The Lord of Void and Real

Chapter 286: Chapter 284: Returning Home

Having finally found the place, the scene before him had already changed drastically to the point of unfamiliarity.

The mountain gate of the Spring and Autumn Pavilion had completely collapsed, and the various halls and houses on the mountain had also been burned down. Despite being covered by heavy snow, he could still see the horrific black scorch marks everywhere.

Shen Luo then glanced at the blue stone flat where he used to live, which was also burnt to ashes.

Finally, he lit three sticks of incense at the important relics of the Pavilion, such as the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and the Jade Emperor Hall. After paying his respects, he left the mountain.

On his way back, he secretly thought that if he had the chance in the future, he would surely rebuild the Spring and Autumn Pavilion on this site.

By the time he returned to Chunhua County Town, it was early the next morning.

The city gate of the county town had not yet opened, but Shen Luo was already waiting outside the gate.

With the sound of a distant morning bell, the city gate finally slowly opened inward. Before Shen Luo could enter, he saw a large crowd inside the city gate, rushing out all at once towards the city’s outskirts.

He didn’t know what had happened and could only hide to the side with some farmers who were waiting to enter the city to sell their vegetables and fruits.

However, judging by the relaxed expressions on the faces of the surrounding farmers, it seemed they were already accustomed to this.

“Brother, what’s going on? Why are these people rushing out of the city so early in the morning?” Shen Luo squeezed up to a dark-skinned farmer and asked.

“Young man, are you from out of town?” The farmer looked Shen Luo up and down as he asked.

“I live in the city, but haven’t returned for quite some time.” Shen Luo casually explained.

“No wonder… those people are heading to Yuanzhu Temple on the outskirts of the city to burn incense. Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, Yuanzhu Temple opens its doors, giving out alms and food while allowing the faithful to enter the temple to burn incense and make wishes.” The farmer looked enlightened as he explained.

“I know about Yuanzhu Temple. It’s been in existence for many years, but I’ve never heard of it being so popular?” Shen Luo was puzzled after hearing this.

“That was in the past. Yuanzhu Temple nowadays is quite remarkable!” The farmer waved his hand at Shen Luo, his waist cocked to one side.

“What’s so remarkable? Could you please explain, brother?” Shen Luo was curious and asked.

“Two years ago, indeed, Yuanzhu Temple hardly had any incense burning. But in recent years, we don’t know if an eminent monk has taken over or if a deity has blessed them, but it has become a place where all prayers are answered. It’s truly miraculous.” The farmer said, marveling at the mystery.

Upon hearing this, Shen Luo realized it was just some superstitious hearsay and immediately lost interest.

He turned his gaze towards the city gate, just waiting for the crowded people to disperse before entering the city to return home.

The farmer noticed that Shen Luo had stopped asking questions halfway through and was left feeling somewhat annoyed. He started speaking again on his own:

“Young man, you may not know this, but behind the Guanyin Hall in Yuanzhu Temple, there is a sweet water well. Every woman who makes a vow in the temple and takes a small sip from that well, assuredly becomes pregnant when she returns home.”

“Is it really that miraculous?” Shen Luo didn’t quite believe it and responded somewhat perfunctorily.

“Indeed… People say that the well’s water has been blessed with jade dewdrops from the treasure vase held by the Goddess of Childbirth. I’ve heard that even a woman in her fifties in the city became pregnant after drinking from the well.” The farmer lowered his voice and said in a serious manner.

Hearing this, Shen Luo shook his head and laughed it off.

As his gaze shifted slightly to the city gate, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a carriage slowly passing by among the crowd. Lifting a corner of the curtain revealed a girl’s face, youthful yet exquisite and flawless.

It was merely a fleeting glance before the girl let the curtain fall again and the carriage gradually moved away.

“Whose daughter is she, to be so fresh and charming?” Shen Luo was a bit stunned, looking at the receding carriage, his mind still in a daze.

It wasn’t until the farmer urged him to get out of the way that he came back to his senses. He laughed at himself, led his horse, and headed towards the alley where Shen Mansion was located.

As Shen Luo approached his hometown after more than two years of training at the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, an odd sense of trepidation filled his heart. He had not been home in over three years, and as he stood outside his own house, an unfamiliar emotion stirred within him as he looked at the front gate of his courtyard.

At that moment, a modestly dressed old man came out from the inside of the Shen Mansion. He squinted at Shen Luo, who was standing outside his house and seemed to recognize him. He paused and stared at Shen Luo for a moment.

Suddenly, the old man’s expression changed slightly. He staggered forward, rubbed his aged eyes, and asked tentatively:

“Young Master, is that you?”

“Uncle Fu, I’m back,” Shen Luo, lifting his bamboo hat, responded with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the old man hurried forward, uttering an exclamation, and quickly took the reins from Shen Luo’s hand, chattering incessantly, “Oh, how we’ve waited for you, Young Master. Your father will be overjoyed to hear you’re back…”

Listening to Uncle Fu’s ramblings, Shen Luo did not feel annoyed. Instead, he felt a long-lost sense of comfort. This was a feeling he could not experience while wandering outside.

As they entered the courtyard, Uncle Fu took a deep breath and then, opening his toothless mouth, he shouted:

“The Young Master has returned…”

Soon after, servants and maids who were cleaning around the courtyard quickly gathered in the front yard and greeted Shen Luo with respect.

Shortly after, a middle-aged man in his forties hurried out from the rear hall, wrapped in a black mink fur overcoat. His hair was full of white and gray, and the corners of his eyes were crisscrossed with wrinkles, but his eyes shone with excitement.

“Child greets Father!” Upon seeing the man, who seemed to have aged even more since his memory, Shen Luo’s eyes moistened slightly.

“Luo’er…” Shen Yuange only managed to utter his name before his voice lodged in his throat. He stared at his significantly thinner face with sorrowful affection, at a loss for words.

“Big brother Luo is back…” A woman’s voice came from behind.

As Shen Luo turned his head, he saw a beautiful woman leading two young children bustling towards him, the Second Mother and two half-siblings with the same father but different mothers.

“Big Brother.”

Before they reached Shen Luo, the young girl let go of the woman’s hand and ran towards him with small, broken steps.

“Three years apart and it seems Mumu has grown taller.” Shen Luo stretched out his hand to measure the girl’s height and said with a smile.

“Brother, why have you become so thin? Have you suffered a lot outside?” Shen Mumu’s clean little face wrinkled immediately as she worriedly asked.

“Nothing to worry about, everything is fine.” Shen Luo ruffled her hair and assured her.

“Big Brother.” Meanwhile, his younger brother, Shen Ci, came over respectfully.

“Not bad, you have also grown a lot, a bit like a big brother now.” Shen Luo patted his shoulder and said.

The young boy was still a little intimidated by his elder brother. Even while standing together, he deliberately avoided his gaze.

“Don’t stand around talking here. Let’s go inside and sit down. Uncle Fu, order the kitchen to prepare a banquet, make it grand.” The woman said with a face full of smiles.

“Second Mother, there’s no need to fuss, just prepare some home-cooked meals. Being away for so many years, I’ve missed them,” laughed Shen Luo.

“How can that be? It’s not every day you come back. We should have a good meal. You could also accompany your father to drink…” She stopped suddenly, realizing that Shen Luo, frail since childhood, hardly ever touched alcohol.

“I should drink a few cups with Father,” Shen Luo said, smiling.

As they spoke, everyone returned to the hall and sat around a round table.