The door to the separate practise room was opened once again, this time revealing Feng Furen behind the doors.
Both Hui Lan and Elder Yi stopped to turn to look at who had opened the door.
Seeing that it was Feng Furen, Elder Yi stopped the practice and came up to see his junior sister.
"Is there something wrong?" He could see the worry in his junior sister's face.
"Hm, I'll have to take Hui Lan down the mountain now. That Royal Physician has already found out about her being here." Feng Furen spoke while looking at Hui Lan who was making her way towards them.
"The third prince?" Elder Yi was slightly surprised.
"En." Feng Furen nodded before making her way towards Hui Lan. On the other hand, Elder Yi had also tagged along with Feng Furen.
"Is there anything wrong?" Hui Lan asked from seeing the grave expression from the two elder's faces. She had been with them for three days but these three days she had gotten to know each one of them individually.
Between Feng Furen and Elder Yi, there was a sense of family hood between each other that they would always understand one another. Meanwhile, Elder Zhang was like a father and a teacher to them. Such was their relationship with each other and right now, as Feng Furen had a worried look on her usually calm face, Elder Yi was also worried for her.
However, little did Hui Lan know that both were worried for her.
"You need to go back to the palace right now." Feng Furen's words were absolute.
"Ah?" Feng Furen's words were very hard for Hui Lan to process right away.
...Go back? Why?
"That Physician has found out that you are outside the palace, so it's either you find an excuse for yourself or we make him forget that he knows about your disappearance. It seemed from how Su Rong gave you this choice, he must mean something to you." Feng Furen spoke everything she could analyse from the situation.
Hui Lan nodded in understanding. She became silent for a brief moment as she thought about the current situation. Meanwhile, the two elders gave some space for Hui Lan to think to herself.
...He didn't mean much to her, but he had also helped her and the owner of this body before.
...Hm, but erasing his memories sounded nice, it's just that, it was not his own wishes.
Nevertheless, it didn't take long before Hui Lan looked back up with a steady look in her eyes, "He helped me a lot before and in the past. I will talk with him."
Feng Furen nodded as she could understand the young lady. This was the young lady's values and they would respect her for that.
"Senior brother, going back this time to the palace, it might be less likely that Hui Lan might come back." Feng Furen turned to another topic that concerned their young student.
Elder Yi crossed his arms in front of him before speaking, "Hm, that would be fine." He then turned to look at Hui Lan, "I think you can manage to practice by yourself from now on. Also, let the Su girl teach you. She was one of our few finest students among our top ones."
Hui Lan could feel the Elder's approval towards her as he spoke those words to her.
However...
"Su Rong was also a student here?" Hui Lan asked in surprise.
To that, Elder Yi slowly closed his mouth. It was a slip of his tongue.
Feng Furen glanced at her senior brother with a small disapproving look.
...Look who said to keep the students from knowing about each other, tut tut.
"Yes, Hui Lan. With some of Su Rong guidance, you would be able to improve faster as well." Feng Furen replied for her senior brother.
Hui Lan's heart felt more relieved. Then, she could ask Su Rong straightly without having to make up any excuse.
Nevertheless, she could not believe it herself that her skills and her health could improve this much. She wondered if it had anything to do with the medicine that Feng Furen had been giving to her before sleeping?
...Could it be the Dragon's Blood?
Feng Furen nodded in agreement, "Nevertheless, I agree with senior brother. As for my lessons, I will sneak into the palace to teach you myself."
Hui Lan turned to look at Feng Furen with wide eyes, "Ah? You would do that for me?"
Feng Furen turned to look at the same familiar face that she had been seeing for half of her lifetime. It was the same appearance and same eyes that were looking at her, but just a different person, yet this person was so much similar in many ways with the person before her.
It had been three days since she watched the person in front of her putting all her whole effort in practising all their lessons while also showing her honesty towards them.
This young lady valued honesty, so did she.
At the end of the day, she could not deny that this young lady...was her daughter, just from a different time. She did not have the heart to refuse her.
...Let's just say that this Hui Lan could have been her lost daughter.
...The Hui Lan before her was not being replaced, but rather, she is now spending time with her long lost daughter.
Slowly, but surely, Feng Furen lifted her hand and gently placed it onto the side of Hui Lan's head, "You are my daughter, why would I not?"
As if feelings could be sent to another. Hui Lan was experiencing the same feelings and was almost moved to tears if she had not held it in. However, while holding her tears in, her eyes were already red and her neck was already sore from forcing herself not to try.
Whatever the elder was feeling, Hui Lan had no words to describe it. It was as if at once, a whole ton of emotions were rushing into her.
...She had been far from home and within a short period of time, she had been on the verge of dying twice. Moreover, from the moment she arrived in this world, she at first hand had felt the hopelessness of death gripping onto her fickle life.
If it was not for all those downs that she had been experiencing, she would not be feeling such sediments now.
...This person in front of her was opening up to her.
...If you asked her what she was feeling, then she could only reply that she was overwhelmed with many feelings.
...Was this person going to replace her mother from where she came from? No.
...But was she going to push this person away and not accept this person's sincere feelings? No.
In the end, tears began dripping down from Hui Lan's beautiful face.
Her tears were like a fountain of glistering drops of water flowing nonstop.
With Hui Lan crying in front of her, Feng Furen could feel an itching pain in her heart. In the end, the Elder pulled the young girl into her warm embrace.
Hui Lan's tears flew down even more. It was as if those stuffiness and painful emotions that had been in her heart had finally been unlocked and was bursting out.
...Aiyoo, she was already old from where she was from, but she was now crying like a baby.
Feng Furen did not say anything and silently patted Hui Lan's back.
It was as if they were going to be separated apart from now onwards. Elder Yi had taken a few steps behind to give the mother and daughter pair some space of their own.
...More than being separated from each other, it seemed the two would have to catch up with each other as well.
In the meantime, Su Jou had come inside to remind Feng Furen and Hui Lan to leave before there would be suspicions.
But he could only halt in his steps when he saw the heartwarming scene in front of him.
...Sigh, it was about time that Hui Lan jie would open her heart to Aunt Feng. All these years in the palace, both he and Rong jie had watched how quietly yet painfully she lived. Did she deserve such treatment? No!
...However, all he could do was sigh. It was just that Hui Lan jie had fallen in love with the wrong person…
Feng Furen could hear the newcomer coming in and began calming her own heart as well. Slowly, she released Hui Lan from her arms, "Be good now. It's time for us to make a move." Feng Furen wiped the tears away from Hui Lan's cheeks.
Hui Lan sniffed once and twice before speaking, "Thank you."
Feng Furen wiped Hui Lan's tears again before reassuring, "It's the least I can do. Besides, it's not that hard sneaking into the palace."
"If it came from you, then it would not be hard, Feng Nou." Elder Yi could not help but poke his junior sister's words.
"Fine fine, let's go. I'm sure Su Rong has prepared a way for you to enter the palace." Feng Furen spoke while looking at Su Jou who nodded in response.
"I'll go get my book." Without waiting, Hui Lan quickly ran to her temporary room to retrieve her book.
Seeing Hui Lan went to get her book, Feng Furen could not help but adore her even more. Since she had given her that book, Hui Lan had been cherishing it like a baby egg.
"Let's all go send her out for now." Feng Furen beckoned everyone to go out.
"You talk as if she's not going to come back here again." Elder Yi raised the topic.
"I'm afraid it would be for some time before she would come here. That third prince, is he one of your students?"
Feng Furen's question caught Elder Yi off guard, but he was able to quickly calm himself, "Why do you ask that?"
Knowing that her senior brother would not tell her, Feng Furen brushed it off coolly but she did not forget to leave some comments, "Just wanted to tell you that, even if he was one of your students, I won't be letting him off the hook that easily. These Shen boys, they are starting to get to me."
"Aiya, you ah. You are already an elder. Let these younger generations sort it out themselves." Elder Yi quickly reminded his junior sister.
"Hm. One of them stepped over the line already and if I was to let go that easily, then that would not be me." Feng Furen did not wait to hear her senior brother any longer and took her leave.
Elder Yi could only watch as his junior made her way outside.
...Aiya…if that was Feng Nou's answer, then he could only help out if anything went too far.
.
.
.
Hui Lan didn't really bring anything to this place and when she left, there wasn't much to bring back but the book that was given to her by Feng Furen.
All the training clothes were all washed and hanged since the day it was worn except for the one she was wearing. This place, one thing was for sure, their students and teachers all seemed to like wearing white.
Hui Lan walked down the stairs with some disappointment that she had to leave so soon. She had only started to learn and get to know people in this place. Moreover, she still couldn't find what kind of place or name it was…
...That Physician better have a good reason to get away…
A flash of frigidness passed through Hui Lan's eyes before disappearing when she saw her two elders waiting for her on the side
Both Elder Zhang and Elder Yi stood waiting to send their new student away. It was only for a short period of time that they had taught this student of theirs, but she was going away so soon.
On the other hand, Feng Furen and the rest of her people were all waiting together and preparing their route down the mountain.
Hui Lan went up to bow to the two elders one last time before she was to leave this place.
"Aiyoo, both you and your mother act like you're never going to come back ever again." Elder Yi expressed his thoughts.
"Well, they won't be coming back for a long time, aren't you going to feel sad?" Elder Zhang shared his thoughts.
"Master, you also think the same as them?"
It seemed Elder Yi did not like the feeling of saying farewells.
"Hm, what must be done must be done. It's the third prince that found out, so they will have to deal with him." Elder Zhang answered nonchalantly.
Hearing the title being put out, Elder Yi could only sigh, "Hui Lan, just don't go too far with your punishments."
Hui Lan, who had been watching them speaking between each other could only smile, "I look forward to seeing you soon." Hui Lan cupped her hands before taking her leave.
Elder Yi crossed his arms and leaned closer to his master, "Master, that girl, she ignored my appeal, does it mean that she would go hard?"
Elder Zhang looked at his student in the corner of his eyes, "What makes you think she would punish Ah-San?"
"Just you know…"
"You're worried she's like her mother?" Elder Zhang threw the answer out, "Hm, even you can see the similarities between her and her mother. If anyone questioned whether they were really mother and daughter, they would be a fool, tut tut."
"Sigh."
"But then again, I think you should be worried about Su Rong. She's much wilder than she seems." Elder Zhang raised another topic.
"Hm, that is also what this student is worried about." Elder Yi furrowed his brows.
Elder Zhang opened his fan out and waved it in front of him slowly, "Well, we should leave this for them to sort it out. We haven't gotten ourselves with the outside world until her appearance." Elder Zhang then turned around and headed towards his chambers, "We'll have to wait until the right time. Until then, we can just prepare ourselves."
Elder Yi watched as his master walked away quietly.
...Sigh, that was all true…
Hui Lan and Feng Furen had finished looking at the route they were going to head into the palace. Hui Lan was going to dress up as the court lady then went out today and then she was going to sneak into the palace as such.
Hence, once their plans were done, the small entourage finally took their leave and headed to the palace swiftly.
The bond was created, now what was left for it was for the bond to grow even more.
The two elders that she had left behind were not to be forgotten but to be remembered for one day she would return.
The time she returned, she would make sure no one was to leak her information out.
.
.
.