Chapter 367: The Girl Back Then

Night fell, and the curtain of darkness descended.

For the entire day, Xia Xiaomeng had no heart to look at the memorials.

Or rather, Xia Xiaomeng did look at them, but after several hours, the memorial spread out in her hands remained unfinished.

Xia Xiaomeng eventually gave up.

Thinking back to what happened during the day, Xia Xiaomeng slumped over the desk, burying her small face in the crook of her arm.

Inside the Imperial Study, the flickering candlelight danced across the young woman’s fair, tender cheeks.

The girl’s long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her eyes were filled with nothing but Lin Xun’s figure.

Ultimately, under Qin Ming’s persuasion, Lin Xun agreed to go to the Zilin Holy Land.

This was all within Xia Xiaomeng’s expectations.

No matter how much Lin Xun hesitated, Qingshang would secretly guide him from the side.

Therefore, Lin Xun going to the Zilin Holy Land first had long been a foregone conclusion.

However, even though she clearly knew this…

Why was it so hard to accept?

She also wanted to go to the Zilin Holy Land; she wanted to be with Xiao Xun forever.

But Xia Xiaomeng knew that was impossible.

She could not leave the Qian Kingdom; if she did, the Qian Kingdom would fall into chaos.

Furthermore, how could she even go?

Before entering the Immortal Realm and gaining a certain level of self-preservation…

If her identity as both an Emperor and a Cultivator were exposed,

it would bring infinite trouble to Qingshang and Xiao Xun.

But…

Very soon, very soon,

Xiao Xun would be leaving, heading for the Zilin Holy Land.

She had gone through so much trouble to trick Xiao Xun into the palace.

She had finally managed to be with Xiao Xun.

Even if she could only be intimate with Xiao Xun behind Qinger’s back, she was content.

But now, even such opportunities…

Were they about to disappear?

Xiao Xun was leaving tomorrow; with what emotions should she see him off?

“Xiao Xun.”

The girl buried her entire face in her arms, softly calling his name.

Her gentle voice echoed softly in the room, blending with the bright moonlight that spilled across the floor.

“Husband.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you nervous, Husband?”

“Nervous?”

“Yes, we’re leaving for the Zilin Holy Land tomorrow. I heard there’s a selection process. If we pass, we’ll become Cultivators—those legendary Immortals.”

Jiang Qingshang sat on the bed, stroking Yaya’s hair as she smiled at Lin Xun.

“Actually… it’s alright. There’s definitely some nervousness.”

Lin Xun sat beside Jiang Qingshang and pulled her by the shoulder.

“But as long as Qinger is by my side, none of that matters.”

Jiang Qingshang snuggled gently into her husband’s embrace. “But I heard there are many Fairies on the mountain. Surely you won’t get bored of me one day and go looking for other Fairies?”

“That definitely won’t happen.”

Lin Xun promised with a laugh:

“Cultivators are indeed much better looking than average people, but not everyone is as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal. Besides, Qinger’s beauty can already crush countless so-called Fairies.”

Raising her head from her husband’s chest, Jiang Qingshang looked at Lin Xun with blinking eyes. “You seem very experienced, Husband… Have you seen many Fairies?”

“Uh…”

Lin Xun’s eyes darted around.

“How could I have experience? It’s just that back when I was traveling the Jianghu, I did see a few so-called Fairies, and they were indeed not as good-looking as Qinger.”

“Then…” Jiang Qingshang’s beautiful eyes held a smile like early spring, “What if you see that Zilin Saintess?”

“Then I wouldn’t even spare her a second glance!” Lin Xun promised.

“Really?”

“Really!”

“Alright then, I shall believe you, Husband.”

Jiang Qingshang gently closed her eyes.

However, in Jiang Qingshang’s heart…

The girl’s lips curled up slightly as she imagined just how shocked her husband would be when he found out she was the Saintess of the Zilin Holy Land.

That day shouldn’t be too far off.

“Qinger,” Lin Xun called out softly after a while, holding his wife in his arms.

“Hmm…” Jiang Qingshang nuzzled against Lin Xun’s neck.

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning. I want to go give my final report to Her Majesty, so I might need to head out for a bit.”

Lin Xun spoke with a bit of a guilty conscience.

In truth, an Attendant Official didn’t need to give a final report at all.

But when he agreed to that Qin Ming today that their family of three would follow her to the Zilin Holy Land,

Lin Xun felt that Sister Mimi’s state was a bit off.

Even though Sister Mimi still appeared so calm,

Lin Xun knew that she must be feeling very upset in her heart.

He needed to talk to Sister Mimi; he couldn’t just leave like this.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

Moreover, before leaving this time, he wanted to give Sister Mimi some things.

“Mhm, of course you can. Come back soon, Husband.”

Jiang Qingshang no longer suspected her sister.

Besides, they were leaving tomorrow, so there was no need for suspicion anymore.

“Then I’ll head out now. You go to sleep first.”

Lin Xun tapped Jiang Qingshang’s nose, stood up, and walked toward Xia Xiaomeng’s bedchamber.

However, when Lin Xun reached Xia Xiaomeng’s bedchamber, a maid told him, “Her Majesty has not returned yet.”

Lin Xun thought Sister Mimi was still in the Imperial Study, so he went there, but he still came up empty.

“As expected.”

Looking at the night sky, Lin Xun sighed and then merged his Divine Sense into the world.

This was a move Lin Xun had realized back when he was attempting to unite his Dao with the world.

Even if the opponent was in the Ascension Realm, his Divine Sense probe would not be detected.

The only drawback was that the range was not large.

Lin Xun sensed as he walked.

Finally, after passing through the royal gardens, deep within a patch of naturally growing woods, Lin Xun pinpointed Xia Xiaomeng’s location.

This place was in a very remote part of the palace, so remote that it faced the Imperial Study from across a distance; likely even palace maids wouldn’t go there.

Continuing through that unkempt woods, Lin Xun arrived at a bamboo grove.

For some reason, the terrain of this bamboo grove felt somewhat familiar to him.

An indescribable familiarity.

He continued forward.

Just as Lin Xun passed through the bamboo grove and stood on a hillside looking out, his pupils constricted slightly.

Before Lin Xun was a small village.

The silver moonlight spilled down, enveloping the entire quiet village.

In the village, at the corner of a small alley, stood a small thatched cottage.

Inside the cottage, the candlelight was like a lighthouse at sea, reflecting against the darkness, waiting for someone to return.

Lin Xun remembered.

This bamboo grove was where he and Sister Mimi had met when they were children.

This village was where he and Sister Mimi had lived as children.

Stepping into the deserted village and walking to the courtyard glowing with candlelight, Lin Xun pushed the door open and entered.

In the courtyard, just like when they were little, the girl was holding him tightly, looking up at the starry sky.

Only, the girl from back then…

Had now grown up.