Chapter 687
Meeting the Parents
Chapter 687 Meeting the Parents
The air in the hall was heavy, like solidified lead.
The magic crystal lamps hanging beneath the stone dome emitted a cold light, adding to the solemnity and anxiety.
In the very center of the hall stood a tall man with a straight and upright posture.
His armor, made of mithril, was meticulously polished and had a matte silver-gray sheen.
The man's face had strong, distinct features, as if carved by a knife and axe.
With a high, straight nose, lips pressed tightly into a resolute straight line, and a taut jawline, he exuded an unquestionable air of authority.
His usually meticulously styled blond hair was now somewhat disheveled, and his eyes were filled with fine red blood vessels.
This is proof that he hasn't slept a wink for the past month and a half and is utterly exhausted.
His gaze was sharp as a drawn sword, fixed intently on the man in the main seat, a man of unparalleled status and prestige.
Grand Duke Wang Mian.
"Grand Duke Wang Mian, it will be almost two months," the man said, his voice deep and powerful, like the clash of metal.
His tone lacked respect and even betrayed a barely suppressed anger.
"The family has used every available resource, and the bounty has been spread to every corner of the Nolan Continent, but what was the result?"
He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Aside from those swindlers trying to cheat us out of 500,000 gold coins, we have no leads whatsoever."
The servants standing on both sides of the hall remained silent, their lowered gazes carrying a hint of solemnity.
For the past month and a half, the entire Wang Mian family has been caught in an unprecedented state of anxiety and busyness.
The entire family guard was mobilized, divided into dozens of squads, to conduct a thorough search of Liuge County and all surrounding areas; the intelligence network operated day and night, gathering every bit of information related to the Imperial Mage.
But in the end, they gained nothing.
Liu Ying vanished as if she had evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace whatsoever.
“We must consider the bigger picture and not easily break ties with the Holy Empire,” the man’s voice suddenly rose, becoming forceful and resonant. “But precisely because we consider the bigger picture, we may very well miss the best opportunity to investigate.”
“Liu Ying is your daughter, and more importantly, my sister. I already disagreed with you letting her participate in the magic competition, and then this happened.”
Yes, the man's full name is Richard Wang Mian, the biological older brother of Liu Ying Wang Mian, and also the eldest son of Grand Duke Wang Mian.
Only he dared to question this Grand Duke, whose status within the dynasty was second only to the royal family, so directly.
The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly oppressive as Richard questioned him.
The others all looked up at Grand Duke Wang Mian, who was in the main seat, their eyes filled with worry.
They all knew that Richard's words, though extreme, revealed the frustration in their hearts.
For the past month and a half, Grand Duke Wang Mian appeared as calm and composed as ever, handling daily affairs and coordinating various matters related to finding Liu Ying. However, the fatigue and worry in his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide them, would occasionally show.
Faced with his eldest son's questioning and barely suppressed anger, Grand Duke Wang Mian remained calm and composed, as if Richard's words had not affected him at all.
He simply raised his hand slowly, turned his palm upward, and the palm-sized metal box appeared out of thin air in his hand.
It is the rune box that is bound to the spirit of the Flowing Fire.
For the past month and a half, the rune box had almost never left his side, and he repeatedly checked the condition of the three crystals.
Fortunately, the red crystal continued to sparkle steadily, and the blue crystal remained calm and still.
Of course, the green crystal still remained completely dull.
But at this moment, when the rune box appeared in Grand Duke Wang Mian's hands, his always tense eyebrows couldn't help but twitch slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
Because the green crystal on the rune box, which had been dormant for a month and a half, suddenly lit up with a faint light without warning.
The light was initially as dim as a firefly's, so faint that it seemed it might go out at any moment, but in just an instant, it became brighter at a speed visible to the naked eye.
From a pale, shimmering green, it gradually transforms into a rich, vibrant emerald green, its shimmering frequency steady and clear, like a lighthouse shining in the night, clearly guiding the way.
“This…” Richard’s pupils shrank, and the anger in his eyes was instantly extinguished as if doused with ice water, replaced by disbelief and shock.
Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming joy swept over his entire body like a tidal wave, and the bloodshot eyes became even more prominent due to the intense emotional fluctuations.
Grand Duke Wang Mian's fingers gently brushed across the surface of the rune box. The solemnity and worry that had accumulated in his eyes for a month and a half gradually dissipated like melting snow, replaced by an indescribable sense of relief and eagerness.
His voice remained steady, yet carried a barely perceptible hoarseness: "The rune box is correct."
"Liu Ying is back." He looked up, his gaze falling on Richard, his tone carrying an unquestionable command, "Go and bring her back right away."
As the green crystal lit up, the red crystal, which represented the body's condition, suddenly began to flicker irregularly.
The light flickered, no longer as stable and full as before.
This indicates that Liu Ying's physical condition is not optimistic.
“She has been away from the protection of the Concealing Light Array for too long. We must bring her home as soon as possible, otherwise, if the light transformation phenomenon becomes too severe, it will cause permanent damage to her.” Grand Duke Wang Mian did not say anything more, but solemnly handed the Soul Rune Box to Richard.
Richard took the rune box with both hands, gave a military salute to Grand Duke Wang Mian, and then strode out of the hall.
Etherlandshire, Coast of Light.
"So this is what the sea is like," Liu Ying murmured.
Her voice was as soft as the sound of the tide, carrying a hint of dazedness as if waking from a dream, and a touch of unbelievable joy.
“Yes,” Gao De replied, his gaze still fixed on the sea.
For him, the sea was an extremely common sight, one he had seen countless times while on missions.
But at that moment, he suddenly felt that the sea seemed to have changed as well.
"It's so beautiful." Liu Ying tilted her head back slightly, letting the sea breeze tousle her hair.
Do you like it?
"I love it. It's much more beautiful than what I've seen in books or what I've imagined."
“There’s more to the world than just the sea.” Gao De paused, as if reminiscing.
"There are snow-capped mountains that are covered with snow all year round, and the ice peaks on the mountaintops shimmer with seven colors in the sunlight."
There is a dense rainforest, full of bioluminescent plants, and all sorts of birds and animals I've never seen before.
And then there's the desert, where during the day the yellow sand swirls everywhere, but at night the stars seem so low you could almost reach out and pluck them from the sky.
"And then there are the enormous cities, filled with towering buildings, taller than your castle, whose neon lights illuminate them at night, making them as bright and bustling as daytime."
These words should not have been said.
But he didn't need to hide anything from Liu Ying.
"Even the sea is different in different places and at different times of the year."
Some seas are as calm as a mirror, reflecting the entire sky; some seas can whip up towering waves tens of meters high, displaying a magnificent power; some seas are azure, while others are emerald green.
"That's wonderful," Liu Ying exclaimed.
“So you have to go and see for yourself,” Gao De said seriously, turning his head.
"May I?"
"Of course you can, you're still so young."
“Yes,” the girl nodded emphatically, “Okay, I will try my best.”
The two fell silent again, with only the sound of the tide and the sea breeze continuing.
Time slips away silently.
I don't know how much time passed.
In short, it was a long time, because although the night was still dark, there were faint signs of it loosening.
The dark blue sky gradually faded, and a very faint, pale white tinge appeared on the distant sea.
“...And I’m here too.” Gao De suddenly spoke, picking up where the previous conversation had left off. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was unusually serious: “I will help you as much as I can.” Liu Ying turned her head sharply and stared blankly at Gao De.
Her eyes were large and bright, and in the gradually brightening sky, Gao De's face was clearly reflected.
Liu Ying stared at Gao De for a long time, until the fish-belly white on the distant sea surface grew brighter and brighter, gradually turning a faint orange-red, like a flame that had been lit and spread little by little.
The night is gradually fading, dawn is approaching, and the sun is about to rise.
A golden arc rose on the sea surface.
Then, the arc rose higher and brighter, and the dazzling golden light pierced through the clouds, turning half the sky gold.
The waves seemed to be on fire, shimmering with golden light, surging wave after wave, as if celebrating the arrival of the sunrise.
The once dark sea surface now shimmered with light.
The warm sunlight shone on the beach, on the abandoned lighthouse, and on the two of them, dispelling the chill of the night and bringing a cozy warmth.
Because of her constitution, Liu Ying has always disliked sunlight and would subconsciously avoid direct sunlight, even though it would not cause her any real harm.
She prefers sunsets to sunrises.
But at this moment, she did not avoid it.
Liu Ying let the sunlight shine on her, and her golden hair was dyed golden-red by the sunlight.
Those faintly visible light-reflecting veins, under the sunlight, didn't appear so menacing.
She looked at Gao De, her eyes shining.
It's like a lost child finally finding their way home, or a ship that has been adrift for a long time finally finding its harbor.
Then, she slowly, very slowly, moved closer to Gaode.
Liu Ying moved very slowly, afraid of disturbing Gao De or hurting him.
But the two were already very close, so even though she was moving very slowly, they were about to bump into each other.
Gao De didn't speak or resist; he just watched her quietly.
This was the first time Liu Ying had ever tried to get so close to and trust someone.
Fortunately, she was not rejected.
So, she carefully rested her head on Gaode's shoulder.
The weight on my shoulders was both light and heavy.
By this time, the sun had fully risen.
Golden sunlight bathed the entire sea surface, outlining a golden edge around the couple nestled together, casting long shadows of them on the beach.
……
The sun has fully risen.
As a result, the temperature has also risen considerably.
The quartz sand and plankton in the seawater intertwine to create a dazzling light like crushed diamonds, truly deserving of the title "Coast of Light".
The seawater crashed against the stone walls of the abandoned lighthouse, creating layer upon layer of white spray.
Foamy spray crashes against the rocks, shattering into tiny droplets that slide down the rock face and merge into the receding tide, an endless cycle.
Liu Ying, who usually hates sunlight, now basks in it openly, taking off her shoes, rolling up the hem of her robe to reveal the light-colored lining underneath.
The girl's calves were slender and well-proportioned, like willow branches sprouting in early spring, and her skin was so fair that it shone with a lustrous sheen.
However, those few pale golden veins, like winding snakes, snaked upwards along her calves, standing out conspicuously against her fair skin.
Yet it strangely creates a fragmented beauty.
She tentatively dipped her bare feet into the seawater.
The moment their toes touched the flowing waves, they flinched slightly, but soon began to play freely with the water with their feet.
The waves, carrying tiny fragments of quartz sand, danced gently on her calves.
A cool, refreshing sensation spreads along the skin, carrying the unique crispness of the sea.
Gao De watched silently from the side.
The skin on his shoulders, beneath his clothes, was already scorched, causing a constant burning pain.
However, Gao De didn't care.
Because he knew that the girl who was happily playing in the water was currently enduring pain far greater than his own.
"for you."
A girl's clear voice suddenly interrupted Gao De's thoughts.
She placed a tiny hermit crab, curled up in its shell, in Gaode's palm.
Of course, it was handed over by a monk.
This hermit crab, no bigger than a finger, was incredibly audacious, crawling straight towards the girl's fair legs.
Fortunately, before it could turn to ashes upon touching the girl's leg, it was scooped up by the girl's mage hand.
Gao De accepted the hermit crab.
The little guy was probably quite frightened by the danger just now, and now it completely huddled inside its shell, not daring to show its head, only occasionally spitting out a string of tiny bubbles.
The girl seemed to have found the joy of beachcombing, and stepped directly into the seawater, letting the water reach her knees, her clothes getting mostly wet from the waves.
She ran around, teasing the little shrimp and crabs that had been washed ashore by the sea.
Gao De, meanwhile, crouched on the stone base of the abandoned lighthouse, his gaze following her figure as he waited.
Finally, Liu Ying seemed to have had enough fun. She ran back from the beach, her clothes still wet.
"It's about time to go home," Gao De said, standing up.
Liu Ying nodded, first using magic to dry her clothes and feet, then bending down to put on her shoes.
Gao De patted the sand off his bottom and habitually looked around.
Then, his gaze suddenly froze, and all the muscles in his body tensed instantly.
Behind the abandoned lighthouse, a man of unusually tall stature was standing.
He was more than half a head taller than an average man, and even from dozens of steps away, one could feel his imposing presence.
The man stood quietly at the boundary between light and shadow, his gaze fixed intently on Gao De and Liu Ying, and it was unclear how long he had been watching them.
Gao De's heart sank.
He considered himself to have keen senses, able to detect the biological fluctuations around him even when he was relaxed.
But the man in front of him was standing not far away, yet he hadn't noticed him at all until now that he could see him and realized his presence.
This special ability alone is enough to prove that the other party's strength is unfathomable.
What alarmed Gao De even more was that the aura emanating from the man carried an extremely strong sense of oppression.
Not to mention that at this moment, the other party's gaze was as sharp as a sword, fixed on him, carrying a strong scrutiny and a strange "hostility".
Gao De subconsciously took a step forward, shielding Liu Ying behind him, completely forgetting that Liu Ying's combat strength was actually far superior to his own.
He stared intently at his opponent, ready to fight at any moment.
"elder brother!"
In the midst of this tense atmosphere, Liu Ying's clear and joyful voice came from behind Gao De.
(End of this chapter)