Chapter 3376 — Preparations for the Heavenly Tier Trial
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Of course, Yu Xiaochen had been handsome and dashing in his youth, and had Yu Xiaojin not married the wrong man, she too would be standing here now.
"Grandfather!" Yuning said, somewhat embarrassed.
Wei Zhao, for his part, made no attempt to hide anything. Since Yu Tianxing had invited him here today, that amounted to a formal acceptance of him. So Wei Zhao took Yuning's small hand in his—and the sensation sent a sudden thrill through his heart, as though he had been carried back to that year, that month, that night of the lovers' festival.
The bonfire, the cave, the wild beasts outside, a beautiful young girl sitting by the fire, pouring out her heart to him—all of it came flooding back to Wei Zhao, as though a lifetime had passed since.
This time, having taken her hand, he would never let go for the rest of his life. What he had missed before, he would never miss again!
"Xiaoning, go and receive the inheritance with a peaceful heart. For your sake, and for Xiaoshu, Yaoyao, and Xiaoxiao—I will take part in that plan, and no one will be able to stand in my way," Wei Zhao said solemnly.
Yuning had heard Yu Bing speak the names Shen Yushu, Gu Mengyao, and Feng Xiaoxiao, and knew they were all close to Wei Zhao's heart. So at this moment she felt no jealousy—only moved by how earnestly he took responsibility.
Of course, another reason Yuning did not resist becoming the inheritor was precisely because of these people. Wei Zhao could never abandon them; by the same token, he surely would not abandon her either. Yet, because of the Yu family, there had always been a lack of a solemn promise.
Today, Wei Zhao had made that promise, and Yuning's heart was at ease. Whatever hardships and thorns lay ahead on this departure, she would face them with a smile!
Night.
In a cave on the back mountain of the Yu estate, Wei Zhao brought Yuning and kindled a bonfire there.
The back mountain was forbidden ground, hidden away by the Yu family; none of the Yus, Yu Yi and Yu Xiaochen included, dared linger on the mountain without cause. Yet Yu Tianxing turned a blind eye to what Wei Zhao and Yuning were doing.
That night, Yuning sat quietly shoulder to shoulder with Wei Zhao at the cave mouth, gazing at the blazing bonfire before them. Though there were no wild beasts here, nor any worry of war-torn chaos, the memories of the two seemed to have carried them both back to the past.
Yuning rested her head against Wei Zhao's shoulder, and the two of them sat nestled together just like that, the thousand words in their hearts all hidden away in the long, slow night.
Between Wei Zhao and Yuning, it was more a communion of the heart: each seemed to know what the other would say, and without saying anything at all, they could feel the deep concern each held for the other.
Yuning, too, would soon have to leave.
Wei Zhao had to return home as soon as possible and have a talk with Xiaoshu—because after Yuning, she would be next!
Kang Jingming ultimately never found Xiaoyi's corpse. He drove back to the Five Luminaries Sect alone, and then, at the first opportunity, went to see Old Ancestor Xuanchen.
"Zhaoming, you're back? Did you find Xiaoyi's corpse?" Old Ancestor Xuanchen glanced at Kang Jingming and asked.
"No." Kang Jingming shook his head. He, too, found the whole affair rather terrifying—the corpse of a grown, living man, just gone like that? It seemed a little unreal. But so what if it was unreal?
"Then what happened?" Old Ancestor Xuanchen frowned. Xiaoyi's soul jade token had only cracked, not shattered—what did that mean? Could there be some uncertain factor at play here?
"Father-in-law, I don't know either," Kang Jingming said with a bitter smile. "In any case, the whole thing is too bizarre. If you hadn't called me, I wouldn't even have known that our eldest senior brother's corpse had gone missing."