ETR | Chapter 109

Xiao Wan originally wanted to find Xiao Xueman, but ended up running into Qin Lou first.

Both of them were instantly caught in an awkward moment, unsure of how to start the conversation. They weren't exactly familiar with each other, but Qin Lou was the first to speak, "Xiao Wan, looking for Xueman?"

Xiao Wan nodded.

"He should be getting up a bit later today," Qin Lou said, "Shall we chat for a bit?"

Xiao Wan didn't refuse. He was silent for a moment, then said, "I thought you might not remember me."

"I remember a bit," Qin Lou replied, "Xueman told me that the reason I could come back was because of the stone you gave me. Thank you."

"No need," Xiao Wan said, "You brought my daddy back, so those things don't matter."

After they sat down, Qin Lou spoke again, his tone slightly somber, "In your heart, I've never been a competent father, have I?"

Even if he couldn’t remember some things, he could feel the lack of closeness between him and Xiao Wan.

He hadn’t been around, appeared halfway through, and the first few meetings didn’t leave a good impression.

He didn’t know how many pitfalls he had stepped into regarding their parent-child relationship.

"When I was young, I couldn't really accept it," Xiao Wan admitted, "But as I grew up, I realized things weren't as simple as I thought. It wasn't your fault, really."

The adult world is complicated, and he gradually understood the hardships and grievances Qin Lou had endured.

Xiao Wan considered himself extremely lucky.

In his youth, he had Xiao Xueman’s protection, and with his talent, he hardly faced any real hardships. Cultivation wasn’t truly difficult for him.

Even after Xiao Xueman’s unexpected departure, the forces left behind by him and Qin Lou were enough to take good care of him.

The kind of suffering from life’s repeated trials was something he couldn’t compare to Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman, who had experienced countless separations and reunions.

Growing up brought understanding that not everything could be perfect.

“Daddy told me yesterday that he and you missed too much time together, and now that you’re back together, he hopes for my blessing,” Xiao Wan said.

“I’m more than willing to bless you both. And I’ve grown up; I’ll protect you from now on, making sure those things don’t happen again.

“I mean it.”

Qin Lou needed a fresh start, and Xiao Xueman's avatar hadn't reached its full potential yet. In the Spirit Realm Continent, Xiao Wan's protection was indeed needed for a while.

"We're a family," Xiao Wan added, "We'll never be apart again."

Receiving such a blessing from Xiao Wan made it an incredibly happy day for Qin Lou.

When Xiao Xueman woke up, it was almost noon, but as soon as he woke up, he heard lively sounds from the hall outside.

Who had come?

Hearing the noise from the room, Qin Lou quickly came in to help him get dressed. Xiao Xueman, still feeling a bit weak, lazily clung to him and asked, "Who's here?"

"Xiao Wan brought Yun Rong, Shen Guan didn't leave, and later Lin Yuan and the others came too," Qin Lou said as he picked him up, "We're having a meal together at home."

It was indeed very lively.

Xiao Xueman immediately perked up and quickly went out after getting ready.

Xiao Wan and Qin Lou made pastries together.

Su Mingming and Jiang Yan cooked their specialties.

Shen Guan brought wine from the Fox Clan.

Yin Ying was called back, not forgetting to bring some specialties from the Lower Realm, which were dried fruits Xiao Xueman liked.

Yu Zhengrong also came from the arena…

Everyone was there.

They sat at the table, and seeing Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou come out, the scene became even more lively.

It felt as if they had never left.

Returning to the Wangtian Immortal Gate made life seem leisurely and happy.

The cultivation resources here couldn't be compared to those in the Lower Realm. Qin Lou was working even harder on his cultivation to quickly recover his memory.

The news of his and Xiao Xueman's return gradually spread within the sect, and there was nothing to hide.

Although not everyone knew about the Cosmic Tree, it was, after all, Wang Tian Dijun. He and Xiao Xueman survived a catastrophe, and even if their spiritual power increased rapidly, those who knew would find plenty of reasons to explain it all.

After returning, Xiao Xueman wasn't just idling around; he had things to do.

Before leaving, he had promised Zong Manluo from the Alchemist Association something.

Although he later obtained many good herbs from the Secret Realm, which Yun Heng helped bring back, repaying the favor of that pill for Qin Lou, it could still be considered a broken promise.

Xiao Wan knew about this. He later had some collaborations with the Alchemist Association, mainly through Su Mingming.

The Pill Pavilion and the Alchemist Association often exchanged ideas, benefiting both sides.

On one hand, the Wangtian Immortal Gate became the Alchemist Association’s strongest support.

On the other hand, alchemists were a precious group. Given Xiao Wan’s nature of never losing out, he also profited from it.

The favor had long been repaid by Xiao Wan, and now the Alchemist Association frequently sent people to the Pill Pavilion for exchanges and learning.

Xiao Xueman had promised to help Zong Manluo train the younger generation. Although he couldn’t refine pills now, his theoretical knowledge was unmatched.

And when Qin Lou was diligently cultivating, Xiao Xueman needed to find something to do.

So, Teacher Xiao happily went to give lectures.

However, he didn’t go every day, as there weren’t exchange activities daily. He went whenever he liked and taught seriously when he did.

At first, the students were a bit reserved, probably having heard many rumors about Xiao Xueman.

But later, they found out he had a good temper and gradually became bolder.

Sometimes, when he stayed late for classes, Qin Lou would come to pick him up.

The students would lean against the windows, watching as the person waiting outside naturally smiled when seeing Xiao Xueman come out.

The boldest students would even tease them on the spot.

Xiao Xueman wasn't shy. He openly held Qin Lou's hand and sometimes even kissed his cheek.

Let them tease; those little kids hadn't even been in love yet. How could they know how happy it was to be with the one you love?

"Did you wait long?" he asked.

"Not really," Qin Lou said, holding his hand as they walked slowly outside, "I remembered something new today, and I'll tell you about it."

The two of them walked hand in hand, with Xiao Xueman listening intently.

The things Qin Lou remembered weren't necessarily good experiences at the time. He struggled to level up, suppressing his unspoken crush on Xiao Xueman, which was always bittersweet. But when he told Xiao Xueman, it was always in a positive light.

They still had a long journey to walk together.

When Qin Lou fully regained his memory, it was sooner than he expected.

Ten years passed in a flash, and he once again touched the threshold of the Spirit God tier. This body was indeed very useful, and with his foundation, he avoided many detours.

Reaching the Spirit God tier, his cultivation naturally slowed down. There was still a distance to breakthrough, and although the barrier was weak for Qin Lou, it was better to be cautious.

He still needed to keep his divine core to exchange it with Xiao Xueman.

Later, when Xiao Xueman had time, he occasionally returned to the Cosmic Tree, gradually enhancing his avatar's abilities. Now, his body was much more useful.

The day Qin Lou fully regained his memory, they spent several days in the room together.

Because the process was gradual, the most painful memories between Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman occasionally resurfaced. When he first recalled the memory of their separation due to a great battle, Qin Lou was gloomy for several days.

Xiao Xueman slowly coaxed him back.

When in love, he was sweet and soft, saying things to Qin Lou that made him unable to stay sad.

"I don't have any issues, do I? Look, all those things are in the past," Xiao Xueman coaxed, "If you're unhappy now, that's when I feel there's a problem."

Qin Lou just happened to be swayed by this.

Later, when they reunited, Qin Lou also understood why Xiao Xueman gave him a new token of love at the Fifteenth Heaven.

Because of this heart, it truly covered up the sadness he felt back then. Touching the divine core necklace Xiao Xueman gave him, his heart warmed.

Later on, when they spoke openly about the truth, Qin Lou also remembered the Blue Sea Competition.

"Actually, you softened back then. Otherwise, you wouldn't have refined pills for me. Eight-star wasn't enough; you insisted on refining nine-star," Qin Lou secretly laughed, "You cared about me, just wouldn't admit it."

Xiao Xueman: "...If you say so, then it is."

When Qin Lou asked him what he was afraid of back then, Xiao Xueman didn't answer at the time. Perhaps he was afraid that he and Qin Lou wouldn't have a future, not fully understanding his own heart, but many of his actions were very honest.

Even without the rule enforcement incident, under Qin Lou's advances, Xiao Xueman would have eventually softened. They would have come together again, just that the extreme circumstances accelerated this.

The two of them searched for those shining moments in their memories, and Xiao Xueman suddenly thought of something, sitting up straight.

"There's one more small thing," he said, "Now that I remember, I'm really curious."

Qin Lou: "What?"

"Let's go somewhere."

Xiao Xueman used to take Qin Lou down, wearing spiritual instruments to suppress their spiritual power, to visit the Middle or Lower Realms for a small trip, which also helped Qin Lou recover his memory.

This time, he took Qin Lou back to that small city in the Thirteenth Heaven.

It was Nan An's hometown, where he had once returned with Qin Lou.

After coming back this time, he took Qin Lou to that old shop to buy flower pastries again, and they shared them. The taste was still the same as before, but their mindset had changed, and the pastries tasted sweeter than before.

Coincidentally, they arrived on a special day, and there was a celebration similar to the last time. Although there were many new forms of celebration as time passed, some fixed activities remained.

Like the lanterns being released, making a wish with a touch of spiritual power, watching the wish slowly rise into the sky, as if it would soon come true.

Xiao Xueman couldn't use spiritual power anymore, so he and Qin Lou took a lantern together and released it. The red-lit lantern gradually floated upward. They didn't squeeze into the crowd, instead embracing each other on the side, like any ordinary couple here.

Qin Lou remembered that time when all the lanterns with a touch of his spiritual power exploded, and it was Xiao Xueman who saved them.

Luckily, this time they didn't explode.

"What wish did you make back then?" Xiao Xueman asked, a small curiosity lingering in his heart, "Was it about me?"

"Of course it was about you," Qin Lou said, "You said back then that you didn't have any wishes, and it made me feel sad."

Xiao Xueman indeed didn't like making wishes. "Wishes" seemed like a vague plea to him at that time, as if only the weak would do such a thing.

But that wasn't true. Equating wishing with weakness was a narrow-minded view. Xiao Xueman's heart wasn't what he thought it was; it was just hard for him to plan for the future.

Now that he had become stronger, he found himself making wishes. When the lantern was lit, many wishes popped into his mind.

He hoped he and Qin Lou would always be together, hoped Xiao Wan would be happy every day, hoped everyone...

Because his mindset had changed, he had wishes now. And because he was living happier than before, with no regrets, he had the courage to plan for the future.

"That's my wish," Qin Lou said, "I hope my Xueman can enjoy the present and look forward to the future."

Xiao Xueman looked up at him, his eyes sparkling.

"What wish did you make now?"

Qin Lou leaned down to kiss him, "The same as yours."

The lanterns in the small city gradually floated upward, like little stars.

Lovers kissed each other on such a night, their partner's wish becoming their own. They were inseparable, never to part again.