The other dragons started to arrive shortly after. They bowed to Qiu Ling but didn't dare to approach him further and instead went to Xiang Yong, handing the herbs to him with a nod.
Xiang Yong thanked all of them and then told them to return to the dragon realm. He didn't forget to say some words of thanks in Qiu Ling's name as well. Anyway, he had done this often enough to be able to do this while he was asleep. It wasn't a problem anymore to make up something even if Qiu Ling only stood five steps away from him.
All the dragons were beaming when they left the Grandelder's palace and returned to the dragon realm.
Xiang Yong put all the herbs on the table and then turned to Leng Jin Yu. "There shouldn't be anything else missing, right?"
Leng Jin Yu looked over and nodded. "Other than that one from the demon realm, we have everything. I guess I should go and tell —" he stopped himself from blurting out Jinde's name and gave a faint smile. "My husband that he can get ready. The demon hunter will certainly return soon."
Xiang Yong nodded and then thoughtfully watched as Leng Jin Yu left the Grandelder's palace. Just what had that person wanted to say? That really was a question worth pondering.
Leng Jin Yu went over to the dimension, stepped into the array, and then walked over to their rooms. Seeing the things on the table, he raised his brows but didn't take a closer look and instead went over to the lake in the garden.
Stopping next to the water, he looked down at Jinde's figure and his face lit up with a smile. Regardless of how long they were together, whenever they didn't see each other for a while, he couldn't help but feel happiness bubble up in his heart as soon as they met again. A few weeks, a few days, even a few hours was enough to let him miss him. He really had no idea how he had been able to live without Jinde all these years before. Thinking back now, he imagined it to be quite painful.
At the ground of the lake, Jinde opened his eyes, looking up and smiling as well. He pushed off the ground, broke through the surface, and gave Leng Jin Yu a mischievous smile. "It would be nice if you had just come to see me but I guess this means that I should come out, right?"
Leng Jin Yu sat down in front of him and shook his head. "Shen Qiang still needs to return. But the dragons have brought over all the herbs from their realm so it is alright to get ready I guess."
Jinde nodded but didn't come out of the water yet. Anyway, even staying submerged in it halfway was still better for healing than just standing next to it, and relying on the jewelry Xin Lan had gotten him.
Speaking of which … He looked over to their rooms and then back up at his husband. He reached out, taking his hand. "About the things that Xin Lan brought with him …"
Leng Jin Yu raised his brows. Not mentioning whether or not they still had some time, he wasn't sure if they should really have a discussion about anything important right now. Still, since Jinde had brought it up already, he also couldn't bring himself to say so outright. "Is there a problem with it?"
"No, in fact, they are working quite well. I'll need to refine the herbs before I can use them but as for the other things, they're already being helpful." He motioned at his head and then showed the bracelet to Leng Jin Yu. "They both have nourishing abilities. Even when I leave the lake in the future, I'll be able to at least restore some of my soul. It'll just take slightly longer than when I'm submerged in the water."
Leng Jin Yu held his hand and nodded. "It's good though. Whatever helps you to heal sooner is good."
Jinde hesitated and then still motioned inside. "He also brought some other things with him. I should probably chuck them in the lake to help with healing there but I was thinking of putting them in our room so we could make use of them there. I was just wondering …" He looked at Leng Jin Yu questioningly, waiting for him to answer this unasked question.
Leng Jin Yu smiled and then reached out, cupping his cheeks. "Didn't I say before? I don't care if it comes from Xin Lan or any other person. As long as it can help you heal, it's a good thing. Do whatever you have to do to heal your soul. No need to bother about me. Anyway, if I was making a fuss about this, I wouldn't deserve being your husband."
Jinde smiled and then pulled himself out of the water completely, sitting down next to his husband. He reached out, hugged his waist, and then stretched his neck, giving him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you. I sometimes wonder how I deserve you."
Leng Jin Yu lightly brushed his cheek and tilted his head to the side, a faint smile audible in his voice. "You know what? I'm sometimes wondering about the very same thing."
Jinde chuckled and then pulled back. "Alright. We can continue with that later on. For now …" He brushed Leng Jin Yu's chest with his fingertips and then motioned over. "I guess we should get going. I'd like to prepare everything and then start as soon as Shen Qiang returns.
"That Ma Zhi Wu is in bad condition. Even with his core repaired and some of his energy having been restored by the potion the Grandelder made, it still is dangerous to leave him like this for long. His wounds are pretty bad after all. It's better to make my potion as soon as I can."