The alluring night accompanies me.
“An unchanging heart…” Li Xingyi said softly.
Han Sheng explained, "I hope you stay true to your original aspirations."
Li Xingyi replied, "Thank you..."
Before he could utter the word "master," Han Sheng stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute."
Li Xingyi was confused. Han Sheng waved to her, signaling her to kneel down. Li Xingyi obediently knelt down facing Han Sheng.
Han Sheng looked at her and said, "From today onwards, your name in the public eye will be... Han Xing."
Gongsun Dou was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and so were the others.
The meaning is quite clear: Li Xingyi has become the successor to the sect leader position, the true next sect leader.
Li Xingyi paused for a moment, then said, "Disciple Hanxing thanks Master for bestowing this name upon me."
After saying that, he kowtowed to Han Sheng.
Han Sheng said, "Get up."
Then she addressed the crowd below, saying, "You don't need to mention the old names anymore. Please be careful how you address them."
Han Sheng said this because he was afraid that Li Xingyi's name would be recognized by acquaintances, which would be bad for Li Xingyi.
Upon hearing this, everyone cupped their hands and said, "Disciples understand."
After Li Xing got up, he remained standing on the high ground, looking down at the crowd below.
From now on... I need to work even harder.
Han Sheng, holding the Cold Star Flower, turned to face the entrance of Lu Lin Palace and said, "Follow me."
Li Xingyi obediently followed Han Sheng, passing through the hall, to the bedroom, and then to the ancestral hall.
Han Sheng handed the flowers to Li Xingyi before she pushed open the door. It was a very large room with portraits of many people hanging inside.
Next to each portrait is a picture of a flower, but the flower is different for each portrait. There are also pots of artificial flowers on the table below the portraits.
Li Xingyi looked at Han Sheng with a puzzled expression. Han Sheng walked straight to a portrait and placed the Hanxing flower in her hand on the table below it.
Li Xingyi looked at the portrait and saw that the person in the portrait looked almost exactly like himself. Next to the portrait were the two characters "Hanxing" and below the name was a drawing of Hanxing flowers.
Han Sheng explained, "The portraits of the past sect leaders are all here, and corresponding to them are these pots of flowers."
She looked at a portrait on the left and said, "This sect leader is named Hanfeng, and the flower he represents is the hyacinth."
“And my master’s name is Han Sheng, which represents the lily of the valley,” she said.
Li Xingyi asked, puzzled, "Why use flowers to symbolize people?"
Han Sheng paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, flowers and people are related. For example, we often use plum blossoms to describe those who are tenacious and indomitable."
"The reason is that plum blossoms can bloom so brightly in the cold winter, and their tenacious spirit can be applied to people. So the relationship between flowers and people and the expression therein is enough."
After understanding, Li Xingyi added, "But this disciple has not yet inherited the position of sect leader..."
Han Sheng understood without being told what was to come. She said, "It's alright. We can change the portrait when you inherit the position. Besides, the portraits of all the previous sect leaders were hung up before they took over the position."
Li Xingyi asked, "Aren't the former sect leaders afraid they'll change their minds later?"
Upon hearing this, Han Sheng said, "Once a portrait is selected, it is unlikely to be changed. Being able to hang a portrait means that the portrait owner has given their consent."
After hearing this, Li Xingyi said, "I see."
After the two left the ancestral hall, Li Xingyi went back to his residence first.
Her steps were light, each one as if she were embracing the wind.
At this moment, Li Xingyi suddenly saw someone in front of her. Her eyes showed a hint of anticipation until she realized that the person was Li You. He was standing under a tree in front of her, seemingly waiting for someone.
Li You smiled slightly and stared intently at Li Xingyi. Upon seeing this, Li Xingyi lowered his eyes, seemingly somewhat disappointed, and slowly walked forward.
Upon reaching the tree, Li Xingyi spoke first, "Senior Brother."
Li You smiled and said, "Junior Sister, are you tired?"
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I'm fine."
Li You replied, "That's good."
At this moment, both of them fell silent.
"Is Senior Brother waiting for someone?" Li Xingyi asked first.
Li You paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, I'm waiting for you, Junior Sister."
"..."
Li Xingyi remained calm and asked, "Senior Brother, is there something you need?"
Upon hearing this, Li You pretended to think for a moment and said, "Tomorrow is my birthday, and I would like to ask my junior sister for a birthday gift. I wonder if my junior sister would be willing?"
It's January 27th.
Thinking of this, Li Xingyi said calmly, "Of course I'm willing. May I ask what Senior Brother desires?"
Li You said, "If I tell you, there won't be any surprise. Why don't you choose what to give me yourself?"
Then, fearing rejection, he added, "I'll give you anything, I'm not picky."
After looking at the person in front of him in silence for a while, Li Xingyi said, "Then let's look forward to it, Senior Brother."
Li You secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Okay."
At this moment, only the sound of the wind could be heard. Seeing this, Li Xingyi said, "Senior brother, now that there's nothing else, junior sister, may you return first?"
Li You smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll be going now."
After saying that, he waved his hands to the left and right as he walked away.
After Li You left, Li Xingyi lowered his eyes, his rosy lips parted slightly, then closed again, and finally whispered, "Senior Brother Gongsun."
The branches and leaves on the tree swayed in the wind, the girl's hair swayed gently in the air, and the boy's heart moved with one person.
Li Xingyi looked at the air in front of him and said, "If there's nothing else, Junior Sister, I'll head back now."
Just then, there was a commotion in the tree, and a person appeared in front of her—it was Gongsun Dou.
Gongsun Dou's face flushed slightly, his eyes darting around. He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed deliberately, saying, "Cough, something's wrong, something's wrong, don't go."
Li Xingyi looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue. Gongsun Dou glanced at her, then paused for a moment before saying, "Junior Sister left in such a hurry that day that I didn't even get a chance to say a word."
For some reason, Li Xingyi sensed a hint of grievance and desolation in his words.
She recalled what happened that day and said, "There was indeed an urgent matter that day, it wasn't that I meant to ignore my senior brother."
Before Gongsun Dou could speak, she said first, "If you are unhappy, I am willing to let you down."
Gongsun Dou was completely stunned.
She... actually thought I would get angry with her and take it out on her, just because she... ignored me that day.
Gongsun Dou seemed to feel both sad and helpless, and simply said softly, "I am not unhappy."
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but why did this sentence feel a little strange, as if it contained sadness and helplessness?
Li Xingyi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for not taking it to heart, Senior Brother."
Gongsun Dou looked at the person before him with a sorrowful expression and said softly, "So it can only be... my senior brother and junior sister?"
As martial artists, their hearing is naturally more sensitive, and no sound, no matter how faint, can escape their ears.
Li Xingyi blinked gently, lowered his eyes, and said, "Senior Brother."
Gongsun Dou snapped out of his daze after hearing this and asked, "What?"
Li Xingyi asked, "Senior brother, is there anything else?"
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Dou said somewhat shyly, "I...would like to invite my junior sister to enjoy the moon with me tonight."
“…Okay.” Li Xingyi said, looking at him.
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Dou smiled.
That night, Gongsun Dou was already waiting in the square.
After a while, he heard footsteps behind him, turned around and saw Li Xingyi.
Li Xingyi, dressed in white with his hair down, slowly walked towards Gongsun Dou.
The moonlight was exceptionally bright, and the sky was filled with countless stars, their light dazzling.
Gongsun Dou's eyes were filled with joy and love. He stretched out a hand to Li Xingyi and said, "Junior Sister."
Seeing this, Li Xingyi looked at the hand in front of him and slowly reached out to touch it.
Gongsun Dou gently took her hand, and he felt even happier as he watched their hands clasp together.
Immediately afterwards, Gongsun Dou pulled Li Xingyi over with one hand and put his hand on her waist, saying, "Junior sister, I apologize."
In an instant, the two were up in the tree. Gongsun Dou then withdrew his hand. Li Xingyi glanced at the waist that Gongsun Dou had just put his arm around, then at the hand that had been pulled, and said, "Senior brother, I could actually have climbed up by myself."
"..."
"Crack!" Gongsun Dou felt as if he had split open. Seeing this, Li Xingyi deliberately changed the subject, saying, "The moon is beautiful, and the starry sky is beautiful too."
“You are beautiful too,” Gongsun Dou said suddenly as he looked at her.
Li Xingyi was taken aback for a moment after hearing this, and then said, "Senior brother, I'm going into seclusion."
Gongsun Dou looked at the moon and said, "I know."
Li Xingyi lowered his eyes and said, "I will only come out during competitions from now on."
"..."
"Then we'll see you then," Gongsun Dou said.
He said this not only to Li Xingyi, but also to himself.
At this moment, Qingyi, who was sitting on the steps in the distance, was looking at them with her face in her hands and asked, "Senior Brother Hongxing, what do you think they are talking about?"
Sitting next to her, Hongxing said helplessly, "Junior Sister Qingyi, can you look at the scenery? You've been staring at them for so long."
Qingyi said with a worried look on her face, "But I'm just worried."
Hongxing asked, "What are you worried about?"
Qingyi glanced at him and said, "I'm afraid your young master will take advantage of my young lady."
"..."
Hongxing looked at her and said, "Qingyi, you're overthinking it."
Qingyi sighed, "Alas, from now on I'll only be able to see Miss once a year."
Hongxing replied, "It's alright, you still have me. Let's just stay together from now on."
Qingyi thought for a moment, then slowly said, "You...do you have some improper thoughts about me?"
Hongxing was taken aback, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "No...no."
Qingyi cupped her face in one hand and looked at him, saying, "If you can't lie, then don't. Tell me, what do you see in me?"
Upon hearing this, Hongxing thought about it carefully and said, "Uh, I don't know, I just feel... I like you, I want to..."
"What are you thinking about?" Qingyi asked.
Hongxing blushed and said, "I want... to be with you forever."
Qingyi thought about it carefully after hearing it.
...My choices, the people around me, are all in the distant future, and the future holds infinite possibilities. Besides, I don't really dislike him, so...
"Hmm... I'll think about it." Qingyi turned her head to look at the moon.
Hongxing's heart was pounding. He said softly, "When...when you've made up your mind, let me know, and I'll personally propose to your family."
Qingyi said, "Well... it depends on your performance."
The next day, Li Xingyi went to Li You's residence early in the morning, placed a small box at the door, and knocked on the door before leaving.
After Li You came out, he saw the small box on the ground. He silently picked it up, opened it and found a white jade safety buckle. It was entirely white, and there was a white bead on the white cord.
Li You saw a note under the safety buckle. He took the note out and it read: "Happy birthday, Senior Brother Li You. This gift is to wish you peace and good fortune. —Han Xing"
In January of the fifth year of Dewei, Li Xingyi officially became the young master of the Frost Cold Sect and was given the name Hanxing.
Seasons change and time flies by. The martial arts tournament has begun again. With a single sword strike, nine-year-old Li Xingyi emerges victorious!
After the competition, unexpectedly, Li Xingyi went into seclusion again and was never seen again.
For the next four years, Li Xingyi was unstoppable, winning first place in the martial arts competition.
At the end of December in the ninth year of Dewei, thirteen-year-old Li Xingyi won. All the sect leaders couldn't help but applaud. He Lian smiled and said, "Han Sheng's disciple is truly remarkable."
He then calculated and said, "Since Hanxing has won for five consecutive years, he can participate in the Martial Arts Alliance Tournament. Next year is the year, and I look forward to your performance next year."
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi, who was standing on the high platform wearing a white veil, cupped his hands and said, "Hanxing will do her best."
Gongsun Dou watched Li Xingyi quietly from below the stage.
Long time no see... Stars have shifted.
In the secluded orchid valley, Li Xingyi gazed at the plum blossoms on the branches, lost in thought. Han Sheng, seeing this, said, "The plum blossom symbolizes resilience, unyielding spirit, and pride."
"Your master hopes that you will be as strong and unyielding as the plum blossom."
Li Xingyi cupped his hands and said, "This disciple thanks Master for his blessing."
Han Sheng looked at her and asked, "What were you thinking about just now?"
Li Xingyi put his hand down and said, "This disciple is thinking about next year's competition."
"..."
"Just do your best next year. Your master won't force you. No matter the outcome, you will always be the sect leader," Han Sheng said.
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi looked at her in confusion. Wasn't she the young sect leader? How did she become the sect leader again?
Seeing this, Han Sheng knew what she was thinking and said, "Master... has decided to pass the throne to you."
“Master…” Li Xingyi said.
Han Sheng gestured for Li Xingyi to finish speaking, so Li Xingyi had no choice but to remain silent.
Han Sheng said slowly, "Master is a bit selfish. He wants to live the life he desires."
Li Xingyi lowered his eyes and asked, "Master...when are you leaving?"
Han Sheng smiled slightly and said, "After you ascend the throne next year."
In the third month of the tenth year of Dewei, Li Xingyi looked at the yellow flowers beside him and asked, "Master, what kind of flower is this?"
Han Sheng slowly walked over and said, "This is a forsythia, which symbolizes love that lasts until the end of time."
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