Winter’s bone-chilling rain silently poured down- neither too hard nor too light- knitting an exquisite veil, which shrouded the distant vision.
“Winter has come.”
“Indeed… another year has passed.”
Before the He manor, two core servants were leisurely sitting in the gatehouse, watching the rain and sighing incessantly.
Suddenly, sounds of a hurriedly approaching horse entered their ears. Amidst the rain, a red-colored shadow, splashing the rain water along the way, arrived before the He manor.
The two guards stood up in astonishment. They had never seen such a mystical horse. Therefore, although they didn’t know the person who had come, they didn’t dare be neglectful in the slightest.
After all, a person riding such a horse couldn’t be an ordinary figure. A normal person simply couldn’t afford such a colt.
The person who had arrived lightly pressed one hand on the horseback and effortlessly jumped down before the two servants.
Apart from the conical hat for the rain, an exceedingly familiar face appeared before them.
“Sixth young master, it’s sixth young master…”
The two faintly started, then immediately shouted in pleasantly surprised voices. One of them immediately rushed forward, whereas the other rushed back into the manor.
The sixth young master had already been away from the home for several months. During the family banquet, the Lord Master and the second Lord had brought this up many times. The servants were already attentive of this. Today, it was almost new year. Sixth young master’s sudden return was an exceedingly joyous occasion for the manor.
He Yiming handed over the horse’s reins to the servant and said, “This is a fine horse. Tell them to take good care of it.”
“Yes.”
The servant’s respectful voice gave He Yiming a familiar and relaxed feeling.
He was eventually back….
Although the treatment he enjoyed in the Fire Crow country’s Xie family was far above the treatment he enjoyed in his family, this was after all his home.
As soon as he stepped inside the manor, a strong feeling that one would only experience upon returning home burst out from his insides.
This was his home!
“Sixth brother, sixth brother….”
Along with a delighted voice, a youngster, rather short compared to He Yiming, rushed out from inside, unconcerned of the rain falling on his head.
“Yi Tao.” He Yiming immediately rushed forward. His speed was far beyond anybody present here. In a flash, he was before the former. With a chuckle, he took him in a hug.
“Sixth brother, you’ve returned.”
In a few moments, the entire manor knew the news of his return. Even his eldest brother and the third brother also made their appearance.
Although the rain was pouring down, the enthusiasm of these people couldn’t be washed away by it.
The news of He Yiming travelling outside was known to everybody in the manor. However, those who knew that he’d opted to do so for the sake of breaking through were only a handful. However, nobody expected him to return after a few months.
“Everybody in!” A fierce voice sounded from the second entrance. In charge of He manor’s internal affairs, He Quanyi walked out in big steps. Seeing his strict face, apart from He Yitian and He Yiming, all the other members of the young generation assumed silence out of fear.
“So many dripping wet for no reason, really outrageous! All of you, get inside!”
Along with his shout, everybody immediately fled inside like rats that had seen a cat. He Yitao further pulled a sly face at He Yiming. However, his movements didn’t slow at all. After all, among all his siblings, he was the one who had eaten the highest number of bamboo shoot meat slices.
He Yitao exchanged a smile and entered side by side, looking like cranes in a flock of chickens.
“Sixth brother, did you succeed?” He Yitian mumblingly asked.
He Yiming faintly smiled and said, “Fortunately, I didn’t disgrace my reputation, eldest brother.”
He Yitian’s immediately paused as he heavily patted He Yiming’s back, “Good..good..good..”
The three successive ‘good’ words clearly exhibited the state of his current emotions.
Currently, they had already entered the main hall. He Yitian’s actions immediately attracted everybody’s attention.
“Eldest brother, why did you say good?” He Yitao puzzledly asked.
He Quanyi’s face however slightly changed. He stepped forward and said, “He Yiming, you truly succeeded?”
He Yiming touched his hair. He’d not performed this action for a long time. However, as soon as he returned home, he unwittingly did it again.
“Third uncle, my reputation shouldn’t be that bad, no?”
He Quanyi heartily laughed and habitually raised his palm. Looking at this gesture which had almost become a custom of the manor, everybody understood the meaning behind their eldest brother and third uncle’s words.
However, He Quanyi faintly started, suddenly receiving his palm back, “I’m really stupid. Your strength is already beyond my measuring capability… better to have eldest brother or father personally come.”
It immediately caused an uproar in the younger generation. They then recalled that at this year’s beginning, at the time of their eldest brother’s marriage, He Yiming’s Internal Energy had already attained the ninth layer. If he’d broken through another layer….
Within an instant, everybody’s eyes somewhat dulled. Even the He Yitao, who was always bustling with energy, also couldn’t help but purse his lips as he saw his sixth brother’s expression also changing somewhat.
He Yitian lightly coughed, “Sixth is back, and he’s set an example for us. Henceforth, we have to strive more to reach sixth’s….” Saying up to here, he suddenly discovered that he simply couldn’t let the subsequent words out.
With He Yiming’s cultivation speed, how could one strive to reach him? If this was set to be the standard for measurement, nobody would have the confidence to continue cultivation.
He Quanyi faintly shook his head and said, “Yiming, father already knows of your return. Come with me to see father. Yitian, you also come.” His vision swept around as he said, “As for you all… disperse!”
Following his glare, the few members of the younger generation issued cries of surprise and escaped like birds, abandoning He Yitian and He Yiming. After all, in their minds, their third uncle was the most terrifying among all the elders. Even their grandfather or eldest uncle came nowhere close.
He Yiming laughed inwardly, but at the same time, felt quite emotional as well. If his strength had not advanced by leaps and bounds, surpassing his third uncle’s, he would have also been one of the members among them today.