Chapter 9: Farewell Xiaohua

  Wang Long opened his eyes, and the divine light in his eyes flickered. Although there was no light entering the cave at this time, it was pitch black. However, Wang Long could see the rhombus-shaped strange rocks with distinct edges, even the ants on the ground were clearly visible. The slow flow of water made Wang Long feel particularly intimate. This injury could be said to have turned into a blessing in disguise.

  Wang Long activated his divine thoughts and entered introspection, discovering that the spiritual elixir in his dantian had grown from the size of a thumb to the size of an egg. His Five Elements Divine Technique had also reached the late stage of the third layer. His muscles were as hard as steel, and golden-colored blood flowed throughout his body, thick and sticky.

  As he exited the cave, he saw that Mount Wenming stretched for hundreds of miles east and west, with strange peaks rising steeply, the mountain range undulating and majestic, with lush forests, dense shrubs, fragrant flowers everywhere, and a blue mist shrouding the entire mountain. The blue mist was clear and beautiful, reflecting the rugged rocks and deep valleys.

  It seemed like it was already the time of spring and summer, but he didn't know how long he had been in the cave.

  Wang Long returned home as swift as an arrow, and when he arrived at his house, it was already noon.

  Wang Bing was helping his daughter Wang Feng with her homework, although he only had a primary school level education. However, since Wang Feng was also in the third grade of primary school, she could still manage to guide him. Meanwhile, Liu Chu was cooking lunch in the kitchen.

  When Wang Bing saw his son standing in front of him, looking more spirited than before, his eyes became moist. Wang Feng looked up and saw her brother standing in front of her, excitedly threw down her pen, and laughed as she stuck to her brother's side. Liu Chu also rushed out after hearing Wang Feng's voice, and upon hearing her son call out "Mom", tears began to flow from her eyes.

  "Long Er, it's been six months, you're finally back! I'll go cook some more dishes that you like, wait for a bit." She wiped away her tears and went back into the kitchen. Wang Bing held his son's hand, smiling happily as Wang Long briefly told him about what had happened during his time away. He asked about the situation at home, and Wang Long's face took on a strange expression.

  "It's strange," he said doubtfully to Wang Long, "during the time you were away, several groups of people came looking for you. There was even a girl named Xiao He who claimed to be your classmate, and she would often call to ask about your situation. However, some of them wanted to capture me, your mom, and your sister. But no matter what they did, they couldn't get close to us. Not even when they opened fire could they hit us. That time, there were several people with guns who shot at us, but we managed to dodge their bullets. They didn't succeed, so they left. After that, the number of visitors decreased."

  Wang Long listened to his father's words and smiled reassuringly. At the time, he had given his family members a jade pendant imbued with his spiritual energy, which would protect them from harm unless someone with stronger powers came along. If the pendant were to break, Wang Long would be able to sense it immediately.

  Fortunately, his master had left him these precious items; otherwise, his family would have been in great danger. After collecting his thoughts, Wang Long smiled and said to his father, "Those people are the culprits who kidnapped my sister last time. As for why they couldn't harm you all, it's because of the three jade pendants I gave you. You can rest assured that they won't be able to hurt us. And I'll go take care of this matter myself. Xiao He is a classmate from school."

  Wang Bing patted his son's shoulder worriedly and said, "Long Er, you've grown up too. Be careful outside, okay? Don't worry about it for now, let's just eat first. You must be starving after not coming back for half a year!"

  Standing in front of the table, looking at the full table of dishes, my sister exclaimed beside me: "Wow, there's good food to eat, it's great that brother is back." Wang Long saw the full table of his favorite dishes, and his eyes became moist. It's still good to be home, only at home can you have moments when your loved ones are attached to you. Wang Long made a silent vow in his heart: he must not let his father, mother, and sister get hurt, even if it means sacrificing his own life to ensure the safety of his family.

  It has been almost half a year since he stayed in the cave. During this period, Wang Bing personally went to school to ask for leave on behalf of Wang Long, saying that he would go to school as soon as Wang Long recovered. When the principal heard that the top student who had entered the school with the first place in the whole school was ill, he also wanted to visit Wang Long at home, but was delayed by Wang Bing and did not go. He only reminded Wang Bing that Wang Long must rush to school as soon as he recovered, and Wang Bing hastily agreed happily.

  It's already May now, and the school is about to have its final exams. Wang Long spent an evening at home with his family, and then rushed to school the next day. First, he found the principal, cancelled his sick leave, and guaranteed that he would not fall behind in his high school courses. Looking at the principal's concerned and happy smile, Wang Long also felt a warm feeling spreading throughout his body.

  During the time Wang Long was absent, Xiao He felt like she had lost something in her heart, empty and hollow. Wang Long's especially sweet smile kept appearing in her mind. She also gathered up the courage to go ask Liu Wei, a classmate of Wang Long's who lived in the same dormitory as him, about Wang Long's situation when he fell ill. Every week or so, she would call Wang Long's home to ask about his condition, but Wang Long's father always said that he was still recovering from his illness. She herself was very busy with her studies in high school at the moment, otherwise she really wished she could go visit Wang Long.

  Xiao He walked in the campus on a clear morning, the campus was quiet. The fog spread over the ground, like a thin veil, surrounding the campus. The sun gradually rose up. At first, it was just a thread of red line, then it was like a shy little girl showing half of her smiling face. In an instant, the sun suddenly rose high into the sky. The sun had risen! The sun showed its smiling face! It seemed to represent the beginning of a new day. The flowers, grass and trees were also awakened. There were still dew drops on the petals! Before long, the dew drops rolled down from the petals. The air in the campus was very fresh. It was cool and moist, making Xiao He feel very relaxed. But when she thought of Wang Long, her heart felt a pang of sadness. With her head down, she slowly walked along the small road in the campus towards the teaching building. "Xiao He, good morning." A voice sounded beside her ear, this voice was so familiar, Xiao He lifted her head and saw the smiling face that had appeared thousands of times in her dreams facing her, Xiao He's eyes became wet, a crystal clear tear rolled down her cheek while she unknowingly said: "Wang Long, you're better now? Good morning." Wang Long handed Xiao He a tissue, looking at Xiao He's pale and tired face with tears on it, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and said emotionally: "Thank you for your concern, I'm fine now. Let's go to class, we'll be late if we don't hurry up." Xiao He lowered her head shyly, feeling that the flowers by the road were smiling at her happily.

  Here is the translation:

  Class was over, and Wang Long invited his dormitory classmates to go out of school to have lunch together, as a way to celebrate his recovery. Dongfang Lan from their class also tagged along, saying she wanted to join them. Liu Wei jokingly said to Wang Long, "Wang Long, during your illness, a certain classmate cried until her eyes were red. Do you know who it was?" Dongfang Lan's face immediately flushed with two beautiful red clouds, and she gave Liu Wei a cold stare. Gong Guang and Kong Yong burst out laughing, but Liu Wei didn't dare to laugh, as he had seen what happened when someone tried to flirt with Dongfang Lan before.

  Wang Long gratefully said, "This time I was sick, I really appreciate everyone's concern. Today at noon, I'll treat you all to a good meal. Where do you want to go?" Gong Guang, Kong Yong, and Liu Wei all pointed at Dongfang Lan and said, "Let her choose, ladies first." Dongfang Lan raised her lovely head and pointed at the restaurant near the school gate that students often went to, "Wang Jie Xiangcai Restaurant", saying, "Let's go there. The food there is not bad."

  When Wang Long first came to high school, he had come with his father to this restaurant, so he knew it was a place where ordinary people could afford to eat, and the prices were not expensive. He knew they were trying to help him save money, and he gave Dongfang Lan a grateful glance. Everyone agreed, and they walked into "Wang Jie Xiangcai Restaurant" together.

  When they saw Dongfang Lan, such a beautiful girl, walk in, many male classmates who were eating there stared at her in surprise. They found a clean big table to sit down, and still let Dongfang Lan order the food. Dongfang Lan casually ordered a few dishes, and everyone happily started eating.

  After Dongfang Lan's face returned to normal, she asked, "Wang Long, what was wrong with you this time? Why were you sick for so long?" Wang Long had originally wanted to make up an excuse, but seeing their concerned expressions, he told the truth: "Actually, I offended Ouyang Li and got beaten by his people."

  Dongfang Lan suddenly stood up: "What? Was it Ouyang Li who ordered someone to beat you up? What did you do to offend him?" Wang Long smiled wryly and said, "It wasn't a big deal. Last time I saw him doing something bad, so I taught him a lesson. Who knew that would lead to revenge? Don't worry, everyone, let's just continue eating."

  Gong Guang, Kong Yong, and Liu Wei all looked shocked, as they had never known why Wang Long was sick for so long. Now hearing Wang Long say this, they all showed anxious expressions, worried about Wang Long because Ouyang Li's family had a lot of power in both the black and white worlds. The rumor went that "it's better to offend Yama than to offend Ouyang". Now that Wang Long had made an enemy of Ouyang's family, it would be big trouble for him.

  Dongfang Lan said, "Wang Long, why don't I tell my dad about this and let him think of a way to help you?" Wang Long smiled and refused: "No need, Dongfang Lan. Thank you for your concern. I can handle it." Because Wang Long had never shown off his martial arts skills in front of them before, it was no wonder they were all worried now, like ants on a hot pan.

  Back in the dormitory, Wang Long comforted a few roommates and didn't think much about it. Now the key is to prepare for the upcoming final exam.