CHAPTER 220: REUNION 2

Chapter 220: Reunion 2

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Hearing the man’s voice, her full attention shifted to him.

Her gaze was calm, as if she were looking at someone she had seen only a short while ago, yet at the same time distant, as if she hadn’t seen this person for an eternity.

A mix of emotions swirled within her striking eyes, but she decided to set them aside, the two realities of her current self and her past self were still merging.

She simply said,

"Indeed, it has been a long time, my dear," she spoke, gently placing Lin Xian aside, who had clung to her like a sloth, and moved toward Zhu Rong.

Her expression was composed, but he could sense that something more lay beneath it.

And indeed, as soon as she approached close enough, he let out a sigh and opened his arms, intending an embrace. But what he received was something entirely different.

Boom.

A simple move, but the force behind it was terrifying, to say the least.

A sharp strike to his chest sent Zhu Rong flying instantly.

He streaked through the air for miles in a flash before slowing and finally halting midair.

Seeing this, Yuan Lan’s expression was curious, like a cat discovering something intriguing, while Lin Xian, on the other side, looked surprised at the sudden attack, but only briefly, before a look of approval appeared on her face.

Yet this was far from over. In the next moment, a dark violet aura exploded from her, crackling with small lightning bolts, and she vanished from her original spot only to reappear in Zhu Rong’s position.

Having just managed to stop the momentum of the attack, he could do nothing but wear a defeated expression as he muttered,

"My dear, there are more loving ways to reunite, you know. "

But all he received in return was another powerful strike.

"Shut up, you bastard! Do you think I forgot the mess you caused last time?

What would have happened if we had lost our daughter back then?" she said, continuing her relentless assault. Soon, multiple explosions could be seen across the mountain in the distance, while the two women left behind watched curiously, one marveling at this unique reunion, the other shouting things like she would join in if it weren’t for her weak body.

The clash continued for several minutes, enough to turn the entire forest upside down, creating numerous craters, the largest one dwarfing all the rest.

There, lying on the ground, was Zhu Rong, small injuries scattered across his body, but a defeated smile on his face as he looked up at the figure on him, who had just finished beating him.

"Hah... I’ve missed this ferocious side of yours," he said, as if recalling past memories.

"What did you say?" she shot back, casting him a furious glance.

"I meant... you’re more beautiful than ever," he said, deciding not to test his luck further.

She didn’t seem convinced, but her fury had been successfully tempered.

She exhaled and collapsed onto his chest, exhausted from her outburst.

"I missed you too," she murmured.

***

After some time, atop the mountain hill now returned to its original state, three figures sat in a small yet cozy room.

Yuan Lan had already retreated into his dantian, leaving the three to their reunion.

Lin Xian was seated in a single comfortable armchair, yet her expression was tinted with irritation as she looked at the two in front of her.

Across the small table sat her two old traveling companions. One occupied a larger armchair, accommodating one of them, while the other had chosen a more relaxed position, legs resting along the side of the sofa, body leaning comfortably against her husband’s chest, as she sat on his lap.

Seeing her friend settle so casually as if no one else were in the room made a vein bulge on Lin Xian’s forehead.

"You two... would you prefer if I gave you some time alone?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm and discontent.

Zhu Rong, seated on the sofa with the dragon woman comfortably draped over him, finally turned his attention to her. A slightly amused expression flickered across his face as he said,

"Ah, right. You’re here too," he remarked, surprised but also mildly annoyed at being interrupted.

Lin Xian: "..."

’This bastard... just wait until I regain my strength.’

Seeing her friend on the verge of losing her temper, Liang Yuexin smiled and said,

"Come on, stop teasing her," she said, but then paused, noticing something, and added,

"By the way, dear, I’ve noticed you keep using the name you received in this life. Why is that?"

Hearing this, Lin Xian, having finally captured the attention of the two little lovebirds before her, looked slightly confused and replied,

"Well, isn’t it obvious? He can’t exactly go around using his old name, right? Not if he wants to keep a low profile for now." She reasoned, thinking that if he really went around using the name he had as the first human emperor, people would lose their minds, and there was even a small chance of attracting unwanted attention.

Liang Yuexin shook her head and said,

"No, not that. That was the name from back then. I meant his real name."

Hearing this, Lin Xian could only look puzzled at her friend.

Zhu Rong shook his head at their exchange and said,

"Well, it’s more convenient to use my current name, but you can call me by my real one," he said, caressing his wife’s arms.

She nodded, seemingly satisfied, and said,

"Hmm... though part of me is used to calling you by your new name, it still feels strange. I prefer the old one."

And once again, the two of them lost themselves in their own world, while the elf’s expression in front of them remained somewhat dark.

"Hey! Don’t leave me out! And what do you mean that wasn’t his real name? What is it then, and why don’t I know about it?"

For some reason, this irritated her, perhaps because the three of them had traveled together for years, often fighting mortal battles, and the bond between them was stronger than ever.

Yet hearing that she apparently didn’t know one of their names made her feel excluded.

"Huh? I thought you knew. After all, why do you think I gave that surname to my daughter?" Liang Yuexin replied, surprised.

Lin Xian blinked, confused. "I thought you gave her that name because it sounded nice," she said, as if it were obvious.

"Of course, that too. But the surname I gave her is her father’s, not just any random name," Liang Yuexin explained, pointing to Zhu Rong.

"His name is Ye Ni, Ye, like ’night,’ and Ni, like the madman he is," she joked. Lin Xian understood the reference, but it was a revelation nonetheless.

She wanted to ask more but decided to postpone it.

As enjoyable as this reunion was, the three had come for something else, something more urgent and important.

"You said that lunatic is still alive. Are you really sure? Last time, I personally made sure he wouldn’t return," she said, her expression serious.

Zhu Rong nodded, replying,

"During the incident with that lesser demon, there was a person involved who carried traces of that energy. Yuan Lan decided to imprison him in the secret realm, and I had the chance to examine him personally later.

It turns out he’s that person son," Zhu Rong said, recalling how the individual who had exploded alongside the Yin family’s underground mine was surprisingly alive, and moreover, inside the secret realm.

He understood why Yuan Lan had chosen to capture him. After inspecting his soul, he detected traces of that corrupted energy, subdued and controlled.

It wasn’t this man alone, but someone directly connected to him, someone Zhu Rong had known in his past life, a figure tied to memories he preferred to forget.

Hearing this, the expressions of the three grew serious. Even Liang Yuexin, lazy and playful, shifted her demeanor upon realizing who it was.

Back when the three had been unifying their empires, the constant threat of corrupted creatures weighed heavily. But what the historians failed to record was that these creatures were not the sole cause of that calamity, there was something else.

Humans... but not just any humans. These humans had become carriers of that corrupted energy, directly attacking the foundations of the three races.

They had willingly submitted to that being and aided in the destruction it wrought.

Among them, one in particular proved more troublesome than the rest, someone the three had to fight hard to subdue and defeat.