Chapter 32: Return

~~~

Eastern Port City has not changed.

The first thing Liu Jin sees is the sea, endless blue that stretches into the horizon. The city walls appear next. They are tall and sturdy, made of huge blocks of carved stone. The walls surrounding New Moon Town might as well be made of sand by comparison. Liu Jin cannot see them yet, but guards walk over the walls, always making sure there are no threats in sight.

The scent of the sea reaches Liu Jin’s nose. It is a scent he has grown around his whole life, yet only now that he has been away from the city for so long does Liu Jin recognize it for what it is. By the city gates, there is a line of merchants waiting to enter. The guards check their papers and wares, making sure everything is in order. There are many houses outside the walls, belonging to people who lack the money to afford land inside Eastern Port City.

It is a familiar sight. It is a sight Liu Jin has seen hundreds if not thousands of times already.

It is a soothing sight.

Liu Jin and Xiao Nan have no trouble crossing the gates. The guards recognize them right away, and customary greetings and well-wishes are exchanged.

Just like that, Liu Jin is back in Eastern Port City.

He and Xiao Nan part ways soon after that. Xiao Nan needs to report what happened in New Moon Town, and Liu Jin… he has a lot to think about right now.

Liu Jin knows he should walk straight home. If he were to take to the rooftops, it wouldn’t even take ten minutes. He doesn’t, though. Instead, Liu Jin lets his footsteps take him where they may. There is no destination in his mind. There are just endless streets and an empty blue sky.

Like always, the marketplace is full. It smells of meats, herbs, and spices. Street vendors announce their products. The sizzling sound of food being prepared is accompanied by a multitude of sights that tempt his stomach. The sounds of the many conversations happening around him blend into meaningless noise. Even though there is a multitude of people walking around, the street is wide and more than capable of holding everyone, a stark contrast to New Moon Town.

Liu Jin blends in with the crowd with ease. Here, he is not a big shot from the Xiao Sect. He’s just Liu Jin. He’s just a child who is not yet eleven.

Perhaps he is a little taller than other kids his age. Perhaps his red eyes and fine facial features could be considered exotic, but those things are not enough for him to stand out. Not in a crowd like this.

A few people do recognize him as Liu Jianguo’s son. His father’s patients mostly. They look and point, most likely saying a variation of, “Hey, isn’t that…?” Then someone would answer, “You’re right.” A few even greet him. Still, it is nothing compared to the suffocating attention he received in New Moon Town.

This is normal.

Liu Jin feels a smile tugging at his lips. At this point, even the whispers of his inability to progress in his cultivation wouldn’t bother him. He is just glad to be home once more. He is just happy to be able to walk these streets.

Left, left, and right. Turn, turn, and turn. Liu Jin loses count of how many streets he passes by. He chooses his path at random. It twists and turns without rhyme or reason. All he knows is that the sun is almost setting by the time his footsteps carry him to his doorstep.

The small two-story house is nothing special. There are many like it all over the city, and there are many more that are much better than it. Even his accommodations in New Moon Town were more luxurious.

However, it is the home he grew up in.

Just seeing it is enough to set Liu Jin’s heart at ease in a manner he hadn’t realized he needed until he opened the door and walked in. It’s like a weight he has been dragging around has finally been put down.

His long journey is over, and finally, he has returned.

Liu Jin is home.

There is no one at the clinic. Liu Jin expected to find his father treating at least one patient, but instead, there is a sign at the door saying they are closed.

Did something happen? Perhaps Xiao Nan got here before him and told his father to expect him? Or maybe Old Jiang felt his Qi approaching his city?

Yes. Liu Jin nods. Either of those could have easily happened.

The first floor is just as he had left it. There are beds for the patients to rest and be examined on should it be needed. To the side are all his father’s utensils, neatly arranged and always clean. Three small cabinets store their most commonly used medicines. For muscle pains. For colds. To help a woman through her pregnancy. The usual. Behind a wooden door lies a small room where they store their medicines and herbs.

Slowly, Liu Jin walks up the stairs. His footsteps do not make much noise, yet they echo loudly in his ears.

His father is waiting for him.

He sits at the small table they always lunch around. A kettle of tea lies over a small burner. A patient smile appears on his father’s face as red eyes meet red.

Liu Jianguo has not changed a bit.

He shares the same red eyes and black hair as his son. His facial features are sharp, and like always, he looks like he could stand to gain a few pounds. There’s no fat on his body, and there is not much in the way of muscles either. His father has always been too thin, almost as if he doesn’t eat that well.

“Son,” he says and hearing his voice is enough for Liu Jin’s eyes to start watering. “It is good to have you home. Master went out to gather herbs, but I am sure he’ll be happy to see you when he returns.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Father,” Liu Jin chokes as he speaks.

“Father… I have killed.”

Rather than saying anything, his father stands up and walks up to him. Before Liu Jin knows what’s happening, his father’s arms wrap around him, engulfing him in a hug.

That’s all it takes.

The dam breaks, and Liu Jin starts crying like the child he is.

~~~

It takes a while for Liu Jin to stop crying. Through it all, his father never lets go of him. He neither makes judgments nor asks questions. Liu Jianguo is just there for his son.

Once Liu Jin has calmed down, Liu Jianguo guides him to the table. A cup of tea is poured for Liu Jin and placed before him. The child gratefully takes it even as he wipes the tears away with his sleeve. His father still says nothing. Liu Jin takes one sip then another one. The burner has kept the tea hot, and it burns its way down his throat.

Right now, that’s a good thing. The pain helps him focus. It brings his mind back to the room.

“I apologize,” Liu Jin says, staring into his tea. His face is red, both because he has just cried and due to embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to… my outburst was…”

“Son, you have nothing to apologize for,” his father says. “That you even feel the need to apologize makes me wonder about my qualities as a father. Have they been so poor that my son does not feel safe crying in front of me?”

“No!” Liu Jin lifts his gaze up instantly, his eyes wide. The cup comes dangerously close to spilling its contents as he wildly waves his arm. “That’s not it! I just… I’m not used to…”

Losing control.

All his life it has been the same. He has always needed to keep calm. Keep calm while dealing with the patients. Keep calm while dealing with the Xiao Sect. Keep calm while people darkly whisper about his father.

If he cannot control himself, he would only cause trouble for his father. That’s the way it has always been.

Liu Jin has not always succeeded, but that is the standard to which he has always held himself.