Chapter 124

"Many thanks, Elder Jiang."

Liu Liu Yiyi bowed again, a trace of gratitude flashing in her cold eyes.

She straightened up, then mounted her horse, turned the reins, and galloped toward another street.

Jiang Ye took a deep look at Liu Liu Yiyi's retreating figure, a strange look flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He withdrew his gaze and said to the others behind him:

"Let us return to the sect early!"

He had gained quite a lot this time and needed to hurry back to properly digest it all.

Fucheng, Liu Mansion.

In the courtyard, a middle-aged man with a broad build and a back as straight as a green pine was setting up his stance, about to practice his fist technique.

He pushed his fists out slowly, his force restrained, his sleeves moving without wind, and air currents faintly surging around him.

It was none other than Liu Liu Qingshi.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something; a sharp light flashed in his eyes, and his gaze looked toward the main gate like lightning.

Immediately after, a young girl dressed in the attire of a Profound Heaven Sect disciple with a cold temperament arrived at the gate at a steady pace.

"Liu Yiyi? Why have you returned!"

A look of surprise suddenly appeared on Liu Liu Qingshi's usually steady face, his body trembling slightly, and he even forgot to retract his fist stance.

His voice was neither soft nor loud, but it was heard clearly by Huang Huang Xiyu, who was boiling medicinal soup in the kitchen.

The old hen soup was still stewing in the pot, bubbling with heat, but she could no longer care about it.

"What! Liu Yiyi is back!"

This Lady Huang, who did not practice martial arts, erupted with astonishing speed at this moment and ran out of the kitchen all at once.

When she saw her daughter whom she hadn't seen for a long time, her eyes instantly turned red, her lips trembled slightly, and a thousand words were stuck in her throat, yet she couldn't say a single one.

Seeing this scene, the usually cold Liu Liu Yiyi could not help but reveal a rare, soft expression on her exquisite face, with shallow ripples flowing in her beautiful eyes.

She spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of long-lost tenderness:

"Father, Mother, I have returned from my mission and stopped by to see you."

Huang Huang Xiyu stepped forward quickly, grabbed her daughter's hand, looked her over carefully, and said with red eyes:

"Why have you lost weight!"

Her voice was fast and urgent, carrying a hint of choking:

"How have you been doing in the Profound Heaven Sect..."

"Mom has actually always wanted to come see you..."

She took her daughter's fair and tender little hand, looking at it over and over, chattering incessantly as if she wanted to pour out all her longing from these days at once.

Then, she suddenly shuddered, as if she had just thought of something: "You've come from far away, you must be hungry. Mom will go make you something delicious!"

Saying this, she impatiently ducked back into the kitchen.

Liu Liu Qingshi looked at his wife's bustling manner and smiled faintly, his eyes full of doting and helplessness:

"Your mother is usually such a steady person, but she becomes so reckless when she sees you."

Liu Liu Yiyi felt a warmth in her heart, and a faint smile appeared on her cold face, like the first ray of spring light on an icy surface.

Then, she looked at Liu Liu Qingshi with a somewhat solemn expression and lowered her voice:

"Father, let's go inside to talk. I have something for you."

"Oh?!"

Liu Liu Qingshi raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, and then he chuckled: "My little cotton-padded jacket has grown up and is bringing things for her old father."

He shook his head with a smile and turned to walk toward the study, his pace calm, but a hint of curiosity hidden in his eyes.

Liu Liu Yiyi pursed her red lips and followed silently.

Inside the study, sandalwood incense curled, and sunlight spilled through the window lattice, spreading a warm gold across the desk.

When Liu Liu Qingshi saw the "Canglan True Water Qi-Nurturing Method" that Liu Liu Yiyi carefully took out from her bosom, his whole body stiffened, and the expression on his face suddenly froze.

His gaze was fixed on the yellowed pages, his pupils slightly contracted, and a stormy sea surged in his heart, unable to calm down for a long time.

For a moment, an incredibly absurd thought even popped into his mind—could this be something his daughter stole from the Profound Heaven Sect...

However, he quickly dismissed this absurd thought.

How precious a Qi-Nurturing Method was; Liu Liu Yiyi, as an outer sect disciple, had absolutely no qualifications to access it.

"Liu Yiyi... where did this come from..."

Liu Liu Qingshi tried his best to lower his voice, but it still revealed an irrepressible shock.

"Father, the matter is like this..."

Liu Liu Yiyi spoke at a steady pace, recounting the events.

From the Profound Heaven Sect sending outer sect disciples to Mount Tai'an to search for the ruins of the previous dynasty, to her accidentally picking up this Qi-Nurturing Method under a tree while relieving herself in the middle of the night.

She spoke very slowly and in detail, explaining every detail clearly, fearing her father would not believe her.

"This was actually picked up on the mountain?!"

Liu Liu Qingshi was slightly stunned, his eyes full of astonishment, his mouth slightly agape, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

This couldn't even be described as a pie falling from the sky...

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but his heartbeat was still as fast as a beating drum.

"Father, take a look first. Is this Qi-Nurturing Method orthodox?"

Liu Liu Yiyi spoke softly, interrupting Liu Liu Qingshi's daze.

"Hmm!"

Liu Liu Qingshi suppressed the shock in his heart, took a deep breath, opened the yellowed booklet, and began to study it carefully.

His gaze scanned the ancient characters line by line, frowning at times, relaxing at others, murmuring to himself, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

Time passed bit by bit; the study was extremely quiet, with only the rustling sound of pages turning and the occasional bird chirping outside the window.

Huang Huang Xiyu carried a bowl of steaming chicken soup to the study door. Seeing the solemn expressions of the father and daughter, she swallowed the words that had reached her lips, simply placed the soup gently at the door, and retreated silently.

A long time later.

Liu Liu Qingshi let out a long breath and closed the book.

Although his expression remained solemn, his eyes carried an irrepressible joy.

"This is a highly sophisticated Water-element True Qi Qi-Nurturing Method..."

He looked at his daughter, enunciating every word, his voice full of emotion and excitement.

He reached out and patted his daughter's shoulder gently, his thick palm trembling slightly; a thousand words were contained in the silence.

"As long as it is an orthodox Qi-Nurturing Method, that is good."

Liu Liu Yiyi also felt a sense of relief in her heart. Seeing the irrepressible excitement on her father's face, her usually cold eyes could not help but turn slightly red, a thin layer of moisture swirling in them.

At this moment, she was truly, deeply grateful to the person who had lost this Qi-Nurturing Method.

Her father could finally continue his martial path; the bottleneck that had trapped him for most of his life finally had a crack.

"By the way, Father, there is one more thing I need to tell you..."

Liu Liu Yiyi took a deep breath and recounted the story of finding the Heavenly Heart Ice Seed Lotus in the ruins.

When Liu Liu Qingshi heard that his daughter had been pursued by Gu Yang and nearly died, his usually steady self had veins bulging on his forehead, and his eyes revealed an irrepressible rage.

When he heard that Elder Jiang had intervened in time, killed Gu Yang with a few punches, and used his True Qi to dispel the cold poison for his daughter, an expression of mixed fear and gratitude appeared on his face.

He let out a long breath, his tense shoulders relaxed, and he said in a deep voice: "This Elder Jiang... can be considered a benefactor to our Liu family. I must find an opportunity to thank him in person..."

At the same time, his heart stirred inexplicably.

Elder Jiang......

It was someone surnamed Jiang who had saved their Liu family again.

"Could it be that our Liu family has a special connection with people surnamed Jiang......"

This thought suddenly flashed through Liu Liu Qingshi's mind.

When he heard the effects after Liu Liu Yiyi consumed the Heavenly Heart Ice Seed Lotus, he was both surprised and happy: "Your bone structure has improved again... Xie Tang said you can enter the inner sect ahead of schedule?!"

"Yes."

Liu Liu Yiyi nodded slightly, and a hint of confidence appeared on her cold face: "I am now at the peak of the Hidden Force Realm, and I can attempt a breakthrough to the Transformation of Force Realm after returning to the sect."

Liu Liu Qingshi looked at his daughter with burning eyes, his steady, mountain-like eyes now full of excitement and pride, his voice even trembling: "Liu Yiyi, it seems you are a person of great fortune! Your path ahead will go very far!"

At this moment, the joy on his face was even richer than when he saw the Qi-Nurturing Method.

That his daughter could have such good fortune was more gratifying to him than his own breakthrough.

Afterward, the father and daughter chatted for a long while, from old events at the martial arts academy to new conditions in the prefecture city, from the Su family's business to the recent situation of Zhao Gang and Shi Lei.

Liu Liu Qingshi mentioned Zhao Gang and Shi Lei, saying they had come to seek refuge and were now helping the Su family; Zhao Gang could already handle things on his own, and Shi Lei had also made significant progress, with a promising future.

"Brother Zhao and Brother Shi, then."

Liu Liu Yiyi nodded slightly.

Although she had very little contact with others when she was at the Liu Qingshi Martial Arts Academy, she knew that both of them were honest and loyal people.

With them around, her father could save a lot of trouble.

Subsequently, she thought of Su Yan.

This was one of her rare friends and one of the few people she could talk to.

"Father, I want to go see Su Yan."

Liu Liu Yiyi spoke softly, her tone carrying a rare hint of softness.

"Hmm, you may go."

Liu Liu Qingshi smiled faintly: "That girl is busy as can be now, running around all day long. It's good for you to go see her."

Su Mansion.

Su Yan was indeed busy as can be.

Her gentle and bright face had gained a hint of capability, the youthful greenness between her brows had faded, and she had gained the demeanor of a household head.

At this moment, she was sitting at the head of the hall, with a thick stack of account books by her side, and several stewards were lined up on both sides, reporting the progress of various business lines to her.

Ever since the Sun family was wiped out by the "Head-Chopping Demon," the Su family's financial path had been smooth.

That mysterious and unfathomable fierce person who had wiped out both the Ding and Sun families had become the Su family's invisible protective talisman.

Even though they were just a small family that had just arrived from the county, almost no families in the prefecture city would make things difficult for them anymore.

For matters involving interests, before she could even get a headache, the other party would take the initiative to back down.

She knew this was borrowing the influence of the "Head-Chopping Demon"...

However, this feeling of "fox borrowing the tiger's might" was truly satisfying.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Su family had firmly established itself in the prefecture city.

Besides Zhao Gang, she had recruited several more Transformation of Force experts as retainers, the caravan scale had expanded by more than double, and business was running smoother and smoother.

She simply let her mentor, Liu Liu Qingshi, enjoy his retirement at home.

"Long time no see, Su Yan."

A cold yet familiar voice came from the doorway, like a clear spring in a mountain stream, tinkling.

Su Yan shuddered, and the brush in her hand almost fell to the ground.

She looked toward the sound and saw a slender figure dressed in Profound Heaven Sect disciple attire standing by the door, the sunlight shining in from behind her, plating her plain robes with a layer of warm gold.

"Liu Yiyi! You're back from the Profound Heaven Sect!"

A look of surprise suddenly appeared on Su Yan's gentle and bright face, her beautiful eyes widening, and then she burst into a brilliant smile.

She couldn't care about the business at hand anymore.

After giving a few instructions, she hurriedly pulled her little sister toward her boudoir, leaving the stewards to look at each other in dismay.

Inside the fragrant room.

Su Yan pulled Liu Liu Yiyi to sit on the edge of the bed, chattering incessantly, as if in a trance, she had returned to the days at the Liu Qingshi Martial Arts Academy.

"Liu Yiyi, you really don't know how dangerous the situation was at the time!"

Su Yan mentioned to Liu Liu Yiyi the incident where the goods and people were hijacked by the Black Wind Stronghold some time ago, her face still showing irrepressible lingering fear.

She gestured with her hands, her speaking speed fast:

"That was the Black Wind Stronghold, over a hundred fierce bandits, five Transformation of Force leaders! Zhao Gang was beaten into serious injury, and Shi Lei was also detained. I thought it was all over at the time..."

She paused, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes:

"As a result, Elder Jiang from your Profound Heaven Sect took action and wiped out the Black Wind Stronghold..."

"This is truly too coincidental!!!"

Su Yan couldn't help but sigh softly, holding her heart with both hands, her eyes full of disbelief:

"Our Su family was essentially saved by that Elder Jiang..."

"Tell me, how can there be such a coincidence in this world?"

Liu Liu Yiyi, who was on the side, heard the words "Elder Jiang," and her cold eyes suddenly shrank.

Elder Jiang again?!

Was this not a bit too coincidental?

So coincidental that it even made her feel something was wrong......