"……" Matthew Hill was momentarily stunned, then exclaimed with delight, "Ethan Brooks... when did you get here, child? Your aunt has been talking about you nonstop. If you hadn't come soon, she was going to visit you herself. Why didn't you call before coming? Didn't I already give you our home phone and my cell number?"

There were too many things today that Matthew Hill couldn't understand, but he didn't have that sense of distance from relatives that people from big cities often do—especially toward Ethan Brooks, whom he was particularly fond of. That warmth wasn't an act; it had a lot to do with his own children being away for over a decade.

"Heh..." In front of his elder, Ethan Brooks was the most well-behaved child, with a simple, honest smile. "Last time uncle gave me the address, so I just found my way here myself."

"Good!" Matthew Hill nodded approvingly. "Young people should get out and see the world more, otherwise they'll never be able to stand on their own."

He then looked Ethan Brooks up and down, puzzled. "Where's your luggage?"

Only then did Ethan Brooks remember that he didn't even have a bag in his hand—he hardly looked like someone traveling from afar. Before coming in, he had forgotten to take out his bag.

"...Oh... I left it at the door just now, I'll go get it right away!" With that, Ethan Brooks hurried out.

"This kid..." Matthew Hill quickly followed, shaking his head with a smile, thinking to himself that kids are just kids—especially those who've never been to a big city, how could they know how complicated city people can be.

He rushed out the door to a corner, and with his body blocking the view, he took out a suitcase and a travel bag from his storage ring. By the time Matthew Hill appeared at the door, Ethan Brooks was already dragging the suitcase inside, and Matthew Hill breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn't been lost.

Chapter 6: The Warmth of Family

There were quite a few people visiting today, and many still hadn't left, with even more phone calls coming in. Matthew Hill was so busy he barely had a moment to spare, so he brought Ethan Brooks home first, letting Ethan Brooks chat with his wife, Grace Cooper. It was the first time Grace Cooper, as the maternal cousin, had met Ethan Brooks, especially since Ethan Brooks had lost his parents—naturally, there was so much to talk about.

Matthew Hill was swamped, so even dinner was just Grace Cooper and Ethan Brooks together. Having not had her own children around for years, Grace Cooper felt especially close to Ethan Brooks. This once again let Ethan Brooks feel that long-lost, almost forgotten sense of family.

Although most of the time it was Grace Cooper doing the talking while Ethan Brooks listened and nodded with a smile, she cooked a hearty meal herself, brought out new sheets and bedding, and kept running out to buy this and that. Very quickly, the room where Ethan Brooks was staying felt much more complete.

That night, after saying goodnight to his cousin-aunt, Ethan Brooks entered the guest room without feeling much unfamiliarity—it was just like coming home after being away for a while.

After closing the door, Ethan Brooks gently swung his arm. After so much training, he felt uncomfortable if he stopped even for a moment. But looking around the room, Ethan Brooks could only shake his head—all his equipment was stored in his storage ring, and there was simply no space for it here.

Besides, doing intense training here would disturb his cousin-aunt and uncle. Even though he couldn't practice cultivation or train his true qi here, Ethan Brooks had never given up—he had kept up his physical training all these years. For an ordinary body cultivator, Ethan Brooks's figure was quite slim.

But who could know how much strength was hidden beneath that seemingly ordinary, well-proportioned body?

With countless spiritual pills and elixirs, most of the power had been absorbed into his body, but some had merged with his flesh. This allowed his body, even under intense physical training, to maintain the appearance and build of a regular person. With clothes on, no one could tell there was anything special about him.

High-intensity training had already become an indispensable part of his life.

But seeing how close his cousin-aunt and uncle were, Ethan Brooks decided not to tell them he wouldn't be staying here after all—he'd wait a bit. He didn't want to hurt even a little of this genuine care for any reason.

He'd endure for a few days, stay with his uncle and cousin-aunt for a while, and then look for another place. It was a good chance to get familiar with the area anyway. Besides, today's events had been quite interesting.

Skipping his workout, Ethan Brooks lay down thinking, and soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Ethan Brooks got up very early and strolled casually on the lawn.

"Ethan Brooks, you just got here—why not get some proper rest? Are you still not used to it?" Matthew Hill came out and, seeing Ethan Brooks up so early, thought he was having trouble adjusting to the new place.

Ethan Brooks had lived alone for so many years, he hadn't felt this kind of family presence in a long time. Even a simple word of concern made him feel warm inside—like a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day.

"Good morning, uncle," Ethan Brooks said with a simple, honest smile. "I'm quite used to it, just used to getting up early."

"That's good. If you need anything or feel uncomfortable, just let us know. For daily life, talk to your cousin-aunt; for anything else, come to me." At Matthew Hill's age, especially with his own children away, he cared deeply for his younger relatives. Especially with Ethan Brooks's steady, honest nature and his polite, proper manners, both Matthew Hill and his wife were extremely fond of him.