250 Elder Ling Liyun 2 (1/2)

Qin Feng scratched his head, and shrugged at her. There was an obvious answer but it was a rather weak one. But it was too late to think up a better answer, so he just threw it out at the girl. Besides, any sort of excuse should work in a situation like this. Shouldn't it?

”Curiosity, I suppose. I want to know why she would dump me for the other man. I mean, I didn't treat her badly, and I had sent her small tokens of my esteem from time to time. And received a few from her hand. Even her father seemed appreciative of my efforts.

”The only thing that I could think of that might have been a little depressing would be my lower cultivation, compared to the other disciples. But I was getting there. I had almost passed the qualifying examinations when it was my turn.”

Xu Yanzhi pounced on that at once, just as he expected her to.

”Aha! You said 'almost'! So you failed, didn't you? You failed!”

Qin Feng snapped back at once. He had expected her to be so gleeful once she heard it. And had the perfect repartee:

”You don't have to sound so gleeful about it! And I blame Xuan Mei for that failure! Imagine if you tell someone that your arranged marriage with him is off, just two months before his qualifying examinations. Do you think that he would have any mood to keep on practicing? That he would be able put in his full effort, in passing those tests?

”That is one of the reasons why I wish to meet with her, so that I can ask her what she was trying to do, when she dumped that basin of cold water on me. And at such a time!”

That was enough to have Xu Yanzhi putting her hands to her mouth again. Which was enough to show that she was shocked to hear what he had just said. But her eyes were little crescents, which was sufficient to tell Qin Feng that she was also immensely amused.

”In that case, Elder Ling ... No, Aunt Ling! Aunt Ling! You should grant him leave to visit our Snow Swallow Palace! At least, the Outer Osmanthus Court! I would dearly love to hear what Xuan Mei would say to him, when the time comes!”

From the way that she was skipping about, Qin Feng could guess at her motives for doing something like that, helping him to beg the Elder for a favor. This was all so that she could watch a good show, wasn't it?

Well, he would show her a great show, when the time came! He promised himself that.

But Elder Ling Liyun was not convinced. At least, not altogether convinced. If Qin Feng was not mistaken, she would like nothing better than to return to Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, and to question Xuan Mei about the whole matter first, before making a decision.

Too bad he was not going to give her that option.

”Ah! Forget it! It is not that important to me, anyway. While I am a little curious, and a little heartbroken over the whole thing, she is already someone from my past. So what is the point of dwelling on the whole thing?

”To be honest, I thought that she had fallen for somebody else. But clearly, that doesn't seem to be the case. Otherwise, why would she choose to go to the Snow Swallow Palace? After all, most of your disciples stay in the Sect until they are old and grey, and hardly ever marry. Maybe the other fellow broke her heart as well? That makes the whole thing rather fair.”

And that bit of a sting at the end was enough to cause the Elder to erupt: