White Crane Farewell

After returning to Wuchen Island, Xu Shulou brought Xuanyang to the Punishment Hall, greeted Li Qi, a disciple in the hall, and told him not to treat him harshly, then headed straight for Mingyue Peak.

It is already autumn on earth, but peach blossoms are still blooming in the mountains.

Zhang Baihe was dressed in white, leaning under a peach tree drinking. When he saw her, a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Shu Lou, you're back."

Xu Shulou's nose felt sore: "Uncle Zhang..."

"Come and sit down," Zhang Baihe greeted her with a smile, "I heard Song Ping say that you really suffered a lot to bring me back."

Xu Shulou sat down. On the small table under the tree was a wine jar and two wine glasses. Obviously, one of the jade cups was left for her.

Zhang Baihe looked at her with some concern: "The poison in your body..."

"The poison has been cured," Xu Shulou poured the wine, "everything is fine now."

"That's good, that's good," Zhang Baihe said, feeling relieved. "That Fan Yang was really a piece of shit, well done for killing him!"

Xu Shulou laughed and said, "For that, I'll toast you a glass."

Zhang Baihe took something out of his arms and handed it to her: "While I was still sane, I made a bamboo dragonfly for you, but now you are grown up and mature, I don't know if this little thing can still coax you."

Xu Shulou felt a little sad, as his master had mentioned in the letter that Zhang Baihe could not remain sober all the time.

When he is sober, he is a high-spirited swordsman in white; when he is confused, he is a low-level demon without dignity, reason, and a heart full of the taste of human flesh.

He couldn't use his magic power, otherwise he would lose his mind immediately. He couldn't even use things like storage bags, so he could only put the bamboo dragonfly carefully in his arms.

At this time, there was a long sword beside him, but it was not his natal sword "Young Madness". That sword had been lost somewhere by him when he lost his mind.

"Then I would like to thank Uncle Zhang," Xu Shulou took the bamboo dragonfly with a smile, and took out a slightly older one from the Qiankun bracelet, "I still have this one from before."

Xu Shulou always cherishes the kindness of others.

Zhang Baihe's face was somewhat moved: "You kid..."

Xu Shulou raised his head and drank the wine in the cup: "Uncle Master, I have something to ask you."

"I know what you want to ask." Zhang Baihe sighed, "You want to know who harmed me."

Xu Shulou nodded, with a look of stubbornness that refused to be refused.

"It was Senior Brother Wei who gave me a book of martial arts." Zhang Baihe did not put down his wine glass and spoke while drinking.

"Brother Wei?" Xu Shulou's expression changed slightly, "Wei Xuandao?"

Wei Xuandao is Lu Beichen's master, an elder with a high status in Lingxiao Sect. Even Fan Yang, the sect master's close confidant, has to retreat in front of him.

Xu Shulou had seen him when the two factions united to fight the enemy, and he did not have a very good impression of him. Wei Xuandao and his beloved disciple Lu Beichen were exactly the same in that they looked down on others, but the disciple was more obvious in that, while he knew how to cover it up a little.

At that time on the battlefield, he insisted that Xu Shulou obey his command. She had a bad temper at the time and didn't tolerate him much.

Therefore, Xu Shulou had reason to believe that Wei Xuandao probably didn't have a very good impression of him, and there must be a mutual dislike between the two of them.

Zhang Baihe nodded calmly. He didn't seem to harbor too much resentment when talking about the brother who harmed him. "I believe he didn't mean to harm me. After all, it would not be good for him to do so. We have no grudges in the past or hatred in the present. His cultivation level and status are far higher than mine. I can't get in his way."

Xu Shulou lowered his eyes: "Uncle Zhang, can you tell me the cause and effect?"

"Okay, I knew you wouldn't give up until you get the details. This isn't complicated. Senior Brother Wei gave me a set of exercises and some pills, saying that he got them by chance. Combining the two can quickly improve your cultivation. I was naturally skeptical about this, but I thought it would be okay to give it a try," Zhang Baihe laughed self-deprecatingly, "Who would have thought that this test would put me in this situation."

Xu Shulou became suspicious: "But Master Zhang, you have always been a carefree person, you don't seem like someone who would be interested in practicing this kind of skills."

"During that time, there was a sect competition going on, and I was scolded by the sect master several times," Zhang Baihe shook his head. "Since he thought that an elder like me who didn't work hard was holding back the Lingxiao Sect, I had to at least put in some effort. Senior Brother Wei probably couldn't bear to see me get scolded, so he kindly gave me the technique, but he didn't expect... I believe that after what happened to me, he won't try this kind of thing again. But you should still give him a message for me, reminding him to destroy the technique as soon as possible, so as to avoid accidentally harming others in the future."

"...Okay," Xu Shulou nodded, "You know Lingxiao Sect's Fan Yang..."

"You want to silence me, right?" Zhang Baihe sighed. "Those people always value face more than anything else. I'm not surprised at all that they would do such a thing. Fortunately, I don't have to go back anymore."

“…”

"Shu Lou, let's not talk about me, let's talk about you. I stayed here after I woke up, just waiting for you to come back." Zhang Baihe smiled, "Our little pride, I haven't seen you for many years, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Xu Shulou smiled. "As you can see, I now have so many fellow apprentices and sisters who love to stick to me. Uncle no longer needs to worry about me being alone."

"Good, that's great," Zhang Baihe smiled happily, "How are you and Beichen?"

“We’re fine.”

Zhang Baihe reached out and tugged at the pigtail hanging from her shoulder: "Don't hide it from me. You two are my favorite juniors. I naturally hope that you two will be fine. But if it's not suitable, don't force it. That boy is indeed too arrogant. He may not suit your taste. It's just an engagement. If you don't like it, just cancel it. If you are embarrassed to ask, just ask that brat Beichen to cancel it."

Xu Shulou laughed: "I know that my uncle loves me."

"Isn't it because you are so lovable?" Zhang Baihe shook his head. "The stubborn child in the past was lovable. Now... I heard Song Ping say that you don't care about anything and don't even take the love poison seriously. I am even more worried. I have to wait for you to come back and see you no matter what."

"Uncle Zhang, I am really happy. I promise that I am happy every day." Xu Shulou took something out of the Qiankun bracelet and tried to smile at him. "Look, these are the copper pot, crab roe noodles, and beautiful skirts that I bought in the mortal world. I am really enjoying these happiness. You...you can rest assured in me."

Zhang Baihe knew that she had seen through his intentions, and also knew that she was using this method to reassure him. A hint of pity appeared on his face: "Child, you have always been the most intelligent and insightful..."

Xu Shulou bit his lip, and finally couldn't help asking: "Can you please not..."

Zhang Baihe bowed his head and smiled: "I want to say sorry to you. I know what you have paid to save me. But you and I both know that this clarity cannot last forever. I may turn back into that evil demon at any time. And I don't want to live with such sins. I remember every one of them clearly. Those who died at my hands, I remember their wailing and begging for mercy, and I remember how I cut open their stomachs when they were still alive... Shulou, I am very grateful that you have restored my clarity and allowed me to maintain my final dignity to make this decision."

Xu Shulou looked at him seriously, and after a while he said softly, "I understand. Uncle Zhang, Wuchen Island has done its best to compensate the families of those who passed away. You...don't worry."

"I heard that. Thank you."

“…”

"Don't feel sorry for me."

"good."

"Please move away. I don't want you to see this."

"No."

"Shu Lou, be obedient."

"don't want."

Zhang Baihe compromised helplessly: "Then turn around."

"……good."

Xu Shulou did as she was told until she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed and a heavy object falling to the ground behind her. She then clenched the bamboo helicopter in her hand.

But she did not shed tears. She had promised many people that she would live happily.

"You go ahead, and when I find out the truth, I will send the person who harmed you down to accompany you."

The peach blossoms were still in full bloom, and there were still two cups under the tree, but she was the only one left, having drunk all the wine in the jar.

———

After Zhang Baihe passed away, Xu Shulou's fellow disciples didn't want her to be sad, so they came one by one to talk to her.

It was Bai Roushuang's turn that day. She leaned against Xu Shulou and whispered about her visit to the Fengxian Temple on Wuchen Island. "In the portrait of the ancestor who ascended to heaven, there was a beautiful woman holding a rabbit. She looked like the fairy Chang'e from the Moon Palace."

Xu Shulou understood her intentions and didn't have the heart to chase her away. He nodded and said, "That's Chang'e."

"What? Fairy Chang'e was once a cultivator from Wuchen Island? According to legend, didn't she become an immortal after taking a magical medicine?"

"There are two legends about Chang'e. The first one is the most popular one, which is that Chang'e regretted stealing the elixir and was obsessed with the blue sea and blue sky every night. The other one is that she entered the Tao with a sword and ascended to the Martial God."

"So which one is true and which one is false?"

"It happened thousands of years ago. I don't know which is true or false. It depends on which one you are willing to believe."

Bai Roushuang sighed: "Your story is so irresponsible."

Xu Shulou smiled and rubbed her head: "Okay, I'm fine, go practice your sword."

"Senior Sister Xu," at this moment, a disciple in charge of reception came to report, "Lu Beichen from Lingxiao Sect is here with his men to pay us a visit."

Xu Shulou nodded: "I understand, I'll go see him."

Lu Beichen was waiting at the foot of Mingyue Peak. When he saw her, he hurried forward and said, "Shu Lou, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Xu Shulou nodded. "Brother Lu and his party are here for Uncle Zhang?"

Lu Beichen nodded: "Yes, our sect heard that our junior master has regained consciousness, so they sent us to take him back."

He also brought a generous gift to Wuchen Island on behalf of Lingxiao Sect. After all, there was a shameless person in the sect who had poisoned female disciples from other sects with love poison. It was really unreasonable for him to come to the sect to ask for people without even saying sorry.

By the way, they also made a show of expelling the deceased Fan Yang from the sect and not allowing him to enter the mausoleum of Lingxiao Sect. They also spread the word that Fan Zhi had been tortured, nails had been driven into his body, and he was locked in an ice cave in the back mountain of Lingxiao Sect.

In order to successfully bring back Zhang Baihe, it can be said that he had done everything he could to get it right.

“…”

Lu Beichen misunderstood her silence and explained hastily, "It was all that bastard Fan Yang's fault before. I specifically asked the Sect Master, and he said that he never issued any kill order to Fan Yang. It was all Elder Fan who acted on his own initiative! Don't worry, after Junior Master goes back this time, no one will call for his death again."

Xu Shulou shook his head: "You are too late. Uncle Zhang has already committed suicide. Wuchen Island has sent a letter to Lingxiao Sect. If you had set out two days later, you would have received the news by now."

"What? Junior Master-Uncle..." Lu Beichen was shocked.

Xu Shulou nodded.

"Why would he..."

Xu Shulou replied calmly: "You should understand."

It’s not that Lu Beichen didn’t understand. His eyes were slightly red. He was silent for a while before he spoke again: “In that case, please lead the way. I want to burn some incense for Junior Master.”

"Okay." Xu Shulou silently led him to the place where the coffin was placed, watched him burn incense seriously, and sighed slightly behind him.

After all the disciples of Lingxiao Sect had offered incense, Lu Beichen calmed down for a moment, then pulled Xu Shulou aside and whispered, "I should take Junior Master's coffin back to Lingxiao Sect."

Xu Shulou shook his head: "He doesn't want to go back."

"It's all Fan Yang's fault!" Lu Beichen was annoyed again, and finally sighed, "Ah, I understand, I won't force it..."

"If anyone wants to come and burn incense, they can come to Wuchen Island."

"Okay, I'll go back and tell them," Lu Beichen nodded, "Actually, I came here for another thing. My master said he has some clues about your love Gu, so he asked me to take you back and he will help you take a look."

"Your master? Wei Xuandao?" Xu Shulou was about to tell him that the love poison had been cured, but after hearing his words, he swallowed the idea back, "How could he be interested in love poison?"

"I have never heard of it before, but it is something of low quality after all, so it is normal that Master does not want others to know about it," Lu Beichen said in a muffled voice, "Anyway, he said he had some ideas, but he wanted to see it with his own eyes to know if he could help."

"He asked you to take me to Lingxiaomen?" Xu Shulou raised his eyebrows. "I thought that since I killed Fan Yang, the people of Lingxiaomen didn't want to see me anymore."

Lu Beichen frowned: "Although Fan Yang and my master are brothers, but my master has always been reasonable. He knows that Fan Yang was wrong first, and he will not bear a grudge against you for it."

Reasonable? Although he disagreed with this "reasonable" evaluation, Xu Shulou naturally did not intend to miss this opportunity that came to his door.

Wei Xuan Dao, Wei Xuan Dao...

It is true that he had no motive to harm Zhang Baihe, but Xu Shulou still suspected that something was fishy.

She silently recited the name in her heart, then nodded to Lu Beichen: "Okay, I'll go with you."

———

Xu Shulou first returned to Mingyue Peak to say goodbye to his fellow junior brothers and sisters, explained the whole story, and frankly stated that he had intentionally pretended that the love Gu was still there, taking the opportunity to get close to Wei Xuandao to investigate. He also told them not to spread the news that the love Gu had been cured.

Everyone was worried about her safety. Ji Ci almost jumped up: "What if that old guy finds out that you are not infected with the love poison?"

"I don't believe he knows witchcraft. Even if he does, he is unlikely to offer to help me get rid of the witchcraft. He has always disliked me," Xu Shulou thought, "I suspect he has other intentions."

Song Ping, who was always cautious, also advised: "Sister, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be prepared for one. What if he really understands?"

"Then I'll just make up an excuse," Xu Shulou spread his hands, "You don't need to worry too much. As far as I remember, he and Fan Yang had a normal relationship. It's unlikely that he would trick me into going there just to kill me."

Everyone started to object again.

Xu Shulou sighed: "Wei Xuandao is actually only at the peak of the Spiritualization Stage. Even if I can't defeat him, I can still run away."

"What if he has other helpers?"

Xu Shulou was helpless. She was only going to investigate a little, but her fellow disciples were so worried that it seemed as if she was going to have a life-and-death duel with Wei Xuandao. They could only comfort her: "It's okay. If I don't come back within a month, you can pull out our master who is in seclusion and ask him to trouble the old master to rescue me."

Everyone calmed down reluctantly, and Bai Roushuang asked to go with her.

"Go play somewhere else," Xu Shulou ruthlessly drove the little apprentice sister away, "If you follow me, I will have to pretend that the love poison has attacked me and I'm jealous of you."

Bai Roushuang pursed her lips in grievance, but she really couldn't find any reason to refute. She just wanted to dump Lu Beichen on the spot to make her mind clear.

Seeing that the most favored junior sister failed, others began to get restless.

Xu Shulou waved his sleeves in a casual manner, refusing to take any of his junior brothers and sisters with him: "Don't worry about me, you stay at home, eat well, and behave yourself. I'm leaving."