Only after Yue Yanru finished refining the array disc in her hands did she see the message Kong Huan had left for her.
Clutching the communication talisman, she took a long time to steady her emotions before making her way to the shop.
The moment she pushed the door open and saw that familiar face, a thousand words surged into her heart, yet she did not know where to begin.
It was Xu Chunniang who hurriedly rose to her feet and solemnly bowed deeply to Yue Yanru.
"Master, your disciple returned late."
Yue Yanru stepped forward, firmly took her hand, helped her up, and gently patted her back.
"You must have suffered a great deal all these years, haven't you?"
Xu Chunniang smiled, her eyes bright. "It was alright. I'm quite formidable, you know. Usually, I'm the one making others suffer."
Yue Yanru could not help but laugh. "You're still the same as before, such a clever girl.
Did those Aristocratic Clans learn of your return this time? Will they come looking for trouble with you again?"
"Rest assured, Master. The Aristocratic Clans are about to collapse; they can barely look after themselves. They will not come looking for trouble with me again."
"That's good... Wait, the Aristocratic Clans are about to collapse? What do you mean by that?"
Looking at her young disciple before her, Yue Yanru inexplicably felt a premonition rise within her. "This matter... it couldn't be related to you, could it?"
Xu Chunniang chuckled. "The Five Great Families' fate has run its course. I merely went with the flow and hastened their downfall.
The Five Great Families will soon become history, and the human race will usher in a new chapter. Newly ascended cultivators will no longer need to go to the battlefield to perform Military