Suspicion . . .
Cha Eun Xiao earnestly addressed the lady, stating, "Lady, please. Cha Eun Xiao will disclose all the information within his knowledge."
In response to his assurance, Xuan Bing had been on the verge of posing a question. However, upon further reflection, she realized that articulating the inquiry proved to be more challenging than she had anticipated. This question had lingered in her heart for quite some time, dating back to when she had regained her memories. Yet, it had remained a nebulous notion rather than a well-defined inquiry.
Nonetheless, with the arrival of Han Bingxue, the question began to crystallize. She pondered for a moment on how best to phrase it and then inquired, "I have a question... I believe I know your origins. You hail from the Land of Han-Yang, serving as the monarch of Ling-Bao Hall. Your name is not Cha Jun. Instead, you are Cha Eun Xiao, the son of Cha Nantian, the Great Northern General of the Kingdom of Chen. Am I correct?"
As she spoke, her heart raced, anxious for his confirmation.
"Yes," Cha Eun Xiao responded calmly. "However, since you've been so forthright, I have a question of my own. How did you come by this information? Bing Xinyue and Wenren Chuchu have some knowledge about me, but not to this extent. I would appreciate an answer."
Xuan Bing replied, "The Misty Cloud Palace has more than just two ladies. You are not the only one they know about."
As she said this, she blushed, truthfully disclosing that the other two ladies had not shared information about Cha Eun Xiao with her.
"I understand your point," Cha Eun Xiao replied, his disappointment evident. [So, she's not Bing'er?]
Speaking of his name, Xuan Bing remarked, "Your name reminds me of an old friend, Cha Eun Xiao."
This surprised Cha Eun Xiao, and he quickly interjected, "I am here."
He sensed that she was about to bring up Xiao Monarch and wanted to preemptively address it.
Xuan Bing gritted her teeth and asked, "Are you Cha Eun Xiao, the young Lord Cha, or the other Cha Eun Xiao, Xiao Monarch?"
Cha Eun Xiao responded, "I don't quite follow. I've heard of a prominent cultivator who shared my name in the Qing-Yun Realm, but he passed away long before. At that time, I was in the Land of Han-Yang, and I have no connection to him. The only thing we have in common is our name."
Xuan Bing flatly continued, "Is that so? Cha Eun Xiao was afflicted by a deadly ailment during his childhood. His background appears shrouded in mystery. He started as a foolish, frivolous young lord who indulged in bullying. But after recovering from poisoning, his entire personality transformed. He evolved into a prodigious talent excelling in both martial arts and literature. He made numerous friends and became a nemesis to the House of Chaotic Storms. His cultivation advanced rapidly, and even in his youth, he ascended to higher realms."
Xuan Bing inquired, "Do you believe this is a plausible account of his life?"
Cha Eun Xiao smiled and replied, "The return of a prodigal son is always admirable. Can I not be one? Why not?"
Xuan Bing sternly stated, "I simply find it hard to believe. It's an incredible transformation. How can one change so dramatically?"
Cha Eun Xiao retorted, "You worry excessively."
Xuan Bing furrowed her brows and said, "You accuse me of worrying too much, and perhaps I do. Nevertheless, I feel a deep sorrow for my old friend Cha Eun Xiao, who passed away at such a young age."
Cha Eun Xiao pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Old friend?"
He knew all too well that he had never met this lady in his previous life, let alone been friends with her. She was clearly fabricating the notion of being an "old friend."
[She's claiming I was her old friend. Is she attempting to deceive me?]
Xuan Bing's eyes sparkled with interest as she remarked, "He has been gone for a long time. There's no point in dwelling on him. I tend to worry excessively. Please forgive me, young Brother Cha."
After this, she refrained from delving into the topic further, leaving Cha Eun Xiao somewhat perplexed. [Why did she readily accept my denial? Could she be planning something else?]
[All I did was offer a mild denial, and she simply dropped the matter.]
Xuan Bing fell silent, returning to her tent, and Cha Eun Xiao was left alone, gazing at the starry night sky. He couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment.
[What's happening here?]
[What's the explanation?]
Despite his confusion, Cha Eun Xiao didn't waste his time merely pondering. He remained seated, continuously absorbing the spiritual qi. The night progressed in solemn quietude.
He experimented with a different approach than before, seeking a location where the spiritual qi could be absorbed more rapidly than in other places. Although he faced numerous failures, Xuan Bing's warnings hadn't deterred him, as he firmly believed that there was no spiritual qi that couldn't be absorbed.
As the cold dawn wind rustled through, he felt a slight chill, and when he was about to rise, he decided to remain seated, tilting his head, palms, and soles toward the sky.
In that moment, he unexpectedly sensed an immense surge of purple qi emanating from the east, preceding the sunrise. This purple qi seemed to flow down from a colossal rupture in the sky, blanketing the entire Oracle District in its embrace.
Cha Eun Xiao avidly absorbed the seemingly boundless purple qi, as if he were desperately thirsty. He noticed that the volume of purple qi in the morning's eastward surge far surpassed that of any previous morning. What set this occurrence apart was that the purple qi appeared to have a specific destination: the Oracle District.
If there were ten portions of purple qi in the world, it now seemed that ninety percent of it had concentrated within the Oracle District!
Cha Eun Xiao continued to draw in the purple qi, experiencing a noticeable expansion of his dantian as he reveled in it. However, after some time, the purple qi became increasingly difficult to absorb. It began to resist his efforts an hour into his meditation, transitioning from a freely absorbable form to becoming an integral part of the local atmosphere. The spiritual qi in the air had grown exceptionally vibrant, rendering it impossible for him to extract any more spiritual qi.
"What's happening here? This was supposed to be a tremendous opportunity! Has it vanished into thin air?" Cha Eun Xiao exclaimed, standing up and surveying the land beneath his feet with a mixture of frustration and confusion.
It appeared that the purple qi itself was not the issue; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to absorb it for the first hour. The likely culprit was the very ground beneath him.