Chapter 28: The Return of the Father

Woof! Woof!

At the same time, the little spirit hound darted out of its own den, swiftly bounding over as it let out two low, cautious growls, its eyes fixed intently on the door, appearing both fierce and adorable.

The main door swung open.

Zhou Changwang’s eyes narrowed, his face filling with disbelief.

Standing at the threshold was a middle-aged man, his clothes tattered and barely intact, his beard unkempt, several dark bruises marking his face. If not for the sharp, lively spark in his eyes, and the sword in his hand with a beast hide pack slung across his back, one might easily mistake him for a beggar.

The little spirit hound gave a muffled growl, crouching low as if it might pounce at any moment.

Zhou Changwang gave the hound a kick, sending it aside, then looked at the figure outside the door, his voice trembling with surprise and uncertainty. “Father? You’re back?”

He was truly startled and overjoyed.

The man standing before him was none other than his father, Zhou Qiankun, who had vanished for nearly a month and was already presumed lost beyond hope.

“Oh? You’ve made a breakthrough? Third level of Qi Refinement? And this spirit hound—did you raise it?”

Zhou Qiankun looked at Zhou Changwang, equally astonished. When he first heard the hound’s barking, he had been unsure, but as he took in the scene before him, a guess quickly formed in his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder inwardly—he’d only been gone a month, yet his son had changed so much. Breaking through in cultivation and raising a spirit beast—neither came cheaply.

Seeing Zhou Changwang nod, he was surprised but soon broke into a smile. “Good, good… this puts my mind at ease.”

Noticing Zhou Changwang’s excited expression, as if he had a thousand questions to ask, Zhou Qiankun quickly said, “Come in, let’s talk inside.”

Zhou Changwang nodded, stepping aside. Seeing how bedraggled his father was, he promptly cast a cleansing spell. Instantly, sparkles of spiritual light fell upon Zhou Qiankun, washing over him in waves until he was spotless once more. Though his clothes were still ragged and his hair unkempt, he had regained some of his former vigor.

Once inside the living room, Zhou Qiankun set down his sword and pack. Zhou Changwang could scarcely contain his urgency. “Father, what happened during your journey into the mountains this time? I heard you went to Twin Abyss Mountain, then encountered the Frostfire Twin-headed Wolf on your return…”

“That’s right. This time, I went with Zhao Heng and the others deep into Twin Abyss Mountain to gather a spirit herb called Ethereal Grass.”

Everything had gone smoothly, Zhou Qiankun explained, thanks to their careful preparations. It was only on the return trip that they encountered the Frostfire Twin-headed Wolf.

Zhou Qiankun nodded in relief—clearly, his son had worried for his safety and even sought out news. He continued, “It seems some of our team made it back before me.”

“That’s right. Four of you returned—three cultivators and one innate martial artist. They came back ten days ago.”

“With Zhao’s skills, once rid of the frostfire wolf, it’s no surprise they made it back safely,” Zhou Qiankun said, then suddenly dropped a bombshell: “Actually, I was the one who lured the Frostfire Twin-headed Wolf.”

“What?” Zhou Changwang stared in shock.

“You’re grown now, third level of Qi Refinement. With a few spells under your belt, you’re not far behind me in strength. There are things I can tell you now,” Zhou Qiankun said, his gaze turning complicated. “I believe I’ve mentioned your mother before.”

“Your mother agreed to be with me only after being injured and giving up hope of cultivating immortality,” he continued, a rare tenderness in his eyes. Marriages between immortals and mortals were uncommon—more so for an ordinary martial artist in the world of cultivation like himself. Many envied what he had achieved.

“She had considerable talent—her spiritual roots were water, fire, and earth. She was preparing to join the Watercloud Immortal Sect and participate in their entrance trials. She even had a disciple from the Watercloud Sect willing to recommend her if she passed. Her future was bright—she might have even reached Foundation Establishment in time. But one night, she was ambushed by a rogue cultivator. Her dantian was destroyed—she would never cultivate again.”

“It happened near where I lived at the time. We’d met before during a monster hunt, so I risked everything to save her…”

“After you were born, her health declined rapidly. Within two years, she passed away.”

As he raised Zhou Changwang, Zhou Qiankun had quietly searched for the rogue cultivator who attacked her, intent on avenging his wife.

Three years ago, by chance, he discovered the very magical artifact that had wounded her, now being used by a rogue cultivator—a member of a monster-hunting team.

Over a decade ago, that rogue cultivator had only reached the third level of Qi Refinement. Now, he was at the fifth. Zhou Qiankun was no match for him—revenge was out of reach.

At this point, Zhou Qiankun’s emotions grew agitated.

“So you secretly joined that monster-hunting team, waiting for your chance?” Zhou Changwang, no fool, pieced together what his father had said. The rogue who ambushed his mother must be one of the Zhao Heng team, whom his father had tailed these three years. He just couldn’t be sure which one.

Within Zhao Heng’s team, three people had reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement: Zhao Heng himself, who wielded a superior magical artifact and was very powerful; Ma Zhen, a beast tamer with a Shadow Wolf, even more troublesome than Zhao Heng; and Zhang Fenghua, renowned for his monster-hunting skills and mastery of talismans, a known talisman craftsman before joining the team.

“That’s right. I’ve had a few chances over these three years. Out in the wilds, with monsters everywhere, there is always risk—but I’d long since accepted the possibility of death. It wouldn’t matter, except I couldn’t leave you behind. So I kept hesitating.”

“Until recently, I heard he meant to leave Fengming Outpost. That’s when I truly resolved to act. This trip to Twin Abyss Mountain was my last chance.”

“I used the opportunity when they sent me ahead to scout to sneak into the Frostfire Twin-headed Wolf’s lair. I strangled its two pups and left Zhang Fenghua’s belongings in the den…”

As Zhou Qiankun spoke, a look of relief spread across his face.