Reunion After a Short Separation

"Lingling, why did you stop..." Xiao Wu's words trailed off, her eyes locking onto the person she had been eagerly waiting for—Zu Zong.

Her pupils contracted instantly, "Xiao Zong—" Without caring that Ye Lingling was still there, Xiao Wu leaped forward and threw herself into Zu Zong's arms. Her slender hands instinctively wrapped around his neck, hugging him tightly, and her rosy face pressed against his chest.

Zu Zong could clearly feel Xiao Wu's rapid heartbeat. He, too, was equally excited to see her again.

Feeling her soft body in his arms, Zu Zong wrapped his hand around her slim waist, his eyes misting up for the first time in his life.

Ye Lingling remained silent, giving the two of them a complex look before turning her gaze away.

"Xiao Wu, be good, don't cry. I promised you I would come back alive." Zu Zong gently patted her back.

"Wu Wu—Xiao Zong, did you abandon me? You left for so long again..."

It was no wonder Xiao Wu was so emotional. Since meeting Zu Zong, the two of them had been together for six or seven years, with the longest separation being only about a month—except for that one time when Zu Zong obtained his third soul ring and met Zhu Zhuqing.

This time, however, Zu Zong had been gone for over two months. Although he had left word before he left, Xiao Wu couldn't stop worrying. She had asked Dugu Yan several times about his whereabouts, and Dugu Yan repeatedly reassured her that Zu Zong was fine, but he never returned. 

Later, even Dugu Yan stopped coming to the academy. Several times, Xiao Wu had wanted to run to Sunset Forest to find him, but she remembered Zu Zong's instructions and, not wanting to cause him trouble, threw herself into training to distract her thoughts.

"How could I abandon you? I'd never do that. It's my fault for making you worry." Zu Zong's chest was soaked with Xiao Wu's tears, her slender hands clinging tightly around his neck as if afraid he would leave again.

Xiao Wu raised her head, her eyes red from crying. She pouted, "Then you're never allowed to leave me again. Even if you have to go train, you must take me with you."

"Alright, alright, I promise." Zu Zong gently wiped away her tears while comforting her.

Moments later, the three of them sat at a stone table.

Zu Zong and Xiao Wu sat together, and perhaps because she was afraid he might leave again, Xiao Wu held onto Zu Zong's arm tightly, unwilling to let go.

Zu Zong glanced at Ye Lingling sitting across from them, smiled at her, and then turned his attention back to Xiao Wu.

"How have you both been, Xiao Wu and Lingling?" Zu Zong asked.

"Fine," Ye Lingling responded, her usual cold demeanour unchanged. Although she had become more open around Zu Zong and Xiao Wu, she still wasn't very talkative.

Xiao Wu, on the other hand, had recovered her spirits after crying, releasing the pent-up emotions she had been holding in for the past two months.

Xiao Wu began to explain, "After you went to see that old poison master, we saw an explosion not long after. Lingling and I were worried something had happened to you, so we went after you. But when we got there, you were already gone. Later, Teacher Qin and Sister Yan also came, and Teacher Qin didn't let us go after you. She brought us back to Heaven Dou Academy, while Sister Yan went to find that poison master. You heartless guy, you didn't even send a message. Every time I asked Sister Yan about you, she said you were fine, but even she stopped coming to the academy."

Zu Zong nodded, somewhat surprised as he looked at Ye Lingling. It was understandable that Yu Tianheng, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo wouldn't come looking for him; after all, they weren't that close. But the fact that Ye Lingling, an auxiliary-type soul master, was willing to risk her life to follow Xiao Wu in searching for him was something that caught him off guard.

Although it was unexpected, Zu Zong was genuinely touched that Ye Lingling was willing to put herself in danger to save him. It was true that you see who your real friends are in times of trouble, and Zu Zong had already planned to give her a rare herb in return.

Zu Zong thought for a moment and explained, "After returning from Suotuo City, I told Sister Yan that she might experience a backlash from her snake venom. She went back to ask her grandfather, Dugu Bo, about it, and then Dugu Bo came looking for me. When I met him, I realized I was right—not only Sister Yan but even Dugu Bo himself was affected. After that, I stayed behind to help them detoxify. Sister Yan probably didn't come back because Dugu Bo took her to find the soul bone they needed for the detox. She's probably still in seclusion."

Zu Zong chose to downplay the dangerous parts of his experience. After all, he had made it through safely, and there was no need to worry Xiao Wu any further.

"No wonder Yan Yan had such a guilty look every time she saw Xiao Wu," Ye Lingling said. Now that she knew Zu Zong was safe, her tense nerves seemed to relax a little.

Zu Zong nodded. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was not far from Dugu Bo's lair, and although he hadn't seen Dugu Yan in the past two months, he had overheard her pleading with her grandfather not to hurt him several times.

Speaking of Dugu Bo, Zu Zong remembered how Sword Douluo had come to his rescue earlier in the day. Judging by his tone, Ning Rongrong had requested help from her sect. If that was the case, Zhu Zhuqing must have come to Heaven Dou City too.

"Xiao Wu, has Zhuqing also come to Heaven Dou City?" Zu Zong asked, looking at her.

"Hmph! You only care about Zhuqing, not me!" Xiao Wu pouted in mock annoyance. She reached for Zu Zong's waist, pinched a bit of skin, and twisted it 180 degrees.

Zu Zong, having endured the pain of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring, wasn't bothered by this, but he still let out a playful yelp to humor her.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

"Serves you right, you flirt!" Xiao Wu stuck out her pink tongue and made a funny face at Zu Zong.

Then, her expression turned a little sad. "The other day, Lingling and I were training at the back of the mountain. When we returned, we heard that Shrek Academy wanted to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but that jerk Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing called that old poison master to chase them away. Teacher Qin felt guilty toward his old school and left with Shrek Academy. I think Zhuqing must have heard about your situation as well."

Zu Zong suddenly realized, "So the storyline hasn't deviated too much from the original after all."

Inwardly, he felt fortunate that Shrek Academy's teachers had stopped Zhuqing from doing anything reckless. Otherwise, she might have gone to Sunset Forest to search for him.

Thinking of this, Zu Zong felt grateful to Ning Rongrong. If it weren't for her asking Sword Douluo for help, even if someone had stopped Zhuqing, with her stubborn personality, she would have tried to sneak out anyway.

No matter the outcome, it wasn't something he wanted to see. If anything had happened to her, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

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