Chapter Ninety-Two: The Return

The starship soared across the sky. After setting the autopilot, Song Yue only needed to use his mental focus to monitor the ship’s navigation at any time.

In fact, if one were lazier, even that wouldn’t be necessary. This was an ancient route that had been traveled for countless ages.

It was said that the very first humans who left Earth had entered the giant galaxy where Tianyue Star was located via this route.

The only time the mental connection with the ship would come into play was when the starship encountered danger. Then, the captain’s powerful mental will could take over, maneuvering the vessel to dodge threats, deviating from the preset course for manual control.

But such situations were rare. Although space piracy might seem like a formidable profession, most pirates operated within a single star system. Few dared to target ships capable of interstellar long-distance travel.

Like a colossal steel city, this starship was far more than mere transportation; its arsenal alone was enough to strike fear into any space pirate.

In ancient times, the maintenance costs for such a starship were astronomical. But after the long march of time and the advent of highly advanced artificial intelligence, these issues were no longer overwhelming.

Apart from some parts requiring periodic replacement, AI could handle everything else.

These replacement parts had been directly loaded onto the ship’s storage bay by the Lin family—enough to sustain Song Yue for hundreds of years!

What Song Yue needed to do upon returning to the solar system was to park the starship near the sun, recharge and refuel it at this massive “gas station,” then leave everything else to the ship’s AI.

It seemed simple, but it was the crystallization of billions of years of human wisdom.

A top-tier starship entering the solar system had to be registered in advance; otherwise, it would be treated as an invader.

Before departure, Song Yue had already filed the registration under the Lin family’s name.

The Lin family maintained excellent relations with the Chinese government, with technical support and cooperation across many fields.

The application was swiftly approved.

After returning to the solar system, Song Yue parked the starship near the sun and piloted a dozen-meter-long butterfly-shaped craft back to Earth.

This more daring style of interstellar travel was enviable indeed.

Inside the space city, Song Yue underwent a series of inspections—from identity verification to various health checks.

No one there had ever encountered someone who left on a starship but returned piloting a flying saucer themselves.

Fortunately, everything had been cleared beforehand, and Song Yue’s identity was flawless.

Notably, his position as deputy director of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs spared him much trouble.

He was soon cleared.

Flying the saucer through the atmosphere, the moment he saw that blue planet, Song Yue’s heart stirred with emotion.

Earth, I’m home!

The saucer raced toward Hangzhou in China at incredible speed.

At this time, his phone began receiving various messages.

Interstellar communication was still somewhat cumbersome for ordinary people, so many messages were sent directly to Song Yue’s phone, hoping he would see them immediately upon return.

Since the saucer was so fast, he didn’t rush to read them, instead flying directly home to Hangzhou.

After washing up and resting, he planned to check the messages.

Though the entire voyage hadn’t taken long, the countless light-years crossed and multiple wormhole jumps had inevitably caused fatigue.

Song Yue filled a tub and luxuriated in a long bath. During this, he opened his phone to read friends’ messages.

First was Xiao Meng—he still hadn’t reached Tianyue Star!

Before leaving, Xiao Meng had said there was a minor incident at a branch hall in Anxi that needed his attention. Yet so many days had passed and it was still unresolved?

Song Yue had already returned, but Xiao Meng was still stuck in Anxi.

He sent a message, explaining the situation at Anxi was tricky and he probably couldn’t make it to Tianyue anytime soon.

He urged Song Yue to contact him immediately upon seeing the message.

Song Yue called him right away.

Meng Xudong sounded stunned when he answered.

“Brother Yue, you’re back?”

“You’re… on Earth?”

Song Yue said, “Yes, just disembarked from the starship.”

“Damn! You really came back? That’s great! Hurry and arrange things at home, then come to Anxi. I’m furious!”

“What’s going on?” Song Yue was surprised. Given the Elite Martial Hall’s prestige in China and Xiao Meng’s business acumen, opening a branch should have been smooth.

“Better explained in person. Rest a bit first. It’s not a huge matter, just that the branch has been repeatedly challenged; it’s nearly impossible to operate. Damn it…”

Xiao Meng cursed and vented, then briefly explained the situation at the Anxi branch.

Normally, whenever the Elite Martial Hall opened a new branch, they would first inform and coordinate with local martial halls. Friendly relations might even lead to cooperative interactions.

This was a common tradition among martial halls—old but effective.

Every opening was lively and successful.

Since all martial halls belonged to the same circle, they gave each other face, and could help each other when needed.

The same approach was taken in Anxi: before opening, Meng Xudong followed the rules and showed proper respect.

The local martial halls cooperated; though competitors, they gave face.

But on the opening day, a newly risen martial hall, which had already been informed, suddenly sent challengers to disrupt the event.

If this had been prearranged, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. On the arena, everyone would hold back; even if one side was stronger, they wouldn’t embarrass the other, and all would end happily.

But this time, the challenger was an exceptionally young expert who quickly defeated the Elite Martial Hall’s fighters.

That was already embarrassing. To send such a challenge on the opening day was a slap in the face.

Yet after defeating the Elite Martial Hall’s fighters, the challenger stayed on the stage and verbally mocked the Elite Martial Hall as hollow, attacking the entire Chinese martial circle as corrupt, filled with rigged matches and hypocrisy!

Naturally, the Elite Martial Hall’s fighters were furious and kept challenging one after another, but every challenger was soundly defeated.

The opponent dealt heavy blows, nearly killing one disciple.

When Meng Xudong arrived, the incident had been ongoing for several days.

Because Song Yue was heading to Tianyue Star, he hadn’t told him, thinking he could handle it himself.

Unexpectedly, the same situation awaited him.

Their rivals came almost daily.

Though unspoken, their intention was clear—get out of Anxi!

Other martial hall leaders in Anxi tried to mediate but were rebuffed.

The rival bluntly stated that martial matters should be settled by martial men, not with useless and hypocritical old codes.

The rival hall was newly established and reportedly backed by a powerful organization.

Even those who tried to mediate had to give up.

The more famous the hall, the more cautious they were—none wanted to lose.

Under pressure, Meng Xudong personally stepped in.

He was a prodigy among martial artists; if he had focused solely on martial cultivation, he’d have achieved more by now.

Unfortunately, his heart was in business.

His result on the stage was mediocre—neither losing nor winning, just barely holding a draw.

He was mocked by the young challenger as a “so-called world champion” with no substance.

Though furious, Meng Xudong was helpless. He couldn’t keep pulling fighters from other branches.

First, the rival sent challengers under twenty; he couldn’t send older senior fighters.

Second, even if he sent younger fighters, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

So they were deadlocked.

Meanwhile, the rival’s powerful backers posted challenge videos online, stirring up a strong public opinion storm.

It even affected the Elite Martial Hall’s reputation.

Their intention was clear.

“They don’t just want to mess with us; their real goal is to take down the entire Chinese martial circle by first destroying the Elite Martial Hall. Then their branches could flourish everywhere, while we… get crushed.”

Meng Xudong was helpless. “Brother Yue, this really needs your intervention.”

Without hesitation, Song Yue agreed. “I’ll be there tomorrow.”

He ended the call and checked other messages—everything else was calm.

At the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, Qian Ge and Old Wolf, along with experts from the Lin family, ensured stability in Hangzhou.

Wen Rou had already started working there, preparing an alchemy chamber and keeping busy daily.

There was no news from his master or mistress.

Song Yue planned to visit them soon.

He called Qian Qianxue, inviting her and Wen Rou to dinner that evening.

Knowing he was back, Qianxue was delighted and promised to be punctual.

He also called his sister. From their conversation, he learned that Song Yu was unaware of what their father and Song Chao were doing on Tianyue Star.

She even asked whether their father’s company was grand and if Song Chao had found a girlfriend there.

Song Yue smiled, telling a white lie but feeling uneasy.

Someday, when he could tear apart the Judan Blade and shatter the Huaying stage, he would bring his father and brother home.

When he arrived at the master’s house, he unexpectedly found it locked and empty.

His master and mistress, who rarely went out, were both absent.

Using the key, he entered and saw the house had been empty for days.

Frowning, he didn’t call immediately but went to the backyard and saw Old Peony.

“Have my master and mistress gone out?”

“Several days ago. They left the day after you left. They probably traveled far—definitely not in Hangzhou,” Old Peony replied.

Song Yue then called his mistress. The call was quickly answered.

Her voice was tired, but she was glad to hear from him.

“We went out for a trip. Don’t worry, we’ll be back in a few days. Just wait at home.”

After hanging up, Song Yue instinctively felt things were not so simple.

He then called Old Wolf.

“Uncle Wolf, I’m back.”

Old Wolf was happy. “The honorable minister has returned? Can this special advisor go home and rest for a few days now?”

“No problem,” Song Yue said, “but I want to know where my master went.”

Old Wolf hesitated. “Come to the bureau. I’ll tell you in person.”

Song Yue drove over and found Qian Qianxue and Wen Rou there.

Without idle chatter, he went straight to Old Wolf’s office.

Since Zhao’s group left, the bureau’s offices were largely empty. Old Wolf had moved to a sunny room.

When Song Yue arrived, Old Wolf sat drinking tea, glasses perched on his nose.

Seeing Song Yue, he poured him a cup and then spoke quietly.

“Your master went to the capital.”

Song Yue frowned. “Is it about the Li family?”

Old Wolf nodded. “The Li family has been quiet lately, but there have been incidents of rogue cultivators. Luckily, since those people left, we weren’t affected.”

“But your master is uneasy. The Li family’s temporary silence isn’t because they’ve stopped—it’s because their backing in the cultivation world is unstable.”

Old Wolf looked at Song Yue. “Your master hopes to crush the Li family in one sweep, so he went to the capital.”

Song Yue frowned worriedly. “He’s not in good shape now and can’t act personally. What’s he doing there?”

Old Wolf said, “Naturally, he’s lobbying the upper echelons. But before he left, I warned him the higher-ups wouldn’t agree. Moving against the Li family would shake the entire Chinese cultivation world. It would disrupt the whole cultivation order.”

“That’s why there’s been no news for so many days. I think his chances of success are slim.”

“But your master is stubborn—he won’t tolerate injustice…”

Old Wolf sighed.

If Old Lu had been more patient in the past, he might have soared by now. Not to say becoming a saint or ancestor, but at least a local sect leader for sure.

His temperament was his curse, but also why so many were willing to follow him—even die for him.

After leaving Old Wolf, Song Yue’s heart remained unsettled. He hadn’t expected his master to go to the capital so quietly.

His master wanted to bring down the Li family at least partly for his sake.

He also knew the Li family was a cancer that would cause greater chaos if left unchecked.

Unfortunately, due to information asymmetry between his master and the Chinese authorities, even though he spoke of the cultivation world’s situation, some powerful figures preferred stability and didn’t believe him.

This made his master’s position in the capital dangerous.

If the Li family learned of his moves, they might strike against him.

Recalling the fatigue in his mistress’s voice, Song Yue couldn’t sit still. He had to go to the capital and see his master with his own eyes to be at ease.

He gathered Qian Qianxue and Wen Rou, briefly explained the situation, and handed Qian Qianxue jade slips containing the Great Wind Scripture, Water Control Scripture, and Taiyi Five Thunder Technique.

To Wen Rou, he gave jade slips with alchemical texts and the Infinite Fire Control Technique.

He asked them to study and see if they could glean anything.

Without lingering, he arranged to meet them later and, using his bureau identity, registered the flying saucer he had piloted back.

Then, he set off in the saucer toward the capital.

Along the way, he called his mistress to confirm the address and headed there swiftly.