First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 223 - Time Changes Everything, Including People

“Hm?”

As soon as they entered the residence, the Wen Family members immediately saw a tall, lean figure reclining by the side of the pond. They already felt terrified and helpless, but now, it was as if they’d been struck by lightning. Their eyes instantly widened.

Su Yi!?

It had only been a month or so since they last saw him. How could they possibly fail to recognize just who that blue-clad youth in the wicker chair was? 

Qin Qing was so startled that she blurted, “Moocher? What are you doing here?”

Everyone fell silent.

Zhou Zhili, Mu Zhongting, and Cha Jin all looked at her. Did she just call him ‘moocher’? This woman sure has gall!

When she saw the way they were looking at her, Qin Qing felt thoroughly uncomfortable, and her heart filled with uncertainty and confusion. What’s going on?

It wasn’t just her. Even Wen Changjing and Wen Changtai had yet to realize what was happening. All they knew was that something strange and out of the ordinary was afoot.

The elderly dowager seemed to vaguely understand something. She stared intently at Su Yi, her expression rife with uncertainty.

Then, Su Yi turned to Cha Jin and said, “Go brew some tea.”

Cha Jin rushed off. 

Su Yi then turned to Mu Zhongting. “Might I trouble you to bring some additional chairs?”

Mu Zhongting laughed heartily. “Young Lord Su, you needn’t be so polite! It’s only right for me to do that for you!”

He then rushed off too.

When they saw this, Wen Changjing and the others were so stunned that their jaws practically fell off. Isn’t this Mu Zhongting guy the new provincial governor? How could he willingly let Su Yi order him around like some kind of servant?

The Wen Family Matriarch suddenly took a deep breath, her expression suddenly complicated. “Su Yi, don’t you plan to explain? Or do you just like seeing us jumping about like startled clowns?”

“Did Wen Lingzhao tell you anything about me?” asked Su Yi.

“No.” The Wen Family Dowager shook her head. The other Wen Family members looked baffled too.

Su Yi couldn’t help but rub his brow. Explaining the entire situation sounded like far too much trouble.

It was then that Mu Zhongting arrived with a stack of chairs. Su Yi promptly said, “Sit down first.”

“Everyone, please take a seat.” Mu Zhongting, the new governor of the Imperatorial Province, offered each member of the Wen Family a chair, as if he were a servant. They were flattered, but stunned, too. 

Su Yi, meanwhile, felt a bit strange.

He wouldn’t have guessed he’d see Wen Changjing and the others again at a time like this.

He couldn’t say he hated them, but he couldn’t say he was happy to see them, either.

It was just that when he thought about his year at the Wen Family estate before he reawakened his memories, he couldn’t help but lament.

Time changed everything, even people.

“Everyone, please have some tea.” Cha Jin then returned with a tea tray and a radiant smile.

Wen Changjing and the others promptly thanked her, but their hearts were in turmoil. How could such a stunningly beautiful woman be acting as Su Yi’s serving girl?

What exactly has happened to Su Yi since he left Guangling City?

One question after another rose within their hearts.

“If there’s anything you want to ask, Cha Jin will answer your questions.” Su Yi gestured to her. 

She smiled faintly. “What is it you would like to know?”

The Wen Family Dowager fell silent. She had far too many questions; for a moment, she didn’t know where to start.

But Qin Qing didn’t concern herself with all that. She just asked directly, “Miss, who are these two esteemed gentlemen?” As she spoke, she carefully glanced at Zhou Zhili and Mu Zhongting.

Zhou Zhili was stunned for a moment, but then, he laughed and took the initiative to introduce them. “This is His Lordship Mu Zhongting, the former governor of Harmony Prefecture. He’s now the new governor of the Imperatorial Province. As for me…. I’m called Zhou Zhili, and I’m from the Great Zhou’s imperial family. I’m the sixth prince, and His Majesty the Emperor is my father.”

“My heavens!” Qin Qing couldn’t help but blurt, “Is this for real?”

Wen Changjing gasped. He felt as if he were sitting on a bed of needles.

The Wen Family Dowager instantly tensed, and her expression changed several times in rapid succession.

Even the simple, honest Wen Changtai was dumbstruck.

Even though they’d already guessed some of Zhou Zhili’s answer, hearing him directly admit it still brought them a massive shock.

Were they ordinary civilians, they might not have understood the true implications of an imperial prince or provincial governor’s status, but how could the Wen Family not know?

Especially the dowager. She’d served the Jade Capital’s Su Family in her youth. There was no doubt about it; she knew how lofty an imperial prince’s status was better than anyone, as well as how vast and far-reaching a provincial governor’s authority really was!

Yet two such grand and important figures were treating Su Yi with the utmost respect!

How could the Wen Family Dowager possibly remain calm?

She couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi. “Don’t tell me you’ve started using the Su Family’s name to conduct your affairs?” 

The way she saw it, for Su Yi to reach such heights in just a month or so didn’t make sense. The most likely explanation was that he’d used his identity as the third young master of the Su Family to obtain his current status!

Otherwise, there was no way to explain what she’d seen here today.

When they heard that, Zhou Zhili and Mu Zhongting were stunned. Cha Jin was just about to say something when Su Yi gestured for her to remain silent.

He looked up at the elderly dowager. “If I recall correctly, back in Guangling City, I told you that I’d never done such a thing before, and that I absolutely wouldn’t do so in the future.”

“Then….” The dowager opened her mouth as if to speak.

But then, Zhou Zhili said solemnly, “Madam, there’s no harm in telling you this: just yesterday, a deacon of the Jade Capital’s Su Family, Yue Changyuan, lost his life at Brother Su’s hands.”

Yue Changyuan! 

The Wen Family Matriarch’s expression shifted dramatically. She naturally knew of this person. She even knew that Yue Changyuan was the fourth lady of the house, You Qingzhi’s subordinate!

She would never have guessed that he’d actually died….

This was so far beyond her expectations that she couldn't help but freeze. A long time passed before she returned to her senses.

What exactly is going on?

It was then that Yuan Luoyu’s voice resounded from beyond the gates. “Master Su, are you home? My father, sister, and I are here to see you!” 

Su Yi was briefly stunned. Then, he waved. “Go open the door.”

Cha Jin rushed off, and before long, Yuan Wutong, Yuan Luoxi, and Yuan Luoyu walked in.

“Greetings, Master Su. Greetings, Sixth Highness. Greetings, Provincial Governor Mu!” Yuan Wutong smiled, clasped his fist, and greeted them one by one.

Yuan Luoxi and Yuan Luoyu immediately followed suit.

“Family Head Yuan?” Wen Changjing gasped and shot to his feet.

Earlier, he didn’t recognize Mu Zhongting, nor did he recognize Zhou Zhili, but he naturally recognized Yuan Wutong, the head of one of the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s four peak-level factions!

Remember, Guangling City was one of Cloudriver Prefecture’s nineteen cities.

To Guangling City’s Wen Family, the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s Yuan Family was already an existence so vast and grand that they could only gaze upon them from afar.

“And who might you be?” Yuan Wutong was briefly stunned.

Yuan Luoxi immediately chimed in, “Father, this is the leader of the Wen Family, Wen Changjing. I met him once during my visit to Guangling City.”

Yuan Wutong instantly understood. He smiled and clasped his fist. “I see! So, you’re Family Head Wen. Later on, if you have the spare time, let’s have ourselves a nice chat.”

Wen Changjing hurriedly returned the greeting and smiled modestly. “That would be my honor!”

Wen Changtai and Qin Qing were instantly even more reserved. Their eyes widened, and they felt tongue-tied. What’s the head of the Cloudriver Prefecture’s Yuan Family doing here?

Furthermore, they keenly picked up on the fact that Yuan Wutong greeted Su Yi first, then the sixth imperial prince and the provincial governor.

The implications of this were simply terrifying!

“Sit down first. Wherever you like is fine,” said Su Yi from his wicker chair. Yuan Wutong, Yuan Luoxi, and Yuan Luoyu happily agreed.

When they saw this, the already confused Wen Family members fell into an even deeper silence. Even Qin Qing was finally starting to realize something—

Su Yi was no longer the live-in son-in-law she could rebuke as she pleased!

Never mind her; even the sixth prince, provincial governor, and head of the Yuan Family all treated Su Yi with the utmost respect.

She’d have to be blind not to realize that Su Yi wasn’t remotely comparable to the man he’d once been!

Not long after, a softy, sticky voice emanated from beyond the doorway. “Uncle Su, Father and I are here to see you!”

Zheng Tianhe and Zheng Muyao were here.

Zheng Tianhe was the leader of one of the province’s top clans, yet he too greeted Su Yi first before turning to greet the others. 

There was no need for the Wen Family to even ask. From Zheng Tianhe’s conversation with Su Yi, they naturally picked up on Zheng Tianhe and his daughter’s identities.

For a while, all four members of the Wen Family felt as if they were seated on a bed of needles. All of this, everything they saw and everything they heard, felt unreal, almost as if they were dreaming.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Before long, a sonorous cry rang out, and Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong landed in the courtyard on the back of a Bluescale Eagle.

All of them, starting with Sixth Prince Zhou Zhili and Provincial Governor Mu Zhongting, greeted these new arrivals.

As for Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong? They too greeted Su Yi first. 

The Wen Family members watched this play out. All of them were completely dumbstruck, and they sank into a long silence.

Even the dowager was starting to suspect that the status of “third young master of the Su Family” was insufficient to win such a display of respect from so many lofty figures.

The House of Waveswept Rocks was quite lively, but none of this had anything to do with the Wen Family.

All they saw was one figure so lofty, they could only gaze upon them from afar, all of them hovering around Su Yi. They talked and laughed, but their every movement was respectful.

And Su Yi just lay there the whole time. From time to time, he opened his mouth to say something, but for the most part, he couldn’t even be bothered to speak….

Just watching that leisurely, self-composed bearing of his sent waves coursing through the hearts of the Wen Family.

Before long, Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong bade farewell. They were the first to leave.

They’d already achieved their goal - they’d come here to reach an agreement with Su Yi, and they had. Three days from now, the three of them would proceed to Bloodthistle Yao Mountain together!

It was actually quite the coincidence. Back in the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, Su Yi had already agreed that if he had the spare time, he’d join Spiritmartial Marquis Chen Zheng and the upcoming, once-in-a-decade beast wave at Bloodthistle Yao Mountain. 

And Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong had come looking for him to discuss that very matter. They, too, planned to explore Bloodthistle Yao Mountain. It was fair to say that they’d reached an agreement without even discussing it first.

As such, Su Yi was only too happy to straightforwardly agree.

Before long, Zhou Zhili, Mu Zhongting, Zheng Tianhe and his daughter, and all three members of the Yuan Family bade their farewells too.

They didn’t really have anything important to discuss. They were just using this visit as an opportunity to solidify their connection with Su Yi.

The lively, crowded House of Waveswept Rocks soon returned to its former tranquility.

Su Yi then rose from his wicker chair and looked at the Wen Family Dowager. “How about we find a place to have a private chat?”

She reacted as if awakening from a dream, shaking off her dazed bewilderment. She looked at him uncertainly for a while, then let out a long sigh. “Third Young Master, if you’ve invited me, I naturally shan’t refuse.”

She could already vaguely guess what Su Yi wanted to ask her.