Chapter 338: A Gift Delivered to the Doorstep
Time passed quietly, and a day slipped by unnoticed.
The place where Yun Che had stopped was peaceful, with no one disturbing him. He simply held Xiao Lingxi in his arms for an entire day. His injuries and the power he had expended fully recovered during this time at a speed that completely defied common sense, without any lingering weakness from severe wounds or excessive depletion.
Xiao Lingxi in his arms also calmed down completely. Under the silent nourishment of his profound energy, her complexion became rosy, and her not-so-severe internal injuries healed by about seventy or eighty percent. At that moment, she let out a soft cough, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
Her faint movements immediately caught Yun Che's attention. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
Her blurry vision gradually sharpened. The light here was somewhat dim, but it still clearly reflected Yun Che's face... Her eyes trembled, and she froze there.
Everything that had happened in the past few days was like a series of chaotic overlapping dreams, leaving her unable to distinguish when she was seeing dreams and when she was seeing reality.
She and her father were taken to Fen Tian Gate, which she had only heard of in legends... She saw the Xiao Che she had longed for day and night... She saw him charge into Fen Tian Gate alone, throwing the mighty sect into chaos... She jumped off the high cliff, only to feel herself fall into his arms, and just before her consciousness faded, she finally saw him...
All of this felt as illusory as a dream.
She didn't know if her next dream would be a nightmare or a beautiful one.
When she opened her eyes, her gaze first met the dimness, but then she saw Yun Che's eyes filled with both worry and joy. She felt his warmth and the familiar scent she cherished—things no dream could provide. Everything before her unconsciousness quickly surfaced in her mind. Her tears broke free like a dam, and she pressed herself tightly into his arms, holding him close, crying uncontrollably. Her sobs carried a blood-soaked cry: "Xiao Che... Xiao Che... Xiao Che..."
Her teardrops shimmered with crystalline light in the dim cave, like pearls in the dark night. Yun Che caught each falling tear in his hand, as if wanting to treasure the most precious dew in the world.
The moment she embraced Yun Che again, she knew once more with absolute clarity that she could never leave him for the rest of her life. Fifteen years of being inseparable had never let her know what it meant to be apart from him. But these three years had taught her thoroughly... her life, her soul, had long been firmly tied to him. Without him by her side, she felt like a hollow shell deprived of her soul. Every day, all she thought about was everything related to him.
"Little Aunt..." Yun Che held her tightly, his eyes slightly moist. He said softly, "It's all because of me that you and Grandpa suffered so much grievance and pain... Everything will get better. I will never let you and Grandpa suffer any more grievances..."
"Wuwuwuwu..." Xiao Lingxi just cried. Three years ago, she was only a fifteen-year-old child. Now at eighteen, she still cried as wantonly as a child.
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"Three years ago, after I left you and Grandpa, I went to pay respects at Father's grave. Then, I changed my surname to that of my biological father. From then on, wherever I went, I called myself Yun Che. Then I left Liuyun City... Not long after leaving Liuyun City, I met a peculiar person, and for some reasons, she became my master... Her identity and existence are very special, and she never allowed me to mention her to anyone, so I can't tell you about her situation..."
"She helped repair my profound veins, taught me the laws of cultivation, bestowed upon me various powerful profound arts and techniques, and saved my life many times... Later, following Grandpa's wishes, I came to New Moon City..."
Xiao Lingxi nestled against Yun Che's chest, her small hand pressed over his heart, quietly listening to his account, unwilling to be separated from him for even an instant. Yun Che's narration was slow and long. He recounted the storms and trials of the past three years to her bit by bit... Unbeknownst to them, outside the cave, the bright moon hung high, and occasional night winds blew into the cave, which was filled with dry heat, bringing wisps of natural coolness.
To Xiao Lingxi, who had never left Liuyun City before, Yun Che's experiences were like a mythical legend. Although Yun Che had already spoken discreetly, it still drew startled or frightened exclamations from her from time to time.
Thinking back to everything she had seen at Fen Tian Gate, Xiao Lingxi couldn't help but believe that the boy whose profound veins were crippled three years ago and who was called a waste by the whole city was now a super figure capable of pushing even the lowest-level sect of Cang Feng to its limits. Because the person before her was her Xiao Che—his appearance, his eyes, his scent, his aura... all belonged to him. Even if she mistook everyone else in the world, she could never mistake him.
"I knew it. My Xiao Che is blessed by heaven. He was bound to soar to the skies one day, making everyone look up to him. I knew it..." Xiao Lingxi murmured, crying with joy. At the same time, a trace of panic flashed through her heart, but it immediately dissipated completely. Although he had already soared, becoming a figure who looked down on the world, although he had reached a height she could never hope to reach, although the gap between them was like a chasm, so what? He, once ridiculed by everyone as a waste, was her most precious Xiao Che. Now, he who could look down on the world was still her Xiao Che... The Xiao Che who would travel thousands of miles and risk his life to break into Cang Feng's top sect for her sake!
She believed that no matter how high he reached, there would never be a distance between them... Even if there were, she would be willing to grit her teeth and use all her strength to cross and chase after him, even if it meant being a moth that flies into the flame.
Yun Che set up a stove and boiled a delicious rabbit soup. The aroma of the meat was undoubtedly an unbearable torment for the hungry duo. Amidst this "torment," Yun Che began to listen to Xiao Lingxi recount her three years... They had been simple, almost the same day after day—practicing cultivation, practicing swords, daydreaming, and missing him...
Unbeknownst to them, the bright moon had reached its zenith, and the time was midnight. The rabbit soup was finally ready. Yun Che ladled out half a bowl, carefully blew on it to cool it, and brought it to Xiao Lingxi. Instead of handing it to her, he said matter-of-factly, "Little Aunt, let me feed you."
Under Yun Che's healing, Xiao Lingxi had recovered to normal. Although she had been languidly lying on him, she could easily drink soup herself or even climb rocks. Yet Yun Che acted as if she were a serious patient in need of care. Xiao Lingxi chuckled softly, flopped weakly against Yun Che, half-closing her crescent-like eyes, and gently parted her lips.
A spoonful of soup was brought to Xiao Lingxi's lips, slipped past her soft lips into her mouth, and then down her throat. Slowly, a warm current spread through her body, warming her body and heart... During those fifteen years, feeding each other was an everyday occurrence for them, but today, it warmed her to the depths of her soul. Because it made Xiao Lingxi even more firmly certain that he was still her Xiao Che, unchanged.
In the calm, warm atmosphere, a bowl of soup was quickly finished. Yun Che prepared to ladle a second bowl. As he turned, his movements suddenly halted, and his brow slightly furrowed.
The change in his expression immediately made Xiao Lingxi nervous. She grabbed his arm and said in panic, "Xiao Che, what's wrong?"
"Shh..." Yun Che raised his index finger and made a gentle shushing gesture.
Soon, from outside the cave, two footsteps grew closer, and their voices became clearer.
"...Making us sneak into Canghuo City in the dead of night, of all things. Sigh, we've dominated the Canghuo region for so many years, and this is the first time we've had to do something so humiliating."
"There's no helping it. Yun Che's strength is just too terrifying, like a monster! If not for the Supreme Sect Master and Supreme Elder appearing in time, Fen Tian Gate would have been completely finished, and we would have been cremated along with them."
"I heard the Supreme Sect Master guessed that Yun Che might be a successor of the Sacred Grounds; otherwise, he couldn't be this powerful... Hoo! Do you think Yun Che might actually be hiding in Canghuo City?"
"Not sure. But Yun Che was quite badly injured and his profound power was greatly depleted. He'll need a lot of supplies. Within a thousand miles, only Canghuo City has the most comprehensive supplies. Other small places have resources that would be like a drop in the bucket for someone at his level. It's very likely he's hiding there... As long as we confirm his hiding spot, the Supreme Sect Master can move out personally. With his injuries and power not yet recovered, there's no way he can escape from the Supreme Sect Master."
Their footsteps drew nearer, and their profound energy auras were not weak—one was at the Earth Xuan Realm, Level 5, and the other, equal to Yun Che, at Earth Xuan Realm, Level 6. They were probably someone like a hall master or instructor in Fen Tian Gate. Their complaints gave Yun Che a rough idea of their purpose for passing by here.
The intensity of their profound energy auras made Yun Che's brow twitch slightly. He turned his head and gave Xiao Lingxi a relaxed smile. "Don't worry, just two unlucky little rats that wandered here. Watch me take care of them."
With that, Yun Che's body flickered, and he leaped out of the cave entrance, landing directly in front of the two men, startling them greatly.
"Who goes there!" Both shouted in unison. When they saw Yun Che's face, they were both stunned speechless... They never dreamed they would encounter Yun Che here.
"You couldn't have come at a better time." Yun Che sneered, saying something they couldn't understand at all.
"You..."
Before either could finish a single sentence, their vision suddenly blurred, and an immense force slammed heavily into their chests.
*Boom!!*
The two were sent flying like straw men. The one on the right died instantly. The one at Earth Xuan Realm, Level 6 still had a breath left. His upper body trembled, and his wide, staring eyes locked onto Yun Che as he approached, filled with utter despair.
Yun Che extended his arm, releasing Xuan Gang, which instantly shot into the man's mind... Immediately, the memories belonging to this Fen Tian hall master poured rapidly into Yun Che's mind.
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