The three of them bid farewell and returned to their respective palaces. Zhangsun Xun Yi led Hua Min into his study and motioned for him to sit down before he went and poured both of them a cup of tea.
"I can imagine that you might have some questions."
Hua Min laughed and picked up the teacup. "It's not only a few. Honestly, how did that person end up in your Yun Zou Sect? If he had some trouble, shouldn't he have gone back to the Jian Yi Sect?"
Zhangsun Xun Yi shook his head. "This matter, I also can't tell you. I only know that he came here without telling anybody his identity. He pretended to be a disciple and up until now, I seem to be the only one who noticed. In fact, if it wasn't for the tea set that your Master gifted him, I still wouldn't have seen through him and continued to believe that he was just an ordinary disciple."
Hua Min nodded. "Well, that's a given. If you were able to see through a genius like him, you probably would've ascended already."
Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded slowly, staring at his own cup of tea. In fact, if it wasn't for the situation of the Yun Zou Sect that had been completely unpredictable for the last few years, he already might have attempted to ascend. But with everything that happened, he felt less and less sure about whether or not he should do it.
If he succeeded or not wasn't even that important. But as soon as he left, what would become of the sect? He had been raised here, the level he had attained had only been made possible because of the care he had received from the Yun Zou Sect. It truly wasn't that easy for him to just let matters go and not care anymore.
No, he still felt that he had some responsibility for this place. And considering that the successor that Yuchi Bing Xia had chosen wasn't suitable as an actual successor after all, he was even less sure of what he should do.
Sure, as long as Leng Jin Yu stayed in the Yun Zou Sect and maybe even that person recovered his former peak state with his help, then nothing could happen to the sect. But who knew if they would stay after that person was healed? It might still be a long time until then but that didn't mean anything. The road of cultivation was a long one. A hundred years, a thousand, ten thousand … It was an insignificant amount of time for cultivators and practitioners, not even worth mentioning.
Zhangsun Xun Yi sighed and pulled himself out of his thoughts. "Anyway, I don't know exactly what is going on."
"Then what is up with that spouse of his? They only got married after he ascended?"
"Yes. Well, they actually married after he came to the Yun Zou Sect if I understood correctly. I also don't know how that happened. Currently, Yuchi Bing Xia thinks that Grandmaster Leng is his disciple so he is understandably anxious. That person … Well, let's call him our Yun Zou Sect's hidden expert. If their prized disciple got enamored with that kind of person, it would naturally be a shock for every Master. There's nothing Yuchi Bing Xia can do thought. And I don't think that the two of them will split up again so I guess he can only deal with it."
Hua Min nodded. "They truly didn't seem as if they'd break up." On the contrary, the feelings between them seemed to have been very good. A single man like him couldn't help but feel a bit envious. On the other hand, it made him expectant for the future. Maybe after he became as powerful as Grandmaster Leng, he would also be able to find the love of his life?
Ah, never mind that. It would be a long way until then. Hua Min sighed, taking a few sips of the tea. "Well, there's nothing we can do, is there? If I can, I'd like to see him. He was my Master's friend after all. It wouldn't do to just leave without going to greet him."
Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded. "Yes, you're right about that. It's just that I don't know when they will come out of the realm. You and your disciples can naturally wait here but it might take quite some time. You should be prepared for that."
Hua Min nodded. "That's not a problem at all. It's not like I have that much to do it the Liu He Alliance. There are people taking care of the things that need to be organized. They don't need me there all the time. And if something comes up, they'll naturally notify me."
Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded. "Then … Why don't you tell me how you're doing over there? We haven't spoken in a long time."
Hua Min laughed. "Isn't that because you have never contacted me? It actually needed something like this for you to send me a paper crane. That truly makes me wonder what you actually think about our friendship."
"It's very important to me. It always was and it always will be." Zhangsun Xun Yi gave a rare smile and then motioned at the cup of tea. "Do you want another one or would you prefer to get a cup of wine?"
Hua Min laughed again and pushed the teacup away. "Well, I guess if I'm already here, then I might as well deplete your wine storage. You don't have any other reason to take one out, do you? I'm basically doing you a favor."
In this manner, the two friends started to drink and reminisce about old times. They really couldn't help but lament those days when they had been much more carefree. Well, at this moment, they seemed to have returned to them. If they could, they certainly would've liked to spend more days like these but it probably wouldn't be so easy to come together again. In that case, they should use the opportunity and make the most out of it.