Xia Jin’s Parents

The two did not have to wait long, as the inn’s proprietor, Xia Jin’s father, entered the private room.

The moment Xia Jin saw him, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Father!”

Xu Jinghuai naturally cast his gaze upon the man the moment he appeared.

The newcomer was a square-faced, tall and strong man.

At first glance, he gave off a very honest and sincere impression, completely lacking the shrewdness and cunning of an old hand. However, for some reason, Xu Jinghuai felt he seemed a bit lacking in vitality.

It was hard to imagine that this was a proprietor successfully running a restaurant.

‘Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover.’

At this moment, Xia Jin had already jumped down from her chair and approached the man.

The man looked at Xia Jin, a loving and doting smile on his face, and reached out to ruffle the girl’s head: “Jin’er…”

The man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to continue speaking, but noticing Xu Jinghuai sitting solemnly, he swallowed all his words and knelt before Xu Jinghuai: “Greetings, Immortal Master!”

Inexplicably, a sentence from Mr. Lu Xun from his previous life came to Xu Jinghuai’s mind.

‘A sorrowful, thick wall now stands between us…’

‘Why does this feel so much like déjà vu?’

‘I always feel like I’m the big villain…’

Xu Jinghuai waved his hand: “Get up, you don’t need to bow to this Venerable.”

At the same time, Xu Jinghuai, just as he had lifted Uncle Huang earlier, used immortal power to help the man to his feet.

“From what this Venerable sees, you should be Xia Jin’s father. It’s our first meeting, so this Venerable will first introduce himself simply.”

“I am the Venerable of this age in the Cangnan Realm, Youyun Immortal Venerable, Xu Jinghuai.”

For Xu Jinghuai to introduce himself first, it was already considered a great sign of respect in the humble etiquette of the Cangnan Realm.

Especially between immortals and mortals.

Xia Dongyan was aware of this and felt overwhelmed, quickly saying, “Greetings, Youyun Immortal Venerable! This humble one’s name is Xia Dongyan!”

In truth, he had already learned from Uncle Huang earlier that the person who had taken his daughter as a disciple was the current Venerable. Therefore, what surprised Xia Dongyan even more was Xu Jinghuai’s attitude towards him.

Rumors often said that immortals were mostly arrogant, viewing mortals as ants and weeds.

This was no wonder to immortals; immortals and mortals truly belonged to two different worlds.

This was precisely why Xia Dongyan didn’t understand why the Immortal Venerable before him was willing to lower himself to speak with him.

He certainly didn’t think it was because of Xia Jin. How his daughter was raised, her strengths and weaknesses, he couldn’t possibly be unaware of, could he?

To be fortunate enough to be noticed by an immortal and taken as a disciple was his daughter’s blessing cultivated over several lifetimes!

This was an inherent prejudice between immortals and mortals in the Cangnan Realm.

Over the past two months, Xia Dongyan had often heard passing immortal guests stopping at the restaurant mention that, traditionally, after completing the apprenticeship ceremony at the Wuling Immortal Sect, disciples would usually enter the immortal sect and go up the mountain, not descending for quite some time.

Xia Dongyan naturally hoped his daughter could join an immortal sect and had mentally prepared himself for not seeing Xia Jin for a while.

But today Xia Jin returned, and not only did she return, but she also brought Xu Jinghuai with her.

So Xia Dongyan was now wondering, why would the Immortal Venerable bring his daughter to their small shop?

One must know that Youyun Immortal Venerable personally visiting a mortal restaurant was no small matter!

‘Did Jin’er actually successfully take a master or not…’

‘Or did Jin’er do something to displease the Immortal Venerable?’

‘And that’s why he came looking for us?’

The more Xia Dongyan thought, the worse his thoughts became.

But in reality, it was simply because Xu Jinghuai was inexperienced, taking a disciple for the first time, and didn’t know the traditional apprenticeship procedures of the Wuling Immortal Sect.

And no one would question Xu Jinghuai’s self-initiated actions, because Xu Jinghuai was special. It was already very difficult for Tian Qingning to make Xu Jinghuai take a disciple, offering various conditions. How to train the disciple afterward was Xu Jinghuai’s own business.

Apprenticeship procedures and etiquette were just formalities; whether they existed or not didn’t matter, as long as the young man was happy.

As the Sect Master of Wuling Immortal Sect, Tian Qingning already thought this way, and other peak masters and elders basically shared the same view as the Sect Master.

This was also the reason why Xia Dongyan misunderstood.

Regardless of what Xia Dongyan was thinking, Xu Jinghuai continued in a business-like tone: “Hmm, Xia Dongyan, this Venerable has noted your name. Also, Uncle Huang should have already told you that this Venerable came to find you to inform you of several important matters concerning Xia Jin.”

Xia Dongyan nodded.

Xu Jinghuai glanced behind Xia Dongyan. Seeing no one else, he asked, “Where is your wife?”

“Didn’t she come?”

“When relayed by others, omissions are inevitable. This Venerable wishes for you both to hear and know everything directly.”

Xia Dongyan, hearing this, scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, but also felt relieved, saying honestly, “Immortal Master, please don’t mind. My wife was recently diagnosed by the doctor as being pregnant and is really not suitable for busy affairs, so she is still resting upstairs.”

Oh, so she’s pregnant.

‘Understood, underst…’

‘Wait, pregnant??’

Xu Jinghuai paused, then looked at Xia Dongyan with the gaze one would give an older brother.

Judging by his appearance, Xia Dongyan should be nearly forty, an age that is no longer young within a mortal’s hundred-year lifespan. He hadn’t expected him to still be able to get his wife pregnant.

It seemed he was still capable!

Of course, the most shocked was Xia Jin.

“Daddy, am I… am I going to have a younger brother or sister?”

She had only been away from home for two months!

She hadn’t heard her parents mention her mother’s pregnancy before. If she hadn’t come back today, she wouldn’t even know she had gained a sibling.

Xia Dongyan nodded, then ruffled his daughter’s head again, softly answering, “Mm.”

“Jin’er, your father won’t lie to you. In the past, your father and mother both wanted to train you to be the heir to our family’s restaurant.”

“But when we learned that you possessed immortal destiny and an immortal fate, your father knew that Jin’er, your future would certainly not be limited to this. You are destined to roam a wider world.”

“And after you left, Jin’er, there was no one left to take over the family restaurant, and your mother wasn’t comfortable entrusting it to outsiders.”

“So, your mother wants to have another child to inherit the restaurant.”

In the end, Xia Dongyan forced a strong, helpless, and weary smile.

Xu Jinghuai: …

‘Alright, I just said that when I first saw Xia Jin’s father, he seemed a bit lacking in vitality. I originally thought it was because he was too tired from managing the restaurant. I didn’t expect it was because his wife was exploiting him!’

‘Women are like wolves at thirty and tigers at forty; the ancients truly didn’t deceive me.’

Only young Xia Jin didn’t understand these nuances, merely nodding in innocent comprehension.

However, Xia Jin still understood one thing: if she hadn’t become a disciple, she would have inherited the family restaurant.

Xia Jin’s first thought was whether inheriting the restaurant would alleviate her parents’ pressure and make them more relaxed.

But soon, this thought was tinged with regret, as she had already taken a master.

And her final thought was that she now had siblings and would be an older sister, which made her happy.