"My junior brother is the Qing'a King!"
Gong Chenying was as succinct as ever.
"Oh, good. So he's the Qing... Qing... Qing'a King? The Qing'a King of... of where?"
Gong Shanhe nodded and answered offhandedly, thinking Gong Chenying was introducing Li Yan's standing in their sect. But as soon as those few words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong.
Still preoccupied a moment ago, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at Gong Chenying in disbelief before quickly turning toward Li Yan beside him.
As shock surged through him, a jumble of thoughts flashed through his mind.
Do other clans also use the title 'Qing'a King'? Li Yan is my daughter's future Dao Companion... no, no, no...
He had never heard his daughter mention anything about a Dao Companion. He had even suggested that she see whether any of the clan's talented young men suited her...
As he studied Li Yan and pondered, no reply came from Gong Chenying.
Gong Shanhe could not help turning toward his daughter again. The moment he did, he found her lovely eyes fixed unwaveringly on him, yet she said nothing.
"Fellow... Daoist Li... he?"
Gong Shanhe felt rather dazed.
"Yes!"
Gong Chenying was helpless too. She could not transmit her voice at present, and she could hardly blurt out the matter of the "navel ring" with an outsider still here.
"Oh, oh, oh..."
Gleams of light shone in Gong Shanhe's eyes. When he turned back toward Li Yan, a strange smile had already appeared on his face.
Li Yan felt uncomfortable under Gong Shanhe's gaze. There was actually a burning intensity to it. By now, Gong Shanhe had begun to understand a few things.
*No wonder this brat never once called me 'fellow Daoist' from beginning to end. It was 'Clan Leader'