Love & Redemption
Chapter 44 - 4 New Year (1)

Chapter 44: Chapter 4 New Year (1)

The second update. I’ll aim to publish 3-4 Chapters tomorrow.

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Returning to the Mei Ting Courtyard in the back mountain, seeing He Danping naturally led to a flood of joy and sentiment.

By dinner time, everyone had gathered, and for the first time the conversation centered around Xuanji, buzzing with excitement and liveliness. He Danping spoke for a while but then noticed Linglong, who typically loved the hustle and bustle, sitting silently to the side eating, not uttering a single word. She couldn’t help but lean in and quietly asked, "What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? You’ve been looking forward to your sister’s return every day, and now that she’s back, why have you turned into a silent gourd?"

Linglong forced a smile, "Not at all... I-I’m just too happy... I don’t know what to say."

Zhong Minyan laughed from the side, "The two sisters have always been the most talkative ones. Mother Master doesn’t need to worry. I’m sure after they sleep together tonight, they probably won’t be able to get up in the morning from all the talking."

He Danping thus didn’t dwell on it, simply smiled and turned back to continue chatting and laughing with them.

Linglong, however, had lost her appetite and pulled Zhong Minyan aside to whisper.

"Xiao Liuzi, don’t you also feel that Xuanji has changed a lot?" she asked.

Since Xuanji’s appearance, Zhong Minyan had been observing her closely, and shook his head, "She’s just grown up a bit, but temperament has not changed at all." Still so careless and free of earthly concerns, looking at her silly smile, he knew that right now her mind must be wandering far away, daydreaming about something.

Linglong softly said, "I... I feel like she’s changed so much. She’s become so beautiful, so formidable... It’s like she’s not the same little sister from before."

Changed, where has she changed! Zhong Minyan took another glance at Xuanji. She was exactly the same as before! Maybe her face was somewhat different; she had grown up, and her features had become more delicate and ethereal, but as for "so beautiful, so formidable" and the like, he really hadn’t noticed. After all, four years had passed, and if she hadn’t learned anything, that would indeed be a shock.

"You’re overthinking it," Zhong Minyan said gently, "It’s mainly because you haven’t seen her for four years, so you feel estranged. Just talk to her later, and you’ll feel better."

All Linglong did was shake her head, unable to pinpoint exactly why she felt such restless agitation. Deep down she had always hoped to see her sister again, but perhaps what she longed for was that helpless little pigeon of a sister from four years ago, not the exquisite young lady before her.

Zhong Minyan was right; Xuanji was indeed zoning out. It seemed she had always been uncomfortable in crowded, lively places, not knowing how to cope. Now, everyone was talking about her, happy for her, but she felt like the imposing female hero they described was a stranger, not her—Chu Xuanji.

The four years she spent at Little Yang Peak had not dragged on as she had initially imagined but had flown by in the blink of an eye.

Aunt Hong accompanied her in "playing" every day, and every day was carefree and happy. Eventually, she could wear thin spring clothes in the winter without feeling cold, could use Sword Control to travel back and forth to Lutai Mountain dozens of times in a single morning, and could cast Spells to perfection. That’s when Aunt Hong, stroking her head, softly said, "Xuanji, you are the smartest child I have ever seen. Auntie doesn’t have the ability to keep you company in your games anymore. From now on, go down the mountain to play on your own. You don’t have to be afraid of anything anymore."

Thus, in her heart, those four years had always been about playing. As for the Yang Que Technique and Five Elements Skill her father mentioned, she had never even heard of them, but she didn’t dare say so. Her father’s longstanding prestige made her feel that keeping silent was the best option at this moment, to prevent them from finding out she had played for four years. She feared they would send her back to fend for herself right away.

Caught deep in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Du Minxing laugh and say, "Now that the little junior sister has mastered her skills, Master Father can rest assured and let the others go down the mountain for trials, right?"

All eyes turned to Chu Lei, who, stroking his beard, slightly smiled and said, "I actually forgot to mention this amidst today’s joy, and even the proper matters slipped my mind. Xuanji, Linglong, Min Yan."

He called the names of the three youngest disciples, and they immediately stood up, ready to receive orders.

"Now that you all have mastered the basic mental methods of our Sect, your teachers have nothing left to teach you. The remaining experiences are for you to explore on your own. After the new year, you all will go down the mountain with disciples from other branches. Wherever there are demons causing trouble and evildoers creating chaos, remember the responsibility of a Cultivator, and ensure that the common people don’t suffer. Remember to come back after a year."

All three of them respectfully said yes.

Chu Lei laughed and said, "Master has always been long-winded and talkative, and I suppose you all don’t like to listen to those nagging words. In short, after you go down the mountain, be cautious in everything you do, and remember, you are disciples of the Shaoyang Sect. You must not do anything that would bring shame to our Sect. As for the rest, cultivate on your own."

He Danping also laughed, "Big brother is in a good mood today, rarely treating these kids with such a pleasant demeanour. Let’s not talk about these things now. They won’t leave until after the new year, Xuanji and the others will still be on the mountain for a month or so. It’s not too late to talk about it then."

Only then did the three of them sit down and continue eating.

Suddenly, Du Minxing thought of something and said, "Master, let your disciple also go down the mountain with the younger brother and sister this time. They are young and spirited, and the disciple can also give them some pointers on the side."

Chu Lei shook his head, "No, next year’s Flower Pinning Conference is your turn to participate, and you must focus on your cultivation. Those young disciples of your time also went down the mountain alone, didn’t they? There’s no need to have someone accompany them. It’s good for young people to face setbacks."

Du Minxing had to agree and then glanced back at Xuanji, who was bowing her head to her meal, her thick bangs covering most of her small and pitifully cute face. Not having seen her for four years, the child of the past had grown into a tall and graceful young woman, and he couldn’t bear to take his eyes off her.

Xuanji, on the other hand, seemed to feel someone looking at her and looked up to find herself directly in eye contact with him. Du Minxing felt his ears heat up and only offered her a slight smile before moving his gaze away.

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while before retiring to their rooms to rest.

He Danping, with her arm around Xuanji’s shoulder, laughed, "Xuanji, now that you’re back today, would you like to sleep with mom, or go back to your old courtyard? Everything has been left untouched there, kept just as it was for you!"

Xuanji was about to speak when Linglong interrupted eagerly, "Mom! I want to sleep with my sister! I, I have so many things to talk to her about!"

Fondly ruffling her hair, He Danping smiled and sighed, "You, you’ve never changed a bit, still the little firecracker you’ve always been. Alright, take your sister to your place then. I’ll have someone send over an extra blanket later."

Without further ado, Linglong took hold of Xuanji’s hand and said, "Sister, come with me. From now on, we’ll sleep together and you can tell me all about Little Yang Peak."

After saying that, she pulled Xuanji away, leaving Zhong Minyan behind, completely ignored.

But he was already accustomed to Linglong’s personality and didn’t mind; he simply clasped his hands towards Chu Lei and He Danping in farewell, saying, "This disciple takes his leave. Master, Madam, please rest early."

Yet as soon as Linglong, in her impulsive manner, brought Xuanji into her room, she found herself at a loss for words despite having Xuanji right in front of her, just staring blankly at her face.

"Linglong? What’s wrong?" Xuanji waved her hand in front of her face.

Linglong snapped back to reality and hesitated before saying, "Xuan... Xuanji, are you thirsty or hungry? I have tea and snacks here."

Xuanji had already poured herself a cup of tea and was drinking it while laughing at her, "Since when did you become so polite? I haven’t seen you for four years, and you’ve turned into a proper lady."

Linglong glared at her and finally found a bit of the familiar feeling from the past, "You’re the proper lady. It’s just that... I haven’t seen you for so long, I don’t know what to say."

Xuanji had no trouble finding her way as if nothing had changed, finished her tea, stripped down, and climbed onto the bed, propping her head up with her hands and laughing, "What’s there to not know? You are you, and I am I, as we’ve always been!"

Is it really the same as before? Linglong wondered silently to herself and eventually climbed onto the bed as well, lying face to face with Xuanji, but she still didn’t know what to say after a long time.