My Dreams Connect to Ancient Times-Chapter 120 - 98: The Curtain Falls, the Daoist Ancestor Forges the Youth with a Hammer
Heaven and Earth were the furnace, Qing Ping the hammer, the Daoist Ancestor the smith, and the young man a sword embryo in the forge.
Time flowed by.
......
「East Sea City」
More than a full month had passed since that great storm, yet the entirety of East Sea City was still draped in white, and memorial altars could still be seen on the streets.
Too many people had died that day.
Over a month was not enough to wash away the anguish of friends and family, but the dead were gone, and life for the living had to continue. The city, too, had begun to run once more.
Those who had to work still went to work, and those who ran stalls still set them up. The biggest difference was that the crime rate within the city had dropped to an all-time low. Even the most unruly members of the Martial Arts Alliance, having been through that life-or-death battle, no longer dared to menace ordinary people.
The residents of the shantytown had returned to the city, and the entire district, with funding from Longque Technology, had been renovated. It was completely transformed, and the foul, sour stench was gone.
Butcher Zheng was still selling pork, and Old Chen continued to sell his sugar-roasted chestnuts. Old Li, however, had stopped selling roasted sweet potatoes and had gone to the market to start a small business.
"Uncle Chen," the young woman asked softly after buying a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, "has Xiaolu not returned yet?"
"Not yet," Old Chen sighed. "I don’t know how that kid is doing... Don’t you worry, girl. That boy’s been lucky since he was small. He’ll be fine, he’ll be fine..."
The girl nodded silently, and carrying the bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, she boarded the same bus she had once taken with the young man. She returned to the Upper City District, back to her home.
She leaned back on the sofa, quietly peeling the chestnuts while absentmindedly listening to the news on television.
"The Langya Provincial Governor has stated that the investigation into the East Sea City attack will continue, with an intensified crackdown on the Evil Cult to ensure the safety of every citizen’s life and property..."
The sugar-roasted chestnuts tasted very sweet in her mouth, but with Xiaolu not there beside her, they somehow weren’t as sweet anymore.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Xiaoyan shot to her feet, the sugar-roasted chestnuts scattering across the floor. She paid them no mind, scrambling to the door and yanking it open.
"Cough, cough!"
Yan Huang’s face was all smiles.
"Did my darling daughter miss me?"
Surprise flashed across Xiaoyan’s face, followed by a flicker of disappointment. Finally, the two conflicting emotions warred on her expression, leaving her looking utterly conflicted.
After a long moment, she nodded, then shook her head and said honestly, 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"I did miss you, but I was hoping more that it would be Xiaolu at the door."
The smile on Yan Huang’s face crumbled.
He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and said sourly,
"Don’t worry. I’ve already found a master of Divination. They said that although the kid’s fate is too hazy to read clearly, they can confirm that he’s still alive!"
Only then did joy finally bloom on Xiaoyan’s face.
Just as she was about to say something,
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
The knocking sounded again, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Is Xiaoyan home?"
Yan Jiangxue bolted forward, moving so fast she nearly broke the sound barrier, and threw the door open.
Outside the door stood the young man, the same familiar smile on his face.
"I’m back," he said softly, a little sheepishly. "I came straight here, so I didn’t have time to buy you anything."
The girl threw herself into the young man’s arms.
The summer evening breeze was just right, neither hot nor cold, causing the hems of the young man and woman’s clothes to flutter. Xiaolu felt the soft warmth in his embrace and gently patted the girl’s back, while Xiaoyan, both crying and laughing, held him very, very tightly.
Everything was beautiful in the quiet moment... except for Old Yan, who was grinding his teeth so hard they audibly clicked.
