Nine Star Hegemon Body Art

After rushing for over a day, Long Chen finally found the tracks that Little Snow had left behind. This was where Little Snow had been teleported.

This was already extremely far from the Yin family’s ancestral land. Following the tracks Little Snow had left behind for over a day, he finally arrived at a small city. 

Long Chen found his family in an inn. Within the entire inn, the only guests were the Long family.

That was because as soon as Little Snow had come, the other guests had all fled in terror. This place was just a small city, and the population didn’t exceed a hundred thousand. Even the Tendon Transformation realm was considered extremely powerful while Bone Forging experts were peerless. How could they have ever seen a fifth rank Magical Beast?

When Long Tianxiao had arrived on Little Snow’s back, even the manager of the inn had been prepared to run. Little Snow’s aura was just too terrifying.

He directly told Long Tianxiao that he could pick whatever room he wanted. If Long Tianxiao hadn’t comforted him, the manager would have long since fled.

Seeing Long Chen had arrived, Mrs. Long immediately hugged him, sobbing. Long Tianxiao’s eyes were also red. He had thought he would never be able to see Long Chen again.

“Mom, child was unfilial, implicating you.” Long Chen was also choked with sobs. He had gone out to cultivate on his own, and due to that, he had implicated his parents, causing them to suffer.

“Foolish child, what nonsense. Come, meet your little sister. I came up with her name, Long Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu, quickly come greet your big brother. This is the big brother your mom and dad have told you about.” Mrs. Long pulled the little girl over.

“Big brother…”

The little girl looked at Long Chen with her pure eyes. She was slightly afraid, as well as slightly curious. She hid behind Mrs. Long’s leg, caught between not daring to look at him and wanting to see him.

“Xiaoyu? As in the pretty daughter of a humble family? Mom, it seems you’re afraid my sister will run off too!” laughed Long Chen. From this name, it seemed his mother didn’t hope for Xiaoyu to have any accomplishments. All she wanted was for her to peacefully live by her side, being an obedient child.

But hearing this name, Long Chen remembered another figure who was only slightly bigger than Xiaoyu. It seemed she had also said her name, and it was very similar. But he had forgotten what it was exactly.

“Come, Xiaoyu, do you want a hug from your big brother?” Long Chen kneeled down and clapped his hands, smiling.

“Mommy… I’m afraid…” The little girl continued to hide behind Mrs. Long shyly.

“Foolish girl, that’s your big brother! Did you forget how he has saved us?” Mrs. Long looked at Xiaoyu tenderly, rubbing her small head.

“But… he’s different from the paintings you showed me… He’s a bit… savage,” whispered Xiaoyu into Mrs. Long’s ears.

Hearing this, the three of them immediately laughed. But Long Chen’s laughter was a bit self-mocking. He knew what paintings Xiaoyu was talking about.

That was the comic that had been extremely popular back in Phoenix Cry. At that time, Long Chen had truly just been a youth. Now, over two years had passed, and he had already grown up.

Not only had his face become more steadfast, but due to the struggles on the cultivation path, he had also slaughtered countless people. That murderous aura in his bones was hard to conceal.

Although Long Chen had already withdrawn that aura, Xiaoyu was a child and was exceptionally sensitive to that kind of aura. She naturally felt he was scary.

Seeing that Xiaoyu refused to get closer, Long Chen simply smiled and told Mrs. Long to do her best to coax her. Long Chen went into another room and gave Long Tianxiao a medicinal pill to regrow his limbs. In just an incense stick’s worth of time, he was fully healed

“Chen-er, you’ve had it hard in the outside world.” Long Tianxiao patted Long Chen on the shoulder, sighing.

Although Long Chen was now the same height as Long Tianxiao, in Long Tianxiao’s eyes, Long Chen would forever be that small child. Seeing Long Chen’s steadfast face, Long Tianxiao felt a sour feeling. The only one who knew how much Long Chen had suffered was himself.

Long Chen forced back his tears, smiling. “Dad, your child doesn’t have it hard. The outside world is very brilliant. I have many great beauties and many hot-blooded brothers…”

Long Chen told his father about his experiences. However, he only mentioned the good parts. The sadness, the powerlessness he felt, those portions he omitted.

“Chen-er, your decision today makes me both happy and troubled. I’m happy that even after all those trials and hardships, you still managed to retain your original heart. But I’m also troubled, because even after experiencing that much slaughter, you still haven’t been able to make your heart vicious and ruthless. I’m afraid that the same thing will happen again in front of you, and at that time, perhaps you really will fall,” sighed Long Tianxiao.

Long Chen cared too deeply about the people close to him. That was something gratifying, but such a person would suffer far too much in the outside world.

“Dad, don’t worry. I definitely won’t fall into this kind of trap again,” promised Long Chen.

“Your mother and I are not going back to Phoenix Cry. We’ll find a small village for ourselves to live in peacefully. These years, all I’ve done is battle and fight. But that never managed to bring anything back for us. This time, it seems I’ve gained a flash of insight. I want to try being an ordinary person. Hunting, farming, resting when the sun’s down, working when the sun’s up, living carefree and unrestrained.” Long Tianxiao smiled.

“Dad…”

“Chen-er, don’t feel bad. You should feel excited for your dad. I really did gain a flash of insight. Living in itself is also a kind of cultivation.

“Some people care so much about the result, that they’ve forgotten that sometimes the journey of cultivation is even more important than the result.

“When I was young, I only wanted to get stronger. I cared too much about the result. Now I realize, the result is unknown, but the journey is within my control.

“I won’t care about the result for now. What I want to do is allow my journey to become even more brilliant. When you were young, I didn’t accompany you while you grew up. That is my greatest regret.

“Now the heavens have given me another chance, sending Xiaoyu to my side. I’ll properly cherish this chance. I’ll stay by her side as she grows up.

“Chen-er, there’s a certain phrase that’s well said: the horse dislikes the narrow path, and the Great Peng hates the heavens for being too low. Your world will be even wider, even higher.

“Don’t let your Dao-heart be disturbed because of us. Each person has their own goals. You should be happy for us, because we’ve finally found our own goal,” said Long Tianxiao. He patted Long Chen on the shoulder.

Long Chen looked at his father. His father’s eyes were completely calm without the slightest reluctance.

“Yes, dad.”

“Alright, go play with your sister now. You’re her idol, and she always talks about you.

“But… she doesn’t like me…”

“Hahaha…”

Their family peacefully passed three days together. During these three days, Long Chen accompanied his sister with Little Snow.

Long Xiaoyu liked Little Snow especially and wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of him. In fact, she would even sleep on his back when she was tired.

Long Chen leaned against Little Snow, rubbing his head. He was filled with peace. In truth, happiness was very simple. Why did people have to fight to the point of you die or I die?

In this calm town, Long Chen felt a peace he had never felt before. It was like he had left the endless struggles of the world.

But he knew this peace was just temporary. He still had to return into a bloody current and continue his life.

That was because if he didn’t struggle, he wouldn’t be able to learn about his origins. He might be able to avoid this struggle, but that would be too cruel to his biological parents.

The violet jade pendant appeared in his hand again. Rubbing the words on it, he couldn’t help but feel pain inside. He didn’t know when he would finally be able to see his biological parents. Were they still alive?

“Big brother, are you going to leave us?”

At some unknown point, Xiaoyu had woken up. She was staring at Long Chen with her large eyes.

“I…”

“I know big brother is a big hero who will save the world by fighting off those evil demons! Once you defeat those demons, you’ll definitely come back to see me,” said Xiaoyu excitedly.

“What… who told you this?” asked Long Chen.

“Mom said it, and daddy also said this. That’s right, big brother, why do you call daddy father or dad?”

Xiaoyu changed topics so quickly that Long Chen was almost unable to keep up. “When I was young, I also called him daddy. But later… I called him father, because your brother grew up, and calling him that was no longer appropriate.”

Long Chen remembered when he was as small as Xiaoyu. He had also followed his father around all day, calling him daddy over and over again. But later, his father had left, and that appellation became foreign.

“Then I won’t grow up. I want to forever call him daddy, and daddy will also always love me. Big brother, kiss!” Xiaoyu suddenly wrapped her arms around Long Chen’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Now, Xiaoyu was much closer to Long Chen, and she no longer felt her previous shyness or fright. Instead, she had now become closest to Long Chen, even forgetting about her father and mother.

“Big brother, let me tell you a secret. I actually dislike kissing daddy.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Because daddy’s beard is too prickly. Even if he shaves, it grows back so fast, and it’s so painful!” whispered Xiaoyu.

“Cough, Xiaoyu, talking about people behind their backs is bad.” At some unknown point, Long Tianxiao had appeared behind the two of them, just in time to hear her final words.

“Daddy! Hug!”

Xiaoyu extended her arms. Long Tianxiao’s scolding expression immediately became something caught between laughter and tears, and he lifted her into the air. This move of hers was definitely one hundred percent effective.

“Alright, let’s go eat.”

Mrs. Long’s voice rang out from the room. Their family sat around a square table. Although they were just eating ordinary vegetables and tofu, this ordinary meal was extremely joyful.

Long Chen stayed here for a full week. But on the eighth day, he finally left.

He left in the middle of the night, afraid to endure any tearful goodbyes. Long Tianxiao had also said that once Long Chen left, they would also leave and find a quiet, isolated place to live ordinary lives.

Finding a comparatively large city, he paid a fee and stepped onto a transportation formation going directly toward the Xuantian Supermonastery.

Brothers, I, Long Chen, am coming back.