"Thank you." Yu Qi said softly. She then turned her attention toward Lu Chong and the others. "We need to leave now. Let’s move on."
They began to walk out of the secluded area together.
"Lady Tang... was the person who gave you permission to use the entrance, truly the Ancestor?" Lu Chong asked, his voice laced with awe.
"Yes." Yu Qi nodded simply.
Lu Chong glanced at the others and saw that they were equally struck with shock upon hearing her confirmation. Their expressions revealed the sa astonishnt that he himself felt. No wonder they were so strong.
"Lady Tang..." Lu Chong hesitated, unsure if he should continue speaking.
"What is it? Just ask whatever you want to know." Yu Qi urged when she noticed his hesitation and internal conflict.
"Well... I heard you ntion a na earlier. Senior Brother Xia... Is he..." Lu Chong let the question hang in the air, unable to bring himself to finish it.
"Oh... That’s the Ancestor," Yu Qi clarified calmly.
"What?" Lu Chong gasped.
His reaction was imdiately mirrored by everyone else in the group. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they processed what she had just said.
How could Yu Qi address the legendary Ancestor by such a familiar na? The term "Senior Brother" was traditionally reserved for those who studied together under the very sa master. This implied that Yu Qi and the Ancestor shared a bond far deeper than anyone realised...
Lu Chong glanced back at Yu Qi. She was smiling gently, looking at him with a aningful and knowing glint in her eyes. Sensing the weight of the secret hidden behind her smile, he wisely decided not to press the matter any further.
Soon, it was ti for them to part ways. However, before they departed, there was still one final matter that they needed to fulfil.
"Please tell the Ancestor that we thank him deeply for allowing us to use the entrance." Lu Chong requested respectfully.
"Of course. I will certainly convey your thanks to him." Yu Qi promised.
They finally arrived at the edge of the hillside.
"By the way, do you still rember the way back to your house?" Yu Qi inquired.
"Yes." Lu Chong nodded firmly.
"That’s great, then. You can navigate back to your ho on your own from here." Yu Qi said.
"Yes, we can." Lu Chong replied.
Then, Lu Chong suddenly knelt down on the earth. Following his lead, everyone else imdiately knelt as well. They raised their hands, cupping their fists together in a formal salute toward Yu Qi and Long Hui.
"Lady Tang, Sir Long, we sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have helped us return to the cultivation world after we spent almost sixty decades wandering the outside world. This kindness is sothing we will rember forever. If you ever require our assistance in the future, we will offer our help without a mont’s hesitation." Lu Chong declared solemnly.
He then kowtowed deeply to Yu Qi and Long Hui. Every mber of his group followed suit, their foreheads touching the ground respectfully.
"Thank you, Lady Tang. Thank you, Sir Long. Thank you very much." Lu Chong repeated, his head still pressed to the ground.
Yu Qi heard the sa chorus of gratitude echoing from the others as well.
"Yes... Alright... please, just stand up. There is no need to kowtow to like this." Yu Qi insisted, urging them to rise.
Eventually, they all stood up.
"Go ho now, and focus on cultivating your strength." Yu Qi advised them kindly.
"Yes, Lady Tang." They replied in unison.
They bowed their heads one final ti before finally taking their leave from Yu Qi and Long Hui.
Yu Qi watched them walk away with a gentle smile. She could see that many of them were shedding tears, happy tears, no doubt.
"They must be so relieved to finally return to their true ho." Yu Qi remarked as she watched Lu Chong and his companions disappear into the distance.
"That’s right." Long Hui agreed, nodding beside her.
"Brother Hui, do you ever miss your ho too?" Yu Qi asked curiously.
"No..." Long Hui answered without a second of hesitation.
"Not even once?" Yu Qi prompted, looking directly into Long Hui’s eyes.
"Nope, because my ho is wherever you are." Long Hui replied smoothly.
Yu Qi smiled brilliantly and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Long Hui’s cheek.
They returned to Qin Xia’s residence.
"Mr Long... Miss Yu Qi, welco ho." Luse Man greeted them.
The tone he used when addressing Long Hui versus Yu Qi was starkly different. His voice was cold and clipped when he spoke Long Hui’s na, yet it turned sweet and welcoming when he addressed Yu Qi. It was a clear sign of just how much he disdained Long Hui.
"Sir Luse, we are going to stay overnight." Yu Qi inford him.
"Yes... yes... Huang Jin already ntioned it to us. Your room has been prepared and cleaned. You can go and rest now. If you need anything at all, just let us know. We will call for you when dinner is ready." Luse Man stated warmly.
"Hmm... Thank you." Yu Qi nodded.
Yu Qi then pulled Long Hui along toward her room.
"They really don’t bother to hide their disdain toward , do they?" Long Hui comnted dryly.
Yu Qi let out a light laugh.
"You’re laughing at ." Long Hui teased, playfully pinching and pulling Yu Qi’s nose.
"Ouch... ouch... stop pulling it!" Yu Qi giggled, batting his hand away.
...
Later that evening, Lan He called Yu Qi and Long Hui for dinner. The two of them joined the other guardians to share the al Lan He had ticulously prepared. He had gone to great lengths to cook a delicious spread since Yu Qi was visiting.
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that ans it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shaless author, ZerahNeko***
User Comments
0 comments from readers