Monarch Night

The smoke wafted gently, a faint fragrance carried by the wind.

The tobacco scent spread with the breeze.

A group of children, both boys and girls, ran laughing from the village entrance, chasing a girl holding a candy apple, circling around before disappearing back into the village.

Only the crisp laughter echoed continuously, along with the children’s pleading: "Let me have a bite! Just one bite!"

As the two approached, the sound of dogs barking began, with one household’s dog barking, several others joined in, soon half the village was filled with dog barks.

The gate of the most peripheral household was wooden, a few roosters and hens leisurely roamed the yard.

An old man sat outside his house with a pipe, wrinkles deeply etched on his aged face; seeing Sun Wutian approach, the old man bowed and stood up with a humble smile: "Young master back from the slopes? Want to come in for a bowl of water?"

Sun Wutian paused and said: "You old Wang, I told you earlier, smoking does no good, but you don’t listen. Still drinking?"

Old Wang nodded: "Hehe, I know it’s bad, but it’s hard to quit. As for drinking, it’s every now and then, about half a jin each time."

Sun Wutian laughed and cursed: "You’ll drink yourself to death sooner or later, alright, later I’ll have your son come over to my place, bring a jar for you to drink, don’t you go to the King of Hell and complain about never tasting good wine."

Then he continued: "Forget it, I’ll have someone deliver it to you, your son probably wouldn’t dare to take it."

The old man joyfully replied: "Thank you, young master, hehe, today the old man gets to enjoy good wine thanks to you. It wasn’t for your care all these years, my family would’ve starved... Now we’re well-fed and well-drunk, my son even found himself a wife... Ah, life is looking up."

Sun Wutian laughed heartily, saying: "If life’s looking up, you should live a couple more years! Hold your great-grandson before you go, what will you say to the old lady if not?"

"Indeed, indeed, young master is right, need to live a couple more years," old Wang chuckled, watching Sun Wutian walk past, he bowed: "Take care, young master... don’t forget the old man’s wine..."

"This shameless old thing!"

Sun Wutian laughed and cursed as he walked away.

Fang Che followed behind.

Old Wang continued to smile contentedly, squatting by his doorstep.

Throughout, he seemed not to see Fang Che at all.

As if... he was a living person, and Fang Che was a ghost, a specter passing before him, naturally invisible.

Sun Wutian walked deeper into the village, continuously greeted by people.

Sun Wutian also exchanged pleasantries along the way.

His face full of smiles, his body relaxed.

Arriving at the largest house in the village, a servant opened the door to welcome him in, offering warm greetings, someone stepped forward to brush the dust off him.

Eventually, he sat in the house’s living room.

Everyone shared one thing.

That is... none saw Fang Che.

But Fang Che didn’t mind, he knew these were people of Sun Wutian’s imagination, not real existing characters. If they could see him and greet him, then that would indeed be strange.

Yet from this village, he truly saw into Sun Wutian’s inner world.

Just unsure... was this originally Sun Wutian’s family, or was it a family Sun Wutian built in concealment after a major change?

Just from this village, it was impossible to tell which one it really was. Because it was unclear whether this was the southern part of Baiyun State City.

"Sit down."

Sun Wutian said mildly, waving his hand, taking out tea from the space ring. He said softly: "This is my home."

"Yes."

Fang Che said, head bowed.

"Are you curious, which home exactly is this?" Sun Wutian asked.

"Yes."

"You’ll know once you go out."

Sun Wutian reminisced for a moment, smiled, and said: "My current appearance is how my grandfather looked back then."

Fang Che instantly understood.

This might be Sun Wutian’s most beautiful memory?

Probably back then, Sun Wutian’s grandfather brought him back from the fields, greeting and warming hearts along the way, full of happiness.

So much that after all these years, Sun Wutian never forgot a single bit.

He actually turned his Absolute Domain into his dream of happiness.

Sun Wutian smiled faintly: "Rui Qianshan with Ningxue Sword in mid-air then, you heard it, didn’t you."

"Yes."

"He wasn’t wrong."

Sun Wutian gazed at the ancient house, saying softly: "I caused harm to my family. I could’ve comfortably farmed and honestly been a landowner, why did I foolishly pursue martial arts! And my talent was top quality! The whole family pampered me, whatever I wanted was given, just to help me rise in the martial arts world."

"As a Samurai, the whole village ate meat, as a martial master, the whole village drank wine, as a Grandmaster, the whole village received silver, I..."

"And when I was impressive enough, I even went out to act as a hero. I intervened in some trivial matter, chased away a bunch of bandits... I even accepted gratitude, proud over there, thought of developing a romance with some lady... flirty days passed and came home to find no family."

Sun Wutian’s voice was very calm.

Though full of profanity, seemingly indignant, the voice remained calm.

"...The whole family died because of my heroic acts."

"...It was my own fault."

"I lied, it’s not the Guardian’s fault, nor the Guardian Protector, but my home’s gone. Because of my heroic acts, gone..."