Chapter 121: The Creep of Autumn

The silence became a heavy blanket that Lin Yuan had to force himself to carry every morning. With Lin Fan gone to the capital, the small routines that had filled his days were gone.

There was no more morning tea for two, no more checking his son's calligraphy, no more listening to the familiar sound of the boy reciting imperial laws.

The quietness left a strange emptiness in the dojo.

To fill that void, Lin Yuan threw himself into the affairs of the Azure Swallow School. He spent his days teaching his students, managing the school, and helping them improve their martial skills.

Yet the emptiness remained.

Still, Lin Yuan understood that this loneliness was also part of what he needed to experience. He had spent time cultivating in the pursuit of the Great Dao, forming his conviction, and caving a cultivation path that is not defined by loneliness.