Chapter 3185 — Tang's Mother Has Returned

"A Heaven-Rank expert from overseas?" Wei Zhao was all the more puzzled. "There are Heaven-Rank experts overseas? And this Heaven-Rank expert actually came all the way out here?"

"That's right. He belongs to an organization called the Overseas Cultivators' Association. His name is Tang Yuqi—I don't suppose you've heard of him?" Qiu Lingshan said.

"Tang Yuqi?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. The name did seem somewhat familiar to him, and after a moment's recollection he remembered just who this person was! Back then, when he and Gu Mengyao and the others had gone to see a movie, Zhong Yongliang had come along too, and there in the cinema they had run into a man named Tang Yuqi—an overseas detective!

Wei Zhao's impression of the man was not bad on the whole. Could it be that this fellow was one of the villains?

"Yes. But he's decent enough, actually. He pursues me, but he doesn't go too far, and I don't think he has any ill intentions..." Qiu Lingshan said. "Just give him a proper lesson and make him back off—that will be enough."

"Ha, and why should I teach him a lesson?" Wei Zhao asked in return.

"Huh?" Qiu Lingshan was briefly stunned, then said in annoyance, "Fine, then I'll just say yes to him!"

"What I mean is, making him back off doesn't necessarily require teaching him a lesson," Wei Zhao said with a smile.

"You're a bad man!" Qiu Lingshan said angrily. "Little Simpleton won't dual-cultivate with you anymore!"

"Heh heh..." Wei Zhao chuckled. "How about this—the next time Xu Shilan goes out, invite him along as well. Xu Shilan has a great many enemies. Things may be quiet for now, but there's no guarantee no one will try to ambush her again, so I can't leave her side."

"All right, but don't let it end with the bodyguard turning into the boyfriend!" Qiu Lingshan said with a touch of envy and resentment. "Just like Gu Mengyao."

"Yaoyao's gone..." Wei Zhao sighed.

"What? Gone? What do you mean? She's dead?" Qiu Lingshan asked in horror! When someone spoke of a person being "gone" in such a heavy tone, it usually meant they had passed away, and Wei Zhao's tone had been so grim that Qiu Lingshan could hardly be blamed for jumping to that conclusion.

"Pfft..." Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears. "No, nothing like that. She went to an ancient sect and became its inheritor—the kind of summons you can't refuse... When there's time, I'll tell you the details."

"She... is an inheritor too? She's gone as well?" Qiu Lingshan was even more astonished. "All right, then tell me about it when you have time. And then—whenever you head out, just give me a call."

"Will do," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"He agreed? Good... I really didn't expect him to be the bodyguard of a big star. So that means his skills should be pretty decent—but I'm a Heaven-Rank expert now. Is he really so confident he can beat me?" Tang Yuqi muttered to himself.

Qiu Lingshan had told him that Wei Zhao was Xu Shilan's bodyguard and had been rather busy lately, which was why he hadn't come looking for her. Tang Yuqi had accepted this readily enough; after all, when a star went out, her bodyguards had to accompany her around the clock.

"He agreed. But you'd better not get your hopes up—your strength may be impressive, but his is even greater," Qiu Lingshan said, pouring a bucket of cold water on him.

"That's all right. I'll prove myself," Tang Yuqi said, brimming with confidence. Now that Wei Zhao had agreed, he indeed stopped pestering her and went straight off to read the case files.

Qiu Lingshan had just sat down to get to work when the phone rang. She picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number, then answered politely: "Hello, this is Qiu Lingshan of the Donghai City Police Bureau!"

Her phone might bring calls from victims' families or from public-spirited citizens offering clues to crimes, so Qiu Lingshan never let a single call go unanswered.

"Officer Song, hello. I'm Wang Yujie, Tang Zhi's mother. Gu Mengyao gave me your number and told me to contact you directly!" Tang's mother's voice came over the line.

"Ah, hello, Auntie Wang. No need to be so formal—just call me Lingshan!" Wang Yujie was Tang Zhi's mother, so Qiu Lingshan naturally did not dare put on airs, and treated Wang Yujie as her elder.

"Heh heh, good, then I'll call you Lingshan." Tang's mother did not stand on ceremony either. "By the way, Lingshan, Uncle Tang and I have arrived in Donghai City. We're getting ready to meet his nephew!"

"Ah, you've already arrived? Wonderful! Where are you? I'll come pick you up right away!" Qiu Lingshan was both surprised and delighted. Tang Yuqi's reason for staying in Donghai City was to meet Tang Jucheng face to face; now that Tang Jucheng had come, once that meeting was over, he would have no reason to remain here any longer.

"No need—someone's driving us back. Just name a place and we'll head straight there!" Tang's mother was quite a formidable figure in Snow Valley, no less influential than Gu Mengyao in the Dark Night Palace, and when she went out she had disciples specially assigned to escort her. In a word, she was a real big shot.

"How about this—let's go to the Liuweiju Restaurant in Donghai City. It's a rather famous restaurant here. I'll reserve a table, and we'll meet there shortly. How does that sound?" Qiu Lingshan thought that Tang Jucheng's family had originally been from Songshan City and would probably be visiting Donghai City for the first time, so she chose a well-known restaurant.

"Fine, then it's the Liuweiju!" Tang's mother said, then turned to the disciple driving the car: "Hey, set the navigation—we're going to the Liuweiju!"

"Yes, Auntie Wang!" The disciple nodded hastily.

After hanging up, Qiu Lingshan passed the news on to Tang Yuqi. Though Tang Yuqi would have liked to stay in Donghai City a while longer to court Qiu Lingshan, he had not forgotten his proper business—the true purpose of his return to the country this time was to find his second uncle!

He was a filial son. Though his lifelong happiness mattered, being able to fulfill his father's wish mattered even more, so he said hurriedly, "Lingshan, thank you so much! Shall we set off now?"

"Yes, get yourself ready and we'll go to the Liuweiju." Qiu Lingshan nodded. Today she had no way of refusing to go out together with Tang Yuqi.

But Tang Yuqi had clearly cast to the back of his mind all excitement over accompanying Qiu Lingshan. What occupied his thoughts now was that once he met his second uncle Tang Jucheng, he could tell his father—and his father too could come to Donghai City. In a sense, the fallen leaves were returning to their roots!