Chapter 8

This time, Lu Hong's trip to the county town and back took more than twenty days. By the time he returned to Fufeng City, Gao Yuan had almost fully recovered, and the things Zhang Yi had arranged were just installed. To put it simply, it was a pair of parallel bars and a single bar, installed in the backyard. The pillars were made of hard miscellaneous wood, and the three crossbars were made of mulberry wood, which is very resilient. After they were installed, Gao Yuan couldn't wait to play on them a few times. However, this body was clearly far from the strength, balance, and skills he had gained from long-term, high-intensity training in his previous life. It seemed that to return to his best state, he would need quite some time.

Even so, just playing around a bit made Zhang Yi and the two Ye siblings, who came to watch, gape in amazement. Watching Gao Yuan perform several large arm circles on the single bar, Ye Jing'er covered her mouth with a delicate cry, afraid that Gao Yuan would fall off. He had just recovered from his injuries, and if he fell, it would be a big problem. Especially when the mulberry wood bars bent with each circle, Ye Jing'er was extremely nervous. Finally, when Gao Yuan jumped down, Ye Jing'er was the first to run over, staring at Gao Yuan and shaking her head, "Big Brother Gao, you can't play like that. If you fall, it will be a big trouble."

Seeing Ye Jing'er's face turn pale with fright, Gao Yuan laughed, "Don't worry, but I promise you, I won't play for a while. My body isn't fully recovered yet, and intense exercise still hurts a bit. After a while, I'll be completely fine. Then you can come and watch me show you some cool moves."

The Ye family of three had been eating at the Gao family's house for some time. With Gao Yuan's special instructions, the Gao family's meals were particularly good. After several dozen days of recuperation, Ye Feng had grown taller and stronger, and Ye Jing'er had also changed noticeably. Her complexion had become rosy, and her figure had finally developed some feminine curves, making her much prettier than before.

Zhang Yi was also a bit shaken by Gao Yuan's actions. As Gao Yuan turned to try the parallel bars, he whispered to Ye Jing'er, "Miss Jing'er, you must tell Young Master not to play on this. He will definitely listen to you."

Zhang Yi's words immediately made Ye Jing'er blush. She stomped her foot and scolded, "What are you talking about? Why would Big Brother Gao listen to me?" She turned her head and saw Gao Yuan looking at them, which made her even more embarrassed. She ran away in a small hurry.

Gao Yuan acted as if he hadn't seen anything, clapped the dust off his hands, and walked over, "Zhang Yi, Uncle Lu is back today. I plan to go over to pay my respects this evening. What gift should I bring?"

Zhang Yi smiled, "Young Master, Lord Lu treats you like a nephew. Bringing a gift would make things seem distant, and Lord Lu wouldn't be happy. Just go over, and seeing you lively and well will make Lord Lu the happiest."

"Alright, let's go over later. By the way, I'll talk to Uncle Lu about your matter after we go over."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Zhang Yi was immensely grateful.

The Lu family residence was on the west side of Fufeng City, a considerable distance from the Gao family's house. Compared to the Gao family, the Lu family residence was several times larger. The walls were more than a person's height, and there were several red-brick and green-tiled buildings inside. At the entrance, two soldiers with long spears stood on the steps. They nodded at Zhang Yi and Gao Yuan, clearly very familiar with them.

After entering the main gate, there was no screen wall like in other houses, but a large open area similar to the Gao family's backyard, though much larger. On one side, weapons were neatly arranged. Passing through this area, they reached the main hall. A man in a blue robe walked over, bowed to Gao Yuan, and smiled, "Young Master Gao has come. Lord Lu was just mentioning you. He's very happy to hear that you can move around now!"

Gao Yuan looked at him but didn't recognize him. Zhang Yi knew that Gao Yuan had forgotten everything after his injury and quickly introduced him, "Young Master, this is the steward of the residence, Mr. Lu Bin. He is Lord Lu's trusted assistant."

"Hello, Mr. Lu Bin!" Gao Yuan nodded.

Mr. Lu Bin smiled, "I heard from Zhang Yi that Young Master forgot everything after the injury. I didn't believe it, but now I see it's true. You don't even recognize me. We used to be very close. Young Master, go on in, don't keep Lord Lu waiting."

"Thank you, Mr. Lu Bin!" Gao Yuan nodded and walked towards the main hall.

Mr. Lu Bin watched Gao Yuan's back with surprise, "How did a trip to the underworld change his personality? He used to be much more difficult to deal with!" He shook his head and went about his business. Things would be busier with Lord Lu back.

"Uncle, you're well, and thank you for the journey!" As he entered the main hall, Gao Yuan immediately saw Lu Hong's tall figure. He was talking to a young man sitting beside him, who was a few years older than Gao Yuan. Seeing Gao Yuan enter, Lu Hong stood up happily, walked to Gao Yuan, and patted his shoulder, "Good boy, you've recovered so quickly. I didn't believe you were fully recovered before. Well done, well done."

"Thank you, Uncle, for your care!" Gao Yuan bowed, "Was your trip smooth?"

"Smooth, smooth. I paid respects to the governor and met many old friends, so I stayed a few extra days. I missed you. Oh, right, you don't remember after your injury. This is Lu Chao, my son, and your elder brother."

Gao Yuan had already noticed this young man, who had been sitting quietly, in stark contrast to Lu Hong's obviously martial build. He hadn't expected that he was Lu Hong's son.

"Hello, Elder Brother. I apologize, but I forgot many things after my injury, including recognizing you."

Lu Chao shook his head, "It's fine. I was with Father in the county and didn't visit you. Don't be upset!"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

"Family brothers, no need to be so formal!" Lu Hong waved his hand, "This time, we have two pieces of good news. First, Gao Yuan has fully recovered. Second, I managed to get you an official position in the county. Once you inform the county magistrate, you will be the military officer of Fufeng County. The second piece of good news is about Chao. This is my biggest achievement from the trip. I just talked about it with Chao."

"What is the good news, Uncle? Please tell me so I can share in the joy." Gao Yuan said, trying to be engaging.

Lu Hong laughed heartily, "We martial people are always looked down upon by the scholars. Even our governor was once humiliated in the capital. Since then, I've been determined to have my son study from a young age. Chao has worked hard and achieved success. This time, when I went to the county to pay respects to the governor, I met an unexpected person. Do you know who it was?"

Gao Yuan shook his head.

"Li Ru, Li Ru, a great scholar. He is respected in all the states. I never thought he would come to the governor's birthday celebration. Later, I learned that the governor had helped Li Ru when he was young. I knelt for an hour in front of the governor before he agreed to introduce Chao to Li Ru. However, he couldn't guarantee that Li Ru would accept Chao as a disciple. Being a disciple of Li Ru is a great honor. Chao has worked hard, and now he is Li Ru's disciple. He will be leaving soon to travel with Li Ru. Ha, who says martial families can't produce scholars?" Lu Hong laughed, "Even the governor praised me for having a good son!"

"Congratulations, Elder Brother, congratulations!" Although Gao Yuan didn't know who Li Ru was, he still congratulated Lu Chao enthusiastically.

"You're not allowed to leave today. Since it's a double celebration and also a farewell dinner for your elder brother's journey, you must stay for dinner," Lu Hong laughed.

"I must toast Elder Brother to wish him success in his studies and a bright future."

"May your words come true!" Compared to Lu Hong's wild joy, Lu Chao, though pleased, remained calm, befitting his years of study. His emotions were not easily shown, unlike his father, whose mood was always clear on his face.