Lively
Lively
Weichi Song took Qi Dahe's pulse once more. Although the latter's injuries hadn't fully healed, his condition had more or less stabilized. The only thing was that his brain still wasn't working well, so he spent most of the time living in a muddled state. Besides, he was now a mute, so he couldn't talk at all.
Everyone at Chong Xu Cabinet couldn't understand why Weichi Song insisted on putting Qi Dahe up, but they asked no questions and merely did as told dutifully.
Weichi Song took out a pill and fed it to Qi Dahe, feeling slightly relieved when he saw the latter whimper in bed as a hint of struggle showed in his eyes. The fact that he's having such a reaction proves that his condition is improving. If he fully recovers…
All of a sudden, he turned to look outside the door upon sensing something. That aura…
"What's wrong, Cabinet Master?" asked the two disciples next to him in confusion. Weichi Song, however, quickly stood up and left after telling them to take care of Qi Dahe.
It was evening right now, so most of the disciples in Chong Xu Cabinet had already gone back to rest. It was quiet as Weichi Song quickly headed forward.
It just so happened that Lu Zhiyao came out of the medicinal garden right then and ran into Weichi Song. Upon seeing how hurried the latter appeared, the former paid a bow and asked curiously, "Are you leaving the mountain, Cabinet Master?"
He found it strange that Weichi Song would leave the mountain at this hour.
Weichi Song didn't stop to chat with Lu Zhiyao, but he couldn't contain the glee and excitement within himself. "No, I'm going to fetch Liuyue and the others! They're back!"
"Who are they that require you to fetch them in person—" Lu Zhiyao's voice trailed off as his eyes suddenly widened. He then asked in surprise, "Are you saying that my juniors are back?!"
A wide smile appeared on Weichi Song's face. "That's right. It's them!"
The affirmative answer made Lu Zhiyao let out a howl of excitement, and he immediately followed Weichi Song. "I want to go too!"
He then ran forward, heading straight toward the mountain entrance. In just the blink of an eye, he had overtaken Weichi Song.
Weichi Song couldn't help but shake his head and laugh aloud when he saw Lu Zhiyao in front of him.
…
There weren't many people in Chong Xu Cabinet to begin with. For the sake of safety and convenience, everyone lived close together. Thus, Lu Zhiyao's shout drew the attention of many people.
One by one, people came out with bewildered faces, wondering what Weichi Song and Lu Zhiyao were doing in the middle of the night. One of the disciples stepped forward and asked curiously, "Cabinet Master, what are—"
"Liuyue! Wanzhou! Ranran! You guys are really back!" Lu Zhiyao shouted so loudly that it was hard for anyone to miss it.
After a brief shock, the crowd started to stir in excitement. "Come again?! What did Lu Zhiyao just say?"
"Did he just call our juniors' names? I didn't hear it wrongly, did I?"
"I heard the same too! That's exactly what he shouted! Are they really back?!"
"Look!" someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone turned their heads in unison to see a few figures coming up the steps. The person in the lead was Lu Zhiyao—who had a foolish grin on his face—while at the back were Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, and Ye Ranran.
Everyone was shocked. Even though Weichi Song had repeatedly assured them that their juniors would return safely, they still couldn't help but worry about their juniors' safety as Dahuang Swamp was full of dangers. They waited day and night anxiously, but they didn't expect their juniors to return so suddenly.
Lu Zhiyao couldn't resist whistling and laughed aloud in glee. "Hahaha! Why are you guys standing there? Hurry up and welcome our juniors home!"
Only then did the crowd come back to their senses. Their shock gradually dissipated, and all that was left were joy and gratefulness. "Ranran! Liuyue! Wanzhou!"
Chu Liuyue and the others—who just came up—were immediately surrounded by their seniors before they could even greet them.
"Ranran, are you guys okay? Why are you only back now?"
"Did you get hurt?"
"Quick, tell us what happened at Dahuang Swamp."
Chu Liuyue felt a little troubled. Their friendliness is a tad overwhelming…
Ye Ranran, being the shy introvert that she was, blushed furiously and couldn't utter a single word when she found herself receiving such a huge welcome.
Needless to say, Qiang Wanzhou exuded a cold aura that was seemingly capable of freezing people to death. However, the crowd was so excited by their return that they failed to notice this, which couldn't be helped at all. On top of that, a few seniors couldn't resist complimenting him for his attire. "Wanzhou looks good in these clothes!"
Qiang Wanzhou's face darkened even more, although his ears reddened again. He gripped his sword tightly in his hand but just couldn't bear to walk away from the seniors at the thought that they were truly happy about their safe return.
That left Chu Liuyue as the only one who could control the situation, although just barely. "Uh… It's a long story, Seniors. Shall we go in and talk?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Zhiyao waved his arm in the air and shouted, "Liuyue says we should go in and talk!"
Everyone heard this loud and clear. After a moment of silence, the seniors became even more excited as they ushered Chu Liuyue, Qiang Wanzhou, Mu Hongyu, and Ye Ranran inside. "Quick, bring them in to sit!"
"Someone, pour the tea! I'll serve them!"
"Hey, have you guys eaten? Should I get you some snacks first?"
"Ay, stop crowding around them! Make space for them!"
It wasn't that Chu Liuyue hadn't considered the possibility that they would be welcomed home, but she hadn't expected it to be on such a grand scale. While being ushered forward, she suddenly felt small and helpless in front of these seniors. She glanced at Weichi Song—who was standing at the side—with a pleading look. Save me, Master!
However, the crowd had pushed them even further in front before Weichi Song could say anything. Weichi Song's eyes turned slightly moist as he laughed and felt emotional looking at this scene.
"Chong Xu Cabinet hasn't been this lively in a long time!" Elder Xia Yi—who came rushing over upon hearing the commotion—chuckled when he saw this rowdy scene. So many people have died, gotten injured, or left Chong Xu cabinet over the past two years. Even we found things slightly desolate here, so I didn't expect to see such a day again.
"Yeah." Weichi Song put his hands behind his back and sighed. And this is all because Liuyue and Wanzhou joined Chong Xu Cabinet…
Elder Xia Yi patted Weichi Song on the shoulder. "Come on. We should also go and celebrate their safe return!"
Weichi Song smiled. "Let's go!"