This time around, Qiu Ling's expression changed in the opposite way: It darkened at first before suddenly brightening. This was terrific! It was actually some disciple of the Yun Zou Sect that wanted them to meet up again to hear their report. Didn't this mean that they could hand in the letter of that troublesome woman, say the truth and then immediately return to the Yun Zou Sect to have the wedding?!
"We need to go!" He stood up again and pulled Jing Yi along, not giving any explanation even when they had left the Grandmaster's estate.
Jing Yi stumbled along until he was sure that Hong Bao wouldn't be able to hear them. Then he grabbed Qiu Ling's arm. "Qiu Ling, Qiu Ling! Wait! What happened?"
Qiu Ling halted but already took his beloved into his arms as a precaution. "It's from the Yun Zou Sect. Somebody has come over to take our report again." He smiled brightly while Jing Yi furrowed his brow.
"But it has only been a week since Senior Martial Brother Qiguan left."
"Who cares? We already have the letter. Let's go and deliver it so we can return. Wouldn't you rather marry at the Yun Zou Sect, too?"
"So you know." Jing Yi sighed. "But, Qiu Ling, what if this is a trap? Maybe someone wants to test whether we're spies or not. If we go there, we'd give ourselves away."
Qiu Ling froze. Uh, right, that was entirely possible. He shook his head the next moment though. "There's no need to fuss. Even if you're right and it's just a test, we already have the evidence." He waved the letter around with a grin. "If we're exposed, we'll just run away and deliver the letter home. Then they can't force us to return anyway."
"That sounds horrible."
"But it's true." Qiu Ling didn't feel like there was anything wrong with what he said. "So, let's go. The sooner we meet up with him, the sooner we can leave here." He leaped up from the ground and flew over to the spot indicated in the message.
They were greeted by the sight of Yu Jin sitting on the ground in meditation.
Jing Yi lifted his brows. "Senior Martial Brother Yu?"
Qiu Ling followed him in lifting his brows. How odd! This guy had the same name as his beloved's Senior Martial Brother in this Hei Dian Sect!
Yu Jin opened his eyes and nodded. "I came on my Master's orders to hear what you were able to find out until now."
"What about Senior Martial Brother Qiguan?" Jing Yi was relieved that this wasn't someone from the Hei Dian Sect testing them but he also couldn't understand why the Yun Zou Sect would send someone after just this short amount of time. The only explanation he could think of was that something might have happened to Qiguan Cheng Da so that the sect hadn't been able to hear what they reported to him.
"There were some complications."
"He … Is he alright?"
Yu Jin nodded again. "He is. So, about your mission …?"
Jing Yi turned to Qiu Ling who handed over the letter with a smile. "We found those two. This is a letter I wrote for that troublesome … younger sister."
Yu Jin coughed and his schooled expression actually derailed for a split second. This … was such an apt description. "So, they're both alright?"
"Yes. Very well. Just give that to their sect and everything should be explained. Actually, there isn't any underlying plot at all. It's just a misunderstanding."
"I see." Yu Jin put the letter away. There was still the question of how much of what Qiguan Cheng Da had said was false.
He felt like not everything had been made up or rather most of it had somehow been the truth. It just seemed as if it had been reported in a way that was especially ambiguous to give the impression that Jing Yi had turned on the Yun Zou Sect while still making sure that nobody could fault Qiguan Cheng Da in case the truth came out. He hadn't said anything wrong after all. It was just that people had misunderstood him.
He was actually quite smart. If not for his questionable personality he might even have become a valued disciple. Now, he was just someone with talent that couldn't be used. In fact, the sect might even try to suppress him to make sure he wouldn't become dangerous.
"In the end, what exactly is their situation?"
Qiu Ling and Jing Yi exchanged a glance.
Jing Yi lowered his head. He was embarrassed on behalf of Hong Bao. Her sister eloping with someone from an evil sect was something that could be explained. She had been young and Grandmaster Shen was a handsome and charismatic man. People would feel that she had decided wrong but it was still acceptable to a certain degree.
Hong Bao … She was just careless. Following her brother-in-law to meet up with her sister again was alright but how could she have forgotten to inform her Master? Or anybody else for that matter. Even if she just wrote a single letter to that Senior Martial Brother Liu of hers this whole misunderstanding could have been prevented.
Not that he had any reason to complain. The Sect Master had made pretty clear that he wouldn't be able to marry Qiu Ling as long as he was an outer sect disciple and becoming part of the inner sect depended on this mission. It was actually his luck that this was just because Hong Bao had acted this stupidly and not because of an intricate plot he'd need years to unravel. Thinking like that she had actually done him a favor.
Qiu Ling had no qualms about exposing the whole thing though. What was there to be embarrassed about? He wasn't the one who had done it and even if he had, it would've been for Jing He. Who could fault him for doing something outrageous for such a heavenly person?
Thus, he told Yu Jin the whole ridiculous story without any reservations.