In the Xiang Family Manor in Shangjing District.
"Xiang Ming, where's Xiang Ming? You little brat, your sister's back and you're not even coming out to greet her?!"
Xiang Qing strode through the manor, shouting as she went. Returning to her long-lost home brought her a sense of relaxation, so she didn't care about her image at all.
This momentarily left the security personnel and servants who didn't recognize Xiang Qing somewhat bewildered—who could so arrogantly use Xiang Ming's name in the manor?
"Alright, stop shouting, Xiang Mingzao isn't home!"
Suddenly, a somewhat helpless voice rang out from behind Xiang Qing.
When Xiang Qing heard that familiar voice, she turned around and saw that it was her own older brother, Xiang Kun.
"Come here, little sister, it's been a long time! Let your brother give you a hug!"
Xiang Kun pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, opened his arms, and walked towards Xiang Qing with a smile.
"Get away from me, you siscon!"
Xiang Qing dodged Xiang Kun's hug with a look of disgust, and said something with a look of disdain.
They paid no attention to Xiang Kun's completely frozen face and body.
She called me a siscon?
Xiang Kun turned his head stiffly. You yourself are a brother-obsessed idiot. Which younger brother in your family didn't get a beating from you when they were kids?
"Cough cough!"
Xiang Kun stood there stunned for a long time, then waved his outstretched arms under the strange gazes of the servants, as if he were exercising.
Xiang Kun looked at Xiang Qing with a resentful gaze. He knew that Xiang Qing must be in a bad mood because of Chi Chen and Zhang Rong's situation, which was why he rushed back as soon as he heard that Xiang Qing had returned to the Xiang family manor, wanting to give his younger sister a warm hug.
But who could have imagined it would turn out like this?
"Alright!"
Seeing this, Xiang Qing stopped fooling around and took the initiative to step forward and give his long-lost older brother a big bear hug.
Xiang Kun's broad chest warmed Xiang Qing's heart and improved her mood.
Although Xiang Qing seemed to dislike Xiang Kun earlier, their sibling relationship was still very deep.
Xiang Kun's face lit up with an expression of immense happiness, and he instantly felt fully revitalized.
"When you see the old man later, don't be so aggressive. Be humble. You finally came back, but instead of going home to pay your respects to him first, you went to stay there for a few days. Although he's probably happy that you're back, given his prideful nature, he'll definitely have a long face. Don't argue with him, okay?"
Inside the corridor, Xiang Kun spoke in a slightly serious tone, but he had a smile on his face, as if he was still immersed in the hug Xiang Qing had given him earlier.
"Fine, I know. Am I really that unreliable in your eyes?!"
Xiang Qing muttered to herself, "Why does it seem like my status has suddenly changed from that of a big sister to that of a disobedient child since I returned to Shangjing District?"
"By the way, why isn't Xiang Ming home? Where did he go?"
Xiang Qing shook her head, no longer thinking about these things. Although the Xiang family was a large family with many members, the people she was closest to, besides her own older brother and her grandfather who often bickered and argued, were Xiang Ming. Xiang Qing still remembered that Xiang Ming's chubby baby face felt the best to pinch when he was a child.
"Xiang Ming, he's gone to the dimensional world!"
After pondering for a moment, Xiang Kun still chose not to hide the truth from Xiang Qing.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qing was stunned. Xiang Ming had gone to the dimensional realm?
After a pause of more than ten seconds, Xiang Qing spoke with a hint of accusation:
"What are you thinking? Do you think that brat Xiang Ming can go to that dimensional realm? With his limited skills, it's one thing to act tough at home, but going there would be suicide! It's one thing for him to act recklessly, but you and Grandpa are also making trouble for him?"
Xiang Qing was slightly agitated. The dimensional realm was the place that Zhang Rong and Chi Chen had entered. That place was even more cruel than the southern border of the Great Xia. She couldn't understand why the Xiang family would allow Xiang Ming to go to that place. If she had known, Xiang Ming would still be the only son in that branch of the family. Xiang Ming's father had also died in that dimensional realm!
This is why Xiang Ming can act with impunity in the Xiang family and is not afraid of anyone.
Seeing this, Xiang Kun touched his nose helplessly. He had been prepared for Xiang Qing's reaction. When Xiang Kun first found out about this, his reaction was even more intense than Xiang Qing's.
But everything was Xiang Ming's own choice, and even the old man couldn't persuade him otherwise.
Xiang Kun explained a few words to Xiang Qing, who was even more stunned.
Is this really the choice made by the chubby boy he remembers?
After a long while, Xiang Qing sighed. It seemed that Xiang Ming had undergone some unprecedented changes during her absence.
"It's good that Xiang Ming has changed like this. Don't worry too much. Our Xiang family still has some influence over there, and the military is watching over him. There won't be any major problems!"
Xiang Kun offered a few more words of reassurance, and then continued:
"Speaking of which, Xiang Ming's change is somewhat related to that Chi Chen!"
"Chi Chen?!"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qing looked at Xiang Kun again, even more confused.
On the way to the residence of the Xiang family patriarch, Xiang Kun told Xiang Qing about the story between Xiang Ming and Chi Chen, which made Xiang Qing feel somewhat dazed.
What would it be like if Chi Chen and Xiang Ming, who had successfully awakened in that dimensional realm, saw this?
A moment later, inside an ordinary room in the Xiang family manor that seemed somewhat out of place with the overall luxurious style of the manor.
The old man of the Xiang family sat back on the sofa, flipping through a yellowed book in his hand.
"Creak!"
The door opened, and Xiang Kun led Xiang Qingjin into the room.
Upon hearing the sound, a fleeting smile appeared on the face hidden behind the book, but it quickly turned serious again. He didn't put down the book or utter a sound, as if he didn't know that Xiang Kun and Xiang Qing had come in.
Seeing this, Xiang Kun was helpless. The old man was good in every way, but he was becoming more and more childlike as he got older. He had been thinking about Xiang Qing the most in the past two years, but now that he was back, he insisted on putting on airs.
Xiang Kun gave Xiang Qing a look, signaling her to take it easy later, and then turned around and closed the door.
"Grandpa, I'm back!"
Xiang Qing pouted, feeling helpless, but with a smile on her face, she sat down next to Grandpa Xiang and snatched the book from his hand.
"Hmph, isn't this the eldest daughter of the Xiang family? What, you've finally decided to come back? If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have known I was still your grandfather!"
He gave the old man a haughty snort and said sarcastically with a straight face.
"Okay, Grandpa, I know I was wrong. It's just that things haven't been very peaceful in Luanning District these past two years. I've been busy dealing with things, so I haven't been able to call you much! Now that I'm back, I'll stay with you for a few more days, okay?"
Seeing this, Xiang Qing, unusually, did not argue with Grandpa Xiang. She suddenly realized that in just two years, Grandpa Xiang had many more wrinkles on his face, his mental state was not as good as before, and his hair was thinner. This pained Xiang Qing, and she realized that she had indeed not cared for Grandpa Xiang enough.
Upon hearing this, the old man felt much better. He glanced at his granddaughter, a look of affection appearing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Xiang Qing seized the opportunity, wrapped her arms around the old man's arms, and began to act coquettishly.
A moment later, a smile spread across the old man's face. In the Xiang family, as the head of the clan, the old man had always doted on his granddaughter Xiang Qing since she was a child. Everyone knew this. When Xiang Qing was first kidnapped by Zhang Rong, the old man was furious for a whole month. He almost went to the Chaos and Ning District to bring Xiang Qing back. You know, with Zhang Rong's reputation, if he released the news that he wanted her, countless people would fight for that opportunity. But the old man was a thousand times unwilling.
This shows just how much Old Master Xiang loved Xiang Qing. Although the other branches of the family were somewhat dissatisfied with Old Master Xiang's favoritism, Xiang Qing did not take advantage of this favoritism to act arrogantly at home. In addition, Xiang Qing was just a woman, so everyone lived in peace.
"Grandpa, Xiangming, he..."
After coaxing the old man into a good mood with some sweet talk, Xiang Qing was still a little worried about Xiang Ming and asked him again.
"Sigh, the kids are all grown up, and we can't keep them here anymore. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing for Xiangming. Since he wants to strive and make something of himself, let him go. If he wanted to stay at home and be a spoiled young master, that would be fine too, but since he has this ambition, let him go. I've already made arrangements over there, so at least his safety shouldn't be a problem!"
Grandpa Xiang sighed and glanced at Xiang Qing with a hint of resentment. Even Grandpa Xiang couldn't guarantee that Xiang Qing wouldn't get into trouble regarding that dimensional realm. But since it was Xiang Ming's own choice, Grandpa Xiang wouldn't stop him forever. A fledgling eagle can't always be protected by the wings of its master eagle if it wants to take flight.
Hearing the old man sigh, Xiang Qing felt another pang of pain in her heart. Yes, the old man just wanted his younger generation to spend more time with him, but everyone seemed to be busy with their own things and had overlooked the old man who was somewhat lonely.
...
In the dimensional realm, Lin Bai and his companions, who had been there for five days, finally received their arrangements today, leading Chi Chen and Zhang Rong to a high platform covered with mysterious patterns.
"Put them up there. Whether they can recover or not depends on their own fate!"
Below the stage, a rugged-looking man looked at Zhang Rong in the container with a slightly complicated expression. His name was Hu Yuan, and he was an old acquaintance of Zhang Rong. He was the one who had arranged things for Lin Bai and the others these past few days.
"Captain, Chi Chen, you must wake up!"
Lin Bai and Qing Sheng pulled the two people out of the container and gently placed them on the high platform.
"Buzz!"
As the patterns on the platform lit up, a beam of light fell from the sky and poured into the two people's bodies.
That is a very precious energy in this dimensional realm, called the 'Holy Spring'. Whether Zhang Rong and Chi Chen can recover depends on this gamble. This is a Holy Spring outpouring that the Great Xia Dynasty paid an exceptionally high price for!
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