Chapter 61: Go On, I'm Listening - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

### Chapter 61: Go On, I'm Listening Inside the cave, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Luo Cong An tidied her slightly disheveled robe and cleared her throat lightly. "Letting you go is not impossible, but you have to agree to one condition." Chen An looked up at her, "What condition?" Luo Cong An hesitated, "Today's events will undoubtedly lead to misunderstandings with Xiao Qiu. You must promise to keep this from her on my behalf." Chen An frowned slightly, "That's not a difficult task. There's really nothing going on between us, so making up an excuse would suffice." "But have you thought about what you're going to do with this dual-soul situation of yours?" Chen An's words left Luo Cong An in silence. She leaned against the stone wall, looking quite bewildered. If it weren't for the unexpected consciousness appearing in her mind, she would have been the highly respected peak master of Mount Qingcheng, a strong figure on the forefront of the reawakening of spiritual energy. Oh, wait, with the help of the other consciousness, she'd successfully built her foundation. In terms of status, she was now at the pinnacle of this world. She would still be a kind and gentle master, caring for her disciples. Not the kind of bad woman who snatches a man right in front of her disciple. And even if we go to the extreme as the other side suggested, where they would merge after finding this 'mister', then it would save her a lot of trouble. But things often don't go as expected; she hasn't lost herself. In fact, after the main consciousness exhausted her spiritual energy, she even had the upper hand for a time, forcing the other into slumber. Yet that's all she could achieve. She couldn't sever the other side, just like the other couldn't eradicate her during her heyday. Their roots were intrinsically intertwined. They simply had different experiences, carrying different memories and emotions. For the red-eyed Luo Cong An, 'mister' was her only belief against the heavens, her sole motivation for crossing time and space. Everything else could be discarded for him. However, for the Luo Cong An from the Blue Star, she didn’t even know this 'mister'. She only wished for a quiet cultivation within her little patch of land. So, when faced with Chen An's question, Luo Cong An couldn't offer a reply. After all, what happened to her was too peculiar. After much thought, the woman could only utter four words. "I don't know." It wasn't just Luo Cong An who couldn't find an answer; Chen An had none to give either. His usually calm demeanor was stirred for the first time today. As if a stagnant pool had been infused with a new source of water, causing ripples. After a while, Chen An spoke again. "So, can you let me free now?" This was the third time he'd made this request. Luo Cong An hesitated, then her hands, hidden beneath her robes, subtly formed a spell. The spiritual vines entwining Chen An dissolved accordingly. Chen An finally regained his freedom. He couldn't help but muse: it seems that being immortal doesn't mean one can just wander recklessly. Especially when encountering those unreasonable, who might bind him in moments. A lifetime of innocence might be ruined in an instant. At this point, Luo Cong An spoke up. She said, "Let's say this: we'll tell them that your remarkable talent caught my attention, and I, eager to nurture it, decided to bring you back to the sect for a detailed inspection of your aptitude." "How does that sound?" After speaking, she sought Chen An's opinion. Chen An raised an eyebrow. "Does that sound reasonable?" "It is quite reasonable." Facing Chen An's slight skepticism, Luo Cong An decisively settled on it.   Chen An couldn't think of a better story for the time being, so he nodded, "Then you can send me back." Upon hearing this, Luo Cong An pondered for a moment. She produced some small change from her robe and handed it over. "Here." "The time isn't late, you can head down and catch a ride back." Chen An's steps paused, and he turned to look at her. The woman averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact. She quietly defended herself, "It's not that I don't want to fly you back, but these days spiritual energy is a rare commodity. We must learn to adapt to the times and utilize tools flexibly..." ... ... The Town. Sunflower Welfare Institute. After a certain impetuous youth was 'invited' away by a powerful cultivator, Wang Que promptly demonstrated his professional competence. First, he directed the female members of the team to send the unconscious Zheng Qing and Lin Jing Qiu to the hospital. He then assigned two people to handle Zhang A Si’s remains, ensuring the body was swiftly taken to the nearest bureau for managing supernatural occurrences. Any delay could very well result in the competition claiming the body first. As for himself, he led the remaining personnel to begin cleaning up the battlefield. To put it plainly, they were doing street cleaning. After all, the white, yellow, and other unnameable foul-smelling fluids had covered the place. Only those with their strong mental fortitude would dare tackle it. Their efficiency restored the street to its previous state in no time. After completing everything, Wang Que dismissed the team and proceeded alone to the temporarily requisitioned convenience store. After a quick cleanup and adjusting his appearance in front of a mirror, he headed toward the welfare home. Unlike the terrifying commotion outside, the small welfare institute seemed to be in a state of perpetual peace and quiet. Wang Que entered, coincidentally hearing the sound of reciting coming from a classroom. He followed the voice to find a petite figure sitting quietly on the steps outside the classroom. Her waterfall-like hair draped down, obscuring most of her face. Wang Que was there to clean up for the great figure of Mount Qingcheng. Because from his perspective, the young man who walked out of the welfare institute was obviously not a villain and had, in fact, saved their lives. And given the elder's attitude towards the youth, there was surely more to the story. Thus, he intended to inform the welfare institute. However, Wang Que now faced a dilemma. He only knew the youth came from the welfare institute but was clueless about his name, leaving him at a loss for words. Just then, a trendy-looking youngster with a middle parting swaggered out of the adjacent restroom. Upon spotting the stranger standing in the open space, he looked slightly surprised. Qin Shou frowned, shouting across to the man, "Hey, you over there, something up?" Wang Que turned at the call. He didn't have a shred of arrogance despite Qin Shou's rude tone, welcoming him with a friendly smile. He explained patiently, "My young friend, it's like this: I'm from the Qing City Police Department. There was a highly malicious robbery attempt outside just now, but don't worry, the criminals have been promptly stopped by us." At this, Wang Que's mind spun, improvising spontaneously. "But as it happens... a brave young man about your age from the welfare institute helped us significantly. So I'm here to inform you that he'll need to come with us to make a statement, and might be away for a...” His sentence was cut short as a handsome, raggedly clad youth entered through the gate, stopping both men in their tracks. Seeing them staring blankly, Chen An paused too, then looked at Wang Que, saying, "Go on, I'm listening." (End of Chapter)