"Only a few sects refused to accept it, such as... the! Clear! Sky! Sect! Back when their Clear Sky Twin Stars traveled down from the mountain, they slaughtered plenty of Soul Beasts for their bones. Word spread like wildfire, until my father had no choice but to act..." Qian Renxue's jaw suddenly clenched, her knuckles turning white. Flames of anger and resentment churned in her golden eyes as she forced each word through her teeth.
"Sister Xue." A trace of worry crossed Ling Yu's brow as he called softly to her.
In an instant, the surging presence around Qian Renxue abruptly faltered. Her expression fell, leaving only blankness.
Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Every breath carried a faint tremor, as though her heart had been torn apart, revealing a fragility on the verge of collapse.
She missed the father who had played with her, the father who had comforted her when her mother scolded her.
Ling Yu froze completely, at a loss for a moment, regretting bringing up this subject.
He wanted to step forward and comfort her, yet feared disturbing her. His fingertips curled slightly, and the hand he reached toward her hung in midair before slowly falling.
His usually steady breathing lost its rhythm. His gaze rested on her slender figure, caught between advancing and retreating.
Acting wrongly is still better than standing by. Ling Yu made up his mind, quietly walked over to sit beside Qian Renxue, and gently took her tightly clenched, faintly trembling hand.
Qian Renxue's heart gave a sudden jolt, and her taut shoulders relaxed for an almost imperceptible instant.
She slowly raised her head, her long lashes trembling lightly. The tear tracks at the slightly reddened corners of her eyes stood out against her white-jade skin.
Those golden eyes, usually so proud and cool, were now veiled in moisture, aggrieved and vulnerable.
Seeing the undisguised concern in Ling Yu's eyes, her pupils shifted. She instinctively wanted to turn away, but that gentle, sincere gaze held her fast, leaving nowhere to hide.
The strength with which she had shouldered everything alone for so long seemed to find something clear in that single look.
Then she suddenly remembered the report investigating Ling Yu's background-an abandoned infant, found and adopted by the village chief.
Panic stirred in her eyes again, and she said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry... Xiao Yu... I didn't..."
Ling Yu shook his head and smiled faintly. "It's all right, Sister Xue. Pain doesn't disappear just because someone else is hurting more. It's all right." With that, he gently patted the back of her hand.
"Mm..." Qian Renxue lowered her head. Her waterfall of golden hair fell, concealing most of her face and hiding every emotion.
In the silence, only her hair stirred slightly.
Before long, a scalding tear fell silently onto the backs of their clasped hands.
Then came a second, a third...
She made no sound as she cried, suppressing even her sobs until they were barely audible. Only her shoulders trembled slightly as she hid all her hurt and vulnerability beneath her fallen hair.
Ling Yu lifted his head to look at the ceiling, gently patting her back with his other hand.
Only after a long while did Qian Renxue gradually stop sobbing. Her eyes were red, and undried tears still clung to her lashes.
She dared not look up at Ling Yu. The emotions churning inside her lent bitterness to even her breathing, and she had no idea what to say.
Then she silently stood, forcibly suppressing the sobs still caught in her throat. Turning her head slightly to avoid Ling Yu's gaze, she left without a word, her steps hurried and soundless.
Watching her retreating figure, ripples stirred in Ling Yu's heart. May you no longer be sad.
For several days after that, Qian Renxue did not come again.
"Soul Tool fans and Soul Tool cooling devices both have four formation patterns, just like Soul Guidance Lamps. They're unranked Soul Tools."
"But what's interesting is that Soul Tool fans and Soul Tool cooling devices have the same formation patterns. Remove the formation core and the formation boundary enclosure, and all that's left are gathering and activation patterns. The differences lie in the gemstones' attributes and the amount of Soul Power supplied."
"I hope the formation patterns I collect later don't all turn out to be duplicates."
"Soul Tool civilization, where exactly did you originate? Leave me an enormous ruin to excavate!"
"I wonder how she's doing. Hopefully she'll recover soon. I'll go see her in a couple of days. I hope she's willing to see me."
Sitting in the research room, Ling Yu stretched, then put away the blueprints and headed for the library.
Along the way, sunlight pierced the droplets splashing from the fountain in the center of the plaza, weaving a faint rainbow in midair. Soul Beast reliefs stood all around it.
Clusters of green bamboo grew beside winding stone paths. Golden tiles crowned the halls, and towers and pavilions rose at varying heights, every corner exuding imperial grandeur and an air of vitality.
The occasional students he encountered along the way stepped aside and bowed. "Greetings, Earl." Ling Yu hurriedly responded and returned their greetings, ripples stirring in his heart.
Though they're all noble children, most don't have titles yet. No wonder they're acting like this.
Just as he reached the library entrance, two figures were emerging from beneath the covered walkway-
Ye Lingling wore a plain white dress, her manner cool and quiet. She walked with lowered eyes, holding books in her arms, a faint, pure elegance surrounding her.
Beside her, Dugu Yan wore a crimson dress with black trim. Her deep-purple hair was tied to one side in a neat ponytail, and her steps were brisk.
Just as Ling Yu was about to go around them, Dugu Yan suddenly stopped, looked up at him, and called out directly:
"Hey, Ling Yu, wait a moment!" As soon as she spoke, Ye Lingling lowered her gaze a little.
Dugu Yan stepped forward, a hint of frankness and pride in her manner. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she spoke openly and straightforwardly:
"Can we be friends?"
Ling Yu paused slightly at her words, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. For a moment, he failed to react.
Dugu Yan frowned slightly, then asked again, "Well? Say something!"
"Of course, Miss Dugu, Miss Ye." Ling Yu nodded lightly, a warm smile lifting the corners of his lips.
Ye Lingling took a gentle step forward, her figure slender. A plain white veil concealed half her face, leaving only a pair of clear, unclouded eyes.
She lowered her eyes slightly. When she raised them again, her gaze was soft and gentle, and her lips parted:
"Hello, Ling Yu."
Watching this from the side, most of the bold pride in Dugu Yan's eyes faded. A gratified smile curved her lips, and her brows lifted slightly as she folded her arms and tilted her head to watch the two.
"All right, Lingling, let's go. Auntie will have been waiting too long." As soon as Dugu Yan finished speaking, she smiled and linked her arm through Ye Lingling's, turning and leading her away without further discussion. Her steps were light, leaving Ling Yu standing alone.
After a few steps, Ye Lingling quietly looked back at Ling Yu, as though saying, "See you on Monday."
Ling Yu nodded lightly, as though answering her, "All right, goodbye."
Watching from a distance, Su Yao sighed softly, unsure for a moment whether she should report this.
Ever since she had seen Qian Renxue emerge from the research room with reddened eyes that day, even momentarily forgetting to change back into Xue Qinghe's appearance, she seemed to have guessed something.
Connecting it with a few earlier incidents, the doubts lingering in her heart disappeared.
Young master, may you be happy... Ripples stirred in Su Yao's heart.