Chapter 979: The Heart of All Under Heaven (II)
“Ah?” Han Shihai was completely dumbfounded. He had long been prepared for the Han Family to be absorbed into the Li Family. He had even behaved like a subordinate just now, yet Li Qinghong’s words shattered all those plans in an instant.
But—but why help my family for no reason?! thought Han Shihai.
A century’s worth of survival in the Eastern Sea failed him completely at this moment. He stared blankly at Li Qinghong and muttered, “Fairy, you first shielded us before the Immortal Sect, and now saved us from the fire and flood... How can my family simply turn and walk away?”
Li Qinghong gave a faint laugh and asked, “You’re a cultivator of the Eastern Sea, and you say something like that? I’m telling you to leave, and yet you won’t go. Do I need to carve off a piece of you to make you feel at ease?”
When she saw the abject confusion on his face, she adopted a more serious tone, “The deaths in your family do bear some connection to ours... Our ties remain, and your family’s sudden downfall is no more than a matter of lending a hand. Elder, say no more, take your people and go at once!”
Han Shihai heard the sincerity in her words. Choking up, he said, “Fairy, your kindness is as weighty as a mountain. My life is nearing its end; I may fall within days and cannot repay this grace... But the Han Family shall never forget this life-saving favor. If there is another life, we shall repay it, even if bound by grass and ring.”
Rescuing the Han Family was a matter of old ties, but Li Qinghong had no desire to be too entangled. She replied softly, “My family also walks on thin ice. I, Qinghong, likely won’t see that day. Go find another path to survive, and do not mention the Li Family, lest it bring misfortune to your esteemed family.”
Han Shihai was overwhelmed with grief. Covering his face, he took his leave, returning swiftly to the island. The spirit boats rose and fell, and his group departed in a flurry. Only after they disappeared from sight did Li Qinghong and Xi Zikang rise together upon lightning.
The youth seemed deeply shaken, flying in silence for a long while. Li Qinghong paused, then asked, “Fellow Daoist, have you heard about the Thunder Palace? The whole realm seems to be in an uproar...”
“Of course I have!” Xi Zikang replied absentmindedly, “The Immortal Lord left this world, and two cultivators attained Earth Virtue Fruition simultaneously. The sects and families have been bound for too long, so now that heaven and earth act in unity, the Twelve Thunder Palaces naturally collapsed. There’s really nothing more to say.”