calm

Gu Shuoxing thought of many things, some the worst and some the better. Chi Wangyue patted Gu Shuoxing heavily, and Yan Tianhua looked at the two of them, suddenly feeling that the title of "Senior Brother" on her shoulders was very heavy.

"Growth happens in an instant, and they have probably already been shattered by the torrent that comes at the cost of growing up."

Yan Tianhua is not an inactive person; on the contrary, he has some sense of responsibility. When you receive too much of his gentle and mild nature, you will feel that he is like a gentle scholar.

However, the truth is not so simple.

Yan Tianhua's voice was somewhat cold, and rather unlike his usual self. Chi Wangyue subconsciously felt that he seemed to have seen him like this before; he was always cold, though he always gave off an air of authority.

But upon closer inspection, it carries seven parts heaviness, two parts responsibility, and one part sorrow.

Chi Wangyue was lost in thought. But that didn't stop him from coldly asking the person in front of him what to do next. Yan Tianhua wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, or perhaps he was numbing himself.

"Gu Shuoxing, go to Fu Peak first and find Senior Brother Xu Huai to see if he knows about this matter. If he does, you can ask him in detail. If he doesn't know, go find Elder Lu Qingyun. If he doesn't know, it may be that your master did it on purpose."

“Chi Wangyue, first go and explore the usual paths of Wuqing Peak. If he isn’t there, he might not be here, but we should at least check if there are any other unusual places. After that, go to Danxin Peak and find Bai Hanxin. Give her a brief explanation and ask her to mobilize people to inquire. Finally, go to Danxin Peak Master Liu Wushuang. Elder Liu Wushuang is a kind person and has a good relationship with my master. He should know something. If he doesn’t, report the worst-case scenario and the worst possible course of action.”

"I'll go find the sect leader. Perhaps he can contact Master. Without knowing if Master is in danger, I'll find him first. As for the consequences, I'll bear them all. Anyone with questions, just say so. If you have no questions, go ahead and do it."

Yan Tianhua's voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it was powerful and infectious. At this moment, those present looked at him with a trace of warmth, for he was the senior disciple of Wuqing Peak and their pillar of support.

Since there is something to do, there is less panic and more focus on doing it well and achieving the desired result.

Gu Shuoxing suddenly realized that the atmosphere just now was unusually stagnant.

He smiled slightly, but with a hint of bitterness, and forced out a few words: "Then I'll be going now. See you here when it's done."

After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.

Chi Wangyue also resolutely left, leaving only Yan Tianhua behind. Yan Tianhua stayed alone for a long time, the air filled with only silence and coldness.

Chi Wangyue stood at the door, waiting for the other person to come out, thinking of giving them a hug.

Everyone has moments of vulnerability, but his senior brother needs to have a heart strong enough to stabilize the overall situation.

When Yan Tianhua came out, she saw Chi Wangyue. The events of just now were replaying in her mind, and for a moment no one spoke.

"Senior Brother, believe in yourself, we're all with you." After saying that, Chi Wangyue hugged him.

"It's very light, yet very reassuring," Chi Wangyue commented decisively, without daring to say it aloud.

He completely followed through on his hug and then ran away, leaving behind a hurried and flustered figure.

Unbeknownst to Chi Wangyue, the favorability rating on the system panel suddenly increased by 15%, jumping from 25% to 40%.

Yan Tianhua stared at the shadow until it disappeared from his sight. But the lingering warmth remained.

Gu Shuoxing was very efficient and knew the way to Fufeng very well, but the only thing was that he was not as relaxed as usual, and his expression did not show much emotion.

He encountered several fellow disciples along the way, but he dealt with them briefly before continuing his journey at an extremely fast pace. The distance between the three peaks was moderate, and Gu Shuoxing walked hurriedly, arriving in no time.

Xu Huai was drawing a talisman, but the scribbles on it were rather ugly. When Gu Shuoxing found him, she couldn't hold back her emotions.

"Xu Huai... I feel unwell," Gu Shuoxing said, her mouth dry.

Xu Huai didn't show his usual disdain this time. He quietly stayed with him, saying, "If you're feeling down, I won't say anything. I'll stay with you until you've processed your emotions, and then we'll talk."

Xu Huai's scribbles then lay peacefully on the table, looking somewhat lonely.

Gu Shuoxing looked at Xu Huai with an unusually calm expression, and Xu Huai vaguely guessed what was going on. He wasn't entirely ignorant on the peak; it was precisely because he knew something that he didn't know what to say.

“When you’re not here, I continue to draw talismans as usual in Fufeng, but I’m not living in seclusion. When I go out, I hear all sorts of opinions. To be honest, who they are or what they say is not too important to me. However, I’ve noticed that there are almost no opinions or news of any kind on Wuqingfeng.”

“I sensed something was wrong. Occasionally, when I passed by my master’s door, I would go over and find that he wasn’t as focused on his cultivation and making new talismans as usual. Instead, he was standing there looking rather gloomy, staring at the scenery outside the window. He seemed to have come back to his senses, but then again, he didn’t seem to.”

Xu Huai explained that Lu Qingyun had given him an excuse to leave, and later, some of the disciples of Danxin informed him that the three of them had gone down the mountain to train. He didn't pursue the matter further, but Wuqing Peak itself was not of a very high status among the three peaks, except for Xing Juan, the elder of Wuqing Peak.

Few of Elder Xingjuan's disciples took the initiative to seek him out. Although they all knew he was gentle, they were still more afraid of him than respectful.

Sometimes, they would unconsciously call out "Elder." Xing Juan would usually ignore them, walk past them, and continue on their way.

He often comes and goes like the wind. I rarely leave Fufeng, and many things don't go through my hands. My master intentionally or unintentionally avoided the important matters and changed the subject. I didn't pursue it. Until now, what has happened is probably like a small snowball rolling into a big snowball, one step at a time, until it forms a super snowball that is enough to bury a person completely...

Xu Huai said that Gu Shuoxing was listening with one string in mind, while his mind wandered to some unknown place. He suddenly remembered the words he had once said.

“You must grow on your own until you become a big tree. It doesn’t have to be strong, but it must be able to withstand the rain and strong winds. You must study hard. Perhaps one day in the future you will need it.” Xing Juan looked at Gu Shuoxing, who was slumped over the table, and did not come up to wake him up. After he woke up, Xing Juan directly punished him. As for the reason, “You know best what you did.”

The eldest brother wasn't there; he was already in Yiren Pavilion, where the Xing family always carefully nurtured each generation. Although he himself was very casual, he became much more serious when he spoke.

"You need to grow... not necessarily... but..."

He didn't quite understand then, but now it's much clearer. Recalling Xu Huai's explanation, Gu Shuoxing patted him on the shoulder, "It's not your fault. Let's move forward and unravel this mystery."

Xu Huai glanced at Gu Shuoxing and said, "You make it sound so easy, but I accept it."

Once Gu Shuoxing calmed down and his emotions stabilized, he recounted the situation at Wuqing Peak: "Master... seems to have encountered some trouble."

Xu Huai looked at him and said clearly, "Gu Shuoxing, it's not a good idea to curse people."

Gu Shuoxing was unusually decisive. "Take me to Lu Qingyun." Xu Huai was somewhat surprised when he heard the man's serious tone, but then trusted him. Xu Huai led the way without hesitation, and Gu Shuoxing was less unruly than usual.

When they arrived at Lu Qingyun's place, Lu Qingyun was standing outside the door. He said, "You've come for nothing. I don't know where he went or what he's going to do. Also, Gu Shuoxing, don't lead Xu Huai astray."

There was a hint of sadness in Lu Qingyun's eyes, which Gu Shuoxing seemed to notice, but he did not point it out.

He was much more composed than usual, with an imposing figure, and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Elder Lu."

After saying that, he turned and left. Xu Huai remained where he was, watching his retreating figure, feeling a sense of loneliness, indifference, and sadness.

Elder Lu Qingyun's posture remained as upright as ever, but at this moment, he was slightly hunched over, as he was also a little tired.

"Xu Huai, let me give you a piece of advice: don't get involved in this matter. It's far more complicated than you think."

After Lu Qingyun finished speaking, he went back into the house, sat down at the table, and remained silent.

After being advised by his master, Xu Huai wisely returned home. "If something happens to Gu Shuoxing, then he will never see him again..." Xu Huai thought aimlessly until he was annoyed by his thoughts. Then, he picked up the talisman he had put down and began to study and revise it again.

His somewhat chaotic mind was forcibly calmed down at this moment.

...Chi Wangyue made a quick and efficient round trip, carefully searching every place he knew, even the most remote and obscure areas.

Chi Wangyue didn't have high expectations, yet he was still disappointed time and time again by his failures. However, this time, unlike before, he didn't have many more chances to try and fail.

The greater the crisis, the more urgent the action. Chi Wangyue hurriedly completed one task and immediately moved on to the next. Yan Tianhua had looked for Xu Nian, but Xu Nian was not there.

Xu Nian is often absent; he's not like Gu Shuoxing. He's usually protecting something more important.

But he usually steps forward to take responsibility for important matters, and it is often at this time that the disciples of the three peaks get to know their sect leader.

Given that the sect leader was not present, Yan Tianhua felt something was amiss. Xu Nian had a very good relationship with Xing Juan and was known for his constant chatter. Sometimes, he acted like a young disciple, playing around casually, but more often, he was like an older brother, silently deep in thought and displaying the unseriousness of someone of his age.

Yan Tianhua waited for Chi Wangyue, just as she had for the first time, leading him along as if it were the first time. Chi Wangyue followed calmly behind. Yan Tianhua silently led him into Danxin Peak.

Danxin Peak is no worse than before. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by all kinds of basic medicinal herbs.

It is important to know that the growing environment for medicinal herbs is first and foremost suitable, and Danxin Peak has no shortage of suitable land for growing medicinal herbs. Therefore, the variety of medicinal herbs grown is very wide.

It can be described as a "treasure land for growing medicinal herbs".

Medicinal herbs are essentially plants, and plants can improve nature to some extent, adding color to daily life. Just like the medicinal roots on both sides of the road directly in front of them, they were walking on a green "sea," surrounded by many dedicated local staff from Danxin to handle the following matters.

As Chi Wangyue watched them tidy up, the thought involuntarily came to mind that "Danxin Peak has the largest number of disciples." He gazed into the distance and observed the Danxin Peak disciples closer to him. Their clothing was simple and unpretentious, a stark contrast to their brightly colored attire.

Yan Tianhua headed toward Bai Hanxin's home address. His movements were somewhat hurried, yet he remained remarkably composed.

Chi Wangyue looked at him, but did not say a word.

"Because their time is running out." It seems as if a knife is hanging in everyone's heart, capable of dispelling illusions but not of mistaking reality for falsehood.