Li Chenghuai, now eleven or twelve years old, stood beside Li Yuexiang, holding her hand. He bowed respectfully. Li Xizhi raised his gaze to look at them—one was his younger sister, whom he had never met before, and the other, his son, whom he had not seen in years.0

The faces of the two were both unfamiliar and familiar, carrying a sense of distance. It was evident that neither of them felt very close to him.5

Yang Xiao'er, however, was overjoyed. She embraced the bewildered Li Chenghuai and began fussing over him with concern. Li Xizhi, on the other hand, felt a pang of loss and stood there silently. Nearby, Li Xuanxuan watched him intently.4

For cultivators, a single seclusion could last several years, often causing them to miss many aspects of life. It was no wonder that so many children of clans became unruly, their personalities warped, spoiled, or unskilled. The Azure Pond Sect's practice of isolating its disciples from...2