CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: DEPARTURE

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

Yun Ran’s age is actually similar to Zhuo Tingqiu’s, both being nine years old this year. As the granddaughter most doted upon by the Yun Family Head, she naturally has her extraordinary qualities.

Among her peers, Yun Ran not only has the best talent but is also the smartest. In dealing with others, she possesses a sharpness and wisdom that others lack, allowing her to stand out.

This was her first time going out without her elders, resulting in some overexuberance. Last night, she actually left behind her guards and maids, giving thieves an opportunity. Fortunately, she met good people who rescued her; otherwise, she dared not imagine what might be waiting for her!

After waking up and hearing from Lian Qiu’s mouth that Lian Qiu wasn’t very respectful to Gu Qingqing and her group, she immediately sought out the steward of the City Lord Mansion early in the morning to inquire about Gu Qingqing and their courtyard in order to personally express her gratitude and offer an apology.

"Miss Yun, you’re too kind. It was just a small effort." Although Rong Ye was dissatisfied with Lian Qiu’s attitude last night, he was not about to make things difficult for Yun Ran. He stepped forward and politely addressed Yun Ran.

"To Mr. Yu, it was just a small effort, but for Ran, it is a great kindness. I hope my savior will accept these gifts." Yun Ran personally handed over the prepared Storage Bag to Rong Ye, with a very respectful attitude.

"I will accept these things. Let this matter rest here, and Miss Yun can forget about it." Rong Ye didn’t wish to be too entangled with Yun Ran. He accepted the Storage Bag and spoke lightly.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Yun Ran’s eyes. She was, after all, a young lady of the Yun Family, and Rong Ye’s group had saved her life. They could easily use this as leverage, yet Rong Ye seemed disinterested in them. This made her believe somewhat that what Lian Qiu said about Rong Ye’s group being disciples of a Hidden Sect was true. At the same time, it made her more eager to befriend them.

Just as Yun Ran was about to speak again, Nan Hua emerged from within, holding Gu Qingqing in his arms.

"Little Five, it’s time to go." Nan Hua merely glanced at Yun Ran and the others, called out to Rong Ye, and continued on his way, holding Gu Qingqing.

Upon hearing this, Rong Ye replied and turned to Yun Ran, "Miss Yun, we are about to leave. Let this matter end here. I’ve accepted your gifts, and you needn’t dwell on it."

After speaking, Rong Ye disregarded Yun Ran’s reaction, walked past her, and caught up with Nan Hua and the others.

Yun Ran did not expect Rong Ye and his group to be so straightforward, intending to leave directly. She turned around and was met with a glance from Gu Qingqing. She was momentarily stunned, and when she tried to catch up with Nan Hua and the others again, it was already too late.

After leaving Chasing Cloud City, Nan Hua summoned two Immortal Cranes. Nan Hua took Gu Qingqing, and Rong Ye took Jun Wu, and together, they left Chasing Cloud City.

...

In the following days, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu continued moving between various peaks to study. Gu Qingqing recognized more and more characters and could write quite a few, having minimal issues communicating with others.

Previously, when Nan Hua sent Zhuo Tingqiu off, Zhuo Tingqiu was eager to befriend Gu Qingqing and insisted on leaving a Communication Jade Scroll with Nan Hua. After returning, Nan Hua sought Gu Qingqing’s opinion and gave the Jade Scroll to her. Thus, Zhuo Tingqiu and Gu Qingqing could chat regularly during which they became much more familiar with each other.

As the heir to the Zhuo Family, Zhuo Family members held strict expectations for Zhuo Tingqiu. If not for his insistence last time, the family wouldn’t have allowed him to leave home with just a few guards. Having encountered Gu Qingqing and experienced a series of events, he matured significantly and was highly praised by the family upon his return. Now, to the outside world, he was the mature and steady heir to the Zhuo Family, but in front of Gu Qingqing, he was just a normal ten-year-old child.

As Zhuo Tingqiu’s birthday approached, he extended an invitation to Gu Qingqing, inviting her to visit his home.

Upon receiving the news from Zhuo Tingqiu, Gu Qingqing went to ask Wen Guiyun.

"The Zhuo Family is not too bad. You can get to know them more. You’ve been on the mountain for a few months now; this is an opportunity to go out and have some fun." Wen Guiyun was always quite relaxed in educating his disciples. Gu Qingqing had been earnestly studying at Spirit Hidden Mountain for the past few months, and he did not see any harm in her going out to relax a bit.

Hearing she could go out and play, Gu Qingqing was very happy. Most importantly, she was curious about the scenes described by Zhuo Tingqiu and wanted to see for herself.

"Your eldest senior brother is in seclusion refining artifacts, and your second senior brother has had some insights lately and is also in seclusion. So, let Nan Hua and the other three accompany you, and take Jun Wu along as well." Actually, Wen Guiyun wanted all five of his disciples to go, but since Si Lin and Yue Zhao were in seclusion, he could only let Nan Hua and the other three accompany Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing had no objection to this, and upon hearing this, nodded her agreement.

Nan Hua and the other three, knowing the news, were also very happy.

Before Gu Qingqing came along, they were rarely seen at Spirit Hidden Mountain. They often disappeared, and Nan Hua hadn’t gone to visit his numerous female friends for quite a while, Mu Chen had stopped going out to search for herbs, and as for Rong Ye, he hadn’t gone looking for fights!

This time, having the chance to accompany Gu Qingqing out, without Si Lin and Yue Zhao following them, naturally made the three of them happy.

They did not have much to pack. After helping Gu Qingqing gather some food that couldn’t be found outside, they descended the mountain.

The Zhuo Family resided in Shangyang City, located in the southern part of the Great Zhou Dynasty, near the seaside, and at a distance from the Ten Thousand Miles Mountains. This time, instead of riding Immortal Cranes, they took a carriage, exclusively sponsored by Nan Hua.

The carriage was pulled by six Heavenly Qilin Horses, which were fourth-tier demon beasts. They were larger than ordinary horses, completely white in color, with a pair of white wings enabling them to fly, and were specially sought out by Nan Hua.

The carriage seemed small from the outside, but in fact, Nan Hua had applied a Spatial Array, making the inner space larger than a room!

In addition, the carriage’s decorations were very luxurious.

The carriage curtains were made from the rare Thousand-year-old Cloud Silk, which was extremely precious. The wood of the carriage body was made from the millennial Xiangyun Wood, the fragrance of which helps in calming the mind and is very beneficial for cultivation, making it invaluable and scarce in the market.

The vehicle floor was covered with a layer of cushion, providing great comfort to anyone sitting upon it.

This time, since they were taking Gu Qingqing along, Nan Hua also placed many snacks and storybooks inside, just in case Gu Qingqing got bored during the journey.

Ever since arriving at Spirit Hidden Mountain, what Gu Qingqing used, ate, and wore was the best. Her standards thus heightened, her mindset also became much more composed, not as easily amazed as in the beginning, and now, she was very calm.

Rong Ye did not enjoy sitting in carriages; he himself rode a Heavenly Qilin Horse, while Nan Hua, Mu Chen, and Jun Wu accompanied Gu Qingqing in the carriage.

With a few days left until Zhuo Tingqiu’s birthday, Gu Qingqing and the others were in no rush. They wandered as they traveled, turning the journey into a sightseeing tour.

That night, they could not make it to the next city in time, so they decided to camp outdoors.