Chapter 322: Homecoming
Just when Yun Zhonghe and the others were engaging in lively chatter, Xia Linglong, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up.
“Everyone, I know it’s somewhat embarrassing to bother you, but I think there’s something far more important we need to consider now.”
Xia Linglong’s voice was calm and collected.
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhonghe immediately focused on what Xia Linglong was saying. “Senior Sister, does that mean…”
Xia Linglong paused for a moment. “If my guess is right, the Immortal Alliance will be here in no time.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s rampage created quite a scene, though Tianhai City was some distance away from Western Hill. However, with the Immortal Alliance’s capabilities and keen senses, they would have picked up on the commotion fairly quickly.
After all, they had just witnessed an epic clash of Dao-level forces!
Whether it was Su Xiaoxiao’s destructive Dao or Yun Zhonghe’s sword Dao, both were incomplete forms of Dao power. Nonetheless, this battle still sent shockwaves throughout the five continents and four seas.
Xia Linglong had already pondered countless times how to deal with the chaos in the Cultivation Realm. The recent events at Western Hill needed to be kept under wraps as much as possible. Even if they couldn’t completely hide it, they aimed to minimize the number of people who knew the truth.
Thus, she was hurriedly discussing with Yun Zhonghe how to explain these series of events to the Immortal Alliance while avoiding unnecessary trouble.
While Yun Zhonghe’s ability to wield the sword Dao might not seem like such a big secret in the Cultivation Realm, having unique personal sword techniques among cultivators wasn’t rare.
However, keeping a low profile never hurt.
But Su Xiaoxiao’s situation was different… Everyone could see that the power she wielded was not hers. Su Xiaoxiao’s body might host something extremely dangerous.
That evil and violent force inside her was something that left everyone on edge even after it had subsided.
But no one asked, respecting her silence. Although Yun Zhonghe knew the truth, he wasn’t the one to break the news; only Su Xiaoxiao could decide.
Yun Zhonghe had long planned to keep this secret from everyone.
Because everyone was kind-hearted, they didn’t pry.
Taking a deep breath, Su Xiaoxiao held her chest tightly and confessed to the group: “I think, there’s an extremely evil soul living inside me, that comes out when I get emotional. That’s why I acted the way I did earlier…”
She was worried about sharing her secret, afraid of being judged or ostracized by the others. After all, they had all experienced firsthand the terror her internal darkness had caused.
She put Su Xinghe in danger and forced Yun Zhonghe to risk his life for her. Deep down, she felt overwhelmingly guilty, feeling as if she owed everyone too much.
Everyone was drawn into peril because of her. If she stayed silent and buried the secret in her heart, she’d be being selfish.
So, Su Xiaoxiao decided to come clean!
She braced herself for potential rejection and scorn, but she also drew immense courage from Yun Zhonghe. She knew she wouldn’t be alone anymore—she could face whatever came next.
Suddenly, bowing deeply, she said with profound remorse, “I’m sorry! It’s all because of me that everyone’s in danger!”
Closing her eyes, she stood nervously, waiting for their judgment.
Despite it only being a moment, Su Xiaoxiao felt like an eternity had passed.
But then, Mu Jixue broke the silence first. “Well, that means this isn’t entirely your fault, is it? There’s another bad guy involved, right?”
Crossing her arms, Mu Jixue grinned broadly, seemingly unconcerned. Her confident demeanor shone through.
There was no blame directed towards Su Xiaoxiao, only reassurance.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t believe her ears. She thought at least she’d get scolded.
Noticing the exchange, Yun Zhonghe chimed in, “Jixue is right. There’s another bad guy involved! You weren’t indecisive—don’t think we’d avoid you even if we knew you had something dangerous inside you… We’re friends.”
Rapidly raising her head, Su Xiaoxiao waved a hand as if to say, “No, I just…”
Yun Zhonghe laughed, “See? As friends, we’d help you figure this out. You wouldn’t hide it, right?”
Su Xinghe grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s hand firmly, his eyes filled with determination, “Sister, Yun’s right. You always keep things to yourself. Trust us more. We’ll do everything in our power to help you!”
Feeling the bond among them, Xia Linglong, a relative newcomer, mumbled awkwardly, “Me too—I’ll help!”
Though soft-spoken, her support was sincere.
Even Chen Leling joined in, making a comical “awooga” sound, seemingly cheering Su Xiaoxiao up.
Su Xiaoxiao froze, realizing this was truly significant. She hadn’t expected such a casual dismissal.
These reactions, in the space of a moment, softened Su Xiaoxiao’s heart, tears forming uncontrollably.
But these weren’t tears of sadness; they were tears of joy. She finally felt at home.
Biting her lip, she tried to keep her voice steady and choked out, “Thank you… Thank you all!”
Amid comforting words and encouragement, Su Xiaoxiao calmed down and wiped away her tears, revealing her seldom-seen smile.
They didn’t have time to discuss why Su Xiaoxiao hosted an evil soul, but scattered clues from Yun Zhonghe brought them closer to the truth without concrete evidence.
Would Su Xiaoxiao be overtaken in the future? What would happen?
Yun Zhonghe himself didn’t know what the future held. He was caught off guard by the Disaster Empress’ early awakening, though he had repelled her momentarily. But her power still lingered deep within Su Xiaoxiao, ready to emerge again.
Moreover, the Disaster Empress said cryptic things to Yun Zhonghe that still baffled him.
He didn’t dwell on it, stating as before: no matter the future, he wouldn’t hesitate to charge ahead if Su Xiaoxiao was in trouble.
Su Xinghe looked deeply concerned, “Sister, let’s try to keep the secrets hidden. If the Immortal Alliance finds out, they might classify her as a hazard.”
That didn’t mean they were villains, but the Alliance was strict on handling demonic paths.
Xia Linglong had similar worries earlier, which led her to seek their advice, thinking about how to cover it all up.
As the daughter of Xia Family Business, dealing with these situations was right in her wheelhouse. Yun Zhonghe and Su Xinghe were adept too, and soon they crafted airtight explanations to prepare for any potential investigation.
Xia Linglong nodded, Mu Jixue leaned over in contemplation, “I’ll look into it later and ask our master about eliminating that evil soul. Don’t worry—it won’t leak.”
Everyone had their way of helping Su Xiaoxiao.
Seeing this harmony, Yun Zhonghe felt reassured.
With unity, they could overcome any obstacle. Su Xiaoxiao, like in the original story, would ultimately find her true happiness.
But then, suddenly, Yun Zhonghe felt dizzy.
“Oh?”
He felt drained, clutching his forehead as the world around him blurred. Lightheaded and wobbling, his support started failing.
Above, watching the drama, Xing Bu remarked sardonically, “Looks like you can’t take it anymore.”
She had anticipated this outcome.
Dual enhancements had pushed Yun Zhonghe beyond his limits, yet he managed to stand steadily. Xing Bu was bewildered until…
Then, Yun Zhonghe finally crumbled.
“Yun Zhonghe?!” Mu Jixue rushed forward, supporting him.
“Brother Yun!”
“Big Brother Yun!”
Su Xinghe and Su Xiaoxiao joined in.
“Junior Brother Yun!”
Xia Linglong hurried over too.
“Ahh, awooga!”
Their voices grew anxious as Yun Zhonghe fell.
Coincidentally, on the horizon, shimmering like a specter, appeared the outlines of the Immortal Alliance’s spirit boats—a massive vehicle loaded with elite members.
Clearly, these weren’t just local members of the Immortal Alliance but reinforcements dispatched from elsewhere, explaining the late arrival on the scene.
