Chapter 3 Clouds Entering Dust

Outside the upper pavilion, Feng Jingluo came down early and walked slowly down the stairs. He bowed and said, "Disciple requests to see the Sect Master." Yun Jing, who was inside the courtyard, heard the voice and his heart began to beat fast. The two looked at each other. What was to come would come. Yun Jing called out and motioned her to come in. The Sect Master's courtyard had an elegant environment, with white flower bushes and the crabapple blossoms in full bloom. As soon as you walked into the courtyard, you could hear the sound of flowing water. A one-meter-wide waterway meandered through the courtyard and converged into the pond. Yun Jing and Ying Yueke were drinking tea in the pavilion. Feng Jingluo came over and saluted again. Yun Jing coughed. "What's the matter?" He and Ying Yueke were fidgeting, their eyes wandering around. He covered his face with the action of drinking tea, looking very guilty. Feng Jingluo said, "Three days ago, I entered the Sword Tomb to cultivate. I accidentally forgot to register, so I had to ask my junior sister to deliver it for me. Unexpectedly, my junior sister was called away by the master and handed over to my junior brother. Because my junior brother mistakenly identified the steward, the jade token was mistakenly given to the steward in charge of the marriage selection." The two put down their teacups, their expressions calm. They looked at each other, their lips drooping, and they both sighed. Ying Yueke bent down, palm to forehead, "I knew it was a mistake. How could you possibly fall for Ruchen?" Yun Jing slumped, hands on his knees, surveying the courtyard. He felt that the garden, once full of lush green, was now dull and bleak. "Never mind. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I couldn't wait to tell everyone." He patted Ying Yueke's hand on the table. "If you had listened to what Madam said, you wouldn't have made such a fool of yourself when you came out of seclusion." He sighed to the sky, "I was just clinging to a one-in-a-million chance." "Madam, go tell the disciples in the sect while I collect the invitations." Yun Jing stood up unsteadily, and Ying Yueke rose with him, holding his arm. "But Ruchen..." "He's lost face so many times, this one wouldn't be any worse." The mention of Yun Ruchen infuriated Yun Jing. If he were truly exceptional, Feng Jingluo might actually marry him today. Ying Yueke lowered her eyes and whispered, "Feng Jingluo is such a beautiful woman before me. Even if it's a mistake, who would want to marry Ruchen?" "No one wants to take on this joke." Yun Jing put his arm around Ying Yueke's shoulders and soothed her, "Don't worry, Madam. At the very least, we can find a mortal woman for Ruchen." The two embraced, sighing deeply. The sighing crabapple blossoms will also fall with sorrow. The wind rustles the hems of my clothes, the intoxicating fragrance of the flowers. The gentle morning sunlight penetrates the snow-white clouds; like flower stamens, beams of light scatter, spreading from the distant blue sky to the courtyard. They float lightly on the vermilion rubble of the pavilion, finally falling into Feng Jingluo's dark eyes. …

Outside the upper pavilion, Feng Jingluo came down early and walked slowly down the stairs.

He bowed and said, "Disciple requests to see the Sect Master."

Yun Jing heard the sound in the courtyard, and his heart beat fast. The two looked at each other, and what was coming would come.

Yun Jing called out and motioned her to come in.

The patriarch's residence is elegantly landscaped, with white flowers and crabapple blossoms in full bloom. As you enter the courtyard, you can hear the sound of flowing water, a one-meter-wide waterway winding through the courtyard and converging into a pond.

Yun Jing and Ying Yueke were drinking tea in the pavilion when Feng Jingluo came over and bowed again.

Yun Jing coughed. "What's the matter?"

He and Ying Yueke fidgeted restlessly, their eyes wandering wildly. They hid their faces by sipping tea, looking guilty.

Feng Jingluo said, "Three days ago, I entered the Sword Tomb to cultivate. I accidentally forgot to register, so I had to ask my junior sister to deliver it for me. Unexpectedly, my junior sister was called away by the master and had to pass it to my junior brother. Because my junior brother chose the wrong deacon, the jade token was mistakenly given to the bride selection deacon."

They both put down their teacups, their expressions calming down. They looked at each other, their lips drooping as they sighed.

Ying Yueke bent down and put his palm to his forehead, "I knew it was a mistake. How could you possibly fall for Ruchen?"

Yun Jing placed his hands on his knees dejectedly and surveyed the courtyard. He felt that the garden, once lush and green, was now dull and lifeless.

"Never mind. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I couldn't wait to tell everyone about this." He patted Ying Yueke's hand on the table. "If you had listened to what my wife said, you wouldn't have made such a big fool of yourself when you came out of seclusion."

He looked up to the sky and sighed, "It's just a one in ten thousand chance of success."

"Madam, please go and inform the disciples in the sect. I will go and collect the invitations." Yun Jing stood up shakily as he spoke, and Ying Yueke stood up with him and held his arm.

"Can enter the dust..."

"He's lost face so many times, this one wouldn't be any different." Yun Jing became angry when he mentioned Yun Ruchen. If he were truly exceptional, Feng Jingluo might actually marry him today.

Ying Yueke lowered his eyes and whispered, "With Feng Jingluo's pearls and jade in front of us, even if it's a mistake, who would still be willing to marry Ruchen?"

"No one wants to take the joke."

Yun Jing put his arm around Ying Yueke's shoulders and soothed her, "Don't worry, Madam. At the very least, find a mortal woman for Ruchen."

The two hugged each other and sighed deeply.

The sighing crabapple blossoms will also fall sadly.

The wind blew the corners of my clothes, the fragrance of flowers was intoxicating, and the morning sunlight was soft, shining through the snow-white clouds; beams of light scattered like flower stamens, spreading from the distant blue sky to the house.

It floated lightly on the vermilion tiles of the pavilion, and finally fell into Feng Jingluo's dark eyes.

She blinked and looked at the two of them. "Even if we want to get married, we need to consult the Young Master. So we announced to the public that the Young Master has no interest and called off the marriage."

Yun Jing immediately raised his eyes, "No matter what, he is not worthy of you. How could he let you suffer such injustice?"

"It was all a mistake..."

Yun Jing forced a smile, "My son is lazy by nature, and it's definitely not a good match."

"We will take care of this matter. Don't delay your trip to the forbidden area. Go back and practice."

He and Ying Yueke looked gentle, but they couldn't hide the sadness between their brows.

Feng Jingluo watched silently, the wind teased the corner of her clothes again, and the sunlight fell on her shoulders.

She was an orphan. She wandered the land as a beggar in her youth. If she hadn't cut her long hair with gravel, staining her face, she might not have lived to see the day her master took her into the sect. She had no mother, no father, no relatives, and only her sword to keep her company.

Looking at how Yun Ruchen's mother and father were putting so much thought into him, she didn't know whether the emotion that surged in her heart at this moment was envy.

"My junior brothers and sisters are also at fault for this matter. It's not right for the Young Master to bear the responsibility alone." She said, "As a disciple of Jiange, I should take responsibility for my junior brothers and sisters."

She bowed and said, "Disciple doesn't care about the rumors. Let's ask the Young Master to cancel the engagement."

"You kid..." Ying Yueke liked Feng Jingluo more and more, but she could only sigh that Yun Ruchen did not have this blessing.

"You've been practicing in seclusion for years, how could you suffer such an injustice because of an accident?" Ying Yueke forced a smile. "After all, there are a lot of dust lice, so I'm not afraid of them biting me. This is nothing to him."

Feng Jingluo frowned.

Yun Jing said, "How about this, let's compromise."

"I originally wanted to marry you after the forbidden area was closed. I said I wanted you to get acquainted with each other before that, and once you left the forbidden area, I would say it was not suitable and cancel the engagement."

"This way, Ruchen's face will look a little better."

"It's just hard for you. You have to bear the title of fiancée for a while."

Yun Jing stood with his hands behind his back, looking dignified and the gleam in his eyes made him look unfathomable.

But Feng Jingluo noticed that he was holding Ying Yueke's hand and nervously twisting her sleeve.

Feng Jingluo wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth he didn't know how to start, so he nodded in agreement.

The two of them breathed a sigh of relief, and after Feng Jingluo left, they collapsed on the stone bench.

Ying Yueke asked, "Why wait until the forbidden area is closed? If you stick your head out, you'll get hurt. It's better to resolve this matter sooner rather than later."

Yun Jing, with an air of planning and planning, said with a smile, "We still have at least a few months to let them get to know each other. If Ru Chen can find his way into Feng Jingluo's eyes, we won't have to be rejected."

Ying Yueke slapped his forehead three times in a row, "You really are dreaming! With Ruchen's personality, do you expect him to take the initiative to find Feng Jingluo?"

Yun Jing was confident, "Ruchen might not have cared when the marriage was arranged, but since this marriage was not called off immediately, he will definitely care."

Ying Yueke thought about it and smiled: "That makes sense."

At worst, they could offer advice and try to get the two children to see each other more often. Whether it would succeed or not depended on fate.

On the mountaintop, Yun Ruchen hid in the shadow cast by a huge rock, reading a book on formations. The jade pendant on his waist flickered again, and with a tap of his finger, it connected.

Sheng Lian’s image appeared in the void, “Feng Jingluo has come out of seclusion!”

"Yeah." He nodded to show that he understood. After that day, Sheng Lian contacted him again, telling him the explanation given by Xiong Guiyue. He had already known that this matter was a misunderstanding.

"Why are you so calm?" Sheng Lian's excitement waned and he said dissatisfiedly.

"She broke off the engagement?" Yun Ruchen took the time to look up at Sheng Lian.

Sheng Lian chuckled, "That's what I wanted to say. Contrary to everyone's expectations, she didn't cancel the engagement."

Yun Ruchen's eyes slowly widened, his hand trembled and the book fell to the ground.

No breakup? How is that possible?

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Sheng Lian spread his hands and said in a pretentious tone, "Those people waiting at the Jade Platform to see you make a fool of yourself are almost going crazy now."

"By the way, you'd better not leave the mountaintop. Be careful of the people from Jiange causing trouble for you."

Yun Ruchen didn't care what Sheng Lian was saying, his pupils twitching restlessly in his eye sockets.

He reached for the book, but rolled it up instead.

How could she not cancel the engagement?

Yun Ruchen subconsciously bit his finger joints, unable to figure things out. Sheng Lian was clamoring in his ear again, so he simply turned off the phone and stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing down at the layers of buildings and terraces below.

He was only in the middle stage of foundation building, and couldn't even fly from the top of the mountain. Everyone in the sect thought he was useless, even his mother and father...

Why didn't Feng Jingluo cancel the engagement with him since he was such a man?

When he came back to his senses, Yun Ruchen found that he had clenched the book tightly and the cover was torn by his nails.

He smoothed it down with heartache and put the book back into the storage ring.

He had to go down the mountain and meet Feng Jingluo in person. If her mother and father had forced her to give in, then there was no need for her to tolerate him for a loser like him.

Yun Ruchen went down the mountain and when he approached the upper pavilion, he no longer took the stairs but walked down into the woods.

He didn't know where Feng Jingluo was, so he could only send a message to Sheng Lian to ask.

At this moment, Sheng Lian was lying in bed, yawning. He had gotten up early in the morning to search for the news and pass it on to him, but the response was so cold. It was boring.

The jade token on the waist lit up, and after answering the call, he learned that Yun Ruchen was looking for Feng Jingluo.

Sheng Lian raised the corners of his mouth and quickly agreed.

Yun Ruchen was going to meet Feng Jingluo, the useless Young Master and the genius swordsman! This was big news. Practicing in the mountains was boring, so he had to find some fun.

He jumped out of bed, tidied his clothes, went out to look for Feng Jingluo, and took the photo stone with him.

The younger sisters and brothers who stayed in Jiange were originally laughing and joking; when they heard the news from outside, they all froze in place and did not move.

Xiong Guiyue rubbed her stiff cheeks and asked, "Did I hear wrongly? Senior Sister didn't cancel the engagement?"

Lin Qiao looked at her cautiously, "Senior Sister, you're not going to beat me up again, are you?"

Wen Qi frowned, "Maybe the Sect Master said something."

Song Jun made up his mind, "Go ask Senior Sister."

Near the bamboo forest, there is a waterfall. The rushing water washes over the rocks and finally flows into the pool below.

A stone platform nestled within the pool, washed day and night by the waterfall. Feng Jingluo was on it, feeling the water's impact on her body. She imagined herself as a stubborn stone, allowing time to pass, years to change. She remained motionless, unmoved by the powerful current.

The bamboo forest and waterfall near Jiange are quiet places. She is the only one who comes here occasionally to practice, and few others come here.

So when she heard the footsteps, Feng Jingluo opened her eyes in slight surprise, and the water blurred her vision.

All you can see is a black shadow standing on the shore, standing out among the green bamboo shadows.

As they reached the waterfall, Yun Ruchen hesitated. He had only seen Feng Jingluo from afar and didn't know how to start.

While he was hesitating, a figure in the water broke the current and jumped to the shore.

The ripple-like vibrations caused water to splash everywhere. By the time Yun Ruchen noticed, it was too late. The water splashed all over him before the barrier was even erected.

Feng Jingluo, who had just landed, was a little embarrassed. She forgot that Yun Ruchen was only in the Foundation Establishment Stage and could not block the splashes she made.

He wiped the water off his face with his hands and shook it off casually. He wrung out his hair. He had experienced so many bad things that he didn't take them to heart.

Just as he was about to use his spiritual power to dry the moisture off his body, a handkerchief was handed to him.

It was light blue, with a purple orchid embroidered on the drooping corner.

Yun Ruchen was stunned, instinctively took the handkerchief, and looked up at Feng Jingluo.

She wasn't a stunning beauty, with light eyebrows that rose slightly along her brow bones, a delicate, straight nose, and lips that were always pursed in a smile.

There is only a pair of eyes, narrow in front and round in the back, with long and narrow curved eyelashes covering the clear eyeballs.

You can't see any emotions in it, you can only see yourself in the darkness.

Yun Ruchen diverted the line of sight.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't notice that the person coming was Shao Zong..."

Yun Ruchen waved his hand to interrupt, "There's no need to call me that."

He shrugged and said, "Who in the Wentian Sect cares about this title? Just call me by my name."

Yun Ruchen scratched the tip of his nose, "I came here... to ask about marriage."

"If my mother and father beg you not to cancel the engagement, there's no need to put yourself in a difficult position."

Feng Jingluo's breath was calm and steady, and he stood still as still as a mountain. There was a sense of "let him be strong, let the wind blow over the hillocks".

Yun Ruchen found it difficult to guess what she was thinking from her expression.

Because she looked more like she was in a daze.

After waiting for a few seconds, Feng Jingluo said, "That's not the case."

Yun Ruchen pressed on, "Didn't my mother and father beg you not to break off the engagement?"

Feng Jingluo shook his head.

"They told me to cancel the engagement directly." Feng Jingluo answered every question, but he didn't mention anything other than the question itself.

She is not good at communicating with others.

Yun Ruchen stepped back, his arms stiffly blocking in front of him.

What's the meaning?

The temperature of Yun Ruchen's cheeks gradually rose.

Could it be that his mother and father proposed to cancel the engagement, but Feng Jingluo refused?

Seeing Yun Ruchen's strange expression and his eyes darting back and forth, he couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Young Master..."

The sudden approach made Yun Ruchen at a loss, and he turned around and hid in the bamboo forest.

"I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave first."

He moved nimbly through the woods, his wet hair draped across his chest, his eyes sparkling with a vibrant energy.

Feng Jingluo raised his hand, but stopped for a moment and forgot to call him.