269 Chapter 268: Moving On (1/2)
”You sure you're feeling better today?” Tong Xue asked. I nodded, stretching my arm to test if it worked. There was still some slight soreness, but otherwise I was perfectly fine. I could probably fight right now if I had to, as long as it wasn't an opponent of Sha Chen's caliber.
”Yeah. Besides, if I want to rest, I would rather do it at home instead of staying in the hospital here. No offense to Duchun Hospital, of course. It's just that…we can't afford the hospitalization fees if we stay here for too long.”
”Oh, you don't have to worry about that,” Lian Rou assured me. ”The academy has that covered. Our student healthcare insurance scheme will cover all medical costs incurred for injuries sustained during a mission. Besides…” she narrowed her eyes. ”You actually defeated that Dark Sage. The reward for that alone can pay for several decades' worth of hospitalization.”
That would be an incredible waste of money, but obviously I didn't say that. Instead, I merely nodded sagely.
”Well, even so I would rather go see my family. I think they're pretty worried about me. The last time I talked to them, they were about to fly to Duchun Town to check on me.”
Fortunately, I had told them that I was on my way back, and promised to return home to show them how healthy I was before I went to the academy. It would be a short detour, given how my family lived in some other city instead of Wu Ling City, but that was fine with me. It was good to go home once in a while.
So many xianxia protagonists just forgot that they have families or a home when they ran off to other continents for exploration or whatever. Or they got orphaned. Or their parents got kidnapped or something and went missing for hundreds of chapters (like Xiao Yan's Dad). You would think Xiao Yan's first priority would be to track down and rescue his Dad, but he got sidetracked by so many stupid other things, like prioritizing his harem over his father, that it literally took over a thousand chapters before he finally found his Dad, who was near death by the time they reunited.
Like…dude…
”Good point.” Tong Xue was nodding in agreement, for he also understood the importance of seeing one's family. He turned to Yi Ding Si. ”What about you? Are you feeling all right? Up to traveling back to Wu Ling Academy?”
”Yeah. I recovered before Fei Wu, so I really have no excuse. And just like him, I should go talk to my family too. My parents almost went mad with worry when they learned I was poisoned.” Yi Ding Si bowed deeply to me and Tong Xue. ”I owe you my lives.” He also turned to Lian Rou. ”And thank you for developing the serum that served as the antidote. Or I wouldn't be alive to thank you today.”
”It's nothing. I only did what was natural.” Lian Rou waved his gratitude away. Tong Xue also laughed.
”Yeah! It's only normal for comrades to help each other out!”
”You would have done the same if you were in our shoes,” I added. Yi Ding Si snorted and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
”No, I wouldn't. Hell, most people wouldn't. Who the hell would go fight the legendary Heavenly Venom King just to grab the Black Venom Toxin sample?! I mean, I'm really grateful to you two, but that was reckless!”
”It really was,” Lian Rou agreed, looking at us disapprovingly. ”Try not to take such ridiculous risks in future, okay?”
”Don't worry. We won't die. Look, Fei Wu even defeated the Dark Sage! Who do you think can threaten him now?”
”Oi, don't jinx us,” I growled. ”When you say that, we'll get assaulted by an even stronger enemy later.”
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I shuddered to think what sort of enemy would face us in future. Even if Tong Xue didn't jinx us with his statement, it was inevitable. Now that I had won against Sha Chen, there would inevitably be new enemies who surpassed his strength.
Such as Lie Yang of Blazing Sun Sect, Li Tian Zun of Heavenly Fiend Sect and Bai Yue from Lunar Moon Sect. At that time, I was completely unaware that they had planned to invade Wu Ling City, but we already knew of their reputations.
”Okay, let's go home then!” Tong Xue began skipping toward the direction of the bus station. ”I managed to charter a bus that will bring us back to Wu Ling City!”
”Then we can go home from there,” I agreed, already tracing the bus route from Wu Ling City to my house. Probably my parents would show up to pick me up from the terminal the moment I reached Wu Ling City anyway, but best to be prepared.
”I'm down for it,” Yi Ding Si added. ”I can't wait to get home!”
”Me too…but I have a question.”
Lian Rou was scowling as she put a dampener on our plans. Whirling around, she jabbed a finger at a fifth person, who had remained silent this entire time.
”What are you doing here?”
”Me?” Song Ting Yu shrugged innocently. ”Of course I'll be joining you on your trip back to Wu Ling City.”
”You don't live in Wu Ling City or attend Wu Ling Academy!” Lian Rou complained. ”Why are you following us back there?!”
”Ara, do I need permission from you to visit Wu Ling City?” Song Ting Yu asked coyly, raising a sleeved hand to hide her mouth as she giggled. Lian Rou blanched.
”No, but…”
”I have business there. With Principal Xiao Zhang. Are you satisfied now?” Song Ting Yu sighed wearily. ”It has something to do with the movement of the demonic sects.”
”Oh! The rumors that three of the biggest demonic sects have gathered together to attack Wu Ling City?” Tong Xue exclaimed. Song Ting Yu glanced at him in surprise.
”You are pretty well-informed,” she commented. Then she snickered. ”I guess that's to be expected, since you're formerly from the Smart Shadow Sect.”
”Don't remind me,” Tong Xue groaned. After Divine Shadow Sect was annihilated, its branch Smart Shadow Sect was naturally destroyed as well. There were no survivors except Tong Xue, but he had renounced his membership and pledged himself fully to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect during the invasion and didn't count as a member anymore.
”In any case, I would prefer if you allow me to meet with Principal Xiao Zhang as soon as possible,” Song Ting Yu resumed the conversation from before. ”The Alliance will cooperate to help establish defenses for Wu Ling Academy. After all, Wu Ling Academy is officially under the jurisdiction of the Martial Arts Alliance.”
”Not the Imperial Guard?” I wondered out loud. Song Ting Yu shrugged nonchalantly.
”Well, I'm sure the royal family will send the Imperial Guard to help if they see activity from the demonic sects. Problem is that the Imperial Guard is pretty stretched at the moment, dealing with several uprisings from demonic sects along the borders.” She frowned, her pretty face darkening. ”Those three big demonic sects chose an opportune time to strike.”
”In other words, everything was planned out from the beginning,” I muttered. ”The skirmishes at the borders…they're diversions!”
”Most likely…but with no proof, we can't just leave the border towns and cities to suffer at the hands of demonic martial artists. You wouldn't be pleased if the Royal Family just abandoned the city where your parents live in to focus on defending the capital or the bigger cities, right?”
”I'm not suggesting they do that,” I told her.
”Well, the Martial Arts Alliance will help. Even though we've been weakened, we still have a large reserve of orthodox martial artists. Not to mention, even the sects who ceded from us will still lend a helping hand if Wu Ling City asks them for help. Lots of their disciples are enrolled in Wu Ling Academy, after all.”
That was a good point. I doubted Blood Blades would be mobilized in their entirety, but even Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would send out forces to help when their disciples in Wu Ling Academy came under attack.
…what? You think this was Spirit Realm? That Sect Leader Zi Shou De will just abandon us disciples in Wu Ling Academy just like how the Armament Sect Leader abandoned Qin Lie's friends and Ling family because he thought Qin Lie was dead? Not everyone in xianxia stories were assholes and ingrates.
”Fine. You can come with us.” Lian Rou was sulking. ”But on one condition. You've to stay away from Fei Wu!”
”Huh? Why?” Song Ting Yu was looking extremely perplexed. She glanced at me and Tong Xue. ”I thought you are in a relationship with Tong Xue, not Fei Wu? Why should you care who Fei Wu solicits with?”
”It's not like that. Fei Wu belongs to my sister! I'm not letting anyone take him away from Qi Hong!”
”Tang Qi Hong?” Song Ting Yu's brow furrowed and she considered this. ”But isn't she…?”
”Don't you dare say it!” Lian Rou snarled. ”I don't care if she's no longer here. But Fei Wu will remain loyal to her forever!”
She turned to me, and I shrugged noncommittedly.
”Yeah, that's right.”
”…you'll have to move on someday, but I guess it's still too soon. Nonetheless…” Song Ting Yu narrowed her eyes at Lian Rou. ”You don't have the right to make that choice for Fei Wu. It's up to him whether he wishes to honor Tang Qi Hong's memory, or if he finally decides to move on. That's not for you or anyone to say.”
”You…”
”Lian Rou, she is right,” Tong Xue told her gently. He turned to me. ”Fei Wu, this is something only you can decide on yourself. Lian Rou, or even Sect Leader Zi can't make this decision for you. But Lian Rou might have a point. It's still too soon to move on.”
”I'm not moving on,” I declared, despite feeling uncomfortable with all this talk. ”But if Lian Rou wants me to be single my whole life to stay faithful to Qi Hong, then that's what I will do. At least that's what I feel at the moment.”
”No, as I said, you've to decide this on your own, not based on what Lian Rou says,” Tong Xue protested.
”…yeah, sorry. I didn't mean you should stay single your whole life.” Lian Rou looked abashed and ashamed. ”I…wasn't thinking.”
”That's fine. Why don't we just go home for now? All this will take time anyway, and we should hurry back before the demonic sects move.” I sighed. We had just fended off an invasion on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and now there was another imminent attack coming from three demonic sects. This just never ended, did it?
On the other hand, my victory over Sha Chen gave me a bit more confidence. If I could go toe-to-toe against the legendary Heavenly Venom King and win against him, then I could theoretically face any one of the Supreme Evils, whether it was Li Tian Zun or Lie Yang, and prevail over them. Of course, I would probably be beaten to within an inch of my life again, but…there was a precedent.
History could be repeated. And I doubted the demonic sects knew about my feat…yet. Even if they did, they probably had no idea how I did it, and could hardly come up with a counter against it. Or so I hoped.
”Let's go. The bus is here.” Song Ting Yu waved us toward the terminal, where an armored-looking bus awaited. I frowned, suddenly remembering something.
”What happened to your limousine?” I asked.
”Towed back to the Alliance HQ,” Song Tong Yu replied flippantly. ”My father was about to assign me new bodyguards and a new driver, but I refused. Told him I would be safer with you, the guy who defeated the Dark Sage.”