ETR | Chapter 61

The child's voice sounded clear, with a slight hint of hoarseness. As soon as he spoke, it was obvious he was a boy.

He's a friend of Xiao Wan's, huh.

Recently, Xiao Xueman had been feeling a bit down, but now he seemed to brighten up a bit as he carefully observed the young boy in front of him.

Xiao Wan's personality was a bit cold towards others, and he hardly ever made friends. Even his desk mate in the Seventeenth Heaven, the chubby kid, was just a classmate, not really a friend.

Perhaps many of the peers he interacted with before weren't great, but whether it was Luo Yinyin or Ning Ling, those matters were long past. Not all peers were like that; there were still many excellent, kind, and hardworking kids out there.

Xiao Xueman himself had many friends, and friendship could help people a lot. Xiao Wan would be living on the Spirit Realm Continent for a long time, and Xiao Xueman hoped he could accept some people as friends, even if just one or two, so he wouldn't be so lonely.

Now, he really brought back a friend from the mine.

Although Xiao Wan hadn't had the chance to introduce him yet, the two of them came in one after the other. If Xiao Wan didn't welcome this person, he wouldn't have acted this way or allowed him to follow.

"Have a seat first," Xiao Xueman invited the young boy to sit down. "Do you want to rest a bit like Xiao Wan before we talk?"

“Thank you.” The child expressed his gratitude. Even though he looked very tired, he still tried to maintain his manners and introduced himself to Xiao Xueman.

“I am from the Lin Ziyun Cat Clan. My name is Yun Rong, and my father is Yun Heng. Greetings to Your Excellency Xiao Xueman.”

Yun Rong didn’t sit down.

The complex salute he performed next was the highest form of respect in the demon clan, and he did it with skill and sincerity.

Xiao Xueman was taken aback; he hadn’t even had the chance to say who he was.

But he quickly realized.

The Lin Ziyun Cat Clan was known for their keen eyesight. This clan belonged to the larger cat family, but due to their exceptional talents, they were relatively independent and rarely interacted with other cat species in the larger group.

Lin Ziyun Cats were generally of the metal attribute, with sharp claws and teeth. But aside from that, they had a talent that was highly envied.

They could find treasures, and their sensitivity to spiritual power was dozens of times greater than other races, with extraordinary memory.

The more powerful demon clan settlements were generally in the Second Heaven. The Lin Ziyun Cat Clan was small, with the number of members never exceeding ten.

They usually didn’t concern themselves with outside affairs, but because of this talent, they were often coveted by those with ulterior motives.

Xiao Xueman had once helped Yun Heng by chance when he was in danger, and that’s how they got to know each other.

Yun Rong was the clan leader of the Lin Ziyun Cat Clan, with exceptional talent. He was also the only one who could tell that Xiao Xueman’s original form was unusual just by looking—but he never mentioned it and acted as if he didn’t know when interacting with Xiao Xueman.

They were considered ordinary friends, but their relationship was definitely not as close as with Shen Guan. Yun Heng didn’t like going out, and the Lin Ziyun Cat Clan had a bit of a homebody nature.

Sometimes, they would reluctantly come out when they caught the scent of a treasure that attracted them. Otherwise, with their almost cheating-like talent, they could easily navigate any mine or secret realm.

“My father often mentions you, and we have records in our clan. I’ve also seen your appearance. Recently, there’s been talk in the Upper Realm that Your Excellency Xueman has returned. I didn’t expect to see Xiao Wan in Jiantian Yin. He looks a lot like you,” Yun Rong explained.

“But I didn’t come with any particular purpose. It’s just that Xiao Wan and I happen to be the same age, and I’m only a year older. He’s very outstanding, and we get along well, so we teamed up in the mine.”

He addressed Xiao Xueman as Your Excellency, but didn’t call him Empress.

To be precise, those in the Upper Realm who knew the inside story wouldn’t call Xiao Xueman Empress; they would address him as Your Excellency.

This title was a respectful term for a Spirit God Level One, and although Xiao Xueman’s so-called Empress status was widely spread, he himself seemed to have never acknowledged it.

Moreover, the Empress of Wangtian Immortal Gate couldn’t suppress his own strength, so addressing him as Your Excellency was most appropriate.

“Alright, alright, no need to explain all that,” Xiao Xueman interrupted, seeing Yun Rong’s tired face as he tried to explain.

“Go rest with Xiao Wan. You’re both exhausted—no need to stand on ceremony.”

Xiao Xueman was staying in the largest room at the inn, and the bed was big enough for the two young boys to rest on.

Xiao Xueman prepared to make them something to eat.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Is Yu Zhengrong back?

Xiao Xueman wondered, and when he opened the door, he saw Qin Lou standing outside.

His eyes flickered, and he instinctively took a step back, but he didn't immediately tell him to leave like before. Instead, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

“I saw Xiao Wan come back. I wasn’t specifically following him; it’s just that when he returned, he happened to pass by my inn, and I saw him from the window,” Qin Lou explained.

“Yu Zhengrong said Xiao Wan went into Jiantian Yin and just came out of the mine, so he’s probably going to sleep for a long time. We were like that before, so I brought these.”

He showed Xiao Xueman what he was holding—it was some medicinal herbs.

“I remember you used to make some foundation-strengthening pills and herbal baths to stabilize the spiritual power and gains obtained from the mine after resting. Xiao Wan and his little friend probably need it too, so I prepared two portions,” Qin Lou said.

“I’ll leave after delivering these. I have no other intentions, and I know Xiao Wan doesn’t like seeing me. I don’t mean to disturb him.”

Xiao Xueman had naturally prepared these herbs, but he hadn't expected Xiao Wan to bring someone back, so he hadn't prepared two portions.

He glanced at the herbs. Qin Lou had been very thoughtful, and he was indeed familiar with Xiao Xueman's previous medication habits.

But Xiao Xueman didn't take them, and Qin Lou noticed his hesitation.

"I said before, I won't force you to be with me. I meant it, and I still do. If you don't want to, we can just be friends, ordinary friends," he said. "I was just obsessed before."

Xiao Xueman gave him a skeptical look.

Could he and Qin Lou really go back to being ordinary friends after everything they'd been through?

"Xueman, because of Tian Shu Academy, I know you hate being controlled. Now no one can control you, and I really won't make the same mistakes over and over again," he continued. "These are just ordinary herbs."

Qin Lou had many things he didn't say. Many things didn't need to be said; they just needed to be done.

While waiting for Xiao Xueman's response, he was initially extremely nervous, more anxious than ever. But as time went on without any news, he gradually calmed down and even felt a bit happy.

In this situation, no news was the best news.

Xiao Xueman had been truly disappointed in him before. No matter what he did or said, he was completely rejected. Now, with no response for so long, at least it was different from before.

Qin Lou's gesture of bringing things wasn't really a test; it was just a cautious attempt to express a bit of goodwill. If it was accepted, he would be very happy and wouldn't dare to ask for more.

Qin Lou had once told Xiao Xueman that the scariest thing he heard was "Xiao Xueman is just using him." But that wasn't entirely true. What he feared was that once Xiao Xueman avenged himself against Wangtian Immortal Gate and had no more use for him, he would leave.

If he could always be of use to Xueman, that wouldn't be scary at all. Qin Lou was more than willing, even delighted.

Xiao Xueman really didn't like his current indecisive state, but he couldn't think of a solution. Just then, there was a noise from inside, possibly Xiao Wan waking up.

He suddenly felt a bit nervous, not wanting the child to see the messy situation in front of him. He quickly grabbed the materials and pushed Qin Lou out, saying, "I know, you can go now. We'll talk later."

Seeing that he had taken the items, Qin Lou didn't linger outside and quickly left.

However, inside, Xiao Wan had only turned over and hadn't actually woken up. It was a false alarm.

Xiao Xueman stacked the herbs aside and sighed softly.

These things weren't worth much, not even a small favor. Compared to worrying about whether to accept them, the pills Xiao Wan had been using for three years were the real "gift" that was hard to explain.

Xiao Xueman wasn't soft-hearted towards Qin Lou; he just couldn't give Qin Lou a clear position in his heart anymore.

Previously, Qin Lou had saved him, which could barely be considered a life for a life. The chain incident was largely due to misunderstandings and the prophecy driving the insecure Qin Lou to act that way.

These had reasons and explanations, but the harm was real, and Xiao Xueman wasn’t one to go back to past relationships. Now, with Xiao Wan involved, it was a tangled mess.

At this moment, Xiao Xueman really wished Shen Guan were here.

He felt like he was back in that previous state, unable to see clearly because he was in the middle of it, and it wasn’t the right time to make a decision. If he had a friend—especially Shen Guan—he might be able to offer some useful advice.

Oh well, he’ll deal with Xiao Wan’s situation first.

Xiao Wan had just returned from the mine, and there were many things to prepare. After that, he would go find Shen Guan.

Xiao Wan and Yun Rong were probably really exhausted, as they rested for a whole day and night.

Xiao Xueman prepared a herbal bath, refined some pills, and even made a table of food. Just as he finished all this, the two kids woke up.

Yun Rong probably didn’t expect Xiao Xueman to prepare a portion for him too. He tried to express his gratitude formally, but before he could finish, Xiao Xueman pushed him into the bathroom.

“No need for so many formalities; it’s a hassle. Your dad wasn’t like this before,” Xiao Xueman said. “Since you’re Xiao Wan’s friend, no need to be so polite. Be good.”

Xiao Wan didn’t seem to have any objections to the term friend. While Xiao Xueman was outside, he could hear the two kids chatting in the bathroom.

“Your Excellency is really nice, very gentle, just like my father said,” Yun Rong’s voice came through.

“My daddy is, of course, the best in the world,” Xiao Wan naturally boasted about his father. “He lives very casually, doing whatever feels comfortable. You don’t need to be so formal; he’ll feel constrained if you do.”

“Okay, I understand,” Yun Rong obediently replied. “So when are you going to tell him about that thing?”

“Later… no rush, and don’t mention it yet.”

“Oh.”

Xiao Wan has something to tell me? Xiao Xueman heard this and was puzzled for a moment, thinking it might be something they encountered in the mine.