Sometimes waiting is a long happiness, and sometimes it is a long anticipation.
San Dong couldn't remember who told him this.
Maybe it was Yanyun, who sometimes came by for a chat, or the Sect Master at some indeterminate time, or Cui Hao when he was putting on that serious expression.
San Dong didn't know how he had remembered this sentence—maybe it had just popped into his mind while he was waiting.
After the Sect Master recovered from his injuries, he had become busy again.
The Sect Master, whom San Dong hadn't seen in ages, returned briefly, met with him, gave him spirit stones and specially prepared gifts, then left in a hurry.
San Dong didn't know what the Sect Master was busy with. He had once asked Yanyun when she visited during her free time.
Yanyun answered seriously, but San Dong understood only fragments.
The summary was that the Sect Master was busy with something of heaven-shaking importance.
San Dong didn't know how big heaven was. After all, he had only seen Wanhua Ridge, and Tianyan Sect's not particularly large Peak of One Big Happy Family.
He had never seen the outside world.
At Wanhua Ridge, he had stayed within Wanhua Ridge's sect. At Tianyan Sect, he had only stayed within the Peak of One Big Happy Family.
San Dong understood he was just a little flower spirit, so in his eyes, the vastness of heaven and earth was limited to what he could see.
He didn't understand Eastern Divine Continent, nor Western Niu Continent.
The little flower spirit's original hope was simply that when moonlight descended, no one would disturb him, and he could use the moonlight for cultivation.
He hoped Wanhua Ridge would never change, and that beautiful butterflies could flutter past him.
He liked sunny days and hated the crackling downpours under dark clouds.
The little flower spirit wasn't greedy, and didn't yearn for the outside world.
Without anyone to talk to, even a dragonfly passing by could hear the flower spirit's complaints.
Sometimes, when he had grievances he couldn't forget, he could confide them to the lonely moon.
Later, he met the eldest senior sister, met the Sect Master, and the little Wanhua Ridge gained a sect.
He could listen to Cui Hao tell stories, drink tea brewed by Chen Baiqing, and even drag his second senior brother on adventures around Wanhua Ridge.
He could follow the Sect Master and see all sorts of people.
Everyone respected the little flower spirit.
When he was bored, he could always find someone to chat with, even if it was Qinghe, who occasionally played pranks on him.
The little flower spirit felt that the best days were just like this.
Having people who cared about you, then living peaceful days with those people.
Meeting the eldest senior sister was lucky, meeting the Sect Master was lucky, meeting everyone was lucky.
The little flower spirit was also fortunate enough to live fortunate days.
San Dong stood on the tea table, a smile on his face as he waved his little hand at Chu Xingchen departing outside.
But perhaps the more one had, the greedier one became.
San Dong watched as Chu Xingchen and Xie Lingyu's figures gradually receded.
When the Sect Master was resting from injuries, everyone in the sect would be around. Although no one was truly free, San Dong could always see them.
Then, once the Sect Master recovered, everyone would start bustling about their own business again.
What remained in the sect were two outer disciples and one outer elder.
The two outer disciples sometimes went to other peaks for better cultivation, while the outer elder was preparing for a breakthrough.
The enormous Peak of One Big Happy Family, at its quietest, had only San Dong left.
The little flower spirit had experienced companionship, so when he was lonely, he always felt nostalgic.
But San Dong wouldn't voice these longings.
Because San Dong knew that if the eldest senior sister said she missed him, he would definitely fly to her.
Similarly, if he missed the eldest senior sister, she might drop everything and come back.
The little flower spirit understood that his little self wasn't as important as those great matters.
San Dong didn't want to become a greedy flower spirit.
Just like when he was only a flower—when he craved rain, all he could do was wait.
Wait for the drizzle to fall, wait for the downpour.
San Dong took a deep breath, his gaze circling all around. In his vision: the Sect Master sitting in his rocking chair, Chen Baiqing brewing tea on the tea table, and Cui Hao waiting nearby for a cup.
The stern-looking eldest senior sister, hands on her hips, saying the Master was lazy, while the Sect Master pulled his second senior brother aside, saying—I order you to go defeat eldest senior sister.
Lin Luoyu would bonk Cui Hao on the head with a book for talking nonsense.
The little flower spirit understood he was just a little flower spirit.
He couldn't help everyone with much.
But when everyone was away, San Dong would definitely watch over this land.
So that when everyone returned, everything would be just as it had been at the beginning.
After all, the little flower spirit was a great sect guardian.
San Dong wasn't greedy.
He would be like a flower, like a tree—burying the seeds of longing deep in his heart.
Waiting for the day everyone returned, then blooming into a sea of flowers, growing into towering trees.
Turning all his longing into the warmest welcome.
After all, San Dong was a little flower spirit.
San Dong took a deep breath and buried another seed in his heart.
The Peak of One Big Happy Family actually wasn't small at all. When San Dong had nothing to do, he would go for mountain walks.
There were actually some spirit beasts in the mountains.
Only those spirit beasts never harmed anyone. The fierce white tiger San Dong occasionally encountered—even before the terror faded from his face, the tiger would be the first to flip over and roll onto its back before him.
Every living thing on the Peak of One Big Happy Family was impossibly kind.
San Dong was somewhat reluctant to leave Wanhua Ridge, but he also felt this place was pretty nice.
The Sect Master might not have time today.
Then he would go for another mountain walk.
The Sect Master was doing something of heaven-shaking importance and might get injured.
San Dong had asked Yanyun for a medicinal herb book. He could already memorize its entire contents and identify every herb.
It would be best if the Sect Master never got hurt. But if he did, San Dong had to be prepared.
Some blood-restoring herbs—when there was nothing to do, he could have the Sect Master munch on them.
As the sect guardian, San Dong couldn't just take his stipend for nothing. He had to learn to find work for himself and make the sect better.
Just as San Dong was about to retrieve his spatial ring for storing herbs, a powerful surge of spiritual energy charged from the distance. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into Qinghe standing before the table.
"Hm? How come it's just you?" Qinghe looked around, her tone puzzled, "Didn't they say Chu Xingchen and Lingyu came back? Where are they?"
San Dong answered truthfully: "They just came and left."
"Where to?"
"San Dong didn't ask."
Qinghe was speechless for a moment, then looked at San Dong:
"Didn't you say you missed them? They come and you don't even ask what they're doing?"
San Dong thought for a moment, then lifted his head to answer:
"Because only San Dong needs to miss them. They don't have to miss San Dong."
Qinghe's brows furrowed, but seeing San Dong's sincere face, she sighed helplessly and said:
"So what do you plan to do? Want me to take you to find your Sect Master?"
"No need. If the Sect Master, who's so lazy, is running around everywhere, he must be very busy. I can't cause trouble for him." San Dong waved his hand, then continued, "I'm planning to go for a mountain walk. An inspection."
Qinghe's expression was somewhat uncomfortable. After a moment of consideration, she said helplessly:
"Fine, fine…"
"Won't Qinghe come along? It's really interesting."
Qinghe looked conflicted, then said with a resigned tone:
"Never mind. Since I'm already here…"