Reincarnation to the Past

Chapter 78

Lì's POV

I don't get it... She just said that she has a target on her back, and here she is waltzing around picking ores and handing them over to me as though it's nothing (I mean, she's picked over fifteen ores, both big and small, during the conversation). How can she just be so unconcerned??? So indifferent??? How could she talk about it as though she was talking about someone else??? How does she even know about these people—these beings??? Even I've never heard of such things...

Me (exclaiming): Yǔ!!! How can you talk as though it's happening to someone else??!!!

Yǔ (sighing): The fact of the matter is... At this point, right now, I don't have anything to worry about...

Me (confused): What???

Yǔ (explaining): They don't know I exist right now, and I'm pretty much safe as long as they don't. Not to mention they're not going to easily find out since I'm hidden among a hoard of human cultivators and beasts and I'm suppressing my powers to that of a puny foundational realm cultivator when in fact I'm... Well... You saw Persea...

She was right... Even now, no matter how hard I tried I could only make out that she was at the lower foundational realm which after meeting Persea, well even before, I knew was not true. With the power Persea just seemed to exude, I could tell that she was at the mythical or even the supreme realm. Heck, she could very well be a dozen or more times beyond that, which doesn't make sense since that is the highest realm. And compared to her, I was only in the upper heaven realm, level 5.

(A/N: With her powers and blessings, Percy is similar to someone in the upper supreme or immortal realm+, more specifically close to a minor goddess or the weaker Olympians, but if you are only considering the qi she's absorbed, by this point, she'd be in the middle heaven realm (mainly because of the boost from Mael). However, she's suppressing her powers to the lower foundational realm so as not to arouse suspicion...)

"Not to mention, I have over 3000 deadly soldiers and other insurances too so I'm not too worried at the moment. I'm also trying to increase Mael's and Sele's powers so that they can also act as insurance...", she continued, giving me a reassuring smile.

At times like this, I couldn't help but feel bothered that I wasn't strong enough to be able to protect her. I had to get stronger, even if it was not enough to protect her but at least enough to fight by her side, to have her back, and not be a burden.

More...

I had to get much stronger...

It was funny, at first I didn't even care for strength, only as I slowly started to lose the things I cared for did I start to yearn for it. My initial goal to get stronger was so that I could protect my mother, then it was to survive and be able to protect Bai Ze and Bai Zou as well as to be able to keep my promise to Mother. And now I seem to have a more important reason, I have to get stronger so that I don't hold Yǔ back and so that I can support her...

I placed my hand on her head and gently ruffled her hair, to think she had it tough. It was stupid of me to think that she was unconcerned or indifferent; she had prepared 3000 soldiers just so that she could protect herself. She went four days without sleep so that she could make qi balls to increase her beasts' qi. She was suppressing herself to such an extent to stay hidden even if it meant being bullied and tormented. I also understood why she was disguising herself as Persea so that she could act freely, use her powers to her fullest, and still stay hidden.

"I want to say that I'll protect you... that I can also be an insurance for you... but I'm not strong enough just yet... Wait a bit, Yǔ-er, and I'll get stronger... so much stronger that I can have your back...", I promised in a serious but tender tone as my fingers grazed against her cheek. Yǔ stared up at me, tilting her head against my fingers, and smiled.

"Xiao Yǔ!!!", our sweet moment was interrupted (much to my annoyance) by a girl walking up to us followed by two other girls. The one in the middle, who was the one who had called out to Yǔ in a sweet voice, seemed vaguely familiar as though I'd met her somewhere. From their clothing, I could tell that they were from the more prominent families but since I hadn't been back for a while and stayed in my room mostly I couldn't recognize them.

I did notice the look that crossed Yǔ's face the second she heard her name being called out. She seemed cautious before giving me an innocent smile and turning to the three. "Big sister Lien... what are you doing here???", she asked in a sweet laced tone. My head shot towards the girl Yǔ called sister, that's how I know her... She was at the banquet, sitting beside Yǔ.

On seeing me staring at her, Yǔ's sister lowered her head, acting bashful with a blush on her cheek. She glanced up at me a second later and seductively batted her eyes as she grabbed my hand, entwining it within her two hands and holding it close to her chest, suggestively but inconspicuous, "I've been hoping to meet you milord!!! You don't know how much I admire and respect you. I had been preparing myself all for you...", she said in a low seductive voice, apparently having forgotten Yǔ who was standing beside me.

I instantly pulled back my hand, hurriedly in disgust, unable to take it any longer. Honestly, unlike when Persea flirted with me, I found hers' repulsive. I had to try hard to keep my disgust from showing on my face. How could Yǔ's sister act so seductively in public towards her own sister's fiancé???

"Whatever are you doing here, dear sister???", spat out Yǔ, through ground teeth. She was undeniably pissed but hiding it behind her sweet persona. But it was very clear that she was seething in anger, hatred, and jealousy because... well, the main evidence would be the fact that she was crushing my hand, which she had been holding, so tightly that it took all my effort and concentration to keep the pained expression off my face.

Where does she get so much strength from???!!!