Reunion Fireworks

Li Chengqian hurriedly stopped him.

"Magistrate Chen, there is no need to trouble yourself. She and the Prince of Shu were visiting my father and should be in Qianzhou right now. She sneaked out to follow me here on her own; it has nothing to do with the imperial court."

Chen Cang wiped away the cold sweat that had already frozen into tiny ice beads, feeling slightly relieved.

"May I ask, Your Highness, who is this benefactor and friend you mentioned visiting in our county town? This humble official can lead the way for you."

Li Chengqian smiled and tilted his chin toward the space behind Chen Cang.

"No need. He is right here."

Chen Cang turned around, only to see Chen Yi walking slowly over the snow with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Brother Chengqian, why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

"I actually sent someone to deliver a letter. I suppose my benefactor has been too busy with myriad affairs to see it."

"Indeed, I also just returned from out of town."

Seeing Chen Yi treating the son of the King of Qianzhou as a brother, Chen Cang was at a loss for words.

He had indeed guessed that Chen Yi must have some significant background.

The poor study literature, while the rich practice martial arts.

Although Chen Cang didn't know Chen Yi's exact cultivation level, he could guess it definitely wasn't low.

To train in martial arts to such a formidable level, one could never be a commoner, unless they were a bandit.

But he never imagined that this person actually had connections within the imperial family!

Thank goodness, thank goodness...

From the very beginning, he had seen that Chen Yi was not a simple figure. In terms of etiquette and face, he had always given him the utmost respect in every aspect.

Seeing that Chen Yi didn't bow when meeting royalty, the commoners were all speculating in their hearts that he must also be a great figure.

People from the Chen Manor must not be provoked in the future, lest one's entire nine familial generations be wiped out.

Even if you aren't afraid of death, your nine generations are. Before you can mess around, your own family would crush you first.

The servants of the Chen Manor were blooming with joy at this moment.

How much wages the Chen Manor paid out every month was no longer important.

With their master's connections laid bare right here, these servants would all be a cut above others in the future.

Chen Yun also covered her mouth, unable to believe that her younger brother was now associating with such figures.

He had been running out every day these past few years; it seemed he wasn't just wandering around aimlessly.

At this moment, Chen Yi was staring at Li Lingyue, who was only six years old.

"The future Empress who will rule over a region is currently just a willful and unruly little princess..."

Fortunately, the simulation did not carry over emotions.

No matter how madly in love the two were in the simulation, the Chen Yi in reality wouldn't have any thoughts of rekindling an old romance with Li Lingyue.

Besides, it might not seem like a big deal over a decade from now.

But looking at it right now, the age gap was just too huge.

In ancient society, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the current Chen Yi could be Li Lingyue's father.

However.

This wouldn't delay the next simulation, where Chen Yi would return to his old trade and develop a relationship with the Empress.

Because that wasn't a matter of a day or two; it was the accumulation of decades of feelings and experiences. Even if there were some ulterior motives at first, over time, it became genuine.

Whose heart isn't made of flesh, after all?

New Year's Eve at the Chen Manor was extremely lively.

Chen Yi, Da Chun.

Shen Qingshan's family of three.

Magistrate Chen Cang's family of four.

The visiting Li Chengqian.

And Li Lingyue, who had tagged along with Li Chengqian.

As well as the proprietress, the chef, and the waiters of the Yuelai Inn, who were busy preparing a large table of dishes.

The statuses of these people ranged from high to low; according to etiquette, they could not sit at the same table.

But Chen Yi didn't care about any of that.

Since they were all here, were they supposed to have one table per person?

In that case, they might as well all go back to their own homes to eat.

A New Year's Eve dinner is only enjoyable when everyone sits together.

Therefore, under the arrangement of Chen Yi, the host.

At the main table, laden with delicious delicacies, over a dozen people raised their glasses together to celebrate the New Year.

Once everyone got familiar with each other, even with a princess and a prince's son sitting at the table, they were no longer so reserved.

Except for Chen Cang.

He was still nervous to death, and at first, he adamantly refused to let his own family sit at the table.

But Li Lingyue gave an absolute order, demanding that Chen Cang's family must sit at the big table to eat together so it would be lively, threatening to have the Emperor strip him of his post if he refused.

Frightened, Chen Cang quickly and obediently sat down.

Chen Yun was already smiling from ear to ear with happiness.

Ever since Luoding Village was massacred and her parents and relatives all perished, it had been a long time since she had seen such a lively, large gathering of people.

"Third Sister, this finally fulfills one of your wishes, right?"

Hearing this, his Third Sister was momentarily stunned.

She didn't know that in the fourth simulation, she had hoped her traveling younger brother would return before the end of the year so they could have a reunion dinner together.

However, Chen Yi was gone for decades.

When they met again, Chen Yun's hair was already completely white.

"Yes, being able to eat together as a family is such a happy thing... It's just a pity that our parents, eldest brother, and second sister are no longer here. If our whole family were present, how wonderful that would be..."

Chen Yi comforted Chen Yun.

"Maybe eldest brother and second sister are still alive in this world, currently experiencing some miraculous encounter."

"I hope so..."

After dinner.

The sounds of firecrackers and fireworks echoed everywhere in Baiyun County Town.

In the night sky, gorgeous fireworks wove together colorful lights and shadows, dyeing the snow-covered ground with a rainbow glow.

Upon seeing the fireworks, the little Li Lingyue was quite excited, bouncing and jumping around in the courtyard of the Chen Manor.

Seeing this, Chen Yi directly arranged for the servants to buy a hundred barrels of fireworks, setting them off continuously until dawn.

Li Chengqian and Chen Yi sat shoulder to shoulder on the stone steps in front of the door, watching Li Lingyue frolic in the snow.

"Benefactor, this is the Earth-tier spiritual weapon you custom-ordered in White Horse City previously. I asked about it in passing when I went through White Horse City. The artifact refinement master said you hadn't gone to pick it up yet, so I took the liberty of bringing it over for you."

Li Chengqian handed Chen Yi a storage ring, which contained some cultivation resources, as well as the Earth-tier Myriad Soul Banner.

"I've had quite a lot going on recently, and I indeed forgot to fetch it. I originally planned to go after the New Year. You bringing it to me saves me a trip."

Chen Yi looked at the courtyard full of people in his home.

It was truly a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

A future Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, Li Chengqian.

A future Empress of the Southern Borders, Li Lingyue.

And another one, Shen Qingshan, who was about to become the patriarch of the Shen family through his own magnificent manipulation.

Of course, there was also Da Chun, the artifact spirit of a Great Dao Immortal Weapon.

Opportunities for the destinies of this group of people to intertwine in this lifetime were few and far between.

Keeping vigil on New Year's Eve, the Chen Manor was brightly lit all night long.

Chen Yi and Li Chengqian chatted a lot.

However, Chen Yi did not spoil the events that Li Chengqian would experience in the future.

He was worried that saying it out loud would instead cause unexpected accidents on Li Chengqian's future path.

He merely reminded him that no matter what opportunities appeared in life, or what kind of tempering he had to endure, he must grasp them firmly and never give up.

He believed there would be a day when the clouds would part to reveal the bright moon.

As for Li Lingyue.

There was no use saying anything to her.

She was too young; after a sleep, she wouldn't remember anything, except where she was going to play today.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Li Chengqian and Li Lingyue returned to Qianzhou.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Li Lingyue was still complaining.

"Baiyun County Town isn't fun at all. Only the fireworks were somewhat passable to watch..."

The little girl, who had played all night long, muttered for a while before falling asleep in the sedan chair.

After Chen Yi paid a New Year's visit to his Third Sister's family and played around with Shen Jia for a bit, he set off on the road again without stopping.

This time, Chen Yi brought Black Wind along.

However, he didn't use him as a mount, but instead placed him in the Cauldron Realm.

"Black Wind, can you eat this?"

Within the Cauldron Realm, Chen Yi took out three Dragonkin Orbs—a name he had given to the pearls that dropped after members of the Dragonkin race were slain.