Lin Qiye and the others exchanged bewildered looks. They did not disturb Zhou Ping, instead silently beginning to prepare lunch.
Once all the dishes had been laid out on the table, Zhou Ping finally put down his book. He sat alone by the door, staring blankly at the sky.
"Um... Sword Saint, it's time to eat," Lin Qiye said softly as he walked over to him.
Zhou Ping came back to his senses and saw everyone at the table looking at him. He wiped his face with one hand, but faint tear tracks still remained there. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly...
He... had cried while reading in front of so many people?
Zhou Ping froze in place, as though his mind had stopped working.
"Uh... Sword Saint?" Seeing Zhou Ping fall into a daze, Lin Qiye cautiously spoke up.
"Y-you eat first." Zhou Ping abruptly sprang up from his stool. "I have something to do!"
His figure flickered, and he vanished from where he stood.
Lin Qiye stood there blankly, his eyes full of confusion.
"Qiye, where did the Sword Saint go?" Baili Pangpang asked in confusion from beside the table.
"I don't know. He said he had something to do."
"What could there possibly be to do right now... Could some large-scale 'Mystery' have appeared nearby?" Cao Yuan said worriedly.
"Qiye, why not use your Mental Power to sense him?"
Lin Qiye was taken aback. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate...? He is a Human Apex, after all. It'd be rude."
"Just for a second!" Baili Pangpang said expectantly. "The Sword Saint has always been so mysterious. Don't you want to know what he's doing? We'll just sense him, then pull it back. What if he doesn't notice?"
Lin Qiye hesitated.
"Actually, I think it would be better