Chapter 332: Only the Three of Us Left in Stone Mountain
“Mother, your words are really annoying. Don’t forget Father’s warning before we set off.”
Seeing his wife being scolded again by his mother, Yu Chunmu didn’t hold back this time. He lowered his voice and warned Liu Lan.
Yu Chunmu felt helpless. On one side was his wife, and on the other was his biological mother. No matter how his mother acted, he couldn’t just abandon her for his wife. In the end, he had no choice but to use his father’s authority to suppress his mother.
“Fine, fine, I get it. Stop nagging!”
Hearing this, Liu Lan recalled Yu Shanhai’s warning before their departure. The arrogance she had just displayed in front of Huang Xiaoju immediately diminished. She rolled her eyes at her son and hurried after Yu Shanhai.
Yu Liang walked empty-handed, leaning on a wooden staff, looking exhausted as if he had traveled a long way. He lagged behind the group, mouth agape, his beard trembling as he observed everything in Luo City. His expression was filled with curiosity and, more than that, deep emotions—finally, he didn’t have to suffer anymore. He could live a comfortable life again.
Yu Shanhai carried his wife and children’s belongings, bags packed to the brim. Fortunately, his three children were well-behaved and helped with the load. When they split from the family to live independently, they didn’t receive many assets, not even a couple of the worn-out winter coats they had taken from the bandits. Among all the families, they had the fewest possessions.
The Zhang family consisted entirely of men. The few belongings they received had long been used up, and it was only thanks to Yu Zhengqing lending them some silver that they were able to purchase cooking utensils and food from Yu Luo’s store. Since they had been working at Yu Luo’s place, they didn’t need to cook at home, so these items were still intact. Each man carried his load in one hand with ease.
The largest group was from the Bai and Liu families. A huge procession of people entered Luo City, catching the attention of the patrol guards. They rushed forward, thinking they were another group of refugees, and warmly inquired whether they needed to rent houses or be accommodated in the communal shelters.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the patrol guards, Bai You and Liu Mingxia quickly explained their situation.
When the guards heard that these were the two future private school teachers personally appointed by Yu Luo, their enthusiasm grew even stronger. They immediately helped carry their belongings and led them to the academy.
Back at Stone Mountain, after watching everyone leave, the place returned to its former silence. Yu Xiaoxuan’s face was full of worry.
Chang Huilan sat at the entrance of their cave, gazing into the distance. She did this every day, even though she knew Yu Zhengqing and Yu Xiaoran wouldn’t return anytime soon. She couldn’t help but look toward Jiuzhong Mountain, hoping for a miracle.
Yu Yingying, leaning on her crutch, also stepped out of the cave. The autumn sunlight spilled inside, bringing what was likely the last warmth of the year in this barren land. No one knew when the snow would start falling, and when it did, the already desolate Stone Mountain would return to the bitter cold that had greeted them when they first arrived.
“Mother, I want to go to Luo City. Chunmu and the others said there will be a martial arts competition tomorrow. I heard the champion will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver. If I win, we could rent a house in Luo City and move there.”
“You are not allowed to go!”
Chang Huilan’s usually calm expression turned stern, and her voice carried an unmistakable authority.
Hearing his mother’s firm rejection, Yu Xiaoxuan, who had only been testing the waters, couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
Chang Huilan withdrew her gaze from the distant mountains and turned to face her son. Her eyes softened with motherly warmth as she reached out to adjust his clothing.
“I know you don’t want me to continue suffering here. But those martial artists are not people you can defeat. If something happens to you, your sister and I will have no hope left.”
“But Mother, everyone else has left. It’s just the three of us now. Even Xiao Yun has been missing for so long. I’ve searched everywhere, but I can’t find him. Do you think he went to Luo City to find Lady Lan?”
“If he’s gone, let him be. He chose to leave. What’s so bad about staying here? If your father and brother return and don’t find us here, they’ll be worried. Look at those abandoned fields—there’s still a batch of vegetables and fruits growing. Now that everyone has left, they belong to us. If we take care of them, we’ll have enough food to last through the winter.”
Since Chang Huilan had made up her mind, her two children didn’t dare argue further.
“Fine. I’ll go hunting and gather firewood. Mother, you and Yingying stay in the cave and don’t go out. Now that only some of Yu Luo’s workers remain in the area, if anything dangerous happens…”
“I understand. Go ahead. We’ll stay in the cave and keep safe.”
Seeing his mother’s reassurance, Yu Xiaoxuan grabbed his machete and bow before leaving. With a single leap, his figure disappeared from sight, vanishing into the wilderness.
Every day, he had to venture far away to hunt and gather firewood. Most of the land around the city had been enclosed by walls, leaving no game to be found. Today, when Yu Xiaoxuan reached the outer perimeter, he climbed onto an unmanned section of the city wall. He stood there for a long time, staring at Luo City in the distance, lost in thought.
He stood on the wall for nearly fifteen minutes, unable to resist the temptation any longer. Finally, he made up his mind and headed toward Luo City.
The last time he had been here, the gates were closed, and his grandmother had been hung above them. Now, the gates were wide open, guarded by men in matching uniforms, each equipped with a saber and wearing simple armor. They looked like a real army.
Standing at the city gate, Yu Xiaoxuan watched as people continuously entered. Inside, the streets bustled with life. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Where are you from?”
“From the wastelands. I was exiled here.”
Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t bother making up a story. He noticed that many others answered the same way and were allowed entry without paying any fee.
Hearing his response, the guard withdrew his arm and let him pass.
As Yu Xiaoxuan stepped through the gates and truly entered Luo City, he couldn’t describe how he felt.
He couldn’t fathom how powerful Ye Jiamei’s family must be to have built all of this. The newly paved streets, the white-walled and black-tiled buildings, and the festive decorations hanging everywhere—it all looked just like New Year’s celebrations.
The capital had once been this lively. But now, in the middle of the wasteland, in a place considered uninhabitable by the Four Kingdoms, Luo City was teeming with life. What shook him the most was the realization that this city belonged to Yu Luo’s family.
BANG!
A gong rang out loudly, snapping Yu Xiaoxuan out of his shock and confusion. He turned toward the sound.
