Shangguan You couldn’t help but shake her head. She linked Shangguan Hao’s arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep just like that. It seed the girl was truly exhausted tonight.
They went to the military hospital for a full-body check-up, which included X-rays and blood tests. Only after it was confird yet again that Shangguan You had no physical issues did Shangguan Hao and Shangguan Qing finally breathe a sigh of relief. The military doctor earlier had claid she suffered internal injuries, but now there were no problems at all.
Shangguan Hao shot a fierce glare at the middle-aged military doctor before taking Shangguan You ho. Shangguan Yu, having received the news in advance, was already waiting at ho for them. Shangguan Zhi and Liu Ruoling were both sitting in the living room, also awaiting their return.
"Grandpa, Uncle, Auntie." Shangguan You looked at the people waiting in the living room, her gaze falling on Zhang Ma’s worried face. A wave of inexplicable emotion washed over her. This is family, she thought. No matter the difficulty or danger, they would never abandon .
"It’s good that you’re alright. The New Year is tomorrow, so for the next few days, you are to stay right here. Don’t go anywhere," Shangguan Zhi said, looking at the safely returned group with relief. He then gave his stern instructions before turning to go upstairs to rest. After a night of frights and being chased by dogs, he was old, and his energy was limited. If he hadn’t been determined to see his granddaughter safe and sound with his own eyes, he would have gone to rest much earlier.
Seeing that she was fine, he naturally relaxed, though his tone remained sowhat harsh. After speaking, he paid no mind to the others and went straight upstairs.
"My dear girl, it’s good that you’re okay, it’s truly good." Liu Ruoling pulled Shangguan You into her embrace, tears streaming down her face once more. My girl is finally safe.
"Auntie, I’m alright," Shangguan You said softly, allowing Liu Ruoling to hold her.
"Girl, if anything like this happens again, you don’t need to step forward. Just stand behind us; we will protect you. You must rember, you are a mber of the Shangguan Family. You’re not alone, and you certainly don’t need to sacrifice yourself to save others," Shangguan Yu said, a hint of weariness on his face as he put his arm around Shangguan You’s shoulder and spoke with grave earnestness.
"That’s right. My daughter is ant to be cherished, not sacrificed. You, my dear girl, you must always rember this. You’re not a soldier, nor an official, so you don’t need to take these principles to heart, nor do you need to act on them," Shangguan Hao’s voice chid in.
"Yes, my girl. In the future, if there’s danger, you’re not allowed to go forward alone, understand? If there’s danger, we n of the Shangguan Family will handle it. You won just need to hide behind us."
"Did you hear that, You?" Shangguan Qing chid in at the right mont. Seeing the family’s cheerful laughter return, he couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke her hair.
"I know, Daddy, Uncle, Auntie, Zhang Ma. Sothing like this won’t happen again. Please, don’t worry," Shangguan You said with a soft laugh, tears welling in her eyes.
"Silly girl, you’re tired. Go upstairs and rest. When it’s ti to eat, your aunt will call you."
"You all haven’t slept all night either. Go on up and rest. I’ll cook the New Year’s Eve dinner myself tonight. Let show you all this young lady’s culinary skills, how about it?" Shangguan You said coaxingly. Laughter filled the air—it was a rare thing for the girl to offer to cook. Seeing the genuine concern for them in her eyes, everyone nodded in agreent. They hadn’t slept all night, and it was indeed ti to get so rest.
Shangguan You returned to her room and lay quietly on her bed. She could clearly hear the deep, even breathing of sleep from the other rooms. With her cultivation at level 3, her hearing and vision had inexplicably improved. She could even make out the gentle sound of the wind outside with perfect clarity.
Confirming once more that everyone was asleep, Shangguan You locked her door from the inside. With a flicker, her figure vanished from the room.
The mont she entered the space, she noticed the purple qi within the already purple dinsion had beco even richer; the color had now deepened to a dark, intense purple. A faint, exceptionally comfortable moisture perated the air.
Shangguan You glanced around the purple space. It was still the sa size as usual; her recent advancent hadn’t caused it to expand. Countless dicinal herbs and Spirit Fruits still hung from the trees. The Purple Lotus, the Spring Water, and the fish swimming within it—all remained unchanged.
However, the black mass that had previously rested atop the lotus leaves was now sothing Shangguan You could see clearly; it was no longer just an indistinct, pitch-black clump.
The outer layer of black mist had now faded to a lighter shade. Within it, a bead resembling a glass marble was visible, with water constantly flowing inside. It shimred like multicolored crystal, emitting a faint, aqueous blue light.
Shangguan You gazed at the living water flowing within the bead, her eyes glinting. An idea sparked in her mind. She reached out, and the small Water Spirit Bead suddenly flew up, soaring towards her outstretched hand and landing directly in her palm, where it began to pulse continuously.
Shangguan You could clearly sense its faint aura and the distinct sensation of flowing movent. This isn’t a Water Spirit Bead at all—it’s just water, isn’t it? she wondered. The bead continued to dance in her hand, feeling just like actual water held in her palm.
"Water Spirit Bead, do you belong to ?" Shangguan You murmured, gazing at the pale blue object in her hand. It alternated between the appearance of a bead and that of flowing water. It had no fixed form—sotis like water, sotis like a bead, its shape constantly shifting.
Shangguan You could clearly sense the joyful nature of the pale blue mass. The Water Spirit Bead in her palm began to disappear into her skin at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Water Elent? As the Water Spirit Bead vanished into her palm, these two words inexplicably surfaced in her mind. Simultaneously, a complete thod for manipulating the Water Elent also beca crystal clear to her.
Shangguan You sat down cross-legged, slowly processing the new information in her mind. After a long mont, she opened her tightly shut eyes, a flash of deep, ocean-blue light glinting within them. A faint smile touched her lips. I’ve actually absorbed the Water Spirit Bead and made it my own! she realized. From now on, I can freely control the Water Elent!
She extended her index finger. At its tip, a tiny, pale blue droplet of water swirled continuously, like a miniature fountain in perpetual motion.
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