Chapter 046: The Winds of Change

Hearing the voice of an old friend, Song Ye immediately turned around and saw his companion standing at the entrance of the tea stall, grinning broadly. Though he smiled, his eyes were brimming with tears.

Song Ye smiled back and said, “Alright, the usual then—three coins for a bowl of tea. Would you like a handkerchief to wipe your tears as well, Brother Zhao?”

This old friend of Song Ye was Zhao Zhigao, once a constable in Cheng County.

Zhao Zhigao awkwardly explained, “It’s... it’s just some dust in my eyes!”

Whether it was dust, the wind, or the glare of the sun, the tears were real. Though Zhao Zhigao served as a constable in Cheng County, Qiuyu Village was his true home. Upon his return, seeing his hometown in a state of ruin from afar, his heart was filled with a torrent of emotions. Moreover, he had believed that the village guardian, his brother Song Ye, had long since perished. It was only when he entered the devastated village and found Song Ye alive and well that he was overcome with emotion.

With much of the northern territory of Li Kingdom engulfed in war, for Song Ye to survive peacefully in such a small northern village seemed nothing short of a miracle to Zhao Zhigao.

Old friends reunited always have much to say, but since Song Ye was busy tending to customers, Zhao Zhigao stood quietly at the entrance, making no claim to a table, sipping his tea in silence.

When the crowd dwindled and Song Ye finally found a moment’s respite, Zhao Zhigao took a seat at an empty table and called out in a loud voice, “Brother Song, another cup of tea!”

Instead, Song Ye brought over a jar of Daughter’s Red and smiled, “We haven’t seen each other in nearly a year. How could we toast with mere tea?”

This Daughter’s Red was itself a reward from a previous task.

[Daughter’s Red]: Premium yellow wine. Beware of drinking to excess!

After a few cups, the two naturally began to pour out their hearts.

Zhao Zhigao was forthright, “Brother Song, to be honest, I thought you’d died long ago. I thought I’d only be able to pour a cup for you at your grave. Seeing you alive and well fills me with genuine joy!”

Song Ye smiled faintly, raised his cup, and said, “No need for words—all is in the wine!” With that, he drained his cup in one go.

“Yes, yes, all in the wine!” Zhao Zhigao echoed, raising his own cup and emptying it.

Just then, Song Yan emerged from the house behind the courtyard, her eyes fixed plaintively on Song Ye.

Seeing her expression, Song Ye immediately understood she was hungry. He gently patted her head and said, “Song Yan, I’m sorry—I got busy and forgot you haven’t had lunch yet!”

A pang of guilt struck Song Ye. Song Yan never called out or made a fuss; if she hadn’t truly been starving, she would never have come searching for him herself. It was just that there had been so many customers at noon, and then the unexpected reunion with an old friend led to a few cups of wine, making him forget all about preparing her meal. Only now did Song Ye realize how difficult it was to care for a child alone, playing both mother and father.

Zhao Zhigao, noticing the little girl, asked curiously, “Brother Song, who is this child?”

“This is my younger sister. Her name is Song Yan,” Song Ye replied.

“Ah?” Zhao Zhigao was surprised. “Since when did you have a sister?”

After all, when Zhao Zhigao left the village, Song Ye was still on his own.

“It’s a long story,” Song Ye said. “I’ll tell you another time. For now, I need to make my sister something to eat.”

Zhao Zhigao nodded. “Go on, then. A child can’t go hungry!”

Song Ye quickly prepared a simple bowl of noodles for Song Yan, adding a poached egg, a few greens, and a sprinkle of scallions for garnish.

Song Yan took her bowl, sat quietly to the side, and began eating with relish, chopsticks in hand.

When Song Ye returned to drink with Zhao Zhigao, the latter didn’t press further about Song Yan’s origins. In truth, he could guess most of it—surely the girl was abandoned amidst the chaos of war, and Song Ye, out of kindness, had taken her in as his sister.

Zhao Zhigao had just returned from the capital, Luo City, and of course couldn’t resist boasting about the splendor of the metropolis to this country lad.

“Brother Song, you have no idea how carefree my days in Luo City have been: drinking tea and listening to storytellers in the teahouses by day, and by night, visiting the pleasure quarters for wine and music,” Zhao Zhigao began to brag.

“The young ladies on the streets, each exquisitely dressed, graceful and charming—even the renowned beauty from the neighboring village would be considered plain in Luo City.”

“And once, a noble lady even took a fancy to me. I nearly became a live-in son-in-law! But you know me, Zhao Zhigao—I value my freedom above all. How could I let myself be tied down? So I had to turn her down!”

Song Ye knew well enough that Zhao Zhigao’s tales were more tall than true, especially the part about being favored by a noble lady—most likely a fabrication. Still, Song Ye had no intention of exposing him.

Suddenly, Zhao Zhigao’s face darkened, and his tone turned grave. “Do you know which fearsome figure I met in Luo City?”

Song Ye shook his head. “No, who?”

“Steady yourself—when I say the name, you’ll be startled—”

“It was none other than the Master of Brahma Abyss Sect, the Demon Sovereign of Xuanyuan, Qin Xuanxi—the most notorious female demon in the cultivation world!”

Song Ye was indeed taken aback; he hadn’t expected Zhao Zhigao’s formidable figure to be none other than his own little wife.

“When the Demon Sovereign of Xuanyuan appeared in Luo City, the pressure she brought was so overwhelming that I still feel short of breath recalling it. The entire street knelt before her, and the bustling avenue fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.”

“Even the immortal masters of the Grand Void Palace knelt, not daring to move an inch!”

“It was my first time encountering such an awe-inspiring figure. I too knelt, trembling, unable to lift my head. The Demon Sovereign never left her carriage, so I couldn’t see her face clearly.”

In truth, Song Ye wanted to tell Zhao Zhigao that he had actually seen Qin Xuanxi’s true face—with his own eyes, right here in the tea stall before she ever left for Luo City. Of course, even if he revealed this secret now, Zhao Zhigao would never believe him and would surely mock him for boasting.

“Oh, and there’s something else—a matter that concerns you,” Zhao Zhigao suddenly said, his expression turning serious. “Not many know of it yet. I heard it from Magistrate Wang himself, so it’s highly reliable.”

“Our village is about to change forever.”

“They’re going to build a new city in this area. Our village has already been included in the plans for the new city.”

“In other words, Qiuyu Village and the neighboring villages will soon be nothing more than history, never to exist again.”