Wearing cloaks and braving the snow, Yan Liqiang and his party returned to Liuhe Town at nightfall. As soon as Yan Liqiang returned to the Yan family mansion, the entire compound became lively.
"Sir, you're back!"
As soon as Yan Liqiang got off the horse, Yu Qing ran over and took the cloak that Yan Liqiang had taken off.
"Are you used to living in Liuhe Town these days?" Yan Liqiang said as he walked inside from the yard. As he walked, he looked at the little girl Yu Qing. He didn't know if it was because her life had settled down or because the little girl was growing up. After not seeing her for almost a month, Yan Liqiang felt that Yu Qing's cheeks had become fuller and she had grown taller. At first glance, she looked already quite graceful.
"Master and Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou all take good care of me. Aunt Wu also taught me a lot. I am doing very well here!" Yu Qing said obediently.
"Are you practicing the kung fu and basic skills I taught you?" Yan Liqiang asked casually.
"Practicing!" Yu Qing nodded.
"Okay, the key to practicing is persistence. If you encounter something you don't understand, don't try to do it recklessly. Ask me first, otherwise you will hurt yourself by trying to do it recklessly. It will not be worth the effort, and haste makes waste!"
Yu Qing quickly glanced at Yan Liqiang, a blush flashed across her face, "Yeah,"
As they were talking, Zhou Hongda, who knew Yan Liqiang had returned, came trotting over from the front yard, "Greetings, sir!"
"Where's my dad?"
"Well, the master is in the dining room. He has been in the blacksmith's workshop for a long time these days, so dinner is a little late..."
"Okay, then I'll go to the dining room too. I haven't eaten yet. Butler Zhou, please have someone prepare ginger soup and dinner for Haihe and the others..."
"Yes, I have asked someone to prepare it, it will be ready soon!"
"Um!"
…
Yan Liqiang had dinner today with Yan Dechang and Zhou Tiezhu. Knowing that Yan Liqiang was back, housekeeper Zhou asked the kitchen to prepare a few dishes and send them over. The three of them sat around the table and had dinner together, just like they did before when the Yan family was not well-off.
After dinner, Zhou Tiezhu knew that Yan Dechang and his son had something to say, so he left first.
"You just arrived in Pingxi City this time, and the Shatu people have caused such a big trouble. I heard about it in Zhenshan. It is said that the assassin killed many Shatu people in Pingxi City. Did those Shatu people come after you?" As soon as Zhou Tiezhu left, Yan Dechang couldn't help it and asked out the issue that concerned him most.
"Those Shatu people were originally coming for me..." Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Yan Liqiang told Yan Dechang what happened in Pingxi City.
Sure enough, when Yan Dechang heard that the Shatu people were planning to assassinate Yan Liqiang, he suddenly became nervous, "What should we do next time? If it doesn't work once, with the temper of those Shatu people, there will definitely be a second time, a third time..."
"Those Shatu people are indeed difficult to deal with. Not to mention that my current position as the Protector of Qiyun will irritate them, I guess the prime minister in the Imperial Capital City doesn't want me to have an easy time either. But father, you don't have to worry. The Shatu people are also human beings. They suffered heavy losses this time. I estimate that they will calm down in the short term and will not attack again for the time being!"
"We can't just wait for them to come. As the saying goes, you can only steal for a thousand days but never be on guard against thieves. This won't work!" Yan Dechang still looked worried.
"It's actually very easy to make the Shatu people give up. We just need to let them know that they can't afford the loss of assassinating me or that they simply can't assassinate me anymore. Many things in this world can't be solved by a few assassins. If assassins can solve all problems, it would be simple!" Yan Liqiang smiled and said firmly, "So this time when I came back, I just wanted to tell my father that I will leave Qinghe Town tomorrow and find a place by myself. I will practice in seclusion for about half a year. As long as I improve my cultivation, I will not be afraid of any assassins sent by the Shatu people!"
"You're right. Ironmaking depends on one's own strength. As long as my skills improve, I won't be afraid of the despicable methods of the Shatu people. So where are you going to practice?"
"I haven't thought about it yet. We'll see when the time comes. Just find a quiet place. I guess it's not in Pingxi County, but it won't be too far away from Pingxi County!"
"Can't I do that at home?"
"The spearmanship I'm practicing now will make a lot of noise when I really practice it, and the environment I need is a bit special. My home isn't very suitable for it, and if I stay home I might even bring trouble to my family. I'll just find a place in the wild!"
"Leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, we'll leave tomorrow. I've already told Uncle Qian about the matters at the Manufacturing Bureau. By the way, a four-wheeled carriage will be sent from the Manufacturing Bureau tomorrow. It's for you, father. We have to hurry today, and the four-wheeled carriage is not as fast as the Rhino Horse, so we rode the Rhino Horse back..."
"Don't worry and go into seclusion!" Yan Dechang patted Yan Liqiang's shoulder heavily. "Butler Zhou and Steward Lu are both very capable. You don't have to worry about the family affairs. The county magistrate came to visit our family the day before yesterday and asked about our well-being. After you came back this time, the people in the whole town also sided with our family. Now in Pingxi County, I guess no one dares to cause trouble for our Yan family. Wait a few days, I will ask Butler Zhou to recruit a few more capable guards and experts. Our family is not short of money now..."
"Father, you don't have to worry about the guards. I met with the governor this time, and he has promised me that he will introduce some retired veterans from the Ganzhou Army to our Yan family as guards in a few days. Those veterans have been on the battlefield for a long time and have seen all kinds of battles. They are all loyal and reliable. When those veterans come, you don't have to worry about the safety of your family anymore!"
Yan Dechang often sighed, "This is good!"
"When the veterans arrive, Father, you can arrange for them to train the young people in Liuhe Town first, as a preliminary preparation for them to join the Kyudo Club..."
…
After chatting with Yan Dechang and discussing the arrangements for the next six months, Yan Liqiang returned to the courtyard where he lived. After calling Hu Haihe and Yu Qing to give them some instructions, he began to pack his luggage and some necessary items for his meditation that evening.
The collapse of the Tiandao Divine Realm was because he was assassinated by a master lurking in the Sword God Sect. His journey back to Ganzhou was also extremely dangerous and murderous. As soon as he returned to Pingxi County, the Shatu killer came. Yan Liqiang seemed calm, but these successive encounters have made him feel a deep sense of crisis. It was for this reason that Yan Liqiang decided to practice in seclusion this time. Yan Liqiang planned to use half a year to take his strength to a new level, so that he could have more capital to save his life, and then give a big surprise to those who still wanted to kill him by despicable means.
The next day, before dawn, Yan Liqiang, wearing a thick cloak, carrying a dragon-back steel spear and a war bow, a bag and a quiver on his back, left the Yan family compound silently...
It was freezing cold outside, with heavy snow falling. In just one night, the entire earth was covered in a vast expanse of white.
Just after leaving Liuhe Town, Yan Liqiang saw that there was no one around. He took his spear and used his Qinggong skills to run several feet in one step in the wilderness. In the blink of an eye, Yan Liqiang's figure disappeared in the snowstorm...
(End of this chapter)