"Junior Sister Lu!"
Li Hengsheng could hardly believe his ears.
"Lu Qiaoqiao?"
The six Peak Masters also turned their eyes to Lu Qiaoqiao, none of them expected that at this moment Lu Qiaoqiao would choose to leave with the people of the Long Night Ancient Kingdom.
"A wise choice." Chu Changkong said with a smile: "In this Mountain Ancient Land, you're merely a small errand disciple. The Mountain Ancient Land wouldn't spare resources to train you, but it's different in our Long Night Ancient Kingdom."
"You will become the saintess of our Long Night Ancient Kingdom, and you'll have plenty of resources to cultivate you."
At this moment, Jiang Hu and Lady Congyun both had somber expressions.
Lu Qiaoqiao was actually going to the Long Night Ancient Kingdom.
Neither of the two groups managed to win over Lu Qiaoqiao.
"Junior Sister Lu, you can't go with them. The words of the Ghost Race are not to be trusted; they are treacherous, deceitful, and shameless. If you go with them, who knows what they will do to you!" Li Hengsheng grabbed Lu Qiaoqiao's hand, his voice trembling: "Come back with Senior Brother. Today there are six Peak Masters here; no one can take you away."
"Today, even if it costs me my life, I will protect you!"
But after Li Hengsheng said this, a determined glint appeared in Lu Qiaoqiao's eyes. She lifted her hand and forcefully pulled it out of Li Hengsheng's grasp.
"Senior Brother Li." Lu Qiaoqiao turned to look at Li Hengsheng: "Don't be foolish."
"I..." Li Hengsheng looked at Lu Qiaoqiao in disbelief, as if she had become a different person.
"Go back?"
"Go back for what?"
"To return to Wanzai Peak and continue being an errand disciple, a crawler who can never finish the work, struggling to climb with the pitiful cultivation resources given each month?"
"Or do you want me to go back and be called by the family at the end of the month to marry that notorious second son of the Hai family?"
Li Hengsheng was about to speak, but when he saw the tears streaming down Lu Qiaoqiao's otherwise indifferent face, his words got stuck in his throat.
"Senior Brother Li, recently I understood one thing."
"Without strength, you will be bullied. This eternal rule applies at any time. If I had strength, I wouldn't have to marry the son of the Hai family…"
"If I had strength, I wouldn't have to hide behind you, trembling in fear when facing these two groups of the Ghost Race."
"Making yourself stronger is the only way to do what you want, isn't it?" Lu Qiaoqiao forced a faint smile: "Just like you, Senior Brother Li. If you were strong enough, you wouldn't avoid answering the question I asked you, right?"
These words struck Li Hengsheng's heart hard.
Exactly, if I had strength, would I still be unable to say to Lu Qiaoqiao that I love her?
Would I still feel unworthy of her?
"I hope the Peak Masters will grant this." Lu Qiaoqiao looked at the six Peak Masters and respectfully bowed to them.
The six looked at each other, unsure of what to say for a moment.
"Since you are determined to leave, we won't stop you, but hope you take good care." The robe of Xu Muhai fluttered in the wind: "If you ever harm the Human Race, I won't spare you."
"Alright, Saintess, we can leave now." Chu Changkong said with a smile.
Lu Qiaoqiao looked at Chu Changkong: "I don't know why you're so determined to take me back, but I want you to agree to one thing."
"Saintess, no one has ever dared to ask me for things. But say it, and let me hear it." Chu Changkong's smile turned cold, and from his eyes emanated a hint of impatience.
"When we leave, your Long Night Ancient Kingdom must not harm Senior Brother Li."
Previously, Lu Qiaoqiao had seen a killing intent towards Li Hengsheng in Chu Changkong's eyes, an intent that viewed him like an ant to be squashed at will.
Li Hengsheng swallowed hard, his emotions a complex whirl.
It was clearly I who said I'd protect Lu Qiaoqiao, yet now it is she who wants to protect me.
"If I find out you've harmed Senior Brother Li, I'll die right in front of you, leaving you with nothing." Lu Qiaoqiao's voice was cold and unyielding, imbuing her words with an undeniable truthfulness.
"Fine, I agree to that." Chu Changkong shrugged helplessly: "I have no interest in killing such an insignificant bug."
"Then let us leave." Lu Qiaoqiao took a deep breath.
Ah Nu extended a hand to the ground, and Lu Qiaoqiao took a step forward and stood upon Ah Nu's palm.
"Qiaoqiao…" Unable to bear it any longer, Li Hengsheng called out her nickname.
How long will it be before we meet again?
This girl who has dwelled in my heart for so long, is she truly leaving today?
"Senior Brother." Lu Qiaoqiao looked back at Li Hengsheng: "As long as we keep our fates in our own hands, we will meet again someday. I hope when we meet again, you can give me a decisive answer."
"Ah Nu, let's go." Chu Changkong glanced at the six Peak Masters, then turned and left with Ah Nu.
As Lu Qiaoqiao's figure slowly faded into the distance, Li Hengsheng felt his heart shatter.
Bleeding.
Yet Lu Qiaoqiao's words lingered in his heart for a long time.
Li Hengsheng also began to understand this world.
If one does not control destiny, destiny will toy with them at will.
The six Peak Masters didn't act against those from the Long Night Ancient Kingdom.
Firstly, because the Long Night Ancient Kingdom hadn't harmed their disciples, and secondly, Ah Nu was indeed difficult to provoke, and taking action might not lead to any advantage but could instead give Destiny Star Hall or Yin Shi Tower an opportunity.
Moreover, the six Peak Masters all shared a worry.
Such a significant event had taken place here, why didn't Xue Qianbai come?
Xue Qianbai should have sensed it by now.
Though the people of Long Night Ancient Kingdom could leave, Jiang Hu and Lady Congyun of Destiny Star Hall and Yin Shi Tower couldn't leave so easily.
"It seems the Mountain Ancient Land intends to pick soft targets." Jiang Hu noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the people of Mountain Ancient Land to also bully the weak and fear the strong."
"It's not your place to comment on the affairs of Mountain Ancient Land." Xu Muhai sneered, and two of the Peak Masters stepped forward to protect the disciples, while the other four slowly advanced.
Hundreds of disciples from the Mountain Ancient Land also gathered around.
A great battle was about to erupt.
The Mountain Ancient Land.
Upon Thousand Snow Peak.
Here stood one of the few snowy peaks of the Mountain Ancient Land, where the climate was extreme, the cold so intense that few wished to come.
On the mountaintop, within a snow pavilion.
Xue Qianbai sat there, with a chessboard set on the stone table, facing him sat a red-bearded man, his face anxious as he studied the chessboard.
He scratched his head.
"You've lost again." Xue Qianbai said calmly: "Chu Ba, you've lost five games, you owe me what I want."