Chapter 59: Going to Jiang Nan City

The week flew past and before I knew it, it was time for us to go to Jiang Nan City.

Both Mu Rong Shu and I had packed up our luggage the day before, bringing whatever clothing we needed and hauling them into the trunk. We then got ready for the long drive ahead. It would take about four hours to drive from Cheng Shi City to Jiang Nan City, but I was ready for it. There would be rest stops in between, in case we needed bathroom breaks or drinks, but I planned to drive without stopping. Well, we would see how it goes.

Before we could leave, however, I received a call from Mu Rong Lao. My grandfather-in-law had been made aware that we were closing the antique store for a week because of vacation, which was fine because nobody visited the store anyway (and it was a cover for more…secretive businesses). He had no reason to disapprove of this little vacation, even though the Spirit War was still raging on.

So you could imagine my surprise when he called me.

"Do you mind dropping by the main house for a bit before you go?" he asked. I glanced at Mu Rong Shu, who shrugged and indicated that she was all right with it. Well, he was her grandfather, after all. She had no reason to refuse.

"Okay. We'll be there shortly."

The Mu Rong manor wasn't so large that I needed to drive from my and my wife's house to the main house, so we made the journey on foot first. Unsurprisingly, Mu Rong Lao was on the patio, waiting patiently for us. He beamed broadly when he caught sight of us and waved us over.

"Ah, Xiao Shu! Huan Shi!"

"Granddad."

"Grandfather."

The both of us greeted him politely. He nodded in approval and beckoned us into the house where a servant immediately served us drinks. He bade us sit on the sofa before he took a seat on his favorite armchair.

"You're going to Jiang Nan City, correct?"

"That's right." I nodded, glancing at Mu Rong Shu, who also nodded. "We're visiting Shu's maternal family for the Dragon Boat Festival."

"Excellent." For some reason, Mu Rong Lao looked pleased. He then took something out of his storage device and placed it in front of us. I recognized it as one of the Solar Amulets that my wife and I had retrieved from the Tomb of the Nine Suns.

"That's…"

"Yeah, it's a Solar Amulet. Like I said, I've been helping you sell off the Divine Treasures that you recovered from the tombs you explored. I found a buyer in Jiang Nan City. I was going to ship it to him, but you know how it is…you can't just simply send something as expensive and valuable as the Solar Amulet through post. So I needed to send someone to personally deliver it to the buyer in person. Then I remembered that the both of you are going to Jiang Nan for the Dragon Boat Festival."

"That's right." Mu Rong Shu nodded. She glanced at me. "Sure, we can deliver it for you. Who are we selling it to?"

"Tang Li," Mu Rong Lao replied. I sat up in my seat, blinking in surprise.

"Tang Li?"

"You know him?" Mu Rong Shu asked, noting my reaction. I nodded.

"Yeah, he's an old friend. He's a fire-type cultivator." No wonder he wanted the Solar Amulet. It would certainly benefit him, especially since they used the same type of yang qi for his cultivation or its functions. I smiled and leaned back, reminiscing over the past. "He's an honorable sort of person, but he's also a martial arts fanatic."

"Oh…I would love to meet him too." Mu Rong Shu looked curious. I nodded, delighted.

"Sure! I'll introduce him. I'll call him before we get there, to let him know we are dropping by for a visit."

"I'm sure your friend will be happy to see you." Mu Rong Lao nodded with a smile. "I didn't imagine that it would be so coincidental. The heavens work in mysterious ways sometimes."

"Yeah." I accepted the Solar Amulet from him. "Don't worry, granddad. I'll definitely get the Solar Amulet to him in no time at all."

"I trust you. Both you and Xiao Shu." Mu Rong Lao nodded and rose from his seat to see us off. "Have a safe journey, you two. Be careful. I heard the Spirit War is still going on."

"We will." Even though the main threats – Su Da Ji and the Qin Emperor – had been eliminated, there were other summoners waiting in the wings, looking for opportunities. As of yet they were still unaware of Wang Ni Tian and Wang Ling Er's deaths, but all that might change in a heartbeat once the Wang family realized that they had gone missing for so long.

After putting the Solar Amulet in my storage device, I made a quick phone call. Tang Li sounded as warm as ever.

"You're coming to Jiang Nan?"

"Yeah, visiting my wife's family. We have something for you!"

"That's right! This will be the first time I'll be meeting sister-in-law! Speaking of which, why didn't you invite me to the wedding?!"

"Oh, we didn't have a wedding." I chuckled sheepishly. "So many things happened, and…you know how I was kicked out of the Zhao family. I wanted to keep a low profile and my wife didn't want to waste money."

"Damn…we'll celebrate your marriage when you get here. You must bring sister-in-law along, you hear? You said you'll be here today?"

"Yeah, but we will be dropping by my wife's relatives' place first. Let's arrange a time sometime tomorrow. I have something for you."

I briefly told him what happened and he listened intently for a few moments before sighing.

"Whoa, so you married into the Mu Rong family. I didn't know that. What a small world! Yeah, I'll grab the Solar Amulet from you tomorrow then. I'll wire the money over once I receive it."

"Yeah. Send it to my grandfather-in-law. He'll take care of everything. But wait till I hand it over first."

"Hah! I trust you."

"I know, but…you know how I work. I don't intend of taking people's trust for granted. Wait until you get the Solar Amulet before paying. You never know what will happen in between."

"Yeah." Tang Li clicked his tongue. "I never imagined that the Zhao family would kick you out. They are fools."

"Grandma held too much power." I shook my head in disgust. "She believed some old Daoist's tale about my brother being the emperor and me being trash, so she was determined to kick me out and eliminate me before I can threaten his position as heir."

"Didn't he get killed or something?" Tang Li burst out laughing. "She must be feeling like an idiot now! So you're going back to succeed the Zhao family?"

"Never."

"They must be regretting it now! They reap what they sow!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Anyway, I'm hanging up now. I have to drive for four hours, so I had better get started. See you!"

"Yeah, see you!"

Mu Rong Shu watched me while I got into my car and behind the steering wheel. "You seem like very good friends."

"We are."

"You're making me more curious now. Come to think of it, you rarely introduced me to any of your friends."

"I have very few friends." I smiled bitterly. Thanks to grandma isolating me from the outside world and locking me up inside a kennel meant more for dogs than humans, I had suffered quite a bit, unable to socialize like normal people. I had to depend totally on myself to survive.

"How did you end up befriending someone from Jiang Nan?"

"Long story." I pushed my glasses up my nose before returning my hand to the steering wheel and gently guided my Toyota through the driveway and out of the Mu Rong estate. "We met while I was busily cultivating my Divine Dragon three years ago…before I was driven out of the Zhao family. I was on a mission, looking for stuff to strengthen my summoned spirit, and I met him in a tomb next to a river in Jiang Nan. He was…fighting against a group of ice-type cultivators. I decided to lend him a hand because of how outnumbered he was."

Honestly, I had a sneaking feeling that Tang Li didn't need my help. He was a competent cultivator even back then, with impressive strength and incredible control over his flames. But he claimed that I had saved his life after the two of us defeated the group of ice cultivators (with much difficulty), and we became good friends after that. He vowed to repay me, despite me not doing much. I wasn't comfortable receiving such overwhelming gratitude, but Tang Li was such a passionate and hot-headed fella that it was hard to refuse him.

We ended up becoming sworn brothers, with Tang Li promising to come to my aid whenever I was in trouble. When I was kicked out of the Zhao family, he was the first to offer his help, but I assured him that I had found a new home – especially since I married into the Mu Rong family. I didn't tell him that my wife was from the Mu Rong family back then, probably because I didn't think it was necessary to go into such detail, but he was aware that I was married.

I briefly told Mu Rong Shu about this and she listened intently, nodding and occasionally asking some questions to clarify.

"At least you have a good friend," she finally replied. I shrugged.

"It's been so long. I really should catch up with him."

"Yeah. Make sure you do. One must maintain bonds of brotherhood and friendship."

We were so caught up in our conversation that we didn't realize how quickly time flew past. Before we knew it, the four hours had gone and we reached Jiang Nan City. Relying on the global positioning system in my smartphone, I drove toward Yan Wan's house. They lived in one of those terrace houses that stretched along a suburban area, which meant I had to park my Toyota outside their house, along the pavement. My wife and I disembarked and went to the gates, ringing the doorbell.

Yan Wan and her parents showed up a few seconds later. Yan Yang and Ru Feng were Mu Rong Shu's uncle and aunt, the brother and sister-in-law of her mother.

"Xiao Shu, it's been so long! You've grown more beautiful!" Ru Feng exclaimed, reaching out to hug Mu Rong Shu a little. Yan Yang nodded.

"Uncle, aunt," I greeted politely, but the both of them pointedly ignored me. Yan Wan, on the other hand, giggled when she looked at my car.

"Still driving the same old Toyota, I see. Can't afford to upgrade?"

"Why do I need to upgrade? Toyotas are reliable, efficient and comfortable." I frowned, only for Yan Wan to sneer.

"My boyfriend drives an Audi. It looks so much better than your silly and cheap Toyota."

I really didn't understand people's obsession with material objects and brands. I love my Toyota, and I couldn't care less if other people drove an Audi. Whatever car I chose was my business. I was loyal to Toyota and no one could change my mind on what car I decided to own.

"Come in, come in." Yan Yang ignored the exchange and gestured for us to enter the house. "No point standing around out here. Make yourselves comfortable."

"We've prepared a room for you," Ru Feng added, and I didn't miss the disdainful look she shot me. I honestly didn't understand why people looked down on me. Was it because I was the protagonist? What was wrong with being a son-in-law? "It should be spacious enough. Let me know if you need anything else."

"We will, Auntie Ru Feng," Mu Rong Shu said. I silently brought the luggage out of the hatchback trunk and brought them through the gates, carrying them into the house and following our hosts' lead. Mu Rong Shu made to help me, but I shook my head. The Yan family was already looking down on me. I didn't want to give them any more excuse to insult me.

Thankfully, I didn't have to interact with them for much longer. They left us to our own devices, allowing us to unpack in our room. While we opened up our luggage, I couldn't help but sigh wearily.

This was going to be a long few days.