Inside the guest room, Lady Millings finally calmed down.
She wiped her tears and looked at Riven as if afraid he would suddenly disappear.
The more she looked, the more emotions surged within her heart. His hair had become white; even his temperament had completely changed, and his eyes, those blue eyes, seemed calmer and more profound than before.
But no matter how much he changed, he was still her son.
Suddenly, she remembered something and turned toward Xiaomei and Eli.
"You two, hurry and inform Grandfather."
"Tell him that his grandson has returned."
Both women came out of their stupor.
"Yes, Lady!"
The two hurriedly left the room.
After they departed, silence filled the guest room.
Lady Millings sat opposite Riven, but she couldn't stop looking at him.
It was as if she wanted to make up for the three years she had missed.
Finally, she asked softly,
"Are you hungry?"
Riven smiled and said, "I just ate food before returning."
He then sighed and said, "I also heard what had happened during the three years."
Lady Milling's face turned sad hearing this.
And somewhere deep within the old manor, an elderly man who had spent the last year watching his family decline slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the hurried voices outside.
His trembling hands paused and he asked with disbelief in his voice, "What did you just say?"
Xiaomei's voice came from outside, filled with excitement.
"Old master! Young Master Riven has returned!"
He immediately stood up and said, "Where is he?"
"When did he return?"
Seeing the old master's excitement, the young maid hurriedly replied, "Old master, young master is currently in the guest room with Lady."
Supported by his cane, the old man hurried along the corridor with Xiaomei following behind him anxiously.
"Old master, please slow down. Young master isn't going anywhere."
But the old man ignored her.
His hands trembled, and his breathing had already become uneven, but his footsteps didn't slow down in the slightest.
Soon, he arrived outside the guest room.
Just as he was about to enter, his body suddenly froze. Through the open doorway, he saw a familiar figure sitting beside Lady Millings.
...
Meanwhile, inside the city lord's mansion.
The City Lord sat in his study while reviewing documents.
Suddenly, a guard entered hurriedly and bowed.
"City Lord, the guards at the city gate have sent word."
"They reported that two cultivators entered the city, and many residents have also seen them walking around."
The city lord's expression immediately changed, and he stood up.
"Are you certain they are cultivators?"
The guard nodded.
"Yes, City Lord."
"The gate guards witnessed a huge beast descending into the forest outside the city, and shortly afterward, the two cultivators entered the city."
"They suspect that the beast is their mount."
The City Lord's face became serious.
A spirit beast mount?
That was something even powerful noble families could only dream of possessing.
"Where are they now?"
The guard answered,
"We are still searching for them."
"But according to the gate guards, one of the cultivators mentioned that he had returned to visit his family."
The city lord frowned as he carefully searched his memories.
'I don't remember anyone getting recruited by any sect in recent years.'
'Wait, is there any even selected in twenty to thirty years?'
Suddenly, he ordered,
"Find out which family they visited, and send people to confirm whether the beast remains outside the city."
"Yes, City Lord."
The guard quickly departed.
Left alone, the City Lord slowly sat back down.
He leaned against his chair and sighed.
'Things are becoming increasingly complicated.'
'First, the Emperor decides to weaken the powerful noble families by restricting the size of their private armies, and now, cultivators have come to Murong City.'
His fingers lightly tapped against the desk.
If a powerful cultivator truly belonged to one of the noble families, the balance within Murong City would undoubtedly change, and that was the last thing the Empire wanted.
But there was nothing he could do in this situation.
Even though he was the strongest martial artist in the city, he didn't know what the strength of the cultivator was.
Still, he wrote all of this in a letter and sent it. Even with the fastest pigeon, it would take around two days for the letter to reach the empire.
...
After Riven's arrival the atmosphere inside the manor felt warm again.
They talked about how the family declined after his father's death and even how their relatives ridiculed them, along with the pressure from other noble families.
They even asked why his hair turned white and who was the old man that came with him.
Riven told them that his hair turned white due to cultivation, and the old man with him was a cultivator and had given him a ride here.
When Eli first heard this, she was just suspicious of the answer but still decided to keep an eye on Riven.
As she couldn't feel any powerful force from Riven, she thought that he was just a weak cultivator, as how powerful could he even become in three years?
...
By the time their conversation came to an end, the sun had already disappeared below the horizon.
During the day, many things had been talked about. Even Riven's grandmother had come after hearing the news, and upon seeing her grandson return after three years, she had nearly burst into tears.
Now, with night falling, the atmosphere inside the manor had become warmer than it had been in a long time.
The four members of the family gathered together.
Looking at Riven, she smiled and said, "Riven, you must be hungry."
"Come, the food should be ready by now."
Everyone smiled and nodded before heading toward the dining room.
Although the dining hall was much quieter than before, it was still neatly arranged. The dishes were simple, but each one had been prepared carefully.
After everyone sat down, servants began serving the food.
Looking around, Riven suddenly asked,
"Mother, where is Sister?"
Lady Millings smiled softly.
"I've already sent Eli to bring Rose back."
"There must be something keeping her busy."
"Don't worry, she'll return soon. We can continue eating."
Riven nodded and said no more.
Soon, everyone began eating.
Although none of them spoke much, smiles could occasionally be seen on their faces.
For the first time in a year, laughter once again returned to the dining room of the Millings family.
While they were eating, the old master suddenly put down his chopsticks.
His expression became somewhat hesitant.
After remaining silent for a moment, he finally asked,
"Riven…"
"How long will you be staying with us?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere became quiet.
Lady Millings and Grandmother looked toward him.
Deep down, all of them knew that Riven had already stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Cultivators pursued the heavens and wandered far away, and eventually, he would leave again.
They only hoped that this reunion would not end too quickly.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Riven smiled.
"You don't have to worry, Grandfather."
"I will stay for a long time. I can cultivate here as well."
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
Then joy instantly appeared on their faces.
"Really?"
His grandmother was the first to ask, her eyes bright with hope.
Riven nodded with a smile.
"Really."
Hearing his answer, the old master's eyes became slightly red.
He laughed heartily.
"Good!"
"As long as you stay, this old man can die without regrets."
Lady Millings immediately frowned.
"Father, what nonsense are you saying?"
Grandmother also glared at him.
"Why are you speaking about death while eating?"
The old master hurriedly laughed.
"Fine, fine. I won't say such things."
Looking at the happy expressions around the table, Riven quietly picked up his bowl.
Outside, the night had already fallen completely.
But inside the old manor, after three years of waiting and hardship, warmth had finally returned once again.