ninety thousand miles

Chapter 715 Birthday
Li Chuan's 36th birthday was a very lively occasion.

The day before, gifts had filled the courtyard and reached the back of the house. On his birthday, before dawn, people were already waiting outside the door. After Li Chuan got up, the number of people coming to offer their birthday wishes was even greater, filling the entire street. Among them were neighbors and relatives from nearby villages, officials of all ranks from surrounding areas, celebrities and wealthy merchants, and even people from the capital. Those from the surrounding areas who had received favors from Li Chuan came in waves after hearing the news.

The banquet lasted for three days, with a continuous stream of fine wines and delicacies.

Half a month after the birthday banquet, Li Chuan specially prepared another banquet at home, inviting Tong Luozhuo, Erniang, Cen the blacksmith, Zhu Sao, and Wu Kong, among others.

Li Chuan hadn't expected so many people to come to his birthday party. Fortunately, Tong Luo and the others volunteered to help, which allowed the banquet to proceed smoothly.

After finishing a round of drinks, Li Chuan sighed, "I've had birthdays in previous years, and quite a few people came, but none of them were like this year, with people I haven't seen for years all coming."

"Isn't this because Gong Wuguang has come out of seclusion?" Cen the blacksmith chuckled and said, "With him out, the young emperor's position is secure, and your status will rise accordingly."

“That’s true. I was just thinking of going to Beijing in a few months,” Li Chuan said.

At this moment, Pan Xiaohua came in carrying a ceramic bowl. She placed the bowl on the table, and steam and aroma wafted out as she opened it. She said, "The venison is ready. Eat it while it's hot. Don't just keep drinking and talking."

"What about where you are?" Li Chuan asked.

Pan Xiaohua smiled and said, "There are many."

"Where is Yi'er?" Li Chuan asked.

“They’re playing in the fields behind, Jia is leading them, and Xiaoxia is with them too. Sanbanhua is following them,” Pan Xiaohua said.

Li Yi is Li Chuan's second son, and Xiao Xia is Cen the blacksmith's daughter.

After Pan Xiaohua left, Li Chuan complained, "Neither of my two sons can sit still. They're both very strong. One could slaughter pigs as soon as he could walk, and the other's eyes light up when he sees a weapon. Neither of them are like me."

“They all look like you, don’t they?” Cen the blacksmith said, exposing his lie.

“Come, try this venison. I found the recipe in an ancient book.” He glanced at Wukong and said, “Master, you’re out of luck. Eat more vegetables and drink some wine.”

"I'm eating," Wukong said.

The others tried it and all said it was good.

Cen the blacksmith asked, "Was it cooked in that iron pot again?"

“Yes,” Li Chuan nodded and said, “I’ve been trying to make another pot just like it, but I’ve tried many times and it just won’t work.”

After talking for a while, Cen the blacksmith asked Li Chuan, "Miss Zhu, it's been a long time since you've come, hasn't it?"

“It’s been almost three years,” Li Chuan recalled. “She’s been busy, there’s never a moment of peace in Tianyun City. Now that the Supervisor has come out of seclusion, she can finally catch her breath a little.”

"Last time the demons attacked, it was she who led the cultivators of Tianyun City to the rescue and managed to defend Yuzhuan Cliff," Tong Luo said.

“If the Great General were still alive… how could the demons possibly break through the Heavenly Arc Pass?” said Cen the blacksmith.

"General Chang is quite good. I heard that Yu Chen led the half-demon team and made great contributions last time," Wu Kong said.

“This can’t go on,” Cen the blacksmith sighed. “Those demons are like weeds, they just pop up out of nowhere and never stop.”

He asked Li Chuan, "Has the Xuanmen sect not found a solution yet?"

Li Chuan remained silent for a long time.

It was only then that Cen the blacksmith and the others noticed that Li Chuan had somehow fallen into a daze.

"Li Chuan, Li Chuan?" Wu Kong called out to Li Chuan twice, and Tong Luo patted him.

"Huh? Oh, oh," Li Chuan finally snapped out of his daze and asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with you?" Cen the blacksmith asked him. "I've called you several times, but you haven't answered."

"It's nothing," Li Chuan shook his head and said, "I'm probably just too tired lately." He changed the subject and said, "Let's eat, let's eat. It's rare that everyone is here today, so let's drink until we drop."

The group ate and drank until late at night, until Li Chuan was so drunk he was unconscious, before they dispersed.

……

When Li Chuan woke up, the room was still dark. He couldn't remember what time or where he was until he pulled back the thick curtains in front of the window, and the dazzling sunlight suddenly illuminated the room. He then realized that it was already noon the next day. Li Chuan glanced out the window and saw Pan Xiaohua sitting on a low stool, making a fence with jujube branches and brambles.

There was still a faint smell of alcohol in the room.

The clothes I was wearing had been changed.

Li Chuan put on his shoes and walked into the backyard.

Hearing the sound, Pan Xiaohua turned around and said, "Awake? The porridge is warming in the pot, go get some and eat." Then she continued to work on the fence.

"Okay, I'll go later." Li Chuan said, walking over to Pan Xiaohua and picking up some branches to start weaving as well.

The sunshine warmed people up nicely.

"I need to go out for a bit," Li Chuan said.

“Go ahead. To the capital?” Pan Xiaohua asked.

“Not the capital city,” Li Chuan said.

Pan Xiaohua slowed down her movements and asked, "Are we going to Tianyun City? Let's go."

“No,” Li Chuan said.

"Then where are we going?" Pan Xiaohua pressed.

Li Chuan looked up at the sky, where two birds flew past the edge of the clouds.

“Go to the Wochi,” he heard himself say.

Pan Xiaohua's hand trembled, and a thorn stuck in her palm. She pulled the thorn out without making a sound.

"I just want to go and take a look," Li Chuan said insincerely. "I won't go up. I fell last time and was paralyzed for more than two years. If it weren't for you taking care of me, I might never have been able to stand up again. I just want to go and take a look first, and I won't do anything else yet."

"Are you alone?" Pan Xiaohua asked.

"Okay, let's go take a look first," Li Chuan said.

"The Four Divine Palaces, the Xuan Yue Sect, and the Imperial Observatory—so many cultivators and demon hunters, aren't they all more powerful than you?" Pan Xiaohua's voice became shrill. "Even someone as powerful as the Great General..."

"Aren't they all fighting?" Li Chuan said.

Pan Xiaohua said, "When Master Wen came last time, didn't he say that the immortals had left a message... In the future, we will always find a way to deal with those demons."

Li Chuan said, "This is my business, my responsibility. And if we leave all the problems to future generations, then what are we, this generation?"

Pan Xiaohua lowered her eyes and silently focused on weaving the fence.

"do not worry……"

“I don’t believe it,” Pan Xiaohua said, turning her head away, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. “Go ahead,” she said, “I’ll take care of things at home.”

Li Chuan felt a pang of bitterness in his chest.

Pan Xiaohua didn't look at him. She said softly, "I knew it all along. I knew you were this kind of person the first time I saw you. Go ahead."

The two of them silently continued weaving the fence for a while until the clouds obscured the sun. Only then did Li Chuan speak again: "I'm afraid that in a few years, I really won't dare to go."

"You know how to get in and out of the little secret realm under the artificial hill. Under the third futon in the secret chamber inside, there is a hidden compartment containing some pills and a few magic treasures. They are all top-grade, but they are all fakes. However, they have 30% of the power of the originals and can be used three times..." Li Chuan began to explain in a long-winded manner.

After saying everything, he finally said, "Yunqiao Township should still be safe, but if it really comes to that, take the children and hide in the secret room for as long as you can. I'm going to Wochi, and no matter what the outcome... someone will definitely come to rescue you."

"Don't worry," Pan Xiaohua said.

"I'm not worried," Li Chuan said.

(End of this chapter)