Chapter 370 - 229: Return to Yujing City

Chapter 370: Chapter 229: Return to Yujing City

The next morning, Fang Yue got up early and headed into the city.

He walked along the familiar streets, taking in the changes in Wutu City.

The shops lining both sides of the streets were more numerous than before, and pedestrians thronged the roads. The entire city radiated an air of prosperity.

Soon, Fang Yue arrived at the clothing store where his older brother worked.

It was a medium-sized shop. A conspicuous sign hung by the entrance, with the three words "Wenji Clothing Store" written in large characters.

Fang Yue stepped into the store and saw his older brother, Fang Hu, busy behind the counter, while his sister-in-law, Ms. Li, and younger sister, Fang Lan, were helping organize the clothes nearby.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, Little Sis!" Fang Yue called out.

Hearing his voice, the three of them looked up.

"Zhi!"

Fang Hu cried out in pleasant surprise, then hurried over and grabbed Fang Yue’s hand. "You’re finally back!"

"Brother, Sister-in-law, Little Sis, I’m back," Fang Yue said with a smile.

"It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back," Fang Hu said repeatedly. "Look at you, you’ve gotten so thin. You must have suffered a lot out there."

"That’s right, Zhi. You have to take care of yourself when you’re out there," his sister-in-law, Ms. Li, added with concern.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, I’m fine," Fang Yue said with a smile. "What about you all? Are you used to it here?"

"We’re used to it, we’re used to it," Fang Hu said, smiling. "It’s nice here, and the owner is a good person. Your sister-in-law and little sister came to help too, so our family has an income now."

Although Fang Yue had left them a considerable amount of silver, it was, after all, his younger brother’s money.

As the older brother, he felt he had to find something to do. Otherwise, if people found out, wouldn’t he become a laughingstock?

Fang Yue nodded. He glanced around and saw all sorts of clothes displayed in the store. The styles were modern and the craftsmanship was fine; it was clear at a glance that business was good.

In the days that followed, Fang Yue stayed by his family’s side, enjoying the rare and precious time of their reunion.

And because Fang Yue had returned, Fang Mu and the others moved back in to live with them.

One such day, Fang Yue left home early in the morning.

He was planning to head to the Observatory in the central Yujing City again to ask Hui Hengwu how things were progressing.

Since it was on the way, Fang Yue left with his brother.

When they arrived at the clothing store, it was already open.

"Zhi, the owner must be in today. I’ll go take a look," Fang Hu said immediately upon seeing the shop had opened early.

The owner of this shop usually only came once or twice a month.

Fang Yue nodded, watching his older brother, Fang Hu, walk into the shop. He waited at the entrance, planning to head to Yujing City together with his brother after he was done.

But just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking out of the shop from the corner of his eye.

The next moment, their eyes met.

"It’s you? Miss Wen?" Fang Yue was slightly taken aback, but he quickly came to his senses. The person who walked out of the shop, the one said to be the owner, was actually Miss Wen, whom he had met once in Fang Family Village.

’That’s right, she’s the niece of my old neighbor, Widow Yu!’

"Fang Yue, it really is you!" Miss Wen’s face lit up with surprise when she saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"My older brother works in your store," Fang Yue said with a smile. "Miss Wen, do you own this shop? I had no idea."

"I do." Wen Lan had been about to deny it, but then a thought struck her. ’That aunt of mine absolutely cannot see this boy again, or I might just end up with a new uncle.’

So, she quickly nodded and claimed her aunt’s shop as her own.

It was all a ploy to keep her aunt and Fang Yue from meeting.

’But then again,’ Wen Lan also realized, ’why would my aunt hire these specific people to help in the store? It must have all been for Fang Yue’s sake.’

"So it’s Miss Wen’s shop. No wonder business is so good," Fang Yue said with a smile.

He had only heard from his brother that the owner was a good person; he never imagined it would be Miss Wen.

"Fang Yue, did you come back specifically to see your family this time?" Miss Wen asked.

"Yes, I’ve been away from home for a while, so I came back to see them," Fang Yue said with a nod.

"So what are your plans now?" Miss Wen asked again.

"I don’t have any specific plans for now. I’ll probably stay at home for a while," Fang Yue said.

He truly hadn’t decided what to do next. If the Observatory had no missions for him, he might stay here for a bit, then go search for the other three types of Primordial Qi to advance his cultivation to the Four Symbols Realm of a Qi Refiner.

Although his power was a world apart from what it once was, there were still many things in this world beyond his control.

Therefore, he couldn’t let comfort make him abandon the pursuit of improving his own strength.

"Oh, I see. Just as I thought. If I remember correctly, you joined the Observatory, didn’t you? How did you get kicked out?" Wen Lan asked immediately.

She remembered seeing Fang Yue over a year ago, when the Wen Family was seeking a husband for one of its young women. At the time, she hadn’t understood why a country boy like Fang Yue was among the candidates.

Later, after asking around, she found out he had joined the Observatory.

Normally, a mere Inspector from the Observatory wouldn’t have been qualified to participate in the Wen Family’s selection for a son-in-law. However, Fang Yue seemed to have been recommended by a Steward from the Observatory, which allowed him to be included as a special exception.

Even so, that was as far as Fang Yue got.

What followed was a one-year observation period, and sure enough, Fang Yue seemed to vanish completely.

Back then, Wen Lan had thought that Fang Yue must have been eliminated.

She never expected to see him again now.

Hearing what he said now only strengthened her conviction that this Fang Yue must have failed the Observatory’s assessment. Otherwise, if he had passed, he would surely have been granted an official post instead of being idle.

"Heh, not quite. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now." Fang Yue shook his head, bid Wen Lan farewell, and turned to leave.

’Just as I thought, he’s so concerned with saving face. If you were eliminated, just say so. He just has to be stubborn and not admit it!’

Wen Lan watched Fang Yue’s retreating back and mused to herself.

She felt that Fang Yue was still the same as before, unwilling to show weakness in front of others. He wouldn’t even admit to something like being eliminated from the Observatory.

However, she didn’t form a bad impression of Fang Yue because of this. On the contrary, she found this aspect of his personality rather interesting.

"Sigh... but then again, the Observatory’s assessment really is too difficult."

Wen Lan sighed softly and muttered to herself, "Anyone who can pass the assessment is an outstanding individual with exceptional Talent and superior strength. Fang Yue is good, but I’m afraid it would still be quite difficult for him to pass."

Wen Lan had no idea about Fang Yue’s true situation within the Observatory.

All she knew was that Fang Yue had joined the Observatory and then disappeared for a full year. Now that he had reappeared, he hadn’t been granted an official post.

Therefore, she naturally assumed that Fang Yue had failed the Observatory’s assessment.

In reality, Wen Lan’s speculation was far from Fang Yue’s actual situation. His performance in the Observatory was far beyond what she could possibly imagine.

Not only had Fang Yue successfully passed the Observatory’s assessment, but he had also received extremely high praise and was held in high regard.

His strength and Talent were among the very best in the Observatory.

The reason he wasn’t immediately granted an official post was that the Observatory had other plans for him.

「After leaving Wutu City, Fang Yue headed directly for Yujing City.」

Fang Yue didn’t care about what others thought. He was more concerned with his own growth and his family’s happiness.

He knew that only through constant effort could he become stronger and better protect his family.

After arriving in Yujing City, Fang Yue went straight to the Observatory. He found Hui Hengwu and asked about the matter concerning the black-robed man.

He learned that the black-robed man had agreed to release the person, but with one condition: Fang Yue had to go and retrieve them himself.