Book 11: Chapter 17: Goodbye, But Forever No Longer a Tourist
Book 11: Chapter 17: Goodbye, But Forever No Longer a Tourist
The moonlight was like white powder, scattering across a bamboo forest. A blind person dressed in yellow clothes was currently playing the zither.
The zither was silver-colored, the runes on its surface dazzling like a sunset. As this white haired yellow clothed blind individual’s fingers moved across the zither’s strings, there were no sounds released. However, in this blind individual’s heart, there was a tune playing.
Suddenly, this blind person’s aura surged crazily. In just a few halts of time, he already left the bamboo forest while holding the zither.
Not far from the bamboo forest was a white walled black tiled house with a courtyard.
Lin Xi was precisely in front of this house’s two small stone lions.
“It’s me.”
When he saw the yellow clothed blind person who quickly appeared from the bamboo forest, Lin Xi said this quietly. Then, he gave this yellow clothed blind person a deep bow of respect. “Thank you, Sir Qin.”[1]
Lin Xi was dressed extremely well today.
He was dressed in a set of red embroidered thin jacket, clothes made by Central Continent City’s most famous clothing shop, Willow Pipe’s product. The leather shoes he wore were also a newly released design.
The reason he was like this was because he knew that regardless of what he was doing outside, when he returned home, dressing a bit better, being a bit more lively, a bit happier, would leave his own family members feeling a bit more at peace.
The yellow-clothed blind person couldn’t see what Lin Xi was wearing today, but he could hear Lin Xi’s voice.
He was someone from Yuhua Family, so he naturally understood the various things that happened to this youngster from Deerwood Town in the past year.
The instant he could hear that the one who was standing in front of this residence was Lin Xi, his body turned slightly rigid. Then, he seriously bowed respectfully towards Lin Xi. “Sir, your respectful self shouldn’t have returned.”
There were two methods that were most simple and effective to make an appearance in this world. The first was to take down or kill someone who was already extremely famous, the other was precisely if the emperor himself personally spoke your name.
For better or for worse, Lin Xi was both.
Jadefall’s undying general Qin Qinghuang had an extremely great reputation in Yunqin. However, after Jadefall City’s battle, all of Yunqin’s people learned that this Yunqin general was cut down with a single sword and horse by a Lin Xi from Green Luan Academy in front of the army.
Then, after the crown prince was assassinated by Wenren Cangyue, under the emperor’s rage, he shouted out Lin Xi’s name, so Lin Xi even more so became that type of figure rich with legends. The things he did before in Breath River that no one knew about and the things he did in Dragon Snake Border Army were also slowly learned by others. There were even some scholars, wanderers and bards who recorded these things and would definitely pass down his stories to later generations.
This was especially the case for the people in the royal court and military. The things they knew would naturally be greater than those outside, more clear.
In the eyes of most people, Yunqin Emperor’s treatment towards Lin Xi was extremely unfair.
It was because from the known situation, Lin Xi already did everything he could, already went beyond expectations, to the extent where even his own body was seriously injured.
Moreover, in the eyes of many soldiers, all of Lin Xi’s actions represented true glory, representing all of the venerable qualities of what a Yunqin commander should have. In their eyes, the Emperor should have issued Lin Xi with more medals representing bravery and glory, grant him praise and rewards, and not take his anger out on him, even demanding his death.
In the end, the Emperor couldn’t carry out his intentions due to the opposition of those senators and subjects, no further declarations regarding Lin Xi’s reward or punishment were made in Yunqin’s royal court. Lin Xi, this individual who already won the respect of even many Yunqin military commanders, seemed to have been forgotten by Yunqin Empire, abandoned.
That was why many people felt that it was unfair, feeling extremely sympathetic towards Lin Xi.
Right now, with the south’s recent defeat, the emperor’s mood even more out of balance, for people who respected and felt sympathy for Lin Xi, Lin Xi reappearing now was actually not good timing at all.
“I understand your intentions. This is especially the case when I appear here, before my own family… Soon, those who are paying attention to me will know that I am returning to this world again.” Lin Xi understood the intentions of this yellow-clothed blind person. He nodded, expressing his thanks again, at the same time quietly saying, “However, I can’t continue hiding forever… If Wenren Cangyue isn’t defeated, if he doesn’t die, yet I still continue hiding, waiting for his death before I appear again, what meaning is there left for me?”
The yellow-clothed blind person released a light inward sigh. He didn’t say anything more, bowing slightly, and then turning around to return to the bamboo forest.
Right at this time, several coughing sounds could be heard inside the courtyard.
These clearly purposely made coughing noises and footsteps started everyone in the courtyard.
The courtyard’s gates were pushed open.
When he saw the elder who pushed open the gates while carrying a lantern, Lin Xi revealed a somewhat bitter smile, saying, “Uncle Liu, I’m back.”
The somewhat stooped elder sized up Lin Xi, looking at this youngster who he brought into Four Seasons Plains back then, a bit deeply moved as he said, “You’ve grown a bit taller.”
A slightly chubby, slightly older, extremely ordinary man put on a jacket, staggering a bit as he ran out from the inner courtyard.
When Lin Xi who had just stepped over the doorstep saw the bit of gray in this man’s brows that previously wasn’t there, he began to choke with emotions. He showed this man a deep bow of respect, saying, “Father, I’ve returned.”
This extremely ordinary Deerwood Town merchant ran up to Lin Xi’s face, his shoulders starting to shake uncontrollably.
He looked at Lin Xi, still not daring to believe what he was seeing was real.
Only after he grabbed Lin Xi’s shoulders, did he wake up, releasing a shout, “Xi’er has come home!”
“You’ve had it hard.”
As the rushed sounds of footsteps got closer and closer, this middle-aged short and stout man who put on some weight, now a bit old, only looked at Lin Xi, saying these words.
Lin Xi’s eyes immediately became a bit blurry.
…
Lin Xi wasn’t an ordinary person.
However, his family in Deerwood Town were ordinary people.
For an ordinary Deerwood Town family, the things that happened outside were a bit too distant and unrealistic. What they were worried about was extremely simple, which was precisely their own children, wishing that the older brother didn’t suffer hardships.
“Those things being passed around outside are all exaggerated… little sis even knows that many things in stories aren’t real.”
“I didn’t suffer any great injuries either. The reason why I didn’t come back even during new years was only because I was arranged to take care of some things, so I couldn’t immediately hurry back.”
“How could his holiness really direct his anger at me? He was just truly grieved at the news of his son’s death… when his mood returns to normal, everything will be fine. If he really wanted me dead, how could I have lived all the way until now?”
“…”
Lin Xi knew well what his family cared about the most, so he gave explanations that sounded extremely trustworthy to ordinary people, even undoing his own clothes, letting his parents and younger sister covered in tears see his chest.
Because of the effects of Glorious King Destroys Restraints, there weren’t really any scars on his chest. The wound that arrow left him, was in his invisible heart.
“Do you see… if I really was injured like the rumors, how could there not even be any scars?”
Lin Xi smiled as he looked at his own parents and sister. “Doesn’t it seem like I’ve put on a bit more muscle instead?”
“Your figure is indeed a bit better.” While looking at Lin Xi’s chest that clearly became much sturdier, Lin Qian stopped crying and instead smiled, saying, “You can get yourself a wife now.”
Lin Xi looked at the slightly red faced Lin Qian who clearly became a bit taller, frantically putting his clothes back on while jokingly saying, “Sis, you’ve also matured, becoming prettier and prettier. I have a classmate who isn’t bad, should I introduce him to you?”
“You better stop teasing me, or else big sis Wang Simin[2] will rip you apart.” Lin Qian pretended to be a bit more fierce while pointing outside the entrance and saying this.
“I know more than just Jiang Xiaoyi.” Lin Xi said with a smile.
Lin Qian’s face became even more red, baring her fangs at Lin Xi in embarrassment and annoyance, saying hatefully, “What, are you really going to annoy me as soon as you come back, chase this little sis here out?”
“How can that be? I was just scared that you would have already been seized by someone else…”
“Xi’er, are you preparing to stay for a while, or do you still have other things to take care of?” The rather pretty middle-aged woman wiped away the moisture at the corners of her eyes, stopping Lin Xi and Lin Qian’s teasing and asking Lin Xi this.
Lin Xi’s hands shook slightly. He knew that in the end, this was a question he couldn’t evade.
“Bro, why don’t you just stay for a bit? You don’t have to worry about the things outside, we can just be like before, peacefully live here.” Lin Qian could also sense the changes in Lin Xi’s eyes, the smiling expression on her face also starting to disappear. She looked at Lin Xi, suddenly choking a bit with emotions as she asked.
Lin Xi had a bit of a bitter expression as he licked his lips.
After some hesitation, he knelt down before his parents, tapping his head on the ground.
The middle-aged chubby merchant whose brows were already covered in frost didn’t know why Lin Xi suddenly did this. He couldn’t help but immediately stand up in alarm.
“Sorry, father, mother.”
Lin Xi didn’t immediately get up. When he raised his head to look at his alarmed father and mother who seemed to have picked up some clues, he said with a slow and serious voice, “I previously promised you guys that if I had a choice, I would do my best not to join the army, to not head to dangerous places. However, because of some matters, I have no choice but to go… If I don’t complete these things, I won’t be able to be at peace this entire life, I won’t be able to truly feel happy.”
“I know that as long as I am not by your side, all of you will feel worried. There are some matters that will inevitably enter your ears as well. That is why I don’t want to deceive you either, hide them from you.” Lin Xi hung his head, burying his head in his mother’s trembling hands. “This child still has to say goodbye, I beg for your forgiveness. This child has to pay the border pass a visit. I don’t want you all to feel too worried… trust that I will take care of myself.”
The pretty middle-aged woman used her trembling hands to bring Lin Xi into her embrace, just like when Lin Xi first woke up from his great illness.
“You’ve already grown up, I cannot always take care of you like before. There are some things where if you feel it is right, you need to go do them.” The rather beautiful middle-aged woman’s tears landed on Lin Xi’s back drop after drop. “However, you have to promise us that you’ll definitely come back.”
“Of course.” Lin Xi said positively. “I will definitely come back.”
1. Qin Xiaoyu, Qin Family member who repaid the favor Yuhua Family owed to Lin Xi
2. The girl from East Port Town whose face is covered in lash marks. Jiang Xiaoyi made a promise to her, asking her to wait for him