"Trading Convention?" Hao Ren was interested.
"Shhh!" Lu Lili made a gesture, telling him that he should speak quietly. "This is a Trading Convention among the human cultivators. Gongzi, you shouldn't talk too loud."
Hao Ren saw the crowd in the busy stadium and guessed that the dragon cultivators or Inspectors might be mingled within. This Trading Convention definitely wouldn't let dragon cultivators in.
"My sister and I don't cultivate the techniques of the Dragon Tribe so that we won't have any problems participating in this type of Trading Convention. Gongzi cultivates the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll, and it cultivates the five elements at the same time. It would be five elements essence roots, and you won't be exposed either. We can sneakily join them at that time," Lu Linlin said.
"What is this Trading Convention like?" Hao Ren lowered his voice and asked them.
"Hoho, Gongzi will find out when you get there. It's pretty interesting, and you might be able to get great things," Lu Linlin was excited, and it seemed like it was not her first time participating. She must sneak out a lot to go to this kind of Trading Conventions when she was in the Immortal World.
However, Hao Ren became interested after listening to them. The scene must be very lively.
"We'll come to Gongzi on the weekend. And we won't disturb Gongzi before then!" Lu Lili smiled sweetly and said to Hao Ren.
"Oh, by the way, thanks for helping us out, Gongzi!" Lu Lili said suddenly.
Hao Ren smiled and didn't know what to say.
He was furious when he saw Lu Linlin and Lu Lili get knocked to the ground. It seemed like he did care about them. Even though they were both Kun-level masters, Hao Ren was still concerned about them and treated them as girls in freshman year who didn't know many things.
Lu Lily dragged Lu Linlin and ran towards the Handcraft Club to pick up little handcrafts.
Hao Ren looked at their figures and smiled. He turned around and saw Xie Yujia talking to her older brother, Xie Wanjun. He thought for a bit, then walked out of the stadium alone.
The Nine Dragon Palace was still hanging on top of the city with all kinds of energy spheres. Looking from far away, the cultivators seemed like a bunch of fireflies flying around the Nine Dragon Palace.
"I just have to get used to it, just have to get used to it." Hao Ren said and went to the cafeteria for lunch.
Lu Qing had returned to school, which meant East Ocean Dragon Palace's decisions regard elixirs and the Nine Dragon Palace were made. Zhang Guang and Zhao Hongyu should return to land very soon too. They had been very busy with the Dragon Palace and didn't take care of Zhao Yanzi that much. They must be worried as well.
"The Trading Convention in the Fifth Heaven would be happening this weekend. No matter how one thinks about it, it seemed relevant to what is going to happen a few days later. The Nine Dragon Palace's reappearance in the human world made the Cultivation Clans want a share of it as well."
Hao Ren ate and thought of the current situation at the same time.
"There you are! Why did you leave on your own earlier?" Xie Yujia grabbed a tray, suddenly appearing beside Hao Ren, and sat down.
"I saw you talking to your older brother and didn't want to disturb you guys," Hao Ren said.
Xie Yujia breathed out, "It's not like you don't know my brother. Besides, he seems to like you quite a bit."
Hao Ren nodded.
"What's the matter? You seem to be preoccupied with something," Xie Yujia asked.
Hao Ren smiled. How could he tell her that there's a grand palace hanging in the sky?
"It feels like there's more and more distance between us," Xie Yujia lowered her head, chewed lightly, and suddenly seemed down.
She was silent for a few seconds before she suddenly asked, "Hao Ren, would it be alright if I go to the States with my brother?"
Hao Ren looked at her in surprise, and his ears heard the pounding sound of his heart.
Xie Yujia had always been very quiet in his memories, but if she suddenly left…
"I have the intention to go and reunite with my parents. We've also contacted the school there already," Xie Yujia held some rice with her chopsticks as her breaths became longer.
She turned her head to look at Hao Ren. They were welling up with tears.
Hao Ren's eyes started to shake. He didn't really have a reason to ask Xie Yujia to stay. Yet, if he didn't ask her to stay…
"Have you been busy with this lately?" Hao Ren asked.
"Um," Xie Yujia nodded.
Hao Ren was speechless.
The students in the area came and left, but Hao Ren and Xie Yujia seemed like they were moving in slow motion. Xie Yujia ate the rice one piece at a time, and Hao Ren looked at her quietly.
Many scenes flashed through Hao Ren's mind one by one. From chasing behind him when they were picking up shells in their childhood to departing from each other. He saw the quiet girl in class at the university and got to know her straightforward and bright side. Then, it was the confession regarding Little Older Brother on the rooftop and the emotions knowing that he was actually the Little Older Brother…
Is this how it's going to end? Just like most fates?
Hao Ren felt that those few seconds were as long as a few years.
Xie Yujia, who always wore a simple white shirt, pushed a shabby bicycle, and held loads of books was going to disappear from campus?
"You will come for this weekend's class activity, right?" Xie Yujia asked Hao Ren suddenly.
"Um…," Hao Ren nodded.
Thinking about it carefully, Xie Yujia's parents were both in the States, and she wouldn't have a hard time studying in the States with her GPA. She stayed in China to wait for Little Older Brother. However, the Little Brother wasn't her Little Older Brother anymore…
"She cherished every minute and every second, but I didn't care at all."
Hao Ren suddenly realized why she organized the weekend's activity zealously, why she dragged him to watch the clubs' activities, and why she chased him from the stadium and had lunch with him…
It was because… Xie Yujia had already planned to go to the States.
This decision started to emerge when Hao Ren and she drifted apart gradually. Their relationship changed from surprise to gloominess, and from gloominess to disappointment.
Little Older Brother was still the Little Older Brother, but his heart didn't seem to have a spot for Small Carrot.
"Oh, by the way, this is a book that the old grandma asked me to pass on to you. I wanted to find a chance to give it to you today," Xie Yujia put her chopsticks down, opened up her bag, grabbed an ancient-looking book, and put it in front of Hao Ren.
Four ancient characters were printed on the yellow cover, "Five-Elemental Sword Array Formations!"
"I also flipped through it slightly, but I didn't really understand the content. However, the old grandma should have her reasons when she asked me to give it to you," Xie Yujia smiled and said.
"How did the old grandma give it to you if she couldn't speak?" Hao Ren asked.
"She wrote it down," Xie Yujia suddenly grabbed her tray and stood up. "Alright, I'll head to class now!"
She walked facilely towards the entrance of the Cafeteria, but Hao Ren noticed that out of all the food she bought, she didn't even have a few bites.