Chapter 156 [Extra] Qi Guanrui
To this day, Qi Guanrui, who now has white hair and a youthful face, still occasionally thinks of that scene from many years ago.

He rushed into the forbidden area of ​​Yuling Palace and saw He Qing holding the young prince in her arms. The lightning above the dome was shocking. Even if the thunder fell, she would stand on that man and not move at all.

Even though he helped the two to buy time to escape, he could clearly feel that the moment he saw the two hugging each other, an emotion that could be called jealousy emerged in his usually peaceful heart.

Qi Guanrui didn’t understand at that time. When he heard that He Qing fell in love with his only disciple, he was obviously just worried about He Qing’s situation in Lingshan. He felt that even a strong man like He Qing had difficulty in falling in love.

Why did he seem unable to accept it after it was replaced by that young master…

The more he got along with He Qing, the more painful it became for him to think of the boundary between them, which was drawn by He Qing himself, called “friends”.

But he could only try his best to maintain his composure and carefully hide his feelings, not wanting to lose even the qualification of a so-called “friend”, and swallowing the bitterness brought by the word “accomplishment” alone.

When his eldest brother Qi Guanxiang was leaving Lingshan, he came to ask him, “Since he was trapped in Lingshan, did he know who he loved?”

He did not answer at the time, but only said that he did not want to be trapped in Lingshan, but wanted to enter the Tao to witness the change of heaven’s will.

But in fact, Qi Guanrui already knew who his crush was.

From beginning to end, I was just one person.

He Qing, who was aloof and serious, was the object of his admiration. She was the best among her peers and had a strength that he could not envy.

But the one he really fell in love with was He Qing, who was unrestrained, clear about what he loved and hated, and sober and decisive.

……

Qi Guanrui had broken through to the realm of refining emptiness two hundred years ago, and has been unable to break through since then. He thought, perhaps this is his limit…

As his cultivation improved, Qi Guanrui had a deeper understanding and insight into everything in this world, and could better understand the choices made by his grandfather and He Qing.

Since when, breaking through the realm and ascending to heaven is no longer an inaccessible peak. In the past few hundred years, there have been about five or six cultivators who have ascended to heaven and become immortals, transcending the mortal world.

Qi Guanrui believed that it was because of that person’s existence that the Heavenly Dao changed its mind and opened the way to ascension for all cultivators in the world.

So, even though there have been many rumors about that man over the years, saying that he died on the other side of the Sanzu River, that he died as a punishment from heaven after causing chaos in the world, and so on, etc. Qi Guanrui never took these rumors seriously.

He must still be alive in this world.

Two or three hundred years ago, Qi Guanrui still had some obsession, foolishly thinking that maybe He Qing was not dead, maybe his fate was changed by divine power, maybe, he was with that person.

But now, he has let it go.

If you miss someone, why should you be obsessed with whether the other person is still alive?

He Qing came from another world. If it weren’t for this experience, he wouldn’t even be able to know her.

In life, there are always things that are not perfect. Meeting, knowing each other, and parting, it is already a great fate to have this experience.

Even when He Qing returns to her original world, this yearning will not stop…

■

The last time Qi Guanrui saw this descendant of the Qi Guan family was when she was a child. Due to poor health, she was sent to Lingshan by the Qi Guan family to seek medicine. When he saw her again this time, she had grown into a graceful young lady.

Jingyi took out a letter, saying that it was an invitation to Tianqi’s 400th birthday. In fact, the deadline was approaching, and he wanted to ask Qi Guanrui if there was really another chance. Qi Guanrui did not take the letter, but said to Jingyi: “Go back and tell Tianqi that cultivation is not easy. Even if you have a natural talent, hard work is a lifelong lesson. If you only think about that opportunity, you have already lost it.”

Jingyi obediently put the post back into her sleeve pocket and said, “Yes, Second Master, I will tell Grandpa about this.”

Qi Guanrui nodded in appreciation, and looking at the only child of the Qi Guan family, he couldn’t help but said with concern: “Jingyi, although you have excellent aptitude, you still need to cultivate your character, so don’t worry about the opportunity.”

Jingyi smiled shyly and said, “Don’t worry, Second Master, I’m fine. I never took such a vague thing seriously.” After a pause, she said puzzledly, “However, I met a young man on the way to Lingshan this time. He also mentioned that our Qi family has an opportunity. Isn’t this opportunity a secret?”

“Young man?” Qi Guanrui frowned slightly. “What kind of young man?”

Jingyi explained in detail, but Qi Guanrui’s hands hanging by his side unconsciously clenched, his pupils trembling with excitement. He asked, “But did you meet him in the village thousands of miles away from Mount Yu?”

Jingyi said hesitantly: “Uh, Second Master, I don’t know the way very well, and I don’t know if it is in the demon clan’s Yushan.”

“Yes! It must be…” Qi Guanrui muttered to himself as he walked to the window and looked into the distance in the direction of Mount Yu: “It’s her…”

“Who, who?”

With tears in his eyes, Qi Guanrui wanted to go to the village right now, at any cost, and then go to Mount Yu, to find the girl and find out her whereabouts.

But as the thought came to his mind, Qi Guanrui suddenly realized that if the boy was really her child, she would have kept it a secret for so many years, and she probably didn’t want to see her old friend again.

Besides, even if I asked, what would it matter…

Hundreds of years have passed and times have changed. Even if the two meet again, it will be difficult to go back to the past.

“Second Master?” Jingyi asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”

Qi Guanrui closed his eyes tightly and took several deep breaths before he calmed down his mood which had not been disturbed for many years. He sighed slowly, “I’m fine. Don’t tell anyone else about what happened to that young man.”

Since He Qing didn’t want anyone to know that she was still alive, he would naturally not make this matter public to avoid causing trouble to her.

It seemed to have become a habit for him to silently protect the secrets that He Qing did not want others to know.

Even after so many years…

Jingyi nodded repeatedly: “I will keep my mouth shut. But Second Master, do you know that young man?”

Qi Guanrui said sadly: “Maybe, the son of an old friend.”

Jingyi seemed relieved and said, “No wonder you were so excited when you heard about that young man. I guess you and that old friend must have been very close friends, right?”

“Friends…” Qi Guanrui murmured with a wry smile, “They are friends, but not necessarily close.”

Jingyi didn’t know the pain in his heart, so she just asked, “Second Master, if you see my old friend again, please help me convey my gratitude. Thanks to that young man’s guidance, I was able to reach Lingshan and see you smoothly…”

Qi Guanrui could no longer hear what Jingyi said, and could only murmur sadly:

“I’m afraid I can’t. Goodbye…”

(End of this chapter)