Xiao Yifeng returned to the Huixing Courtyard with a heart full of relief.
Su Miaoqing hadn't changed because of his interference in the timeline; she had successfully achieved the legendary Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. This was a monumental blessing.
Although his return to the past had caused ripples, the main current of destiny seemed to be flowing within acceptable parameters.
He had assumed Su Qianyi and his wife would need at least two or three days to help Su Miaoqing consolidate her cultivation. However, the very next day, when he returned from his patrol duties, he found Su Miaoqing sitting in his living room.
She wore a radiant red dress, her smile as bright as the morning sun.
The servant girl, Xiao Yue, stood by her side, while the spirit cat, Xiao Bai, lay lazily at Su Miaoqing’s feet. Seeing its actual master return, the damn cat couldn't even be bothered to lift an eyelid.
"Xiao Feng! Look at me—I’m a Foundation Establishment expert now. Am I amazing or what?" Su Miaoqing laughed the moment she saw him, her eyes sparkling with triumph.
"Of course you're amazing," Xiao Yifeng replied, his smile genuine. "You’re a grand Foundation Establishment expert now. You’ll have to look out for your poor Junior Brother."
Having grown up together in this timeline, Xiao Yifeng was sincerely happy for her. He pulled up a chair and sat beside her.
"Hehe, at least you know your place," she teased, tilting her chin up. "You’re my Junior Brother; who else would I protect if not you? ...Huh?"
Her smile suddenly vanished, her expression clouding over like a summer storm. She leaned in, scrutinizing him. "Why is your face so pale? Did someone bully you while I was in seclusion?"
Xiao Yifeng quickly waved his hand. "No, no. I just had a minor Qi deviation while practicing. It's nothing."
"Xiao Feng, don't lie to me," Su Miaoqing frowned, her voice dropping to a dangerous register. "Did someone in the Enforcement Hall give you trouble? If they did, don't be afraid. Tell me. I’ll gather some people and wipe them out. No one bullies a disciple of Wuya Hall on my watch."
"How could that be? Senior Sister, really, don't worry. The training went fine," Xiao Yifeng lied smoothly, changing the subject. "But Senior Sister, shouldn't you be consolidating your cultivation? How did you escape so quickly?"
Su Miaoqing’s fierce demeanor instantly collapsed into a pout. "It was too boring! I was cooped up in that cave for two months. I thought I was going to die of boredom."
She pumped a small fist. "So, I channeled my frustration into strength! Consolidating cultivation goes fast when you're desperate to leave. Hehe, come on, let's go out and play. I’ve been suffocating!"
Before Xiao Yifeng could protest, she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the door.
"Senior Sister, wait! Where are we going?" he asked, half-amused, half-exasperated, stumbling after her.
"I already asked Mother, and she approved a trip a bit further out this time," she chirped happily. "We’re going to Wutong Peak! I heard from the Senior Sisters that the Guardian Divine Beast of the Wentian Sect lives there. Apparently, it's a huge divine bird! Mother never let me go before, but today is special."
Su Miaoqing spoke with naive delight, her face glowing with anticipation. But hearing this, Xiao Yifeng felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Despite her noble background and immense talent, Su Miaoqing was essentially a caged bird.
Her life had been nothing but cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation. She had never traveled, never seen the world. Even visiting the sect's own Guardian Beast required permission from her parents.
In his previous life, he had only seen her as the arrogant, unattainable "Flower on a High Peak."
But now, having grown up alongside her, he understood the loneliness behind that facade. She appeared carefree, but her world was incredibly small.
Feeling a surge of sympathy, Xiao Yifeng abandoned his desire to rest and accompanied her for a wild afternoon of exploration.
Wutong Peak was home to the Wentian Sect's Guardian Divine Beast—a Fire Phoenix.
When they arrived at the summit, the magnificent creature was resting atop a colossal Wutong tree. It was curled into a ball, its beautiful, fiery head tucked under a wing, sleeping soundly.
The natural Spiritual Pressure radiating from the beast formed a terrifying barrier, forcing them to watch from a considerable distance. Even so, Su Miaoqing watched with wide-eyed wonder for hours, treating the mere sight of the sleeping bird as the greatest spectacle in the world.
That evening, with Su Miaoqing out of seclusion, the family dinners resumed.
At the table, Lin Ziyun looked at Xiao Yifeng with maternal concern. "Yi'er, did anything happen during your time at the Enforcement Hall?"
Xiao Yifeng decided to be partially honest. He recounted his encounter with the Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, though he downplayed the danger.
Lin Ziyun’s brows furrowed deeply. "Did you get hurt?"
Xiao Yifeng smiled, spreading his arms. "Just superficial scratches. Aren't I here, alive and kicking?"
"Xiao Feng! Why didn't you tell me about this?" Su Miaoqing glared at him, clearly displeased at being left out of the loop.
"Well, Senior Sister, you didn't ask, did you?" Xiao Yifeng made a face at her.
"You...!" Su Miaoqing unleashed a flurry of gentle punches on his shoulder.
"Qing'er, stop it," Lin Ziyun scolded, though her eyes were smiling. "How old are you two? Still fooling around like children at the dinner table."
"I'm not fooling around! Mother, you're biased!" Su Miaoqing pouted, crossing her arms. "Clearly, he's the one bullying me."
The meal finished in a warm, harmonious atmosphere—a stark contrast to the cold solitude of Xiao Yifeng's past life.
Late that night, on the third floor of the Huixing Courtyard.
Xiao Yifeng sat alone at his table. He took a sip of cold, overnight water from the teapot. The chill slid down his throat and settled in his heart, sobering him up.
He checked his Storage Ring, calculating his remaining stock of Top Grade Spirit Stones. Then, with a thought, he summoned the Zhan Xian Sword.
The black blade appeared in his hand. Its sinister, bloodthirsty aura was completely retracted; even up close, it looked like a mundane, albeit sharp, weapon.
The sword spirit had been playing dead ever since the bonding ritual. It—or rather, she—was probably still sulking about the lie he told to tame her.
He couldn't help but smile. The feeling of regaining his partner was wonderful.
Just as he traced his finger along the cold steel, he heard footsteps thumping up the stairs. He hurriedly shoved the sword back into his Storage Ring.
"Xiao Feng! Open up!"
He opened the door to find Su Miaoqing standing there, smiling like a flower in bloom. She held a wooden tray in her hands.
On it sat a bowl of steaming, dark liquid that radiated dense Spiritual Qi, along with rolls of gauze and several bottles of medicinal powder.
"Xiao Feng, move! It's heavy!"
Xiao Yifeng quickly stepped aside, letting her bustle into the room and set the tray on the table.
She turned around, hands on her hips. "What are you standing there for? Come here. I need to bandage your wound, and then you need to drink this Foundation Strengthening Medicine while it's hot."
Xiao Yifeng felt a lump in his throat. "Senior Sister... did you prepare all this?"
Su Miaoqing’s face flushed red. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Me? Prepare this? As if! Mother had the servants make it and ordered me to bring it over. Don't flatter yourself. Now sit! Give me your hand."
"Senior Sister, you noticed?" Xiao Yifeng sat down, smiling wryly. "It's really fine. I can handle it myself."
"I'm not blind," she huffed. "Every time I grabbed your left hand today, you flinched or pulled away. You and your macho act... Hmph. Hand. Now."
She didn't wait for his permission. She grabbed his left arm and rolled up the sleeve.
There, she found the wound already neatly bandaged.
"Huh?" Su Miaoqing paused, her eyes narrowing.
She inspected the dressing. "Why is this a woman's handkerchief? And tied into a cute little butterfly knot?" She sniffed the air. "And this medicinal powder... this isn't the standard issue from Wuya Hall."
She looked up, her eyes sharp.
"Uh..." Xiao Yifeng broke into a cold sweat. "That... a Junior Sister from Rufeng Hall helped me bandage it during the mission."
"Oh?" Su Miaoqing’s voice went up an octave. "So you’ve been getting cozy with a Junior Sister, have you? Seems you were enjoying yourself quite a bit in the Enforcement Hall. Hehehe... just wait until I tell Mother!"
"Senior Sister, you misunderstand!"
"Shut up!"
She began to strip off the old bandage with aggressive efficiency. However, Su Miaoqing had been pampered her entire life; she had never treated a wound before. Her movements were clumsy, and she compensated for her lack of skill with excessive amounts of gauze.
Within minutes, Xiao Yifeng’s left hand was wrapped so thickly it looked like a giant rice dumpling. He couldn't move his fingers at all.
"Senior Sister," Xiao Yifeng said, looking at the monstrosity on his arm. "With my hand like this, how am I supposed to hold a spoon? I’d better feed myself."
Su Miaoqing’s face turned beet red. She quickly let go of his hand. "Fine! Do it yourself then!"
Xiao Yifeng picked up the bowl of medicine with his right hand. He stared at the dark liquid, hesitating.
He knew alchemy. He could smell the ingredients. This bowl contained rare herbs that were incredibly expensive—especially for Wuya Hall in its current financial state. Yet, Lin Ziyun had brewed it for him without a second thought.
Sigh. Another debt I can never fully repay.
"Xiao Feng, why do you look like you're about to drink poison?" Su Miaoqing asked, puzzled. "What's wrong? ...Fine, I won't tell Mother about your little girlfriend."
Xiao Yifeng shook his head. He lifted the bowl and downed the scalding liquid in big, greedy gulps.
"Pfft!" Su Miaoqing laughed. "Slow down! You're drinking like a starving ghost reincarnated. It's medicine, not soup! No one is going to steal it from you."
Xiao Yifeng slammed the empty bowl onto the table and wiped his mouth. He looked at Su Miaoqing, his expression suddenly serious.
"Senior Sister. You, Master, and Mistress... you are the people who treat me best in this world. As long as I, Xiao Yifeng, have breath in my body, I will never let anyone harm a single hair on your heads."
Su Miaoqing froze. Her face instantly turned crimson.
She stood up abruptly, grabbing the tray to hide her fluster. "W-what nonsense are you spouting? With your pathetic skills, you can't even beat me! Protect me? Hah! In your dreams!"
"I can't be bothered with you!"
She spun around and practically ran out of the room, fleeing as if a demon were chasing her.
Xiao Yifeng watched the empty doorway, a warm smile lingering in his eyes.
Master, Mistress, Senior Sister... since you treat me with such sincerity, I swear I will not let Wuya Hall repeat the tragedies of the past.