Sneaking in wasn't as difficult as he thought. Ling Yun had waited till it got dark before breaking in. Using the Third Eye, he found out that Granny Sha was living in the same hut where he and Yaoyao lived in. It was on the outskirts of the clan so the security was very lax.

  With the help of the Third Eye, they easily avoided any guard and easily reached the hut. From the entrance, he could hear footsteps all across the floor as if someone was moving around in worry. Without any announcement he pushed the door open and went inside.

  Upon hearing noise from the entrance, Granny Sha turned around and saw a young man and a masked girl. She was instantly on guard against these strangers but when her gaze fell on the young man's face, her eyes widened in surprise.

  "Young master... is that really you?"

  Her voice was a small whisper as if she didn't want to get her hopes up but the surge of affection in her chest proved that it was indeed him. His face may have changed and matured with age but she could never mistake the way his blue eyes were shining at her with affection.

  Her eyes stared getting wet which in turn made him tear up a little. With steady steps, he went to her and opened his arms.

  "Granny Sha, I have returned. Will you not hug me?"

  "Young master!" With a loud cry filled with emotion, she wrapped him in her embrace and the tears accumulated for two years started to fall. Ling Yun tried to hold them back but soon reached his limit and he also started crying freely. On the side Chen Yinying watched the reunion with fondness but she felt a slight jealousy in her heart.

  ***

  "Young master, you've grown so much. Look at your face, you've become much more handsome."

  Granny Sha was inspecting his face closely making note of all the changes that have happened in the two years he was away from her.

  "Granny Sha, stop it. You're embarassing me."

  Ling Yun felt a little bashful with Granny Sha pampering him infront of Chen Yinying. Although her face was covered by the mask, he could imagine the amused smile and prepared himself for being teased in the future.

  Granny Sha turned and finally took of note of the third person in the house. She had practically forgotten about her being overwhelmed with emotion.

  "Forgive this old lady." She was about to bow in apology for her rudeness when the girl stopped her. She removed her mask and Granny Sha was awestruck by her beauty for a moment. She had never seen a more beautiful woman in her entire life.

  "You don't have to, I can understand. My name is Chen Yinying. Master has told me a lot about you."

  Granny Sha turned to Ling Yun in confusion. "Young master, who is she? Why is she calling you 'master'?"

  His face heated up as he tried to think of a way to explain their weird relationship. What can I say? Even I don't know why she continues to call me that.

  Seeing the troubled look on his face, Chen Yinying started giggling. "It's just something I use to tease him, reminding him of the first time we met. As for what we are-"

  She intentionally paused and looked at him and winked. "You can think of me as a simple acquaintance."

  Granny Sha's looked at both of their faces alternatively. With Ling Yun red with embarassment and the girl smiling mischievously, understanding finally dawned on her.

  "Ohoho, I see. Feel free to call me Granny Sha."

  No Granny Sha, you don't see anything! We aren't like that at all! And you, why did you cause such misunderstanding!

  Ling Yun wanted to protest loudly but knowing any denial from him would only further complicate the situation.

  "Forget about that Granny Sha. Look at this. I'm going to become an alchemist."

  He took out the alchemist apprentice token and showed it to Granny Sha. The old woman had never seen on before so she couldn't actually recognise one but her trust in Ling Yun was supreme. Her fingers lightly traced the characters of his name inscribed on the token with a proud smile.

  "I already knew. My son had written to me about you becoming a disciple of some big alchemist."

  "Oh uncle Ping already informed you of this. Here I was thinking of surprising you "

  Wait a minute. Is this why rumours have spread here of me becoming an alchemist?

  "Granny Sha, did you tell anyone about this?"

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  "As soon as I got the news, I immediately told the patriarch about it-"

  Granny Sha suddenly stopped mid sentence and the smile from her face disappeared. With both of her hands, she grabbed his shoulders and spoke frantically, "Young master, you must immediately meet the patriarch. There is no time left."

  The mention of his father soured his mood a little. He hadn't parted with his father on good terms and due to lingering guilt, he never wanted to see him again. But the desperate look on Granny Sha's face caught his attention.

  "What's the matter Granny Sha?"

  "The patriarch is dying, young master. The doctor said he was terminally ill. He hasn't got much time left."

  Ling Yun trembled violently as if he was struck by lightning. The last time he had seen his father, although drunk he was full of life. How can a man like that just die from sickness?

  "Where is father? Take me to him."

  ***

  The last time he was inside this room, his father had asked him to give him a chance. He promised him a better future where they would repair their broken relationship anovercome difficulties together but Ling Yun dashed those wishes and left the clan.

  And now laying on his death bed infront of him was his father that he had abandoned. In his memories, his father was an imposing man with a robust figure, fitting of a clan patriarch but the person on the bed looked like an old frail man with sunken cheeks, radiating the aura of death.

  Is this my fault? Should I have stayed? Then maybe...

  His fists were tightly clenched as Ling Yun watched his chest rising in shallow painful heaves indicating that his father was still alive. He wanted to wake him, get down on his knees and apologise to him but his heavy guilt had shackled him, preventing him from taking a single step.

  Seconds tuned into minutes and soon an hour had passed with him standing still by his father's side, just silently watching over him. Suddenly there was a grimace on his father's face and then he opened his eyes and started coughing painfully. He coughed for a few seconds, tightly clutching his chest before his eyes finally fell on Ling Yun.

  "Yun'er... my son... No it must be an illusion. Hahahaha!" His father started laughing deliriously. "Why will he come back to his disappointing drunkard of a father? Hahaha!"

  Not wanting to let this continue, Ling Yun kneeled by side and said, "Father it is really me. This unfilial son has returned."

  His mad laughter froze and his father looked at him as if he still couldn't believe it. Slowly he brought his hand close to Ling Yun's face and poked his cheek lightly. Then again and again before cupping his cheek and tears started to fall from his eyes.

  "M-my son, it's really you. Thank the heavens, they have listened to my prayers to allow me to see you for one final time."

  His father lifted his chin and came close to inspect his face, to commit every little detail in his memory. As if suddenly realising something, his father exclaimed, "Get up my son. Stop kneeling. The floor must he hard and cold. And besides I am the one who should be kneeling in apology."

  "No father, it is I who is at fault. I was the one who left."

  His father grabbed his arm and started pulling him up frantically. But with his thin weak arms, he had no hope of even budging Ling Yun a single inch. Not wanting to overexert his father in this condition, Ling Yun reluctantly got up and sat on the bed.

  "Son don't blame yourself for your father's shortcomings. I know I must've been a pretty bad father for you to leave the clan. Ling'er admonished me herself."

  "You mean mother?"

  "Yes, your mother. I can finally see her again. After I collapsed a week ago, she started coming to me in my dreams."

  Ling Yun watched in astonishment at the wide grin on his father's face. He has never seen a hint of a smile on his father's face before. Now his father looked so happy, talking excitedly about his mother. It caused him to feel some trepidation as his mother had died a long time ago. Ling Yun feared his father was losing his mind.

  "I now realise how wrong I was in blaming Yaoyao for her death. Calling my own daughter a cursed child. That poor child, she must have suffered much. Ling Yun, is she alive? Tell me she is still alive."

  The circumstances of Yaoyao's disappearance were never known to the clan so everyone in the village beloved her to be dead but what made Ling Yun happy was his father speaking of Yaoyao by name. It had been years since he addressed her by her name instead of calling her an evil spirit underlined with hatred.

  "Yes father, Yaoyao is still alive. She was taken far away from here. I managed to save her life."

  "Excellent son." The grip on his shoulders tightened as his father smiled in delight. "Atleast I don't have to carry the sin of killing my own child. Yun'er, take good care of her. Not being able to apologise to her will be my greatest regret in life."

  "Father why are you saying this? Don't you give up yet. Live and apologise to Yaoyao yourself!"

  His father smiled gently at him and started patting his head lightly. "My son, my time has come. Your mother has told me that she will be coming to take me with her soon. No, don't cry my son. You know ever since your mother died, the world had looked so colourless to me. It was like a piece of my heart was missing. But now I can finally reunite with her again, be with my Ling'er... my.. lovely .. Ling'er..."

  Ling Yun watched his father's eyes go blank before he collapsed back on the bed unconscious. All this talking had exhausted all of his energy. Ling Yun quickly checked and gave a relieved sigh as he could hear his father's heart still beating.

  This change in his surprised him. He had never expected hs father to realise his faults and stop unfairly blaming Yaoyao. It was what he had wished for his entire childhood, for his father give the love Yaoyao deserves.

  Heavens, why is this so late? My father has finally transformed into the one I always wanted and now you're going take him away from me? Just like you took Yaoyao?

  No, I refuse to let my father die! Just like I saved Yaoyao, I will save my father. I will never let another person dear to me die while I watch helplessly!

  His eyes blazed with conviction and Ling Yun decided that regardless of what father wants, he will forcibly take him to Blue Moon city tomorrow. There are far better doctors there than the village doctor, one of them will definitely save him.

  With his mind made up, hr decided to go back to his old room to think of a plan to take away father from the clan. But when he was about to leave, he caught sight of an empty wine jar lying near the door. Granny Sha had told him that the doctor believed that his father's condition, failure of multiple internal organs was mainly caused by overconsumption of alcohol.

  Feeling angry, Ling Yun picked up the jar and raised it high, ready to smash it on the floor. He was about to when his hands paused and his eyes widened in shock. He carefully brought the jar near to his nose and sniffed. His sense of smell was much stronger than normal due to Nasal Opening pill given by Mu Feixue but what he found chilled him to his bones.

  His father's wine jar was poisoned.