Reunion After One Year

Spring turned to autumn, and in the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed.

In the Pope Hall, beneath the ginkgo tree, Qian Yun finished his night of cultivation.

Opening his eyes, a brilliant light shone within them. He looked at his hand, feeling the abundant power surging through his body, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm, not bad. Finally reached level 30!"

The weather had been kind these past few days, with bright, starry skies for several nights in a row. Naturally, he hadn't wasted the opportunity. Through his day-and-night efforts, he had finally broken through the level 30 barrier ahead of schedule. Now, he only needed to hunt for a soul ring to officially step into the ranks of a Soul Elder.

He did not choose to return to his room, but instead headed straight for the Pope Hall. A few days ago, Bibi Dong had promised him that once he successfully broke through, he could go out to hunt for a soul ring on his own, and she would even assign him a powerful helper.

When Qian Yun had asked about the helper's background, Bibi Dong had merely smiled mysteriously and said it was a secret.

In the carriage, Qian Yun stared blankly at the familiar scenery outside the window. The image of Hu Liena couldn't help but surface in his mind, and he murmured, "It's been a year and a half. I wonder how she's doing."

Over this year and a half, although Qian Yun had been busy, he hadn't forgotten to write to Hu Liena from time to time. While he could roughly gauge her joys and sorrows from her letters, he couldn't see her in person, so his impression of Hu Liena remained that of the smiling young girl.

As he pondered, the carriage came to a stop.

For the umpteenth time, Qian Yun stood before the majestic Pope Hall. Compared to the awe he felt in the past, he now felt a sense of belonging in his heart.

Inside the Pope Hall was the familiar scene. On the throne, Bibi Dong remained as graceful and elegant as ever, her posture soft and beautiful.

Time had been kind to the beauty; the years seemed to have left no trace upon her.

During this time, Qian Yun had mentioned helping her purify those negative forces, but after a few attempts, it remained extremely difficult, so Qian Yun had to let it go for the time being.

Holding a report in her hand, Bibi Dong tilted her head and glanced indifferently at Qian Yun, then continued reading the report.

Qian Yun nodded in understanding, walked over to a chair on the side, and sat down, nodding in greeting to the white-haired Minister of Administration.

The Minister of Administration also forced a smile and nodded in return. Over the years, the high-ranking officials of Martial Soul Hall had shifted their attitude toward the existence of this student of the Pope from indifference to caution.

He still remembered when Qian Yun joined the Enforcement Team with only two rings; a minister had strongly opposed it, and then... the very next day, he was demoted to a poor, remote place to dig potatoes.

Since then, these high-ranking officials of Martial Soul Hall had learned of the iron-blooded Pope's favoritism toward her disciple, Qian Yun. Thus, they reached a tacit consensus: if they wanted to retire in peace, they must never provoke Qian Yun.

Time passed, and Bibi Dong finally finished her routine administrative duties.

"If there is nothing special to report, you may withdraw first." Bibi Dong waved her hand, and a thick stack of reports floated into the Minister's hands.

"Yes, this subordinate will withdraw now." The Minister of Administration hurriedly bowed to accept them, then turned and nodded with a smile at the seated Qian Yun once more.

Qian Yun watched him leave, sighing at how a man of his age was as terrified of a child like him as if facing a tiger; it was quite pathetic.

After the Minister of Administration left, Qian Yun stood up and walked to the base of the dais. "Teacher, good morning."

"Hmm." Bibi Dong nodded faintly. Her jade-like hips shifted slightly on the throne, and her delicate body leaned back; there was no need to maintain the airs of a Pope in front of Qian Yun.

Finding a comfortable position, Bibi Dong rested her cheek on one hand, half-closing her eyes. She found the hopeful look in Qian Yun's eyes amusing, but she said casually, "Coming to see me so early in the morning, what is it?"

Qian Yun looked up at Bibi Dong, his mouth twitching in speechlessness. Over the years, he had figured out Bibi Dong's temperament: cold as frost to outsiders, but with a somewhat flighty mind toward those she was familiar with, and a penchant for teasing people.

"It's what you mentioned a few days ago," Qian Yun scratched his head, reminding her.

"A few days ago..." Bibi Dong still wore a blank expression. "What matter? Why don't I remember?"

"..."

If his strength allowed it, he really wanted to give the feigning-ignorance Bibi Dong a couple of swats to help her remember carefully.

There was no helping it; if he didn't do as she wished, Bibi Dong could keep up the act until he admitted defeat.

Qian Yun put on a beaming smile and looked at Bibi Dong, saying earnestly, "Teacher, I've reached level 30. What about that helper you mentioned? I really, really want to see them."

Bibi Dong's eyebrows curved, and her red lips parted to reveal a happy smile. She seemed to realize suddenly, "Oh, you mean that? You should have said so earlier; your helper has already arrived."

After speaking, she lifted her snow-white chin slightly. "Look, right behind you."

Qian Yun turned around in confusion, only to see a beautiful figure at the entrance of the hall, darting toward him at high speed.

Before he could react, the person had already closed the distance to him.

"You are..." Qian Yun finally saw clearly who this girl, who felt both strange and familiar, was.

Ignoring everything, the girl swung her graceful long legs toward his head with a fierce gust of wind.

"Xiao Na?!" Qian Yun's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in a trembling voice.

Accompanying his joyful smile, the leg Hu Liena had swung at his head stopped perfectly at his temple, motionless.

The happiness in Hu Liena's heart tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her beautiful eyes reflected Qian Yun's surprised smile. She lowered her leg and snorted, "Hmph, I thought you were a noble who forgot things easily and had already forgotten about me. I didn't expect you to have a conscience after all."

Having received her confirmation, the longing surging in Qian Yun's heart could no longer be suppressed. He stepped forward and pulled Hu Liena into an embrace, not caring how she might resist, and said, "It's great, you're back."

This exclamation contained more surprise and emotion than he could count. Hearing this, Hu Liena's stiff body softened in an instant, and she hugged him back. "Yeah, I'm back... so, hehe, let me have a kiss!"

As she spoke, Hu Liena pursed her moist red lips and leaned toward Qian Yun's mouth.

Seeing this, Qian Yun hurriedly cupped her cheeks and said with a wry smile, "Xiao Na, men and women should not touch."

Hu Liena fluttered her eyes, broke free from Qian Yun's hands, and continued to press her red lips forward, saying nonchalantly, "Oh, given our relationship, you won't lose a piece of meat if you let me kiss you."

Hearing her say this, combined with the joy of their long-awaited reunion, Qian Yun stopped worrying about other things. "Alright... mm..."

Before he could finish, Hu Liena's lips were pressed against the corner of his mouth. Qian Yun's eyes widened; while it was meant to be a reunion kiss, her lips covered a third of his mouth...

Kissing Qian Yun, Hu Liena's eyes were moist, staring unblinkingly at his slightly flustered eyes, carefully observing his reaction.

Qian Yun was stunned for a moment before pushing Hu Liena away, his face turning bright red. Yet, the softness of her red lips seemed to linger on the corners of his mouth.

Hu Liena, having regained her senses, also felt her pretty face flush, startled by her own boldness just a moment ago.

The two turned their faces away, neither daring to look at the other, the awkward atmosphere tinged with a hint of sweetness.

"Ahem, well... what a touching reunion." Bibi Dong gave a light cough.

Hu Liena stuck out her tongue, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Bibi Dong smiled and looked at Qian Yun below the dais, saying, "Xiao Yun, this is the helper I found for you. Are you satisfied?"

With Hu Liena standing by his side, Qian Yun didn't dare say otherwise, nodding quickly, "Yes, satisfied. It couldn't be better that Xiao Na is willing to help me."

Hearing this, Hu Liena crossed her arms and puffed out her chest, wearing an expression that said, at least you know what's good for you.

"As long as you're satisfied," Bibi Dong said. "However, hunting for a spirit ring is no joke. The reason I called Xiao Na over, besides considering your tacit cooperation, is also for her grade-skipping assessment."

"Grade-skipping assessment?" Qian Yun asked in surprise, looking at Hu Liena beside him.

Bibi Dong nodded, looking at Hu Liena with gratification. "That's right. Not long ago, Xiao Na submitted an application to the academy. After helping you successfully hunt your spirit ring, you two must go to the Lost Canyon for training together. Only after passing that will Hu Liena successfully skip a grade and be smoothly selected for the academy's elite team."

"Oh, I see." Qian Yun nodded solemnly.

Whether it was hunting his own spirit ring or helping Hu Liena pass her subsequent trials, neither would be an easy task. The two of them would have to give it their all.

"Alright, since the situation is clear, and you two have just reunited after a long time, you must have a lot to say. You may head out now."

"Yes." Qian Yun and Hu Liena bowed in unison.

Outside the Pope Hall, Qian Yun and Hu Liena walked side by side, feeling each other's presence but tacitly choosing to remain silent. At this moment, they felt they had so much to say, yet didn't know how to begin.

"You..."

"You..."

The two froze simultaneously, and after sharing a smile, Hu Liena said, "You go first."

"Hmm." Qian Yun looked Hu Liena over and said, "You seem to have changed a lot, and are you wearing makeup?"

"Of course! Do you think I look prettier?" Hu Liena stepped in front of him, lightly lifting the hem of her skirt to spin around.

Qian Yun smiled and nodded, making no secret of his admiration. "Indeed, you look even more beautiful. It seems the number of your suitors at the academy is going to increase again."

Hu Liena was overjoyed, lifting her head proudly. "Of course, it's not like they're blind."

Hu Liena tapped her lips with her finger, pondered for a moment, and handed over a small box. "Here, this is for you. Pearl powder, the most popular color this year... Teacher recommended it to me!"

Qian Yun laughed and handed it back. "Why give this to me? I don't wear makeup. Besides, the academy shouldn't sell this, right? Did you smuggle it in?"

Hu Liena pushed the small box back to Qian Yun. "Of course not. My underlings gave it to me as a tribute. Just keep it for now. I've already used it and don't want it anymore."

Qian Yun had no choice but to keep it for her, stuffing the item into his Cat's Eye Stone.

Qian Yun had heard about the rules of the Martial Soul Academy from Hu Liena's letters. Although it was called an academy, it was more like a sect, adopting a completely closed-off management system. The academy had its own currency system; to obtain more resources, one had to rely on currency, and the source of that currency depended on one's own strength.

Among these was a ranking list called the Black List. Only the top thirty powerful individuals were qualified to be on it. The benefit of being on the list was gaining more resources and the attention of the Martial Soul Hall.

Not long ago, relying on her twenty-eighth-level spirit power, Hu Liena had successfully climbed onto the Black List. For those who were easily at the fortieth level, Hu Liena's placement was a testament to her formidable strength.

"Are those guys at the academy still as annoying as ever?" Qian Yun tilted his head to look at Hu Liena's impeccable profile. Perhaps because she had just learned to apply makeup, Hu Liena's youthful face looked a bit overly ornate with such cold, glamorous makeup, which didn't quite suit her. In fact, with Hu Liena's natural assets, even a light touch of powder would have been enough to outshine everyone else.

Hearing this, Hu Liena kicked a leaf on the ground and pouted, nodding.

"Do you need help?" Qian Yun asked.

Qian Yun suddenly remembered that Hu Liena had mentioned in her letters that the Martial Soul Academy believed in the law of the jungle, where conflicts between students were constant and factions were rampant.

Back then, Hu Liena had suffered quite a bit before carving out a place for herself in the academy.

If Hu Liena were willing, he wouldn't mind entering the academy himself and tearing through that so-called Black List.

Hu Liena curled her lip in disdain. "Tch, you underestimate me. Even if those radishes were all gathered together, they wouldn't make a single dish."

"Oh." Hearing her say that, Qian Yun felt relieved.

After returning to their lodgings, Hu Liena followed Qian Yun into his room. As soon as she entered, she threw herself onto his large bed, burying her face and rubbing it fiercely against the pillow.

"Mmm, the big bed is still the most comfortable."

Qian Yun looked at the rumpled bedding and said irritably, "If it's so comfortable, go sleep in your own room."

"I don't want to, no one has lived there for a long time." Hu Liena sat up and opened her arms toward Qian Yun. "Hurry, we haven't cultivated together in ages. It's a rare opportunity."

"Fine." Qian Yun had no choice but to grant her wish.

Since Qian Yun had already reached the thirtieth level of spirit power, "cultivating together" actually meant Qian Yun using his full strength to lead Hu Liena in circulating her spirit power.

Experiencing the long-lost enhancement of the Crown, Hu Liena accepted it without reservation. The spirit power that had been flowing quietly began to surge.