Chapter 97: Leaving

Han Li finally walked into the village, step by step.

As he stepped into the village, he heard a burst of joyful music. Walking along the village path, he didn't see a single villager.

A thought struck Han Li. This scene and these sounds were deeply familiar from his childhood. It was clear that a family was holding a wedding, and all the villagers had gone to celebrate or join the festivities.

Han Li focused his mind and slowly extended his spiritual sense. He discovered that indeed, everyone in the village, young and old, had gathered in one specific spot. Yet, the location felt incredibly familiar to Han Li. Wasn't this his own family's residence?

Han Li was greatly surprised.

“Could it be...?” Han Li vaguely guessed what was happening.

He quickened his pace, swiftly moving past several houses and turning a few corners, when suddenly, the scene before him brightened.

He saw hundreds of villagers gathered around an earthen courtyard.

Inside the courtyard were several tiled houses that looked much better than the surrounding homes. Large red 'Double Happiness' characters were pasted on both sides of the courtyard gate and the doors of the tiled houses. In front of the courtyard gate, a small group of musicians played lively tunes, creating a very festive atmosphere.

These villagers stood, squatted, or, being less particular, simply sat on the ground. They gathered in small groups of three to five, some whispering, others loudly debating, and still others continually gazing into the courtyard with envious eyes.

Beside the villagers, many children played and chased each other around the adults.

Seeing this familiar scene, Han Li felt a moment of trance. It was as if, for an instant, he had returned to the past, transforming into one of the children, chasing and playing along with them.

“Tsk, tsk! The Han family’s fourth daughter is truly blessed!” one woman gossiped. “I heard the groom is a scholar from the city—a truly educated man from a learned family.”

“Indeed!” another chimed in. “And she’ll be his main wife, instantly becoming the respected wife of a scholar!”

“I heard the Han family’s dowry is astonishingly generous—dozens of taels of gleaming silver!”

“They’re really rich!”

The noisy gossip of the village women startled Han Li out of his daze.

“The Han family’s fourth daughter—isn’t that my little sister? Could this really be my little sister’s wedding day?” An indescribable rush of emotions surged within Han Li, churning restlessly.

For some unknown reason, Han Li took a few steps and hid behind a nearby large tree, intently staring at the courtyard gate without looking away.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from a distance: “The wedding sedan is here! The groom has come to pick up the bride!”

Hearing these words, a ripple of excitement went through the villagers! Instantly, the chatter grew tumultuous!

“The bride’s coming out!”

“The new bride is coming out! Come look!”

The children also clamored, not to be outdone. Han Li’s spirits lifted, and his gaze towards the courtyard gate became eager.

With a creak, the wooden courtyard gate opened, and a dozen or so men and women emerged. Among them, a young girl in a vibrant red wedding gown was escorted.

The girl, with a delicate pointed chin and a graceful appearance, was approximately sixteen or seventeen years old, and at this moment, her face was flushed with shyness.

Han Li widened his eyes, carefully observing the girl’s face, trying to find some trace of his little sister from his memories.

Except for a faint hint of familiarity in her eyes and eyebrows, no other features allowed Han Li to connect her with the image of his little sister in his mind.

“Sigh! ‘A girl changes greatly by eighteen’—that saying is truly wise!” Han Li gave a wry smile, then began to scan the people around her.

“This fat man is Third Uncle, I can tell at a glance,” he mumbled to himself. “Still as fat as before!”

“And that dark-skinned big guy over there is Eldest Brother Han Tie; the woman standing right next to him must be Eldest Sister-in-law!”

Han Li murmured names one by one, muttering to himself, as if doing so would ease his mind.

When his gaze fell upon two white-haired elderly people, a man and a woman, Han Li stopped speaking.

He stood still behind the tree, transfixed and motionless, his expression becoming incredibly complex.

Among his emotions were joy, timidity, and a touch of bewilderment.

The extent of his parents’ aging far exceeded Han Li’s expectations. He remembered his mother’s hair being black when he left for the mountains, but now her temples were streaked with gray. And his father, whose back used to be straight, was now stooped.

Han Li remained silent, his mind dizzy and muddled, like a fog. He was unaware of anything that happened next.

By the time he regained his senses, his little sister had already boarded a brightly decorated wedding sedan draped in red silk, which was now moving away in the distance. Beside the sedan, a scholar on a large dark-colored horse followed closely.

Han Li gazed intently at the receding wedding sedan, then turned back to look at his parents in the crowd, and finally closed his eyes.

After deeply imprinting the faces of his parents and a few closest relatives into his heart, Han Li turned, his face suddenly showing a resolute expression, and then strode towards the village entrance.

Han Li knew that once he stepped out of the village again, his interactions with these people might end in this lifetime.

He was well aware that ever since he learned the Evergreen Arts and became aware of the existence of cultivators, he would be walking a path completely different from that of ordinary people.

Regardless of whether it brought misfortune or blessing, good or ill, he would never regret his choice!