"Mother, let's take Boqing with us! We can practice together and grow up together," Yue'er suggested with a bright smile. Then, a thoughtful expression crossed her face as she looked at Boqing, then at Pan Ning, and finally asked with a touch of concern, "Boqing, are you sure you can bear to leave your father and mother? If you co with us, you won't be able to see them anymore. What will you do?"
Hearing this, Boqing's initial excitent seed to falter, his expression becoming montarily blank. He turned to his father, his brow furrowed as he muttered, "I won't see them anymore? Then, when I grow up, can't I co back?"
Feng Jiu smiled reassuringly. "Yes, when you are strong enough, you can naturally co back."
Boqing turned back to his father, his small face now etched with seriousness. "Father, when I grow up and beco very powerful, I will co back to see you."
Hearing his son's earnest words, Pan Ning felt a complex mix of emotions stir within him, which ultimately settled into a soft sigh of acceptance. He bowed solemnly to Feng Jiu. "Madam, please take Boqing with you! Whether it leads to good fortune or hardship, it will depend on his own destiny."
"Let him follow us when we leave! Don't worry, I will find a good place for him," Feng Jiu replied with a reassuring smile, offering no further explanation. Her earlier questions had simply been to gauge their willingness. Now that the decision was made, she, who possessed the ability to take the child away, would naturally ensure he found a suitable environnt to learn and grow safely.
With the matter settled, the Pan family discussed the arrangents discreetly, keeping the news confined to a few key mbers.
Following Feng Jiu's instructions, shortly after their departure, the Pan family was to spread the word that Boqing had succumbed to a sudden illness. She wanted them to act as if Pan Boqing had never existed. For the Pan family, this complete disappearance was the only way to guarantee their long-term safety.
In the subsequent days, once Pan Hong was able to stand for short periods, Feng Jiu bid farewell to the Pan family. Their arrival had caused a significant stir, but their departure was quiet and unceremonious.
Boqing's mother, Pan Ning's wife, watched her son follow the departing figures, her heart heavy with a mixture of hope and sorrow. Overwheld by the unknown future, she fainted into Pan Ning's arms, uncertain if she would ever see her child again.
Aboard the airship, Boqing sat huddled to one side, silently wiping away his tears and sniffing as their forr ho receded into the distance. A firm resolve solidified within him: he would definitely return in the future! He would co back to see his father and mother, as well as his great-grandfather and grandfather.
"Brother Boqing, here's so spirit fruit for you. Don't cry," Yue'er offered him a brightly colored fruit.
"A man should shed blood but not tears. It's shaful," Muchen said, his usual cool deanor intact. However, he seed to possess a quiet understanding of the ache his brother felt at leaving his parents. Therefore, although his delicate little face remained composed, his tone softened slightly as he added, "My mother will find you a good master. When the ti cos, you must train hard. When you grow up and beco powerful, you can co back. There's no need to cry."
"Woo woo, I just want to cry, don't mind . I'll just cry without bleeding, woo woo..." he rambled on childishly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and turning his back to Muchen.
Hao'er walked over silently and sat down beside Boqing, quietly gazing out at the vast expanse of the sky.
At the bow of the airship, Feng Jiu closed her eyes, resting on a plush couch. Hearing the children's quiet exchanges, she opened her eyes and glanced at them. A pang of reluctance tugged at her heart as she contemplated the day when her own children would eventually leave her side.
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