Jun Buli and Jun Beiyue, a score to settle?

At Jun Buli’s words, even Jun Beiyue looked a bit flustered—he couldn’t think of what unsettled business remained between him and his son, nor could he guess what his son might be about to say.

In this situation, even though his son had said he didn’t blame them, Jun Beiyue still felt a flicker of panic—he himself felt he could never forgive his own absence these past years.

But then, to his surprise, Jun Buli let go of Ziqing and walked toward him step by step, his expression just like when he was a child—clean, stubborn!

Without warning, he suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud!

Jun Beiyue was shocked, and at the same moment, Ziqing and the others froze in place.

“Son, what are you—” Ziqing exclaimed.

To everyone’s surprise, Jun Buli struck his forehead hard against the ground in a resounding kowtow, declaring loudly, “Father, that day we quarreled, it was your son’s fault. Your son has been waiting for you to come back this whole time, to kowtow and admit my wrong!”

At these words, Jun Beiyue finally remembered that night’s argument between father and son.

Baili Weisheng had already told him about this—that before Xiong Xiaobao ran away from home, he’d left word that he would return one day to kowtow and admit his fault.

For a moment, Jun Beiyue’s chest churned with a mix of emotions, none of them pleasant.

They had been absent for a full ten years, such crucial years, and yet, rather than blame them, his son had instead remembered that old quarrel this whole time, kneeling now to admit fault before him!

Jun Beiyue turned his head away, sniffing, but quickly turned back, bending down to help his son up. “Get up. It was your father who failed to think things through—let’s not speak of this again!”

As Jun Beiyue bent to help his son rise, he suddenly realized he could no longer, as he once had, grip those small arms and hoist him up onto his shoulders in an instant.

Now, all he could do was help him to his feet.

Grown up. His son had truly grown up!

Watching this scene, Baili Weisheng couldn’t help wiping at his eyes—though he had no tears, he felt as though he were crying regardless, wiping and wiping at nothing for a good while before finally giving up.

Seeing the father and son on the verge of being swept up in Ziqing’s emotions too, Baili Weisheng hurriedly pulled Jun Buli over. “All right, all right, the misunderstanding’s cleared up now. Sit down, have some tea.”

Hongyi and Guxi hurried forward as well, serving tea to Jun Beiyue and Ziqing.

Ziqing, missing her son so desperately, couldn’t bear to be apart from him even for a moment, sitting close beside him, fussing over him this way and that, until even Jun Beiyue raised an eyebrow at the sight.

After a good while, everyone’s emotions finally settled somewhat.

“Father, did you really find the solitary island?” Jun Buli asked seriously. He and his grandfather had speculated many times that his parents’ unexplained disappearance must be connected to that melody Xuanyuan Lige had left behind.

Jun Beiyue nodded, about to explain, when Jue Mingzi, his hair entirely white, came dashing in from outside. The moment he saw them, he froze in place, staring at Ziqing, his old eyes brimming with tears.

Perhaps, as fellow parents, they understood a parent’s heart all the more.

Past grievances, right and wrong—Ziqing didn’t wish to dwell on them any further. Stroking her son’s hair, she said flatly, “Father, we’re back.”

At these words, Jue Mingzi’s old tears immediately streamed uncontrollably, unable to hold them back. The poor old man didn’t even dare say anything, only nodding repeatedly, uttering a small “ah,” standing there dumbstruck for a long while, until Ziqing told him to sit, and only then did he hastily take a seat. A complicated look flickered through Ziqing’s eyes as she personally poured him a cup of tea, and only then did Jun Beiyue begin recounting their journey into the Lishang Illusion Realm.

From their entry into the Shang Li Illusion Realm to their departure from the Lishang Illusion Realm, only a few short months had passed, and yet so much had happened—even now, recounting every step of the journey they’d walked together felt as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday.

Naturally, the memories couldn’t avoid Xuanyuan Lige.

In truth, Xuanyuan Lige hadn’t trapped them at all—he had led them to discover the solitary island. Without him, they would never have learned the secret of the solitary island!

Baili Weisheng hadn’t been wrong—Xuanyuan Lige had traded his own life to bring them back!

Even without knowing the full truth, they weren’t fools—if a proper farewell had been possible, why hadn’t Xuanyuan Lige simply said goodbye to them properly?

Instead, he’d chosen to send them off through a dream, such a joyous, beautiful dream.

By the time Jun Beiyue reached this part of the story, Ziqing had already buried her face against Jun Buli’s shoulder.

Listening closely, Jun Buli felt deep regret—regret for his own recklessness back then, for running away from home, for missing out on that entire journey.

And yet, missing that journey had given him ten years to grow!

They talked on and on, and before they knew it, night had fallen.

“Let’s rest a few days, then go together to Dongqin,” Ziqing said flatly. They’d promised to erect a monument for A’Li on the old Da Qin ruins.

Jun Beiyue nodded. “Mm.”

Seeing that the family showed no sign of ending their conversation, Hongyi finally spoke up. “Your Highnesses, dinner is ready. Please, this way to the dining hall.”

Though the young master had ascended the throne, they still preferred to use the old forms of address.

They were about to head over, but Baili Weisheng stood up instead, dropping his usual playful manner, and said seriously, “Jun Beiyue, Ziqing, I won’t be staying. I need to go to Nanzhao.”

Ziqing didn’t understand at first, but suddenly remembered someone—Baili Xiaosheng?

Though she didn’t say it aloud, Baili Weisheng knew exactly who she was thinking of, saying flatly, “A full ten years without coming to find me. Something must have happened.”

Though Baili Weisheng didn’t show it outwardly, Ziqing caught the worry in his eyes at a glance.

Indeed, Baili Weisheng was right—that girl, Baili Xiaosheng, so attached to her master, how could she possibly go a full ten years without seeking him out?

By now, across the Longyuan continent, the western regions of Xijing and Xiliang were ruled by Yelu Qianqian and Situ Haonan’s Great Jing Kingdom, while everything east of Xijing, all the way to the Eastern Sea, belonged to Da Zhou—under Jun Buli’s ten years of authoritarian rule, the land now enjoyed peace and stability.

Only Nanzhao remained in chaos to this day. Its royal house had been completely wiped out, and various clans had established numerous small kingdoms—some regions at peace, others still at war.

Jun Buli had been consumed with the northern frontier, and hadn’t set foot in the southern territories for a full ten years either.

Given such a chaotic situation, it would be even stranger for Baili Xiaosheng not to come to Da Zhou!

Ziqing frowned, looking at Jun Buli. Jun Buli answered with perfect candor, “I… honestly forgot, being so busy.”

He wasn’t lying, nor being deliberately callous—over these ten years, only the past two had given him any real breathing room. How could he have had time to think of a childhood playmate from when he was five or six?

Baili Xiaosheng and Baili Weisheng were different, after all—one was a childhood friend, the other a godfather he’d genuinely embraced from the heart.

As for Baili Xiaosheng, all he remembered of her was that she’d disguised herself as a boy and fooled him for a long time—she was a girl, and not the least bit gentle.

Faced with her son’s candor, Ziqing was quite surprised, but she had no time to dwell on it, saying hurriedly, “We’ll go look for her together!”

Baili Xiaosheng was, after all, the goddaughter she and Beiyue had taken in!