Chapter 224

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Zhang Xiaohua’s heart surged with emotions, his thoughts chaotic, and the true qi within his body became uncontrollable, rushing rapidly through his meridians in an attempt to catch up with the state of mind that had already far surpassed its limits.

However, the gathering and refining of true qi was far from an easy task. The thread-like true qi twisted and churned within his hollow meridians and quickly began to run amok. By the time Zhang Xiaohua realized what was happening, the true qi had already spread throughout his entire meridian network, surging into his limbs and bones. Zhang Xiaohua was horrified—his limbs were immobile, and even his eyelids couldn’t twitch in the slightest. He had teased his second brother about qi deviation, but now it seemed he was experiencing it for real!

Zhang Xiaohua wanted to open his mouth and call for his second brother, but how could he make a sound?

Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua’s body was light, and his horse was barely burdened. His steed had already galloped far ahead, leaving Zhang Xiaohu several horse lengths behind. How could Zhang Xiaohu, who was trailing, see Zhang Xiaohua’s current state?

At that moment, Zhang Xiaohu’s feelings were no less intense than Zhang Xiaohua’s. Gazing at the end of the road, where their hometown was already in sight, his mind was focused solely on returning to Guo Village as soon as possible. How could he have expected that Zhang Xiaohua would suffer from qi deviation at such a moment?

The road from Lu Town to Guo Village was singular, without forks, though it was not entirely straight. Thus, even though Zhang Xiaohua was not consciously guiding his horse, the steed continued to gallop forward as usual, showing no signs of anything amiss. Zhang Xiaohua, unaware of the ultimate consequences of qi deviation, only felt his entire body burning, with countless thread-like strands of true qi rampaging uncontrollably. His entire being was beyond his control. Zhang Xiaohua’s heart seemed to sink to its lowest point, and even the courage that had previously faced heavenly lightning without fear wavered slightly.

Zhang Xiaohua was not afraid of setbacks, nor was he intimidated by hardships. Even the experience of qi deviation did not frighten him in the slightest. However, this qi deviation came at the worst possible time. Whether it was at the Huanxi Villa, in the Piaomiao Sect, or even on the journey back, he could always face such challenges with a calm heart. But now, just before returning to Guo Village, after two years of being away with his second brother, he knew his family back home would be anxiously waiting, worried about any bad news from the outside world. In the past two years, Zhang Xiaohua had indeed gone through life-and-death experiences, but those events were unknown to his family. Even his second brother did not know the full details.

If he were to return to Guo Village in this state—suffering from qi deviation, possibly severely injured or even on the brink of death—how would that leave his parents, who had missed him for so long? What would they think, and what would they do, if they saw him incapable of moving?

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a deep bitterness in his heart.

Before long, Guo Village came into view. After passing the final mountain peak, he would be able to see the full picture of the village. Zhang Xiaohua still remained frozen on his horse, struggling to move his eyes.

Gradually, the mountain peak was behind him. To the right of the road, in the distance, he saw the familiar, long-missed, dreamlike sight of Guo Village, now sinking into the dusk. However, just as Zhang Xiaohua’s gaze swept over the small village, in that instant, it was as if a bolt of heavenly lightning had struck him. His eyes widened in shock!

At the village entrance stood a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure, gazing toward him. It seemed as though the night was approaching, and the figure was hesitant to turn around, as if reluctant to leave, but still glancing back. Although they were far away, the expression in their eyes conveyed disappointment, reluctance, and a sense of relief. Zhang Xiaohua recognized this expression with utter clarity. This was none other than his dearly missed mother!

In an instant, a surge of warmth welled up in Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes, his nose grew painfully sour, and his heart was overwhelmed with heat. At the same time, deep within his mind, in some unknown mysterious place, with his emotional surge, a flicker of something vibrant and refreshing seemed to arise, flooding his entire body like a rushing tide. The chaotic strands of true qi, upon coming into contact with this sensation, instantly became calm, obediently flowing back into the meridians. In the blink of an eye, all the true qi returned to the meridians, flowing slightly faster than before, now with an added liveliness.

Zhang Xiaohua, however, was unaware of the changes in his true qi. He only stared at his distant mother, his eyes already blurred, with a sentence stuck in his throat, unable to speak.

At the village entrance, Guo Sufei, who had been waiting for a long time without seeing anything, was about to enter the village. Just as she seemed to hear the sound of hooves, she half-turned to confirm, but Zhang Xiaohua’s small frame and the recently turned mountain meant he was not visible. Guo Sufei saw the tall horse, and although she couldn’t clearly make out who was riding it, she sighed inwardly, turned back, and prepared to enter the village.

Zhang Xiaohua, desperate, finally cried out the words that had been stuck for two years: “Mother~~~!”

But his horse, unaware that they had reached home, continued down the road at full speed.

Upon hearing the familiar cry, Guo Sufei, who was about to step into the village, was shocked, her body trembling as she turned around in disbelief. Was that not the very horse that had already passed the mountain peak, with the little boy she had seen in her dreams every night sitting upon it? The same boy who had cried uncontrollably when he left two years ago? The one who had made her go to the village entrance every evening to check for his return? The one she constantly thought about—wondering whether he ate well, slept well, and if he had grown?

But how could he be riding such a tall horse? Why was he still riding, with no signs of stopping?

Guo Sufei rubbed her eyes and staggered toward the road.

At that moment, Zhang Xiaohu also rode over the mountain peak. He first noticed their mother, who was about to stumble forward, and then realized that Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t turned his horse’s head or reined in to stop, but instead continued down the road. He shouted loudly: “Xiaohua, what are you doing? Tighten the reins quickly! Don’t you recognize your home?”

Hearing his second brother’s scolding, Zhang Xiaohua reflexively pulled on the reins. In that instant, his heart surged with joy—Haha, my hands can move! He had, in fact, forgotten that he had already shouted earlier.

The horses trained by the Piaomiao Sect were naturally extraordinary. As soon as Zhang Xiaohua tightened the reins, the horse immediately knew to slow down, gradually reducing its speed. However, Zhang Xiaohua had already covered quite a distance. He didn’t bother to sit cross-legged and check the condition of his true qi, instead immediately leaping off the horse. Without thinking of conserving any of his true qi, he activated his lightness skill and floated through the air, darting down the small path beside the road toward the direction where his mother was running.

His figure was graceful, and his speed was astonishing, leaving Zhang Xiaohu dumbfounded.

Guo Sufei, running while looking back, was afraid her son might disappear from her sight. When Zhang Xiaohua leaped from the horse, her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to rush forward and embrace him, fearing he might fall. As Zhang Xiaohua soared through the air like a bird, she was startled again, marveling at how much her son had grown.

The rural road was already rough, rarely smooth, and even when one was careful, it was easy to trip or twist an ankle. Today, Guo Sufei’s eyes were completely fixed on her son, and she barely paid attention to where she was stepping. Especially when she saw her son flying toward her, her heart surged with emotion. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, about to fall.

Zhang Xiaohu, witnessing this, couldn’t help but shout in alarm. Though the road was dirt, it was filled with stones, and if their mother fell, she might get hurt.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua’s heart tightened. He immediately directed his true qi throughout his meridians, exerting all his strength. With a powerful push off the ground, he shot toward his mother like an arrow from a bow.

Just as Guo Sufei was about to fall to the ground, Zhang Xiaohua reached her in time, catching her in his arms and gently pulling her upright.

Guo Sufei seemed unbothered by the near fall, instead gripping her son’s hand tightly, reluctant to let go. Zhang Xiaohua, looking at his mother’s face so close to him, felt tears streaming down his cheeks. He called out, “Mother!” and threw himself into her embrace.

Guo Sufei, holding her son close, lovingly stroked his head, which was now at her nose level, unable to stop her own tears. She murmured: “Xiaohua, my son.”

After a while, as the two cried together, Zhang Xiaohu arrived, leading two horses. Guo Sufei lifted her head and gazed at her older son, now significantly taller than her. She softly said: “Xiaohu, my son.”

She reached out and touched Zhang Xiaohu’s forehead.

Zhang Xiaohu’s eyes reddened. Calling out “Mother,” he almost burst into tears.

Seeing her hand reaching toward him, Zhang Xiaohu felt a bit awkward. He was nearly twenty years old and couldn’t act like his younger brother, but his heart ached for his mother. He stood still, allowing her to stroke his head, and instantly, the sweet memories of his childhood flooded his chest. The pride of being a grown man and his masculinity were momentarily forgotten. At this moment, only his mother’s love mattered, and it felt like the most genuine melody.

After a while, as dusk approached, Guo Sufei calmed her emotions and smiled through her tears. “Look at me, just standing at the village entrance, watching for you. Let’s go home now. Your father, eldest brother, and sister-in-law are still waiting. We can talk once we’re home.”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled. “Listen to mother, let’s go home.”

With that, he tugged on the reins of the horses, leading them back toward the village.

Zhang Xiaohua, though, was reluctant to leave his mother’s side. He let her continue holding him as they walked together. But as soon as Guo Sufei took a step, she sensed something was off. Zhang Xiaohua felt so light in her arms, as though there were hardly any weight to him. She immediately cradled him like when he was a child, hugging him tightly. Zhang Xiaohua laughed. “Mother, you still want to carry me? I’m this big now!”

But Guo Sufei didn’t respond. Tears streamed down her face again, and she said: “Xiaohua, my son, you’ve really suffered. Look at you, after two years away, what happened? Why have you gotten so thin?”

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. Quickly, he said: “Mother, what are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine! I eat well, dress well, and look, I’ve grown nearly as tall as you. How could I be thin?”

Guo Sufei, with tear in her eyes, said: “Xiaohua, don’t lie to me. Let’s go home, and I’ll make sure you get well-nourished.”