Chapter 633

A big wave came, and the red carp's figure had already disappeared, while the large rat was washed back.

Hui Moqiong crawled up from the sea in a dejected manner, soaking wet, hugging his knees as he sat on the shore, looking as pitiful as an abandoned puppy.

I had just wanted to go over to comfort him a bit, but then I saw him jump up and turn around, running back.

Returning to Dang Pu, Hui Moqiong didn't even change his wet clothes before diving into studying the flood season and maps, scribbling on the paper.

I and Liu Junyan are both experienced; we understand that emotional matters are the most tangled and impossible to cut through, so persuasion is useless now—we can only let Hui Moqiong toss and turn on his own.

Fortunately, Hui Moqiong has many disciples under him, and he usually manages them well; even if he's absent, the Hall of Gray Immortals won't fall into chaos.

That night, Hui Moqiong asked Liu Junyan for leave, saying he wanted to take a long vacation for the next few months, and he would hand over all his current work within a week, giving major affairs to Huang Fan and minor matters to the disciples of the Hall of Gray Immortals.

Liu Junyan agreed and asked him about his upcoming plans.

Hui Moqiong said he had checked: the flood season each year runs from April to October, while the flood season in the Yellow River basin mainly concentrates from June to early August; now it's early April, the flood situation isn't that urgent, and the weather is gradually warming up, so Li Qingying setting out now is the best time.

His swimming ability is good, but compared to Li Qingying's it's still far inferior.

Trying to follow Li Qingying upstream by water would already be quite difficult for him, let alone being of any help.

Therefore, Hui Moqiong's plan is to drive along the water's edge, accompanying Li Qingying from afar, and as far as possible help her clear away those unnecessary little troubles that appear on her path, ensuring she proceeds smoothly.

"I won't overly interfere in her tribulation process," Hui Moqiong said rationally, "I'm just assisting from the sidelines; I know the proper measure."

Liu Junyan patted his shoulder firmly and encouraged: "Pursuing love across a thousand miles makes you a man of iron will and steadfast spirit; if you encounter any difficulty along the way, send word back at any time and we'll rush over immediately; of course, even if there's no difficulty, try to report in periodically so Xiao Jiu doesn't worry too much."

Lijin Hydrological Station

One week later, Hui Moqiong drove away from Wufu Town.

His first stop was a place called the Lijin Hydrological Station, said to be where the red carp, after emerging from the Yellow Sea, enters the Yellow River basin—this is the first node.

Yellow River Junction

Leaping Dragon Gate

At first Hui Moqiong thought Li Qingying might have already passed this node and gone further upstream, so he chased upstream for a day, consulting the river gods along the way, only to find out that Li Qingying had not even entered the Yellow River basin at all.

Hui Moqiong then drove back all the way to the mouth of the Yellow Sea and stopped there.

Later Hui Moqiong told us that along that journey his heart felt empty and uneasy, he was anxious, afraid of missing her, and also afraid that Li Qingying wouldn't be able to make it out.

Until the car stopped at that spot by the sea's mouth, even though he saw nothing, his heart suddenly settled.

Qingying

Sister Qingying

He rented a house in a small fishing village by the sea; each day, besides helping the host family with chores, he basically spent all other time sitting by the sea, gazing at the boundless ocean, in a daze.

I know that during that period he completely settled down, must have thought a great deal, and also formed a relatively clear plan for the future.

One month later, thunder and lightning suddenly flashed at the Yellow Sea's outlet, fierce winds rose, and the fishermen had already stayed home several days earlier, not going out to sea.

The entire seaside had only Hui Moqiong's solitary figure left.

But he didn't feel lonely at all.

The thunder and lightning came more violently, the waves rose higher, and his heart grew more excited.

Heaven does not betray those who strive; on a certain night at the end of May (Gregorian calendar), Hui Moqiong personally witnessed a horned red carp leap from the Yellow Sea's outlet, swimming against the current straight toward the Yellow River junction.

Hui Moqiong ran excitedly along the shore, cheering.

It was only then that he understood that the carp truly capable of challenging the Dragon Gate would not enter the Yellow River basin before the flood season truly arrived.

Only carp that truly experienced and successfully passed the fierce flood season's challenge are qualified to enter the Marrow-Washing Pool and thus qualify for the Dragon Gate leap.

Li Qingying lay low at the Yellow Sea's outlet for a month, fully assimilated the evil flood dragon's inner elixir, and successfully grew a horn.

But it was obvious that the newly grown horn was no longer the original horn of the red carp clan; the evil flood dragon's genes had merged into Li Qingying's body, and at that time the red carp already showed the embryonic form of transforming into a flood dragon.

In early June, the fierce flood season of the Yellow River basin arrived as scheduled; Li Qingying, at the first node upon entering the Yellow River basin, encountered an underwater undercurrent, and Hui Moqiong personally saw the red carp being sucked into the vortex; he instinctively wanted to rush over and grab her.

But in the end he restrained himself.

That midnight, I was awakened by my phone ringing in my dream; on the other end, Hui Moqiong choked out: "Xiao Jiu, I didn't catch her; she was sucked away, several hours have passed and she still hasn't appeared; I'm so scared…

My heart also leapt to my throat; I wished I could fly there instantly.

But I also know my own temperament too well; if I went, my mindset would probably be no better than Hui Moqiong's.

Liu Junyan took the phone, spoke in a low voice: "Mo Qiong, if you can't hold up, come back, or wait at the endpoint; otherwise you'll go crazy

Hui Moqiong hemmed and hawed for a while, only managing to say: "I'm not going back

After the phone hung up, I couldn't sleep at all.

I rubbed my throbbing temples and asked: "Āyàn, do you think letting Fifth Lord Hui pursue like this is right or wrong

"He must go through this process," Liu Junyan said. "Feelings are like that; the more you suppress, the stronger the rebound. It's better to let him run along all the way to the endpoint; then whatever he needs to understand will become clear

"The things that need to be understood… that is also what I am most worried about right now

Li Qingying's upstream journey all along is aimed at the Marrow-Washing Pool.

If she can emerge from the Marrow-Washing Pool, she will have the chance to leap the Dragon Gate and possibly transform into a flood dragon, then a dragon.

Only then will it be the true parting time for Li Qingying and Hui Moqiong.

Hui Moqiong's withdrawal reaction will be worse.

Liu Junyan letting him pursue for several months is to give him time to think this through, so that he won't become desperate and do something extreme later.

I hesitated a bit, then still asked: "If… I mean, if Sister Qingying can't get out of the Marrow-Washing Pool, what then

Just thinking about it like that makes my heart ache.

Liu Junyan helplessly said: "Xiao Jiu, the moon still waxes and wanes; all we can do is do our best and leave the rest to fate; we have done what we should, and now all we can do is trust Qingying