They left the area afterward.
They continued to travel and sightsee along the way, picking up treasures as they went.
Finally, they arrived back in the capital city smoothly.
Life continued to pass by in an orderly fashion, and their days became increasingly stable.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi also returned home safely, their husbands and children having missed them dearly. They brought back many good and novel things for the household.
Ji Bo had also been waiting at home for a long time and was overjoyed when other servants reported their masters' return.
The old man happily went to greet them.
Lai Fu was extremely pleased, saying he was finally glad they were back, otherwise, the pressure on him had been immense.
The Cheng residence was filled with joy.
There was nothing happier than the masters returning home from a long journey.
Lai Fu immediately began preparations to welcome the young couple back.
Ji Bo took the young master into his arms. The child could now call him Grandpa Ji, which delighted him immensely. He then went to hug his young lady.
The two children, Chen Xi and Zhao Yang, had grown considerably.
They could now walk and talk, although their speech was still in short phrases.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao also felt very relaxed. Although they had only bought their new home less than two years ago, having decided to settle there gave them a sense of belonging. Returning to a familiar place made them feel at ease.
Li Datou and Wang Daming were unloading the luggage. They had left with it full and returned with it full, laden with local specialties bought along the way.
Everyone in the courtyard, from top to bottom, received gifts, and everyone was incredibly happy.
Li Datou and Wang Daming's disciples had missed them dearly. Upon their return, they greeted them with "Master" repeatedly and quickly came to help unload the luggage.
They then eagerly asked about the places they had visited and how fun it was outside.
Most of the people brought to the city were originally servants of the Cheng family who had later been promoted to the guard force, with a smaller portion promoted from Xihe Village.
Neither group had ever traveled outside, so naturally, they were very curious about the outside world.
The young guards had followed their convoy all the way to the capital, but at that time, they had narrowly escaped death and had no mood to enjoy the scenery.
They were exhausted mentally and physically.
They were also in a daze. Moreover, they were rushing to get there, so it certainly didn't count as sightseeing.
They followed a main road.
They hurried along every day, which was quite different from Li Datou and Wang Daming, who had accompanied their masters on their travels. The young men yearned for such experiences.
It had been a while since they had seen these young fellows.
Li Datou, as their master, also missed them very much. Hearing their longing, he laughed heartily, "It was fun, how could it not be fun!"
He was also very excited.
"We didn't feel tired at all along the way. It was completely different from when we were fleeing for our lives before! The young master, no, the master and madam took us sightseeing all the way! We ate and drank and had fun the entire journey!"
Li Datou spoke about this with great enthusiasm, making unloading luggage seem less monotonous.
"Those places were truly different. Each place had its own customs and traditions. Even their clothing and appearance were different! The young girls looked different too!"
Speaking of young girls.
The young men became restless, exclaiming in envy.
Li Datou spoke volubly, while Wang Daming remained quiet, as he had always been a man of few words. He only began to speak when his disciples implored him.
"It was indeed fun. Once you practice martial arts diligently, you will accompany the master on outings next time!"
With these words,
The young men erupted in excitement, all vowing to practice diligently.
This time, their masters had accompanied the masters on a journey across more than half of the Northern Yan Kingdom, which was an extremely rare opportunity. How many people were confined to one place?
Especially for them, servants. The Cheng family allowed them four days off each month to go out and play, and they were already extremely grateful.
Other servants were confined to the back courtyard for their entire lives.
If they worked a little harder now,
They could accompany their masters on outings next time, so they were determined to put in the effort.
It could be said that while the two masters were seemingly painting a rosy picture, it wasn't entirely so. Because of their deep affection and good relationship, frequent interactions were normal.
There would definitely be opportunities in the future.
Li Datou and Wang Daming also felt very satisfied after their trip.
If they had the chance next time,
Of course, they would be willing to let these younger generations accompany them to broaden their horizons.
As Li Datou spoke, he brought up the capabilities of their master and madam again, how they effortlessly helped the people of Shaan'ao Village overcome their difficulties, which was truly remarkable.
This made the disciples admire the couple even more.
Finally, Li Datou got tired of talking and hurried the young men off to training.
Don't be lazy just because you're helping unload luggage.
As their masters, they would be personally inspecting their training progress.
If any laziness was discovered,
They wouldn't be blamed for being harsh masters, "All of you gather in the third courtyard! Today, the two of us will spar with you one on one. Those who can't withstand five of my moves will have their training doubled starting tomorrow! You'll be waking up at Mao Shi (5-7 AM) to run and practice stances!"
When the masters put on their stern faces, the disciples below all jolted.
They quickly and sheepishly carried the items to the storeroom.
Wang Daming looked at these young fellows and chuckled, "These little rascals!"
Although they were not married with children,
Masters were like fathers. After training these disciples for so long, they had developed deep affection for them.
Looking at so many disciples,
They felt quite gratified. Their disciples could also see them through old age.
They were content.
It wasn't that they didn't want to get married, but rather that they couldn't get past their own internal barriers.
Although their masters had said they could get married and have children and would help them obtain freedom from slavery, they were unwilling. Having experienced too much in their lives, they no longer wanted any burdens. Being alone was good, providing a sense of freedom and unfettered joy.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi had also tried their best to introduce wives to them.
In the end, they couldn't persuade them.
Li Datou's words were still the same, "At our age, we shouldn't ruin anyone else's life."
Although their lives were quite stable now, they were still somewhat unwilling.
Furthermore,
Looking at Cheng Kaichun and Cheng Fengtai, their status at home was extremely humble.
Their wives and children could ignore them if they were displeased. Although it was partly their own doing, they were enjoying themselves now. However, from the perspective of these men, it felt stifling. Li Datou stated he couldn't accept that.
Being single was more carefree.
Normally, they would train their disciples, channeling their energy outward, and wouldn't have time to think about anything else.
When they felt restless,
They would secretly find a good brothel and find a courtesan.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi were disappointed in them and eventually stopped trying to persuade them.
Li Datou felt that this life was quite good, carefree and satisfying!
However, in less than a few months, he was proven wrong.
He brought back a pitiful courtesan from a brothel, who claimed to be pregnant and had been sold by her gambling-addicted husband. Li Datou intervened when she was being beaten on the road and was then clung to by the young woman as her savior.
The young woman looked pathetic.
Li Datou was smitten at first sight and felt unable to abandon her. In the end, he impulsively bought her. Having been through life and death situations before, he didn't really mind these things.
As long as the person was good.
The two then decided to live together.