Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

After arriving in the Divine Martial Realm, he smoked two cigarettes.

One was on the night he had a video call with Xu Xingguang, and the other was this morning.

Xiao Qiao had already taken out his lighter, but upon hearing this, he silently put the cigarette back.

People who have seen life and death develop two distinct attitudes towards life.

One is to scorn life, the other is to revere it.

Xiao Qiao belonged to the latter, those who wish to live longer. He had struggled in Hell for too many years. Now, the feeling of living freely was truly delightful.

”Number 100...” Xiao Qiao felt it was impolite to refer to 099’s lover this way, so he asked, ”Your lover, what’s her name?” He only knew her as Xingguang and didn’t know her surname.

”Xu Xingguang, the ’Xu’ as in ’gradually unfolding’.”

Xiao Qiao nodded, ”Beauty Xu.”

Huo Wen’an frowned and corrected his form of address, ”Call her sister-in-law.”

Xiao Qiao chuckled.

”No wonder you’re 099 who loves to keep things to himself.” Huo Wen’an had a strong sense of ownership and possessiveness. Back in the Toy Pool, he had a private grove where anyone who approached would be driven away.

Even Xiao Qiao wouldn’t easily intrude into his grove.

He had a strong possessiveness towards his territory, and it was the same for his loved ones.

”Sister-in-law,” Xiao Qiao smacked his lips, holding back a laugh, ”Beautiful sister-in-law.”

Huo Wen’an’s fingers trembled, instinctively tightening his grip on his cane.

Noticing this subtle detail, Xiao Qiao wisely stopped while he was ahead. He knew Huo Wen’an well. In the Toy Pool, Huo Wen’an liked to use vines as weapons. Whenever he couldn’t resist hitting someone, he’d grip the vine.

”Sister-in-law already told me about the truth behind your departure from the Toy Pool. She also mentioned you fell seriously ill a few years ago and almost lost your life.” He placed his left arm on Huo Wen’an’s shoulder and said, ”099, I forgive you.”

Huo Wen’an lowered his gaze at him and finally said after a long pause, ”Sorry, I broke my promise.”

Xiao Qiao shook his head, ”I did blame you, but I’m more relieved by everything you have now. Huo Wen’an, we made it through.” Xiao Qiao turned to look at the window at the end of the corridor on this floor, where the sunlight was particularly bright. ”Huo Wen’an, you see, after enduring the long night, the sun always rises.”

Huo Wen’an stared at the door of the operating room, asking Xiao Qiao, ”Do you know the background of 001?”

001’s combat abilities were strong; she was a Super Power User, but she never used superpowers in the Toy Pool.

The reason Huo Wen’an knew that 001 was a Super Power User was because she once saved Xiao Qiao from almost being bitten to death by a beast.

Xiao Qiao always remembered 001’s kindness. After leaving the Toy Pool, he had secretly investigated 001’s background. ”I only found some fragmented snippets, not much information.”

Huo Wen’an: ”Where is she from?”

Xiao Qiao said, ”Divine Hidden Continent.”

Before Huo Wen’an could ask, Xiao Qiao conveyed the information he had gathered to Huo Wen’an. ”001 is from the Dongfang Family in the Divine Hidden Continent Emperor City. Her real name is Dongfang Chujiu, and she is the eldest daughter of the Dongfang Family.”

”The Dongfang Family, huh?” Huo Wen’an knew this Dongfang Family. In the Xia Country Era, the Dongfang Family ranked last among the four Ancient Martial Families.

Now, the Cang Clan and Fifth Family are extinct. The Divine Hidden Clan, though not wiped out, has reformed into the Mortal World’s Huo Family, long severing the Ancient Martial Arts tradition.

Among the four Ancient Martial Families, only the bloodline of the Dongfang Family has continued.

But in recent centuries, the Dongfang Family has long ceased to value Ancient Martial Arts, relentlessly pursuing superpowers. The once Ancient Martial Family is now a family that respects Super Power Users.

It’s quite a pity, really.

”Dongfang Chujiu was the daughter of the Dongfang Family Master and his first late wife, originally a deeply beloved young lady. But after her mother passed away, the Dongfang Family Master quickly remarried a second wife. The second wife was a Super Power User, and the children she bore also had superpowers. Dongfang Chuju gradually became neglected and despised.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Wen’an interrupted Xiao Qiao’s narrative, asking, ”So, like you, was she sold to the Toy Pool by her family?”

Xiao Qiao shook his head, ”No.”

Huo Wen’an was surprised. ”So what happened exactly?”

”Dongfang Chujiu fell in love with a man. I haven’t found out who he is, only that he was someone from the East Ocean Alliance Government. After they married quietly, Dongfang Chujiu got pregnant a couple of years later. She hasn’t appeared since, claiming that the fetal heart was unstable and needed bed rest at home?”

Yet, Dongfang Chujiu’s physical condition was strong, and just being pregnant wouldn’t necessitate confinement to bed.

Her situation was probably more like house arrest.

”Dongfang Chujiu gave birth to a baby boy, but not long after, the baby boy mysteriously disappeared. Dongfang Chujiu spent five years searching for the child with no leads, and later, she went mad. After a period of insanity, she sold herself to the Toy Pool.”

Xiao Qiao stared at the closed doors of the operating room and guessed, ”Others come to the Toy Pool to suffer, but she, perhaps, came to atone. That child is her unresolved issue.”