At this moment, Qi Chuan stood outside the luxuriously decorated gate of his uncle and auntās house, hesitating slightly, but finally prepared to step inside.
As he took a step forward, the Illusion Body Talisman on his chest had already taken effect, transforming Qi Chuanās appearance into that of an ordinary young man, his physique reduced slightly.
Inside the gate, on the left side, was a girl of about nine years old, sitting on the steps, dozing off. She was startled by Qi Chuanās footsteps and lifted her little head in confusion, revealing an innocent and cute face.
"Hello, sir, who are you looking for?"
The girlās voice was clear and childlike as she asked.
"Sir..."
Upon hearing this, Qi Chuan touched his face transformed by the Illusion Body Talisman and chuckled softly, then said in a gentle voice, "Little girl, Iām looking for the master of your house, are they at home?"
"Youāre looking for my parents? Theyāre at home now." The little girl said.
Parents, huh?
It seems that this little girl must be the daughter of his uncle and aunt.
At this age, she should have been born after he entered the Red Maple Valley main line, now that he thought about it, Qi Chuan realized who this little girl was.
Her name was Qi Yumeng.
Before he had joined the Inner Sect of the Wind Moon Sect, he had returned to White Stone Town and learned that his aunt was pregnant again and gave birth to a little girl, and the timing matched.
"Little Meng, go tell your parents that I have some good goods in hand, and Iām here to do business with them." Qi Chuan smiled as he spoke to the little girl.
Qi Yumeng, hearing this, widened her big round eyes in surprise and said, "Uncle, how do you know my name? Iāve never seen you before."
Qi Chuan smiled, "Iām also from this town. You havenāt seen me, but Iāve seen you and am quite familiar with your parents."
"Is that so? Wait here a moment, Iāll go call them out." Although surprised, Qi Yumeng didnāt pay much attention to it and immediately turned around, her small ponytails bouncing as she trotted into the courtyard.
The little girl didnāt have much of a sense of caution.
After all, White Stone Town is under the Qi Familyās jurisdiction. The town has its own set of rules, and an Immortal Master has been guarding it for years. Outsiders coming to the town to cause trouble would be easily caught and punished.
As for the locals, bound by the rules set by the Qi Family, they didnāt dare to overstep, making the town quite peaceful with little crime.
Watching the little girl leave, Qi Chuan closed his eyes and waited by the gate.
The little girl, Qi Yumeng, made her way through the courtyard and into a large hall. This was the guest reception area. With nothing much to do, the master of the house, Qi Yue, was sitting in the main seat, casually sipping tea from a cup on the table beside him, lost in thought.
Opposite the table, there was another chair where a middle-aged woman was doing simple needlework, knitting a winter garment, her brows slightly furrowed, her expression focused.
Actually, the family lived a very affluent life, and the hostess didnāt need to do such things herself. However, these manual tasks could relieve boredom, and as her hands moved, her worries seemed to lessen.
On the surface, the couple didnāt seem too emotional, and they didnāt bring up that matter, as if trying to forget it altogether.
Yet, such things arenāt easily forgotten. They come to mind from time to time, causing the hostess to pause, making a few wrong stitches, then correcting them.
"Father, Mother!"
Qi Yue, while drinking tea, was looking outside the hall, contemplating, when he heard the cute voice of a little girl.
Both husband and wife immediately looked up and saw the adorable Qi Yumeng hopping inside.
"Mengmeng, whatās the matter?"
Seeing his little daughterās arrival, Qi Yueās face finally showed a trace of a smile, as if healed by her presence.
"Sitting on the ground again? Your little bottom is all dirty..." Aunt softly scolded, noticing the dust and dirt on Qi Yumengās clothes.
The appearance of their own daughter temporarily dispelled some of the old thorns in the coupleās hearts.
Perhaps, over time, those old thorns might completely smooth over and cease to sting, but it would probably take quite a while.
At least when their daughter wasnāt around, the couple would occasionally think of that thorn.
"Father, Mother, thereās an uncle at the gate who says he... has something to do some business with our family." Qi Yumeng recalled and spoke honestly.
"Uncle?"
Hearing the word "uncle", the couple both felt a tremor in their hearts. But upon hearing the latter part, Qi Yue paused slightly and then nodded, saying slowly, "I understand. You go and play."
"Okay, Father."
Knowing her father was aware, Qi Yumeng didnāt mind and hopped away, her mind solely occupied with play at her tender age.
"Iāll go then." Watching his little daughter leave, Qi Yue turned back to his wife and spoke softly.
"Hmm." Aunt merely nodded, taking her needlework and heading towards the inner room.
Uncle Qi Yue straightened his clothes, coughed a few times, and then headed towards the gate.