When Ling Huayu and the others emerged, they saw Wen Zonglin standing not far from the main gate of the Ling residence, arms crossed, looking at the Ling residence with an arrogant expression. Upon seeing that the people emerging were them, his expression instantly collapsed.
Ling Huayu and the others were bewildered, not understanding what was wrong with this esteemed sir.
Wen Zonglin, seeing that the people arriving were not the ones he was looking for, felt somewhat displeased. He was already annoyed that the bratty girl had returned without informing him or coming to find him. Now that he had personally come to their doorstep, she wasn't even coming out to greet him immediately! Kuaishuoge.
Annoyed! Very annoyed!! Extremely annoyed!!!
Those who didn't understand why he was suddenly angry were even more bewildered. On the opposite side of the Ling residence, on a wine building, Li Shu was observing the situation. Recognizing the person, he said to Han Li beside him, "Han Li, whether our previous guess was correct or not, we will know the answer today."
Upon hearing this, Han Li also guessed Wen Zonglin's identity and said, "Young Pavilion Master, judging by Dean Wen's demeanor, he seems more like he's here for revenge. Could our guess be wrong?"
Hearing Han Li's words, Li Shu smiled but said nothing, continuing to watch the Ling residence.
Wen Zonglin's back was facing Li Shu, so neither Li Shu nor Han Li could see Wen Zonglin's expression, only his back. His back was clearly emblazoned with four large characters: I am very angry! Coupled with Wen Zonglin's earlier shout, not only Han Li but also the surrounding onlookers, even though they didn't know who he was, all assumed he was here for revenge.
Ling Huayu stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "I am Ling Huayu, the head of the Ling family. May I ask who you are, sir? And what brings you to our Ling family?"
Wen Zonglin didn't know who Ling Huayu was. A person from a lower-tier country was not enough for him to remember. When he had instructed the dean of the outer court of the Dragon Qing Kingdom, he had only mentioned giving five enrollment quotas annually to the Ling family in Yunyuan City, Tianwu Kingdom, without having anyone investigate the Ling family. He had also forgotten about it later. Fortunately, there had only ever been this one Ling family in Yunyuan City, so no embarrassing mix-ups had occurred.
Although Wen Zonglin didn't know who he was and couldn't see any resemblance to the bratty girl on his face, the bratty girl had once told him to look after the Ling family in Yunyuan City. Since this person was the head of the Ling family, his relationship with that girl must be extraordinary.
Therefore, Wen Zonglin no longer put on airs and said politely, "Greetings, Patriarch Ling. I am Wen Zonglin."
The moment the name 'Wen Zonglin' was uttered, everyone except those from the lower-tier countries was shocked. In their respective countries, there were more or less outer courts of the Ancient Spirit Academy. Therefore, even though Wen Zonglin didn't often appear in public, they knew the name of the dean of the inner court of the Ancient Spirit Academy.
However, they couldn't understand why he was here.
When the matter of Ling Luoyi being an exceptional alchemist first spread, they had also speculated about the relationship between these two, but they dared not seek confirmation from Wen Zonglin. Now that Wen Zonglin had arrived, they couldn't ascertain his attitude. If he were here to cause trouble, his attitude towards the Ling family head was very good, not like someone here to cause trouble. If he were here to see his disciple, he appeared very angry, not like someone seeing his disciple.
Ling Huayu was unaware of these matters, so even after hearing his name, his expression remained unchanged. He said, "Then, what brings you here today, Pavilion Master Wen?"
"I am here to find someone."
Find someone?
Recalling Wen Zonglin's earlier shout, Ling Huayu had a general idea, but he didn't know who he was looking for. He asked, "May I ask who Pavilion Master Wen is looking for? Would you like to come inside the residence to wait?"
Upon the mention of entering the residence, Wen Zonglin was resistant. How could a master eagerly go to see a disciple? Didn't disciples respectfully invite their masters in? Why should he be an exception! He wanted to be treated as well!
Wen Zonglin might have forgotten how he had tricked Ling Luoyi, who had just arrived in this world and knew nothing about it, into becoming his disciple back then.
Seeing Wen Zonglin's resistance, Ling Huayu gave up and said, "Since Pavilion Master Wen is unwilling to enter the residence, may I have a servant bring a chair for Pavilion Master Wen to sit and wait?"
Wen Zonglin thought about it and nodded in agreement. He didn't know when the bratty girl would come out, and he couldn't stand there waiting the whole time. If the bratty girl never came out, would he have to stand here forever? How improper would that be? For the bratty girl's reputation, he would sit and wait.
Having convinced himself, Wen Zonglin sat down with a clear conscience.
Ling Huayu watched, unsure of what to say. After this closed-door cultivation breakthrough, his cultivation had reached the first tier of Spirit Master. This level of cultivation was stable even in super-tier countries, yet he couldn't discern this person's cultivation. Judging by the aura around him, his cultivation was definitely higher than his. He couldn't leave him here alone; what if he was treated with disrespect? But the people who arrived earlier also couldn't be neglected.
Just as Ling Huayu was hesitating about what to do, Wen Zonglin suddenly stood up, tidied his clothes, and resumed his previous arrogant demeanor. Because he stood up so suddenly, he startled the onlookers, who thought he was about to make a move.
Wen Zonglin wasn't trying to scare them; rather, through the gap in the crowd surrounding the main gate of the Ling residence, he saw a figure in water blue slowly approaching, which was why he was preparing to strike a pose.
Normally, the Ling residence was invisible from the outside due to its barrier. However, Ling Huayu and the others were outside the main gate at this moment, and the barrier on the gate was open. Coupled with Wen Zonglin's excellent eyesight, he could see clearly.
Wen Zonglin hadn't seen that bratty girl in many years, and his time spent with her wasn't long. She hadn't even given him a portrait, so Wen Zonglin only remembered her appearance as a child and didn't know what she looked like grown up. However, he had a premonition that the figure in blue was definitely the bratty girl he was looking for.
Thinking that the bratty girl had been back for so long without even thinking of visiting him, Wen Zonglin became angry. Furthermore, he, an elder, had to travel thousands of miles and cross mountains and rivers to see her, which made Wen Zonglin even angrier. The angrier he became, the worse his expression grew, and his aura inexplicably became mournful. However, the onlookers, not daring to discern the reason for his anger, were so scared they didn't dare to breathe loudly.
When Ling Luoyi emerged, she saw an old man with a white beard staring at her with a resentful expression that clearly conveyed "I am very angry." Out of fear of collateral damage while the old man was in a fit of pique, no one dared to approach within a step of him.
Seeing Ling Luoyi emerge and clearly discerning her expression, Li Shu smiled.
Seeing Li Shu smile, Han Li looked bewildered. Dean Wen clearly looked angry and seemed to be here to cause trouble, so their guess must be wrong. Yet, why was the Young Pavilion Master so happy?
Han Li hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Young Pavilion Master, Dean Wen's appearance doesn't seem like he's here for a friendly reunion, but more like he's here to cause trouble. Aren't you worried about Miss Ling? Why are you smiling?"
Hearing this, Li Shu smiled even more deeply and didn't intend to explain, saying, "Han Li, just watch."
Hearing his Young Pavilion Master say this, Han Li was completely baffled and could only continue watching the Ling residence. Then, his eyes widened as he watched Ling Luoyi respectfully perform a master-disciple greeting, exclaiming in shock, "Young Pavilion Master! This..."
Li Shu had already guessed this and was not particularly surprised.
Given Ling Luoyi's concern for her family, how could she possibly leave the Ling family in a precarious situation?
As expected, under the gaze of everyone, Ling Luoyi walked up to Wen Zonglin, respectfully performed a master-disciple greeting, then looked up at Wen Zonglin and smiled sincerely, saying, "It's been many years, Master."