The wind died, the earth stilled, and the brilliant starry sky reappeared.
When the disciples came out of their dreamlike daze, none needed prompting. They flew over to Li Hongjiu, their cries of "Martial Uncle" heartfelt now, without any of their former reluctance.
Their respect carried unmistakable excitement, and even the night could not hide the light shining in their eyes.
Well, Li Hongjiu felt helpless too. He had gained more of the disciples' respect, but he disliked gaining it this way, because he did not want responsibility. Otherwise, he would not have hidden on the mountain behind the sect and become a drunkard.
And ability often meant responsibility. If anything happened in the future, they would come looking for him, Li Hongjiu. Wouldn't that be a nuisance?
His temperament made him disinclined to get tangled up in such things. A person's energy was limited, after all; he could not attend to everything.
Afraid they would read too much into it, he deliberately reminded them, "The dangers of this forbidden ground are real. My abilities can handle these strange bats, but if we run into the old monsters here, I still won't be able to protect you."
"We'll remember, Martial Uncle," Guang Haoyou answered on everyone's behalf.
That was not what Li Hongjiu meant at all, so he made himself explicit. "I mean it's dangerous in there. Don't follow me inside. Just wait for me outside the forbidden ground. Do you understand?"
The disciples exchanged looks, and a hint of something odd entered their expressions as they looked back at him.
Their martial uncle might have shown his strength, but the flaw in his bones was probably impossible to change. If they let him go alone, there was no way he would dutifully work on finding Divine Fire. Even with