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The rest of the day was spent by the two cuddling and being close to each other. Luo Xiao was as well updated on the events that had taken place after he had gone back in his home.

The rest of the Tournament had concluded, and surprisingly for him, Jin Chuan, his friend, had managed to get to the fourth place in the Star Ranks before being defeated. She truly was a strong person and he was very glad she was his friend.

She had actually tried to visit but Jiang Yao informed him that the Shadow Guards had stopped her as she wasn’t aware Luo Xiao was advancing and couldn’t be disturbed. Jin Chuan had then apparently asked the guards to tell Luo Xiao once he was finished that she would be going around the Demon Empire’s wild lands during the months the Cloudsoar Academy gave for everyone to go and experience the world and get stronger.

“Oh, I wish we could have met…” Luo Xiao sighed, leaning on Jiang Yao’s shoulder as the two sat on the couch together. “She’s a great friend.”

“You can see her once we are back, Xiaoxiao,” Jiang Yao smirked, his hand running through Luo Xiao’s hair and gently petting him.

The words said by Jiang Yao made Luo Xiao look up, confused. “Back? Where are we going?”

“You do know that after every Tournament, the Academy lets the students leave the campus for two months to experience the world? Many stay in Cloudsoar City to get acquaintance with the factions or even start a business. Others go fight outside the city.”

“Yeah?” Luo Xiao stared at Jiang Yao for a second. “I thought I was just going to stay here and train…”

“The most effective way of training is actual battle. Plus, I want you to see more of the world. So together we are going to go around the continent, Xiaoxiao!” Jiang Yao smiled, leaning in to give Luo Xiao another kiss on the forehead. “Afterall, you’ve been stuck in that pitiful Zhanshi kingdom for so much of your life…”

Luo Xiao lightly felt his cheeks heat up when Jiang Yao kissed him before looking away. “It’s not like I even saw much of it before you came anyway…”

He fell silent for a long moment, reminded about the massacre at his village, with it practically being gone off the map for already a year, the little village of Jinwei where his father had painstakingly raised him by himself. Luo Xiao’s gaze trembled with hatred as he thought about that Fourth Demon Prince he had unsolved business with before he hid it and became seemingly calm again.

As he thought about his father, it dawned him that he had never seen his mother since he was born. Would he eventually meet her? Was she alive? Was she perhaps also killed by the Fourth Demon Prince? He literally didn’t know a thing about her aside from the fact that his father had left and then returned with him as a baby.

For a second, Luo Xiao looked at Jiang Yao. With his influence, would he be able to find out what happened to his mother? He almost opened his mouth to ask, the desire to find out almost pushing out the words through his lips.

And then he quickly decided against it and shut his mouth. He should find on his own once he was strong enough. It was his own family, and Jiang Yao already had plenty to deal with.

“Where… will we be going?” He managed to ask in the end, deciding to figure out the rest of his problems later on.

“I was thinking a few places for you to learn to fight beasts, plus I heard rumors of a new Moon Anise appearing in the western regions of the continent,” Jiang Yao chuckled, smiling at the surprised look on Luo Xiao’s face. “Yes, while they are rare and unpredictable, they do appear. You saw one yourself when you started cultivating, don’t tell me you don’t remember.”

Luo Xiao lightly frowned, being reminded of the unpleasantries of that journey. But it was long over now and him and Jiang Yao had moved on from those times. Yeah, he had changed a lot indeed.

“When are we going to leave? Do I need to pack something for the journey?”

Jiang Yao chuckled, resting his hand on Luo Xiao’s shoulder gently. “I was thinking in a few days. There are still some small fry I have to deal with before that… You can stay over at my palace if you want.”

Stay over at Jiang Yao’s palace? It was obvious that it was more than just a request, making Luo Xiao lightly blush before nodding. Plus, he was in favor of the idea - the gardens were so pretty that he couldn’t say no even if he wanted. And he could always ask for some time to spend in the main part of Cloudsoar City, something that he hadn’t actually gotten to experience often.

But he wasn’t going to give in that easily.

“Only if you give me nice food,” he poked at Jiang Yao’s chest, playfully pouting before smiling at the other’s raised eyebrow.

“You’re coming for the food and not me? How could you, Xiaoxiao!” For a split second, Jiang Yao played hurt and saddened, catching Luo Xiao off guard for just long enough for the prince to suddenly lean in and kiss him passionately.

The deep blush on Luo Xiao’s face was immediate as he went silent for a long moment, unable to erase the striking image of Jiang Yao playing hurt. Now that truly was something he wouldn’t be able to get out of his mind for a long time. It was so uncharacteristic of Jiang Yao that Luo Xiao almost found it cute, if only it wasn’t that ridiculously impossible.

With an amused chuckle, Jiang Yao let go of Luo Xiao and stood up, stretching slightly.

“Alright, Xiaoxiao, I’m going to head back to my palace. The Shadow Guards will escort you once you’re ready.”

Luo Xiao absentmindedly nodded, clearly still in a daze from the way Jiang Yao had acted. He had heard him, just… would need some time.

And then Jiang Yao was gone, as if he had never been there in the first place.

This appearing and disappearing without a trace was something Luo Xiao was already used to, considering that Jiang Yao was strong enough to do it so casually it was like the flick of a sleeve.

He sighed. He had a long way to go still before he could be just like him.

A long time passed by the time Luo Xiao finally left the little house that had been his home for these months spent at the Cloudsoar Academy. He knew it would be his home again once he returned, as he was quite happy with how neat and tidy it always was, even if incomparably simple next to the luxury Jiang Yao lived in.

Everything he owned was neatly put away in his storage pouch and he felt more than ready to see what was in store for him. He did feel sad he hadn’t managed to meet with Jin Chuan, but in the end figured that it would be more than good enough to meet her once they both returned from their journeys.

He noticed the two Shadow Guards waiting for him, illuminated by the sunset light.

Luo Xiao nodded lightly to show that he was finished there, after which he headed for the exit of the Academy, like a majority of his peers were as well.