Ye Qingyu didn’t quite agree with the hypothesis Su Mo put forward, but when he planned to apply it to himself, she nodded with satisfaction.
Because she did the same thing herself—seeking breakthroughs from within the limits.
“Sometimes I even wonder which one of you is actually my real sister. Now it seems—it’s you.”
Ye Qingyi stared blankly with her mouth wide open: “Huh? Wait… so I’m the outsider now?”
Su Mo said smugly, “With me in the picture, that won’t happen.”
“Hmph, that’s just turning things upside down!”
“Officially certified—there’s nothing you can do about it. Nah nah nah~”
“Big sis, look at him!”
Ye Qingyu said flatly, “Both of you, knock it off. Or I’ll throw you both out in a minute.”
Only then did the two fall silent.
Watching them still making faces at each other, Ye Qingyu suddenly let out a silent smile: This is nice.
——–
Inside a courtyard somewhere in the capital, Yin Tianxi and Nangong Xuan were staring gravely at the elderly man before them.
He sat with his eyes closed, regulating his breath, his entire body radiating a faint milky-white glow.
Suddenly, he opened those cloudy eyes, and a glint of clarity slowly surfaced within them. Before long, he let out a long breath and broke into a joyful expression: “It really works! My qi sea has been restored—now I just need to rebuild the snow mountain.”
None of that really mattered. At his age, strength was no longer the top priority—longevity was what truly counted.
Perhaps due to the recovery of his cultivation, Qin Xun’s hunched body miraculously straightened up. Though his white hair and wrinkles remained prominent, he no longer had that frail, sickly look from before.
“Congratulations, Old Qin.” Yin Tianxi beamed. He and Qin Xun were of the same generation.
“Congratulations, Elder Qin.” Nangong Xuan was a generation younger.
Aside from these three, Yang Jie was also present, assisting on the side. When he saw his master had recovered to the qi sea realm, that stoic face of his finally cracked a smile.
“We’re all family here, so I’ll skip the formalities. I just never expected that six-headed serpent spirit herb to work so well—not only did it repair my foundation, but it also bought me a few more good years.” Qin Xun chuckled, clearly in a great mood. He was about to call out for Yan’er, but then suddenly remembered she was no longer by his side.
Before he could sink into melancholy, a cheerful voice came from outside the door—Ye Qingyu’s: “Congratulations, Elder Qin! I could feel your success from way off.”
Her voice arrived before she did, but the first person to appear in the doorway was Su Mo. He said joyfully, “Master, you’re better!”
Seeing him, Qin Xun’s spirits lifted once more: “Yes, thanks to your six-headed serpent spirit herb.”
Su Mo immediately spotted Yang Jie standing to the side and said, “Senior apprentice brother has been by Master’s side day and night—”
Before he could finish, Yang Jie cut him off: “Alright, enough with the sweet talk. If Master says you made the biggest contribution, then just take it. After all, the Commander sent you to the island nation because he believed in your abilities. In the end, you didn’t disappoint—you completed the mission flawlessly.”
Su Mo got the hint and didn’t say another word. Ye Qingyi stood beside him and greeted each of the elders in turn.
Ye Qingyu, meanwhile, walked straight up to Yin Tianxi: “Elder Yin, my sister completed the Commander’s mission, but you haven’t shown any sign of rewarding him. What do you say…”
Nangong Xuan’s eyes widened: “We’re still preparing it!”
Ye Qingyu drew out a long “Oh,” then said with a teasing tone: “You wouldn’t just be giving him a medal, would you?”
Nangong Xuan’s face darkened instantly. He coughed awkwardly: “Ahem ahem… of course not…”
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank the Commander!” Ye Qingyu grabbed the still-dazed Su Mo and shot him a series of urgent glances.
Then she pulled in Ye Qingyi as well.
“Su Mo also made tremendous contributions. Without her help, Qingyi would never have been able to defeat the mastermind.”
Faced with Ye Qingyu’s blatant “credit-claiming,” the two oldest men in the room—Yin Tianxi and Qin Xun—both just smiled warmly. Yang Jie looked like he was enjoying the show. Only Nangong Xuan wore a helpless, wry smile.
Of course there would be a reward, and a substantial one at that—but Ye Qingyu was clearly angling for “extra pay.”
“Nor will he be left out,” Nangong Xuan promised.
“As expected of the Commander—so generous!”
After the credit-claiming was done, Nangong Xuan’s expression suddenly turned serious. He glanced first at Ye Qingyu, then at Qin Xun and Yang Jie, and finally fixed his gaze on Su Mo and Ye Qingyi. He asked solemnly: “Don’t you two have something to say?”
“Yes, we do.” Su Mo raised his hand obediently and said earnestly, “We have a secret.”
“If it’s a secret, you’re free to keep it.”
“Talking out of both sides of your mouth…” A scornful voice drifted in from the side. Nangong Xuan didn’t dare talk back, because the voice belonged to none other than Yin Tianxi.
Only he could completely overrule Nangong Xuan—no one else could.
“Everyone here is an elder or family member we trust. There’s nothing we need to hide.” Su Mo and Ye Qingyi exchanged a glance and said in unison: “Actually—I am Su Mo (I am Ye Qingyi).”
The room fell dead silent.
After a long pause, Su Mo suddenly broke into a grin and said, “But I’m guessing you all already knew, right? If I’m not wrong, it must have been Senior Apprentice Brother and Elder Long who spilled the beans.”
“I only told Master,” Yang Jie added casually, his implication clear.
“It’s really not a big deal. At first it felt a bit strange, so we kept it under wraps. But now? We’re used to it.” Su Mo grinned, and Ye Qingyi nodded in agreement.
“Really? I don’t buy it.” Yin Tianxi said suspiciously, his expression completely transparent—seventy percent nosy curiosity and thirty percent pure disbelief. The typical elderly restraint simply didn’t exist for him, neither on the surface nor in his demeanor.
Su Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, thinking to himself—Shouldn’t you big shots be more concerned about other things?
But he still answered Yin Tianxi’s question very respectfully: “When you run into a problem, you solve it. But before you solve it, there’s no point in making yourself anxious over it.”
Hearing that, the two seniors and the two middle-aged men all cast approving looks his way. Yang Jie in particular—beneath his stern exterior, a trace of pride was hidden.
Why? Because he was the one who trained them.
“Well said. Young people should stay optimistic—that’s how you live freely.” Yin Tianxi nodded, clearly affirming Su Mo’s answer. But he didn’t press further, instead turning to Qin Xun with a smile: “You two have your talk. My apprentice and I won’t disturb you—just don’t forget what I told you.”
Qin Xun gave a meaningful nod: “Will do.”
Though Su Mo had no idea what decision they’d come to, he had a vague feeling it had something to do with him.
Only after they’d all left, leaving only the most trusted people in the courtyard, did Su Mo finally let out a breath. But when he looked at Qin Xun, his gaze faltered slightly: “Master…”
Qin Xun slowly closed his eyes and ignored him.
Yang Jie signaled with his eyes from the side, and Su Mo quickly stepped forward, about to say something—when he suddenly noticed something wrong with his master’s expression.
Before he could move closer to check, Ye Qingyu frowned and said: “Not good—Elder Qin’s life force is suddenly draining away at an alarming rate. He’s not ignoring you… he’s passed out.”
