Chun Yin lowered his sword and looked at Qiu Ling as well. Before this, he hadn't been able to take a good look at him. Now, that they were finally just standing opposite each other, he actually felt a bit nostalgic.
When he died, Qiu Ling hadn't yet come of age. He could at most have been called a youth. Now, he had not only become an adult but even lived for tens of thousands of years. Even though this was obviously still his child, he wasn't a child anymore. It was a bit hard to accept.
The other thing he noticed was that Qiu Ling actually resembled him quite a lot. There were a few parts where he was closer in appearance to Biao Han but overall, it was more than obvious that this was his son. He had already expected this when Qiu Ling grew up but it was still nice to be able to see how he had turned out.
Chun Yin finally smiled faintly. "You've grown up."
Qiu Ling just continued to stare at him. Who knew what was going through his head? In any case, he kept silent.
Chun Yin didn't quite know how to continue. He had had the same problem with Jinde but it seemed a hundred times worse when it came to Qiu Ling. Yes, he had let Jinde down. But he had let his son down even more.
When he was alive, he hadn't been a good father. He had been too strict, not available enough, and maybe deep down, he had even resented him a bit because he subconsciously thought that if not for him, he might've been with Jinde. Sure, he had loved his son but he really hadn't treated him well enough.
He knew that he should probably tell him all of this but he didn't know where to begin. He would've liked to apologize but he also would've liked to ask about his life right now. He wanted to hear from his own lips that he was doing well, that despite everything, he had managed to turn things around and create the life he wanted for himself. This was his greatest wish.
Qiu Ling finally reacted after a long time. He furrowed his brows, looked from Leng Jin Yu's face to the sword in his hand, and then to the one he himself was holding. Finally, he jumped off the ground, rushed at him, and once again waved his sword.
Chun Yin was dumbfounded. To be honest, he really hadn't expected that reaction. While it was true that he knew that he had quite a few shortcomings as a father, he wouldn't have thought that his son would be so angry at him that he would attack him after getting over the initial shock. He couldn't blame him though. He probably deserved this treatment.
He parried Qiu Ling's strikes, dodging a few of his attacks but didn't really fight back. In any case, this was his own son. How could he do something like that? It was still alright to test him but he really didn't want to do anything more than that.
Qiu Ling finally stepped back, waving his sword a last time before he sheathed it and put it away. "You're just so-so, old man."
Chun Yin stared at him in a daze, not quite sure what to make of this. Was that really the only thing his son wanted to tell him? That his skills weren't up to par? He actually felt a little incredulous when he thought about it.
He tried to say something for a few times but finally just sheathed his sword as well and put it into Leng Jin Yu's spatial ring again. "It's all because this isn't my actual body."
Qiu Ling hooked up the corners of his mouth. "Being a sore loser, are we? I actually feel like you did better than the last few times before you died back then. I'm not a child anymore. There's no need to try to hoodwink me."
Chun Yin's expression became a little subtle but he finally nodded. "Well, maybe that's true." He went over and put a hand on his shoulder, looking at his face. "I don't have much time. Actually, I just came to hear how you're doing. We have to say farewell again soon."
Qiu Ling nodded slowly. He couldn't say that he hadn't expected this. He didn't know how this had happened but he didn't think that Jinde would allow his father to just come back after he had already married his reincarnation. Also, how could that kind of thing happen? It would be a little too nice to be true. "How long?"
Chun Yin gave a hum and looked up at the sky. "Until dawn, maybe."
Qiu Ling nodded. "The old geezer …"
Chun Yin's brows twitched. "You do realize he has a name, right?"
"I guess he would say the same." But in any case, he never cared for that. He knew that it might be a bit petty but he just felt that if he started treating Jinde any differently, it would change something that he wasn't sure he was ready to change. "Well, have you gone to see him?"
Chun Yin nodded. "He was there when it happened."
Qiu Ling nodded as if he hadn't expected anything else. "Well, are you sure you want to be here then? There's not much time left, you should probably spend it with him."
Chun Yin stared at him, feeling even more guilty than before. Yes, all his life, he had probably given Qiu Ling the impression that he was less important. He had really done an awesome job as his father, hadn't he?
He sighed and then went a few steps, sitting down on the grass and looking up at the sky. "I already spent some time with him. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to spend time with some time with my son. Is that asking too much?"
Qiu Ling hesitated for a moment but then walked over. "I guess I'm not going to complain. In any case, it's your decision." He couldn't deny that inwardly, he felt a bit happy though. He actually wouldn't have expected that his father would make this kind of decision if he ever got the chance. It was nice to see that had been wrong.