Chapter 72: Su Meng's Words Stunned Everyone at the Table

Su Meng stayed in Luo Changning’s room for a while before leaving, so she never knew that after she left, Luo Changning called out a name in his dreams.

Yun Ruoyi, Yun Ruoyi, Yun Ruoyi...

Gazing at those long, cool, indifferent yet inexplicably bewitching eyes beneath the moonlight, Luo Changning’s heart pounded ever faster, so wildly it seemed it might burst from his chest.

The next morning, Luo Changning opened his eyes with a frown, head throbbing from the aftereffects of last night’s drinking. He had imbibed far too much, and even after a full night’s rest, fatigue still weighed upon him. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, he moved to throw off the quilt and get up, but then noticed something amiss.

Slipping his hand beneath the covers, he felt around—his face instantly turned scarlet, eyes flickering with embarrassment.

Sure enough, his trousers were damp—he had wet the bed again!

His head heavy, Luo Changning vaguely remembered a dream from last night, a dream of a woman who stirred his heart with overwhelming emotion. He pounded his head in frustration, shook it hard, but no matter what he did, he could not recall who the woman in the dream was.

Forget it, he thought, maybe it was some actress he’d seen in his previous life on the Earth Dragon Continent.

Best to deal with the evidence quickly!

The days that followed passed in relative peace. Ma Xue’e spent her time either eating or playing with the big clumsy bear, while Luo Changning busied himself with martial training.

As for Ma Qingyun, he remained taciturn and withdrawn, his thoughts a mystery, often sitting alone in the front courtyard’s pavilion, staring up at the sky.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Su Meng rarely joined them for breakfast in the main hall. As soon as she spoke, her words stunned everyone at the table.

“Ning’er, let’s return to Miaonan Province.”

Su Meng spoke quietly, but her words sent shockwaves through the hearts of both Ma Qingyun and Luo Changning.

What did it mean, return to Miaonan Province?

Did it mean leaving Annan Province and never coming back?

Ma Qingyun tightened his grip on his chopsticks, fixing his gaze on Su Meng in the seat of honor, his expression dark and cold, difficult to fathom.

Luo Changning, too, was bewildered—he had no idea why his aunt would suddenly make such an announcement.

He was born in Qiuhe Prefecture and had never left Annan Province, much less visited the ancestral homeland of the Su family, Miaonan Province.

Luo Changning had always assumed he would not leave Annan Province until he had grown his own wings. Yet now, so unexpectedly, Su Meng had declared that they would return to Miaonan Province—the place where generations of Su family had lived, where his mother met and fell in love with his father, and where he himself was conceived.

His feelings were tangled—a mix of anticipation, worry, and, above all, reluctance.

Ma Xue’e, who had been focused solely on the delicious food before her, her lovely apricot eyes unable to take in anything else, was caught off guard by Su Meng’s words. It took her a long moment to grasp their meaning.

She hurriedly swallowed the sweet and sour ribs in her mouth, wiped her lips with the back of her fair hand, and said, gloomy and reluctant, “So Aunt Su and Brother Changning are leaving Annan Province and won’t come back?”

Su Meng nodded. “Yes, it’s time to go back. Years ago, when Dugu Bancheng launched his coup and the Phoenix Flame Kingdom fell into chaos, my sister and I traveled all the way to Qiuhe Prefecture to seek a little peace. Ning’er was still in my sister’s womb, but now he is twelve years old.”

“We have been away for more than twelve years, leaving behind the Su Family Manor and all our kin. So many years have passed in separation.”

“Besides, Ning’er must return to honor his ancestry...”

As she spoke, Su Meng pressed her lips together, eyes shining with unspoken resolve: Ning’er is now the last of the Phoenix Flame royal blood. When will he be able to acknowledge his heritage openly, letting the world know he is the posthumous son of Luo Feng, the greatest swordsman under heaven...

“Aunt is right. It is time for us to return,” Luo Changning replied, nodding.

Though he was reluctant to leave everything in Qiuhe Prefecture, to part with the Su family courtyard, to say goodbye to Xiang Yinglong and his son, and to the fellow students at the Luoyang Martial School—

And, glancing discreetly at Ma Xue’e, he realized he was reluctant to leave her most of all.

Yet Luo Changning also understood that there was no future for him in the small confines of Qiuhe Prefecture. If he wished to advance in martial arts, he would need to step out into a wider world.

Miaonan Province was the perfect choice.

First, it was the ancestral home of the Su family, where generations had lived and where his aunt and her kin would have many acquaintances and far-reaching connections.

Whether it was for gathering intelligence or growing power, Miaonan Province was a destination they could not avoid.

Of course, someday, Luo Changning would return to Annan Province, for a plan had already begun to take shape in his heart...

“How long will you be gone?” Ma Xue’e asked, her fluffy little head drooping in disappointment.

But suddenly, as if struck by a new idea, her eyes brightened, sparkling with hope.

She said, “Why don’t my brother and I go with you to Miaonan Province? I’ve never left Qiuhe Prefecture and have no idea what the rest of Qianwu Kingdom is really like!”

At Ma Xue’e’s words, Ma Qingyun’s brows immediately knitted together.

He did not know why Su Meng had suddenly decided to return to Miaonan Province, but he understood that the matter was settled and not open to discussion.

Even though he was unwilling to let Su Meng leave the circle of his protection, he and Xue’e would never follow her away.

Ma Qingyun knew he shouldn’t be so timid, but that person’s power was simply too overwhelming. Hiding in the small town of Qiuhe Prefecture was one thing—it did not attract much attention.

But Miaonan Province was a different story. There, martial experts were everywhere; if he accidentally provoked one, he would have no choice but to reveal his true strength.

Even at the foot of Tianmen Village, when he killed Lin Ruhai with a single strike, he had not used all his cards—he had kept much hidden.

Revealing his strength meant using the martial arts taught to him by that person.

If he drew the attention of those with a keen eye, and they connected his and Xue’e’s appearance and age, their identities could easily be guessed.

Then both he and Xue’e would be in grave danger. He was still far from being a match for that person and could only shrink back into obscurity in Qiuhe Prefecture.

It seemed necessary to have his subordinates seek out a powerful martial art for him, one not belonging to that person, nor to that family.

Otherwise, if he wished to keep his identity a secret, he could not use any of the martial techniques he had learned.

This meant he would remain weak forever, unable to grow his strength, trapped in a vicious cycle.

He could not—would not—accept being trapped like this forever. His only option was to study the martial arts of another school.

Leaving aside Ma Qingyun’s many considerations and worries, Ma Xue’e was quite pleased with her own idea.

Though her brother had always warned her since childhood that their enemies lurked outside Mo Hui Mountain, and that these enemies were powerful beyond their ability to resist, so they had to hide in little Qiuhe Prefecture to avoid being found—

Yet so many years had passed, and Ma Xue’e had never seen anyone come looking for the two siblings.

Wasn’t it said that the authorities would issue a wanted notice if they sought someone, and the martial world would issue a Black List for fugitives?

But neither of their names had ever appeared on such lists, so surely it would be safe to leave Qiuhe Prefecture now. Hadn’t they already been to Heishui County before?

Maybe, just maybe, her father had never intended them harm at all, and it was only her brother who had misunderstood him...