Purple light shimmered in Gu Yue Na's eyes. She gently extended her hand and pinched the air, releasing a massive surge of spiritual power. The five Soul Masters who had been hunting Lin Xiuran immediately collapsed to the ground.
After dealing with them, Gu Yue Na looked tenderly at Lin Xiuran lying on the ground. Her jade-like hand brushed his face as she murmured, "It's so good to see you again."
She studied him for a long moment, then glanced at Ouyang Zixin. With a wave of her hand, she infused her energy into Lin Xiuran once more, the purple light merging into his body.
At that very moment, sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, perfectly illuminating Lin Xiuran.
Soon after, another figure appeared in the woods—white robes, blue hair, an air of icy composure, face stern and cold.
He looked at the fallen Soul Masters and furrowed his brows. Only when he saw Lin Xiuran unconscious on the ground did a hint of recognition cross his face, and he hurried forward.
"This is… Lin Xiuran!"
...
At the Xu Family
Xu Junwen paced back and forth in the study, his expression stern.
Next to him, Xu Xiaoyu still wore his birthday suit, standing respectfully, though his face was also grim, glancing repeatedly at the wall clock.
Even now, there was still no news from the people responsible for killing Lin Xiuran. The soul communication devices he sent out went unanswered.
This worried Xu Junwen greatly; he feared something might have gone wrong.
"Father, any news yet?" Xu Xiaoyu finally could not contain himself and asked.
Xu Junwen's expression tightened. He tried to reassure him in a low voice: "Don't worry. He only has mid-level soul power. What threat could he possibly pose?"
Though he spoke with confidence, the truth was he felt uneasy. Too much time had passed; if the job had been done, they would have known. Even if not, at least some news should have come. But nothing had.
"Xu Junwen! Get out here!"
A sharp command echoed through the villa like thunder, startling both Xu Junwen and Xu Xiaoyu.
Xu Junwen's face darkened but he hurried out of the study.
In the living room, Madam Xu was attempting to calm the clan elder, but it was useless. The elder's anger was immense.
Xu Junwen realized the situation but still tried to be defensive: "Clan Elder, who has angered you?"
"Who angered me?" the elder snorted. "Do you really think I'm unaware of what you've done?"
Cold sweat broke out on Xu Junwen. He knew the clan elder would find out eventually—but not this quickly.
Though he was the family head, the clan elder was the true authority of the Xu family. Over the years, the elder had mostly stayed out of family affairs, which had allowed Xu Junwen to wield the family guards.
But if the elder wanted to investigate, it would be easy to uncover exactly what those guards had done. The entire Xu family system remained fully under the elder's control.
Without exaggeration, as long as the clan elder lived, the Xu family could never truly be under Xu Junwen's control.
"I've told you before… have you forgotten?" the elder shouted, gripping his cane and berating him.
Xu Junwen drew in several deep breaths, lifting his head. Over the years, he had respected the elder, but here, he did not feel he was wrong.
"Clan Elder, you must distinguish who truly bears the Xu bloodline. Why are you favoring an outsider so?"
A cold glint flashed in the elder's eyes. "You dare speak of bloodlines? He may not have Xu blood, but I'd rather the Xu blood exist in him than in you."
Xu Junwen's face stiffened, fists clenching, his expression twisted. "Clan Elder, for nearly ten years, I've been tormented by that woman's curse. How could I possibly let her son live in peace!"
The elder's face darkened. He bellowed: "He was just a child! His mother's curse has nothing to do with him! He didn't even know anything!"
Xu Junwen fell silent, knowing he was at fault. After all, he had promised the elder not to harm Lin Xiuran. His anger just now was the result of years of suffering under the curse.
"You, back then, only acted out of ambition to capture her. You were ungrateful!"
Xu Junwen could not refute this; the elder was right. Back then, he had acted selfishly.
The elder sighed lightly. At this point, his anger served no purpose. He looked at Xu Junwen. "Fine. In this generation, only you can sustain the Xu family's legacy. I'll only teach you once more: act with reason. The Xu family needs steadiness, not rashness."
Xu Junwen froze, staring blankly as memories flashed through his mind.
The elder glanced at him and began to walk out, his figure solitary and somber.
But after only a few steps, his expression darkened. He spat blood, barely catching himself on the nearby sofa.
"Clan Elder!"
Xu Junwen's face went pale, rushing forward.
Though they had disagreements, the elder had raised him since childhood. The bond was undeniable. Moreover, the Xu family's current position in East Sea City existed because of the elder.
East Sea Central Hospital
Sunlight streamed in through the window, warm, falling on a boy's pale face.
After a long moment, Lin Xiuran slowly opened his eyes. The light was dazzling, and he was momentarily unaccustomed.
"Awake?"
The voice was cold, yet familiar.
When Lin Xiuran focused, he saw a figure in white robes, blue hair, and the classic unchanging cold expression—clearly Wu Zhangkong.
"Teacher Wu? How…?" Lin Xiuran's voice was weak, still recovering from his injuries.
Wu Zhangkong's expression was unchanged. He said faintly, "Just passing by, so I saved you."
Lin Xiuran had thought he was going to die, yet here he was, alive. Fortune had truly favored him.
"Teacher Wu… did you deal with those people?"
Wu Zhangkong raised an eyebrow. "When I arrived, they were already lying there, all stunned and catatonic. Clearly, they were struck by immense spiritual power."
Even Wu Zhangkong, with his current sixty-ninth-level Soul Emperor cultivation, could barely comprehend such strength.
Lin Xiuran was stunned. If it wasn't Wu Zhangkong who had dealt with them, then who? And after dealing with them, they had just left?
[Author's Note:
Ouyang Zixin had once been like Gu Yue Na in a previous life. That was why Gu Yue Na had saved her. The purpose of this character was to mirror the Gu Yue Na of the previous life. Even though the story of her past life wasn't written, readers could infer it.]
(End of Chapter)