Chapter 367: Chapter 367 : A Visit To Dong Village

Bai Ling burst into tears when she heard Qiao Wei’s sweet proposal.

"I will!" She cried out, while a torrent of tears flowed down her cheeks. "Wei Wei, I am willing!!!"

A joyous eruption of cheers and applause engulfed the courtyard. Bai Siyang, tears shining in his own eyes, broke into booming laughter, his heart overflowing with pride for his daughter and his future son-in-law.

The guests, eager to offer their congratulations, crowded around the newly engaged couple, showering them with warm wishes and blessings.

"Sect Leader Bai, congratulations on Miss Bai Ling’s engagement to Master Qiao Wei!"

"Master Qiao Wei and Miss Bai Ling, we wish you both a smooth path into a happy wedding and blessed matrimonial life!"

"Thank you, thank you, everyone," Bai Siyang said. "Now, everyone, stop standing on ceremony. The wine is not going to drink itself and the food is also waiting to be eaten! Everyone, please, enjoy this feast!!!"

As the celebratory buzz filled the air and guests returned to their seats, Qiao Wei took his place beside Bai Ling. The young lady’s attention remained fixed on him, her eyes sparkling with adoration. So captivated was she that the enticing food and wine surrounding her remained untouched.

Bai Siyang, watching his daughter’s smitten expression, couldn’t help but chuckle. "Little Ling," he teased, "don’t let your love for Qiao Wei overshadow the feast. The night is long, and you wouldn’t want him drunk before even tasting a drop of wine, would you?"

Bai Ling’s cheeks flushed crimson as she turned to her father, a playful pout forming on her lips. "Father!" she exclaimed, shyly pressing her hands against her burning cheeks.

"Ah, my little girl," Bai Siyang continued, his voice tinged with a touch of melancholy as he sipped his wine. "It seems like only yesterday you were a child, and now you are already a woman, soon to be a bride. Time truly flies. I must be getting old."

"Father," Bai Ling interjected, her voice filled with reassurance, "you will always have me. And Wei Wei," she added, glancing at her betrothed with a loving smile. "We will always be here for you, right, Wei Wei?"

Qiao Wei, ever the gentleman, returned her smile with a warm and reassuring one. "Of course," he affirmed, his voice filled with sincerity.

Three days after the joyous celebration that marked Bai Ling’s eighteenth birthday and their betrothal, Bai Ling and Qiao Wei embarked on a journey away from the majestic peak of Mount Wu. Their destination was Dong Village, a serene settlement nestled roughly half a day’s travel from the temple sect. It was the village where Bai Siyang and his lady wife were born and raised.

Lady Bai, now departed, had expressed a specific wish to be buried in her ancestral village, close to her parents and siblings, instead of the hallowed grounds of Mount Wu. As Bai Ling knelt before her mother’s grave, a veil of gentle sadness descended upon her face.

"Mother, it has been a long time," she said with a broken voice.

"Your daughter has reached her eighteenth year of life. Mother, I am not a little girl anymore."

She reached out to her side and squeezed Qiao Wei’s hand.

"I bring Wei Wei with me. Mother, do you remember Wei Wei...?"

According to Bai Ling’s story, Lady Bai had known Qiao Wei since he was a child, and her affection for him ran deep. She had doted on him like a son, recognizing the kind and gentle soul that resided within him. Unfortunately, the current Qiao Wei possessed no recollection of these past interactions.

He could only nod and offer a silent hum of agreement, while his heart was filled with a yearning to understand the whispers of memory that danced just beyond his grasp.

"Mother, Wei Wei proposed to me a few days ago," Bai Ling spoke again. "Mother, I am going to be married soon. I am going to be very happy with Wei Wei."

At this point, Qiao Wei squeezed Bai Ling’s hand in return and spoke earnestly before Lady Bai’s grave.

"Lady Bai, please entrust your darling daughter to me. I will take very good care of her, and cherish her for as long as I shall live."

Touched, Bai Ling nodded fervently before she wiped the remaining tears off the ends of her eyes.

Together, they bowed three times, their heads touching the earth in a gesture of profound respect and reverence.

"It is a pity that Mother cannot witness our happiness," Bai Ling murmured after they left the graveyard. Her voice was tinged with a melancholy that tugged at the heartstrings. Yet, even through the veil of tears, a glimmer of hope shone through. "She would be happy for us," she declared with conviction.

"Of course, she will," Qiao Wei replied as he took Bai Ling’s hand into his.

They looked into each other’s eyes and exchanged loving smiles.

The couple did not plan on staying overnight at Dong Village, thus they planned to leave as soon as they finished paying homage to Lady Bai’s grave.

Unexpectedly, the Dong Village Head stopped them on their way out.

"Village Head Chen, long time no see," Bai Ling greeted the elderly with a smile.

"Long time no see, Miss Bai Ling. You have truly blossomed into a refined young lady. You grow more and more alike to late Lady Bai every time you visit the village," the elderly said in reply.

Qiao Wei noticed from his hurried tone that the Village Head did not get out of his way to meet them just to praise Bai Ling’s looks, thus he asked, "Village Head, is something wrong? Can we help you somehow?"

Village Head Chen looked so relieved that he might just kowtow in front of Qiao Wei out of gratitude.

"Indeed, Master Qiao Wei. I have been wanting to come to Mount Wu to talk to Master Bai about this issue, but I kept getting delayed. Right now, the issue has become so big that no more delay is possible."

Bai Ling and Qiao Wei immediately assumed a serious facial expression.

Village Head Chen swallowed hard several times before he said in an ominous tone, "Around ten people have been kidnapped from Dong Village. According to eyewitnesses, it was done by evil spirits in child form."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay