Outside the clan grounds, Song Yan bade Yan Li farewell and left the Yan Clan, then paid a visit to the Wu Clan in Beiya Mountain City.
Since he was already there, he might as well see his two old friends, Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, and catch up.
Unfortunately, his timing was poor. Only Rong Xiaofeng was there. Wu Huaguo had gone out on business, seemingly related to the death of Master Xuantong of Transformation Crossing Temple some days earlier.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Rong Xiaofeng, Song Yan left Beiya Mountain City, turned into a streak of sword light, and returned to the Dongyuan Sect.
He headed straight back to Sword-Wiping Peak.
At the entrance to his Earth Character Twenty-One cave abode, however, he found a little girl squatting outside, dozing off.
Song Yan knew this child. Granny Qin had brought her from her lineage the last time she returned to the sect.
Her name seemed to be Qin Yue. In terms of generation and kinship, she counted as Granny Qin's-grandniece?
Song Yan had not asked about the specifics. In any case, she now lived with Granny Qin in the sect.
"Yue, what are you doing here?"
"Ah-" Qin Yue woke with a start and looked blearily at Song Yan. "Brother Yan-Granny told me to see whether you were back."
"Granny's looking for me? Why didn't she just send me a voice transmission?" Song Yan paused, then said, "All right, I'll go to her cave abode right away."
"No, no!"
Yue scrambled up from the ground and, with considerable effort, summoned a wisp of Spiritual Power around herself. "Granny said she would come see you herself. Brother Yan, go rest for a bit. I'll go tip her off right away."
*That's not how you use that phrase,