That orange hair that seed to resemble the sunset, and those fiery red eyes that seed to be burning coals, there's no doubt about it!
"Maste " I cut myself short by covering my mouth but the damage has been done. I was just filled with so much joy that I blurted out sothing so controversial. What if she didn't recognize ? Would she think I'm weird? Do I look like the Yongrui she knew before? What if she becos suspicious of ?
I covered my face in frustration, trying to hide my embarrassnt in front of Master. She didn't age at all, still as beautiful as ever. I still rember the ti when I first t her, I was srized by her beauty. To normal people, I guess one could call her my first love.
Except she was already married by that ti and her daughter was almost the sa age as , just like right now.
As I tried so hard to hide my countenance in front of my master, I felt sothing warm enveloped my neck and sothing soft on my face. A nice fragrance entered my nostrils, making my tensed self relaxed a little bit. It was a very familiar sll, sothing that felt like ho after all these years.
That's when I realized that Master Shi Yani locked in her embrace.
"U-um, Maste er, I an, Shi Yani?" I cluelessly asked.
"How dare you address your master by her na." Shi Yani softly smiled at as she pinched my cheeks. "And how dare you assu I wouldn't recognize my long-lost disciple. Even if I didn't see you for ten years, I would still recognize you." She continued.
"B-but... "
"What? Do you want to tell you that you look younger than before? How rude. I don't know what sort of cultivation technique you practiced while you were missing but it's very effective. Can you teach it to later?" She continued.
"Ah er, you must be mistaking for Yongrui... Yongrui is already dead, five years ago." I continued as I hugged her in return. And then, leaning into her ears, I whispered sothing to continue my statent. "I'm sorry, Master, but I'm hiding my identity at the mont. I'll tell you everything later."
Master Shi Yani heaved a sigh before giving a kiss on the forehead. "I understand, I hope to hear everything from you when the ti cos."
A pitter-patter of footsteps could suddenly be heard from behind Master. "Mom, what are you doing?! Isn't that MOM! Tang Yongrui is the sa age as , you can't possibly be thinking that, right? Even though dad died a decade or so ago, you can't possibly marry soone who's twenty years younger than you." Shi ili exclaid as she tried to pry her mom away from .
Oh no! This is not good!
"H-hey, Shi ili! We were just talking about you! I was just asking your mom if you could join back at the Tang Shelter. And she sealed our agreent with a hug after asking to take care of you." I imdiately reasoned out before Shi ili got the wrong idea. Sure I'm close with her mom and all that, she's my ntor after all. But, there's no way I'd see her as a romantic partner.
But I wasn't lying when I said she was my first love back when I first t her. Yeah, honestly, that hug made my heart skip a beat. And we aren't even twenty years apart, just a little short on ten years. I just look five years younger, Shi ili.
"Wait, what are you talking about, Yongrui?" Master Shi Yani covered her mouth, trying to suppress her shock. It was written all over her face that I didn't tell her anything about it.
I'm so sorry, Master, I will explain all of it to you as soon as I can!
"Yong Rui! Are you all right?!" Wu Yan and the others exclaid as they rushed towards .
I heaved a sigh of relief. In hindsight, I'm just glad that everyone was all right. "Yeah, I'm okay. Soone helped stabilize my Qi Core." I responded with a smile.
"Yeah, and that person is . Geez, Yongrui, is that how you thank your Master?" Master Shi Yani asked as she wrapped her arms around mine.
"Mom!!!" Shi ili pouted as she went between us and wrapped her arms around mine instead. The rivalry between the two of them was so humorous that I find it hard to suppress my chuckles.
"It's quite shocking, who would've thought that you're a close acquaintance with the ili Shelter Leader. Well, I'm just glad that the four of us made it out alive." Liu Zhi smiled.
"Yeah, I thought we were going to die back there. Fortunately, people from the ili Shelter got here in ti." Blade added.
"Yong Rui, how are you feeling?" Wu Yan asked, her face reddened. "I'm sorry, we couldn't hold off that Imperial Zombie."
"N-no, I should be the one... I should be the one apologizing, Wu Yan. I ended up being a burden." I muttered lightly.
"Now now, all of you, you shouldn't beat yourselves up." Shi Yani clapped her hands as she stood in the center of our group. "I brought so food for a late dinner, why don't we eat up before we head back to the Red Sea Shelter? The scenery here is nice, you know. And also, I've got a lot of catching up to do with your friend over here so this would be an opportune ti."
While Shi ili and Wu Yan were giving us strange glances, Liu Zhi, Blade, and the other cultivators from the ili Shelter all agreed to the food. Of course, who would reject so free food?
"Co with ." Shi Yani said as she dragged to a corner under the shade of a tree. As for everyone, they gathered around a makeshift fire that Blade made so they can cook the soup together.
A warm conversation could already be heard from the group while Shi Yani and I separated ourselves from the group. As usual, Shi Yani and Wu Yan couldn't help but observe us, just in case we step over the line as if we would do such things while everyone could see us. What are they thinking?!
Once we reached the spot where Shi Yani was comfortable on, a Light Qi Energy enveloped us like a bubble. It wasn't surprising that the Light Qi Energy that cloaked us was the sa Qi Energy I saw while I was unconscious.
"I just covered us in my area. Here, our conversation will remain private and it will be impossible for anyone to hear us. You can speak any ti you want. Or you want to speak first?" She asked with a straight face. There was a hint of worry in her eyes.
I looked up and pondered on what she said. At first, I thought that I would only reveal all the information I have regarding myself. But now, my Master was offering to ask her anything that happened in the past and she will tell about it. Of course, I can't pass that up. There was no need to think about it further. "Master, can I say sothing first?" I asked.
"Sure."
After receiving her approval, I cleared my throat and cupped my hands in front of her. "I'm so glad to see that you're as healthy as ever, Master. Your disciple deeply expresses his well wishes."
"You don't have to be so formal, Yongrui. I've known you since you were little. You're basically mine, my child." She said as she approached and gave another hug.
This ti, the hug was even tighter than before, making it hard for to breathe. But I didn't complain, I could tell that Master really missed , just like how I missed her after all these years.
Because the bottom line is, ever since I beca the Sect Master of the Tang Sect, I couldn't et with Master anymore, nor was I able to visit the ili Sect since it's secluded and only girls can enter inside it.
Just then, I felt sothing warm and wet drop on my shoulder, followed by one after the other. It didn't take long to realize that my Master was crying.
"Master?"
"Five years ago... I, I wanted to visit you." She began. "But just when I excused myself from my Sect, I heard the news that the Tang Shelter has fallen and no one survived. I didn't have ti to mourn for you, Yongrui, because my Sect was attacked as well. It was but by a stroke of luck that we survived the first wave of the outbreak. I'm just glad that you're alive, Yongrui. And I'm really sorry, I should've visited you sooner. I'm a failure as your Master."
My hands moved by their own as I hugged my Master in return. Although I received evil glares from Wu Yan and Shi ili, I didn't mind it for now. Master truly cared for even though no one else did, and reciprocating her hug is the least I could do to express my thanks to her.
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