Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Xu Xingguang stared at the soft whip and blood-red pigeon egg, momentarily forgetting to speak.

Ming Feng saw Xu Xingguang holding her teacup and suddenly not speaking. He waited and waited, yet eventually lost his patience and broke the silence first. ”Miss Xu.”

Xu Xingguang snapped out of it, lifted her eyes to look at Ming Feng, her eyes distinctly black and white, bright as a galaxy. When she looked at Ming Feng, she appeared indifferent, yet Ming Feng felt a sensation as though he was alone on a high mountain, subjected to the scrutiny of countless stars.

Ming Feng steeled himself, gathered his courage, and asked the question that lingered at the tip of his tongue. ”Miss Xu, the item that disappeared over two thousand years ago, why is it appearing in your hands now? Can you give me a reasonable explanation?”

It sounded like an accusation, yet Ming Feng’s tone was extremely humble and respectful.

Seeing a ghost.

Xu Xingguang smiled mysteriously, and instead of answering, she asked in turn, ”Then, why not guess, Director Ming Feng, why is that?”

Ming Feng remained silent.

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and touched the cup.

He took another sip and couldn’t help but touch the cup again.

Xu Xingguang worried he might wear a patina onto the cup.

After a while, Ming Feng spoke as if murmuring to himself. ”Two thousand years ago, an old lady awoke to prophetic abilities and was also referred to as Granny Feng. Though Granny Feng lacked combat capabilities, she was deeply respected in her lifetime. In her final moments, she left a riddle with her descendants.”

Xu Xingguang’s ears twitched lightly.

”When the hurricane sinks, the Emperor’s mausoleum opens, the black meteor appears, the Emperor returns.” Long ago, at the age of 28, when Ming Feng first saw this phrase, he was greatly shocked.

Over the years, he has hoped countless times for the prophecy of that seer to come true.

From his prime, he hoped until his old age.

Ming Feng tightly gripped the teacup in his hand, looking at Xu Xingguang with an undeniable eagerness in his eyes. He could no longer maintain his composed and steady demeanor, his expression showing pure excitement and madness.

He asked Xu Xingguang, ”Miss Xu, could the Emperor return, truly?”

”When the hurricane sinks, the Emperor’s mausoleum opens, the black meteor appears, the Emperor returns.” Xu Xingguang softly repeated the sentence, and scenes of her and Huo Wen’an seeking the Emperor’s tomb in the Central Cave leaped to mind.

The black meteor now quietly rests in her Reincarnation Space.

The Emperor returns...

”Ha.” Xu Xingguang chuckled lightly, meeting Ming Feng’s eager eyes glistening with tears and offering a vague answer, ”Prophecies, whether accurate or not, depend on whether the Director believes them.”

Ming Feng paused.

He turned his head away and boldly downed the cup of tea, then set it heavily on the tea table.

He stared at Xu Xingguang’s right hand, his old eyes suddenly growing red. ”Marshal Lin’s battle sword was called Xingguang, and Miss Xu’s name just so happens to be Xingguang, Miss Xu also coincidentally comes from the Emperor’s soul’s return location.”

”Are these truly just coincidences?”

Xu Xingguang smiled gently, her tone calm, ”It’s a coincidence.”

But Ming Feng refused to give up, saying, ”Even if all those are just coincidences, there is something else, is that also a coincidence?”

Xu Xingguang raised an eyebrow.

Ming Feng said, ”Medicine King Ying Chong’s master was called Medicine Farmer Star.” Only those familiar with Ancient Xia Country history know this.

Ming Feng gazed at Xu Xingguang’s excessively youthful and beautiful cheek, speaking with reddened eyes, ”I went to investigate your records today and found that in the Mortal World, the name under which you practice medicine is indeed Medicine Farmer Star!”

”Is that also a coincidence?”

Xu Xingguang was amazed beyond words.

Medicine King Ying Chong in his youth was a field doctor for the Lin Family Army, Xu Xingguang indeed taught him some skills, but she never formally took him as a disciple.

Still, she indeed could be considered Ying Chong’s teacher.

Her silence caused Ming Feng’s heart to tremble immensely. He suddenly stood up, moved around the table, and crouched beside Xu Xingguang’s chair.

A large, wrinkled hand cautiously rested on Xu Xingguang’s arm.

Xu Xingguang lowered her gaze to that hand, turned her head, and met Ming Feng’s teary eyes. He gazed up at Xu Xingguang and asked hoarsely, ”Have you returned, Marshal?”

Xu Xingguang looked at Ming Feng’s face, and as she recalled something, she suddenly placed her hand near Ming Feng’s left eye tail.

There, was a black mole.

Xu Xingguang stared at the mole, her memories drifting far away, retrieving a face similar to Ming Feng’s but much younger from those distant, blurry recollections.

That youth.