In a dizzying spin, space shattered completely, like a mirror falling to the ground and breaking into pieces, flying in all directions. Lu Zhaozhao felt as if she and this space had been hit hard, with forces pulling and tearing at her from all directions, as if she were being tortured.
A flash of white light, then darkness fell again; in the blink of an eye, yellow dust blurred my vision.
"hiss."
Lu Zhaozhao slowly sat up, rubbing her sore shoulders and wincing in pain.
She sat on the ground for a while, and her vision cleared up.
She looked around; the charred walls and the sculptures, weathered by time, all revealed the scene before her.
Dust billowed, and a beam of light shone through a hole in the wall, illuminating a spot on the ground not far from her.
"I was not born to chase after power, and I am too lazy to build a golden platform in the capital."
Lu Zhaozhao read the poem aloud. The two lines seemed to have been hastily written with a sword, the strokes sharp and the momentum overwhelming. If the true people of Wenyuan Academy saw it, they would probably praise it repeatedly.
However, since this poem was written by Qi Sha, Lu Zhaozhao couldn't help but bite her lip and lower her eyes to ponder why Wei Zhanjie had left this line alone.
What kind of person is he referring to as disloyal, unfilial, unkind, unjust, impolite, unwise, and untrustworthy, or does he mean all seven?
With doubts in her mind, Lu Zhaozhao stood up unsteadily.
She remembered that she had agreed with her senior brother for two years. Now that the two years had passed, her senior brother came looking for her, which allowed her to leave.
However, looking around, he did not see his senior brother.
The wooden door was ajar, and a faint smell of blood wafted from outside.
Lu Zhaozhao gripped the hilt of her sword and walked towards the door.
"Squeak."
The wooden door was gently pushed open, and she understood the origin of the bloody smell.
Lying on the ground was a giant python, the very beast that had chased her here, forcing her to enter the tower and causing her to fall into the perilous cliff.
At this moment, it lay quietly on the ground, its terrifying eyes closed, its abdomen slashed open by a sharp blade, a large gash from which blood gushed.
Was he... murdered?
Lu Zhaozhao immediately thought of Ying Che, and when she looked up, she saw a white figure in front of the python's corpse.
The man's white robes fluttered in the wind, his sword still dripping blood, and his murderous aura had not yet subsided.
Lu Zhaozhao immediately smiled and ran towards the figure, shouting, "Senior Brother!"
The figure in the distance paused, turned around, and Lu Zhaozhao, lifting her skirt, smiled with her eyes crinkling.
She was overjoyed to see her senior brother after so long. Moreover, if it weren't for the magical artifacts he had given her, she would have died countless times. Therefore, she was filled with gratitude.
Two years had passed, and Lu Zhaozhao felt that her senior brother had become cold. In the past, if she called out to him, he would respond gently. But today, he just stood there, his cold aura mirroring that of their master.
Lu Zhaozhao secretly guessed that he had been assimilated by his master in the past two years, and made up her mind to bring her senior brother back to the right path and turn him back into the gentle and refined senior brother.
Thinking of this, her smile deepened, but the next moment, upon seeing the face of the person in front of her, her smile froze completely.
"Master?!"
Before she could compose herself, Lu Zhaozhao slammed on the brakes and came to a stop. Her heart skipped a beat, and the rapid change in her expression made her face tense.
"Why has Master come? Did Senior Brother say something to you?"
Lu Zhaozhao lowered her head, looking at Yun Xian's cold face, and couldn't help but swallow hard before asking cautiously.
Yunxian stared at her for a long time, her gaze finally settling on Lu Zhaozhao, who felt as if she were in an ice cellar.
Just as she was contemplating whether to kneel down and confess her sins, Yunxian finally spoke.
"You trespassed into the forbidden area and even had your senior brother cover it up for you. Zhao Zhao, do you know your crime?"
What was meant as a question came out as a condemnation.
Lu Zhaozhao was so frightened that her legs buckled, and her knees slammed heavily on the ground with a dull thud. Yun Xian frowned, looking even more menacing.
Knowing he had made a mistake, Lu Zhaozhao understood the principle that as long as he admitted his mistake quickly enough, the mistake would not be able to catch up with him. He immediately spoke up, stammering, "This disciple knows his mistake. This disciple was naughty for a moment, ignored advice, and trespassed into the forbidden area. This matter has nothing to do with senior brother. It is entirely the fault of this disciple. I beg Master to punish him severely!"
His words were sincere and heartfelt, each one piercing to the heart, stirring Lu Zhaozhao's emotions. The last sentence was delivered with great force and resounding power.
Yunxian seemed to have not expected her to do this. He thought Lu Zhaozhao would explain, after all, everyone makes mistakes. For example, Nian Zhi would explain with red eyes every time she made a mistake, and then obediently admit her mistake.
However, his disciple, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, seemed somewhat different. She admitted her mistakes quickly, but she spoke with such confidence that it was as if she hadn't done anything wrong.
Yunxian was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Lu Zhaozhao secretly glanced at Yun Xian and saw that his expression had softened. She took it as a sign that she had admitted her mistake in time and encouraged herself. She continued, "This disciple knows that I have committed grave sins. Please, Master, do not show me any mercy!"
Yunxian had initially thought that since she was a girl, he might frighten her and only need to give her a minor punishment, but Lu Zhaozhao's series of moves left him at a loss.
But this is not his fault. Yun Xian has been practicing since childhood, and is taciturn. Because of his extremely high talent, few of his peers can accompany him. His elders are also very strict. In addition, now that he is in a high position, he cannot show his emotions. He is usually serious and rarely smiles.
That's why, despite having an exceptionally beautiful face, no one dared to approach her.
His disciple, Ying Che, was quick-witted and perceptive, requiring little effort from him. Although Lu Zhaozhao was somewhat spoiled as a child, she was always well-mannered and law-abiding. Therefore, before meeting Nian Zhi, he had never known that girls could cry so easily, often leaving him at a loss.
Having not shown any concern for many years, Yunxian was at a loss for words. Just as he was trying to find the right words, Ying Che arrived to save the day.
Seeing Lu Zhaozhao kneeling on the ground with her head down, and her master looking displeased, Ying Che assumed that his master was angry. So he stepped forward to explain, "This matter is my fault. Not only did I fail to do my duty to advise my junior sister, but I also helped her cover it up. I will take my junior sister to the Discipline Hall to receive her punishment. Please calm down, Master."
Yunxian turned to look at his most prized disciple, breathed a sigh of relief, nodded in agreement, and left with the words "Take good care of your junior sister."
Once he was out of sight, Ying Che accepted the gift and extended his hand to Lu Zhaozhao.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't stand on ceremony and helped him up, dusting herself off and giving him a thumbs up.
Ying Che first grabbed her and scanned her from head to toe. Seeing that there were no external injuries, he asked, "Are you injured? Are you in any danger?"
Seeing his anxious look, Lu Zhaozhao quickly replied, "No, no, I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you, senior brother."
After saying that, he even jumped up and down to prove that he was really okay.
Ying Che breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, go out now."
Lu Zhaozhao obediently agreed, letting Ying Che pull her hand and walk outside.
One tall and one short, their figures reflected on the ground by the sun, overlapping with scenes from their youth, as if nothing has changed and their age remains the same.
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