Chapter 120: Reunion After Ten Years

Lu Yang did not immediately head towards his father’s residence.

Instead, he found a nearby restaurant and ordered a simple meal.

Although Spirit Awakening cultivators could survive without food or water for weeks on end, that was only if they didn’t have any choice.

He had been traveling without rest for several days, there was no need to make things deliberately hard for himself.

After finishing his food, he paid the bill and continued walking.

By the time the sun began setting below the horizon, Lu Yang finally arrived at his destination.

It was a spacious courtyard situated in a relatively quiet part of Canglan Prefecture City. The surrounding residences belonged mostly to officials serving in the prefectural government, and the streets were considerably cleaner than those in the busier commercial districts.

This courtyard was provided by the government for the Prefectural Judge.

Lu Yang naturally knew its location from the letters sent by his father, and his stepmother had also told him several times whenever she came back to the capital.

He stopped before the gates and looked at them for a moment.

Then, he raised his hand and knocked.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

After a short while, the gates opened.

A young servant stood behind them. He looked at Lu Yang with some confusion, evidently unfamiliar with the visitor.

"May I ask who you are looking for?"

Before Lu Yang could answer, a voice suddenly rang out from behind the servant.

"Big brother!"

A small figure came running towards the gates.

The boy was around eight years old, with bright eyes and a lively expression. His clothes were neat, and his steps were hurried enough that the servant had to move aside to avoid being struck.

The moment Lu Hanqing saw Lu Yang, his eyes lit up.

"Big brother, you’re finally here!"

He ran forward and grabbed Lu Yang’s hand, looking up at him with unconcealed excitement.

The servant froze, staring at the boy and at the young man standing outside the gates in succession.

Only after a moment did he realize what had happened.

This was the eldest young master!

The servant hurriedly stepped aside and bowed.

"Greetings, Eldest Young Master. This servant was unaware of your arrival. Please forgive me!"

Lu Yang glanced at him before looking down at his younger brother.

"There is no need to be so nervous. I only just arrived."

He reached out and rubbed Lu Hanqing’s head.

The boy did not seem to mind in the slightest. Instead, he grabbed Lu Yang’s sleeve and began pulling him inside.

"Big brother, come in! Father is home today!"

Lu Yang allowed himself to be dragged along.

Looking at the small figure beside him, he felt a faint sense of unfamiliarity.

He still remembered when he first saw Lu Hanqing. The little guy had peed on him back then.

Now, he was already eight years old and had grown into a lively child who could run around the courtyard and call out to his elder brother without hesitation.

Time really did pass quickly.

By the time Lu Yang entered the main hall, the sky outside had already darkened considerably.

A familiar figure was seated inside.

Lu Shishui had returned from his office earlier that evening and had already changed out of his official robes. He wore simple, well-fitted clothing, yet his dignified bearing was difficult to conceal.

At forty years of age, he had shed much of the youthful appearance Lu Yang remembered from his childhood.

His face had become more mature, and the faint lines around his eyes gave him the appearance of someone accustomed to handling complicated affairs.

His cultivation had also advanced considerably, and the aura he naturally exuded belonged to the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering Realm.

Despite this, his scholarly air had not diminished in the slightest.

When Lu Shishui heard the commotion, he turned his head.

For a moment, he just stared at the young man standing beside Lu Hanqing, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

"Yang’er?"

Lu Yang bowed, "Father."

Lu Shishui rose from his seat, looking at his eldest son from head to toe, as if confirming that the young man standing before him was indeed the child he remembered.

In the end, he let out a quiet laugh.

"You’ve grown so much."

Lu Yang smiled faintly.

"It has been ten years."

The words were simple, yet they carried a certain weight.

Lu Shishui was occupied with his official duties, while Lu Yang spent most of his time in the Imperial Capital.

Although they exchanged letters occasionally, there was a difference between reading a few lines on paper and seeing one’s son standing before him.

Lu Shishui studied his son a little longer, his gaze lingering on Lu Yang’s face, and for an instant, he seemed to see another person standing there.

His deceased first wife.

The resemblance was not exact, but certain features were unmistakably similar. The shape of his eyes, the outline of his face, and the calm expression he sometimes wore all reminded Lu Shishui of the woman he had lost many years ago.

His expression softened, but he did not mention it aloud, just patting Lu Yang’s shoulder.

"Come, sit down. You’ve traveled a long way. We can talk properly after dinner."

Lu Yang nodded.

At that moment, a gentle voice came from the side.

"Yang’er, you’ve arrived just in time. The food has already been prepared."

Chen Yuruo walked into the hall with a smile.

It had been a decade since she married Lu Shishui, and she had also matured considerably. There was a greater composure in her movements, and the traces of age had begun to appear around her eyes.

Nevertheless, her appearance remained elegant, and her temperament was as gentle as before.

When she saw Lu Yang, her face immediately brightened.

"Look at you! You’ve grown so tall in just a few months. You’re already at the same cultivation level as me now."

She approached him and examined him briefly before shaking her head.

"Have you been eating properly in the Imperial Capital? You look a little thin."

Lu Yang was momentarily speechless.

He had heard almost exactly the same words from her on previous occasions.

"I have been eating properly, mother."

"Good, good. Come, let’s eat first."

She led him towards the dining table without giving him another chance to explain himself.

Lu Shishui watched this scene from the side and could not help smiling.

Chen Yuruo had always treated Lu Yang like her own son.

Over the years, her affection for the boy had only grown. Although they were not related by blood, she had never treated him as an outsider.

Seeing them interact so naturally brought Lu Shishui considerable comfort.

Before long, the family sat down for dinner.

Lu Hanqing took the seat beside Lu Yang, occasionally glancing at his elder brother with undisguised curiosity.

He had many questions to ask, however, Chen Yuruo repeatedly interrupted him whenever he tried to speak.

"Eat your food first, Hanqing. Your brother has just arrived."

The boy reluctantly lowered his head.

Lu Yang found this somewhat amusing.

He picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Lu Hanqing’s bowl.

"Eat more. You can ask your questions afterwards."

Lu Hanqing immediately nodded.

"Okay, big brother!"

Chen Yuruo, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction.

"That’s right. Yang’er, you should eat more as well. You’ve been traveling for days, so you must be tired. Here, have some more vegetables."

Before Lu Yang could respond, another serving had already been placed in his bowl.

He looked down at the food accumulating before him and glanced at Chen Yuruo.

"...Thank you, mother."

Lu Yang quietly began eating.

Across the table, Lu Shishui watched his eldest son with a faint smile.

For a moment, he felt that the years of separation had not been as long as they truly were.

His eldest son had reunited with him, his wife was sitting beside him, and his younger son was happily eating beside his brother.

It was an ordinary family dinner, yet Lu Shishui found himself more satisfied than he could have imagined.

He had spent much of his life believing that a good official should bring stability to the people under their governance, allowing them to live peacefully and raise their families without unnecessary hardship.

Looking at the scene before him, he was reminded that the same principle applied to his own household.