Chapter 281 – A Great Disturbance (1)
Floating Cloud City, Xiao Clan’s rear mountain, Reflection Gorge.
Returning from hunting, Xiao Lie was carrying a skinny wild rabbit in one hand. His face revealed mild happiness. As he sat down to prepare the prey he had caught, he heard the sounds of his daughter practicing swordsmanship.
At the start of their imprisonment, the Xiao Clan would send them food everyday. He was still able to occasionally obtain some information about how the Xiao Clan was from the disciples that delivered food. After some time, the frequency of the delivery of food became lesser and lesser and eventually, three months later, nobody sent them food anymore. Obviously, being imprisoned for twenty years and having no close relatives to rely on would mean that no one in the clan would bother to care about them. In the beginning, people had still somewhat pitied them. Eventually, they left them to their own demise in the rear mountain.
Luckily, the rear mountains were not completely barren. In the area that they were allowed in, they could obtain some vegetables and occasionally were able to capture one or two delicious low ranked profound beasts. Just like this, the parent and child survived. Xiao Lie had also thought about escaping with Xiao Lingxi. After all, he could not let the most beautiful time of her daughter’s life be wasted like this, trapped in the gorge. However, once he escaped, he would not doubt that they would be hunted by the Xiao Clan… After all, they were imprisoned under orders of the fourth young master of the Xiao Sect. He was not afraid of being punished or even being labelled as a traitor who betrayed his sect. However, he was worried about Xiao Lingxi.
All this time, Xiao Lingxi spent more of her time each day concentrating on training. After all, there was nothing much she could do besides that. Having no distractions, her progression was quite fast. She had already broken through to the ninth level of the Elementary Profound Realm.
“AHHH!!!”
The young girl’s cries were suddenly heard coming from the outside. Xiao Lie immediately stopped what he was doing and immediately sprinted out. Outside, he saw Xiao Lingxi sitting on the floor with her hands to her chest. The sword that already had rust on it had been thrown to one side.
“Xi’er, what’s wrong?” Xiao Lie rushed forward and anxiously asked.
Although Xiao Lingxi’s clothes were clean, they had already turned pale with age. Her skin did not become dry and rough under the constant blowing of the wind in the rear mountain. Instead, she was now even more graceful and pretty. Even the old clothes that she was wearing seemed to give off a special aura. However, compared to before, she had become visibly thinner. Within her pair of beautiful eyes, one could see the worry that she attempted to conceal. She seemed like an injured fairy, and would cause one’s heart to ache in pity for her.
“I don’t know…” Xiao Lingxi gently shook her head, her hand still clutching her chest. Her brows trembled uncontrollably: “My chest suddenly felt very very painful just now… Wuuuu… It really hurts…”
“Chest?” His daughter’s appearance made Xiao Lie’s heart ache. He thought for a while and said: “Don’t stand up yet. Perhaps you are just too tired from sword practice. Rest a while and it should be fine.”
“Mn.” Xiao Lingxi replied obediently. Her eyebrows knitted tightly, for the pain seemed to have come from her soul. The pain was bone-piercing and with it, numerous thoughts of Yun Che floated into her heart and mind. She suddenly cried out loud: “Father… I’m not afraid of this pain… But… I miss Little Che… Where is he now… When he left, he didn’t have much money. Also, he was so weak, would he be bullied by others? Would he have enough food? Would he even have a proper place to sleep? Would he… Would he… Wuu… uuu… I miss him… I’m so worried about him.”
Xiao Lingxi covered her face and started sobbing. Since young, before that incident happened, she had always been with Yun Che. There were nearly inseparable. She also would never have thought that she would be separated from him one day… However, fate was cruel. They were separated due to circumstances, and had been separated for a very long time. Separation for such a long period of time was an immense torture for her. Her thoughts about him increased day by day, and she could only rely on hardcore training to divert her attention.
The sudden heartache caused all the longing that she desperately tried to hold back to blow out of control. It was sudden, as though water was gushing out of a broken dam, and fiercely eliminated any bit of control she might have over her feelings. She broke. Her feelings poured out of her along with loose tears that gushed out from her eyes.
Xiao Lie let out a long sigh and gently comforted her: “Xi’er, Che’er has already grown up. He is already a real man. Perhaps, leaving the Xiao Clan was beneficial for him. Outside, he would undergo hardships and grow up. Even if he had to suffer a little and get injured, it would still be worth it.”
“Xi’er, don’t cry. He will become stronger outside. As his little aunt, you should be stronger than him. When he comes back, you need to show him a more energetic you. That would no doubt make him the happiest… Che’er has said before, he would be back within three years. As a man, I believe he would fulfill his promise and do what he said.”
Xiao Lingxi still continued to cry, but after hearing Xiao Lie’s words, she fiercely nodded her head before wiping off the tears on her face. However, the sudden gush of longing and heart-piercing pain within her could not be stopped…
Little Che… Where are you… I really miss you… I don’t need you to come back to see us in three years… I just want you to be safe… You have to be safe…
Heavenly Sword Villa, in front of the Sword Management Terrace.
Xia Qingyue was dressed completely in white as she stood silently in front of the Heaven’s Punishment Sword. The wind above the Sword Management Terrace constantly blew at her, and unceasingly raised her hair and sleeves. However, it was unable to shift her gaze. She stood alone for a very long time, with only the flying swords in the sky as companions.
The sky started to turn dark as dusk slowly arrived. The wind from the swords had also begun to carry some coldness. A sudden gust caused her long hair to be gently blown into her face. Suddenly, deliberately gentle footsteps approached her from behind some distance away. The footsteps startled Xia Qingyue’s silent thoughts.
Her gaze shuddered a little as she continued to look forward as she muttered softly: “Husband… Let Qingyue be your wife in your next life as well… Is, that okay… That Qingyue will be a… proper wife… okay…?”
Her soft muttering disappeared within the sounds of the wind. No one could hear what she had said. She turned around, and behind her, was a dashing young man standing in place.
Seeing Xia Qingyue’s goddess-like appearance, Ling Yun’s aura became slightly chaotic. He smiled slightly and performed a courtesy: “Xia fairy, are you sending your friend off as well?”
“No.” Xia Qingyue shook her head and replied softly: “I’m here to… send off my husband.”
Ling Yun’s entire body quaked as he jerked his head upwards to look at Xia Qingyue. Just as he was about to ask whether he had heard wrongly, he suddenly saw a black cloth wrapped around Xia Qingyue’s left arm…
“Xia fairy, wh… what did you just say? Husband? Did I hear wrongly, or is Xia fairy joking with me?” Ling Yun said in the calmest voice he could muster. However, both his hands were trembling and his inner self was in turmoil.
Xia Qingyue did not answer him and merely extended her white hand to sweep it across her hair. As her left hand gently swept across, a segment of her hair silently broke off. She opened her jade hand, and scattered her hair towards the center of the Sword Management Terrace. In an instant, the hair was swept away by the swords’ wind and circled around the Heaven’s Punishment Sword, as if it yearned for something, and wanted to accompany it.
Xia Qingyue closed her beautiful eyes and flew off after a while, disappearing from Ling Yun’s sight.
Ling Yun’s entire body was stiff. He lost the strength in his body and knelt onto the ground. His pupils continuously dilated. This Heavenly Sword Villa’s Young Villa Master, who had once been the strongest of the younger generation, seemed to have lost his soul right there…
“They’re husband and wife… Yun Che… is her husband… She is already… She is already married… Impossible… Impossible… It must be a lie… Impossible…”
Ling Yun kept on muttering to himself. His expression became lifeless, as though all of his beliefs had been shattered.
At the same time, his father, Ling Yuefeng was also very confused. He was pacing back and forth outside the courtyard in which the Frozen Cloud Asgard members were staying at, worrying about Chu Yuechan’s injuries, and also wondering why she would have such a huge reaction. He would never have thought that Chu Yuechan, who was as cold as snow, as icy like a frozen profound lotus, would lose control of her emotions and vomit blood.
Knowing Chu Yuechan’s temperament, even if Frozen Cloud Asgard’s number one disciple, Xia Qingyue, were to suddenly fall, her most appropriate reaction would be a suffocating coldness… There should not be anyone in this world that could cause her to have such a reaction.
Could it really be because of the fallen Yun Che… No! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! There must be some other reason.
While he was under the emotional turmoil, he did not realize that his wife, Xuanyuan Yufeng, was not too far away. She had been coldly staring at every one of his emotional changes. Her gaze was turning colder and colder as she became more and more disappointed.
Just then, Ling Yuefeng’s patience seem to have reached its peak and could not stand it any longer. He gritted his teeth and entered the courtyard. He then opened Chu Yuechan’s room, and entered.
Chu Yuechan was still lying on the bed, and her face was still as white as sheet. Chu Yueli stood beside her bed with a face of worry and uneasiness. A skinny old lady who looked aged and weak was pressing her finger on Chu Yuechan’s hand to read her pulse.
Grandmother Jiumu was already more than a hundred and ninety years old this year. Based on seniority, she was several times more senior than Villa Master Ling Yuefeng. When comparing medical skills, she was not below Blue Wind Empire’s number one doctor Gu Qiuhong. However, she did not desire fame and had not stepped out of Heavenly Sword Villa all her life. There were not many within the empire, who had heard of her name.
“Grandmother Jiumu, how is the Fairy of Frozen Beauty’s condition?” Ling Yuefeng asked with concern. Facing Grandmother Jiumu, his actions were obviously more respectful.
Grandmother Jiumu removed her dry finger from Chu Yuechan’s snow white wrist and picked up her walking stick. She walked forward a few steps before speaking in a hoarse voice that sound like rubbing sandpaper: “She is fine. She fainted only because she received a huge emotional trauma, and the sadness that attacked the heart caused her blood to flow in reverse. She will wake up after a while.”
“Then that’s great…” Ling Yuefeng nodded. However, he still appeared to be in an emotional turmoil.
“However, she has practiced ice attribute profound arts for many years, so her five organs are all exceptionally cold. If this goes on, I fear it would be fatal for the baby that she is bearing.” Grandmother Jiumu said faintly.
The last sentence seemed like a landmine that triggered beside Chu Yueli and Ling Yuefeng’s ears. Chu Yueli hastily said: “Impossible! Grandmother Jiumu, you must be wrong. My sister has never interacted with any man before. How could she have a baby!”
“That’s right. Granny Jiumu, you must be wrong. The fairies of Frozen Cloud Asgard stay single for all their lives. It is impossible for the Fairy of Frozen Beauty to have a baby.” Ling Yuefeng also immediately continued.
“Hmph!” Facing the two people’s questioning, Grandmother Jiumu’s face turned angry. She strongly stamped her walking stick on the floor, and said hoarsely: “I have practiced medicine for the past hundred and eighty nine years and have seen all sorts of weird illnesses and strange sicknesses. I have treated more patients than people you have seen in your entire lives. Do you really think I will make a mistake on something as simple as whether a woman is pregnant! HMPH!”