Upon seeing him, she was even more astonished: "Why is it you? How could you be here?"
Hu Jiaping deliberately put on a stern face: "Now that your wings have hardened, you just call me 'you' without even addressing me as 'Eldest Brother'?"
Li Fei was left speechless for a long moment, finally forcing out a dry: "...Eldest Brother."
Hu Jiaping looked her up and down with a smile, clicking his tongue in admiration: "Even after four hundred years, how come you haven't changed at all? Still the same little girl as before, and Lei Xiuyuan too. You ask me why I'm here, but I haven't even asked why you suddenly returned to the Central Land! By the way, Lei Xiuyuan, what's with that look in your eyes? Don't recognize me? Not going to call me brother?"
Lei Xiuyuan silently observed him for a long while. He could sense this person was of his own kind. The reason he hadn't detected his approach earlier was because this man could also completely conceal his aura. Who was he? A clansman? Had they known each other before?
Noticing his strange expression, Hu Jiaping leaned close to Li Fei's ear and asked curiously: "What's wrong with him? Does he really not recognize me?"
Li Fei gave an awkward laugh: "Well... it's a long story. Why are you alone? Where's Sister A Mu?"
Hu Jiaping glanced around: "This isn't the place to talk. Come with me, I'll take you to meet a few people."
As he turned to leave, Ri Yan leaped onto his shoulder in a few quick bounds, glaring fiercely at him and speaking: "So you're that little disciple Azure City took in?! You're actually a Yaksa! Azure City actually kept this from me for so long!"
Hu Jiaping burst out laughing when he saw the tiny fox jumping up to speak so haughtily: "Oh my, is this little fox your pet?"
Ri Yan flew into a rage, jumping up to bite his neck, making him yelp in pain. Li Fei quickly pulled Ri Yan back, frowning: "You know perfectly well he's Master's good friend, why pretend otherwise?"
One after another, they all loved to play dumb and provoke, no wonder Ri Yan was as furious as a firecracker.
"My bad, my bad," Hu Jiaping raised his hands in surrender. "Come with me first, you're in for a surprise."
Li Fei couldn't quite figure it out, quickly following and instinctively grabbing his sleeve, asking repeatedly: "Eldest Brother, where have you been all these years? Has anyone been chasing you?"
Hu Jiaping patted her head: "Don't worry about me. If a Yaksa really wants to hide, not even the Jade Emperor could find them. But Lei Xiuyuan... from the look of him, has he broken his horn and lost his memories?"
Li Fei nodded silently: "He was injured by the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea. Though I healed his wounds and reattached his horn, he still can't remember the past."
Hu Jiaping smiled carelessly: "If he can't remember today, he'll remember tomorrow. Even if he never remembers, he's still with you, so why fuss over it?"
Li Fei stared at him strangely for a while, making him confused: "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
She smiled: "Nothing. Calling you Eldest Brother isn't so bad after all. You finally show some semblance of being an elder brother."
Hu Jiaping pinched her cheek in annoyance: "No respect for your elders! Becoming more and more disagreeable!"Li Fei dodged with a laugh. Hu Jiaping, whose appearance and temperament remained entirely unchanged, finally made her feel a familiar presence, as if time had frozen four hundred years ago. She bombarded him with questions, but what intrigued her most was why he had appeared in the Eastern Sea. Could it be that he intended to take the Black-veiled woman overseas in search of Otherworld Fire?
Hu Jiaping replied, "A Mu and I have been wandering the world these years, living freely and joyfully. Back then, when I joked about becoming a Celestial and going overseas, it was just idle talk. Personally, I don’t share your fascination with the lands beyond. Returning there would only remind me of those cursed days. I have deeper ties to the Central Land—it’s where I was reborn. A Mu understands me, so she never brings it up. But as you know, Temper Edge is a broken divine weapon, and A Mu is its Spirit Body. Until the Mystic Sword is restored, she will continue to weaken day by day. I can’t let her fall into eternal slumber. That’s why I planned to take her through the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea to the lands beyond. I never expected to run into you here in the Eastern Sea. When I saw the Spirit Stele vanish suddenly, I knew it had to be your doing. What a fortunate coincidence—with you here, our journey overseas won’t be nearly as troublesome. The two elders will surely be overjoyed to see you."
Two elders? Li Fei grew even more puzzled. She glanced back to see Lei Xiuyuan following behind with an indifferent expression. Turning around, she tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Xiu Yuan, do you really have no memory of Hu Jiaping either?"
Lei Xiuyuan slowly withdrew his hand and murmured, "I don’t know. I don’t remember. Please stop asking me."
Li Fei was stunned. After a moment of silence, she stubbornly grabbed his arm again. "What’s wrong? Are you upset?"
Lei Xiuyuan shook his head, pulled his hand free once more, and quickened his pace to catch up with Hu Jiaping, striking up a conversation. Li Fei was utterly baffled. She stood frozen in place for a long while, but not wanting to pester him further, she could only trail behind them.
After a few turns, Hu Jiaping led them into a shabby little inn. As soon as they entered, they saw a woman draped head to toe in black veils standing in the main hall. Hu Jiaping’s expression softened at the sight of her. He approached with a smile and said, "Why did you come out? Didn’t I tell you to rest inside?"
The Black-veiled woman’s gaze landed on Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan behind him. She stared at them in disbelief for a few moments before speaking softly, "You’d been gone so long, I was considering whether to go look for you. Just now, the spiritual energy fluctuations here became extremely intense, as if many Sea Sect Immortals were lingering nearby."
Hu Jiaping chuckled and pointed at Li Fei and the others. "It was these two rascals causing the commotion. Come, let’s go see Master. They’ll be in for a surprise."
At the mention of "Master," Li Fei was first startled, then immediately realized. "Guangwei Zhanglao?!"
Hu Jiaping laughed heartily. "I’m touched you still remember him. Four hundred years—you took Xiu Yuan overseas and left the old man sulking for ages."
Li Fei’s emotions at this moment could no longer be described as mere shock. How had Hu Jiaping ended up with Guangwei Zhanglao? Ever since her and Lei Xiuyuan’s identities had been widely exposed, Hu Jiaping had also been dragged into the mess, his true nature uncovered by Cuixuan Xianren. Even if Guangwei Zhanglao cherished his disciple, how could he wholeheartedly accept Hu Jiaping, an outsider from beyond the seas, without reservation?She followed Hu Jiaping up to the second floor, watching as he gently knocked on the door. Her heart began to pound anxiously in her chest.
The door soon opened, revealing a Celestial dressed in slightly worn white robes, his long hair loose and his demeanor scholarly yet unrestrained. As he opened the door, he smiled and said, "Back so soon? The spiritual energy fluctuations in the city suddenly became extremely intense—did you cause some trouble?"
The moment Li Fei saw him, her vision blurred with tears. The Celestial also looked at her in surprise, his expression shifting from astonishment to warmth, and finally to joy. He said softly, "Li Fei? How are you here?"
Li Fei took a step forward, her voice trembling. "Master Chongyi!"
Chongyi Zhenren smiled at her, then glanced at Lei Xiuyuan beside her before stepping aside to let them in. "Guangwei, come see who's here!"
Inside, another white-haired immortal had already hurried forward. When he saw Lei Xiuyuan, his white beard trembled slightly, and for a long moment, he couldn't speak.
Hu Jiaping pushed them both into the room with a hand on each of their backs. "Master, this kid Xiu Yuan lost his horn and forgot his past. Don't take it to heart... Why are you all staring at me? Fine, I'll explain. I just found these two while examining the Spirit Stele. The commotion outside is because this girl absorbed the Spirit Stele back. As for Master and Chongyi Zhanglao, I actually met them here two years ago. At the time, I was planning to take A Mu overseas, but I ran into Master and Chongyi Zhanglao, who were severely injured near the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea. It turns out they'd been trying for years, like Qing Cheng Xian Ren, to go overseas, but they kept failing to cross the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea. That time, they even encountered a powerful Ferocious beast at sea. If I hadn't happened upon them, they might not have survived. We talked a lot, and the old grudges between us were resolved. We were just waiting for their injuries to heal before heading overseas together. As for the rest, you'll have to talk among yourselves—I can't speak for you."
He pulled the black-veiled woman aside and crouched in a corner to whisper, ignoring the four people left staring at each other in the room. Li Fei wiped her tears with her sleeve, struggling to compose herself before forcing a smile. "Master... I never thought I'd see you again."
Chongyi Zhenren also smiled warmly. "Neither did I. Li Fei, all these years, I've regretted what I said to you that day. The last words I spoke to you before you left the Central Land were filled with suspicion. Every time I think of it, I'm overwhelmed with guilt. I truly couldn't compare to Qing Cheng Xian Ren's magnanimity. Over the years, I've searched for every rumor about the lands beyond the sea. I even copied down the Spirit Stele you left behind and studied it countless times. But the natural barriers were too difficult to cross, and I couldn't reach the lands beyond the sea or witness their wonders. Later, I met Guangwei, who shared the same desire—to follow in Qing Cheng Xian Ren's footsteps and explore the lands beyond the sea. We ended up staying together by the Eastern Sea, thinking we'd only see you if we made it overseas. Who knew you'd return to the Central Land so soon... Let me guess—you came to gather spiritual energy?"
Li Fei felt both joy and sorrow. She said softly, "Master, I was the one who hid the truth first. The fault was mine—don't blame yourself. This time, I did come to gather spiritual energy, with no intention of harming anyone. Now that I've collected it, I was planning to return immediately."Chongyi Zhenren chuckled and said, "What a coincidence! With you here, our journey overseas will be much more convenient. I just wonder if you'd welcome us."
Li Fei exclaimed anxiously, "How could I not welcome you! If you're willing to come with me, I—I'd be truly overjoyed!"
Chongyi Zhenren patted her head and turned to see Guangwei Zhenren staring silently at Lei Xiuyuan. He remarked, "Guangwei, what's past is past. Neither of us is the type to be confined by distinctions between the Central Land and overseas. Why glare at him like that?"
Guangwei Zhenren shook his head, his expression complex as he gazed at Lei Xiuyuan. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "You... don’t remember me? The White Tiger Tail Sword Hilt—'Too rigid and it breaks; balance strength with flexibility.' Have you forgotten all of it?"
These words struck Lei Xiuyuan like bolts of lightning in a clear sky, sending countless fragmented images flashing before his eyes—indistinct and untouchable. Quick-witted as ever, he assessed the situation and realized this elder must have been his master during his cultivation in the Central Land. Immediately, he bowed in respect. "Disciple Lei Xiuyuan greets Master."
For Guangwei Zhenren, this moment was overwhelming. He had brought Lei Xiuyuan from the Academy to No Moon Court, spent years nurturing him, and watched him grow rapidly—only to discover he was a Yaksa. Heartbroken yet unable to bring himself to kill, he had let him go, never imagining he would hear him call him "Master" again.
"Good, good, good," he nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling as tears streamed down his face.
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