My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

"Rest up well and heal. I'll cover your medical expenses this time,"

Perhaps because of Li Tongzhen, or maybe due to the acquiescence to Qingqing, Mr. Zhao did not choose to keep things hidden from her any longer.

He rather vaguely and implicitly informed Qingqing about Li Tongzhen's current condition.

"He's gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

Qingqing's face froze, staring blankly at Mr. Zhao's retreating figure.

Just as Qingqing was puzzled,

she suddenly heard a thunderous boom in the distant sky.

Immediately afterwards,

a column of white light shot up into the sky from near Duke Zhen's Mansion.

"What is that?"

Mr. Zhao, who was about to leave, saw the white light and involuntarily stopped in his tracks.

He watched the white light intensely.

Mr. Zhao looked toward where the white light was rising and immediately understood; that was the location of Duke Zhen's Mansion.

This disturbance.

Could it be the doing of the Town-Nation Duke's Heir?

Or...

Li Tongzhen's doing?

Mr. Zhao had no idea.

Though he was perplexed and curious, he did not choose to head in that direction.

Right now, who knows how many figures and how many eyes were seeking out the location where the white pillar of light ascended.

As merely a lowly head constable, even if he hurried over to join the commotion, it wouldn't mean much.

Better not to go.

Mr. Zhao was already prepared to leave.

But for some reason,

his gaze kept being drawn back to that column of white light.

Not just Mr. Zhao.

Wang Ruoguan as well as Qingqing were now closely watching the white column of light.

Wang Ruoguan stroked his beard with one hand while muttering to himself in astonishment.

"Such a phenomenon is truly extraordinary; wonder what happened near Duke Zhen's Mansion."

As Wang Ruoguan spoke,

he suddenly heard Qingqing start to speak.

"That's Tongzhen."

Wang Ruoguan was relatively close to Qingqing, standing by the window next to her bed.

He heard the murmurs Qingqing uttered.

Wang Ruoguan was stunned for a moment.

"Girl, what did you say?"

Qingqing repeated her words, "That's Li Tongzhen!"

She spoke with conviction and certainty.

Qingqing had initially turned pale upon Mr. Zhao's words, but after seeing that white column of light, her complexion became rosy again.

And her eyes were shining with vitality.

"That's Li Tongzhen?"

Mr. Zhao also heard what Qingqing said and couldn't help but turn his head, taking a few more glances at her.

His gaze alternated between the distant white light and Qingqing.

Mr. Zhao couldn't believe that this white light, this extraordinary phenomenon, could be related to Li Tongzhen.

Qingqing nodded firmly, asserting, "It is Tongzhen!"

"When I found him, his face emitted such white light, though it was far fainter than today's..."

"Regardless, I believe it's him!"

Qingqing said, a slight smile on her face.

For Qingqing, at this moment, perhaps she did not know what the white light signified.

Nor did she know why Li Tongzhen's body could emit such white light.

But Qingqing knew.

Li Tongzhen was not yet dead.

Not as Mr. Zhao had said, that Li Tongzhen was no more.

Under Qingqing's watchful gaze,

a cluster of flames arose from the place where the white column of light had been.

Then, a resplendent sun hung in the sky.

Qingqing looked only briefly before she felt a stabbing pain in her eyes.

She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look any longer.

Some time passed.

Only when she perceived that the blinding brightness of the distant sun had dissipated did Qingqing dare to raise her eyes and look afar again.

With her current state of mind,

she obviously couldn't understand.

Why Li Tongzhen could cause such a great disturbance.

But Mr. Zhao and Wang Ruoguan knew that such upheavals could not be caused by ordinary people.

They did not quite believe what Qingqing had said about the person causing the white column of light being Li Tongzhen.

Wang Ruoguan withdrew his gaze and said to Qingqing, "You rest now, don't think too much about the rest..."
Find more to read at empire

Wang Ruoguan only got halfway through his words

when he suddenly felt a gentle breeze sweep by.

Immediately after,

Wang Ruoguan saw a lean young man with an exceptionally upright posture standing before him.

His expression was detached, but from the trembling of his eyes, one could feel a trace of emotion.

Li Tongzhen looked at Qingqing and gently lifted his hand, wanting to touch a strand of her hair, but before he could, he drew his hand back.

Taking a deep breath,

Li Tongzhen nodded slightly to Wang Ruoguan, expressing his gratitude, then prepared to leave.

Although Qingqing's back was towards Li Tongzhen,

she felt something stir within her.

She suddenly turned her head.

"Li Tongzhen?"

She looked behind her.

She had assumed that Li Tongzhen would be standing there as he always had, shielding her from the elements and acting as her protective 'little adult.'

But at that moment,

there was no one there.

Qingqing thought she had seen wrongly and looked to Wang Ruoguan with an apologetic smile.

Then she slowly turned her head back.

Wang Ruoguan, however, could only helplessly look up at the wooden beam above.

He had no idea how Li Tongzhen had jumped up there.

He also did not understand why Li Tongzhen still chose to avoid Qingqing, the young girl.

Li Tongzhen shook his head at Wang Ruoguan, placed his finger to his lips, and gently "shushed" him to keep silent.

Wang Ruoguan smiled and shook his head in resignation.

Li Tongzhen nodded gratefully once more, glanced at the door where Mr. Zhao was silently watching, said nothing further, and in an instant, vanished from the beam.