After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 553 True Maturity

"You want me to go with you to see your master?"

"Mm!" Qingyun nodded.

"To be honest, I did promise Qingning that I would take her to see your master."

Shen Xu stroked his chin, hesitating whether or not to go to the temple to bring Qing Ning.

“I have already taken her to see Master, and Master said she was very happy to see Qing Ning again.”

"That would be perfect."

By the way, Qingyun, where did you go back then? Why did you arrive at Hundred Flowers City so late?

And what about Jiaojiao? I can't sense her presence."

Upon hearing Shen Xu's question, Qingyun lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I lost Jiaojiao."

"It's lost!!"

Shen Xu took a deep breath. "What happened? Tell me in detail."

"Back then, the teleportation array from Tianhe to Chiyuan was tampered with. Aunt Yun and I were teleported to Lanchuan Domain, but Jiaojiao disappeared..." Qingyun murmured softly.

“I see…” Shen Xu frowned.

"Qingyun, you don't need to feel guilty. This is not your fault. Besides, that lazy crane is lucky and won't get into trouble easily." Looking at Qingyun who was full of guilt, Shen Xu comforted her.

“Brother Shen, you entrusted Jiaojiao to me, but I didn’t take good care of her. It’s all my fault, no matter what. I will definitely find her.” Qingyun’s eyes were full of guilt.

"Um...actually, it's not necessary. I have a special way of contacting her, but it requires certain conditions."

"Besides, I didn't sense any danger to her, so you don't need to worry about it. Given our bond, we'll meet again sooner or later," Shen Xu said thoughtfully.

He remembered that when he was in the Boundless Sacred Realm last time, Jiao Jiao had contacted him through the Feather Clan's Sacred Temple.

If he re-enters the Boundless Sacred Realm, he may be able to contact Jiaojiao.

"Really?" Qingyun immediately showed a look of surprise.

Ever since Jiaojiao disappeared, she had been worried about how to explain it to Shen Xu. Now she can finally put her mind at ease.

"Jiaojiao is the Prayer Crane; even if I die, she might not be able to. Don't worry!"

"Didn't you say you'd take me to see your master? Actually, I wanted to visit her when I came to Hundred Flowers City, but I never had the time. Today is the perfect opportunity." Shen Xu smiled.

"Yes!" Qingyun nodded vigorously.

"But you have to promise me one thing: I'm going to Lanchuan Domain to find Jiaojiao tomorrow, and you're not allowed to tell anyone about my whereabouts."

"Why? Sister Xiao Yi and the others are very worried about you, Brother Shen." Qingyun's face immediately fell.

"Let me put it this way! Do you think Xiao Yi and the others will come to see me if I stay here any longer?"

And they'll definitely ask me about my plans for the future, and if I don't lie to them, will any of them ask to come with me?

Qingyun, you definitely can't come with me, right?

So as long as you say you've never seen me, my whereabouts will be known only to you.

"Isn't this good?" Shen Xu's words were full of temptation.

……

Although Qingyun received a title and was considered half the master of Hundred Flowers City, Qingmu Boat still maintained the size of a small flower boat.

With its simple and rustic style and lush greenery, it stands out from the other flower boats around it, with few floral decorations.

"Greetings, Senior Qing. My name is Shen Xu, a friend of Qing Yun. I apologize for disturbing you by coming here today!" Shen Xu bowed to the woman in the green dress in front of him.

“Since you are Qingyun’s friend, there’s no need for formalities. Qingmufang doesn’t have many rules.” The woman’s voice was very authoritative.

"Thank you, senior!" Shen Xu sat cross-legged on the futon in front of the woman.

"Qingyun, go brew some of my treasured green tea and also get some tea snacks. Don't neglect our guests."

"Mm!" Qingyun nodded gently, then got up and left the room.

"Where are you from? Who are your family members? And how did you meet Qingyun?" Qingji looked at the young man in front of him with scrutiny in his eyes.

"I was born in a small city in Tianhe. My family is just an ordinary family. My only relatives are an elderly person and a pair of younger siblings. I met Qingyun during the sword selection."

"I've always treated Qingyun like a younger sister, so you don't need to worry that I have any other thoughts about her," Shen Xu explained with a smile.

He guessed that Master Qingyun had mistaken him for a Daoist partner that Qingyun had introduced to her.

"I've heard Qingyun mention you before; she doesn't seem to regard you as her brother."

"Qingyun is not mature enough yet, and she can't distinguish what true love is. After she has experienced enough things, she might smile when she thinks back to her naivety today!"

"At such a young age, what right do you have to talk about maturity?" Qingji's voice turned cold.

"You are right, senior. I have learned a lot."

However, I think true maturity has nothing to do with age. Some people can risk their lives for their loved ones when they are only ten years old, while others place their hopes on a child even when they are in their prime.

They used gratitude to blackmail her, fabricated lies to train her, and entrusted her with the wrong person at crucial moments, causing her endless torment.

If this is what maturity is, then please forgive me for not agreeing with it.

"What evidence do you have to spout nonsense in front of me?" Qingji said coldly.

"I killed the owner of Baicaofang, but I specially spared his wife for my senior."

Some things lose their meaning when discussed openly. I don't want to destroy the image of my beloved master in Qingyun's heart; after all, he is one of the few beacons of light in her soul.

"What do you want to do!" Qingji clenched his fists involuntarily.

"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."

If Qingyun hadn't invited me, I would never have come to Qingmufang.

But since I'm here today, let me give you some advice!

When a person has ambitions that are not commensurate with their abilities, they are prone to getting into trouble.

I think it's a wonderful life for the seniors to teach their disciples here, enjoying flowers and practicing swordsmanship.

What do you think, senior?

"I never intended to interfere with Qingyun's life; I just wanted to promote Qingmufang."

"Senior, you've misunderstood. I was merely offering a suggestion; whether you listen to it or not is entirely up to you."

At that moment, Qingyun pushed open the door and walked in, placing the tea tray on the table. As she poured tea, she asked, "Brother Shen, what suggestion did you give?"

"Regarding the development of Qingmufang, I suggest that you, senior, do not limit your recruitment of disciples to Baihua City. Go out and see more; perhaps you can discover another girl with talent like you, Qingyun."

“I remember you once told me that you wanted to go beyond Hundred Flowers City. Is there anywhere you would like to go? I can arrange it for you,” Qingyun said with a smile.

"No need, Hundred Flowers City is fine, I don't want to leave Hundred Flowers City for the time being." Qing Ji glanced at Shen Xu.

"Alright! Brother Shen, please try the tea I brewed, and the snacks were also made by me personally!"

"Then I'll have a good taste of it." Then, under Qingyun's expectant gaze, he reached out and picked up a pastry, taking a small bite.

"How was it?" Qingyun's eyes were full of longing for approval.

"Very good. Did you learn it from Qing Ning?"

"Brother Shen, you still managed to taste it. Qing Ning even said she gave me a special recipe." Qing Yun couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

“The taste is indeed different, but I’ve only ever seen this pattern in the molds Qing Ning used.” Shen Xu smiled.

"Although it's not as good as Qing Ning's, it's still amazing. Can I take some with me?"

"Really? Of course!" Qingyun smiled happily.

Looking at Qingyun, whose eyes and brows were full of smiles, Qingji couldn't help but sigh that perhaps she would no longer be the most important person in Qingyun's heart.