Chapter 37 Jun Lintian's ears turned red, and he almost hugged her tightly...

Looking at Jun Lintian's still pale face, Shi Liuying frowned involuntarily and asked worriedly, "Senior brother, your injuries... are we really alright staying out here like this? Should we go back to the sect first?"

Jun Lintian looked down at her, a gentle smile in his eyes, and shook his head slightly: "It's alright, I didn't use any spiritual power, I was just walking normally, it won't affect my injuries."

He paused, then added, "Besides, Tai Sui has already been sent back to the sect by Shen Hanzhou and handed over to Elder Yao for refining. The refining process alone will take some time, so if we go back now, we'll just be waiting."

Hearing him say that, and confirming that his breathing was weak but still relatively stable, Shi Liuying finally felt a little relieved.

She was just too nervous. Her senior brother was always reliable; if he said everything was alright, then everything must be alright.

Seeing that she relaxed, Jun Lintian glanced at the galloping horses in the distance and asked casually, "Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

Shi Liuying followed his gaze and looked at the freely galloping herd of horses, then honestly shook her head: "No."

Before joining the sect, she always frequented that drafty wooden house and the surrounding mountains and forests.

"When I was a child, the farthest place I ever went was a steamed bun shop in the city."

It was all for the few copper coins I earned from gathering herbs, to buy a meat bun for my mother who was always complaining of being tired.

Upon hearing this, Jun Lintian gazed at the boundless天地 (heaven and earth), his voice carried on the wind, carrying a meaning of guiding her to broaden her horizons: "Now, you have traversed the entire Daliang. This is the northwesternmost part of Daliang. You have crossed the entire territory."

Shi Liuying was slightly taken aback, and only then did she belatedly realize that she had already left the small place that had confined her for more than ten years.

Jun Lintian did not use any magic, but instead led her on foot for a while until they arrived near a herder's tent.

He found a dark-skinned, honest-looking herdsman who was feeding horses, and gently asked to borrow a horse for a while, promising to return it later. He handed over a silver coin that was enough to buy two or three fine horses.

The herdsman was taken aback at first, then waved his rough hands and said warmly, "What are you saying, sir? Just ride it! It's just a horse, no problem. It doesn't matter if you don't return it!"

Seeing that Jun Lintian and Shi Liuying were dressed in extraordinary clothes and had an air of nobility, he assumed they were just young masters and ladies from noble families who were looking for something new and probably couldn't even climb onto the horse's back. So, he kindly stepped forward and offered to show them how to mount the horse.

However, before he could finish speaking, Jun Lintian lightly pressed one hand on the saddle, his movements as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest effort, and he was already sitting steadily on the horse's back.

His posture was far from that of a novice horseman; he was even more composed and agile than the most elite military knights the herdsmen had ever seen.

The herdsman's eyes widened instantly, and he couldn't help but slap his thigh and exclaim, "Wow! What skill! I was blind! Your horsemanship is probably far superior to that of the soldiers!"

Jun Lintian nodded slightly from his horse, as if to thank him for the praise.

He gently spurred the horse's belly, guiding the magnificent brown steed slowly to Shi Liuying's side.

The golden rays of the setting sun fell upon him, gilding his entire body with a dazzling edge.

He sat upright on horseback, his shoulders relaxed. The detachment and fatigue that usually lingered due to injuries and systemic issues were washed away by the long wind of the frontier, revealing a long-lost clarity and spiritedness that belonged to a young man.

He leaned down slightly, extended his hand towards Shi Liuying, and smiled faintly but genuinely: "Mount up."

Shi Liuying looked at the hand extended in front of her; its knuckles were distinct, and it was clean and slender.

She placed her hand on it and was immediately enveloped by a warm, dry force.

Then, a steady force came, and she felt her body lighten as he steadily pulled her onto the horse's back, where she sat in front of him.

"Hold on tight." Jun Lintian's voice rang out above her head, accompanied by a slight vibration in his chest.

The next moment, he gave a soft shout, flicked the reins, and the brown horse let out an excited neigh, its four hooves off the ground, and like an arrow released from a bow, galloped into the depths of the vast grassland.

The wind suddenly became fierce, carrying the scent of grass and earth, and rushed towards us.

Shi Liuying instinctively gripped the saddle in front of her, her heart pounding as she felt the sudden speed.

She opened her eyes wide, looking at the scenery on both sides—undulating sand dunes, scattered bushes, and herds of cattle and sheep in the distance…

They all flew backward at an astonishing speed, blurring into a flowing mass of colors.

Above her was an incredibly high, almost transparent, azure sky, and below her was an endless expanse of earth.

The world is so vast, and she is riding the wind, running freely in this vast expanse, as if she could run like this forever, without stopping.

Those oppressive, gloomy memories—the drafty wooden house, the endless chores, the mother's venomous curses and her completely different kind face towards her younger brother… all of them were left far behind by this swift wind, scattered into a corner that could never be remembered again.

An unprecedented, surging emotion swelled and surged in her chest.

"Senior brother!" she couldn't help but raise her voice, shouting through the howling wind, "I feel... my heart is beating so fast!"

She struggled to find the words to describe this unfamiliar experience: "The sky is vast, the earth is vast, the horse is vast... and my heart seems to have grown bigger too! It's beating so hard, it feels like... it feels like it could fly out! I feel... I feel like I can go anywhere!"

This feeling was so unfamiliar and so overwhelming that it almost left her at a loss, yet she found it sweet.

A cheerful voice came from behind her, clearly reaching her ears: "This is what freedom feels like."

His voice also carried a hint of nostalgia, "It was the best thing I could experience here when I was a child."

However, a touch of loneliness quickly crept into that nostalgia: "It's a pity that back then I was either traveling with veteran soldiers who had been stationed here for many years, and they could no longer experience the joy of such galloping. Or I was traveling with those palace servants who were afraid of my status and treated me with utmost respect and trepidation."

Upon hearing this, Shi Liuying suddenly turned her head away.

As a result of this movement, strands of her hair brushed against Jun Lintian's chin.

She looked up at her senior brother's sideburns fluttering in the wind and his defined jawline, and said very seriously, "Now, you have it."

The wind was strong, which blew her voice away a little.

Jun Lintian, afraid he might not hear her clearly, subconsciously lowered his head and moved closer to her.

This posture was almost like he was embracing her whole body, and his breath brushed against her ear.

Shi Liuying repeated it clearly, her voice filled with pure joy: "I said, now, your childhood senior brother has a playmate who can experience freedom with you."

Jun Lintian was stunned.

He looked down at the profile of his junior sister in his arms.

Excitement brought a healthy blush to her fair cheeks, and her usually clear and calm eyes sparkled with a bright, fiery light. A radiant smile, unlike any he had ever seen before, graced her lips.

At this moment, he clearly realized that the initial understanding and excitement of "freedom" that had been hidden in his heart since childhood, and the loneliness that had no one to share it with, had traversed hundreds of years of time until today, at this moment, he finally had someone to confide in and someone to resonate with.

This was not within the Myriad Manifestations Sect, where the chief senior brother was imparting sword techniques and mental cultivation methods to his junior sister who was just starting out, nor was it out of a sense of responsibility or fraternal affection to take care of and teach her.

This vast grassland, this galloping horse, and this whistling wind seemed to pull him and her together to the same horizon.

At this moment, he and she shared the same emotion called "freedom".

"Senior brother," Shi Liuying turned her head again, looking ahead, her voice filled with joy, "I feel so good! I want to shout!"

But then she hesitated and added in a low voice, "...But won't it disturb others?"

Jun Lintian composed himself, gazed at the boundless horizon, and said gently, "The grasslands are vast, like the sea that embraces all rivers. Here, you can do whatever you want."

Shi Liuying was still a little shy, unsure how to express her surging emotions, and asked softly, "Then... what should I shout?"

Jun Lintian guided her, asking softly, "Do you like this kind of freedom?"

Almost without hesitation, Shi Liuying mustered all her strength and shouted loudly towards the vast sky and earth: "I love it!"

The clear and vibrant sound, like a pebble thrown into a lake, rippled across the wilderness before being swallowed up by the even stronger wind.

But that word "I like you" rang in his ears with perfect clarity, carrying the warm breath she exhaled.

Jun Lintian's grip on the reins tightened unconsciously, and a faint blush crept up behind his ears.

The horse carried the two of them for a long time until the setting sun dyed the sky a more intense orange-red, at which point it gradually slowed down and finally stopped on a sand dune with a wide view.

Jun Lintian dismounted first, then reached out to Shi Liuying and helped her land steadily.

The two sat casually on the sand, still warm from the daytime sun, gazing at the magnificent view where the sky and earth met in the distance.

"Thank you," Jun Lintian suddenly said, his voice very soft.

Shi Liuying turned her head away, her eyes filled with doubt.

She thought to herself, "It's obvious that my senior brother came here out of kindness, seeing the misfortune that happened to her family, and specially brought her out to relax. Why should I thank him?"

Jun Lintian didn't look at her; his gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, as if lost in memories: "When I was young... I was required to be mature and steady, and I had no playmates of similar age around me. Whether it was joy or sorrow, I had no one to confide in, nowhere to share it."

He paused, his voice carrying a calmness born of years of experience, "This feeling of freely roaming the Gobi Desert is wonderful, but it's something you can only savor alone."

"Only today... has a real way out."

As Shi Liuying listened, the slight awkwardness and guilt she felt for troubling her senior brother to take her out to relax vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable joy.

Within the sect, it was always her senior brother who taught and helped her. Now, she was even able to slightly alleviate the loneliness that her senior brother had buried deep in his heart.

She turned her head and looked at Jun Lintian's profile outlined by the sunset glow. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, and she said excitedly, "Then I'm honored! To be my senior brother's first playmate!"

Seeing her undisguised happiness, Jun Lintian smiled slightly as well.

Shi Liuying felt that since her senior brother had shared his deepest emotions with her, she should also share hers.

She gazed at the vast Gobi Desert shrouded in twilight, the endless yellow sand contrasting sharply with the brilliant sunset on the horizon, a magnificent landscape imbued with an ancient desolation.

She spoke softly, uttering the words that had been weighing on her heart: "Before entering the sect, after my grandfather passed away... I always felt like a rootless duckweed, as if I had no connection with this world."

Jun Lintian listened quietly without interrupting. When Shi Liuying said nothing more, he spoke.

He pointed to an unremarkable, grayish rock on another sand dune not far away: "Look at that rock."

Shi Liuying looked in the direction he pointed, and the stone looked no different from the thousands of other stones in the Gobi Desert.

“These are ‘living stones’ from the Gobi Desert,” Jun Lintian explained.

"It looks ordinary, but it can actually 'walk' on its own."

"They are pushed by the wind, and today they may be on the east side of this sand dune, and tomorrow they may be on the west side of the Gobi Desert."

"Nobody cares where they are exactly, and nobody expects them to stay in the same place forever."

Shi Liuying turned her head to look at him.

Jun Lintian paused, his voice steady and powerful: "In my first year as a general, I encountered a rare flash flood. Many huge rocks, buried deep underground and seemingly firmly rooted, were shattered by the flood."

"Only these loose stones, carried by the current, rolled to the safe bend of the river. Not only were they undamaged, they also blocked a lot of silt for the herders downstream, protecting their pastures."

"It was also because of the resistance of these living stones that I was not so flustered in my first year as a general."

Shi Liuying stared blankly at the inconspicuous stone, her heart stirred.

“So you see,” Jun Lintian turned his head and looked at her gently, “not having roots might not be so bad.”

"You are not fixed at a point where you cannot choose, nor are you without a destination."

"You just have more confidence and freedom than others to go anywhere."

His voice, like the wind from beyond the Great Wall, fell clearly and firmly into her ears: "If you are willing, you can regard... the Myriad Manifestations Sect as the wind that can support you."

"The grasslands are so vast, the world is so big, just follow your heart. No one can truly hold you back except yourself."

Jun Lintian's voice was like a gentle stream, soft yet pervasive, silently touching Shi Liuying's heart.

The frame of "loneliness" and "helplessness" that had trapped her since her grandfather's death seemed to be somewhat dispersed by the long wind of the wilderness in the gentle words of her senior brother.

The obsession with her grandfather's passing, and the sense of bewilderment as if abandoned by the world, seemed to have found a place to rest.

At this moment, the setting sun finally sank below the distant horizon, and the last rays of its afterglow dyed the clouds on the horizon a magnificent purplish-red. Twilight, like a veil, enveloped the surrounding fields.

“Let’s go.” Jun Lintian stood up, brushed the sand off his robes, and extended his hand to Shi Liuying again. His tone was no longer as gentle as before. “The Gobi Desert is cold at night. Let’s return the horses to the herdsmen first, and then… go home.”

He said the word "go home" naturally.

Shi Liuying placed her hand in his palm, used it to stand up, and nodded: "Okay."

When the two led their horses back to the herdsman's tent, the herdsman was sitting outside the tent, drinking by a small campfire, his face already showing a hint of tipsy contentment.

Seeing that they had indeed returned, the herdsman was overjoyed. He struggled to his feet and insisted on refusing the money Jun Lintian had given him: "I said I didn't need the money, why are you being so polite, sir! Take it back, take it back!"

Jun Lintian insisted on putting the silver back into his hand, his tone gentle but not brooking no refusal: "Old man, raising a horse is not easy. Keep this money, you can either buy some things, or sell this horse to the army in the future, it will fetch a good price."

The herdsman couldn't refuse, so he accepted the gift, his smile widening as he warmly invited them: "You two are very kind! Come, come, if you don't mind, sit down and have some of our local food and a bowl of milk tea to warm yourselves up!"

As he busied himself having his family serve up fragrant roasted mutton, a type of round flatbread called "naan," and savory milk tea, he rambled on and on: "I noticed your extraordinary bearing, sir. I had assumed you were just a frail scholar, but I never expected your horsemanship to be so superb! Your father and brothers must hold positions in the military, right?"

Jun Lintian accepted the milk tea, thanked him, and did not deny it, simply replying, "I did indeed serve in the military for a few years."

The herdsman slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I knew it! I felt like I'd seen you somewhere before! Alas, I'm getting old and senile, I just couldn't remember..." He tried hard to think.

Jun Lintian took a sip of milk tea and said calmly, "Status is of no importance."

"That's not how it works! Status is still important. Speaking of status, the one with the highest status here is none other than His Highness Prince Jing."

Shi Liuying tilted her head and asked, "Your Highness Prince Jing?"

The herdsman was clearly intoxicated and became more talkative. He waved his arms excitedly, "My lord, you have no idea how much better our lives are now than before!"

"He's a human being, not a slave. He can raise sheep and horses peacefully, and even sell the horses to the army to earn money to support his family! He has to thank that... that Prince Jing, the one-word king who is invincible in battle!"

"A king who stands shoulder to shoulder with you?" Shi Liuying held the milk tea in her hands and curiously repeated this unusual-sounding phrase.

“That’s right!” The herdsman nodded vigorously, his face full of respect. “A prince who has the power to sit on equal footing with the emperor is called a Prince of the First Rank!”

Shi Liuying blinked, glanced at her senior brother who was quietly drinking milk tea beside her, seemingly unconcerned, and then put on an amazed expression, saying sincerely, "Then... this Prince Jing must be very amazing."

"It's more than impressive!" The herdsman's interest was completely ignited, and his voice became louder. "Young lady, listen to me. My ancestor was a defeated slave. He thought his life was over and he would just be moved to another place to continue being a beast of burden."

“But Prince Jing treats these prisoners of war like human beings. His Highness gave them a chance to stand up again and be human, gave us herdsmen a way to make a living, and gave us hope of earning money and starting families…”

He pointed to the vast Gobi Desert and said, “Look at this Gobi Desert, with its many large cities and countless small towns. Prince Jing led his troops and fought hard, inch by inch, to conquer them.”

"With him stationed at the border, which of those foreign tribes would dare to invade?! That's why we can live in peace today."

As Shi Liuying listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter. Looking at Jun Lintian's profile, a sense of pride welled up in her heart, and she exclaimed sincerely, "So... he's that amazing!"

The herdsmen were filled with gratitude, almost dancing with joy: "We can't speak for other places, but in our whole area!"

He gestured with his hand to indicate that it was really big.

"Who doesn't regard this founding war god as a true god?! Many families hang his portrait in their homes and burn incense morning and night, praying for his protection!"

Shi Liuying's heart skipped a beat, and she followed up the conversation by asking, "Then... did you hang one at home too?"

The herdsman slapped his forehead and exclaimed in annoyance, "Oh dear! What a forgetful thing I am! I've forgotten all about it! I was so happy today that I completely forgot about this important matter!"

He hurriedly said to Jun Lintian and Shi Liuying, "Please eat and drink first, and wait for me. I'll be right back!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly lifted the tent flap and slipped inside, muttering to himself as he went, "...Whether the sheep and horses will fetch a good price this year, and whether the whole family can have a prosperous New Year, all depends on this deity's blessing..."

While the herdsmen went into their tents, Jun Lintian put down his bowl, stood up, and whispered to Shi Liuying, "We should go too, it's getting late."

Shi Liuying glanced in the direction of the tent, hesitating slightly: "Is it alright to just leave like this without saying goodbye?"

Jun Lintian reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, his tone urgent and even a little embarrassed: "If we don't leave now, I'm afraid we really won't be able to leave."

Shi Liuying immediately understood his meaning and couldn't help but smile.

She quickly stood up, and before leaving, she flicked her wrist and silently tossed a small recording stone into a corner. After thinking for a moment, she moved her fingertips slightly and a talisman was affixed to the recording stone.

Just as the two figures disappeared into the deepening night, they heard a herdsman's shouts of shock and ecstasy coming from the direction of the tents behind them: "God! God! The gods have appeared!"

The photo stone quietly recorded the portrait held in the hands of the herdsman.

In the portrait, a young general dressed in silver armor sits atop a steed, holding a gleaming silver spear in one hand and reins in the other. His ponytail is tied high, his eyebrows are raised, and a confident, unrestrained smile plays on his lips. He exudes the sharpness and youthful vigor unique to a valiant general on the battlefield.

It seems as if it's about to burst out of the painting and gallop across the battlefield at any moment.

The face of the person in the portrait bears a striking resemblance to the pale, slightly pale young man in the moon-white Taoist robe who had just appeared.

No longer needing to conceal their journey back, Jun Lintian was about to summon his flying sword when Shi Liuying preempted him, pointing out her own shimmering longsword.

The longsword hovered in the air, emitting a clear, melodious hum.

She turned around, looked at Jun Lintian, her eyes sparkling with a hint of pride and determination: "Senior brother, let me guide you this time! My sword control technique is already quite advanced!"

Seeing his junior sister's determined look that said, "I must protect my frail senior brother," Jun Lintian swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Somewhat helpless, yet also somewhat amused, he could only nod in agreement: "...Okay."

Shi Liuying immediately cheered up and tried to straighten her back to make herself look taller and more reliable.

She leaped onto the flying sword first, then stretched out her hand to Jun Lintian: "Senior brother, come on up!"

Jun Lintian took her hand and landed lightly behind her.

The night wind was biting, carrying the chill unique to the Gobi Desert at night.

Shi Liuying controlled the flying sword to rise steadily, while secretly circulating her spiritual power to set up an invisible barrier around the two of them, blocking out all the biting cold wind.

Jun Lintian lowered his eyes, looking at the slightly thin but exceptionally determined back of the girl in front of him who was trying her best to shield him from the wind and rain, and feeling the gentle spiritual power that belonged to her surrounding him.

He lowered his head slightly, his long eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions in his eyes, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curved into a slight, pleasant smile.

To be so seriously considered "weak" and in need of protection by my junior sister... it doesn't seem so bad.

-

Upon returning to the Myriad Manifestations Sect, Shi Liuying immediately dragged Jun Lintian to the Hundred Herbs Hall without stopping.

"Senior brother, hurry! The Tai Sui should be refined by now, go and take your medicine!" She said urgently, as if her senior brother's injuries would worsen if she stayed any longer.

Jun Lintian let her pull him along, but his gaze thoughtfully swept over the seemingly hidden corners outside Baicaotang, which were actually quite obvious to him.

Following his gaze, Shi Liuying turned her head in confusion and looked outside the door—the moonlight was like water, the shadows of the trees swayed, and there was no one under the eaves.

"What's wrong, senior brother?" she asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing." Jun Lintian withdrew his gaze, took the Tai Sui Elixir handed over by Elder Yao, and drank it under the watchful and concerned gaze of Shi Liuying.

The gentle yet powerful medicinal properties instantly dissolved, flowing to every part of the body and nourishing the damaged meridians.

"Is it better now?" Shi Liuying stared intently at his face, as if trying to discern the effects of the medicine.

Jun Lintian chuckled and comforted her, "Alright. The medicine has taken effect; you need to sit quietly to absorb it. Junior sister, you've had a long day; go and rest."

Shi Liuying shook her head, her face serious: "It doesn't matter whether I rest or not. You, senior brother, are the one who needs to rest! You..."

She paused for a moment, then spoke her mind, "You're already so... frail, you really need to take good care of yourself!"

weak……

Jun Lintian's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Looking at his junior sister's pure and innocent eyes, he swallowed back his words of explanation and readily agreed, "Okay, I'll do as you say, junior sister. I'll go back to meditate now."

He gently saw Shi Liuying, who was still somewhat uneasy, out of Baicaotang.

Shi Liuying paused at the door for a moment, looked around, and made sure there was nothing unusual before suppressing the strange feeling in her heart and turning to walk towards her residence.

However, just as her figure disappeared into the moonlight—

With a whoosh!

Led by Rong Yan, and including Chi Yang, Chen Hanzhou, and Chong Cang, the group swarmed into the small thatched hut, instantly surrounding Jun Lintian, who had just breathed a sigh of relief.

Rong Yan put her hands on her hips, her peach blossom eyes wide open. She struck first, her tone fierce: "Speak! Jun Lintian! Where did you take my junior sister just now?!"

Chi Yang stood to the side with her arms crossed, her innocent eyes crinkling with laughter, like a cunning little fox.

Shen Hanzhou tried to straighten his chest, attempting to make himself look more imposing.

Although Chong Cang did not speak, his silver-gray fox eyes swept over coldly, and the invisible pressure was more intimidating than the other three combined.

Rong Yan: "What did I do to her?!"

"Tell me the truth!"

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Author's Note: Random red envelopes will be dropping! [pat on the head]