Chapter 494 Let’s go home…

Lin Qingxuan peeked out from behind his mother, looking at Lin Che with curiosity, feeling that this person was very kind, especially his eyes, which somewhat resembled the figure he had seen in his dreams.

"Mom, who is this person?"

Lin Che's gaze fell on Lin Qingxuan, and his heart suddenly constricted; those eyebrows and that demeanor were clearly a miniature version of himself.

Lin Che walked closer step by step, his steps a little unsteady, reaching out to touch but afraid of disturbing the mother and son in front of him, so he could only stop and softly say:

"He… is he… Lin Qingxuan?"

Li Qianmei did not answer, merely staring intently at Lin Che, the emotions in her eyes complex and hard to discern; for a moment, she didn't know how to reply, nor what to say.

"Yes…"

Finally, Li Qianmei still nodded.

"Mom…"

Lin Qingxuan looked at Li Qianmei in front of him, blinking his bright eyes, seemingly also wanting to know who the young man before them was.

Li Qianmei gently bit her lower lip, a trace of almost imperceptible pain flashing in her eyes, then turned around and said, "He… he is your father… whom you have never met."

"Father?" Lin Qingxuan repeated the two words, his small brows furrowing slightly, and the hand holding the turtle shell unconsciously tightened.

Lin Qingxuan tilted his head, observing Lin Che, his gaze slowly changing from curiosity to scrutiny. The man's eyebrows, his tone of voice, and even the faint spiritual energy emanating from him gradually overlapped with the blurry figure he dreamt of at night.

He walked out from behind Li Qianmei, taking small steps towards Lin Che, and looked up with his small face, asking, "Then why… why did you only come now? Brother A-Hu's dad practices swordplay with him every day. Where were you before?"

Listening to the child's words, Lin Che let out a deep sigh, looked at Li Qianmei, and said, "Come with me."

"Where to?"

"Home."

Lin Che clenched his fists, stepped forward, and said, "Although I never expected such a thing to happen back then, you chose to stay in the Rain Immortal Realm for more than ten years to save me, damaging your cultivation. This Sect Leader will not let you down."

Hearing Lin Che's words, tears finally welled up in Li Qianmei's eyes as she looked at him, her heart filled with sorrow, as if she had waited countless years for this day.

Li Qianmei's tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the bluestone slab, splashing tiny specks of light.

Looking at Lin Che before her, the man she had waited for and longed for over a decade, now stood right there, saying he wouldn't let her down.

But the past grievances and suffering could not be easily erased by those four words.

Li Qianmei raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her voice choked with emotion: "Home… I long thought we no longer had a home."

Lin Qingxuan tugged at Li Qianmei's sleeve, then looked at Lin Che, his small face full of confusion: "Mom, where is our home? Isn't this our home?"

Lin Qingxuan pointed to the surrounding ink plums, the Crescent Spring, and the bamboo house with smoke rising from its chimney in the distance, "There are little turtles here, and plum blossoms that glow. I think this is home."

Lin Che squatted down, gently stroked Lin Qingxuan's head, his eyes full of tenderness: "This is also home, but we have an even safer home."

"There, there are no former subordinates of the Sect Leader, no prying eyes. You can cultivate the Fallen Plum Art (Cultivation Technique) in peace, and you can also explore other landscapes in the starfield with your father."

Lin Che slightly raised his head, looking at Li Qianmei, his tone becoming more solemn, "Qianmei, I know I owe you too much in the past. I can't turn back time, I can only make it up to you with the days to come. Come with me, I will protect you and your son for a lifetime of peace."

Li Qianmei remained silent, her gaze falling on Lin Qingxuan. All these years, she had hidden in Fallen Plum Valley, fearing her son would be harmed.

But now Lin Che had come, with his cultivation in the Early Void Tribulation Realm and the strength to slay the Poison Venerable. Perhaps he could truly give them a stable future.

Li Qianmei bit her lip, and finally nodded, "Alright, I'll go with you. But Xuan'er has just started cultivating the Fallen Plum Art (Cultivation Technique) and cannot travel long distances. We need a few days to prepare."

"No problem."

Lin Che breathed a sigh of relief, a long-lost smile appearing on his face, "I'll guard the valley entrance these few days while you prepare at your leisure."

In the following days, Fallen Plum Valley became a bit more lively.

Every day, Lin Che would accompany Lin Qingxuan in practicing the Fallen Plum Art (Cultivation Technique). He discovered that his son's talent far exceeded his imagination; in just three short days, he had already mastered the essence of breathing and even managed to condense spiritual power into tiny plum blossom petals.

Li Qianmei, on the other hand, was packing her luggage. She didn't have many things, only packing up Lin Qingxuan's childhood clothes, his toys, and all the ink plum paintings she had drawn over the years.

That evening, Lin Qingxuan pulled Lin Che to the edge of the Crescent Spring, pointed at the twin moons in the spring water, and asked, "Dad, have you seen a more beautiful moon than this?"

Lin Che sat on a stone by the spring, holding Lin Qingxuan on his lap, and gazed at the reflection in the spring water: "Dad has seen many moons, but none are as beautiful as this one. Because the moon here has Xuan'er and your mother accompanying it."

"Xuan'er, Dad will never leave you again. No matter what danger we encounter, Dad will stand in front of you."

Lin Qingxuan nodded, half-understanding, and leaned into Lin Che's embrace, watching the twin moons in the spring water until he gradually fell asleep.

Lin Che held his son, gently stroking his hair, his eyes becoming incredibly resolute, knowing in his heart that his responsibility had grown heavier.

Not only must he protect this mother and son, but he must also eliminate all of the Sect Leader's former subordinates, so that they can truly live in peace… The next morning, the golden rooster crowed.

Li Qianmei had already packed her luggage and stood before the bamboo house, gazing at Fallen Plum Valley, where she had lived for several years, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Lin Che walked to her side and gently took her hand: "We will come back again in the future. When Xuan'er grows up, we'll bring him to see the ink plums here and the Crescent Spring here."

Li Qianmei nodded, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Let's go."

Lin Che picked up Lin Qingxuan, Li Qianmei carried the luggage, and the three of them walked towards the valley entrance.

Upon reaching the white jade plum stakes, Li Qianmei paused, looked back at the ink plums within the valley, and softly said, "Goodbye, Fallen Plum Valley."

Lin Che looked at her, his heart filled with guilt, and understood that this valley held too many of Li Qianmei's memories, both bitter and sweet.

Li Qianmei lightly pursed her lips, walked beside Lin Che, and asked, "My father…"

Mentioning Daoist Lan Meng, Lin Che let out a deep breath, then replied, "For your sake, I spared his life, but he cannot remain Beyond the Boundary in this lifetime. Let him return with us."

"Once we reach the Vermilion Bird Star, someone will naturally take care of him, but he will only be an ordinary person with a cultivation realm that he cannot utilize."