Chapter 237: Where Is This? Wait, This Is My Home?! Where Are My Things?
Meanwhile, Yukong and Ruan Mei escorted Tingyun back to her private residence.
Since the Foxian woman had finally awakened from her deep slumber, there was no longer any need to keep her suspended inside the sterile confines of the nutrient solution tank. Yukong had initially suggested transferring her directly to the Alchemy Commission for complete follow-up treatment. However, Ruan Mei swiftly vetoed the idea, stating with clinical precision that Tingyun required a spacious, utterly quiet environment far away from the chaotic noise of healers and patients., the genius scholar needed room to calibrate her specialized observation equipment.
After weighing the options, Yukong brought Ruan Mei directly to Tingyun's personal estate.
Shortly after they settled her into the room, Tingyun's eyelashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the soft lighting.
"Tingyun, you are awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Yukong immediately stepped forward, her normally authoritative voice dropping to a soft, anxious whisper.
"Lord Yukong..."
"There are no outsiders here. There is no need to call me 'Lord'." Yukong's gaze softened completely, shedding the heavy mantle of the Helm Master.
"Then... Sister Yukong." Tingyun's eyes curved into a familiar, gentle smile. "I feel quite good."
It was truly wonderful to be alive.
She had fully expected to wake up in absolute agony, her body shattered from the ordeal. Yet, as she lay there, she felt virtually no discomfort. She wondered if this miraculous recovery was the secret doing of her Benefactor.
"I hypothesized that upon regaining your senses, you would suffer from the agonizing erosion of the Destruction for a very long time."
Ruan Mei stood off to the side, her tone as calm and detached as still water. "That specific brand of torment should have accompanied you for the rest of your natural life. However, it appears someone has completely erased that portion of the cost on your behalf."
The scholar looked down at Tingyun, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of subtle, calculating scrutiny. "He is quite attentive to you."
As far as Ruan Mei knew, Leon had absolutely no prior connection to Tingyun. As for the Lord Ravager Phantylia who had impersonated the Foxian, Leon had clearly seen through that disguise from the very beginning. So, what exactly about this particular Foxian woman had attracted his special care?
Ruan Mei considered herself to have a fairly accurate understanding of Leon's behavioral patterns. He was not the type of man to look after just anyone with such careful dedication. There were plenty of stunning beauties aboard Ruan Mei's own ecological ship, yet he had never shown them any special reaction.
If Leon were here to defend himself, he would likely scoff and declare: How can that possibly be the same? What I like are characters who have been deeply developed in the game. How can ordinary beauties ever compare to those with real, tragic stories?
"Is it Benefactor Leon..."
Tingyun gently pressed her hand against her chest. Through the soft fabric of her clothes, she could feel the faint, raised texture of a delicate lotus embroidery resting directly on her skin. It was a mysterious mark that had quietly formed during the process of her rebirth.
Beneath that mark, she could feel a massive, unfamiliar power pooling within her body. It felt like the still water of a bottomless abyss, quiet on the surface yet containing an astonishing, world-shaking energy. This power was both incredibly strange and deeply familiar, almost as if it had always belonged to her, merely lying dormant for centuries.
Subconsciously, Tingyun reached behind her to touch her tail. The soft, fluffy sensation was exactly as she remembered, but her fingers suddenly froze. She could clearly feel that the number of tails behind her had increased.
This unexpected physical change made her startle slightly, her breath catching in her throat.
"Miss Ruan Mei, thank you very much for everything." Tingyun quickly composed herself, offering a polite smile and a nod of gratitude toward the scholar.
"You are welcome. The two of you must have much to discuss. I will leave you to it." Ruan Mei gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, turning gracefully and walking out of the room to give them privacy.
Watching the door slide shut, Yukong sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed intently on Tingyun's face as if afraid the girl might vanish into thin air.
"Actually, I have imagined this exact scene repeatedly over the past few days. I was so worried that I would completely lose my composure in front of everyone. I even practiced what I wanted to say to you countless times in my head."
Yukong reached out, her voice trembling slightly. "But now, it seems all those preparations were entirely unnecessary."
She leaned forward and gently pulled Tingyun into a tight embrace. "Welcome back, Tingyun."
"Sister Yukong..." Tingyun hugged her back warmly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the older Foxian's back in a soothing rhythm.
As she rested in the embrace, her fragmented memories gradually began to clear, and terrifying images of her ordeal resurfaced in her mind.
"During this time... you have worked so hard." Yukong's voice choked with unshed tears.
"Having walked directly past the gates of hell and returned, what is there left to complain about?"
Tingyun pulled back slightly, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Besides, it is not all bad. If I were to arm-wrestle Sister Yukong right now, I might actually be the one to win."
She could feel that strange, ancient power flowing through her veins, calm yet endlessly surging. She was no longer the slender, physically weak Amicassador she had once been.
Strength to pull up mountains, spirit to cover the world.
Tingyun blinked in confusion. Why did such a dominating, warlike poem suddenly pop into her head?
"You are still as composed and witty as ever."
Yukong finally let go of her, tears shimmering brightly in her eyes. "There are still so many things I need to say to you, but... let us save them for after you have fully recovered your strength."
"Actually, I feel like I am recovering exceptionally well."
Tingyun stretched her arms, finally taking the opportunity to look up and scan her surroundings. "By the way, where exactly is this...?"
The environment looked somewhat familiar. The architectural style was definitely her home, but the bed she was lying on, the furnishings, the overall layout... everything was completely strange.
"This is indeed your home."
Yukong quickly explained. "These medical instruments were temporarily set up by Ms. Ruan Mei. They will be completely removed once your physical condition stabilizes."
"My home?!" Tingyun blinked, her expression freezing in absolute bewilderment. "Ah?"
"When did my home become so incredibly empty? This bed is not my original one either. Where are my silk curtains? The carved window frames? The antique desk that used to be right by the bed... why is everything completely different?"
Tingyun could not stop the flood of questions from spilling out of her mouth.
Hearing the sheer confusion in Tingyun's voice, Yukong suddenly looked extremely embarrassed. The usually stoic Helm Master rarely showed such a blatant hint of awkwardness.
"Actually... cough cough..."
"We all genuinely thought you had sacrificed yourself for the Xianzhou, so..."
"Cough cough..."
Yukong could not bring herself to finish the sentence, but Tingyun's sharp merchant mind had already connected the dots.
"So, my Consolation Ceremony has already been held, and all of my personal 'relics' have already been loaded onto starskiffs and fired into deep space, right?"
Tingyun's eyes widened to an almost comical degree.
"Cough... yes."
Yukong quickly looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. "But the good news is, your personal financial assets have not been officially confiscated by the state yet, so your bank accounts and property deeds are perfectly safe."
The tips of Yukong's fox ears turned a bright, burning red. This situation was truly too awkward for words.
Who could have possibly expected that Tingyun would actually survive the lethal machinations of a Lord Ravager? As for why the funeral process was expedited so quickly... extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures. Not to mention the fact that actual Aeons were currently residing on the Xianzhou. Who could predict when those supreme Lords of Decree would suddenly decide to leave?
Tingyun sat in stunned silence for a long moment, eventually managing to squeeze out a bitter, helpless smile.
Could she say she was incredibly lucky to have woken up early? If she had slept for just a few more days, she might not have even been able to keep her family inheritance. She would have woken up completely bankrupt.
"Alright, let us not talk about my missing furniture anymore."
Tingyun shook her head, forcing the tragedy of her lost antiques out of her mind, and looked seriously at Yukong. "Sister Yukong, can you tell me... exactly what happened while I was away?"
She paused, a specific memory flashing through her mind. "That grey-haired girl from before..."
She still clearly remembered that right before she fell asleep again, there was a tall, grey-haired girl standing nearby who had looked absolutely flabbergasted to see her breathing.
"Her name is Stelle."
Yukong's expression softened into a serious, reflective look. "If you are ready to hear it, I will slowly tell you everything I know."
She reached out, holding Tingyun's hand firmly, and began to recount the massive, world-shaking events that had transpired during this period.
From the sudden outbreak of the Stellaron Crisis to Phantylia's insidious schemes from the shadows. From the terrifying rebirth of the Ambrosial Arbor to the literal descent of the Aeons upon their ship.
"So... so many terrifying things happened," Tingyun murmured softly, her grip tightening slightly on Yukong's hand.
During the countless days she had been asleep, an entire segment of her life had been violently stolen by Phantylia. Her good name, her respected identity, and her precious memories had all been hijacked.
She had been forced to become an unconscious outsider in her own life. That stolen time was actually used by a monstrous enemy to play her like a puppet and cruelly deceive the very people she cherished most.
A dark wave of anger and deep bitterness surged violently in her chest, but she took a slow breath, gently suppressing the negative emotions beneath her usual calm facade.
"Tingyun..." Yukong noticed the micro-expression, her eyes filling with deep maternal worry.
"Sister Yukong, there is no need to worry about me."
Tingyun looked up, offering a faint but incredibly firm smile. "I am still alive. And because I am alive, there are still many things... I can take my time to accomplish."
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