My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 693 – A Bit Sweet - Part 1

Centuries of longing and the regrets of a past life slowly unraveled in this moment, in the tight embrace that drew them together.

The pain that had never been forgiven, the absurdities of their shared past...all of it began to melt away in the warmth of this embrace.

Li Yuan took a deep, steady breath.

Right now, he had forgotten everything, forgotten where he was, even who he was.

Time seemed to stop. The world disappeared. All that remained was the woman in his arms, his wife, and the way he held her as if never letting go.

A soft smile curled on his lips, but his eyes were red.

He wanted to speak, but when the words reached his throat, they dissolved into silence.

He closed his eyes, his face pressed to hers, cheek to cheek. Ear to ear. Fully immersed in this purest, simplest moment, lost in nothing but the desire for it to last forever.

Xie Yu was smiling too, even as tears streamed down her face. A smile full of joy, sorrow, and release.

"I came in such a rush...forgot to bring a gift," Li Yuan finally managed to say.

He had meant to pick a white plum blossom. But there weren’t any on the way. And time had been cruelly short. He hadn’t even shut his eyes for seven days and nights, racing here nonstop. He had made it, albeit late, but truly, he had given it everything he had.

Xie Yu sniffled and shook her head against his shoulder, telling him she didn’t want any gifts.

On the side, Han Qiongniang looked on, half in shock, half in disbelief. Clearly, she hadn’t recognized him as Lord Yu.

And honestly, who would? Even the head of the Liu Clan himself might not recognize him face-to-face.

Logically speaking, Lord Yu should’ve arrived in Southriver long ago, buried in endless affairs. How could someone like him possibly spare the time to come all the way out here, deep into Southriver’s countryside, just to meet a girl from a minor branch of the Liu Clan?

So even if Li Yuan told her outright, she wouldn’t believe him.

It would be like taking your daughter to a rural matchmaking event, only to have some random scruffy man charge in from the street, grab your daughter in his arms, and claim with utter conviction that he was the Emperor of the World.

No sane parent would believe it.

Han Qiongniang’s first instinct was to yank her daughter away from him as fast as she could. No second thoughts.

And when that man chased after her, she’d clutch her daughter tighter, summon every ounce of strength she had and sprint like hell. Because clearly, a lunatic like that was dangerous.

Then her daughter would turn to her and say that he really was the Emperor of the World.

She would stare back in horror and remark that her daughter was too young and naive.

Han Qiongniang hadn’t said a word yet, but she had been sizing up Li Yuan this whole time. Unfortunately, after days on the road eating wind and dust, the man looked more like a stray than someone from a powerful clan. Disheveled hair, worn clothes, there was no sign of noble upbringing to be found.

Breaking the intimate bubble between the two, Han Qiongniang tugged on her daughter’s sleeve and cleared her throat. Once they had pulled apart slightly, she asked with polite suspicion, “And...which family are you from?”

Li Yuan, sharp as ever, immediately grasped the situation. After a moment’s pause, he nodded with calm respect and answered.

“Auntie, I’m with the Tang Clan.”

“From the Tang Clan?” Han Qiongniang couldn’t help but laugh. “The Tang Clan’s a big place. Technically, I’m from the Tang Clan too. So is Long-Long.”

Li Yuan immediately caught on. She was worried he might just be some down-on-his-luck drifter trying to climb up the family ladder. Before she could go further, he cut in with a smile, “My elder sister is Tang Aizhu.”

Han Qiongniang froze, her mind racing.

The Tang Clan’s infamous Four Poisons were well known far and wide.

They hadn’t shown up during the early power struggles, but when the Tang Clan moved into its defend the realm phase, these four women became legends. No one could count how many enemies they eliminated under Lady Yu’s orders.

People associated the Four Poisons with darkness, cruelty, and terrifying strength, definitely not folks Han Qiongniang wanted to offend.

And Tang Aizhu was Sorrow, the one who, according to rumors, liked reciting poetry at gravesites. A total weirdo, by any standard.

Instantly, Han Qiongniang’s expression changed. The flippant, half-condescending air of a senior judging a junior vanished.

Instead, she asked cautiously, “You’re close with her?”

“Pretty close, yes.” Li Yuan answered with ease. Then he added, “I was working out of town and rushed back on short notice. Didn’t even have time to change, let alone bring a proper gift. And even so...I was still late.”

He smiled as he finished, “I’ve been terribly rude, Auntie.”

Han Qiongniang finally let out a breath of relief. The boy had manners, at least. She sighed.

“Yes, yes, the Tang Clan is busy these days. The Sect Master himself is out on inspection, and everyone else is running around like headless chickens.

“War’s coming. Everyone’s got their hands full. If you couldn’t make it on time, you couldn’t make it. No need to risk everything like that. What if you botched your mission? You’d get chewed out by your superiors for sure.

“I can tell you and Long-Long are close. Since you are, she definitely wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. Young people shouldn’t be so reckless.”

Li Yuan wasn’t the least bit annoyed. It had been a long time since someone spoke to him like this, as if he were a junior being cared for. He nodded and said, “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, Auntie. Come on, let me take you—”

His hand went to his waist, and he realized he had no silver.

Xie Yu gently tugged his hand and said, “Let’s eat something first, rest at the inn.”

Li Yuan agreed at once, “Alright.”

Han Qiongniang suddenly asked, “What’s your name?”

Li Yuan smacked his forehead and replied, “Tang Yuan.”

“Tang Yuan?” Han Qiongniang looked suspicious again. She’d never heard that name before.

Li Yuan quickly added, “We’ll return together. I'll bring you both to see my elder sister first.”

Han Qiongniang found his tone confident and matter-of-fact, which eased her doubts. But just as she nodded again, something occurred to her.

“Wait a minute, the Miss Sorrow is currently in Riverview with Lord Yu. That’s even farther than our Liu Clan estate. The year’s nearly over. Why don’t we go to the Liu Clan first? Our old master’s been longing to see Long’er come home with someone she loves. Let him meet you first, how about that?”

Li Yuan paused for a moment. Was this seriously turning into one of those ridiculous stories? The kind where the local nobodies look down on the mysterious stranger, only for him to smirk with a devilish grin and reveal he was secretly a dragon king in disguise?

The Liu Clan didn’t know who he was. And if the old master of the household had any sense, he’d know that the Tang Clan’s Four Poisons were all orphans with no siblings. That meant that if Li Yuan claimed to be Tang Aizhu’s younger brother, he’d instantly be labeled a liar. A pretender. And then, of course, he’d be looked down upon. That was when the big reveal would come. But even after that, people still probably wouldn’t believe him.

But someone in the Liu Clan would recognize him eventually. They were a respected local family, not some backwoods nobodies. Someone was bound to connect the dots. And when that happened, they’d fall to their knees in stunned reverence, and he’d...what? Curl his lips into a smug little smile?

Just the thought made him cringe.

No, there was no way he was letting that farce play out.

He shook his head and said, “Auntie, please allow me to return to Riverview first and report back. I’ll come to the Liu Clan afterward.”

Han Qiongniang responded, “I see. Then Long-Long and I will wait for you at the Liu estate.”

Li Yuan turned to look at Xie Yu. “That sound alright to you?”

Xie Yu nodded. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

Han Qiongniang felt her head spin. The way her daughter was looking at this man, so trusting, so obedient, it made her fear the girl was being sweet-talked into disaster.

The three of them found a restaurant near the Ginger Tavern for a quick meal, then a quiet inn to rest. After a long, well-earned sleep, they set off north on horseback the next day. Nearing the Liu estate, they finally parted ways for the time being.

Li Yuan donned a mask and returned to Riverview, heading straight for the temporary palace that had been set up. He slipped in through the back entrance and made his way into the inner court.