Chapter 296: Keep Talking, I’m Listening
The atmosphere within the cave mansion was somewhat awkward.
Luo Cong’an tidied her slightly disheveled Taoist robe and cleared her throat.
“It’s not impossible for me to let you go, but you have to promise me one condition.”
Chen An looked up at her, “What condition?”
Luo Cong’an pondered, “Today’s events will surely cause Xiaoqiu to misunderstand. You have to promise me to keep it a secret.”
Chen An frowned slightly, “That’s not a difficult matter. There’s actually no connection between you and me, so I can just come up with an excuse to get past it.”
“But what do you plan to do about your dual-soul situation? Have you thought it through?”
Chen An’s words made Luo Cong’an fall silent.
She leaned against the stone wall, her expression one of bewilderment. If not for the other consciousness that had suddenly appeared in her mind, she should have been the revered peak master of Mount Qingcheng, a powerful cultivator at the forefront of the spiritual energy revival.
Oh, wait. With the help of that other consciousness, she had already successfully reached Foundation Establishment. In terms of her current realm, she was at the pinnacle of this world. She would have been a loving and kind Master, doting on her disciples.
Instead of being a bad woman, openly snatching a man in front of her disciple.
Furthermore, even taking a step back, if it were true that after finding this ‘Mister,’ they would merge into one. That would have been fine, saving a lot of trouble.
But fate often played a cruel trick. She hadn’t lost herself. She had even gained the upper hand when the main body’s spiritual energy was depleted, forcing the other entity into slumber.
However, that was all she could achieve. She couldn’t forcefully sever ties with the other consciousness, just as the other consciousness couldn’t directly erase her when it was at its peak. Their origins were fundamentally one. They simply had different experiences, carrying different memories and emotions.
For the red-eyed Luo Cong’an, Mister was her sole belief in defying the heavens and crossing time and space. Everything else could be discarded before Mister. But for the Luo Cong’an from Blue Star, she didn’t know any Mister at all. She just wanted to tend her own small patch of land and cultivate peacefully.
Therefore, when faced with Chen An’s question, Luo Cong’an had no answer. After all, what had happened to her was too astonishing.
The woman thought for a long time, only managing to utter four words.
“I don’t know.”
Not only could Luo Cong’an not find an answer, but Chen An couldn’t provide one either. His usually calm demeanor had, for the first time today, rippled slightly. It was like a stagnant pool suddenly receiving a new source of water, becoming turbulent.
A moment later, Chen An spoke again.
“So, can you unbind me now?”
This was the third time he had asked this.
Luo Cong’an’s expression froze. Then, her hand, hidden beneath her Taoist robe, formed a hand seal, and the tendrils of spiritual energy binding Chen An disintegrated. Chen An finally regained his freedom.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that immortality didn’t mean one could act recklessly. Especially when encountering unreasonable people who could bind you in an instant. His purity, perhaps, was on the verge of being ruined.
At this moment, Luo Cong’an spoke from across from him. She said, “How about this? We’ll say you have extraordinary talent, and I, seeing this and being eager to recruit talent, and also seeing that the matter was almost over, brought you back to the sect to thoroughly examine your aptitude.”
“What do you think?”
After speaking, the woman sought Chen An’s opinion.
Chen An raised an eyebrow, “Is that reasonable?”
“It’s very reasonable.”
Facing Chen An’s slight doubt, Luo Cong’an made the decision. Chen An couldn’t think of a better excuse for the moment, so he nodded, “Then take me back.”
Hearing this, Luo Cong’an thought for a moment and took out some change from her robe, handing it over.
“Here.”
“It’s still early, you can walk down the mountain and take a taxi back.”
Chen An’s footsteps faltered. He stopped and turned to look at her. The woman slowly shifted her gaze away, avoiding his eyes. She whispered in defense, “It’s not that I don’t want to fly you back, but spiritual energy is a rare commodity these days. We have to adapt to the times and use tools flexibly…”
…
…
Small town.
Sunflower Orphanage.
After that fierce young man was ‘invited’ away by a powerful immortal cultivator, Wang Que immediately demonstrated his professional demeanor.
He first signaled the female members of his team to send the unconscious Zheng Qing and Lin Jingqiu to the hospital. He then arranged for two people to collect Zhang Asi’s body and send it to the nearest non-natural phenomenon disposal bureau outpost as soon as possible. Otherwise, if they delayed any longer, they might be intercepted by their counterparts who would arrive soon.
As for himself, he led the remaining personnel to clean up the battlefield. To put it bluntly, they were sweeping the street. After all, white, yellow, and unidentifiable foul-smelling liquids were all over the ground. If not for their hardened psychological fortitude, they wouldn’t have dared to get their hands dirty. They worked efficiently and quickly restored the entire street to its original appearance.
After completing all this, Wang Que dismissed his team and went alone to the small convenience store that had been temporarily requisitioned. After a quick wash and tidying himself up in front of the mirror, he strode towards the orphanage not far away.
Unlike the earth-shattering commotion outside the compound, this small orphanage seemed to be in a state of perpetual peace and tranquility. As Wang Que walked in, he happened to hear the sound of reading coming from a classroom. He followed the sound and saw a small figure sitting silently on the steps outside the classroom. A cascade of long hair fell down, covering most of the girl’s face.
Wang Que had come to clean up after the powerful figure from Mount Qingcheng. From his perspective, the young man who had walked out of the orphanage was clearly not a bad person. In fact, he had saved their lives. Moreover, judging by the powerful figure’s attitude towards the young man at the time, there must have been some hidden circumstances. That’s why he had planned to inform the orphanage.
However, Wang Que was now in a dilemma. He only knew that the young man had come out of the orphanage but didn’t know his name, so he was unsure how to begin the conversation.
Just then, a stylish young man with a middle part storming out of the adjacent restroom. The next moment, he saw the stranger standing in the open space and looked surprised. Qin Shou frowned and shouted at him, “Hey, you over there, is there something you need?”
Hearing the shout, Wang Que turned around. He exuded no air of importance. Even though Qin Shou’s tone was abrupt, he greeted him with a smile. He explained patiently, “Little brother, it’s like this. I’m from the Qing City police. There was a very serious robbery outside just now, but don’t worry, the criminals have been stopped by us in time.”
As Wang Que spoke, his mind raced, and he improvised. “But, a young man about your age happened to walk out of the orphanage. He acted bravely and helped us greatly. So I’m here to inform you that he needs to come back with us to give a statement and might not be back for a while…”
His voice suddenly stopped because a handsome, yet raggedly dressed young man walked through the main gate, appearing within their sight.
Chen An saw both of them staring at him blankly and couldn’t help but be taken aback. He immediately looked at Wang Que and said, “Keep talking, I’m listening.”
(End of Chapter)
