Chapter 401: Chapter 198: Chaotic Situation
A grand display before the crowd!
Zhao Rui cupped his hands at the crowd, then led his parents and Zhou Moshu back into the underground parking garage.
The surrounding crowd parted to let them through, but no one dared to mob them like they would a celebrity.
"Who is that woman? She’s so beautiful, and so lucky!"
"Yeah, if only I had a boyfriend that amazing."
"You? Forget it. You’re not even good-looking."
"What’s that supposed to mean? What part of me isn’t good-looking? Hmph, look at you, you’re short and fat..."
"What did you say?"
"So what if I said it?"
"You’re pulling my hair..."
"You bitch!"
And so, because of Zhao Rui’s appearance, a pair of best friends descended into a catfight of scratching and hair-pulling.
...
On the way back, Zhao Jincheng and his wife still couldn’t believe that the person flying through the air earlier was their very own son.
"Son, what level are you at now?"
Recently, knowledge of the Martial Dao had been spreading throughout Huaxia. After Zhao Rui taught them some Martial Arts, Zhao Jincheng and his wife had made some minor progress themselves, so they were no longer the complete novices they once were.
"Well, I’d be considered one of the top experts in the province."
"What?"
Although Zhao Jincheng didn’t know exactly what tier "one of the top experts in the province" was, the fact that he was ranked at all spoke volumes.
"Son, Mom is so proud of you."
"Son, even if you’re very powerful, you can’t just jump into every situation. You need to be humble, and know when to hide your abilities... And most importantly, you must never use your strength to bully the weak. Do you understand?"
Zhao Jincheng’s parents were typical, ordinary citizens of Huaxia. While their words might have lacked a grand, worldly perspective, they were filled with the most sincere and down-to-earth parental concern.
"I know. I’m not the type to bully the weak."
Zhao Rui smiled and agreed.
Hearing this, Zhou Moshu’s pretty face stiffened beside him, and she shot a subtle glance at Zhao Rui.
’Are you *sure* you’ve never used your strength to bully the weak?’
They quickly arrived home.
Zhao Rui gave his parents a brief summary of his experiences in Gui Xu.
The two of them listened, dumbfounded. After the initial shock, they felt more fear and unease.
"Let’s bring your grandparents here. Their home is too close to Ri City; it’s too dangerous," Zhao Jincheng said hurriedly.
"I’ve already asked Third Uncle to go get them. You’ll have to persuade the other relatives. Anyone who can move inland should move inland. The best option would be to return to Qingcheng Mountain with me."
Zhao Rui smiled. As soon as he got back, he had called his Third Uncle and told him to hurry and bring the elders to the city to meet up.
"You’re always so thoughtful, son. But, is it really necessary to go so far? Lin City..."
Zhao Jincheng trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Lin City wasn’t safe either. Otherwise, how could they explain the strange bird they had just encountered?
"Dad, let’s just go to Qingcheng Mountain. We’ll wait until these difficult times are over and the situation stabilizes, then we can figure things out. The next best option is Jeju."
Zhao Rui knew that the safest place right now was Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan Province. First, it was located inland and surrounded by numerous mountain ranges.
Second, there were many sects there, making it convenient for him to gather forces.
But he was afraid that his relatives would be unwilling to leave their hometown.
The alternative choice was Jeju, which was also something of a home base for him. Both his older cousin’s husband and Miao Miaomiao’s father could help with arrangements there.
"Well, let’s talk about it once everyone has arrived."
Zhao Jincheng was a bit undecided.
Leaving one’s homeland is difficult; it’s not something that can be explained away in a sentence or two.
"Let’s listen to our son. We can’t help much anyway, so we should just try not to cause any trouble."
Although Xue Wenhui didn’t understand the current situation or the way things were heading, her trust in her son was her absolute top priority.
"Sigh, this world... how did it suddenly become like this."
Zhao Jincheng sighed in frustration, then got up and walked to the balcony, saying, "I’m going to have a smoke."
"What’s a cigarette?"
Zhou Moshu asked with a curious expression, muttering the question softly.
The tense, uneasy atmosphere was instantly dispelled by her innocent words. Xue Wenhui hurriedly took Zhou Moshu’s hand and said, "Look at us. You’ve been here for half the day, and we haven’t even poured you a glass of water..."
"Ah, Auntie, you really don’t have to be so polite. I’m just... your... guard," Zhou Moshu said, slightly embarrassed.
"What guard? When you’re in our home, you’re family. From now on, you’re like a daughter to us. Your name is Zhou Moshu? That’s such a lovely name. From now on, Auntie will call you Momo..."
After speaking, Xue Wenhui pulled Zhou Moshu along to go pick out bedsheets and a quilt.
Zhou Moshu looked back at Zhao Rui with some apprehension.
Only when she saw Zhao Rui nod with a smile did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Zhao Rui got up, walked to the balcony, and started chatting with his old man.
Although today’s appearance was unexpected, it was also part of his plan.
Since the rumors about his disappearance were spreading like wildfire, his return naturally had to be just as high-profile.
This was no longer a time for him to be overly low-key.
In chaotic times, the more powerful you are, the safer the people around you will be.
The more decisions you can participate in, the more benefits you can claim a share of.
By the afternoon, the reliable Third Uncle had already brought all of Zhao Rui’s grandparents over.
Along with them came other relatives, like aunts and uncles.
They brought their families with them; more than twenty people arrived, instantly crowding Zhao Rui’s home.
"Ruirui, have things really gotten this serious?"
"Ruirui, where did all those things come from? When I was at home, I could hear explosions in the middle of the night."
"Ruirui, what about our farmland back home? How are we going to make a living?"
His whole contingent of aunts and uncles started bombarding Zhao Rui with questions.
