Free Web NovelChapter 243: Chapter 241: Longing
A young servant suddenly appeared at the gate. He saw a man and a woman arrive. The man was dashing and refined, wearing a Hair-Binding Gold Crown and a light blue martial uniform. His eyes were as clear as water, and he exuded an air of uncommon nobility. The woman was a peerless beauty, capable of toppling nations. She wore a long white dress, her waterfall-like hair cascading over her shoulders, revealing a neck as flawless and lustrous as jade—she was like a fairy. The servant stood there, stunned, and asked softly, "May I ask who you are looking for, sir and miss?"
"Bu Yunyan lives here, does she not?" Qin Li asked with a smile.
"And you are?" the young servant asked cautiously, recalling a certain legend.
"I am Qin Li."
"Du... Duke..."
The young servant stammered, then turned on his heel and bolted inside, shouting excitedly, "The Duke is back! The Duke is back!"
Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu glanced at each other. Shangguan Shiyu couldn’t help but tease, "It seems the mistress of this house thinks about you day and night. See? Even the servants are this overjoyed to hear you’re back!"
Qin Li casually gave the carriage driver one hundred taels of gold. Amidst the man’s profuse thanks, Qin Li smiled and took Shangguan Shiyu’s hand. "You are the only mistress here!"
A blush crept up Shangguan Shiyu’s cheeks. She gave Qin Li a charmingly coy look and said softly, "All you know are sweet nothings. If I didn’t help you, I’d like to see how you’d manage them!"
Qin Li looked at Shangguan Shiyu, somewhat speechless. ’What kind of era is this?’ he thought. ’Male chauvinism supreme? The main wife is helping her husband find other women... It sounds incredible. But then again, this just goes to show how deeply Shangguan Shiyu loves me. Otherwise, how could she ever say something like that?’
At that moment, two figures shot out from the mansion like lightning. Upon seeing Qin Li standing with an incredibly beautiful woman, the two figures skidded to a halt before him. It was none other than Bu Yunyan, whom he hadn’t seen in so long, and the royal princess of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, Zhao Qianqian!
"Qin Li!"
"Big Brother Qin Li!"
Tears quickly welled up in their eyes, and their voices trembled. If Shangguan Shiyu hadn’t been there, they probably would have thrown themselves into Qin Li’s arms and burst into tears.
After all, Qin Li had been gone for more than three years!
For experts who had broken through to the Celestial Level, three years was but the blink of an eye. A single session of deep seclusion could last even longer than that.
But for an ordinary person, three years meant over a thousand days and nights!
Every single day felt so long, especially... when filled with longing!
"I’m back." These were the first words Qin Li said to them. His own heart was filled with a mix of emotions as he silently vowed, ’This time, I’m taking you all with me!’
’I will do everything in my power to help you cross one insurmountable mountain after another, but how far you can ultimately go will depend on your own efforts!’
"You must be Miss Shangguan?" Bu Yunyan, having weathered the storms of the mortal world for many years, quickly composed herself. Wiping the corners of her eyes, she said, "Please forgive my display. Has Miss Shangguan finally recovered? I’m so very happy for you!"
"And you must be Bu Yunyan, right?"
Shangguan Shiyu smiled warmly and gracefully walked over to take Bu Yunyan’s hand. "I’ve often heard Qin Li speak of you all. He came back this time for your sakes!"
Bu Yunyan smiled back, holding Shangguan Shiyu’s hand and praising her, "You’re truly worthy of being the woman who has captured my little brother’s unwavering devotion. Shiyu, you are truly a peerless beauty!"
Shangguan Shiyu naturally caught the special emphasis in Bu Yunyan’s words. She smiled faintly and said softly, "There’s no need to be so polite, sister. We are all family."
With that, she turned to Zhao Qianqian, who stood to the side and had blossomed into a young woman, and said with a smile, "You must be Princess Qianqian, I presume?"
For the past few years, Zhao Qianqian had never returned to the place that brought her such heartache. Instead, she had been staying with Bu Yunyan, helping manage various businesses. Though she rarely appeared in public, nearly everyone knew that a royal princess resided in the Qin Mansion, and her name carried great weight in Yellow Sand City.
She smiled softly at the words and replied, "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shiyu. As for being a princess... I gave up that title years ago."
The group exchanged pleasantries as they walked inside. Qin Li casually asked, "Where are Hu and Leng Yao? Is there any news of Watermelon?"
Bu Yunyan gazed at Qin Li and sighed softly. "Hu has been busy acquiring all sorts of medicinal ingredients. As for Leng Yao, she’s most likely in the Alchemy Room in the rear courtyard. These days, she does nothing but alchemy and cultivation—her power has grown immensely! As for Watermelon, we haven’t heard from him in years. I have no idea where that boy ran off to. I’ve been sending his parents some money every year, though."
Qin Li sighed softly. "You did the right thing. That kid is sharp; he shouldn’t have run into any trouble. He probably just wandered off somewhere far away. The Celestial Essence Continent is vast, so there’s a place for him somewhere. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday."
Somewhat to Qin Li’s surprise, that little minx Shangguan Shiyu hit it off with Bu Yunyan and Zhao Qianqian with remarkable speed. Then, she cast a glance at Qin Li with her beautiful eyes and said nonchalantly, "The ladies are talking. What are you doing here? Go do what you’re supposed to do."
And what was he supposed to do? Go see Leng Yao, of course. Other than Qin Li himself, Shangguan Shiyu was the only person in the world who understood just how important Leng Yao was. This wasn’t merely because of Leng Yao’s Alchemy skills; it was because of her connection to Qin Li. In truth, that connection alone was reason enough.
Qin Li stood up, smiled, and headed out.
...
The vast Qin Mansion was filled with shady trees, pavilions and waterside terraces, decorative rockeries and verandas. The air carried the fragrance of flowers and the songs of birds. It felt like being in a tranquil mountain sanctuary, bringing an immense sense of peace to the soul.
Moreover, the mansion had very few servants. At least, Qin Li didn’t spot a single one as he followed the drifting scent of elixirs through the grounds.
Leng Yao sat quietly in her room, her soft hair draped gently over her shoulders. She wore a simple white robe that accentuated her exquisite figure. Barefoot, she sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.
The furnace fire burned just as quietly. Inside the Pill Furnace, special charcoal glowed with a blue flame, making the entire room unbearably hot. Leng Yao, however, seemed to feel nothing at all.
Thanks to Qin Li’s Pill Formula Secret Manual, Leng Yao had developed several other elixirs that could rapidly increase a person’s strength. A year ago, she herself had finally broken through from the Earth Level to reach the Celestial Level!
Now, Leng Yao’s power had reached at least the seventh stage of the Celestial Level!
By her own estimates, with another three years, she could break through the Celestial Level and reach the Celestial Shattering Realm! Only then could a Martial Artist be said to have truly stepped through the great gate of the Martial Dao!
She missed him, too. She had once thought her longing would fade with time, but she never expected it would be like fine wine, growing more potent and fragrant with each passing year. freewebnøvel.coɱ
It reached a point where not a single day went by that she didn’t think of him, of that figure. He had become the sole motivation driving her desperate cultivation.
Yes, revenge was no longer her greatest motivation. Love was.
After circulating her aura for one Great Cycle, Leng Yao slowly opened her eyes. Having reached the Celestial Level, her face was even more radiant and captivating. Her skin was as smooth as jade, lustrous and fine. Though her expression appeared somewhat cold, her beauty was breathtaking.
She thought she had just heard footsteps outside, but when she opened her eyes, she sensed nothing. A faint, bitter smile touched the corners of her lips. ’An illusion again,’ she thought.
But a strange feeling lingered in her heart. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong, but for some reason, Leng Yao felt that today was different from any other.
Suddenly, she whipped her head around to face the door. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and her voice shook. "Is... is that you?"
The door swung open without a sound. A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway, regarding Leng Yao with a gentle smile. "I’m back."
Leng Yao’s rosy lips parted slightly, a look of disbelief spreading across her face. Then, with incredible speed, she spun around and whispered to herself, "An illusion. It must be an illusion!"
Fat teardrops streamed from her eyes, splashing onto the floor.
Qin Li walked up behind her. After a slight hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her. He felt Leng Yao’s body stiffen for a moment before she relaxed, melting into his embrace.
"Is it really you?"
"As real as can be."
"*Sob...*"
"I’m sorry I took so long to return."
Leng Yao turned around, her soft body pressing tightly against his as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Her tears quickly soaked his robes. There were no complaints, no outpourings of longing—she simply wept her heart out, silently, in his embrace.
...
Five people—four women and one man. This was likely the most complete gathering of the women in Qin Li’s life there had ever been.
No one had any appetite. They listened as Shangguan Shiyu, in her clear, cool voice, recounted everything they had experienced on Profound Island over the past few years, drawing gasps of shock and cries of joy from Leng Yao, Bu Yunyan, and the others.
When they learned that both Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu had reached the Celestial Integration Realm, the three women—Bu Yunyan, Leng Yao, and Zhao Qianqian—were utterly stunned, as if turned to stone.
After a long silence, Bu Yunyan gave a wry smile. "We thought reaching the Celestial Level over these past few years was something to brag about, but to think you two... *Sigh*!"
Shangguan Shiyu smiled radiantly. "Come with us to Profound Island! Your progress will be much faster there!" She then looked to Qin Li. "Wouldn’t you agree?"
The other three women looked tempted. Bu Yunyan hesitated. "But if we all leave, wouldn’t it be a shame to abandon the fortune we’ve built up over these years?"
Qin Li couldn’t help but laugh. "There will be plenty of opportunities for you to put your talents to use on Profound Island. Besides, in our eyes now, wealth is as fleeting as a passing cloud!"
