Chapter 273 - 272: Longevity Village

Chapter 273: Chapter 272: Longevity Village

An hour later, Gu Qingyin was already halfway through her meal when Zhang Qiuyan burst through the door of the private room.

By then, the spicy hot pot had turned Gu Qingyin’s lips fiery red and her cheeks rosy. She looked the very picture of health.

Zhang Qiuyan breathed a sigh of relief. "I’m so glad you’re okay." Her face was full of remorse. "I honestly forgot yesterday. I’m just so used to it that I didn’t think anything of it. I’m so, so sorry."

Gu Qingyin hissed, fanning her mouth with her hand. "It’s fine, it’s fine. It wasn’t anything serious. I’ll be good as new after a little rest."

Huo Yunjing remained silent, his expression grim. His displeasure, however, was palpable.

Huo Xingchen’s little brow was furrowed as well, but since his mom had said she didn’t mind, he felt he had no place to reprimand Zhang Qiuyan. All he could do was stew in silence.

Master Huo, however, had no such reservations. His face was cold as he said, "How could you forget to give a warning about something so important? Who will ever trust you to guide new Heavenly Masters into the association again?"

The color drained from Zhang Qiuyan’s face. She opened her mouth as if to explain, but in the end, all she said was, "I’m sorry."

Master Huo said nothing, his expression icy.

Gu Qingyin smiled, trying to smooth things over. "It’s alright. When people get busy, it’s easy to forget things. It’s not a huge deal. I’ll be fine after a couple of days’ rest."

Zhang Qiuyan managed a weak smile, but the sadness in her eyes remained.

Before long, the group broke up, and everyone went their separate ways.

Huo Yunjing asked Gu Qingyin, "You’re not going to pursue this?"

Gu Qingyin scoffed. "And how would I do that? She said she forgot. Am I supposed to insist she remembered perfectly well and did it on purpose? I’ll just have to be more careful from now on."

"But on the bright side," Gu Qingyin said, a happy glint in her eyes, "with what happened in the Array, I can shorten my reading time even more!"

"And the time until you can go home is extended again," Huo Yunjing added dryly.

Gu Qingyin sighed. "Can’t you let me be happy for a little while longer?"

Huo Yunjing chuckled. "It doesn’t matter. I’ll be here with you, anyway."

"And me!" Huo Xingchen piped up, poking his head out, unwilling to be left out.

Gu Qingyin fell asleep before they even got home. Huo Yunjing didn’t wake her, simply carrying her inside.

Huo Xingchen was very thoughtful the whole way, pressing the elevator button and opening the door, tiptoeing so as not to wake his mom.

In reality, Gu Qingyin was sleeping so deeply from the loss of Soul Power that a clap of thunder might not have woken her. When she finally opened her eyes, it was noon the next day. The groggy, muddled feeling in her head was gone, but she still felt a little exhausted.

Just as she finished washing up and was about to leave the bedroom, Huo Yunjing pushed the door open. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Gu Qingyin pressed a hand to her stomach, looking up at him pitifully. "I’m hungry."

Huo Yunjing took her hand, leading her out of the room. "The food’s been kept warm for you. You can eat right away."

Gu Qingyin’s eyes curved into a smile. She sat at the table and finished a bowl of soup before she remembered to ask, "Where’s Xingchen?"

"In the study, drawing talismans." Huo Yunjing picked the bones from a piece of fish for her. "He used up quite a few talismans on our last two outings. He said he needs to replenish his stock."

Gu Qingyin nodded and glanced toward the study, asking in a low voice, "His hands are so little right now. Can he still draw them properly?"

Huo Yunjing smiled. "They’re decent. Not as good as before, but they’re still usable."

Gu Qingyin smiled, too, then changed the subject. "Have you picked out our next Ghost Land?"

Huo Yunjing placed the deboned fish into her bowl. "I have. It’s a bit of a distance away. It’s a ghost village."

"Oh?" Gu Qingyin’s interest was piqued. "What kind?"

"There’s no one left alive in the entire village. It’s completely silent during the day, but once the sun sets, smoke rises from the chimneys. I suspect the ghost souls of the entire village are trapped inside their bodies." Huo Yunjing had never encountered a situation like this before. "We’ll have to go there to know for sure."

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow. "I’m going with you all."

"Alright." Huo Yunjing picked out another piece of fish for her. "Finish your meal first."

After another day of rest at home, Gu Qingyin felt she had more or less recovered. The family of three hit the road, picking up Master Huo, who was there to supervise, along the way.

The village wasn’t too far, only seven or eight hours by car. They arrived just as the sun was setting. Smoke drifted lazily from the village chimneys, making the scene look unnervingly normal.

"Longevity Village." Gu Qingyin rubbed her chin. "Well, the name has good intentions, at least."

Huo Yunjing drove straight into the village. The roads were unpaved and riddled with potholes, causing the car to lurch and sway. It only took a few jolts before Gu Qingyin started to feel carsick.

"Stop, stop, stop! I’m going to throw up."

Huo Yunjing slammed on the brakes. Gu Qingyin flung open the door, scrambled out, and crouched by the side of the road, dry heaving.

Grabbing a bottle of water, Huo Yunjing went to her side and gently rubbed her back. "Any better? Have some water."

Gu Qingyin rinsed her mouth and took a few sips of water to push down the nausea. She waved a hand dismissively. "It’s probably because I’m not fully recovered yet. I don’t normally get carsick."

Huo Yunjing’s lips tightened, a flicker of regret in his eyes. ’I shouldn’t have brought her with us.’

Gu Qingyin could tell what he was thinking. The corners of her eyes were red, but she gave him a smile. "It’s fine, really. I’ll be okay after some sleep."

"A lemon drop. Sucking on it might help you feel a little better."

Gu Qingyin turned her head and realized Master Huo had gotten out of the car as well. Behind him, Huo Xingchen was pressed against the window, watching her with a worried expression.

Gu Qingyin took the candy, unable to suppress a small laugh. "I’m really fine. I don’t feel sick anymore."

Huo Yunjing glanced at the candy, then turned and motioned for Huo Xingchen to get out of the car. "You two wait here. I’m going to find a place to park."

Gu Qingyin found a large rock and sat down, unwrapping the candy and popping it into her mouth. The sour lemon flavor exploded on her tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as the last vestiges of her nausea subsided.

Before Huo Yunjing returned, a few children came running over from the distance, laughing and shouting. When they saw the newcomers, however, they stopped short, eyeing them with cautious suspicion.

Gu Qingyin gave them a wide, friendly smile and a wave.

The children didn’t dare approach, even taking a few steps back.

Gu Qingyin sighed to herself, then gave Huo Xingchen a subtle nudge. "Son, you’re up!"

Huo Xingchen was speechless. ’Could she not say it like she’s unleashing a guard dog?’ Despite his thoughts, he obediently approached the other children.

You wouldn’t notice it at first glance, but as soon as Huo Xingchen stood near the other children, the contrast was stark.

The village children were dressed neatly enough, but their skin was clearly tanned, and they had the faint, ruddy cheeks that came from living at a high altitude.

Huo Xingchen, on the other hand, was fair-skinned and delicate. Dressed in a simple T-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap, his exquisitely handsome features made him look like a child model straight out of a magazine.

The village kids had never seen a child their age who was so beautiful; they all just stared, wide-eyed.

"A porcelain doll!" a little girl not much older than Huo Xingchen shouted, pointing at him. Her eyes were practically overflowing with adoration.

Seeing this, Gu Qingyin turned her head away to hide her smile. ’I never thought I’d see the day Huo Xingchen had to use his good looks to pry for information.’

Huo Xingchen flashed a particularly charming smile. In a voice that was both boyish and remarkably gentlemanly, he said, "Hi, my name is Huo Xingchen. Can I play with you all?"