As Liu Erlong reached out to touch Zuzong's leg, she was stunned. He was really only thirteen years old. How could this be possible? When she first met her "Xiaozong," he was already fourteen or fifteen.
Liu Erlong stepped back a few paces and carefully examined Zuzong again.
The same long blue-silver hair, the same face, and the same build. Except for the clothes, the resemblance was nearly 100%. But upon closer inspection, he was indeed a bit shorter than the "Xiaozong" she remembered.
Realising that she had truly mistaken him for someone else, Liu Erlong's eyes went blank. She staggered, releasing Zuzong, and tears streamed down her face as she mumbled "You're not him. You're not him. Xiaozong... where are you?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong let out a sigh of relief but couldn't help feeling sorry for Liu Erlong. They quickly supported the wobbling Liu Erlong, cursing that "scumbag Xiaozong" in their hearts a thousand times over.
Seeing how heartbroken Liu Erlong was, Zuzong couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "'Love only leaves behind sorrow, a sorrow that never ends.' What a sad tale. But seriously, that guy was such a scumbag! Flirting without committing? What kind of person does that?"
As Liu Erlong wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, she looked at Zuzong and softly asked, "Child, can you tell me, who are your parents?"
In this world, it was impossible for two people to look so alike by sheer coincidence. Liu Erlong speculated that Zuzong might be Xiaozong's child, and perhaps this could lead her to find him.
Parents? In his previous life, Zuzong had grown up in an orphanage, and in this life, he had only seen his biological parents once when he was an infant and didn't even remember their faces.
Feeling a bit down, Zuzong replied, "They passed away shortly after I was born."
"They passed away?" Liu Erlong's vision went black, and she almost collapsed. Fortunately, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were there to support her.
"Child, can you show me your martial spirit? Is it the Sharingan or Blue Silver Grass?" Liu Erlong still held onto a shred of hope. She desperately wished Zuzong would say, "Neither."
Before Zuzong could answer, Ning Rongrong exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! Teacher Erlong, how did you know his martial spirit is Blue Silver Grass, and it's even a powerful variant, much stronger than Tang San's!"
Zhu Zhuqing furrowed her brow. This was the second time she'd heard about the Sharingan martial spirit—the first time from Zuzong, and now from Liu Erlong. Could it be that her boyfriend really was a descendant of Liu Erlong's old friend?
Zuzong was utterly bewildered. How was it possible that the martial spirit of that other traveler was the same as his? Could it be that he had somehow traveled through time? But no, he hadn't!
Zuzong said, "This is my martial spirit: the 'Muttated Blue Silver Grass.'"
As he spoke, Zuzong gathered soul power in his right hand, and a soft white glow appeared on his skin. Soon, a deep blue, nearly black Blue Silver Emperor with golden patterns materialized in his hand.
Liu Erlong's eyes were sharp, and she stared intently at the Blue Silver Emperor in Zuzong's hand. "It's his martial spirit... it's his. You really are Xiaozong's child."
The moment those words left her mouth, Liu Erlong left Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong's support, walked forward, and embraced Zuzong tightly. "Child, you've suffered so much all these years. With your Aunt Erlong here now, you'll never have to wander again."
"Mm-mm," Zuzong mumbled as he felt suffocated by the ample, soft pressure against his face. But it did smell nice, he had to admit.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong weren't too concerned about the scene. On the contrary, they were genuinely happy that Zuzong had found a link to his past.
Zhu Zhuqing, knowing Zuzong better than anyone else, had already accepted the truth after hearing Liu Erlong mention the Sharingan. Her face softened with affection. "Congratulations, Xiaozong".
Ning Rongrong also giggled, "Congrats, Zuzong!"
"Uh..." Zuzong's mouth twitched. What kind of situation was this? He knew his biological parents in this life were just regular people, and their martial spirits were both Blue Silver Grass. But he couldn't exactly tell everyone that his Sharingan martial spirit was "stolen by a system," could he?
Oh well, Zuzong thought. Since things had already gone this far, he might as well let it be. Besides, Liu Erlong was older than him by more than a decade in both his lives combined. Calling her "Auntie" wasn't that big of a deal.
Suppressing the awkwardness he felt, Zuzong said, "Auntie Erlong?"
"Yes!" Liu Erlong responded with a bright smile.
The four of them then entered the humble cottage Liu Erlong had built. Though the exterior was simple, the inside was cozy and warmly decorated.
Liu Erlong poured tea for the three of them and began asking Zuzong all sorts of questions. Zuzong answered as honestly as he could about his life, though he dodged certain topics or resorted to his usual method of making things up.
When Liu Erlong heard about how Zuzong had been captured by Dugu Bo to help detoxify him, she was furious, ready to go fight the "old poison man." But when she heard that Zuzong had a girlfriend, Zhu Zhuqing, and a childhood friend named Xiao Wu, her face lit up with a mischievous smile.
This made Zhu Zhuqing blush, while Ning Rongrong listened with great interest to Zuzong's adventures.
Zuzong, ignoring whether or not they had caught on, decided he would confess everything to Zhu Zhuqing tomorrow when they distributed the fairy herbs.
The most troublesome topic for Zuzong was his parents' death. He didn't dare fabricate too much, so he simply said, "I don't know the details, and I'd prefer you all didn't publicise it. I'll investigate further."
It took quite a bit of convincing before Zuzong finally managed to dissuade Liu Erlong from seeking revenge for her "first love's" death.
Liu Erlong sipped her tea and asked, "So, you came here to see Zhuqing?"
Zuzong nodded, "I heard from Xiao Wu that Zhuqing was in Heaven Dou City, so I came to find her."
Liu Erlong teased, "I didn't expect you to be such a family man! Zhuqing hasn't even married into the family yet, and you're already so concerned for her. You must know how much she worries about you."
"Teacher Erlong! What are you saying? Who said I'm marrying this playboy?" Zhu Zhuqing's face turned beet red, as if about to drip with embarrassment.
Liu Erlong chuckled but said nothing more, her expression playful as she looked at Zuzong. "It's getting late, little Zuzong. You should stay in the academy tonight. I'll arrange a room for you."
Zuzong gave Zhu Zhuqing a meaningful look, his lips curling into a slight smile. It had been quite a while since they had spent any intimate time together, and tonight might be the perfect chance.
"Alright, Auntie Erlong," Zuzong replied.
Zuzong's fiery gaze didn't escape Zhu Zhuqing's notice, and she understood his intent. She couldn't help but feel shy as she recalled their time at the Rose Hotel, where, though they hadn't gone all the way, the memories of that night were still enough to make her blush.
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