護花近衛 - 第2721章 旅程返回 - 翰墨軒

For the next two days, Kang Xiaofeng stayed with Xiaofen and Liu Xinlan alongside Mother Tang. Tang Zhi, however, did not appear again after her departure. The Snow Valley was beautiful and full of amusements, yet their interest had drained away—without Tang Zhi, what point was there in remaining?

Still, they understood. Mother Tang might act without restraint here, but all of it rested on the premise that Tang Zhi stayed and cultivated obediently. Otherwise, why would the Snow Valley indulge Mother Tang to such a degree?

So Kang Xiaofeng bore no resentment over Tang Zhi being unable to accompany them while she cultivated. Today marked their third day in the Snow Valley, and he was ready to take his leave.

"Auntie, we will be leaving today. These past few days, we have put you to a great deal of trouble!" Kang Xiaofeng said.

"Ah? Leaving already? Won't you stay a few more days?" Mother Tang was taken aback, a note of reluctance in her voice. "What trouble? No trouble at all, not the slightest! When you don't come, I have nothing to do by myself. With you here, at least I have someone to chatter with..."

In truth, for all Mother Tang's domineering ways in the Snow Valley, she was deeply lonely. Day in and day out, the only people she had to talk to were her husband Tang Jucheng, Tang Zhi's birth mother Xiaoming, and her adopted daughter Tang Zhi—and even Tang Zhi she could not see often.

As for the other people of the Snow Valley, there were plenty who would keep her company, and they answered whatever she asked, holding nothing back. But it was question and answer, pure and simple—a far cry from real conversation.

"Auntie, there are matters at my company that I cannot leave for long. Besides, if I stay away too long, Wei Zhao and the others may grow suspicious, so I think it best to head back early..." Kang Xiaofeng understood Mother Tang well, but now that Tang Zhi no longer appeared, they had no heart to keep playing. Better to return early.

"Very well, then. Come again when you have time!" Mother Tang sighed and said helplessly.

And so Kang Xiaofeng, Xiaofen, and Liu Xinlan set out on the road home, bringing their visit to the Snow Valley to a close. As for the many heavenly treasures they carried away, the Grand Elder did not stand in their way. To her, such things all had a price; only Tang Zhi was priceless.

Tang Zhi was the hope by which she and Xueli might set foot upon the Heavenly Dao. Without her, they might remain stuck at the peak of the late Heaven Tier for the rest of their lives. Now that this opportunity had come, if they failed to seize it, they would regret it to the end of their days.

Kang Xiaofeng returned with Xiaofen and Liu Xinlan to Songshan City, keeping a low profile. That very night, however, he drove out again, carrying a carload of heavenly treasures to Wei Zhao's villa in the Xue Shang residential district of Donghai City.

When Wei Zhao saw Kang Xiaofeng at the door, he was somewhat surprised. "Xiaobo, what brings you here?"

"Boss, I'm back from procuring medicinal ingredients. This time I not only bought the ingredients Xiaoshu needed, but also brought back some heavenly treasures useful to you." Kang Xiaofeng pointed at the trunk of his car.

"Oh? It seems you've returned fully loaded!" Wei Zhao had not expected Kang Xiaofeng's trip to go so smoothly. When he first said he was going to buy ingredients for Shen Yushu, Wei Zhao had not held out much hope—after all, the ingredients Shen Yushu needed were surely of the rarest and most precious kind, impossible to purchase with ease. But from the look of things, Kang Xiaofeng had obtained them as easily as reaching into his own pocket.