The men from the Black Wolf Sect fled in panic. Yun He turned around, expecting a welcoming embrace, but saw only his younger sister, Yun Huan, pulling Yun Qu back inside the house. Yun He offered a bitter smile and followed right behind them. Just as Yun Huan was about to shut the door, Yun He slipped in after her, entering the room almost simultaneously.
"Brother, Xiaohuan, do you not recognize me?" Yun Qu asked innocently. After carefully looking Yun He up and down, he suddenly grinned and said, "Sister, it really is Xiaoming. Xiaoming, where have you been? It has been so long." He reached out to embrace him, but Yun Huan stopped him sharply: "Don't move, this person is a liar."
Yun He smiled bitterly, expecting this reaction. When he fell off the cliff and disappeared years ago, his family had no idea where he had gone.
"Xiaohuan, don't be like this. I really am Yun He. Over the past ten years, I—"
"You must have gotten into trouble, got arrested, and just ran away, ignoring everything at home! Mom and Dad didn't care about the company; they ran around everywhere looking for you until their health completely collapsed, and then someone else stole the company! They are gone now, and only now do you come back... Do you think this home is somewhere you can just leave and return to whenever you please? Get out, you are not welcome here!"
"Xiaohuan, don't be like this. Let's sit down first, have a cup of tea, and eat a bowl of noodles. Your brother is hungry."
Actually, for Yun He as he was now, eating or not eating made no difference, but he longed to spend a few moments of peace with his family. On this blue planet, he had only been apart from them for ten years, but in another world, he had been separated from his family for a millennium.
"Brother, what are you standing there for? Chase this liar out! You can—"
Tears welled up as Yun Huan raised her voice, her heart filled with resentment toward this elder brother of hers. The once-harmonious Yun Family had fallen into decline because of his unannounced departure, and she herself had endured countless hardships. No matter what, she could never forgive his abandonment.
Yun Qu, simple and unpretentious, loved his sister dearly, but he also missed his sibling. He rubbed his hands together, not knowing what to do.
"Brother, if you don't chase this liar out, I'm leaving." With that, Yun Huan turned and walked toward the door.
"No, I'll go. Your brother will leave, you just stay right here and don't go anywhere. It's storming outside, not a suitable time for a young woman to go out."
Yun Huan froze, tears sparkling in her eyes.
She was sharp-witted and possessed an exceptional memory. When they were young, her second brother had been the most domineering and loved to boss her around. Now, that same temper remained, and he was still trying to manage her.
Helpless, Yun Huan turned back and walked away.
Watching her leave, Yun Qu said, "Sister, Xiaoming hasn't had dinner yet, and it's windy today. I'm afraid it's going to rain hard soon."
"He is not Second Brother. Second Brother is already gone." Her heart aching terribly, Yun Huan stomped her feet and returned to her room.
Yun He stepped outside. The surroundings were pitch black, a fierce wind was howling, thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, and a heavy rain was about to pour down. He had no fear of wind and rain, but he was unwilling to leave his sister, so he went up to the rooftop and sat cross-legged. Soon, the rain fell in torrents, but he sat proudly, the rainwater parting about five meters around him without a single drop landing on his body.
"Xiaoming, Xiaoming."
Hearing Yun Qu's call, he saw him standing on the rooftop holding a bowl of noodles and looking around. With a flash of his figure, Yun He instantly appeared before Yun Qu.
"Xiaoming, eat some noodles." Yun Qu's face wore a warm smile, just like when he used to watch his mischievous brother.
"Eldest Uncle, sit down, let's have a good talk as brothers."
Yun He took the bowl and took a bite. It was just plain noodle soup, but he ate it with great relish. Although Yun Qu was not articulate, Yun He managed to get a rough idea of what had happened.
Back then, to search for him, their parents had entrusted the company to Eldest Uncle to manage. Who would have thought that Eldest Uncle would seize the opportunity to usurp their parents' company and all their assets, even saddling them with millions in heavy debts? The former Yun Family used to treat millions like dirt, but because of this debt, they suffered endless humiliation and were forced to move into the slums of Ningcheng. Their parents fell ill one after another, and after being sent to the hospital beyond saving, they were hastily buried.
Yun He was startled: "Mom and Dad passed away and were buried at the same time?"
Yun Qu nodded. "Yes. Later on, my sister and I lived here. Sister did very well in her studies and got into university, but the tuition... we couldn't raise enough... School is about to start, and while I'm still trying to figure out how to scrape the money together, she doesn't want to go anymore. Xiaoming, please persuade her; she has to go to school."
Pain pierced deeply through Yun He's heart. He had been a university freshman when he left for the land of cultivation ten years ago, failing to finish his education. But now that his sister had been accepted into university, no matter what, he would not let her drop out.
"I deliver food now, I'll find a way to scrape the tuition together..." Yun Qu still sounded hopeful.
How much money could food delivery possibly make?
In the world of cultivation, everything was determined by strength, but Yun He knew that the small matters of daily life were equally important. He was determined not to let his sister abandon her studies because of poverty.
"I will practice hard, and when the time comes, I'll definitely help you solve the tuition problem..." Yun Qu's words were filled with determination.
Yun He gently patted Yun Qu's back. "Eldest Uncle, you've suffered these past years. Don't worry about the tuition; I will handle it. Furthermore, I promise you, before Little Sister starts university, we will certainly return to our family's grand estate. No one will ever take away the Yun Family's heritage."
After Yun Qu left, Yun He sat cross-legged, feeling the thin spiritual energy of this blue planet, and felt deeply agitated. Having cultivated for a millennium in places brimming with spiritual energy, breathing in this depleted world felt as though every inhalation drew in filth. It was like someone accustomed to clear spring water suddenly forced to drink from a muddy stream—an extreme sense of discomfort.
"I must find spirit stones as soon as possible and set up a spirit formation, otherwise my cultivation path will stagnate or even regress. However, tomorrow's primary task is to make money and earn tuition for Little Sister."
The next day, the sun shone brightly. Yun He left the rooftop and, following the routes in his memory, arrived at a bustling street, pondering how to make his first pot of gold. Suddenly, a luxurious Maybach sedan sped toward him. Just as it was about to hit him, the car screeched to a halt, and the driver poked his head out and barked, "Kid, trying to pull an insurance scam? Standing in the middle of the road blocking the way!"
Yun He frowned slightly. Inside the car, he saw two people: a middle-aged man with a square face whose expression was as heavy as water, and an elderly man with flowing white hair who possessed an air of otherworldly detachment. However, Yun He knew the old man's cultivation was negligible—barely entering the threshold, just at the elementary stage of initial insight. The square-faced man, on the other hand, was an ancient martial arts practitioner who had reached the completion stage of Black Earth.
Yun He thought to himself that Ningcheng actually had people practicing ancient martial arts and immortality; as a mere mortal in the past, he naturally couldn't have sensed it. The square-faced man scolded the driver: "Don't cause trouble, the master is waiting for the elder to save someone." He poked his head out, tossed out a few bills, and said, "Don't make a fuss, take this money."
The Maybach then started up and vanished in a flash. Looking at the bills on the ground, Yun He felt anger flare within him. Did they take him for a beggar? The money had almost hit him in the face!
Yet at this moment, his pockets were empty—a single penny can defeat a hero. He picked up the money, feeling the scornful gazes directed at him from all around; it seemed everyone took him for an extortionist. In truth, he wanted to use the banknotes to sense the aura of the person who threw them.
He strode forward in pursuit.
The surrounding people merely felt a blur before their eyes, as if something had flashed past swiftly, but when they looked again, there was nothing there.