With a flash of profound light, Yun Che was teleported to the first level of the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
As the lowest level within the Black Moon Merchant Guild, the aura of this place was naturally not as thick or pervasive as it was on the seventh level. Yun Che took in his surroundings; this was a simple yet elegant single-room apartment, and it likely served as an ordinary guestroom. But he did not manage to get a good look at the room because his gaze was fixed to a certain spot.
A middle-aged man with a refined appearance slowly stood up from a dark-red wooden study and smiled at him gently, “Che’er, you’ve come.”
Yun Che’s mouth opened as he felt his nose crinkle up. He quickly strode forward before falling heavily on his knees, “Uncle Xia….” He immediately paused before changing his mode of address, “Father-in-law, I have finally been able to be reunited with you once more.”
“Haha, stand up please.” Xia Hongyi extended a hand and hoisted Yun Che up as he measured him with a warm gaze before cheerfully acknowledging him, “In a mere blink of an eye, more than six years have passed, and you have grown up as well. Even though your appearance remains unchanged, when you married Qingyue, you were only up to my forehead, but now you are already half a head taller than me.”
Indeed, since the day he had been kicked out of the Xiao Clan, he had not seen Xia Hongyi. Furthermore, when he had returned to Floating Cloud City and wanted to pay a visit to Xia Hongyi, he discovered that he had long ago left home and that his current whereabouts were unknown. Not only that, but when Yun Che had arrived at Phoenix City three years ago, he found out by chance that Xia Hongyi was actually residing with the Black Moon Merchant Guild, but at that time, he could not bring himself to face Xia Hongyi, so he did not meet him… and now, six years had passed since this meeting.
Yun Che did not detect any negative feelings such as gloominess or solitude from Xia Hongyi; instead, he seemed to be possessed of a certain simple and elegant calm. This cheered Yun Che up greatly, and he let out a laugh as he said, “If we are speaking of growing up, Yuanba is the one who has truly ‘grown up.’ If Father-in-law saw Yuanba right now, you might not be able to recognize him.”
“Oh? So that is to say that you’ve seen Yuanba recently?” Xia Hongyi asked as his smile became even warmer and his eyes shone with deep concern.
“Yes,” Yun Che nodded his head heavily. The Black Moon Merchant Guild had the most comprehensive information network in the Profound Sky Continent, so he was confident that Xia Hongyi had been kept abreast of the current state of affairs. “Yuanba has truly become a magnificent man. Right now he is keeping watch over our Blue Wind Nation’s final line of defence, and on his shoulders rests the heaviest and noblest burden of our Blue Wind Nation… As long as he is around, even if the Divine Phoenix Empire throws entire armies at him, they won’t even be able to take half a step into our Imperial City!”
“Good… that is truly good.” Xia Hongyi lightly nodded his head, and a deep sense of pride and contentment shone through his calm smile.
“Once our Blue Wind Nation has escaped this calamity and recovered its glory, the two of you can reunite once more… That day definitely isn’t far away.”
“Yuanba….” Xia Hongyi murmured softly and let out a hushed sigh that carried far too many complex emotions within. No one would have thought that… including Xia Hongyi, his very own father, that the Xia Yuanba whose gifts could only be called ordinary in Floating Cloud City and who had been the laughingstock of the Blue Wind Profound Palace had, within the span of a few short years, risen up like a phoenix, now stood at the very peak of the Profound Sky Continent, and had even caused the Four Sacred Grounds to go pale in shock and amazement.
Whereas others were shocked and left in disbelief at Xia Yuanba’s transformation, Xia Hongyi’s emotions seemed far more complex than that.
Both of them sat facing each other, and the two men were in high spirits; Yun Che had always held Xia Hongyi with the highest regard because, in the years he had lived in Floating Cloud City, he had only ever held two people of the older generation in regard… the first was his grandfather, Xiao Lie, and the other was Xia Hongyi.The main reason was, besides his closest relatives, Xia Hongyi was the only person that showed ‘genuine care and concern’ to this ‘cripple,’ and this perpetually gentle person had never, ever said a single word to oppose the marriage between his genius daughter and this ‘cripple.’ In fact, he had arranged the majority of the wedding by himself.
And having been through two lives worth of grievances, Yun Che was clearer than anyone on just how precious this kind of genuine warmth was in the face of universal ridicule and contempt.