go to Su Family Village first. Five years ago he had already left the paper-making business to his Second Brother and explained every contingency in a letter. He knew that with his brother’s steadiness and Village Chief Zhao Dequan’s shrewdness, Su Family Village would prosper for generations so long as it avoided great trouble.

When cultivators involve themselves in mortal affairs, they often bring disaster rather than blessing. As long as they were safe and did not meet, that would be the best protection.

Su Ming crossed most of Qingshi Town and came to a quiet alley at the east end.

alley’s end stood a

the stone

the gate and gently knocked

Knock, knock, knock.

attendant in a clean short brown robe opened the side door, peered out, sized

revealed his face. “Student Su Ming, here to

Su! The master speaks of you every day! Please come in, I will inform him

opened the side door and led Su Ming inside, calling into the inner

cloudy eyes began to glisten with tears. “Young Master Su, is it really you! You’ve finally come back!

Ming inclined his head slightly. “Uncle Fu,

“All well, all

old locust tree in the yard was still

main hall doorway, a figure

his early fifties, wearing a somewhat worn blue robe, with three strands of long whisker-like mustaches, a lean face but

It was Zhou Wenhai.

steps halted and he

onto his face. Only a few fine lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes and some white hair had

boy. It was this

Ming pays respects to

back, flicked his robe aside, dropped to both knees,

warmed. He hurried forward, hands on

voice choked a little as he patted Su Ming’s shoulders,

evident pride. “You’ve changed, you’ve

and said softly,

Wenhai took his hand and led him inside. “Come in and

old servant smiled

wall and a few

sat

cultivation world, only saying that he had met a master in the Northern