Seeing her hesitate, I knew there had to be something else holding the old madam back from making a decision, so I said, "Does Madam Di have some unresolved matter affecting her decision? If so, please speak frankly. We can solve the problem together and get through this crisis facing the Jiufang Household together. How does that sound?"
The old madam clasped her hands toward me and smiled bitterly. "Since Fellow Daoist Xia even brought Feng Wuqing here as a witness, what more can our Di Household say? It's just that my decision alone is not enough to determine the future path of the entire Di Household. I must first seek our Ancestor's instructions. Otherwise, I would have reached a conclusion already. So, Chief Xia... why don't you rest here for a while? I'll go to the Di Mountain Sword Gate and consult our Ancestor, ask about the choices our Di Household should make from here on, and then decide this matter. I wonder whether Chief Xia can wait?"
"If it's only for a day or two, that won't be a problem. But if we delay any longer, the battle situation may change again, and that would be inadvisable." I spoke courteously. This was already the longest time I could afford to give the Di Household. After all, people were dying every moment of the war. Besides, the battle situation was ever-changing, so I couldn't stay here too long.
"That will be enough. Chief Xia, please wait here. I'll be back by tomorrow evening at the latest. Our mountain gate here has charming scenery and is an excellent place to explore. I've heard that my granddaughter Di Yiqin has met and crossed blades with Chief Xia before, so why not have her show Chief Xia around and pass the time?