The small room is now packed with people.

Ye Gucheng sat on the edge of the bed, unmoved by the gazes of the six people, his expression as cold as the moonlight outside the window.

As the unexpected one, and who brought several other unexpected events with him, Yan Liang stared into the air and fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

Why are you all silent?

Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself, "How dare you ask such a question?"

Ye Gucheng had come here to avoid being noticed. If only Lu Xiaofeng had come, it would have been fine, but six people had come at once, not to mention that four of them had a grudge against Ye Gucheng. Even Ye Gucheng would be a little confused.

Lu Xiaofeng's brows furrowed. In front of him was Ye Gucheng, who was injured. Behind him was Gong Jiu, who had been trying to kill him with his eyes ever since they met. Beside him were the three Tang brothers who had a grudge against Ye Gucheng, and Yan Liang, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Only the word "sorrow" can describe Lu Xiaofeng's feelings at this moment.

Ye Gucheng's gaze swept over the people in front of him, finally meeting the eyes of Gong Jiu, who was hidden behind them.

A strange expression appeared on his face.

Gong Jiu looked down at Ye Gucheng and smiled.

"How have you been, Lord Ye?"

The young man pushed Lu Xiaofeng aside and sat down on the chair by the bed. His every move exuded an extraordinary air. Ye Gucheng silently watched him, remained silent for a long time, and then replied, "Your Highness."

As the heir of the Taiping King, Gong Jiu naturally had to socialize with and cater to people of equal status. Ye Gucheng, as the lord of Baiyun City, although living far overseas, was still under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. The two had met a few times, and although they did not become friends, they were still somewhat familiar with each other.

Ye Gucheng only knew that Gong Jiu was the heir of the Taiping King, but Gong Jiu knew everything about Ye Gucheng, including his involvement in the rebellion under coercion from the Southern King.

“You are not the heir of the Southern King.” Lu Xiaofeng said thoughtfully.

Before he could finish speaking, Gong Jiu gave him a cold glance, then looked at Yan Liang and said, "Keep an eye on your dog."

Lu Xiaofeng: ...Who's the dog? ? ?

Yan Liang, caught in the crossfire: ...Whose dog is this??

Tang Tianzong, being young and impetuous, had long disliked Gong Jiu. Now that Gong Jiu had spoken ill of Yan Liang's friend Lu Xiaofeng, Tang Tianzong, who inexplicably insisted that "a friend of a friend is a friend," retorted upon hearing this: "Who are you calling a dog? Watch your mouth!"

"I said Lu Xiaofeng is Yan Liang's dog. What can you do about it?"

Gong Jiu's tone was icy.

The two were on the verge of a fight, when Tang Tianyi pulled Tang Tianzong back and whispered, "Don't be angry, there's something more important."

Tang Tianrong also advised him, "If you want to fight, go outside and fight. This place is too small."

Tang Tianzong suppressed his anger and sullenly moved away from where Gong Jiu was. Yan Liang remained silent, scratching the back of his head, wanting to sigh again.

"Let's get down to business."

Yan Liang nudged Lu Xiaofeng with his elbow. Lu Xiaofeng stepped forward, thought for a moment, and asked Ye Gucheng the question that a friend should ask.

How is your injury?

Lu Xiaofeng's tone betrayed his worry.

Gong Jiu stared at him for a while, until Lu Xiaofeng wondered if he had said something wrong. Then the man smiled sarcastically: "Do you really think he's injured?"

These words were startling. The three Tang brothers all looked at Gong Jiu. Tang Tianyi said, "Impossible, I did hurt him."

Lu Xiaofeng was also shocked. Something seemed to connect in his heart. When he thought of the deceased Gongsun Da Niang and the bandages that Sheng Tong had sent, his expression suddenly became somewhat solemn.

Ye Gucheng, whose lines had been stolen by Gong Jiu, closed his eyes and said coldly, "Golden Silk Armor, impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire."

Since the hidden weapon failed to harm anyone, the poison naturally had no effect.

Tang Tianyi asked, "And what about the bloodstains?"

"It's fake." Ye Gucheng seemed to have given up on himself, but his expression was even colder.

Lu Xiaofeng already knew that Ye Gucheng had made a grand plan, but he didn't know why Ye Gucheng was doing it.

At this moment, Lu Xiaofeng noticed the faint smile on Gong Jiu's lips, and his heart grew heavy. He had never heard of Gong Jiu before, let alone that this person was a "prince"; if he wasn't the prince of the Southern King... he could only be the prince of the Taiping King.

"You know more than I do, don't you?" Yan Liang said lazily, looking at Gong Jiu. "Then I'll trouble the young master to explain to everyone present."

"...Are you ordering me around?" Gong Jiu narrowed his eyes, his tone icy. "If you don't want to prolong your life, I can grant your wish."

Yan Liang shook his head and denied it: "I just think it's too late now and we should go to bed. It would be easier if you said it, since I tend to talk nonsense as soon as I open my mouth."

"In my opinion, what you just said is nonsense," Gong Jiu said coldly. "It's better to let Ye Gucheng explain than for me to say it."

Tang Tianzong's expression was full of impatience. He was really tired of Gong Jiu's malicious words and he disliked the man more and more. Hearing this, he said, "Then stop talking nonsense. If you know, just say it. If you don't want to say it, then shut up."

Tang Tianyi and Tang Tianrong looked helpless.

Yan Liang: "Add one."

He stroked his chin, thinking to himself that Tang Tianzong was truly a fearless young man, still so arrogant in front of Gong Jiu, someone whose martial arts skills were obviously off the charts.

Although Yan Liang's inexplicable words were strange, that wasn't the focus at the moment, so everyone stared intently at Ye Gucheng.

The white-robed swordsman's expression was cold and stern. Perhaps he had seen that if they were to fight now, they would only suffer heavy losses. He frankly told the story of how he was forced to assist in the rebellion by the Southern King using Baiyun City as a threat. He also revealed that the Southern King's heir looked very similar to the emperor, which was the key reason why the Southern King dared to rebel.

By stealing the sky and changing the sun, the Southern King certainly has lofty ambitions.

Lu Xiaofeng had figured out the cause and effect. The three members of the Tang Clan looked at Ye Gucheng with admiration. Ye Gucheng was willing to endure humiliation and criticism for the sake of the city's people. Gong Jiu remained noncommittal. Yan Liang shifted his weight to his right foot. He was exhausted at the moment, but he still mustered his energy to continue listening.

Ye Gucheng is a remarkable person. Even though he committed murder and fabricated evidence, he was forced into it. Moreover, if Yan Liang hadn't had the cheat device and Gong Jiu hadn't been reborn, Lu Xiaofeng would probably still be the only one who came to this dilapidated temple tonight, and even more people would have died.

It's so good to be alive.

Yan Liang looked at Ye Gucheng, as if he were looking at the stained wall behind him.

Once you die, you have nothing left.

As Ye Gucheng's friend, Lu Xiaofeng naturally felt obligated to help him. Although the three members of the Tang Clan did not explicitly say they would help, their words implied, "If you ask me for help, I might be able to help you." Gong Jiu was not interested. If he wanted to stop this, it would be easy for him, but seeing Lu Xiaofeng's solemn expression made him feel happy. What could be more enjoyable than seeing his enemy racking his brains and looking distressed?

Therefore, when Lu Xiaofeng looked over, Gong Jiu casually tossed out a malicious remark.

"If you beg me, I will help you."

Lu Xiaofeng: "..."

He and Gong Jiu were clearly meeting for the first time, yet Gong Jiu harbored some inexplicable malice towards him. Lu Xiaofeng was puzzled and thought about it a lot, but still had no clue. At this moment, in response to Gong Jiu's malicious words, he simply said, "Your Highness is joking."

Since Gong Jiu is unwilling to help, Lu Xiaofeng can find his own way and doesn't need Gong Jiu's help.

Yan Liang noticed the standoff between the two and laughed. He was extremely sleepy. Finally, he glanced at Ye Gucheng. The white-robed swordsman's eyes clearly held doubt, yet he still appeared solemn.

Yan Liang smiled at him, then turned and went to rest on the soft couch inside Gong Jiu's carriage. After the others inside had finished discussing what to do, Gong Jiu's face turned ashen as the bottom of a pot when he saw Yan Liang on the couch. The other four people exchanged glances, knowing that Yan Liang was in poor health and did not want to disturb his rest. Therefore, they all whispered some kind words to Gong Jiu. Even Tang Tianzong endured the humiliation and said a few words.

Gong Jiu was so annoyed that he sat down to the side, his whole body radiating cold air.

The four of them decided to call it a day and sat down together. They leaned against the carriage wall, and all around was quiet except for the cool night breeze and the sound of the carriage wheels.

Lu Xiaofeng gazed at the bright moonlight streaming through the window, stroked his beard, and smiled slightly.

Ye Gucheng stood at the temple gate, watching the carriage disappear into the distance. His expression softened slightly. He was usually indifferent, but now, relaxed, he seemed more approachable. The moonlight made his expression even more gentle.

Everyone needs to have a few friends in life.

Author's Note: Hmph hmph hmph, I, Hu Hansan, am back again!!!

The focus of this chapter is friendship.

I'm not good at writing serious dramas, and I feel that serious dramas are the hardest to write in fanfiction because the original work is serious enough, haha.

Always inexplicably silly, hahaha

Ximen Chuixue hasn't even appeared yet; he only showed a glimpse of his clothes and hand earlier.

"It's clearly a movie for three people, but I don't even deserve a name."

In "Before and After the Final Battle," as one of the two important male supporting characters, Ximen Chuixue did indeed appear the latest, hahaha.

I'd also like to know everyone's opinions on this Gong Jiu story I wrote.

I wonder if the phrase "complex personality" is reflected in this description.

The original Kudo Kankuro isn't the type of devilishly handsome man, but in many fanfics I've read, he's incredibly devilishly handsome.