Fang Zhengzhi looked at the road leading out of Huai An County, a wave of emotions coming over him .

After all, he had funded the construction of this road .

"Let's go . "

"Yes, sir!"

　　 . . .

The Northern Mountain Village had changed drastically over the past year . Even though Fang Zhengzhi was a wanted criminal, it had not affected the growth of the Northern Mountain Village .

The Northern Mountain Village had roads and an academy with 50 of the best teachers in the Northern Region .

It was so good that even the n.o.ble families of the Northern Region sent their kids here . As such, the Northern Mountain Village had moved away from hunting as their way of life .

Just by size alone . . .

The Northern Mountain Village had more than doubled in size .

Each house had been extensively renovated . The gardens were bigger and the houses were taller .

However, one thing did not change .

They continued to farm .

It was in their nature to do so . They may be more affluent now, but they were still frugal .

As such, there were still plenty of crops around, from vegetables to fruits .

Spring was the time for harvesting .

This was something that was never going to change .

The villagers started bright and early, working in the fields despite the hot sun .

They started before dawn and ended after sunset .

The sun was about to set . The rays of light stained the ground a golden reddish color .

The villagers began to pack up and got ready to return home for dinner .

At that moment . . .

Figures appeared on the road to the village . It was a figure in a black cloak . They could not make out his appearance because the veil underneath the hood blocked their vision .

There were more than 10 people .

It was clear that these people were special . They wore good quality clothes and they had weapons in their hands .

Swords, knives, spears . . .

Every weapon had an icy glow to it . Even those who didn't know their weapons could tell that these were high-quality weapons .

These people had to be quite special .

The villagers stopped what they were doing . Over the past year, many influential figures had come here . The n.o.ble families of Huai An County and the River of Trust Province had all come to visit .

They had seen their fair share .

However, they stopped what they were doing . For starters, this was not the first or last day of school . Secondly, they could see that . . .

These people were not from any of those n.o.ble families .

Because . . .

All of them traveled on foot .

None of them rode horses and they traveled light . There was no cart of luggage nor did they carry any bags . They looked clean and tidy, without any traces of dust on their clothes . They were not here to deliver things to the sons of those n.o.ble families studying here .

The villagers stood in the field and stared .

They wanted to figure out who these men were and what they were here for . However, based on what they saw, they couldn't figure anything out .

Then, they were shocked by what they saw .

Their eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets .

They couldn't believe their eyes .

They saw a figure inside this group . This was a youth who was dressed in a blue long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt .

He was skinny, had fair skin, and smiled widely .

"Uncle Li, Auntie Zhang, how are you?" The youth noticed the villagers and waved to them as he walked past .

"Ah . . . " The couple who had been greeted watched in amazement as the youth walked past them . Their jaws dropped . . .

The youth smiled, unsurprised by their reaction . He then greeted some of the other villagers .

"Uncle w.a.n.g, you are still as young as ever . Auntie Liu, your complexion is getting better, is Brother Zhao married yet? Haha . . . when you're free, come over to my house for a meal . . . "

The youth greeted every villager heartedly as he walked by .

However . . .

All of the villagers reacted with dropped jaws and stunned looks . No one returned the greetings . They all felt like they had just seen a ghost .

"F*ck me, did . . . did I just see a ghost?!"

"Me too . . . "

"You saw it too?"

"Yes . . . yes . . . "

"Don't tell me that you saw Zhengzhi as well?!"

"Yes, I . . . I saw Zhengzhi . . . in fact, he even greeted me like he usually does . He does seem a little taller though!"

"Ghost!"

The villagers of the Northern Mountain Village were law-abiding . Fang Zhengzhi was the most wanted criminal in the entire Great Xia .

As such . . .

They couldn't believe that Fang Zhengzhi would walk towards them and greet them in broad daylight .

Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of explaining his actions to them .

He took a deep breath and enjoyed the fresh mountain air as he watched the sunset . He loved the calm and serenity of the mountains .

The river at the entrance to the village was clear . The fishes swam around in the clear water, creating little ripples wherever they went .

Fang Zhengzhi was not walking particularly quickly .

However, he arrived at the entrance very quickly . He looked at the new signboard and tablet at the entrance .

The person who had done the inscription was quite a skilled man .

This must have been a result of the increased traffic .

With the academy, the culture in the village had improved greatly and people showed a greater appreciation of calligraphy and the other arts .

There were all sorts of art forms, from statues to wood carvings . Fang Zhengzhi guessed that these were the works of the teachers .

Based on Village Elder Zhang Yangping's skill levels, these things would have crumbled before they even took root .

He entered the village .

It was bustling .

All the villagers smiled and chatted amongst themselves . Many of the families had a signboard on their house .

However, the entire village quietened down quickly .

All of them saw Fang Zhengzhi entering the city and heard the greetings from afar .

They were all stunned .

Even though Fang Zhengzhi had already left the Northern Mountain Village for more than a year, he was still once the pride of the Northern Mountain Village .

They would never forget him .

Even if Fang Zhengzhi left for five or ten years, they will still be able to recognize him on sight .

In fact . . .

Everyone had wondered if Fang Zhengzhi would return to the village one day .

But it was just a thought .

After all, the crimes Fang Zhengzhi was accused of were too heinous . Killing the Crown Prince of the Southern Region, violating the current Queen of the Southern Region, and injuring the Crown Prince .

Pardon?

With such heinous crimes, a pardon was out of the question .

Of course, they still entertained the thought that Fang Zhengzhi would return . However, they expected him to sneak in in the middle of the night .

All of the villagers looked up at the sky .

The sun was about to set, but enough light shone on that smiling face .

"Zheng . . . Zhengzhi?!"

A voice stammered .

Then, all the villagers looked at each other with excitement, fear, and worry .

As villagers, they knew everyone inside the village .

That meant that they knew that there were . . .

"Zhengzhi, why did you come back?! Go!"

"Where is my mom?"

"Ah?!"

"Is she at home? Uncle Chen, if you have time tonight, come and have a meal at my house!" Fang Zhengzhi waved to Uncle Chen .

"Have . . . have a meal? Zhengzhi asked me to go have a meal . . . at his house?" Uncle Chen was stunned as he watched Fang Zhengzhi and the cloaked figures around him .

　　 . . .

In the Fang Family garden .

Qin Xuelian was watering the plants . She already had traces of grey hair and there were wrinkles on her face .

Even though Qin Xuelian was still very beautiful, she did seem to age a lot over the past year .

On the balcony on the second floor of the stone house, they planted nuts in a small yard .

Fang Houde stood there, tending to the plants .

He had a teapot and teacup in front of him . Steam emanated from the teacup, spreading the fragrance of the tea contained within it .

"Father of our child, if you're tired, you should rest . " Qin Xuelian hollered as she saw sweat pouring down Fang Houde's face .

Her expression darkened when she said this .

She hadn't called him the father of their children for a long time . She usually cold him by name . . .

Or by Old Fang . . .

Yet, she would end up reverting to calling him that every now and then .

"Mother . . . Xue Lian ah, you should rest as well . Let me cook dinner tonight . " Fang Houde stopped himself .

His expression was dark as well .

However, he cheered up almost just as quickly as he brushed the dirt off his hands and raised his gla.s.s .

He took a whiff .

For some reason, a teardrop landed inside this teacup, causing rippled .

"Let me do it . " Qin Xuelian shook her head, her body trembling . Her eyes became slightly watery . She had cried too many times over the past year .

Spring, summer, autumn, winter .

She sat in the garden, watching the pa.s.sing figures . All she wanted was to see her son .

But there was nothing!

She wasn't disappointed . Not seeing him was a good thing!

Then, drops of 'water' landed in her pail of water . There were more and more ripples by the second . She felt her energy rush out of her body and she grabbed the pail to stabilize herself .

"My son, I . . . miss you!"

Qin Xuelian screamed in her heart . She screamed it repeatedly, but never out loud .

The pail was shaking .

The water reflected a wrinkled and pale face .

At that very moment, a figure appeared in the water . It was a figure standing at the door, wearing a blue long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt .

"My son! It's Zhengzhi!"

Qin Xuelian wanted to shout it out loud but she dismissed the thought . She had seen this figure too many times .

She knew that this figure should not appear here .

He should not be here!

"Zhengzhi, my son . . . " Qin Xuelian looked at the reflection, staring quietly . She knew that the figure would disappear after some time .

She wanted to stop time and savor the moment .

But it was wishful thinking .

Yet, this was the only thing that kept her going . This was the only way she could keep waiting for someone who was never going to return .

"Mother!" At that moment, a voice rang out at the gate . It was so clear and familiar .

Qin Xuelian shuddered .

She looked at the pail in her hands . The figure's reflection was still there . It was almost real .

"My son, Zhengzhi is back!"

Qin Xuelian wanted to look at the gate . However, she knew that once she did that, she would lose sight of the reflection .

She didn't know what to do . . .

Her instincts took over and she turned back . She wanted to see who was at the gate .

Time seemed to stop . . .

Qin Xuelian's body froze as she looked at the gate . There was a familiar figure there smiling at her .

"Mother!" The voice rang out once again .

"Zheng . . . Zhengzhi, is . . . is that you?" Qin Xuelian felt a wave of emotions overwhelm her and she dropped the pail on the floor .

Chapter 484 It s all an illusion Translator Sparrow Translations Editor Sparrow TranslationsFang Zhengzhi looked at the road leading out of Huai An County, a wave of emotions coming over him . After all, he had funded the construction of this road . Let s go . Yes, sir . . . The Northern Mountain Village had changed drastically over the past year . Even though Fang Zhengzhi was a wanted criminal, it had not affected the growth of the Northern Mountain Village . The Northern Mountain Village had roads and an academy with 50 of the best teachers in the Northern Region . It was so good that even the n.o.ble families of the Northern Region sent their kids here . As such, the Northern Mountain Village had moved away from hunting as their way of life . Just by size alone . . . The Northern Mountain Village had more than doubled in size . Each house had been extensively renovated . The gardens were bigger and the houses were taller . However, one thing did not change . They continued to farm . It was in their nature to do so . They may be more affluent now, but they were still frugal . As such, there were still plenty of crops around, from vegetables to fruits . Spring was the time for harvesting . This was something that was never going to change . The villagers started bright and early, working in the fields despite the hot sun . They started before dawn and ended after sunset . The sun was about to set . The rays of light stained the ground a golden reddish color . The villagers began to pack up and got ready to return home for dinner . At that moment . . . Figures appeared on the road to the village . It was a figure in a black cloak . They could not make out his appearance because the veil underneath the hood blocked their vision . There were more than 10 people . It was clear that these people were special . They wore good quality clothes and they had weapons in their hands . Swords, knives, spears . . . Every weapon had an icy glow to it . Even those who didn t know their weapons could tell that these were high quality weapons . These people had to be quite special . The villagers stopped what they were doing . Over the past year, many influential figures had come here . The n.o.ble families of Huai An County and the River of Trust Province had all come to visit . They had seen their fair share . However, they stopped what they were doing . For starters, this was not the first or last day of school . Secondly, they could see that . . . These people were not from any of those n.o.ble families . Because . . . All of them traveled on foot . None of them rode horses and they traveled light . There was no cart of luggage nor did they carry any bags . They looked clean and tidy, without any traces of dust on their clothes . They were not here to deliver things to the sons of those n.o.ble families studying here . The villagers stood in the field and stared . They wanted to figure out who these men were and what they were here for . However, based on what they saw, they couldn t figure anything out . Then, they were shocked by what they saw . Their eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets . They couldn t believe their eyes . They saw a figure inside this group . This was a youth who was dressed in a blue long sleeved s.h.i.+rt . He was skinny, had fair skin, and smiled widely . Uncle Li, Auntie Zhang, how are you The youth noticed the villagers and waved to them as he walked past . Ah . . . The couple who had been greeted watched in amazement as the youth walked past them . Their jaws dropped . . . The youth smiled, unsurprised by their reaction . He then greeted some of the other villagers . Uncle w.a.n.g, you are still as young as ever . Auntie Liu, your complexion is getting better, is Brother Zhao married yet Haha . . . when you re free, come over to my house for a meal . . . The youth greeted every villager heartedly as he walked by . However . . . All of the villagers reacted with dropped jaws and stunned looks . No one returned the greetings . They all felt like they had just seen a ghost . F ck me, did . . . did I just see a ghost Me too . . . You saw it too Yes . . . yes . . . Don t tell me that you saw Zhengzhi as well Yes, I . . . I saw Zhengzhi . . . in fact, he even greeted me like he usually does . He does seem a little taller though Ghost The villagers of the Northern Mountain Village were law abiding . Fang Zhengzhi was the most wanted criminal in the entire Great Xia . As such . . . They couldn t believe that Fang Zhengzhi would walk towards them and greet them in broad daylight . Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of explaining his actions to them . He took a deep breath and enjoyed the fresh mountain air as he watched the sunset . He loved the calm and serenity of the mountains . The river at the entrance to the village was clear . The fishes swam around in the clear water, creating little ripples wherever they went . Fang Zhengzhi was not walking particularly quickly . However, he arrived at the entrance very quickly . He looked at the new signboard and tablet at the entrance . The person who had done the inscription was quite a skilled man . This must have been a result of the increased traffic . With the academy, the culture in the village had improved greatly and people showed a greater appreciation of calligraphy and the other arts . There were all sorts of art forms, from statues to wood carvings . Fang Zhengzhi guessed that these were the works of the teachers . Based on Village Elder Zhang Yangping s skill levels, these things would have crumbled before they even took root . He entered the village . It was bustling . All the villagers smiled and chatted amongst themselves . Many of the families had a signboard on their house . However, the entire village quietened down quickly . All of them saw Fang Zhengzhi entering the city and heard the greetings from afar . They were all stunned . Even though Fang Zhengzhi had already left the Northern Mountain Village for more than a year, he was still once the pride of the Northern Mountain Village . They would never forget him . Even if Fang Zhengzhi left for five or ten years, they will still be able to recognize him on sight . In fact . . . Everyone had wondered if Fang Zhengzhi would return to the village one day . But it was just a thought . After all, the crimes Fang Zhengzhi was accused of were too heinous . Killing the Crown Prince of the Southern Region, violating the current Queen of the Southern Region, and injuring the Crown Prince . Pardon With such heinous crimes, a pardon was out of the question . Of course, they still entertained the thought that Fang Zhengzhi would return . However, they expected him to sneak in in the middle of the night . All of the villagers looked up at the sky . The sun was about to set, but enough light shone on that smiling face . Zheng . . . Zhengzhi A voice stammered . Then, all the villagers looked at each other with excitement, fear, and worry . As villagers, they knew everyone inside the village . That meant that they knew that there were . . . Zhengzhi, why did you come back Go Where is my mom Ah Is she at home Uncle Chen, if you have time tonight, come and have a meal at my house Fang Zhengzhi waved to Uncle Chen . Have . . . have a meal Zhengzhi asked me to go have a meal . . . at his house Uncle Chen was stunned as he watched Fang Zhengzhi and the cloaked figures around him . . . . In the Fang Family garden . Qin Xuelian was watering the plants . She already had traces of grey hair and there were wrinkles on her face . Even though Qin Xuelian was still very beautiful, she did seem to age a lot over the past year . On the balcony on the second floor of the stone house, they planted nuts in a small yard . Fang Houde stood there, tending to the plants . He had a teapot and teacup in front of him . Steam emanated from the teacup, spreading the fragrance of the tea contained within it . Father of our child, if you re tired, you should rest . Qin Xuelian hollered as she saw sweat pouring down Fang Houde s face . Her expression darkened when she said this . She hadn t called him the father of their children for a long time . She usually cold him by name . . . Or by Old Fang . . . Yet, she would end up reverting to calling him that every now and then . Mother . . . Xue Lian ah, you should rest as well . Let me cook dinner tonight . Fang Houde stopped himself . His expression was dark as well . However, he cheered up almost just as quickly as he brushed the dirt off his hands and raised his gla.s.s . He took a whiff . For some reason, a teardrop landed inside this teacup, causing rippled . Let me do it . Qin Xuelian shook her head, her body trembling . Her eyes became slightly watery . She had cried too many times over the past year . Spring, summer, autumn, winter . She sat in the garden, watching the pa.s.sing figures . All she wanted was to see her son . But there was nothing She wasn t disappointed . Not seeing him was a good thing Then, drops of water landed in her pail of water . There were more and more ripples by the second . She felt her energy rush out of her body and she grabbed the pail to stabilize herself . My son, I . . . miss you Qin Xuelian screamed in her heart . She screamed it repeatedly, but never out loud . The pail was shaking . The water reflected a wrinkled and pale face . At that very moment, a figure appeared in the water . It was a figure standing at the door, wearing a blue long sleeved s.h.i.+rt . My son It s Zhengzhi Qin Xuelian wanted to shout it out loud but she dismissed the thought . She had seen this figure too many times . She knew that this figure should not appear here . He should not be here Zhengzhi, my son . . . Qin Xuelian looked at the reflection, staring quietly . She knew that the figure would disappear after some time . She wanted to stop time and savor the moment . But it was wishful thinking . Yet, this was the only thing that kept her going . This was the only way she could keep waiting for someone who was never going to return . Mother At that moment, a voice rang out at the gate . It was so clear and familiar . Qin Xuelian shuddered . She looked at the pail in her hands . The figure s reflection was still there . It was almost real . My son, Zhengzhi is back Qin Xuelian wanted to look at the gate . However, she knew that once she did that, she would lose sight of the reflection . She didn t know what to do . . . Her instincts took over and she turned back . She wanted to see who was at the gate . Time seemed to stop . . . Qin Xuelian s body froze as she looked at the gate . There was a familiar figure there smiling at her . Mother The voice rang out once again . Zheng . . . Zhengzhi, is . . . is that you Qin Xuelian felt a wave of emotions overwhelm her and she dropped the pail on the floor .