Wu Ya quietly stared at the two of them for a while, trying to wrap his head around all of this new information. In the end, he cleared his throat and continued to ask. "Well, if your father is dead, then what about Jinde? Is he …"
Qiu Ling stared at him in silence for a moment, his expression strange. What was he supposed to say to that? Obviously, the old geezer was standing only five steps away but if he wanted this person to know that he was alive, then he already would've said something. Anyway, it would be best if nobody else found out that he was still alive so it was obvious what he was supposed to say, right? "He's dead as well."
Wu Ya sighed when he heard that. "Well, that was to be expected. The two of them probably perished together."
Qiu Ling raised his brows at that. "What are you talking about? The two of them didn't even talk in the last few years of their lives."
This time, Wu Ya was completely dumbfounded. Originally, he had thought that the two of them were a couple. Now, then it had turned out that they weren't and could at most be considered friends, and now it looked like they were even less than that. The dragons really were strange. "But … They seemed so close when I met them."
Next to them, Jinde finally turned away, unable to listen to this any further. When they had met Wu Ya, they hadn't even come of age yet. They had still been traveling the realms, amusing themselves wherever they went. It had been a good time. Unfortunately, it was long past.
He walked over to Zheng Yin's side and then motioned at Ma Zhi Wu and the small box standing next to him. "We already have the heaven peak cloud. I guess it will take quite a bit of time until the other herbs will be delivered. Would it be possible to already heal his core before we take care of the rest? I'm not quite sure if everybody else will make it in time."
Zheng Yin nodded. "Do you want me to do so?"
Jinde nodded. "If you wouldn't mind that would be very much appreciated. Anyway, I think that Wu Ya will still take some time until he's willing to leave."
Zheng Yin glanced over, his expression complicated. He hadn't known that Wu Ya had a close relationship with anybody in the dragon race. It made him feel … unaccustomed. He would've thought that he would think just like him.
Jinde sighed and patted his shoulder. "If there are questions that you have, you can still ask him later on. The two of you seem to have a good relationship. I'm sure he will answer."
Zheng Yin nodded and gave a small smile before he turned around to pick up the box and opened the lid to take out the herb. Carrying it over to one of the tables, he took out a knife and started to process it. The smell of the herb lingered in the whole room, making the others look over.
Jinde used the opportunity to walk back to Leng Jin Yu's side and gently took his hand. "I'll go back to the dimension first. When the other herbs have arrived, can you come and tell me?"
Leng Jin Yu nodded but didn't let go of his hand. "Let me walk you over then."
Jinde nodded and the two of them quietly left the room, not bothering about the others anymore.
When they were out of earshot, Leng Jin Yu turned to look at his husband. "So … That Wu Ya, who is he?"
Jinde sighed. "An old friend if you want to say it like that. In fact, it has been a long time. We've only had to do with him for a short time. After I became king, I haven't seen him even once. Even a long time before that, we didn't have any contact anymore. I'm quite surprised that he would actually want to know about me and Chun Yin."
Leng Jin Yu wasn't quite sure what to make of this. He really would've liked to know more but it would be difficult for Jinde to explain everything to him considering how many years he couldn't remember. A dragon's life was long after all. Maybe one day, he would be able to remember everything. It really would be nice.
Jinde looked around, making sure that nobody was inside before he pulled the veil to the side and then tiptoed, giving his husband a kiss. "Don't think too much. All of that … It's in the past. No need for you to bother about it."
Leng Jin Yu smiled and pulled the veil back in place to make sure that something like what happened the last time with the Chun Feng Sect couldn't happen again. "You don't have to worry about that. Actually, it's not that I'm jealous. It is just that I feel I would be able to be there for you more if I could remember. I feel a bit useless if I'm being honest."
Jinde sighed. "Well, that does depend on when I will be able to heal far enough. So in a way, I'm the one who is useless, am I not?"
Leng Jin Yu shook his head. "I definitely don't think so."
Jinde smiled as well but then, his expression slowly became thoughtful. "After you left, Xin Lan came by."
"I know. I saw him when I left the palace. He just came in at that moment."
Jinde nodded. "Well, other than that herb that I had asked for, he also gave me a bag with some materials that can be used to heal a soul. I guess I could heal quite a bit if I used all of that."
Leng Jin Yu slightly tilted his head. "But you're unsure if you should accept it because you're afraid that I won't be happy with it?"
Jinde stared at his husband, not sure what to say for a moment. "And would you?" He knew he probably shouldn't think like this but he just couldn't help it. He knew that the relationship between these two men was tense and it had been his fault. The way he had treated Xin Lan … Naturally, it could be misunderstood on both sides. So he would rather talk about it with Leng Jin Yu before he did anything.
Leng Jin Yu shook his head and squeezed Jinde's hands. "Don't think too much. You're with me. We've already married. There's no need to worry about anything else. If it can help you recover, then you should use it. Don't put yourself at a disadvantage just because of me. I would be a horrible husband if I let that happen. And you wouldn't want to say that you think of me like that, right?" He smiled and then pulled the veil to the side again, giving him a short peck. "Anyway, you should get back in. Go soak in the lake for a while longer. I would be the happiest if you came back out in a few hours and had already recovered some more."
Jinde gave a hum and then slowly let go of Leng Jin Yu's hands before returning to the dimension. Yes, his husband probably really thought so. He had just worried too much. As an apology, he probably should make sure that he was able to recover.