Kind-hearted Grim Reaper

Gazing out at the seemingly endless ocean, Owen said to Ah Dai, "We'll be living here from now on. Do you know where this is?"

Ah Dai shook his head, saying, "I don't know." Lately, he had been taciturn. When Owen rode his horse, Ah Dai would simply sit behind him in a daze. Despite feeling sore and tired after a full day's journey, he hardly complained. Unless Owen addressed him, he rarely initiated conversation. Owen noticed that Ah Dai had become much quieter than when they first met, and understood why. However, he never probed. He trusted that with time, Ah Dai would adapt to life here.

Stone Pond Town was one of several coastal towns inhabited by the Xi Bo Clan. Many of the Xi Bo people here were immigrants from the Empire of Huasheng, so people with black hair and eyes like Ah Dai were common. Here, Ah Dai didn't stand out as much as he did in the Empire of Tian Jing, which offered some comfort to him.

Along the whole journey, Owen had taken great care of Ah Dai. To facilitate long hours of horse riding, he even bought a thick, soft cushion. Even though Ah Dai commonly responded with a shake of his head, Owen would still ask him with affection nearly every day, "Are you tired? Hungry?" Ah Dai was no longer as silent as he had been when they left the Illusive Forest, but an invisible barrier still lingered between him and Owen.

Upon their entry into Stone Pond Town, it was broad daylight. Most of the able-bodied men were out at sea fishing or working at the Xi Bo Clan shipyards, leaving behind mainly the elderly, women, and children. Occasionally, a few women could be seen washing clothes together, while plainly-dressed children played with each other.

To avoid alarming the village folk and arousing hostility, Owen concealed his Wide Sword among a cluster of rocks at the beach before entering the village. He also assumed a civilian's attire and sold his horse. Nonetheless, their unfamiliar faces aroused suspicion among the locals. An elder male, apparently the village officer, approached them, asking skeptically, "You're not from around here, are you? What brings you here?" The dialect in the Federation differed vastly from that of Tian Jing, and within the Federation itself, the six races each had its own distinct accent. Without close familiarity, they were hard to distinguish. During their journey, Owen taught Ah Dai new words in this peculiar accent daily, and patiently explained them to him. Ah Dai, being a slow learner, only managed to pick up a few simple phrases. It was only now that he realized what Owen had been teaching him was the local dialect. He managed to roughly grasp what the village officer was saying.

With a smile, Owen replied in fluent Xi Bo Federation tongue, "Hello, I was actually born here, but I've been away for a very long time without returning."

Recognizing the familiar dialect, the officer visibly relaxed somewhat, and asked, "Are you a local? I don't recall seeing you around."

Owen looked the man up and down, before suddenly exclaiming excitedly, "Ah! Can you be Xi Er?"

Xi Er paused, and asked, "How do you know my name is Xi Er? Who are you, really? I can't seem to remember you."

Excited, Owen said, "Xi Er, it's really you! I'm Owen! Don't tell me you can't recognize me. We've been apart for nearly fifty years. Don't you remember our childhood, when we used to pee together and play in the mud? We got a beating together back then."

Stunned, Xi Er stared blankly at Owen, before finally asking, "Are you really Owen, big brother? But, how... how can you still look so young?"

Owen rolled up his right sleeve to reveal a pale arm marked with a crescent-shaped scar of a deep purple hue. "Do you see, it was the result of rescuing you, I was scraped by the ship's anchor. Don't you remember?"

Ah Dai stood by Owen and Xi Er, staring blankly at their discussion. They spoke so quickly that he could only make out a few words.

Xi Er grabbed Owen's arm and scrutinized it. "Ah! You really are big brother Owen. If it weren't for you back then, I would have died at sea. But brother, how come you're still so young? I recall you're two years older than me. I'm fifty-six this year. Being born in February 931 of the Sacred Calendar, you should be fifty-eight. You certainly don't look it at all!"

Owen smiled and responded, "Well, it's nothing special. Maybe it's because I've been living in the woods, absorbing spiritual energy from nature, that has helped me appear younger. Xi Er, is our family house still standing?"

Xi Er nodded, "Yes, it's still there. Come, let me show you. I took over my father's position and have been the village chief for over a decade. Considering our former close relationship, no one dared to move into your family house. However, it's somewhat run-down now. If you want to live there, it would require some renovation. Brother, are you planning to leave again after returning this time?"

Owen shook his head and sighed, "Ah, I won't be leaving anymore. I've spent most of my life wandering outside. It's about time to settle down. Ah, Brother, this is my distant nephew, the only family I have now. We will be settling down here, perhaps to remain here for the rest of our lives."