When Han Xuan and Han Qixing arrived at the town gate, a white-and-blue spirit boat had already docked there. Its hull was sleek and elegant, cloud patterns flowing along its surface as if drifting on real mist.
Ten youths stood nearby, each accompanied by an elder from their family. The atmosphere was a mixture of excitement and restraint.
Han Xuan led Han Qixing toward Wang Dazhu and his son.
"Am I late?" Han Xuan asked, a little embarrassed.
"You're not late," Wang Dazhu said with a laugh, then added teasingly, "But you are the last to arrive. Don't worry, since the magistrate hasn't shown up yet, you can still be considered on time."
"That's good," Han Xuan let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Wang Xiaohu's gaze shifted to Han Qixing's shoulder. A small azure bird perched there quietly, feathers faintly glowing with wind-aspected spiritual light.
"Little brother," Wang Xiaohu asked curiously, "Are you bringing a spirit beast with you?"
"Mn." Han Qixing nodded, "Its name is Qingfeng."
"What kind of spirit beast is that?" Wang Xiaohu leaned closer.
"It should be an Azure Wind Falcon," Han Qixing replied.
In truth, he knew very well that Qingfeng was no ordinary demon beast, much less an Azure Wind Falcon. Ordinary Azure Wind Falcons were only wind-attributed, while Qingfeng carried the same faint star attribute as himself.
But his father had never explained Qingfeng's true origins, only telling him to treat it as an Azure Wind Falcon. So Han Qixing never questioned it aloud.
"An Azure Wind Falcon?" Wang Xiaohu's eyes widened, "I heard they're incredibly fast. Is that true?"
Han Qixing nodded seriously, "Very fast."
During daily practice, he often had trouble keeping up with Qingfeng. More than once, he had been left eating dust while the little bird darted around him effortlessly.
Qingfeng, perched calmly on his shoulder, let out a soft chirp, as if quietly agreeing.
"Well, having a spirit beast accompany you is good," Wang Xiaohu said with a wry smile, "When I was little, I also wanted a spirit beast, specifically a tiger. But instead of bringing me a tiger, my father brought me tiger meat. Isn't that ironic?"
"…" Han Qixing didn't know how to respond.
"Hey, little brother," Wang Xiaohu suddenly leaned closer, eyes shining, "Can I touch it?"
Han Qixing hesitated.
His mother, his aunt, and his father often played with Qingfeng, and the little bird allowed them to rub its feathers without complaint. Letting Wang Xiaohu touch it… should be fine, right?
Instinctively, he glanced at Qingfeng.
The little bird's expression instantly turned into a mix of disdain and unmistakable disgust.
Han Qixing: "…"
'I guess not.'
Before he could think of a polite way to refuse, footsteps approached from behind, drawing everyone's attention.
The surrounding elders straightened immediately.
A middle-aged man in an official robe walked forward with measured steps. His robes were deep blue, trimmed with silver threads, embroidered with flowing cloud patterns that faintly shimmered with spiritual light. His aura was restrained yet steady, carrying the unmistakable authority of someone long accustomed to giving orders.
"It's the magistrate," Wang Dazhu whispered.
This man was Xu Zhengyuan, the magistrate in charge of Blueleaf Town.
Everyone immediately stepped forward to greet him.
Although Xu Zhengyuan deliberately restrained his Foundation Establishment aura, an invisible pressure still blanketed the area, making even the elders subconsciously straighten their backs.
Xu Zhengyuan nodded lightly. His gaze swept over the gathered youths, and a trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. He said calmly, "Since everyone has arrived, then we shall not delay any further."
He then stated the rules clearly—each participant was allowed to bring only one guardian on the journey.
Han Xuan had already made his decision.
He turned to Wang Dazhu and entrusted Han Qixing to his care.
Looking at his son, Han Xuan let out a sigh. He said softly, "If only your aunt weren't pregnant, your father would definitely accompany you to Starfall City."
"Don't worry about me, Father," Han Qixing replied earnestly, "Aunt's health and safety are more important."
Han Xuan sighed again.
Both were important. If not for the looming threat of the Chen Family, he would have had no hesitation in leaving his wives behind and accompanying his son for several months.
"Alright," Han Xuan said, steadying himself, "Remember everything I told you before. And don't forget to send a letter."
Aside from giving Han Qixing cultivation resources and several life-saving treasures, he had also secretly handed him Baobao's clone.
"Don't worry, Father. I remember it all," Han Qixing said seriously.
Han Xuan sighed yet again, "Your mother wanted to see you off, but she couldn't bear it. Don't blame her, son. And your aunt also wanted to come, but—"
"It's alright, Father," Han Qixing interrupted gently, "Mother and Aunt talked to me a lot last night. They gave me many things too. That's already enough. Besides… It's not like I'm never coming back."
"You are right," Han Xuan smiled and reached out, rubbing his son's head gently. He said at last, "Be careful and take good care of yourself."
He had already said everything that needed to be said over the past three days. At this point, all he could do was pray for his son's journey to be smooth.
"Yes, Father," Han Qixing replied.
Soon, the participants and their guardians boarded the spiritual boat.
With a low hum, the vessel slowly lifted into the air and began to depart.
Standing on the deck, Han Qixing looked back as his father's figure gradually grew smaller and smaller. His eyes reddened slightly.
After all, this was the first time he would be leaving his parents.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid or reluctant.
But he was the eldest son.
As the eldest son, he had to be brave enough to shoulder responsibility.
This was only a temporary separation. He would return stronger to help his family.
At that moment, Wang Xiaohu grabbed his shoulder with a grin, "Little brother, let's go. Let's explore the boat!"
He looked around excitedly.
The spiritual boat was clearly far larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside, layered with spatial formations. Even the air itself felt denser with spiritual energy. Curiosity naturally stirred.
"You may explore," Wang Dazhu said with a warning tone, "But don't stray too far, and avoid provoking trouble. This is Lord Xu's vessel, best not anger him."
"Got it." Wang Xiaohu responded.
Han Qixing, who had already been dragged away by Wang Xiaohu, had no choice but to follow.
With Qingfeng perched on his shoulder, he followed Wang Xiaohu deeper into the ship, his footsteps steady and composed.
Behind him, the familiar land of Blueleaf Town was already far away.
✽ ✽ ✽
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
At Hollow Tavern, the atmosphere had quietly returned to its former liveliness.
For some reason, ever since news spread that Han Xuan's son had entered the main event of the Hundred Sects Recruitment, cultivators, especially wine lovers, began frequenting the tavern once more, as if Chen Wuye's previous threats had never existed.
Perhaps, in their eyes, Han Qixing's future was already decided.
After all, based on past precedent, participants who reached the main event were almost guaranteed to enter a sect. The only uncertainty was which sect they would join.
Of course, there had been exceptions. Some failed, and a very small number even perished. But such cases were rare, almost negligible.
More importantly, Han Qixing possessed a clear advantage: age.
In the eyes of many cultivators, that alone was enough to secure his future.
As a result, confidence in Han Xuan rose along with his tavern's popularity.
Han Xuan himself was in a good mood. Seeing Hollow Tavern regain its usual calm bustle brought him a sense of quiet satisfaction.
Though his tavern was never as noisy as teahouses or grand restaurants, its patrons were devoted wine lovers. They drank slowly, spoke freely, and exchanged rumors and news while savoring each cup.
For Han Xuan, that atmosphere was more than enough.
"Have you heard the recent news?"
"Which one?"
"That one... the Meng Family found a mineral mine."
"A mineral mine? What kind?"
"Not sure. But I heard they already clashed with the Chen Family over it."
"With the Chen Family?" The speaker scoffed, "Do they even dare? The Meng Family doesn't even have a single Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could they fight the Chen Family?"
"That's why I heard the Meng Family decided to jointly develop the mine with the Lu Family."
"With the Lu Family?" The man snorted, "Aren't they afraid the Lu Family will just swallow the mine whole? In my eyes, the Chen Family and the Lu Family are birds of the same flock."
Many cultivators in the tavern nodded in agreement.
As casual cultivators, they had suffered greatly at the hands of the Three Great Families. In their eyes, none of them were good people.
"Hey, no matter how small the Meng Family is, they're backed by the magistrate…"
"But the magistrate has already gone to Starfall City," Another person interrupted, "Right now, no one can look after the Meng Family. If you ask me, they should just let the mine go. I really wonder what kind of mineral it is for them to dare confront both the Lu and Chen Families."
Han Xuan, who had been listening in silence, wore a thoughtful expression.