Chương 45: Leaving

A few days later, Shu Yang was ready to set off. He had done all he could to make sure things ran smoothly in his absence, giving his son Tianren some advice on what to do in case he was gone longer than expected. But hopefully, everything would go well on his trip, and he could come back with Tianhu in just a few months.

"How long will you be gone for?" Qianyue asked, running her hands over Shu Yang's clothes to make sure he looked good.

"I don't know, but it will probably be a few months," Shu Yang answered.

"You'll probably miss a few grandchildren. Chu Jing and Ye Hua will be giving birth soon," Qianyue said.

"I know, I'm sorry," Shu Yang said. He didn't really want to leave. While it was true he had a part of him that wanted to go out and explore the world, that wasn't something he had to do right away. He didn't really want to consider it before all his children were grown up. Besides, the past years had been very enjoyable. He could stay at home and relax with his wife and watch as one grandchild after another came to the world.

He also kept growing stronger, so he didn't feel like he was wasting any time in that regard.

"It's alright. Go and bring Tianhu home," Qianyue said with a smile, "And try to take Tianyue with you too, if she isn't too busy. It's been a while since I saw her."

"You could see her every day if we moved to Fugu City," Shu Yang said.

"How can Fugu City compare to this place? It's better for Tianyue to move back here. It's not bad to work for the Kuo County Office," Qianyue said.

"Alright, alright," Shu Yang said, "We'll talk about it more when I get back." Shu Yang had been testing the idea of having his family move to Fugu City for a while now, but no one besides him really wanted to move. He could understand why, of course. Everyone they knew was still in Baishu Village, and their land and business were here as well. Besides, with Shu Yang as an Innate warrior, the Shu family had nothing to fear in this place.

Fugu City was different; not only were there plenty of Innate warriors, but there were even Masters in the dozens. No one saw the point of moving to such a place and staying in a cramped courtyard together. Baishu Village was a lot more relaxing. Shu Yang didn't really have a problem with staying in Baishu Village either; he saw all the reasons to stay just as clearly as everyone else. But he had a different vantage point from the rest of them.

Shu Yang knew he would soon advance to the Master stage, and by then, the whole Kuo County would be too small to hold him. If the family stayed, they wouldn't really reach further than they already had. Fugu City had countless more opportunities. Not just for Shu Yang, but everyone in the family. The resources over there could help everyone, regardless of whether they practiced martial arts or not. While he could have some shipped over from time to time, it couldn't compare to the convenience of living in the city.

There were also more opportunities for his grandchildren there. In Baishu Village, there really wasn't anyone who could teach them anything if they developed an interest in something outside of what Shu Yang knew. But Fugu City had several prestigious academies, and there were plenty of competent teachers who could take on his grandchildren as students if they were talented enough. But the most important reason was, of course, safety.

If anything were to happen, Shu Yang felt that his family was vulnerable all the way out in the countryside. But unless the Yan Kingdom collapsed, Fugu City would be safe.

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to come with you, Dad?" Tianren came over with his family and asked. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"I'm sure," Shu Yang said, "I need you to keep the family safe while I'm away."

'And I'm afraid anything below the Innate stage won't be much help.' Shu Yang would have loved to have some company, but he would probably be going deep inside the Black Beast Mountains. It really wasn't possible for anyone to go with him.

"Can I please go with you, Dad? Please," Tianyi also came running over with her older siblings. She threw herself around Shu Yang's legs, hugging him tightly.

"When you grow up and become more powerful, I promise to take you wherever you want to go. For now, I need you to look after your nieces," Shu Yang said, patting his daughter's head lovingly.

'Maybe Tianyi will be talented enough to actually catch up to my strength somewhat. It would be nice to travel around with her one day and not have to worry about her safety.'

"Where is Tianan and his family?" Shu Yang asked. They were the only ones still not here.

"They went to the Chu family early in the morning," Tianren answered.

"Right," Shu Yang nodded. Besides visiting family for its own sake, Tianan and his wives had been going there a lot lately to discuss extending the bakery business further east. The plan was to open up a bakery in every place where the Shu family had a wine shop. Both of Tianan's wives were very interested in business. Chu Jing's family had a bakery together with the Shu family since long ago, and Ye Hua's father was one of the first people Shu Yang had employed when opening his wine shop in Chunsi Town.

Seeing that they had such an interest, and that they were quite capable, Shu Yang had given Tianan and his wives complete control over the bakery business a few weeks ago. Shu Yang didn't have time to focus much energy on that, and wine and whiskey for martial artists were a lot more profitable, so that side of the Shu family business had been lagging behind a little. He wouldn't lose much by giving it away. And it was still within the family, after all.

Shu Yang had already given both Tianan and Tianren their own parts of the family business to run. It was unrealistic that all his children kept receiving the same amount of support as they grew up and started families of their own. As they grew older, it was more reasonable to give rewards to those who contributed more. Shu Yang believed that would prevent future disputes. He just had to keep an eye on things and make sure everything was handled as fairly as possible.

Of course, these things would only become important in the future. At the moment, the family was still close, and no one was thinking of gaining more benefits than their siblings. But as the next generation grew up, and the one after that, the relationship between family members would grow more distant, and it would become important to distribute things fairly. Of course, Shu Yang would still keep most of the family wealth in his own hands and use it to buy resources for his children and grandchildren as he liked.

But if someone wanted anything more than what Shu Yang was willing to give, they would have to work for it themselves. But as long as they were competent, Shu Yang would, of course, help as best as he could. He would only be happy to see his children and grandchildren grow something on their own. Such was the case with the bakery business he had handed over.

Shu Yang could provide Tianan and his wives and children with resources to grow strong and healthy, but he wouldn't waste money on luxuries he considered unnecessary. But now that they had a way to gain wealth on their own, they could spend it however they liked. Shu Yang knew Tianan wanted to build a large mansion for his family, which was a perfect example of something Shu Yang wouldn't sponsor, but was very happy to see realized by his son's own actions.

'Tianan has always been very quick to get close to people, which is very valuable when running a business. With the help of his wives, he might be able to do a lot more than even I can.'

"Stay safe out there," Qianyue said as Shu Yang stepped away, ready to leave, "You have to come home in one piece."

"I promise," Shu Yang assured with a smile. After saying goodbye to everyone and having a brief one-to-one with each of his children, Shu Yang took off. He decided to travel on foot. It was both faster and more convenient than taking a carriage. If he got tired, he could always catch a ride for a part of the journey. Shu Yang ran on light feet, and soon Baishu Village disappeared behind him.

'I always get worried when I leave my family. It would be nice if Tianren could advance to the Innate stage soon, so I could be a little more assured. But I guess that is still a few years away.'

'It will take me a few weeks to get to Fugu City, but that's just as well. It will give me the chance to advance to the Master stage before arriving at the Black Beast Mountains.'

'I will travel for a week or so, and then find a nice secluded place on the way and take the final step.'

'I just hope the strength of a Master will be enough to help Tianhu get out of whatever trouble he has gotten into.'