Chapter 1027: Chapter 1026: Return to the Mountain_1
"Brother Zhang, how should I thank you?"
It’s easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to send coal in the snowfall; those willing to help you in a crisis are your true friends. Even Shi Xiaole did not expect that Zhang Xiangfeng would actually make a move this time.
After all, the other party did not know his own strength, and one misstep could put himself in jeopardy.
Zhang Xiangfeng smiled and said, "Actually, if you hadn’t come, I could have held on for at most a few hundred moves, and really haven’t helped much."
Previously, he had heard Gui Zhihang’s message transmission, so he should have charged into the Nine Profound Array System, but if he said it out loud, it might seem like he was fishing for credit, so it was better to keep silent.
"I only know, Brother Zhang has done me a great kindness, a favor and affection, that Shi Xiaole will never forget. May I invite Brother Zhang to enter Nine Heavens Mountain with me?"
Good friends are hard to find, and Shi Xiaole knew that this was a man of loyalty and righteous valor just like Mu Ling and others; he didn’t want to miss the chance.
"Hahaha, I’ve long wanted to go and take a look inside."
Zhang Xiangfeng looked in a certain direction, only to see a beautiful figure leaping up and with a few flashes, arrived near the two; clad in an apricot-yellow Luo dress hugging her graceful figure, her appearance and demeanor were so pure and dust-free, it made one feel ashamed.
"I have seen Elder Sister Ling Hui!"
Shi Xiaole immediately saluted with his hands.
The woman was indeed Zhang Xiangfeng’s beloved, the former Saintess of Heavenly Snow Mountain, Zhong Lingsui, her pretty face blushed as she stepped aside and returned the salute, "Young Hero Shi, you are too polite."
Facing Shi Xiaole at this moment, Zhong Lingsui would be lying if she said she felt no pressure.
According to what she knew, several of the core Elders of Heavenly Snow Mountain were just Earthly Realm Martial Emperors, definitely not a match for Shi Xiaole, with only the Supreme Elder and the Mountain Master being a notch stronger than Shi Xiaole.
In other words, this man under forty years old, had already become an unparalleled master in the Martial World, on par with the old monsters.
"Why so distant, Elder Sister? Before, you did not call me Young Hero Shi."
Shi Xiaole said.
Zhong Lingsui was momentarily stunned, and Zhang Xiangfeng on the side laughed and said, "Ling Hui, Xiaole is not an ordinary man; if you are too standoffish, it actually isn’t flattering."
Zhong Lingsui thus went along with it and called him Xiaole, and Shi Xiaole smiled. At that moment, a gap appeared in the Nine Profound Array System under Zhu Ling’s control, and Shi Xiaole, along with several Array System Grandmasters, immediately charged in.
"The Grandmaster has returned..."
"The Grandmaster is invincible!"
"Hahaha, with the Grandmaster here to support us, and with the help of the Young Dragon, I reckon those demons and monsters wouldn’t dare to make trouble anymore!"
Upon seeing Shi Xiaole, Nine Heavens Mountain erupted in intense excitement. Before this, Shi Xiaole had already stood up in times of trouble to stem the tide, but all of that didn’t compare to the shock he gave everyone this time.
No words could describe what he had achieved; in fact, even at this moment, many people were still dazed, completely blank.
In front of many enthusiastic senior members and disciples were the core of Nine Heavens Mountain. Led by Qu Wuyan, a group of individuals hurried forward to greet them.
"We’ve seen the Grandmaster!"
Qu Wuyan led the salutations, followed by Zhu Ling, Xin Zhuliu, and the three remarkable figures each paying their respects, their warmth tinged with a subtle increase in respect. In the Martial World, power commands respect, and Shi Xiaole was fully worthy of their esteem.
"Steward Qu, Steward Zhu, Grandmaster Xin... you’ve all worked hard during this time, I hope you don’t blame me for coming back too late."
Shi Xiaole’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces, he could clearly see the deep fatigue on them, as well as the sense of relief after the problem was resolved, inevitably feeling somewhat guilty.
Certain members of the Qingmo Organization targeted Nine Heavens Mountain under the pretext of bloodline verification largely because they coveted the Nine Profound Array System and his dual martial arts techniques; in the end, I had brought trouble upon others.
"Being so polite and hypocritical, Brother Shi, when did you start liking this charade?"
A handsome man in golden clothes stepped forward and feigned a punch to Shi Xiaole’s chest. It was Mu Ling who snorted, "Your strength has improved quite a bit," eliciting a burst of quiet chuckles from everyone.
"Xiaole, old Niu here knew you would come, but that was a bit too thrilling just now. It gave us some trouble, so could you please give us a heads up next time?"
Niu Dali slapped Shi Xiaole’s shoulder heavily.
Qiu Mingyue gave him a white look: "You’re the one making a fuss. With Brother Shi’s capabilities, what can’t he do?"
Niu Dali yelped, "Momma, when did you, this shrew, learn to kiss up like this?" Unexpectedly, a fair hand fiercely pinched his waist, causing Niu Dali to bend over and gasp in pain.
The crowd couldn’t help but burst into laughter once more, and imperceptibly, any sense of distance that had unwittingly appeared was washed away, replaced with a warm and comfortable atmosphere that lingered in everyone’s hearts.
Shi Xiaole felt acutely aware of several bright yet tender gazes resting on him, gazes that lingered without moving away.
Following one of them, Shi Xiaole first saw the woman dressed in a lake green outfit with a bright and attractive appearance. She had an oval face, eyes that weren’t very large, a nose that wasn’t very high, and slightly thick lips, but she was still stunningly beautiful, gazing affectionately at Shi Xiaole.
It was Miss Xia Yunxi.
Standing not too far in the front, she didn’t rush to greet Shi Xiaole; just as in the past, she quietly observed him. Even though she wanted to rush over, she didn’t want to burden Shi Xiaole in the slightest.
Touching eyes with Shi Xiaole, Xia Yunxi’s smile widened, blooming like a begonia flower.
"Yunxi, I’ve missed you a lot."
Shi Xiaole whispered.
A simple sentence made Xia Yunxi’s delicate body tremble slightly, her smile remained, but her eyes had already become blurry.
The second gaze came from Su Yanru in her red clothes.
She was still so enchanting. Perhaps in terms of appearance, she couldn’t compare with Xi Xianglei, Yan Yuchai, or even Xia Youying, but Su Yanru had her own charm, every move she made was alluring, stirring forbidden thoughts within one’s mind.
"Lele, you’ve truly grown up."
Seeing Shi Xiaole as he was now, Su Yanru was both happy and reluctant to let go. She couldn’t have imagined that the baby who knew nothing back then would grow up to be who he was today.
She thought that if Brother Shi and his wife knew, they would be very comforted.
But the more it was like this, the more she felt herself drifting away from Shi Xiaole. Besides the relationship of aunt and nephew, what else did they have?
The third gaze came from Zhu Ling.
Who would know that Zhu Ling managed Nine Heavens Mountain so well not only because she loved authority and enjoyed ordering people around, but also because she wanted to achieve something significant, to prove herself to someone.
Even so, she still couldn’t reach him. Although he was within arm’s reach, she could never manage to take even half a step forward. How much longer would she have to endure this painful torment?
Zhu Ling didn’t know. Perhaps, being in the crowd and watching him without reserve was already her greatest happiness.
The fourth gaze, surprisingly, came from Gui Fuling.
But when she saw Xia Yunxi’s expression, her eyes trembled, and with both reluctance and difficulty, she lowered her head slightly.
