Chapter 303: Call Me Father
Yucheng, an ancient city in Yangzhou, nestled near the lake.
Although it was already October, compared to Xuzhou and Qing Province in the north, Yucheng in October was only slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings, but overall, it was still quite comfortable.
As soon as Hua Chonglang arrived in Yucheng, he saw a Zhoutian realm martial artist hanging from the city gate, being whipped by constables dressed in blue and white.
“Oh my! It’s been years since I’ve seen this scene. Where did this fool come from? Daring to beat someone up in the street?”
“Yeah! Yeah! Seven or eight years ago, people were often hung up and beaten. It’s been rare in the past four or five years!”
“I heard he’s from Xuzhou in the north. He got into an argument with someone on the road and ended up hitting them. Fortunately, he knew his limits and only caused minor injuries, otherwise…”
“Oh, oh~ No wonder! No wonder! If he had killed someone, he might have been beheaded in the street!”
“Tsk tsk tsk! Public beheadings, haven’t seen one of those in years.”
“Right!”
From the surrounding crowd of onlookers, Hua Chonglang understood that it seemed this martial artist was being whipped at the city gate as a warning because he had beaten someone up in the street.
He could see that the whip was specially made, and the wielder was skilled, each lash tearing the Zhoutian realm martial artist’s flesh.
But this was merely physical pain; the greater punishment was the mental torment.
To be surrounded by a crowd pointing and gossiping was truly mortifying, utterly humiliating!
Such a memory would stay with him for a lifetime.
He could only blame the people of Yucheng for being too blunt, too harsh. Back in Xuzhou, no commoner dared to talk back to him.
He had been provoked by a few words, lost his temper, and resorted to violence.
Fortunately, he knew this was Yangzhou, and he only inflicted minor injuries. He hadn’t expected to be captured by the Yucheng constables for this and hung at the city gate to receive twenty lashes.
After watching the whipping, Hua Chonglang entered the city.
From the Demon Sect Estate and this whipping, he felt a direct sense that the Jianghu had changed.
It was as if he had been away from the Central Plains for decades, not just ten years.
He had this intuitive feeling.
Upon entering Yucheng, he faintly sensed Hua Miaomiao’s presence.
Following his intuition, he arrived at a large courtyard.
A sign at the entrance read “Yucheng Cultural Troupe.”
The old man at the gate saw him and said, “Who are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for Hua Miaomiao!” Saying this, Hua Chonglang lifted his leg and walked in.
“Hey, hey, you can’t go in!” The old man wanted to say more, but Hua Chonglang glared at him, and he fainted.
Hua Miaomiao, who was rehearsing a tune in the rehearsal room, suddenly heard a commotion outside.
She was wondering why the cultural troupe was so noisy today.
Then she saw a familiar, unforgettable face!
Compared to their last meeting, his eyes had recovered, and his face looked like that of a man in his thirties or forties, both charming and domineering.
It was her father, Hua Chonglang!
“You… you…” Hua Miaomiao’s heart pounded wildly at the sight of Hua Chonglang.
No joy, only fear!
“What, not happy to see me?” Hua Chonglang stepped into the rehearsal room.
He saw Hua Miaomiao dressed simply, in ordinary green clothes instead of her usual silk attire. Her long black hair, once flowing down her back, was now tied in a braid.
And her face was pale, deathly pale.
The others in the rehearsal room, seeing a handsome middle-aged man enter, their eyes lit up. One of them, named Zheng Xinyue, pulled Hua Miaomiao and said, “Miaomiao, this is…”
She touched Hua Miaomiao’s hand, which was like ice, and seeing her pale face, she knew something was wrong.
✿✿✿
“Aren’t you dead?” Hua Miaomiao stared at Hua Chonglang, her voice dry.
Since hearing the news of Hua Chonglang’s death ten years ago, a heavy weight had lifted from Hua Miaomiao’s heart, especially with her elder brother’s return.
It was truly wonderful!
But she genuinely disliked the atmosphere of the Demon Sect Estate; it was so oppressive and restrictive. After meeting her brother, she continued to wander the Jianghu.
She loved playing the qin.
By chance, she became a qin player for the Jianghu Reform Committee in Jing Province. Not only could she play the qin for more people, but she could also teach many students.
It was truly meaningful!
She felt it was much better than the Demon Sect Estate. The people here had a special kind of passion and equality that made her feel at home.
Therefore, she didn’t care even if Yuzhou was liberated and her brothers were killed.
Because that home in the Demon Sect was truly hateful!
She just hadn’t expected the nightmare she had tried to forget for years to reappear before her, filling her with fear.
“He’s here! He’s here!” Chaotic voices came from outside the door, seemingly from the cultural troupe’s security personnel and the constables.
Hua Chonglang could buy a ticket to go back to his own home because he found it amusing.
But he would barge into the cultural troupe because he felt it was necessary. Nothing could stop him from seeing his daughter.
“I’m not dead. Are you surprised?” Hua Chonglang said, looking at Hua Miaomiao’s pale face.
Hua Miaomiao didn’t speak, but Zheng Xinyue, after instantly imagining some kind of tragic love story or revenge plot, said bravely, “I warn you not to do anything reckless, don’t have any improper thoughts about Miaomiao.”
“This is Yangzhou! We have laws here!”
“Laws?” Hua Chonglang sneered, looking at the people rushing in, “Laws don’t apply to me!”
“No!” Hua Miaomiao cried out as soon as she heard this.
But it was too late. A pale blue chill suddenly appeared, and in the blink of an eye, the entire rehearsal room became an ice chamber.
The security personnel and constables who had rushed in were frozen in place, like ice sculptures.
Even with their Zhoutian realm cultivation, they were no match for this!
The rapidly dropping temperature made the remaining people in the rehearsal room tremble. They had some cultivation as well, but it was useless against this chill.
“Even now, you refuse to call me father? You have no manners!” Hua Chonglang said, looking at Hua Miaomiao with displeasure.
Father?
Zheng Xinyue was puzzled. She remembered Hua Miaomiao saying her father was dead!
She remembered it clearly because it was rare for someone to speak of their father’s death with such glee.
That was exactly the expression Hua Miaomiao had worn then.
“Father!” Hua Miaomiao said in a low voice.
“This is our first meeting in ten years, why whisper? I didn’t hear you!” Hua Chonglang said.
“Father!” Hua Miaomiao said loudly.
“You sound like I’m the one who died, without a hint of joy! Say it again!” Hua Chonglang said.
At this point, even Zheng Xinyue thought Hua Chonglang was being unreasonable.
No wonder Hua Miaomiao had spoken of her father’s death with such glee! If she had a father like this, she’d be hoping for his early demise too!
“Father~” Hua Miaomiao called out again.
This time, her “Father” was filled with surprise and dependence, which greatly satisfied Hua Chonglang.
Was it so hard to hear a “Father” from her?
