Chapter 58 Flesh and Blood Peony: She is a tree in the rain.
Qi Baitong remained silent, while Lu Yao, though deeply saddened, was as talkative as he had been the day before.
“My master is the most affectionate and righteous person I have ever met. Before her, I never knew that a person could miss a dead person to this extent. Even the deepest feelings will be worn away by time, but she is like she is living forever in twelve years ago, as if Master Yu has never left.”
Lu Yao's eyes reddened again. He wiped his eyes and patted Qi Baitong's shoulder.
"To receive her favor is a kind of luck," Lu Yao said solemnly.
Some people's love is so insignificant it's worthless, and giving it away would be considered bad luck. But some people's affection is immeasurable, as precious as gold, and comparing it to gold would be vulgar and unworthy of that affection.
Qi Baitong naturally understood, and his hostility towards Lu Yao lessened slightly. He smiled and said, "I know."
Even if he were to die, Gu Shanyue would still remember him in the same way, and he would be willing to be reborn as an animal in his next life.
But it was precisely because he knew this that he didn't want to die.
He wanted to stay by her side and be with her for a long time.
“Master likes you, so you should treat her even better. You should put your heart into everything you do, just like you did with the osmanthus cake this morning.” Lu Yao withdrew her hand and laughed self-deprecatingly. “Master doesn’t think much of me, and I really can’t compare to you.”
At times like this, perhaps it's time to offer some comfort to Lu Yao.
Qi Baitong could tell that Lu Yao didn't intend to compete with him for Gu Shanyue, but Lu Yao's admiration was still an eyesore to Qi Baitong.
However, he said tolerantly, "As long as you guard Zhuoguang Mountain and don't cross the line, you will always be under her wing and always be her disciple."
Of course, it's not the only one.
Qi Baitong silently added in his heart that since he was also Gu Shanyue's apprentice, even if Gu Shanyue didn't teach him, he still wanted to occupy another position by her side.
Gu Shanyue sat in front of the tomb, leaning against the cold tombstone as if she were no stranger to it, holding a pot of wine in her hand. She drank half of the wine from the tombstone and the other half from herself.
The wine was smooth and full-bodied on the palate, with a mellow aftertaste. Gu Shanyue drank more than half a pot of wine, his cheeks flushed.
She smacked her lips: "I still don't like this kind of wine, you should drink more."
Gu Shanyue poured the remaining wine on the ground, the aroma of which filled the air and intoxicated the senses. Gu Shanyue chuckled.
"Senior sister, I just came back from Shengjing. I had planned to bring Yu'er back to see you, but he's busy being the crown prince and can't get away. He said he's in a difficult position... If he hadn't been so weak since childhood, I would have already given him a good beating. Why don't you go find him tonight and give him a good scolding?"
At this point, Gu Shanyue shook her head first: "Forget it, his health is not good. What if he gets scared out of his wits? You really can't hit him, and he won't listen to you if you scold him. Why did you have to leave me such an annoying child? He is disobedient and always says rebellious things."
Gu Shanyue sniffled and complained.
The smoke from the grave curled up gently, brushing against her face like a tender hand caressing her eyes.
Gu Shanyue smiled and reached his hand into the swirling smoke. The smoke lingered between his fingers, bringing a warm and gentle touch in the late autumn.
"Senior sister, I met someone, the same person who was at your grave just now. His name is Qi Baitong, and he looks a lot like you. At first, I wondered if he might be your reincarnation. But you were still alive when he was born, so it seems to be just a coincidence."
She leaned against the tombstone and thought for a moment: "I think I'm happier when I'm with him..."
Gu Shanyue talked to the tombstone for a long time, so much so that if the tombstone were her senior sister, she would definitely pinch her ear and say she was being long-winded.
But a tombstone is just a tombstone; it can only silently listen to the trivialities of human life.
Gu Shanyue didn't drink too much, but seemed to be intoxicated by the aroma of alcohol.
They chatted for an unknown amount of time. When she staggered out, she lost her footing and fell into Qi Baitong's arms.
She remained motionless, as if asleep, her eyes closed, unwilling to open.
Qi Baitong didn't ask any more questions. He picked her up and said to Lu Ya, who was standing a little awkwardly beside him, "Prepare some food that's easy to digest after drinking, and also prepare a hangover soup."
Lu Ya nodded hurriedly. Qi Baitong carried Gu Shanyue back. Along the way, Gu Shanyue buried her face in his chest. Qi Baitong called her, but she ignored him.
Upon arriving at the bamboo grove courtyard, Qi Baitong carefully carried her into the house and placed her on the bed. He had thought Gu Shanyue had been crying, but her face was clean and tearless, only her cheeks were flushed, as if she had been very drunk.
Gu Shanyue rolled into the quilt, closed her eyes tightly, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
Qi Baitong sat by the bed watching her, feeling heartbroken. Like Lu Ya, he couldn't understand how deep Gu Shanyue's feelings for Wu Shanyu were.
He was cold-hearted and ruthless by nature, so it was difficult for him to empathize. What kind of feelings was Gu Shanyue having at this moment?
Is it painful? Not really.
Sad? Maybe only a little.
She was like a tree being rained on, its branches swaying and rustling in the wind and rain.
Humans sitting under the eaves cannot imagine what a tree feels in the rain. Is the tree delighted by this gift, or fearful of the torrential rain and wind that seem like divine punishment?
Will Gu Shanyue face the separation of life and death with equanimity, or will she painfully accept the untimely death of Wu Shanyu?
He doesn't understand any of it.
Just as Lu Ya said that Gu Shanyue liked him, he didn't understand either.
He desperately wanted Lu Ya to truly understand Gu Shanyue's thoughts, and he hoped that Lu Ya's words were true, but reason and his experiences in Shengjing told him that this was impossible.
"Only one of us can live, me or Qi Baitong. Who do you choose?"
"I will let you live."
I choose you.
"I will always choose you."
"..."
Qi Baitong could not forget, nor dared to forget, what Gu Shanyue said on the cruise ship that day.
Gu Shanyue said the word "forever," and Qi Baitong knew how heavy that promise was for Gu Shanyue.
She said she would always choose Li Yuheng.
It doesn't matter who the other side of the option is, even if it is him, what difference would it make?
Qi Baitong shook her head, stopping herself from thinking any further.
At this moment, it's just him and her. Don't think about anyone else, just focus on the person in front of you.
At this moment, they are together.
Gu Shanyue didn't sleep for long. She only slept for a short while before frowning anxiously and muttering to herself.
Qi Baitong, who had been watching over her, immediately grabbed her hand that was waving wildly in the air. Gu Shanyue was still moving around, her tightly closed eyelids trembling, and a tear actually rolled down her cheek, leaving a silvery mark.
Qi Baitong was stunned.
Aside from the time they both got drunk, this was the first time he had seen Gu Shanyue's tears.
Tears, still warm, slid down his outstretched hand, feeling as if they were a heavy blow to his heart, crushing it into a pile of mud, leaving him with nowhere to feel the pain.
"Ah Yue, Ah Yue..."
Qi Baitong hugged Gu Shanyue tightly, gently rubbing his face against her tear-stained cheeks, calling her name again and again.
Gu Shanyue slowly opened her eyes, her eyes reddening, staring blankly at him.
Qi Baitong kissed her forehead again and again, cupped her face and gazed at her with tenderness in his eyes.
"Ah Yue, it's me. We're at Zhuoguang Mountain."
Gu Shanyue blinked slowly, and tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face.
She opened her mouth, choking back tears, and said, "I dreamt about my senior sister..."
Twelve years ago, a rocket launched from Shengjing, its bright red color signifying an urgent situation. News from an informant reached Zhuoguang Mountain, and Gu Shanyue immediately set off for the capital.
The capital was on high alert. Gu Shanyue sensed something was wrong. The palace, which had always been open to her, actually dispatched troops to try and stop her after she revealed her whereabouts.
Li Jing secretly sent her a message, containing only five words: Wu Shanyu is about to die.
It only requires five words.
The sword that made her famous in that battle was unsheathed with fierce force. The sword light was like silent snow falling, and as the snow fell, blood fell. She carried the blood-stained sword and charged into the prison-like imperial city.
The palace was heavily guarded, and the Jiaofang Palace was deserted.
Her senior sister lay on the expensive and luxurious bed, like a withered tree that had lost its moisture.
The peonies on the bed curtains were so bright and lifelike, as if they had absorbed all the essence and blood of Wushan Jade, blooming brilliantly and gloriously, while Wushan Jade, having been drained of its marrow, was left at the feet of the peonies, thin and withered.
Gu Shanyue was only fifteen years old at the time. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and the sword in her hand fell to the ground, landing in front of the Wushan Jade Bed.
Her hand, covered in sticky blood, reached out, hesitant to touch the person on the bed, her voice trembling: "Senior sister, wake up..."
Wu Shanyu opened her eyes, and even though she was about to die, her gaze was still gentle: "I knew that A Yue would come to see me one last time."
She was barely breathing, her face was ashen and deathly pale, she was clinging to her last breath as she waited for Gu Shanyue.
"Senior sister..."
Large tears streamed down Gu Shanyue's face, blurring her vision. Her chest ached so much that she could barely stand up straight, and her nose throbbed with pain, making it difficult to breathe.
Wu Shanyu's hand under the quilt twitched, but she was too weak to lift it. She whispered, "A-Yue, don't cry. I can't lift my hand to wipe your tears."
Gu Shanyue opened her eyes wide, fiercely wiped away her tears with her sleeve, and was about to get up: "I'm going to kill them all!"
Those people all deserve to die!
Her senior sister, who had been navigating the world of martial arts for many years with undiminished grace, was exhausted and worn out in just five short years in the deep palace.
Everyone deserves to die, especially the emperor.
"Ah Yue, come back..."
Wu Shanyu called her name as if he could hardly breathe, his throat making a pumping sound like a bellows.
Gu Shanyue staggered down to his knees, lifted the gorgeous quilt embroidered with gold thread, grasped her withered and dry hand, rubbed his cheek against it, and looked at her.
“Don’t fight them,” Wu Shanyu said, her lips turning blue, her beautiful long hair losing its luster, but her thin hand gripping Gu Shanyue’s tightly. “Listen to me…”
Gu Shanyue knelt by her bedside, her eyes blurry with tears: "I'll listen, Senior Sister, I'll listen to everything."
"The greatest swordsman in the world... is the retired Young Master Heming," Wu Shanyu said, pausing for a long time after each word. She looked at Gu Shanyue with such reluctance, using all her strength to finish, "Study diligently... find Young Master Heming, defeat him, the Twin Swords of Zhuoguang Mountain... your victory is my victory..."
"I remember, Senior Sister, I remember everything." Gu Shanyue's tears seemed to choke her throat, her voice filled with a heavy sob.
Wu Shanyu's eyes turned gray. Gu Shanyue was right in front of her, but she seemed unable to see her. Her tightly clenched hands slowly loosened.
She looked like she was smiling.
"No revenge... I have no regrets about the path I've walked..."
Gu Shanyue didn't understand. She couldn't comprehend what was going on. How could her powerful senior sister be dying?
Wu Shanyu tilted her head back, her breathing weak and shallow.
Gu Shanyue wept uncontrollably: "Senior sister, senior sister, please don't die..."
But no one could stop the passing of a life. Wu Shanyu left behind only one sentence.
"Be good, take Yu'er away..."
Gu Shanyue burst into tears like a child, Yu'er... Wu Shanyu's childhood name was also Yu'er.
She wished she could take away a living Wushan jade, not just that child surnamed Li.
She was crying, the little girl hiding behind the screen was also crying, and Li Yuheng, whom Bai Zhen was holding, was also crying.
Inside the Jiaofang Palace, only wailing and weeping could be heard.
Overwhelmed with grief, Bai Zhen suppressed his sorrow and urged Gu Shanyue, "The Emperor is here!"
Gu Shanyue stopped crying, but tears were still falling. She touched Wu Shanyu's still warm hand and then touched her face.
My senior sister is dead.
The Unharmed Sword, entirely black, still lay beside her pillow.
The twin swords of Zhuoguang Mountain, one black and one white, are spotless and unharmed.
Despite being unharmed, he ended up covered in wounds and died young.
Gu Shanyue picked up the Wushang Sword, lifted the blood-stained Wugou Sword, and walked out step by step. Outside the door was Emperor Yong, who had rushed over. He was full of vigor and looked like a monarch with great power in his hands. Even though his wife had just died, he could not hide his spirited demeanor.
He was like that peony; his senior sister withered and died, while he was in full bloom.
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