Chapter 83-Part 2

“Lin Xiao, do you know this senior?” Huangfu Jiquan asked. “When I talked to the elders, they said she was in seclusion, not seeing any visitors. But when I mentioned your name, the seniors said you could come in.”

“I do know her.” Lin Xiao told Huangfu Jiquan.

Huangfu Jiquan nodded and said nothing more, bringing Lin Xiao in through the gates. Lin Xiao felt the weight of many Huangfu elders’ eyes upon him as they approached a building.

The structure was spartan, not matching the usual Huangfu ostentatiousness.

“You’re here.”

The cool voice brought Lin Xiao nostalgia. He hadn’t heard that voice for many years. He’d once even thought that he had killed Huangfu Shan.

“Yes.”

Lin Xiao said nothing further, not knowing how to bring up the topic of the two Lings.

It was Huangfu Shan who asked, “Are you here to find Ling Luo’s parents?”

Lin Xiao bowed his head. “Yes.”

Huangfu Shan smiled faintly. “You’re probably wondering if they’re here, with me. Or you might be afraid I’m a bad person, and captured them somewhere else. Right?”

Living in Lin Xiao’s body for a long time, Huangfu Shan could predict his thoughts quite accurately.

Lin Xiao stayed silent.

Lin Xiao’s quietness didn’t bother Huangfu Shan. She continued: “Ling Luo’s parents are here, and their bodies are almost healed.”

“Why didn’t you…?”

“Why not send them to the Ling family?” Huangfu Shan dropped her gaze. “Actually, I am sorry towards you. I got so excited when I saw the yellow grass, when I should have had you eat it later.”

Huangfu Shan looked back up. “I had read the ancient book, and thought there were no side effects from that grass. I didn’t know that your body wouldn’t be able to bear that amount of energy. The accumulation in your body was too much, and I was suppressed. When I saw you attacking the Ling Luo’s parents, I had to struggle to rush out and save them.”

“Using all my strength, I returned to the Huangfu family.” She continued: “I sunk into a deep sleep again. I regained consciousness sometime later, and while my family had gotten me a new body, it took a long while to adapt to it. I neglected to have my people inform Ling Luo about his parents.”

Lin Xiao apologized to Huangfu Shan. “I’m sorry, I misjudged you before.” If it hadn’t been for Huangfu Shan, Ling Luo’s parents really would have been murdered by him.

Huangfu Shan shook her head. “Even now, I haven’t let my people tell Ling Luo…”

“Why not?” Lin Xiao was puzzled.

“Ling Luo has advanced too far, too fast. He is cruel and cold. Everything against him, he has eliminated. Remember the Yin family? Ling Luo directly informed them that he killed Yin Ziju. So the Yin family went after him and he exterminated them.”

“To be sure,” Huangfu Shan told Lin Xiao, “All the people around the Yin family appreciated being freed of their oppressors. But I heard that you disappeared during that time. And Ling Luo’s parents were still seriously injured. What if Ling Luo saw the state of his parents and wouldn’t listen to explanations? The Huangfu family isn’t afraid of him. But he’s powerful and we could lose a great deal.”

Lin Xiao pondered Huangfu Shan’s words. Ling Luo had been dealt a bad blow back then. It would have been no wonder if he went crazy, or became aloof and selfish. After all, in the previous life, that had been Ling Luo’s character. So Lin Xiao’s could understand Huangfu Shan’s concerns, nevertheless, he thought she was wrong. He believed Ling Luo would have heard Huangfu Shan out, and then investigated the facts.

But it was what it was. Lin Xiao could only be glad that Ling Luo’s parents still lived. He asked Huangfu Shan, “Can I go and talk to them?”

“Yes,” Huangfu Shan affirmed. “They are almost returned to full health, and ready to go back.”

Huangfu Shan beckoned someone and had Lin Xiao taken to Ling Luo’s parents. Seeing them, their complexions were rosy. Apparently, living in the Huangfu house wasn’t too bad.

When they first spotted Lin Xiao, there was a flash of fear and shock in their eyes, but they quickly recovered.

“I am sorry. It is my fault you almost died.” Lin Xiao told them.

“We know the truth and we don’t blame you.” Ling Tian said evenly to Lin Xiao. “Don’t you blame yourself either. We’re still alive. And I still owe you a thanks. If not for the grass you had, my wife wouldn’t have lived long.” Ling Tian beamed at his wife and she smiled back.

But the three of them kept expressing regret back and forth. Although Ling Tian had stated his understanding, Lin Xiao couldn’t free himself of blame.

Seeing Lin Xiao so stubbornly remorseful, Ling Tian felt helpless, but he thought that Lin Xiao was a good child. That day in the forest, there had been no one else around. Lin Xiao could have pretended he’d never seen them. But Lin Xiao came to the Huangfu family, looking for them. Ling Tian thought Lin Xiao possessed a precious quality, in a cruel world.

Ling Tian’s thoughts drifted to his son. He asked Lin Xiao: “We’ve been recovered only a short time. We haven’t had time to find Ling Luo. How is he doing?” Ling Tian’s eyes glowed with pride, he’d always hoped for Ling Luo’s great success.

Lin Xiao fell silent. He didn’t have the heart to tell Ling Tian what had happened to Ling Luo in the secret realm.

Lin Xiao felt too sad. Ling Luo’s parents were seriously hurt because of him, and now Ling Luo was missing. And didn’t Ling Luo go to that realm because of Lin Xiao’s dantian? Why else would Ling Luo make that bet with the secret master and finally…die?

Even if in his heart Lin Xiao didn’t believe it, nothing changed the fact that Ling Luo was gone.

“He’s…he’s gone somewhere private to cultivate.” Lin Xiao couldn’t tell the truth. He didn’t want to see Ling Luo’s parents heartbroken. Their bodies were just now mending, news of their son’s disappearance would hit them very hard.

Besides…Lin Xiao was going to find Ling Luo! He would never accept that Ling Luo, the one with the protagonist’s halo, would die…

“Oh?” Ling Luo’s parents were a bit disappointed, but Ling Tian cheered up quickly. “Ling Luo’s cultivation, is it very high now?”

“Yes! He’s already an elder of Xuan Huang’s Guo Ling family!” Lin Xiao vaguely recollected Ling Tian wanting to be recognized by the Ling family.

And as soon as Lin Xiao said it, the parents’ face lit up.

After chatting for a little while, Ling Tian and his wife packed their bags, preparing to go to the Ling family. But before leaving himself, Lin Xiao went to see Huangfu Shan again.