Shun Tao watched the two of them leave in a daze. In the end, he raised his brows and then turned to Hong Ai. There definitely was no way to get anything sensible out of Longjun even if he was there. So it would make more sense to ask this woman herself. "Might I ask what this was about?"
Hong Ai couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She reached for her husband's hand below the table and gave a wry smile. "Qiu Ling makes it sound so serious. Actually, it is just that since getting to know him, we found out that quite a few things seem to have happened in the Nine Heavens. But my sister can't remember anything at all.
"It is quite strange for us considering that a thousand years have gone by in the mortal realm. We were merely curious or, should I say, worried about what that might mean. And while Longjun doesn't mind telling us some things, he isn't quite the person you can get the whole story out of. So I asked him if it would be possible to meet you.
"At that time, I didn't know that you were forbidden from leaving the Nine Heavens. I just wanted to make sure that my sister is alright and that nothing will happen to her in the future because of whatever made her come back here. That is all. I'm very sorry that I have caused trouble for you with this. If you can't tell me, then I would understand that. It's just that I didn't think it would be too much to ask. She's my younger sister, after all."
Shun Tao almost wanted to heave a sigh of relief when he heard that. This woman was much much more sensible than Hong Bao. It seemed that her trait for causing chaos and misunderstanding things weren't running in the family. Well, there was a reason why Hong Ai had been the one who had originally been chosen to ascend to the Nine Heavens.
In the end, Shun Tao could only sigh though. "I'm afraid I will be of little help to you. There's a reason that she can't remember. It is to protect both the people of the Nine Heavens and her as well. But you can believe me on this: Her not remembering anything is for the better.
"I can only inquire that you do not try to find out more. Anyway, what has happened back then is already in the past now. She has made it out alive and well safe for the fact that she has lost her memory of that time. There won't be any troubles coming her way because of what happened back then either. I can assure you of at least that much. I hope that this will be enough."
Hong Ai took a moment to mull it over and finally nodded. "I guess there is nothing I can do anyway. Thank you for telling me this much. It does put my mind at ease to know that there won't be any future difficulties because of whatever happened. I hope she hasn't made too much trouble for the people in the Nine Heavens. I know she can be a bit … immature and impulsive."
Shun Tao's lips twitched when he heard that. Framing this as being 'a bit immature and impulsive' sure was a nice thing. There really was no way to quantify it like this if you weren't part of the family he was afraid. Well, it wasn't his problem any longer. "If there's nothing else, then I would like to return. As you know, I shouldn't even be here. Since whatever problem Longjun had doesn't seem to actually require my help, I think it would be better if I returned now."
Hong Ai nodded and got up, cupping her fists and bowing. "Thank you again for your help. If there's anything we can do to help …"
Shun Tao shook his head. "I appreciate the sentiment but I don't think that will be necessary. I should just get back now. Farewell." He turned around and then pushed off the ground, leaving for the Nine Heavens. Honestly, even if there was something he could use their help with, he would not be able to accept it. As mature as she might seem, she was still Hong Bao's sister. Who knew how things would turn out if he somehow got involved with this family?
Hong Ai sighed and sat down next to her husband again, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. "You have no idea how happy I am that this is over. We might not have been able to find out what exactly happened to Hong Bao but I guess it was better than nothing. Anyway, as long as she won't be in danger because of any of this, it's alright."
Shen An De nodded and patted her hand. "Then there's only the matter with the Chun Feng Sect that we need to worry about. Do you think she'll come back here after she has delivered that letter?"
Hong Ai sighed. "Honestly, there's no way to tell with Hong Bao. I guess we can only wait and see. In the worst case, we'll have to ask Qiu Ling to make sure that she isn't hurt. He should be able to do that, right?"
Shen An De nodded. "Anyway, depending on how long he needs, it could be that the Jian Yi Sect will make their move first. Maybe then everything will be solved without violence." He wasn't too sure of that though. After all, if Sect Master Xian had sent Hong Bao and Liu Cheng out to deliver some letters to the other demon-hunting sects, then it seemed that he would escalate the conflict from his side.
It really was hard to say what would happen then. Maybe the cultivation world wouldn't be the same anymore after this had happened. It certainly was a possibility.