Watching the Mountain

At least, that was what Xu Ran thought. This way, everyone would be busy exploring the Secret Realm and wouldn’t have time to bother Senior Sister Yue, who was undergoing her Scattering and Rebuilding.

He had previously worried that someone might try to obstruct Senior Sister Yue’s rebuilding through various means, or even try to assassinate her.

Now, he estimated, that risk would be much smaller.

He had also asked Yue Qingyu for her thoughts on the Secret Realm.

Yue Qingyu’s response to this was just a single, simple phrase: "Wait and see."

As for what connection it had to Ye Shan, she didn’t know either. Even if she tried to investigate now, she probably wouldn’t find anything. She could only assume that Ye Shan had invisibly resolved a crisis for this world.

As for how he had managed it with that one sword strike, no one could guess.

In any case, after the Secret Realm appeared, the praise for Sword Dao Ye Shan and Master Vermilion Bird grew even greater.

The Cultivation Realm had not yet decided how to develop the Secret Realm. Moreover, since it had just appeared, it would take several years to stabilize. It was not yet possible to enter and explore on a large scale, so they could only wait patiently.

Xu Ran, however, didn’t pay too much attention to this. No matter what treasures were inside that Secret Realm, he had no intention of entering.

To him, the Secret Realm was just a bit of idle gossip, holding no real significance.

During this time, however, Yue Qingyu told him that the dao she had shed was now fully integrated into Little Xiyue. It was time for her to leave Xu Ran’s Cave Mansion and return to her own for secluded cultivation.

After hearing this, Xu Ran fell silent for a moment. He nodded quietly and said to Yue Qingyu, "In that case, I’ll go make a meal. Senior Sister, you can leave after you’ve eaten."

Yue Qingyu glanced at him, nodded, and replied softly, "Alright."

Five buckets of Spirit Rice, a dozen or so of Xu Ran’s best dishes, and a soup.

Yue Qingyu looked at the food on the table and, just as she always did, sat down and began to eat in silence.

"Judging by your reaction, Junior Brother, you seem a little reluctant to see me go?"

Startled by Yue Qingyu’s sudden question, Xu Ran paused for a moment. He didn’t feel embarrassed, however, and simply nodded with a smile, replying:

"I believe if you asked anyone in the world that question, you’d get the same answer, wouldn’t you?

I can’t believe there’s anyone in this world who could hear a farewell from you, Senior Sister, and not feel a single ripple in their heart."

’Xu Ran had never had any romantic notions about Yue Qingyu. Even now, he still didn’t harbor any such feelings, because he knew she was a Seeker of the Dao. Having ideas like that was impossible.’

’But when a senior sister who is beautiful, kind-hearted, and easy on the eyes is about to leave... a senior sister who can guide your cultivation and even counsel you when you’re feeling down... of course you’d be reluctant to see her go. It’s only natural, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about or deny.’

Upon hearing his words, Yue Qingyu smiled faintly and said softly,

"No wonder you were able to sweet-talk Xiaoque’Er into calling you ’big brother’ so willingly when you first met her back in Xu Family Village."

After she spoke, she stared at Xu Ran for a moment, then nodded lightly and said with a serious expression,

"You really can be quite the smooth-talker sometimes, Junior Brother."

"Uh..." Xu Ran’s expression stiffened slightly. While he wouldn’t exactly call the incident with Xiaoque’Er a dark part of his past, having it brought up still made his face flush with heat.

He thought about it carefully. ’What I just said... yeah, that was pretty slick, wasn’t it?’ He quickly tried to explain himself:

"Senior Sister, please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean to offend you. That was just an objective assessment. After all, you’re someone who can throw the entire Cultivation Realm into turmoil just by going into seclusion. I don’t think what I said was inappropriate, I was merely stating a fact."

Yue Qingyu looked at his nervous state and chuckled softly. "There’s no need to explain, Junior Brother. You don’t have to be so tense. I understand."

Hearing this, Xu Ran hesitated for a moment before deciding not to say anything more.

’That’s right. With Senior Sister Yue’s eyes, which could see through to the essence of all things, she would surely understand that I meant no offense. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have always remained so calm every time I praised her.’

Before she left, Yue Qingyu said to him, "Now that Little Xiyue has absorbed my dao, the time it takes for her to hatch from her shell will be slightly extended. Knowing how much you care for her, I’m sure you’ll take good care of her, so I won’t lecture you any further."

"However, I hope you don’t neglect your own cultivation because of this. If you run into any problems, whether in your cultivation or otherwise, you can always come find me."

Xu Ran nodded solemnly. He was about to offer Yue Qingyu a few words of blessing, but then he realized something was off.

’Senior Sister Yue is just leaving my place to return to her own Cave Mansion. She’s still within the Sect. It’s not like she’s that young couple, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge, who will be separated by a vast distance. There’s no need for us to exchange formal farewells.’

’It’s all Senior Sister Yue’s fault for being too perfect and outstanding. Her just leaving is enough to make me this sentimental. I almost made a fool of myself.’

He quickly swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and said instead, "Thank you, Senior Sister. If something really does come up, I won’t hesitate to come and bother you."

Yue Qingyu nodded lightly, then waved at him before turning and gracefully departing.

After Yue Qingyu left, Xu Ran returned to his Cave Mansion, his gaze falling upon the dinner table.