Chapter 677: Chapter 677: Returning Home

When Tuoba Yu heard this, a wave of fury surged through him, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!

He glared resentfully at King Yan Nan, hating that he hadn’t killed the man outright before!

Even if their plan had failed, making them lose such a renowned general would have been a victory in itself!

But... it was too late for regrets now!

Noticing his gaze, King Yan Nan glanced over. "Rest assured, knowing your brother, he won’t just stand by and watch you die. He’ll likely agree to our terms, even if the price is enormous."

Tuoba Yu’s eyes were bloodshot, and he practically ground his teeth to dust!

Finally, his vision went black, and he fainted completely.

Emperor Muwu raised a hand. "Take him away and watch him carefully. Until the envoy from Nanhu arrives, no one is to see him without my permission!"

A few guards quickly came forward and dragged Tuoba Yu away.

Emperor Muwu looked again at King Yan Nan and Ye Yunfeng, who stood behind him, a look of admiration on his face.

"Ye Yunfeng? I remember you. You were outstanding during the polo match, outshining all the other young masters from the noble families! And to think you’ve become even more remarkable. You’ve been in the army for less than half a year and have already achieved such great merit! Truly, the younger generation is formidable. A young hero!"

Ye Yunfeng lowered his head. "Your Majesty is too kind. Our unexpected victory was entirely thanks to the trust of King Yan Nan and Lord Feng Zhang, as well as the united effort of all our brother soldiers. Many were killed or wounded in this battle. The credit should be theirs. I was merely fortunate and dare not accept this praise."

Emperor Muwu was quite surprised to hear this and looked him up and down again.

"I recall how high-spirited you once were! How is it that after just a few months in the army, you seem like a completely different person?"

The old Ye Yunfeng was bold and audacious, fearing nothing. Anyone with a discerning eye could see the untamable wildness in his very bones.

The Ye Yunfeng of today, however, was vastly different from before.

He had grown much taller. His skin had been weathered by the wind and sun at the border, and at a glance, he was truly indistinguishable from the soldiers who had guarded the frontiers for years.

His boyish immaturity had quietly faded away. Now, his eyes were resolute, his bearing was steady, and he had clearly grown into a true soldier!

Ye Yunfeng smiled, and a trace of his youthful spirit finally showed.

"After spending so long at the border, it’s only natural that I’d have grown up some."

Emperor Muwu roared with laughter.

"Excellent, excellent! Worthy of being the brother personally taught by Ye Chutang! You truly have a limitless future and are capable of great responsibility!"

He smiled at King Yan Nan and pointed at Ye Yunfeng. "Huaiqing, you see? Heroes have always emerged from the young! You, on the other hand, shouldn’t be so reluctant to admit you’re getting old!"

King Yan Nan nodded. "To gain such a fine general is a blessing for Your Majesty and the people!"

He genuinely admired Ye Yunfeng, and Emperor Muwu was truly pleased.

After being ill for so long and facing one mishap after another, he had finally received some good news. Naturally, King Yan Nan and Ye Yunfeng seemed exceptionally pleasing to his eye.

Emperor Muwu glanced outside and said with a smile, "Alright, it’s getting late. Your families must be waiting for you. You should go home for a reunion!"

...

It was already evening when Ye Yunfeng returned home.

Seeing the familiar main gate, Ye Yunfeng’s pace quickened until he broke into an outright run.

The spring evening breeze rustled the hem of his clothes, casting a dancing silhouette on the wall.

More and more joy and excitement flooded his heart, and the longing in the young man’s chest felt ready to burst.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he reached the gate and shouted—

"Sister! I’m back!"

His clear, resonant voice carried straight into the courtyard.

The servant standing at the gate saw him and almost didn’t recognize him. He rubbed his eyes again and again in disbelief before hurriedly crying out with joy.

"It’s the Fourth Young Master! The Fourth Young Master is back!"

They had heard earlier in the day that the Fourth Young Master had returned after earning military honors and had even gone to the palace with King Yan Nan. They thought he might not come home today, but who would have guessed that he was right here at the gate!

It had only been a few months, but Ye Yunfeng had changed so much they almost couldn’t recognize him.

The servant chuckled. "This lowly one thought some little general had come to visit, but it’s our very own Fourth Young Master!"

Ye Yunfeng grinned and tossed him a silver ingot. "Aren’t you a smooth talker! Where are my sister and the others? Are they back yet?"

The servant quickly replied, "They’re back, they’re back! The Second Miss instructed the kitchen staff early on to prepare a huge feast, all in the hopes that you could have a hot, home-cooked meal when you returned!"

As they spoke, Ye Yunfeng passed through the ornamental gate and looked up to see a small figure running quickly toward him.

Ye Yunfeng was delighted. He crouched down and scooped Xiao Wu up in his arms.

"Let your fourth brother see, have you grown taller these past few months?"

Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around his neck, her little face full of joy.

’It’s Fourth Brother! Fourth Brother is really home!’

Ye Yunfeng hefted her and clicked his tongue. "After a whole winter, our little Xiao Wu has sure packed on some winter weight!"

Xiao Wu immediately wrinkled her nose at him.

’No, I didn’t! It’s just because I grew a lot taller!’

Ye Yunfeng roared with laughter.

"Alright, alright, Fourth Brother knows you can’t be teased. There’s no child in the world more adorable than Xiao Wu. I’ve missed you so much, how could I possibly find fault with you?"

’That’s more like it.’

Xiao Wu gave a prideful nod, but the corners of her mouth curved up uncontrollably.

"Only Xiao Wu is that easy to coax. If you said that to anyone else, you’d be asking for a beating." Ye Jingyan had come out upon hearing the commotion and couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

Ye Yunfeng pinched Xiao Wu’s cheek. "Of course! Xiao Wu likes her fourth brother the most, even more than her third brother, right?"

Ye Jingyan sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "She’s so old already, and you’re still asking that question..."

’What’s the point of arguing about it? Xiao Wu’s favorite is Sister anyway.’

Ye Yunfeng thought about it and realized he was right.

"I just haven’t been back for so long, I wanted to tease the little girl a bit, you know?"

Ye Jingyan walked up to him.

Before, in the teahouse, he had only seen him from a distance.

Now that he was right in front of him, he finally had a chance to get a good look.

Ye Jingyan looked at him, his Adam’s apple bobbing once. He suddenly looked up and punched Ye Yunfeng in the chest.

Caught completely off guard, Ye Yunfeng hissed, "HISS... Ouch! Third Brother, what’d you hit me for!?"

’I finally make it home, and this is how I’m welcomed? With a punch?’

But Ye Jingyan just laughed. "You’ve gotten a lot sturdier. Not bad."

Ye Yunfeng: "..."

He rubbed his chest, which didn’t actually hurt much, and began to look around.

"Nope, you hit me, so I’m going to tattle on you to Sister! By the way, where is Sister?"

’I’ve been back for a while now, why hasn’t Sister come out yet?’

Ye Jingyan’s expression suddenly turned strange.

Xiao Wu looked up at the sky, staring intently as if she were seeing it for the very first time.

A bad feeling suddenly welled up in Ye Yunfeng’s heart.

The next moment, Ye Chutang emerged from the direction of the kitchen, her sleeves rolled up.

She was holding a spatula in her hand and said with a grin, "A Feng, you’re back?"

Ye Yunfeng looked at Ye Jingyan, his face a mask of terror: ?

Ye Jingyan cleared his throat. "Um, to welcome you back and wash away the dust from your journey, Sister insisted on cooking herself. She’s making all your favorite dishes."

Ye Yunfeng: ???!!!

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