Xu Qin entered the little courtyard and walked straight to the pavilion by the pond in the rear garden. She wore an apricot-white palace dress. Though she and Xiang Qingcheng were close, Xu Qin had not caught Xiang Qingcheng's usual air of keeping strangers at a distance. Smiling warmly at Lu Xiaotian, she didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the stone chair beside his stone table. "This should be our second time meeting. Back then, I actually took you for a cultivator who had only just formed his Nascent Soul. I really misjudged you. But should I call you Mr. Dongfang or Mr. Lu?"
"A name is just a form of address. Whichever rolls off your tongue more easily will do," Lu Xiaotian said mildly.
"I think Dongfang rolls off the tongue more easily." Xu Qin studied Lu Xiaotian for a few moments, then smiled. "I expect you already know why I'm here. Qingcheng is on the verge of a breakthrough and needs someone she can trust to protect her while she cultivates. Are you ready?"
"Qingcheng is a princess of the imperial family, with a noble status. Her master must be quite extraordinary as well, and the Xiang imperial clan is full of experts. Why would she think of me?" Lu Xiaotian asked.
"If Qingcheng thought of you, then she must feel she can trust you. To be honest, I'm also curious about what happened during the more than ten years she was gone. She used to be at odds with you, but now it's as if she's become a different person."
Xu Qin first smiled with pursed lips, then grew serious. "Qingcheng's master is certainly no ordinary person. It's just that her lifespan is running out faster than expected. I doubt she'll last another half month.