Chapter 1560: Dominating the Inner Realm, Father Passes Away in His Arms

The carriage, unnoticed by anyone, carried the elderly Master and servant, along with a few jugs of wine, as it slowly left Su City, traveling along the official road toward home, gradually fading into the distance.

By dusk, two young women from a pleasure boat on the Su City riverbank disembarked and began walking slowly through the streets of Su City, their appearances slightly altered to look very ordinary.

"Senior Sister, you grew up here. Besides the pleasure boats, are there any other good places to visit in Su City? After being in seclusion for so long, it was hard to get down from the mountain, so we must have some fun."

"You, honestly. I was coming home to visit my parents, and you insisted on following me. There's nothing fun in Su City. Tomorrow, I plan to visit the Grand Scholar Su Dao. His family was friends with mine when he was younger. When you go there, do not speak recklessly. Although he is a Mortal, even my Master must be very polite to him."

As the two were talking, a scholar walked past them. Hearing this, he laughed. Seeing that the two women looked very ordinary, he still stopped and smiled, saying:

"The two young ladies must have been away from the State of Zhao for a long time. The Grand Scholar Su Dao passed away more than ten years ago. Now, the Grand Scholar of our State of Zhao is named Wang Lin, a student of the late Grand Scholar Su Dao."

The two women were stunned. The scholar shook his head, smiled, and walked away.

"Wang Lin… Wang Lin… Ah, Senior Sister, I remember now! During the day on that pleasure boat, that old man who looked at us—even though he looked old, that was the little scholar Wang Lin!"

Zhou Rui's footsteps faltered. She suddenly turned back, looking at the distant, blurry riverbank fading into the dusk, as if the image of that blushing youth from years ago appeared before her eyes.

"Senior Sister, Senior Sister, what is wrong?" Xu Fei looked at Zhou Rui, seemingly understanding something, and whispered.

Zhou Rui remained silent for a moment, then gently shook her head before walking away with Xu Fei. But before she had even walked ten steps, she gritted her teeth, as if having made a decision.

"Wait for me!" After saying this, Zhou Rui's body flickered, and she transformed into a long rainbow, charging into the sky. Her sudden action immediately caused gasps of shock all around. The nearby pedestrians, filled with awe and disbelief, stared blankly at this scene, taking a long time to react.

"A Fairy!!"

"That is a Fairy!!"

Xu Fei watched Zhou Rui's departing figure, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and she sighed softly.

In the sky above Su City, above the river, Zhou Rui's Divine Sense spread out. While flying rapidly, she searched, but in the end, she still did not find that shadow.

Even after she had searched the entire Su City, it remained the same.

"Did he leave…" Zhou Rui did not know what was wrong with her. She wanted to see him, but fate played tricks on people. Like two life trajectories that had crossed and separated, there would likely not be another intersection for a long time.

Dozens of miles outside Su City, the carriage bumped and creaked along the official road. Wang Lin sat inside, letting the wind lift the curtain and sweep past him.

He drank wine, his gaze looking out from the lifted curtain, landing on the dim sky, lost in thought. His appearance, while not exactly decrepit, was no longer young, and the white hair at his temples seemed to have increased with every sip of wine.

Slowly, he saw white birds circling in the dim sky, flying home with him.

As one grew older, the body was not as good as it was in youth. After bumping in the carriage for a long time, it felt as if his bones were about to fall apart, and he was exhausted.

Traveling and resting like this, they spent the summer. Four months later, at noon, Wang Lin and Da Fu entered the territory of Hengyue Mountain from the distant Su City. The autumn sun hung in the sky.

When they left, the flowers and leaves along the official road were dotted with red and green. When they arrived, most of the flowers had withered, and the leaves had begun to turn yellow. Although it was not yet time for them to fall, it was not far off.

"Twenty-eight years…" Wang Lin looked at the grass and trees around him, his eyes blurring. He remembered when he left, he was still a youth; now that he had returned, he was already fifty.

With a creaking sound, the carriage slowly followed the official road into a quiet mountain village hidden ahead. Everything here was very familiar to Wang Lin; he had grown up here.

Without disturbing too many neighbors, Wang Lin brought Da Fu back to his long-missed home.

His parents were still there, but his father, who had been strong and healthy years ago, now needed a cane and the support of Wang Lin's white-haired mother, watching their returning wanderer with a smile.

Even though this wanderer had become the Grand Scholar of the State of Zhao, the pride of the Wang family, and had reached the Peak, in front of them, Wang Lin was still the same as he was when he left twenty-eight years ago—just their child.

It was like this now, and it was the same when they were taken to Su City years ago.

The carriage stopped outside the courtyard of their home. Wang Lin held onto the carriage shaft and stepped down, seeing his parents at a glance.

A gentle smile appeared on his face. Wang Lin walked forward, flicked his hem, and knelt on the ground.

"Father, Mother, Tie Zhu has returned."

Da Fu blinked, and after getting off the carriage, he simply walked forward and knelt down as well, saying loudly: "Father, Mother, Da Fu has returned."

Wang Lin's father laughed heartily. Ignoring Wang Lin first, he walked up to help Da Fu up, shaking his head and smiling: "You, still the same as you were years ago. I am grateful enough for you taking care of Ping'er all these years; do not learn from him."

Wang Lin stood up, looking at his parents' happy smiles, and an indescribable warmth surged in his heart. He supported his mother, helped his father, and with Da Fu, the family walked into the courtyard.

"Tie Zhu, when will you leave this time?" Wang Lin's mother looked at her son kindly; he was her pride.

"Still calling him Tie Zhu. Wang Lin is now the Grand Scholar of our State of Zhao. Do you understand what a Grand Scholar is? That is an identity that even the Emperor must be respectful of when he sees him. Didn't you see how the county magistrate always came over these past few years?" Wang Lin's father glared at his old wife.

"This time, I am not leaving. Tie Zhu will serve you until the end." Wang Lin looked at his mother, seeing her white hair and the wrinkles on her face, and whispered.

Wang Lin's return to his hometown caused a stir throughout the village a few days later. Those neighbors from the past came one after another, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Grand Scholar of the State of Zhao, who was also the pride and joy in their hearts.

Even the scholars and officials from the county, upon hearing the news, rushed over as quickly as possible. Along with them came the relatives of the Wang family.

Wang Lin's father was radiant these few days, shedding his old age and standing with his back straight. In his entire life, he was most proud of having such a son, a Grand Scholar of the State of Zhao.

Especially after seeing so many people arrive at the same time, Wang Lin's father was even more pleased. He simply took out silver and arranged for a banquet to be held in the village square.

Banquets in the village were originally very simple, but with the intentions of everyone, it eventually became extremely luxurious. The tables of food and wine were prepared by cooks summoned from the county, who brought the Materials and set everything up personally.

Things like this were hard to recount one by one. Seeing his father happy, Wang Lin did not say anything. Otherwise, given his personality, he preferred quiet.

But since his parents were happy, he let them make the arrangements.

During the banquet, the relatives of the Wang family came one by one to pay their respects to Wang Lin. Wang Lin had seen those respectful expressions too many times; he gave a slight nod, making those people feel flattered.

Among these relatives were elderly great-uncles, the Clan Chief of the Wang family, and some of his peers.

Watching this scene, Wang Lin felt as if he had encountered it in a dream, although there seemed to be many differences between that dream and the present.

By dusk, seeing that his parents were slightly tired, Wang Lin flicked his sleeves and took his parents away, ending the lively banquet. The others gradually dispersed over the next few days, and the mountain village returned to peace.

"Tie Zhu, you are not young anymore. Why don't you take a wife… Sigh." Wang Lin's father was a bit tipsy, and after muttering a few words, he stopped talking about it with a sigh.

Just like this, in his hometown where he grew up, Wang Lin slowly watched the sunrise and sunset, watching the years pass by.

Until five years later, in the autumn of the thirty-third year since Wang Lin left the mountain village, as the autumn leaves were swept by the wind, rustling on the ground, seeking their roots, Wang Lin's father lay on the bed, holding Wang Lin's hand. His eyes held reluctance, but even more so, gratification and pride.

"Tie Zhu, Father's life has been unforgettable because of you… Father is illiterate, but I found someone to read the books you compiled over the years for a long time. You once said that the Reincarnation of heaven and earth, birth, aging, sickness, and death are like the four seasons. Father remembers…" A smile appeared on Wang Lin's father's face, but beneath this smile, beneath that pride and gratification, there was still a fear that Wang Lin could feel…

He was afraid of death, afraid of not being able to see his family, afraid of the loneliness and the unknown after death. He clutched Wang Lin's hand tightly, as if he were the last root in his life, his last reliance.

The light in his eyes dimmed, revealing helplessness.

"Father, don't be afraid. I am by your side." Wang Lin's hair had also turned mostly white. He looked at his father, sadness appearing in his eyes. Holding his father's hand, Wang Lin leaned forward, hugging his frail father, holding him gently.

"Father, I am here. Don't be afraid, I am here."

"Father, do you remember the birthday gift you gave me when I was a child? That little wooden horse. I found it a few days ago…"

"Father…"

Outside the courtyard, the large tree that seemed to have existed in the village for a hundred years exuded vicissitudes. In the autumn of this year, most of the leaves had been taken away by the wind, but one leaf remained hanging there, as if it were unwilling to leave, swaying in the wind. Swaying and swaying, it seemed to use its last bit of strength, flew down from the tree, circled, drew an arc, and landed on the roof of the Wang residence.

Wang Lin's father, in Wang Lin's gentle stroking and soft voice, slowly stopped being afraid. He slowly closed his eyes, lost his breath, and collapsed into his son's arms.

The leaf on the roof seemed to have a soul; it flew up again, following the wind far away.