The late afternoon passed quickly, and Anji spent ti with the people she missed. Gu Ying left almost imdiately to help Lizi, who was responsible for preparing the dinner banquet.
Between answering questions and getting passed around like a doll for different people to hug, Anji retold so stories she had told her second brother. Unlike her mother and sister, who visited the Mystical Qilin Sect briefly during the exchange program, Zhao Mingfeng had never seen it. Anji’s stories only made him doubt the legitimacy of the elusive sect.
"I still think it is odd your shifu would break the rules for you," he concluded. "Even if the Mystical Qilin Sect is a place full of lunatics, she is one of the most level-headed people I know."
Anji stiffened in her mother’s lap. Her silence and reaction drew even more attention. Mingshen, who had noticed this in the carriage ride, quickly stepped in to buy more ti for Anji. It must be a difficult topic if she cannot speak freely.
"Let’s eat dinner first and discuss it after," he smiled. "We haven’t had a good al in days, much less a bath or slept in a bed."
It was true. Even though they travelled in a carriage, they did not make any unnecessary stops in villages or towns to get back as soon as possible. Most of the nights were spent in the carriage, with Gu Ying and Mingshen taking turns guarding it at night. Even the horses had it rough.
Relenting for now, Zhao Mingfeng welcod Gu Ying, Lizi and Doctor He, who imdiately flew to check Anji’s pulse. Everyone else cleared so space under the setting sun to set up the buffet.
Lizi burst into tears as soon as she saw Anji. Doctor He gave Anji the all clear for her health, and the maid imdiately swooped in to hug her young mistress.
"Young mistress, you’ve grown so much!" Lizi sobbed, asuring Anji’s height and noticing she had started to fill out her clothes more. Compared to a year before, Anji appeared stronger and looked less sickly. She still appeared frail, but not so much that she would catch a cold in the wind.
Greeting the maid she grew up with, Anji ended up consoling Lizi. Seeing how much the people around her would miss her if she were gone, Anji made up her mind. Initially, her shifu wanted to send her ho so she could discuss it with her parents and let her know her decision. However, after seeing them in person and experiencing their reactions, Anji knew what she wanted to do.
It would be even harder than simply explaining the circumstances. There was a high chance they would reject the idea and not allow her to proceed, even if she expressed her desire to gamble on a better future. Despite having Yan Ping and six elders overseeing the procedure, they had no guarantee that everything would proceed smoothly. In theory, it was possible. However, even the best calculations and fail-safes could sotis fail in application.
At dinner, everyone piled food in Anji’s bowl. Although her appetite has increased, it was too much food. The overwhelming affection beca difficult to reject until Doctor He stepped in and reminded them how overdoing it could result in indigestion.
"Sorry," Zhao Wanting smiled awkwardly, looking at the heap of at and fish in Anji’s bowl. "Mother was too excited to have you ho."
This was Anji’s second bowl of food. Truthfully, she had long eaten her fill with the first bowl. However, when the food started filling up faster than she could empty it, this beca the result.
"You don’t have to finish what you can’t," Zhao Ruiting added. "Just give your brother what you can’t finish."
Ordinarily, that was Zhao Yihao’s task. He was the blackhole that could never be full, the one who would eat the Celestial Dragon Sect to poverty. However, he wasn’t here now. Zhao Mingshen gawked when Anji’s mountain of food ca his way. Unlike the more rebellious brother, Mingshen did not eat as much. He glared at their older sister until Gu Ying presented him with her empty rice bowl as if to ask for seconds, giving him a leeway out of the situation.
Now that her stomach was filled, the dread and nervousness from earlier returned. How should she break this news to her family?
Zhao Mingfeng had been observing his daughter since the mont he saw her. Anji had most certainly grown up well under the Mystical Qilin Sect’s care. She was more mature and healthier. However, sothing was weighing heavily in her mind. That matter would be of utmost importance if Yan Ping had sent her back secretly.
"Lizi, Gu Ying, Doctor He, could you help us to clear the dishes after the children are done? We would like to spend the rest of the night as a family. You can co visit Anji again tomorrow."
It was not a question. It was a request. Zhao Mingfeng rarely spoke formally even if he spoke politely. His casualness was what made him very approachable. Although he was a hero, the man was humble and never treated anyone differently, regardless of rank. If he had to pull rank on soone, it ant he was dealing with serious business.
"As you wish, my lord."
As soon as the food disappeared, Lizi and Gu Ying packed up the remaining dishes and cleaned the area. Doctor He bade Anji farewell and left with them, and Anji wondered if she could keep her food down with the conversation she needed to bring up to her family.
Without any outsiders around, all the attention fell onto Anji. As the head of the family, Zhao Mingfeng brought up the elephant in the room.
"Anji, they’re gone now. Could you tell us what was bothering you earlier? Your shifu sent a ssage ahead, but did not tell us why you were returning or what was happening. Did you beco hosick?"
Anji was hosick. However, that was not the reason for her return. She wished there was an easier way to ask for consent. However, she also knew that this would not be a simple decision for anyone to make. Even her shifu and the six elders argued and discussed it for a long ti before they finally told Anji the solution and gave her the choice to make. The criteria for going through the risky seal alteration operation was to gain the complete approval of her family if Anji wished to go for it. Although she was the successor of the Mystical Qilin Sect, she was also the youngest princess of the Celestial Dragon Sect. It would not be right to proceed with sothing this risky without first consulting with her parents.
"I was undecided before today," Anji admitted. "However, after seeing father and mother, Anji knows what she wants to do now."
The resolution in Anji’s eyes burned brightly as a faint golden glow took everyone by surprise. However, nothing could prepare them for the shock of what Anji was about to say next.
"Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, forgive for not being filial. Anji is here to seek approval for an operation perford by my shifu and six elders of the Mystical Qilin Sect to redo the third seal on my golden core."
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