Chapter 186: The Su Family Patriarch

Chapter 186: The Su Family Patriarch

That morning, as Lu Chen yawned and stepped out of the wooden house, he saw a man standing quietly on the Feiyan Terrace not far from his hut. The man, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, had an elegant demeanor and a calm expression. Perhaps due to his age, his temples were flecked with gray, but it was clear that he was still in his prime.

The man stood there, gazing at the sea of clouds beyond the cliff. Hearing Lu Chen’s footsteps, he turned around, smiled warmly, and nodded in greeting. “Hello.”

“Hello, sir. May I ask who you are?” Lu Chen responded politely, realizing he didn’t recognize the man.

The man approached, stopping a few feet away—close enough to be courteous, but not so close as to be intrusive. He looked Lu Chen up and down, then smiled and said, “You must be Lu Chen?”

“Yes, that’s me. Do you know me, sir?” Lu Chen asked, a bit surprised.

The man smiled and said, “Ah, we haven’t met before. My name is Su Tianhe.”

“Su Tianhe...” Lu Chen repeated the name to himself, then suddenly realized who the man resembled. “Are you from the Su family?”

Su Tianhe nodded with a smile, “I’m the head of the Su family and Su Qingjun’s father.”

Lu Chen was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the head of the Su family to visit Feiyan Terrace alone this early in the morning. Su Tianhe’s demeanor was refined and distinguished, quite different from the younger members of his family.

Su Tianhe glanced at Lu Chen’s face, sighed after a moment, and said, “Brother Lu, I have failed in raising my children and managing my household, causing you suffering. This is all the fault of the Su family, and I apologize to you.”

With that, he respectfully bowed to Lu Chen.

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. He quickly stepped aside, saying, “Please, sir, you don’t need to do this. I can’t accept it.”

Su Tianhe smiled and said, “Brother Lu, you are reasonable and a true gentleman. I’m sure you’re also broad-minded.” As he spoke, he pulled out a cloth bag and placed it in Lu Chen’s hand. “Inside are some rare spiritual materials, worth a few thousand spirit stones. It’s a small token of my apology; please accept it and don’t hold any grudge against the Su family.”

He looked at Lu Chen earnestly. Lu Chen showed some discomfort, nodding, “Sir, you’re too kind. I don’t know if I can accept this.”

As they exchanged polite refusals, Lu Chen’s fingers tightened around the bag. Su Tianhe noticed this, a faint smile playing on his lips, and insisted Lu Chen accept the gift.

After some back-and-forth, Lu Chen finally accepted the bag, thanking Su Tianhe with a smile.

After chatting for a while, Su Tianhe glanced at the cave residence and then turned to Lu Chen, saying, “Brother Lu, it’s getting late. Could you please go and call Qingjun to come out and meet me?”

Lu Chen was a bit surprised. “Sir, you are her father. Wouldn’t it be better for you to go directly and call her?”

Su Tianhe sighed, “Brother Lu, you don’t know. While I was away, Qingjun had a big argument with my wife and some brothers. They haven’t spoken since. I scolded them when I returned and came up the mountain immediately.”

※※※

“It’s said that the hardest bond to sever is the one between parents and children,” Lu Chen remarked to Lao Ma. “Unfortunately, I never experienced that feeling growing up, so I don’t know if it’s truly as deep and unbreakable as they say.”

Lao Ma chuckled, “Who wouldn’t agree? But I didn’t expect you’d honestly relay that old Su’s message. I thought you might at least twist it a bit.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not that kind of person,” Lu Chen replied.

“Believe me, you are,” Lao Ma said, ducking to avoid a cup Lu Chen threw at him. He grinned, “So, as a result of your message, Su Qingjun went down the mountain to visit her family today?”

Lu Chen nodded, “She’s been a dutiful daughter for twenty years, with both parents alive. It’s not so easy to cut ties. And don’t underestimate Su Tianhe; he’s shrewd and far from easy to deal with, much better than his useless nephews.”

Lao Ma agreed, “Indeed. The Su family has thrived these past years, largely thanks to Su Tianhe.”

Lu Chen changed the subject, asking, “How many days until the next full moon?”

Lao Ma hesitated, then frowned in thought. “Why are you asking? Let’s see... It’s about nineteen days away.”

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then asked, “Will Dead Baldy be back by then?”

Lao Ma’s expression grew serious as he fixed his gaze on Lu Chen. “What’s going on? Is there news about the traitor?”

Lu Chen hesitated briefly before explaining the mysterious symbol he had found in the forest and what he understood from it. “I can’t say for sure if the traitor will show up or if we’ll meet, but it’s possible.”

Lao Ma thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll report this immediately. Come back in three days, alright?”

Lu Chen nodded, “Alright.”

A trace of hope appeared on Lao Ma’s face. “If we can catch the traitor this easily, it’ll be a relief.”

Lu Chen smiled, “What, did you expect to be searching for ten years or something?”

Lao Ma chuckled, “Not ten years, but I did think it might take at least a few.”

They shared a laugh, then Lu Chen casually asked, “By the way, have you ever heard of a creature with three green eyes, resembling a small snake, that devours flesh?”

(Continued...)