Hong Mao held Little Qilin's soft body in his arms, and the scorching heat on his cheeks finally subsided slightly.
He took several deep breaths and forced himself to calm down.
Although the teasing from the group members had left him utterly embarrassed, business came first.
The future crisis, the Seven Swords' mission, and the suffering his companions might face—he had to tell his father about all of it as soon as possible.
He gently set Little Qilin down, sorted through his somewhat chaotic thoughts and still-reddened face, then turned toward White Cat, his expression becoming solemn once more.
"Father, I learned of Black Heart Tiger's schemes and movements there. I also saw many things that we Seven Swords successors might experience in the future."
He began recounting the Demon Sect's schemes from the Memory Copy, the arduous journey of gathering the Seven Swords, and the backgrounds and fates of his companions.
Master of the Green Light Sword Tiao Tiao had concealed his identity and infiltrated the Demon Sect for ten years to avenge his father; Master of the Thunder Sword Da Ben's foster mother had died by throwing herself into the furnace for the Thunder Crash Sword; Master of the Purple Cloud Sword Shali had been plotted against by Ma Sanniang, replaced by a substitute, and suffered devastating physical and emotional trauma, nearly falling into complete despair.
White Cat listened quietly, the solemnity on his face gradually turning into deep sighs and complicated emotions.
His hand clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning faintly white.
The lingering glow of the setting sun filtered through the mist of the waterfall, casting long, swaying shadows across the cliff and stretching the father and son's figures out behind them.
The wind passed through the forest canopy, carrying the chill of distant mountains, but it