Chapter 359: Things Remain but People Have Changed at Youran Abode

Watching the startled man and woman, Liu Xia shook his head helplessly.

To be able to meet here, how could they not be surprised? After all, they had not seen each other for three years.

Back then, Liu Xia had left Yuanqing before Long Qi.

During the catastrophe three years ago, to save Liu Xia, Banxia had blocked a fatal blow from Huiwu for him.

Fortunately, Banxia was protected by Yunzhongjun and escaped that fated tribulation. Yet, although her life was preserved, she ended up with her soul displaced.

Donghui Zhenren believed that the Spirit Silk emanating from the Eight Trigrams Plate was Banxia's soul.

Liu Xia resolutely decided to go down the mountain to search for it, and as Banxia's good friend, Lianqiao naturally would not sit idly by. Thus, the two had traveled together for three years.

In those days, the human world was filled with corpses; while traveling together, the two searched for Banxia's fragmented soul while also subduing Living Corpses.

However, although they found a wisp of the fragmented soul at the time, the two were at a loss. Fortunately, they chanced upon Xin Yi and Zhao Wuyang, who had come down the mountain, and learned from them that the soul could only be collected using a Soul-Guiding Lamp; only then did Liu Xia go to Ganzhu Hall to request the treasure.

Although Banxia's soul was shattered severely, their search path could be considered smooth, as every fragment of the soul was firmly tethered by Yunzhongjun's Witchcraft.

By following the Spirit Silk of the Eight Trigrams Plate, they could find them all; although there were many soul fragments, it merely meant going to a few more places.

Even if separated by mountains, seas, or the human world, as long as Banxia could be saved, Liu Xia would go forward without hesitation.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

In these three years, Liu Xia and Lianqiao climbed mountains and crossed ridges, waded through rivers and dived into seas, eliminating demons and collecting souls, and their cultivation levels had also increased significantly. Lianqiao had even established a spiritual connection with Mirror Flower Water Moon and could now use it with ease.

This silver mirror that deflected all of Long Qi's Witchcraft was transformed from Lianqiao's Spirit Treasure.

The two had exhausted every danger, and Banxia's soul was nearly complete; only one strand of Spirit Silk remained on the Eight Trigrams Plate, but it was precisely this strand that had caused Liu Xia and his companion so much trouble.

For the previous Spirit Silk, one could find the location of the soul by following it.

However, although this strand of Spirit Silk extended outward, every time they followed it to investigate, it would lose its direction halfway, as if this fragment of the soul had vanished; yet once they stopped, the Spirit Silk would appear again after a while.

Liu Xia and Lianqiao did not know why, but since they could not figure it out for the moment, the two discussed returning to the sect first to seek answers from Donghui Zhenren.

And so, they encountered Long Qi, who had just come out of seclusion, here.

It was just that the current Liu Xia was unshaven and weathered, not at all as dashing as before. As for Lianqiao, she wore a Zen robe, her face was weary, and she no longer had her usual shrewish air.

Facing these two, Long Qi did not dare to recognize them for a moment.

Three years is not long, yet it has changed everyone.

After the pleasantries, both sides clarified the reasons, and upon learning that they were all returning to Yuanqing, they traveled together.

After a few days of travel, they finally arrived at Guyang.

Long Qi did not turn toward Jiuque Mountain directly but entered the city first. Lianqiao felt strange and hurriedly asked Liu Xia with her eyes, but the latter only shook his head, signaling her to follow.

Walking through streets and alleys, there were few pedestrians on the road, and the bustle of the past was gone.

Seeing this, Lianqiao sighed endlessly.

She still remembered when she first entered the sect, she had stayed in Guyang City for a few days. At that time, Guyang City was extremely lively, with a constant stream of pedestrians and endless hawking on both sides. Looking at it now, however, it was a scene of desolation.

The three walked in silence until they reached a house, where Long Qi finally stopped. Looking up, the plaque bore three characters—Youran Abode.

The Youran Abode that Lianqiao knew of was mostly from rumors in the pugilistic world, but she had never been there, nor did she know it was a pharmacy opened by Lingxiang. She did not understand why Long Qi would come here specifically, but the plaque on the door made her suspicious.

"Eh?"

"What is it?" Liu Xia, who was feeling sentimental, heard Lianqiao speak and hurriedly turned to ask.

On this journey to find Banxia's soul fragments, although there were traces to follow, it had not been smooth sailing; many times, it was precisely because of Lianqiao's meticulousness that they did not miss anything.

Lianqiao could always discover things that were amiss, so Liu Xia never ignored her words.

"Walking along this way, most of the shops are very dilapidated. But look here, the front of the door is swept clean, and even the plaque is spotless." Lianqiao pinched her chin and frowned. "Since there is someone here, why close the shop? It is only the hour of the sheep (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) now!"

Hearing this, Long Qi hurriedly walked up and pushed, and the door opened. He rushed inside; the items within were also arranged neatly, exactly the same as in his memory.

Long Qi's heart pounded like a drum as he walked toward the inner courtyard step by step.

Could it be Lingxiang?

Has Lingxiang returned?

Long Qi could not suppress the excitement in his heart; he clenched his fists tightly, trembling uncontrollably, and hesitated for a long while before pushing open the door to the backyard.

The courtyard walls remained the same, the hammock swayed gently, and the fence damaged by the rat infestation last time had been repaired by someone; the large water vat stood quietly in the courtyard, ignoring the chaos of the world.

Only the herb field had many unknown weeds, lush and full of vitality, not at all like the dull human world.

The bird and insect sounds of the past were now completely silent, and the figure in his impression did not appear.

Long Qi's shoulders slumped, and with a soft sigh, he walked to the hammock with a lonely expression and sat down, swaying it gently.

He closed his eyes, listening to the creaking sound, feeling the wind brushing past his ears, as if he had returned to that summer day.

Lingxiang loved this hammock very much and never allowed him to sit on it, but he always forgot. Every time this happened, Lingxiang would shout to drive him away while checking with heartache to see if the hammock had been crushed.

In fact, he did it on purpose; by making Lingxiang angry and causing her to act, the two would be closer.

Long Qi could not help but chuckle, as if Lingxiang were nagging in his ear again.

Watching Long Qi, who was lost in it, Lianqiao was completely baffled.

"What is he doing?"

She really did not understand why Long Qi was like this; he looked just like a fool...

"Miss Lingxiang is the shopkeeper here; Long Qi once lived here."

Liu Xia explained; he had been fortunate enough to come once, but he did not expect that in just three short years, things would have changed and people would be gone.

"Hiss!"

Lianqiao took a long breath; this was the sound she usually made when surprised.

"This reckless fellow actually lived with Fucang Elder! Did the two of them get married?"

Liu Xia could not help but roll his eyes—this young lady's perspective on things was always so bizarre...

The originally sorrowful mood was just like that, interrupted by her words.

"You have finally returned."

Just at this moment, a woman's voice rang out; Long Qi suddenly opened his eyes, jumped down from the hammock, and looked toward the source of the sound.

"It's the inner room!"

This voice was so familiar; could it really be that Lingxiang had returned?

The door to the inner room opened, and a person walked out.

"Big sister!" Liu Xia exclaimed, "Why are you here!"

It was none other than Liu Lan!