Riding in the same carriage with you

Gongye Fusu paused slightly and said, "Could it be that they're targeting my Gongye family? But there are often Gongye family vehicles on this route. And the vehicle we're using right now isn't particularly outstanding in appearance; it's just an ordinary horse-drawn carriage."

Lie Changkong said in a deep voice, "We have been traveling back and forth on this mountain road for most of the night, but we still haven't reached the covered bridge cableway. We must have fallen into someone else's formation."

He turned to Gongye Fusu and asked, "Does the young master know anything about Qimen formations?"

Gongye Fusu smiled wryly and said, "I do know a little bit about it, but right now the miasma and fog are rising in the mountains, making it impossible to see anything, let alone observe the formation."

Gu Yi's voice rang out: "Ignore him, just keep going straight ahead, and you will reach the cable car bridge after twenty zhang."

When A Qiu turned around, she saw Gu Yi's bright, glass-like eyes glancing out the car window in the dim moonlight. He had sat up without her noticing.

A Qiu felt a tremor in her heart upon seeing this.

Because Gu Yi, with his silver hair and gray eyes, looked like a beast cautiously surveying the surroundings in the darkness, it was hard not to think of his behavior that night in the underground chamber.

Gu Yi was looking at her at that moment. Seeing that she was staring at him blankly, a carefree smile appeared on his thin lips. He said in a low voice, "What are you looking at so intently?"

Caught off guard, A Qiu's face immediately flushed red, and she quickly turned her head to look out the window.

Lie Changkong misunderstood and laughed, "Miss Qiu must have grown up in Jiangnan and never seen the treacherous Shu Road before, which is why she is so fascinated by it. This road is majestic and dangerous, with many famous mountains and rivers, and spectacular scenery of waterfalls cascading down. Even we who often travel the world cannot help but feel awe."

Now that Gu Yi had woken up and pointed out the way, Lie Changkong felt a little relieved of the pressure in his heart, and spoke much more relaxedly.

In fact, everyone on the bus was in the same boat at that moment.

Gongye Fusu, however, was refined and elegant, and smiled, saying, "All descriptions of scenery are expressions of emotion. I wonder if you are looking at the person or the scenery, young lady."

A Qiu had previously only thought Gongye Fusu was considerate, smooth, and impeccable, but now she couldn't help but inwardly resent his tactful and perceptive nature. She stubbornly maintained her composure and called out, "I was so captivated by this magnificent natural spectacle, the churning sea of ​​clouds, that I was mesmerized. Speaking of people, didn't Prince Fusu once forget his entire life when facing someone across a screen?"

Back in her sect, she never admitted defeat in arguments with her fellow disciples, even with her eldest brother, Gongyi Xiu, a man known for his absolute authority and eloquence, whose "three-inch tongue could rival a million soldiers." When Gongye Fusu teased her, she casually retorted. Unexpectedly, this remark silenced Gongye Fusu, who remained silent for a long time.

Before she could even deny it, a gust of wind arose, and Gu Yi pressed close, forcing her into a corner of the carriage. In her panic, she used both hands to block his chest, but she knew that in her current state, this defense was only effective against a gentleman, not a villain. Gu Yi bent down, not approaching any closer, but instead trapping her in his shadow. His eyes gleamed, and he said with a smile, "Say it again."

He spoke these words in a low, hushed voice, whispering them in her ear. His breath brushed against her skin, clearly intentional. A-Qiu's ears immediately burned, and she could barely stand.

Gu Yi reached out and supported her waist to help her stand up, but only looked at her with a smile, as if waiting for her to tell the lie she had just told again.

Although A Qiu wasn't a bad person, she wasn't exactly a saint either. Lying was a piece of cake for her, which was why she could retort to Gongye Fusu's teasing without batting an eye. But now, she intuitively knew that repeating it would be very dangerous.

And this danger, of course, comes from Gu Yi, who is right next to you.

He waited patiently, as if waiting for her to walk right into his trap.

Ah Qiu admitted he was a little scared and decided to back down. After all, everyone in the martial arts world knew that if someone asked you to repeat what you had just said, and you actually did it, the outcome was usually not good.

Moreover, she was currently facing Gu Yi, the most outstanding tutor in the Southern Dynasty.

A-Qiu immediately shut his lips, his eyes conveying innocence and hoping he would release the person.

Gu Yi's gray pupils flashed with cunning, but he stared at her without flinching, and mouthed, "Then say it again, that you were looking at me just now."

He moved even closer to her and smiled, "Keep your voice down, just enough for me to hear."

It wasn't just A Qiu's ears that were burning; her entire face was flushed. Filled with shame and anger, she pounded on Gu Yi's chest, but he caught her hands in his.

His palms were hot, hot enough to scorch her.

His gaze also became extremely bright, as if concealing burning glass flames.

She heard him whisper in her ear, word by word: "If you won't tell me, I'll kiss you."

...Do you think those two outside are dead?

A-Qiu was startled and tried to break free from his embrace, but the more she struggled, the tighter he held her.

He chuckled and said, "Who was it during the day who begged me to carry them?"

After calming down a bit, A Qiu finally realized where she had gone wrong: sitting in the same car as Gu Yi was inherently dangerous. Moreover, Gu Yi was probably even more uncontrollable at night than during the day.

The tinkling of bells, crisp and melodious, rang out at just the right moment, approaching from afar, quite abrupt in the chilly mountain breeze of the night.

The light in Gu Yi's eyes vanished instantly, and he instructed the person outside the car, "Ignore it, keep going."

Ahead lies a suspension bridge straddling a sheer cliff. Mist hangs heavy on both sides, and a sea of ​​clouds churns and rolls.

A gentle and pleasant female voice came and said, "Please stop, Young Master."

Ahead, the clouds and mist were indistinct, and in the middle of the suspension bridge, a figure stood with a sword in hand.

Judging from her voice alone, A Qiu was almost certain that she was a lady from a prominent family, like Shangguan Yuqi or Consort Li Lanxiu. Her speech and manners were extremely refined. She followed them all the way without making a sound until Gu Yi saw through her deception and was about to cross the bridge when she finally appeared to stop him, which showed her composure and patience.

But her walking alone on the suspension bridge late at night seemed rather eerie.

Lie Changkong leaped forward and shouted, "Is the one who comes here a disciple of the Hidden World Sect? The Young Master wants to see Sect Master Li, how dare you stop him here!"

The woman in green remained calm and said gently, "Chief Lie, please do not take another step forward, or I will cut the bridge with my sword."

When she said this, everyone knew she was not joking. For in her hand, a four-foot-long sword stretched across the canyon, its cold light gleaming.

This place is connected to the opposite cliff by only one suspension bridge. If it is cut off, it will be impossible to enter the southwest again.

Gongye Fusu spoke up in time: "This suspension bridge is the only trade route from the southwest to the Central Plains. It was built by the former sect leader Li and General Fan with a lot of manpower and resources. Since then, trade between Sichuan and the Central Plains can be completed in a month. If you cut this bridge, it will harm the local people and cause commerce to decline."

The woman in the green robe sighed, "Therefore, I also hope that Young Master will keep his word. As long as Young Master promises not to enter my southwest, I will not have to force my way across the broken bridge and take this helpless action."

Her tone was resolute; though she was speaking a threat, she was calm and composed, as if it were none of her business.

The carriage stopped at the bridgehead. Amidst the towering mountains and valleys, the night wind howled fiercely. The woman in green stood tall in the middle of the bridge, sword in hand, truly displaying the strength of a single man guarding the pass against ten thousand.

Gongye Fusu and Lie Changkong had both seen great battles in their lives, but at this moment, facing this bridge and this one person, they were helpless to use any of their strategies and could only feel anxious.

Seeing the stalemate, A Qiu remembered something and called out, "The Heavenly Secret Token is here. No matter who you are or what sect you belong to, please step aside!"

As she spoke, she took the golden lotus-patterned Heavenly Dragon Token given to her by An Daoling from her waist and handed it out the window.

The Heavenly Secret Token originally belonged to Rong Yuexian, the senior disciple of the righteous martial arts world, and could command all the righteous sects under heaven. The "elegant scholar" Rong Yuexian was once unparalleled in her fame and brilliance. Even many years later, she remains a legend admired by the martial arts world. As long as this woman in green belongs to a martial arts lineage, regardless of whose sect she is, no one can disobey the Heavenly Secret Token's command.

Even from a great distance, it was clear that the woman's figure trembled slightly, and a hint of surprise appeared in her usually calm voice: "The Heavenly Secret Token has not been used for forty years, but now it has fallen into your hands, young lady." She stared intently at the slender hand holding the Heavenly Secret Token that A Qiu was holding out of the carriage, and suddenly said: "The young lady in the carriage must be the successor of the young master who has recently become famous throughout the world, right?"

A Qiu was unaware that in just a few months, her fame had soared to the very southwestern border region. She was stunned for a moment, but her mind raced. She realized that the other party had guessed her identity with just a Heavenly Secret Token and the fact that she was currently riding in the same carriage as Gu Yi. Given the other party's keen eyesight and close ties with the palace, they must come from a prestigious family.

The renowned families in this southwestern region can be counted on one hand.

As she stood there in a daze, Gu Yi reached out and pulled her hand back, casually transmitting his voice, "To be able to set up a Five Elements Formation with the Azure Phoenix Bell to confuse an experienced traveler, and to dare to come alone to block the way, you must be Li Wujiu's disciple. However, when I met Li Wujiu twenty years ago, he did not have someone like you by his side."

No matter the martial arts families or sects, no one dared to disrespect the Lord of Heavenly Secrets. Although the woman in green was surprised, she calmly sheathed her sword, bowed, and said, "This disciple did indeed join the sect relatively late and has not had the opportunity to pay respects to the young master. Since the Lord of Heavenly Secrets is here, this disciple will not obstruct you any further and will take her leave now."

As she spoke, she sheathed her sword and retreated. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds on the opposite cliff, vanishing without a trace.

Gongye Fusu was suspicious, but he couldn't ask Gu Yi directly. So he asked Lie Changkong, "Young Master Lie, have you ever had any dealings with members of hidden sects before?"

Lie Changkong did not understand his meaning, but told the truth: "I come from the Tianquan family in Jiangdong. I'm sure you've heard of the Gongye family head. After I mastered sword and whip techniques at the age of twenty, I joined the master's fold. Since then, I have been traveling mainly within the territory of the Southern Dynasty and rarely went to the border. I have never been to the southwestern mountainous area. The reclusive sects also rarely get involved in court affairs and mostly provide support in secret. Therefore, I have never had any contact with them."