Chapter Seventy-Four: Reunion

Soon, a group of people gathered at Song Yue’s home. As soon as they entered, a delicious aroma wafted through the house. Xiao Meng, always keen of nose, shouted, “Seafood? Boiled meat? Yue, is this the big feast you invited us for?”

Lin Huan, who followed right after Xiao Meng, looked surprised and delighted. “Is it… those… um,” she paused, glancing at Song Yue who was busy in the kitchen, “is it those?”

Xiao Meng, who had been swamped with business matters and had almost forgotten about the old affairs of the martial world, asked, “Which ones?”

Xiao Mo, who came with Lin Huan, whispered, “The ones from the Kunlun secret realm…”

Xiao Meng was stunned, his mouth twitching. “No way, Yue, are you really making us demon meat stew with vermicelli?”

Song Yue called out from the kitchen, “Stop shouting nonsense and shut your mouth, or you won’t get to eat.”

“Come on!”

Xiao Meng was a bit shaken—had Yue really taken away those massive “seafood” and “dragon-patterned leopards” from the Kunlun secret realm? How had he managed to get them out, anyway? Cut off some meat to bring along? But that couldn’t be! Wasn’t it rumored that all that northern sea seafood had disappeared entirely? Yue really was something!

Soon after, Wen Rou and Qian Qianxue arrived together.

Qian Qianxue quickly guessed what was being cooked, but said nothing, instead volunteering to help in the kitchen.

Lin Huan and Xiao Meng exchanged a knowing smile. It seemed there was something between Yue and Qian Qianxue!

Xiao Mo and Wen Rou immediately huddled together to chat, finding endless common ground in both personality and interests—two gentle, sweet girls with much to share.

The dishes Song Yue prepared were simple. He didn’t make any demon meat stew with vermicelli; instead, he simply boiled everything in water. These natural delicacies needed no elaborate preparation—the flavors were extraordinary as they were.

Soon, the feast was served.

Boiled seafood and boiled meat, heaped high in four massive bowls that barely fit on the table.

The sight left Lin Huan and the others speechless.

Song Yue declared, “We’re people of the martial world—no need for formalities!”

He brought out several fine bottles of liquor from the cabinet, and also two bottles of low-alcohol fruit wine for Xiao Mo and Wen Rou.

“Xiao Mo can drink!” Lin Huan announced, reaching to put the fruit wine back.

“Wen Rou can’t—she’s not of age,” Xiao Mo protested softly, taking the fruit wine and pouring a glass for each of them. The two girls exchanged a smile.

“So much orange!” Lin Huan muttered, then cheerfully opened a bottle of strong baijiu, pouring generous glasses for herself, Xiao Meng, and Song Yue. She looked to Qian Qianxue for confirmation.

Qian Qianxue considered, then said quietly, “Pour one for me too, thank you.”

Lin Huan grinned, “Refreshing!” and poured her a drink as well.

She turned to Song Yue, “Say something quick and let’s dig in!”

The aroma of seafood and dragon-patterned leopard meat was so tempting that even the girls, who rarely ate much meat, could hardly wait.

Song Yue lifted his glass. “To friendship, to tomorrow!”

He downed his drink in one go.

Wen Rou and Xiao Mo had no trouble finishing their fruit wine, smiling as they drank.

Lin Huan laughed, “Short and sweet—well said! To friendship, to tomorrow!” She too drained her glass. When she first came to Earth, she hadn’t been used to such strong spirits, but now after so much time, she’d often have a drink with Xiao Mo, and her tolerance had grown. The drink flushed her cheeks a lovely pink.

Qian Qianxue hadn’t expected the first drink would be downed in one go and looked at Song Yue, a bit dazed.

“Whatever you like,” Song Yue said.

After a moment’s thought, Qian Qianxue finished her small glass in one gulp. The burning liquor was a strange sensation, but… not bad?

She kept a poker face.

Xiao Meng was a bit dumbfounded. He could handle whiskey, but this strong baijiu was another story. Seeing both girls down their drinks without hesitation, he could hardly back out. Gritting his teeth, he finished his glass and promptly burst into a coughing fit, eyes watering.

“So spicy!”

He looked enviously at the fruit wine, wishing he could swap.

When Lin Huan raised her glass again, he quickly protested, “Please, Huan, can we not be so bold? Can we eat first? Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll be out before I taste anything…”

Lin Huan laughed and set her glass down.

Then the meal began.

Once they started eating, they couldn’t stop.

At first, the girls were a bit reserved, but after a few bites, all restraint vanished.

The flavor was only part of it—the spiritual energy within this level of demon meat was astonishing. Not only martial cultivators needed such ingredients; spell practitioners did too. Yet top-tier ingredients were so rare that even those from powerful families like Qian Qianxue and Lin Huan had only tasted them occasionally, never in abundance.

When had they ever been able to feast so freely?

Wen Rou and Xiao Mo quietly enjoyed themselves, while Xiao Meng and Song Yue, both warriors, ate heartily.

But after only a short while, everyone felt stuffed, unable to finish the bowls piled high with meat.

Song Yue said, “I’ll pack some for you to take later. For now, you can circulate your energy to digest it.”

Everyone was speechless.

Was this a meal or cultivation?

But they all knew that this was the best opportunity to advance, so the long meal turned into a cycle of eating, cultivating, drinking, and eating again… all the way into the night.

At last, the four huge bowls were emptied.

The two bottles of fruit wine and three bottles of strong baijiu were finished as well.

The two youngest had been knocked out by the fruit wine and went to rest in the guest room.

The four who’d shared the baijiu seemed fine; any drunkenness was mostly dispelled by their cultivation techniques, leaving them pleasantly tipsy.

They sat comfortably in the living room, Lin Huan and Qian Qianxue sprawling across the large sofa, one at each end; Song Yue and Xiao Meng each took a single chair.

Lin Huan rubbed her stomach, sprawled out without a care for her image. “I feel like I won’t need to eat seafood or meat for a long time. And Yue, you’re spoiling us—how are we supposed to go back to ordinary food after this?”

Meng Xudong slouched in his chair. “What’s the problem? In the future, Yue will punch southern mountain demons and kick northern sea dragons. Whatever we want to eat, we just go get it.”

Lin Huan rolled her eyes. “Stop boasting. Getting to eat this once is pure luck. Ask Song Yue—would he dare march into the dragon-patterned leopards’ den and demand a cub to eat? Would he dare ask the northern sea demon clan, ‘Got any seafood?’”

Song Yue lay back, relaxed, with Qian Qianxue equally at ease beside him—he could even smell the faint fragrance of her hair. It was perhaps the most carefree day he’d had in a long while.

He glanced at Lin Huan diagonally across from him. “You’re right—right now, I wouldn’t dare. But in the future… who knows?”

Lin Huan grinned, “Well then, just remember us old friends if that day comes. Right, Xiao Meng?”

Meng Xudong looked at her. “Yue is my boss! He’d never forget me!”

At this, Lin Huan looked over at Qian Qianxue, whose cheeks were flushed. Relaxed, she looked stunning, so much so that even Lin Huan, who considered herself quite pretty, was a little moved.

“Qianxue, you’ve graduated too, right? Want to come with me to Tianyue Star for a trip? I’ll show you and Song Yue the sights of my world.”

Qian Qianxue was tempted—traveling to another planet was her dream—but after considering, she shook her head. “Thank you, but I shouldn’t go. Once Song Yue leaves, there’ll be no one left at the Administrative Bureau here. I have to stay.”

Song Yue was deeply moved. “It’s fine—Old Wolf will be back soon, he can handle it.”

Qian Qianxue said, “He alone isn’t enough. I’ll stay.”

Lin Huan smiled at Song Yue, “Qianxue is such a good helper—watching your home for you. You’d better cherish her!”

Qian Qianxue blushed furiously. “Don’t say that! It’s not like that between us!”

Lin Huan laughed and said to Song Yue, “By the way, my family has agreed to send six master cultivators to protect me. They should arrive soon. Once they’re here, I’ll have them stay at the Bureau for now, helping Qianxue and Mr. Wolf. Don’t worry, they’re obedient and won’t cause trouble.”

“Thank you!” Song Yue said.

The next morning, after a simple breakfast at Song Yue’s house, everyone went their separate ways.

Qian Qianxue and Wen Rou returned to school; Lin Huan took Xiao Mo back to the hotel; Xiao Meng went on expanding his business empire; Song Yue headed out.

He was going to Beijing. Before leaving, he wanted to bring some ingredients to his mother and sister.

Before boarding the plane, Song Yue called his sister. Song Yu was delighted to hear he was coming and said she was free today and could pick him up.

Song Yue soon arrived in Beijing. He hadn’t seen his mother and sister in a long time and was looking forward to it.

With modern transport, the one-hour global travel circle had long been established, so meeting on Earth was easy.

But his mother and sister were always so busy!

As a child, Song Yue hadn’t understood, but in recent years, he’d begun to realize that beyond their business identities, his mother and sister likely had other, more secret roles, which explained their frequent unexplained absences.

Whenever they visited Hangzhou, they’d come and go in a rush, barely staying long enough to see him.

As he exited the airport, he saw a tall, striking woman in large sunglasses waiting at the arrivals gate—Song Yu. When she spotted him, she waved enthusiastically, drawing many curious glances.

But within a few meters of Song Yu, who stood at 1.75 meters, there was almost no one else—her presence was simply too commanding.

Song Yue hugged his sister.

“You’ve grown again!” Song Yu said happily, taking his arm. “Mom’s home today too, not at the office—she’s cooked something delicious for you!”

“I brought my own ingredients,” Song Yue replied.

“Brat, who are you insulting? You still need to bring food to Beijing?” Song Yu laughed.

She drove them home, the siblings chatting easily.

“Not long ago, the Zhang family suddenly targeted our business, but stopped soon after. I heard their family head, Zhang Jian, died suddenly? Did you have anything to do with it?” Song Yu asked casually.

“I killed him,” Song Yue replied.

“…Don’t joke about that,” Song Yu said, giving him a sidelong look. “Even if you did, you can’t just say so!”

“You’re not an outsider.” Song Yue briefly recounted what had happened.

Song Yu was stunned. She hadn’t expected there was so much hidden beneath the surface.

“So, Master Kong is not only a famous Confucian scholar, but also a true martial master?” Song Yu could hardly believe it. She’d met him a few times, but only thought of him as a renowned academic.

Now, it seemed their parents might have known all along, but kept it secret.

“You’ve really grown a lot this past year,” she said, noticing the change in his demeanor and feeling a bit emotional.

“The mischievous little kid has finally grown up.”

“Well, I couldn’t stay childish forever, could I?” Song Yue laughed.

“True. Mom said you joined the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs? There was some incident there recently, wasn’t there?” Song Yu was always busy and rarely had time to keep up with the news, so she wasn’t very familiar with what had happened in Hangzhou.

Song Yue sighed, “Yes, a lot has happened lately. I’ll tell you at home—otherwise, I’d have to repeat it for Mom.”

They soon arrived at Song Yue’s mother’s luxurious penthouse in Beijing, over a thousand square meters on the top floor, where only Song Yu and their mother usually lived.

Song Yue also stayed there whenever he visited Beijing.

But for him, this grand home never quite felt like “home”—his mother and sister spent less time there than in hotels.

When they entered, his mother was already waiting at the door. She hugged Song Yue tightly.

“I’ve missed you so much, baby!”

Song Yue looked helpless, letting her hug him. “If you missed me, you could visit more often.”

Standing beside Song Yu like sisters, his mother smiled wryly, “We’re just too busy. Don’t be upset with your mom, okay?”

“I’m not mad…” Song Yue said, heading for the kitchen. He glanced at the fridge and frowned, “Too small.”

“What’s too small?” his mother asked, following him.

Song Yue took out his phone, intending to order a huge commercial freezer, but then realized such a massive appliance wouldn’t even fit in the building—unless they took out a window and used a crane to lift it in.

Too much trouble! Too conspicuous.

“Yu, come to the mall with me, let’s buy some things,” Song Yue said.

This trip, besides visiting his mother and sister, he mainly wanted to bring them seafood and dragon-patterned leopard meat.

After eating it, their cultivation would improve significantly.

How much depended on talent, but demon meat at this level was far better than most elixirs.

“Why the mall? Oh, you’re going to Tianyue Star, right? Need some nice outfits? No problem, I’ll help you shop!” Song Yu misunderstood, thinking he wanted clothes.

But after they left, they headed straight for the appliance section.

“What are you up to?” Song Yu was bewildered, watching him buy three massive freezers in one go.

He had the delivery sent to a villa on the outskirts—a coming-of-age gift Song Yu had prepared for him, newly renovated but never lived in.

“Don’t ask, you’ll see soon enough,” Song Yue said, paying and having his sister drive to the villa.

Song Yu was still confused, thinking her brother was still just as prone to wild ideas as ever. Three huge freezers—people would think they were opening a restaurant.

Once at the villa, the delivery truck soon arrived. The deliverymen were also curious—why did rich people buy such big freezers? Maybe to store elephants?

But they didn’t ask. After unloading, they left quickly.

The villa’s walls were high, the yard full of trees, and the whole neighborhood quiet.

Song Yue directly opened his Jade Void Heavenly Stele, storing the three huge freezers inside, then said to his sister, “Let’s go home.”

Song Yu was speechless.

She watched as the giant freezers vanished before her eyes.

“They’re… gone?”

She knew about spatial artifacts, but most were only a few cubic meters at best, about the size of a large backpack. She’d never imagined one this big, much less that her brother would have one.

“Why are you standing there? Let’s go, I’m hungry!” Song Yue urged.

Song Yu was dazed the whole way home.

Once there, before their mother could even ask, Song Yue found a spot and—with a bang, bang, bang—unloaded the three huge freezers.

His mother was speechless.

Honestly, these giant freezers didn’t look great; though well-made, they clashed terribly with the decor, like tossing three country hens into a nest of phoenixes—jarringly out of place.

Before his mother could ask how the freezers appeared so suddenly, Song Yue started plugging them in and filling them with portioned seafood and dragon-patterned leopard meat from his Heavenly Stele.

As he worked, he explained, “Mom, Yu, these two freezers are filled with seafood I’ve already portioned out—meat from the northern sea demon clan’s transcendent great demons. The last freezer is for the dragon-patterned leopard meat—also about the same level. Don’t cook too much at once—I’ve already portioned it. Just make one piece at a time; more than that and you won’t finish it.”

He didn’t notice his mother and sister gaping at him.

Northern sea demon clan transcendent-level seafood? Dragon-patterned leopard meat? Was this madness?

Song Yue finally noticed something was off and turned around. “What’s wrong?”

His mother stepped over, looking at the freezers packed full, then at Song Yue. “Son, what exactly have you been through lately?”

Half an hour later, Song Yue had finally finished recounting his recent adventures, omitting the worst parts.

His mother and Song Yu listened as if hearing fantastical tales.

They practiced cultivation themselves, and their levels weren’t low, but they’d never imagined Song Yue had experienced so much in such a short time.

Even though he’d made things sound easy, they weren’t fools—they could hear the dangers lurking in his stories.

His mother looked at him with heartache, wanting to say something, but in the end only reddened around the eyes.

Song Yu’s eyes were misty, too. Though both women were strong in business, their one soft spot was Song Yue.

“I’ll cook lunch today—let me make you a seafood feast!” Song Yue, sensing the heavy mood, changed the subject.

“Seafood just needs boiling; why do you need to cook?” Song Yu said, taking two chunks of lobster and a piece of crab to cook.

She hadn’t thought much of it while boiling, but when they ate, both she and their mother were astonished. Now, even the mismatched freezers didn’t seem out of place.

They’d eaten all kinds of delicacies, but something this delicious—they’d only tasted it a few times in their lives. And even then, it was just a morsel, the rest always sent to Song Yue.

When had they ever been able to eat their fill?

If they wanted, they could use giant bowls!

Song Yue said, “Mom, Yu, this should last you a while. Don’t worry—there’ll only be more of this kind of thing in the future.”

Song Yu replied immediately, “That’s not important—your safety is what matters most!”

Their mother nodded. “Song Yue, we’ve been especially busy lately, but I’ve been keeping an eye on you. You’ve made a lot of enemies this past year. It’s good for young people to be passionate, but don’t show off too much. Your father and brother are far away on another planet, and your sister and I are also very busy and can’t look after you much. You must take care of yourself.”

Song Yue said, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll look after myself. Like with the Li family—I survived, and even swallowed their sugar-coated bullet.”

Song Yu said, “Who’d have thought a top cultivation family like the Lis would do something so insane? No wonder they’re secretly selling off assets—they’re planning to leave…”

She looked at Song Yue. “Whatever you do, don’t get involved. If you’re caught up in this, you might never escape.”

“I know,” Song Yue replied. “The authorities won’t just watch things spiral out of control. Evil will be punished. And I’m about to go to Tianyue Star—maybe I’ll get to see my brother and father.”

His mother said, “If you see your father, check if there are any little vixens hanging around him!”

Song Yue laughed, knowing she was joking.

He’d heard since he was little that he and his siblings felt like extras, because whenever their parents were together, they were so loving that even the kids got jealous.

After a brief but warm family reunion, Song Yue said goodbye to his mother and sister and returned to the airport, ready to go back to Hangzhou. Once Old Wolf returned, he’d set off for Tianyue Star with Lin Huan and Xiao Mo.

While waiting for his flight, Song Yue unexpectedly spotted an “old acquaintance.”

The other man, seeing him, looked like a mouse seeing a cat, wanting to avoid him but it was too late—their eyes met.

Zhang Zichen.

Since the Zhang family affair ended, Song Yue hadn’t seen him. He hadn’t expected to run into him in Beijing.

He didn’t intend to interact.

He’d killed Zhang Zixing because the man had repeatedly tried to harm him, never relenting. Song Yue had been forced to fight back.

As for Zhang Jian, even more so.

For a child’s quarrel, he’d sent assassins after Song Yue and even tried to destroy the whole Song family.

That night, Song Yue and Zhang Jian met head-on, and Zhang Jian had ordered the great sea monsters to kill him without hesitation—should he have just waited to die?

Looking at the whole affair, the original coward, Zhang Zichen, had survived unscathed.

But Song Yue couldn’t be bothered. He wasn’t going to kill someone in broad daylight, in public. As long as Zhang Zichen behaved himself from now on, Song Yue wouldn’t pursue old grudges.

Ironically, their seats on the plane were right next to each other.

Zhang Zichen was nervous the entire flight, highly alert, as if terrified Song Yue would kill him at any moment.

Even the flight attendant noticed something was off and asked if he needed any help.

But she didn’t suspect the handsome young man next to him. After all, how could someone so good-looking have ill intentions?

After landing, once Zhang Zichen was in his own car, he finally relaxed.

He truly feared Song Yue—to the point of sleepless nights.

After his father’s death, nightmares haunted him. Even after inheriting the family business, he barely dared stay in Hangzhou, hiding out in his Beijing home for a long time.

It was only when Li Bing’s younger brother, Li Xu, bragged that Song Yue had given in and agreed to cooperate with the Li family that he felt safe enough to return to Hangzhou.

Who’d have thought he’d be so unlucky—as soon as he left, he’d not only run into Song Yue at the airport, but also have adjacent seats on the plane!

Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Zhang Zichen was still uneasy.

He wanted Song Yue dead more than anyone. His brother’s and father’s deaths were all tied to that bastard. But he also feared him more than anyone.

In Beijing, he humbled himself before the Li brothers, just to get by.

Now Li Xu said that bastard was working with the Lis.

He didn’t know the details, but he knew his chance for revenge was gone.

“If only that bastard would offend the Lis one day… So many died at the Bureau’s Hangzhou branch, why couldn’t he have been among them?”

Zhang Zichen’s face twisted with resentment—today was just his unlucky day.

Meng Xudong picked up Song Yue. He’d seen Zhang Zichen too, but they didn’t greet each other, simply passing as strangers.

In the car, Meng Xudong asked, “How’d you end up on the same flight as that guy?”

“Coincidence, I guess,” Song Yue replied.

Meng Xudong laughed. “He’s actually a real coward—bullies the weak, flatters the strong. No need to bother with him.”

Then he added, “By the way, Yue, I might not be able to go with you guys this time. There’s been some trouble at the Anxi branch—some new martial arts school keeps causing problems, supposedly backed by people from some secret realm. I need to handle it.”

Song Yue looked at him. “Need help?”

Meng Xudong smiled easily. “No need—don’t forget, I was once world martial arts champion!”

Song Yue paused. “I’d actually forgotten.”

Meng Xudong rolled his eyes, then said, “Give me some of your seafood and demon meat to take home—after that meal, I’ve felt my strength improve a lot. If I weren’t so busy, I might have already broken through!”

“Oh? That’s great!” Song Yue said.

But Meng Xudong felt it sounded like sarcasm.

He dropped Song Yue off at home, leaving satisfied with two big bags of seafood and demon meat.

A few days later, after opening more meridians, Song Yue felt his cultivation was about to break through to the Grandmaster level.

At that moment, Old Wolf finally returned.

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There will be another chapter tonight.

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