"Perhaps the child just wandered off while playing and will be found soon."
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety in his heart, and cupped his hands respectfully:
"Thank you for your assistance, Your Holiness the Pope."
He knew that worrying was useless at this moment and could only pin his hopes on the efficiency of the Spirit Hall.
Two hours passed quietly, with groups of people rushing in to report one after another, all wearing expressions of anxiety and helplessness.
Yet the results remained the same—despite searching every corner of the Martial Soul Holy City, there was still no trace of Ning Rongrong.
Ning Fengzhi sat in his seat, unconsciously rubbing the edge of his teacup with his fingers.
His originally gentle eyes were now filled with red veins, and the anxiety between his brows was almost overflowing.
Rongrong was the apple of his eye and the hope of the sect. How could her sudden disappearance not tighten his heart?
He suddenly stood up and looked at Bi Bidong beside him, his voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor:
"Your Holiness the Pope! This situation..."
Before he could finish, thick worry choked his words.
Bi Bidong sat there gracefully, her noble Pope's Robe accentuating her dignified and authoritative demeanor.
She coughed lightly twice, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on Ning Fengzhi. Her tone was calm yet carried an undeniable force:
"Ahem! Sect Leader Ning, please remain calm for now. Rongrong is blessed and will surely be safe."
"The Spirit Hall's personnel are continuing the search. With our capabilities, we will definitely find her today. Please set your mind at ease."
Although Ning Fengzhi knew Bi Bidong's words were meant to reassure him, they still helped calm his emotions slightly.
He took a deep breath and nodded, though his tightly clenched fists still betrayed his inner unease:
"Thank you, Your Holiness the Pope."
Just then, Su Yu walked in quickly, carrying Ning Rongrong in his arms, with Hu Liena following closely behind.
Ning Rongrong seemed to be asleep, her small head resting on Su Yu's shoulder, her long eyelashes drooping peacefully, and a faint blush on her cheeks, appearing unharmed.
Hu Liena stepped forward, bowed to Bi Bidong, and said with a light, cheerful smile:
"Teacher! I have good news for you!"
She pointed to Ning Rongrong in Su Yu's arms and explained:
"Brother Su Yu and I went out for a stroll earlier and unexpectedly found this little girl on the street!"
"We thought she seemed lost, so we brought her back with us."
Ning Fengzhi and Bi Bidong looked up at Hu Liena's words, their gazes falling on the figure in Su Yu's arms.
Ning Fengzhi stood up as if struck by lightning, quickly striding toward Su Yu, his voice filled with the urgency and tremor of recovering something precious:
"Rongrong! My precious Rongrong!"
He watched as Ning Rongrong curled up in Su Yu's arms, her small face flushed, breathing evenly and clearly fast asleep, her brows even relaxed. For a moment, he was at a loss.
His outstretched hand hovered in mid-air, wanting to hold her but afraid of disturbing his daughter's sweet dreams, so he could only gaze at her with tender affection.
Su Yu observed this scene, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Ning Fengzhi with a tone of slight surprise:
"Sect Leader Ning! What is this?"
Only then did Ning Fengzhi snap back to reality. He quickly turned to Bi Bidong and cupped his hands toward Su Yu, his voice full of gratitude and urgency:
"Your Highness! This child... this child is my daughter Ning Rongrong! We've been searching for her all afternoon, worried sick, never expecting she'd be here with you!"
Su Yu gently adjusted his posture, careful not to wake the person in his arms, and spoke softly to Ning Fengzhi:
"Don't worry, Sect Leader Ning. Rongrong just got tired from playing outside and fell asleep on the way back."
Ning Fengzhi finally relaxed slightly. Looking at his daughter's peaceful sleeping face and Su Yu's careful manner, he felt both grateful and guilty:
"We've troubled Your Highness! This child is just too mischievous, causing so much trouble for everyone..."
He rubbed his hands together, unable to restrain himself any longer, and tentatively looked at Su Yu:
"Your Highness, could I... could I hold her?"
Su Yu nodded slightly and carefully handed Ning Rongrong over:
"Be careful, Sect Leader Ning. She's sleeping deeply."
Ning Fengzhi quickly extended his arms, his movements as gentle as if holding a fragile treasure.
After taking Ning Rongrong into his arms, he held her tightly, feeling the warmth of her small body. His eyes grew moist as he murmured:
"It's good to have you back, it's good to have you back..."
Bi Bidong watched this touching scene between father and daughter, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips as she said to Ning Fengzhi:
"Since she's been found, Sect Leader Ning needn't worry too much anymore."
Ning Fengzhi thanked everyone and then returned to his room. Time quickly passed until the next day.
At the first light of dawn, the entire Martial Soul Holy City was still shrouded in a thin morning mist.
The Holy Child Palace was quiet, with Su Yu still asleep, when the palace door was gently pushed open by a small hand.
Ning Rongrong peeked her head in, her dark, lively eyes scanning the room. Seeing no one around, she quietly slipped inside.
She wore a pink and white morning gown, her hair casually tied in a bun with a few stray strands framing her face.
When she woke up this morning, she only saw her father, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone fussing over her, but not the big brother who had carried her back.
Upon asking, she learned that the handsome big brother was actually the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall and lived here in the Holy Child Palace.
Knowing where the big brother lived made Ning Rongrong extremely anxious, so she used morning training as an excuse to come here.
The palace interior was simply yet elegantly furnished, with the faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air.
Ning Rongrong tiptoed further in, her gaze soon falling on the soft couch by the window.
Su Yu was reclining there, seemingly still resting. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, outlining his gentle features.
"Brother Holy Son!"
Ning Rongrong called out in a hushed voice. Seeing that Su Yu hadn't woken up, she crept closer and examined him curiously.
She remembered how steady the big brother's arms had been when he carried her yesterday, and how he carried the faint scent of medicinal herbs.
He wasn't at all like the lofty figures from the Spirit Hall she'd heard about in rumors.
Perhaps disturbed by the sound of footsteps, Su Yu slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the small head close to him, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before he smiled gently:
"Rongrong? Why are you here so early?"
Caught in the act, Ning Rongrong showed no shyness but instead moved even closer with a giggle:
"Brother Holy Son, I've been looking for you for so long! So you're really the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, and you didn't tell me yesterday!"
She lifted her small face, her eyes sparkling like they held morning dew:
"My dad said you helped me a great deal and told me I must thank you properly."
"Oh, Holy Son brother, Rongrong is so bored. Do you have time today, Holy Son brother?"
"Dad and the two grandfathers are always busy with so many matters every day. They never have time to play with Rongrong!"
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