If he truly forgets, itâs hard to say whether it would be a blessing or a curse for the clan.
Before Ethan Chen could ponder further, a report from a clan member reached his ears:
âClan Chief, someone from the Zhou Family is here.â
Ethan quickly gathered his thoughts and went out to greet them.
Just like last time, they arrived on the Wind Chaser Falcon.
However, unlike last time, the leader wasnât Gabriel Zhou but a young man who had been among the group of ten or so people before.
The young man possessed late-stage Blood Condensation Realm strength, and his demeanor and appearance were extraordinary. Last time, Ethan had only paid attention to Gabriel and hadnât noticed this person.
But based on Oliver Chenâs previous description, Ethan guessed that this person had a close relationship with Gabriel.
Anthony Zhouâs expression was calm as he descended with the Wind Chaser Falcon. He gave a slight bow and said:
âI am Anthony Zhou. My uncle is currently busy with family matters and couldnât make it. From now on, Iâll be the one collecting the Blood Rice.â
âSo itâs Young Master Anthony. Please, this way. The Blood Rice is ready. Please check the quantity.â
âNo need, I trust you.â
Anthony said indifferently, his eyes filled with absolute confidence.
Rather than trusting the Chen Clan, it was more accurate to say he trusted his own familyâs strength.
If the Chen Clan dared to deceive them, they would face severe consequences from the Zhou Family.
Anthony came quickly and left just as swiftly.
After loading the Blood Rice, he departed without lingering.
Judging by his hurried manner, there were probably other matters awaiting him in his family.
This seasonâs Blood Rice harvest was significantly more than the last. Even after handing over fifty percent, the clan still had a substantial surplus.
After deducting the clan membersâ daily expenses, the remaining Blood Rice would traditionally be brewed into Rice Wine. However, considering that the roads were now open, Ethan decided not to rush and instructed the clan members to store the surplus Blood Rice.
The next day, the clan held a grand banquet, and the clan members from outside returned one by one.
Daniel Chen, who had just returned to the clan, didnât rush to join the welcoming feast but hurried home instead.
He missed his three-month-old son dearly and couldnât wait any longer.
With excitement, Daniel carried a toy he had found while working on the road and quickly arrived at his doorstep.
The door was closed, and freshly laundered clothes were hanging outside, indicating that his family hadnât gone out.
Suppressing his excitement, Daniel walked in briskly.
But just as he entered, before he could call out, he heard a strange voice inside.
It wasnât his wifeâs voice but sounded like a manâs voice. He didnât catch it clearly, but the unfamiliar sound made Daniel pause.
Then, another voice reached his ears:
âHe should be back soon. Donât scare him when he arrives.â
This voice was familiarâit was his wifeâs. But what did she mean by not scaring him?
Daniel didnât know what was happening inside but chose to trust his wife. After taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and called out:
âWife, Iâm back.â
Inside, his wife looked delighted:
âDaniel, youâre back.â
âYes.â
Daniel looked around and saw no one else, but his doubts werenât entirely dispelled. However, when he saw the familiar baby on the bed, a smile reappeared on his face, and he hurriedly picked up his son.
âWait, be careful.â
His wife reminded him from the side.
Daniel was displeased. That was his sonâhow could he not be careful?
What did she mean by that?
Holding his son, Daniel looked down and found that his son had grown significantly in the two months he hadnât seen him. He now looked like a one-year-old baby.
Though the growth was rapid, Daniel was still very happy.
âDad, youâre finally back. I missed you so much.â
A strange voice reached his ears, and when Daniel realized that the childlike voice came from his sonâs mouth, he almost dropped the baby in shock.
But reason quickly overpowered instinct. Although startled, Daniel didnât let go.
Looking at the smiling baby with pitch-black eyes in his arms, Daniel was confused.
Wait, his three-month-old son could talk?
And so fluently?
Was this really his son?
With a puzzled expression, Daniel carefully examined the baby in his arms again and confirmed that it was indeed his son.
âDad, what are you looking for? Let me help you.â
The babyâs eyes darted around as he spoke again.
Despite having experienced it once, Daniel was still very excited. He hurriedly said to his wife:
âWife, he spoke! He called me Dad!â
His wife looked helpless and scolded:
âI told you not to scare your dad, but you just wouldnât listen.â
Daniel was momentarily stunned, then realized what the earlier voices meant.
But his smile didnât fade.
Could it be that his son was truly a genius?
While overjoyed, Daniel also felt a bit worried.
His son was indeed a genius, but at three months old, wasnât he too much of a genius? Daniel turned and asked:
âWife, does anyone else in the clan know about our sonâs ability to talk?â
Seeing Danielâs concern, his wife comforted him:
âI was also shocked when he first spoke, but donât worry. I asked the Clan Chief, and he said itâs because our son received the Sacred Treeâs blessing, making him much smarter than other babies.â
Hearing this explanation, Daniel felt relieved and started playing with the baby in his arms.
âSon, call me Dad again.â
The baby looked helpless but didnât refuse. The family was filled with joy.
âŠ
In the Ancestral Hall, Ethan Chen finished worshiping the Sacred Tree and looked up with respect.
In the past two months, the Sacred Tree had grown splendidly, doubling its height from two meters to over five meters, and a new cluster of leaves had sprouted from the original four.
These changes indicated that the Sacred Tree was in excellent condition.
This gave Ethan more confidence in the clanâs future plans.
Now that the clanâs roads were open, the next step was to connect with the outside world and purchase necessary items from the nearest Yongâan City, whether it be ironware, rare herbs, cultivation insights, or books.
These were all essential for the clan. To see a broader world, they needed to acquire new knowledge in various fields.
But before that, the clan needed enough Jade Coins.
Without money, they couldnât buy anything.
Ethan already had a preliminary plan for this.
PS: Hello, dear readers. The author wants to test some book titles but canât think of any good ones. I hope to gather ideas from everyone. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
To show my gratitude, Iâll add an extra chapter tomorrow.
Last time, I used red envelopes, but the platform blocked the messages, so some readers didnât receive them.