68: I was here first!

Lu Yi carried Wu Yang, who looked like a dead dog.

He walked out of Leng Ningshuang's courtyard and returned to his own residence.

He casually tossed Wu Yang into a corner of the courtyard, like throwing away an eyesore piece of trash, not giving him another look.

Ling'er had already been waiting in the courtyard for a long time. She looked at Wu Yang's wretched state—his Dantian was destroyed, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had a vacant, idiotic expression.

Although she felt a bit apprehensive in her heart, she didn't ask any questions.

"Master, you've returned."

Ling'er stepped forward obediently.

Lu Yi nodded and instructed Ling'er:

"Keep a close eye on him. Don't let him run away, and don't let him commit suicide. This guy still has some use. I'm going out for a bit."

"Yes, Master!" Ling'er immediately complied.

Afterward, she pulled up a small stool and sat not far from Wu Yang.

She took out the Cultivation Technique scroll she hadn't finished "studying" a few days ago and continued her "diligent reading."

At the same time, she dutifully guarded this "prisoner."

Lu Yi straightened his robes before unhurriedly walking toward the main gate of the State Preceptor's Residence.

Just as the maidservant had said, a petite figure was standing alone outside the residence gates.

It was Qing'er.

Her hands were clasped in front of her, her fingers constantly intertwining and twisting, looking so helpless.

Her head was bowed, staring only at the tips of her toes, unknown what she was thinking.

Perhaps she was feeling uneasy about her uncertain future.

Lu Yi then arrived before her, softening his voice and using as gentle a tone as possible to greet her:

"Qing'er."

Hearing Lu Yi's voice, Qing'er's petite body gave a violent shudder.

Lu Yi continued to inquire:

"What's wrong? Are you alone? Where is Elder Qian? Did he not come with you?"

"Grandpa... Grandpa, he..."

Hearing Lu Yi's questions, Qing'er could no longer hold it back as tears slid down her delicate cheeks.

Somewhat tremulously, she pulled a crumpled letter from her bosom and handed it to Lu Yi:

"Grandpa... early this morning, he left a letter and... and left."

Lu Yi took the envelope and opened it.

The handwriting on the letter was initially vigorous and powerful, but toward the end, it appeared somewhat scrawled.

Clearly, the writer's state of mind was not calm.

The contents of the letter were much as he had expected.

Elder Qian told Qing'er in the letter that he knew his Lifespan was nearing its end and his time had come.

He didn't want his granddaughter to see his wretched state when he passed away, like a lamp running out of oil, which would only add to her sorrow.

So he decided to go alone to find a quiet place to end his remaining days.

He also exhorted Qing'er not to be too sad and that she must come to the State Preceptor's Residence to seek protection.

Furthermore, at the end of the letter, he repeatedly urged her.

He told Qing'er that from now on, she must listen to Lu Yi's words.

After Lu Yi finished reading the letter, he let out a soft sigh.

Elder Qian had truly exhausted his final life's blood for his granddaughter's future.

He couldn't help but reach out and gently pat Qing'er's still-shaking little head, offering a few words of comfort:

"Your grandfather also hopes that you can live well."

He paused and continued:

"Come, follow me into the residence."

Qing'er wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, knowing that her grandfather would never return.

She nodded silently and followed closely behind Lu Yi without a word.

The two of them, one after the other, soon arrived at the courtyard where Lu Yi resided.

As soon as they entered the door, Lu Yi saw a charming figure in goose-yellow rushing toward him.

The newcomer was Wu Mingyue.

Wu Mingyue hadn't seen Lu Yi for the past few days, and her mood could be described as depressed to the extreme.

As soon as she heard that Lu Yi had returned to his courtyard, she couldn't restrain herself and rushed over to see him.

But as she burst into the courtyard, the first thing she saw was Ling'er guarding the withered Wu Yang, who was lying on the ground looking more dead than alive, like a prisoner.

This left Wu Mingyue a bit dazed.

What happened?

How did Senior Brother Wu Yang... end up like this?

Before she had a chance to ask Ling'er,

She saw Lu Yi walking in from outside.

Her heart leapt with joy, and she was about to step forward impatiently to ask Lu Yi where he had been for the past two days.

However, before the words she wanted to ask could leave her mouth,

She saw that behind Lu Yi, there was also a pretty and petite young girl who looked even shorter than herself following closely.

For some reason, Wu Mingyue suddenly felt that this young girl gave her an inexplicable and strong sense of threat!

She immediately stopped in her tracks, her gaze bypassing Lu Yi to look at Qing'er.

Then, with a look full of vigilance and hostility, she asked sourly:

"Who is she?!"

Qing'er was already immersed in the grief of losing her only relative.

At this moment, she was startled on the spot by Wu Mingyue's imposing, interrogation-like manner.

Subconsciously, she hid behind Lu Yi again.

Then she reached out her small hand and tightly gripped the hem of Lu Yi's clothes.

It was as if Lu Yi was her only reliance in this world.

Lu Yi also seemed to feel Qing'er's cautiousness and helplessness.

He couldn't help but raise his hand again to pat her head reassuringly.

Following that, he turned his head somewhat awkwardly and explained to Wu Mingyue:

"Mingyue, don't scare her. This is... my newly accepted Disciple, Qing'er."

Upon hearing this, Wu Mingyue first gave a soft "Oh."

"So... she's a Disciple..."

But immediately after, she suddenly reacted, her voice abruptly rising an octave as she cried out in shock:

"What?! A Disciple?!"

Then she turned her head and stared fixedly at Qing'er, who was hiding behind Lu Yi, with a strange look in her eyes.

It startled Qing'er so much that she couldn't help but shrink back behind Lu Yi again.

Wu Mingyue hadn't expected that after not seeing him for just a few days, another "Disciple" would appear by Lu Yi's side!

She gritted her teeth, and a thick sense of grievance and indignation couldn't help but well up in her heart.

"Dammit! Clearly... clearly, I was the first one!"

The reason Wu Mingyue had such a big reaction was mainly because she had thought a lot for herself during these few days at the State Preceptor's Residence.

She had personally witnessed how her respected Imperial Brother, Wu Mingxu, had cruelly committed patricide.

This had left an indelible shock in her heart and inevitably created a deep rift between her and Wu Mingxu.

Therefore, she was now very resistant to returning to live in that cold Imperial Palace that had become so utterly unfamiliar; she would rather stay here at the State Preceptor's Residence indefinitely.

And the main reason she was willing to stay at the State Preceptor's Residence was because Lu Yi was also temporarily staying here.