Chapter 4973 — Good News and Bad News
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Mm, for now that's all we can do," Wei Zhao said with a nod.
"By the way, Wei Zhao, how long were you planning to stay this time?" Ning Xuefei asked then.
"That..." Wei Zhao glanced at the two women, unable to bear it. Because of Chang Minghui's presence, this trip was in truth a flight, and by any reckoning he could not linger—the sooner he left, the better. Staying here would put not only himself in danger but perhaps drag Ning Xuefei and Huo Yudie down with him, and that was a regret he would never be able to undo.
And yet the two women had waited for him so long—Ning Xuefei above all. Unlike Huo Yudie, who had at least gathered with him once on the Giant's Path, she had waited until this very moment just to see him, and now after a hurried reunion they must part again. It was, truly, a little cruel.
"Leave tomorrow morning instead, won't you?" Ning Xuefei clung to Wei Zhao's arm and wheedled.
"Tomorrow morning?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had meant to stay at least two or three days to keep Ning Xuefei company, and he had not expected the girl to be so considerate. His heart warmed. "All right. I'll leave tomorrow morning."
"Then where are you headed next?" Huo Yudie asked.
"I was originally going to your Morning Star Academy, but since you've come all this way, Yudie, there's no need for me to make the trip. Give my apologies to Aunt Liu for me, will you?" Wei Zhao smiled apologetically. Here too was a considerate girl: she had hurried all the way to Xiangyun Academy not, as Ning Xuefei said, to spend a few more days together, but to save him time. Wei Zhao knew it perfectly well.
"Mm. So you're going back to the North Island next?" Huo Yudie pressed.
"Before I go back to the North Island, I mean to take a turn through the Middle Island," Wei Zhao said after a moment's thought. He had not seen Tianchan and Xueli and the others for a long time. Last time he returned to the North Island he had said he would go to the Middle Island to visit them, and then he had ended up going to the West Island instead. This time he could make up for it.
"Oh. What a pity it's inconvenient this time—otherwise I really would like to go to the Middle Island with you and meet the Tianchan and Xueli you and Jingjing are always talking about," Huo Yudie said with regret. She had just succeeded in breaking through to the Mystic Rising stage and must now spend her time consolidating her cultivation and realm; Liu Ziqi would never let her go running about.
"Yes, yes, I was thinking the same thing—what a pity!" Ning Xuefei sighed along with her. Huo Yudie was at least half a graduate by now, while she had only just enrolled; there was even less chance of her running off anywhere.
"Don't worry, there'll be chances enough in the future," Wei Zhao said with a smile, comforting them both. Then he added, "By the way, Yudie, I've already spoken to Xinyan and Xiaotao—told them to stand and fall together with you once you reach the Mystic-Rank sea region. When the Mystic-Rank sea region begins taking recruits, send me word, whether or not I can make it in time. At the very least I want to know where you are."
"Mm, I understand." Huo Yudie nodded again and again.
"Oh no—you're all going off to the Mystic-Rank sea region, so what about me?" Ning Xuefei said, her face fallen.
"You?" Wei Zhao and Huo Yudie exchanged a smile. "You'll stay here and cultivate properly, of course. Even if you are the princess of the West Island, you can't go to the Mystic-Rank sea region before you've reached the Mystic Rising stage, can you?"
"How annoying. If I'd known, I'd have cultivated properly from the start—then I wouldn't be left behind all by myself now," Ning Xuefei grumbled.
Wei Zhao couldn't help laughing at that. "If you cultivated properly, you wouldn't be Ning Xuefei."