Chapter 15: A New Path and a New Family

Lu Yuan opened his mouth, hesitating.

He had never been one for words, even in his past life as a solitary cultivator. He didn’t know what to say to comfort Merlin, the little girl standing before him.

Merlin, however, waved her hand dismissively.

‘It’s okay, Uncle Lu. I understand,’ she said, her sweet smile never fading. ‘My life belongs to Uncle Lei Yin. As long as he is safe, I can live in peace. But if something were to happen to him…’

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Lu Yuan understood her meaning all too well. To him, Merlin might just be a s*ave, a younger sister. But to her, he was everything.

A sudden warmth surged through his heart. He stepped forward and gently embraced her, the little girl, in his arms.

Merlin froze, taken aback by his sudden action. Her body tensed, but as she felt the gentleness of his hold, she relaxed, her tiny arms tentatively wrapping around his waist.

‘It’s okay, Uncle. It’s all in the past now,’ she murmured, her face nestled against his chest, a soft smile on her lips. ‘Like this, everything is good.’

Lu Yuan held her tightly, feeling the fragility and warmth of her small body. He inhaled the sweet, fresh scent of her, a scent of recent bathing.

‘From now on, you can call me Lu Yuan,’ he whispered.

‘Lu… Yuan?’

‘The old Lei Yin is dead. Now, I am Lu Yuan.’

As he spoke, his inner energy pulsed, and the rate of his spiritual energy conversion increased. A realization dawned on him. The Way has many paths, but they all lead to the same destination. He felt he had found his path forward.

In his past life, his path was one of detachment, seeking solitude and peace to achieve a higher realm. But that path had ended beneath the thunderous trials. Now, Lu Yuan’s path was one of immersion in the world. Though he had only just glimpsed the door, he saw the way ahead.

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. After thousands of years of detachment, his path led him back to the mundane. Perhaps the path of cultivation truly has no end. Even in this body of great attainment, Lu Yuan yearned to explore the mysteries of the Dao.

Now, he needed to walk again among the common people, not as an immortal, but as one of them.

With these thoughts, Lu Yuan’s heart found peace. He reached out and gently ruffled Merlin’s hair before handing her a crumpled s*ave contract.

‘What’s this, Uncle?’ Merlin tilted her head, curious.

Without a word, Lu Yuan ignited the contract with a flame of crimson. In mere moments, it was reduced to ashes.

‘This… this…’ Merlin’s eyes widened with surprise.

‘From now on, you are no longer a s*ave, nor an unwanted child. You are my sister, Merlin, my sister in everything but name.’ Lu Yuan’s expression was serious.

Merlin covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. ‘What are you doing, Uncle? Acting all tough at your age!’ She laughed, but her fingers brushed at the corners of her eyes, wiping away the moisture.