184.1 – Radiance

In the end, Xue Qilin left Li Wanting’s room and embarked on the homeward journey, muddleheaded.

She mused — have I not shouldered my responsibilities?

The responsibilities of the Merak Temple’s Young Ancestor, the responsibilities of a senior, the responsibilities of a friend, the responsibilities of a family member — has she shouldered them?

If so, then how come she doesn’t know the things she should know?

Until now, she felt that she just has to live as herself.

She thought that so long as the people around her are safe and sound, then that’s enough to live happily.

However, can she really protect the people important to her like this?

It won’t cut it, Xue Qilin, it won’t cut it, not at all. You’re too self-centered… Xue Qilin warned herself in her heart.

It’s not enough.

Her awareness is far from enough.

If things continue like this, she’ll lose everything one day.

She cannot continue to muddle along, she cannot go on like this.

At this moment, Xue Qilin made up her mind about a certain thing.

But what now?

Her magic is top-shelf. But when it comes to martial arts, she may not even be a third-rate and can’t even beat Shui Yun’er.

When it comes to magic, she can’t rely on others, since she is the only person in the Hua Dynasty who knows magic. But martial arts is different, she can learn from many people. What’s more, the Merak Temple is a sect with a profound martial arts background and many martial arts resources.

Since the conditions are aright and I am not without talent, then why haven’t I learned martial arts well? Xue Qilin mused regretfully.

She shoulders the responsibility of protecting Qi Qiqi from the very beginning. Moreover, with the passage of time, there are increasingly more responsibilities and obligations for her to shoulder. Despite this, she still didn’t make any progress. Qi Qiqi told her to practice martial arts many times, but she only did it perfunctorily. She doesn’t have visible improvements even when it comes to magic.

In a rut, she has been in a rut all along.

At the moment when she understood this–

“Xue Qilin… idiot Xue Qilin who often talks big, yet doesn’t have the corresponding awareness, you’re really contemptible!”

Then, Xue Qilin took a deep breath and exhaled.

“… practice martial arts” She sighed, “Let’s have Little Seven teach me.”

–should get stronger.

At this moment, Xue Qilin suddenly heard rapid footsteps.

“Hmm?”

Xue Qilin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a petite figure.

Gong Tianqing is running towards her.

“Young, Young An… Young Ancestor.”

Gong Tianqing stopped in front of Xue Qilin, held her knees, and gasped for air.

“Little Qing, why are you is such a hurry?”

“I — hu-hu… I, hu-hu…”

Gong Tianqing is panting so heavily that she cannot speak at all.

“Calm down, take your time.”

Xue Qilin frowned. At the same time, she placed a hand on Gong Tianqing’s back to comfort her.

After several deep breaths, Gong Tianqing’s heaving chest finally calmed down somewhat.

“I finally… found you, Young Ancestor.”

“Hmm…?” Xue Qilin blinked, “Have you been looking for me?”

After hearing the other party’s question, Gong Tianqing nodded repeatedly.

“I, I have.”

“Hmm?”

Gong Tianqing raised her hand and placed the thing in her hand in front of Xue Qilin.

It’s a box.

The words “Flower Little Dango” are written on top of the box in beautiful writing.

“Wow, these are the ‘Flower Little Dango’ sanshoku dango!”

Xue Qilin exclaimed, overjoyed.

Then, as she looked back and forth between the box and Gong Tianqing’s face, she took the box, incredulous.

“Is this for me?”

“It is.”

“Oh, that’s very kind?”

Xue Qilin smiled foolishly and said politely.

Suddenly, doubts surfaced on her face, and Xue Qilin tilted her head and asked, “But, Little Qing, why did you buy me dango?”

“I, I didn’t buy it!”

Gong Tianqing shook and waved her hands, flustered.

“… Junior Disciple Brother Qian asked me to deliver it to you.”

“Junior Disciple Brother Qian? Little Duo?”

Xue Qilin could not hide the surprise on her face. Gong Tianqing, who may have misunderstood something, shrank back.

“… Young ancestor, didn’t you ask Junior Disciple Brother to buy it?”

“I did indeed do that. But why is it you who came to deliver it? Didn’t you go to act as a guest lecturer?”

“The lecture on martial arts has already finished… I, I ran into Junior Disciple Qian on my way back.

Gong Tianqing lowered her head and took a peak at Xue Qilin’s expression, ill at ease.

“Junior Disciple Brother Qian was going to deliver the dango to you. However, it seems like he has suddenly encountered a situation that needs to be dealt with urgently, so he asked me to deliver it to you in his stead… I went to the Snow-facing Abode, but I didn’t find you there. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is…”

Xue Qilin nodded to express her understanding, and then put on an expression both of reproach and taking pity.

“That said, couldn’t you have left it in my room when you couldn’t find me? You didn’t have to look for me everywhere. It’s clearly nothing important, yet look how have you tired yourself.”

With that, Xue Qilin pushed aside the strands of hair clinging to Gong Tianqing’s face due to sweat.

“Young Ancestor, I thought that you might be anxious, so…”

Hearing Gong Tianqing’s mumbling, Xue Qilin’s expression froze.

“Uh, what’s there to be anxious about? You won’t die from eating later.”

“Oh…”

Gong Tianqing shrank back like a scared bunny and replied with a sound.

Then–

“Did I trouble you? Did I go overboard?”

Gong Tianqing asked abruptly.

She raised her teary eyes and looked Xue Qilin straight in the eyes.

There are glaring ripples of uneasiness in the light walnut-red eyes. It seems like the other party is looking for an answer from Xue Qilin that will calm her down.

What’s with the tears at the rims of her eyes?

Xue Qilin opened her mouth, then closed it immediately after and fell into silence.

–something’s wrong.

Little Qing is… afraid of causing troubles to others? Is it because she has no confidence, or is it because she thinks that she lacks a certain worth and thus keeps trying to get this worth from others?

Xue Qilin has no way to know the answer at this moment.

The human heart is the hardest thing in the world to see through at times.

Xue Qilin sighed secretly.

“You haven’t, not at all.”

Xue Qilin showed a gentle smile and stroked Gong Tianqing’s head with pity. Gong Tianqing was uncomfortable at first and seemed fearful. But her uneasy expression quickly eased.

However, is it because she finds it comfortable when her head is stroked, or is it purely because she feels relieved that she didn’t bother another person? Xue Qilin didn’t wipe Gong Tianqing’s tears away because she doesn’t know what brought them about.

“Have I been helpful?”

“Of course you have. Our Little Qing is amazing.”

Xue Qilin doesn’t have to think hard to imagine what the consequences would be if she didn’t answer.

However, what happened next was beyond her expectation–

A radiance shone.

Gong Tianqing smiled — smiled happily.

“That’s great.”

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