novelraw Chapter 1289: Giving Him to Me? Are You Trying to Set Me Up?
Chapter 1289: Giving Him to Me? Are You Trying to Set Me Up?
Little Qiongqi waved its small claws, bouncing and hopping around, muttering in beast language that even Han Yan found muddled, until the Fierce Stone Demon ran off. Only then did it come to Han Yan’s side, rubbing its head against her leg, looking at her eagerly."Hmm... well done, worthy of being one of the legendary Four Great Fierce Beasts." Such a blatant move asking for praise was something Han Yan certainly noticed, so she patted its head and praised it.
"Awoo!" Little Qiongqi let out an excited cheer as if it had received a great reward, bouncing and hopping around Han Yan.
Xia Youchen wore a look of melancholy, pouting, almost bursting into tears.
He had been fleeing all this way, narrowly escaping death time and again, and Little Qiongqi hadn’t taken a single action, its timid demeanor making him secretly anxious. But as soon as it encountered Han Yan, its temperament completely changed, daring to risk its life against the powerful Fierce Stone Demon.
Weren’t you supposed to love peace, dislike fighting and killing? He couldn’t see any of that.
A traitor, turning against me, an ingrate... Xia Youchen cursed in his heart.
"Worthy of being one of the legendary Four Great Fierce Beasts, truly... truly amazing." Zhu Xiuqing saw Little Qiongqi showcasing its divine power, remembering his earlier reckless actions, feeling a wave of fear, he sycophantically flattered Little Qiongqi.
Little Qiongqi was too busy being cute and playful in front of Han Yan to pay any attention to him, not even casting him a glance. Zhu Xiuqing was left at a loss, not daring to get angry, awkwardly retreating with a red face.
"By the way, who is this?" Zhu Xiuqing looked at himself, then asked.
Since the Fierce Stone Demon had run off, they no longer needed to flee for their lives.
"I am..." Upon hearing someone inquire about him, Zhu Xiuqing habitually started to boast again.
"You don’t need to pay attention to him; just call him Xiao Ming." Han Yan waved her hand, interrupting Zhu Xiuqing’s self-praise before he could speak.
"Xiao Ming..." The dignified Heir of Prince Anxi, the future Prince Anxi, was now reduced to "Xiao Ming." Zhu Xiuqing was filled with depression, yet dared not retort.
Although the Fierce Stone Demon had now fled, who knew if it might return, not to mention this place being in the heart of the Longyan Mountains, who knew what other dangers might come their way, so he dared not provoke Han Yan.
Seeing Han Yan had no intention of paying him attention, Zhu Xiuqing obediently sat down, having been oppressed by Lady Mu for so many days, he seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
"Can’t you sit like a human being?" Han Yan was genuinely somewhat unable to bear Zhu Xiuqing’s dog-like sitting posture.
"Oh." Zhu Xiuqing looked up and down at himself, not seeing anything inhumane about his sitting position, but obediently moved a stone to sit on it.
Alright, now he didn’t look like a big yellow dog, but that hunched sitting posture, combined with his ingratiating smile, looked every bit like a bullied little wife.
Seeing this, Han Yan’s mouth twitched, deciding to say no more.
"By the way Lady Mu, we’re already within Shangyue Territory, what brings you here?" Xia Youchen, unconcerned with the human-sword-pet-like bullied fellow, continued his previous question.
Han Yan simply mentioned the Royal Sword Hero Academy’s rookie competition, as for the Jiuyou Netherworld and the Great Calamity, such things shouldn’t be shared with outsiders.
"By the way, I have a friend named Ye Yanran." After explaining the purpose of coming to Shangyue, Han Yan suddenly said.
Last time at Illusion Dragon Hall, upon meeting Ye Yanran and learning of her origins, Han Yan commanded the Nanyan Commerce to seek Xia Youchen’s whereabouts, yet he had vanished, not knowing he had ventured deep into the heart of the Longyan Mountains.
"Ye Yanran?" Xia Youchen’s eyes slightly narrowed, evidently unfamiliar with that name, but the surname evoked memories long sealed in his heart, memories he could never forget.
Han Yan noticed the change in Xia Youchen’s eyes and slowly revealed Ye Yanran’s background.
"You... you’re saying, Ye Yanran is my descendant, and back then Qiu Ling left me not out of heart but out of necessity, fearing to burden me?" After listening to Han Yan’s words, Xia Youchen grabbed Han Yan’s arm, excitedly asking. Qiu Ling was likely Ye Yanran’s great-great-grandmother, Xia Youchen’s former lover.
"Yanran said her great-great-grandmother left you a letter on her deathbed, you’ll understand once you see it." Han Yan said.
"Lady Mu, I will immediately head to Longyan Academy, you take care on your journey." Upon hearing Ye Qiuling had left a letter for him, Xia Youchen became anxious, unwilling to delay any longer, he stood and headed in the direction of the Anyun Country.
"Wait a moment." Han Yan called out to Xia Youchen.
"Lady Mu, last time at Flying Peak you saved me, and this time, if not for you, I wouldn’t have escaped, if the grandparents reunite, it will be thanks to you, such gratitude I’ll never forget and will definitely repay someday." Xia Youchen stopped and solemnly spoke to Han Yan.
Actually, the previous escape wasn’t due to Han Yan’s efforts, but rather Little Qiongqi’s display of divine power. However, without Han Yan, this traitorous, ingratiating ingrate might not have acted, so the credit was placed upon Han Yan.
"That’s not what I mean, I meant to say, you going straight to Longyan Academy like this means you probably won’t get out. If you get caught, it could also implicate Ye Yanran." Han Yan shook her head and said.
Back then, due to Ye Qiuling being betrothed to another, Xia Youchen had a falling out with his mentor, seriously injuring them during an argument, and then defected from Chenxing Academy, eventually becoming An Yun’s public enemy.
If he tried to find Ye Yanran, it’s not just traveling to Longyan Academy, but escaping any chance would be slim. Once their relationship was exposed, even Ye Yanran would suffer.
"Alas, my impulsive decisions back then caused a disaster, and now it’s too late for regret." Xia Youchen sighed with a face filled with remorse, pausing his steps.
Realizing he had wronged his mentor and Ye Qiuling, all his hatred melted away, filled with remorse, already careless about life and death, even if Longyan Academy was a perilous place, he’d dare to tread, but considering this could endanger his only descendant, how could he risk it?
"I’ll write a letter and you take it to Fang Village to give it to the Fang Family Patriarch; he’ll find a way to communicate with Ye Yanran so you can reunite as grandparents." Han Yan thought for a moment and said.
Fang Village, located outside the Capital, where both Nanyan Commerce and the Fang Family were her people, and with Qu Shanling, the half-baked Star Divination Master in charge, it wouldn’t be easy for the information to leak.
"Lady Mu, the kindness you’ve shown to my Xia family, I truly don’t know how to repay. Why not, I’ll gift you this Qiongqi Divine Beast, since I see it and you have a bond, even if the contract can’t be undone, it’s willing to stay by your side." Xia Youchen, looking at the still playful Little Qiongqi clinging to Han Yan’s pant leg, gratefully said to her.
"Senior Xia, you aren’t trying to trick me, are you?" Han Yan’s expression changed, speaking with suspicion.