The Sound of Lily of the Valley Delivered to the Elder
Li Xingyi looked at her for a moment and then asked, "What's your name?"
The woman replied, "Mu Ming."
"As gentle as a breeze, it washes away all my troubles; as bright as the moon, it shines before me," Li Xingyi said.
Mu Ming didn't understand and asked, "What?"
Li Xingyi said calmly, "It's nothing, just a beautiful name, gentle and clear, reflecting a pure heart."
Mu Ming didn't understand, but he knew that you were praising him, so he said, "I know you're praising my name, so can you accept me now?"
Li Xingyi walked past her and said, "Follow me."
Upon hearing this, Mu Ming jumped up happily, "Great!"
On the way, Mu Ming asked, "Sister, how old are you? What month were you born?"
Before Li Xingyi could speak, Gongsun Dou blurted out, "Fourteen years old, July."
Li Xingyi glanced at him but didn't pay much attention, since his birth date shouldn't be a secret within the sect.
Mu Ming, on the other hand, had a gossipy expression and chuckled, "How did you know? Hmm?"
Gongsun Dou calmly replied, "We grew up together, so of course I know."
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi nearly tripped, but fortunately Gongsun Dou reacted quickly and grabbed her arm, saying, "Be careful."
After Li Xingyi steadied himself, he said, "Understood."
...He just blurts things out without thinking.
...Never mind, we grew up together, too.
Mu Ming looked at them and smiled, "I understand, I understand."
After hearing this, Li Xingyi felt that what she knew seemed a bit off. Seeing this, Mu Ming immediately changed the subject, saying, "I'm also fourteen years old, um... so if that's the case, I seem to be older than you."
"What month are you born in?" Li Xingyi asked as they walked.
Mu Ming smiled and said, "May is exactly two months older than you."
"..."
Li Xingyi could only say, "Don't call people 'sister' so casually next time, because they might be your 'little sister'."
"Okay," Mu Ming said with a smile.
After walking for a while, when they reached the steps, Mu Ming asked again, "Little sister, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'little sister,' can I?"
Just as Gongsun Dou was about to speak, Mu Ming immediately raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Brother, don't speak. I want to hear my sister speak herself."
Upon seeing this, Li Xingyi said, "Cold Star."
Mu Ming thought for a moment and felt a little confused. He said, "That's not right. When you were dealing with the bandits before, I heard that big brother call you Xingyi."
Gongsun Dou said, "You already know, so why are you asking?"
Mu Ming snorted and looked at Li Xingyi, waiting for his answer. Li Xingyi calmly replied, "It's just the old name."
Li Xingyi didn't know how to explain it, and he couldn't let others know his real name, so he could only say it this way.
“Alright, then I’ll call you Hanxing from now on,” Mu Ming said.
Li Xingyi lowered his eyes and did not answer. Seeing this, Gongsun Dou said, "I'm afraid that won't work. Inside the sect, one must respect one's status and greet others."
After hearing this, Mu Ming said, "That's fine, but what is your identity?"
"The leader of the Frostbite Sect and the martial arts alliance leader," Li Xingyi said.
"What! You're the new leader of the martial arts alliance! That genius!" Mu Ming was immediately shocked upon hearing this.
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Mm."
Mu Ming was stunned for a moment, then put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! I, Mu Ming, truly have a discerning eye! I picked out a genius on the first try! And with such a high status at that! Looks like I'm still very lucky!"
Li Xingyi looked at her and said, "That's good, but I have a question."
"What's the problem?" Mu Ming asked, straightening up and regaining his composure.
"Why don't you ask my brother next to me? And why do you call him 'Big Brother'?" Li Xingyi said calmly.
When Gongsun Dou heard Li Xingyi call him "brother," his face flushed slightly, and he was overjoyed.
Mu Ming glanced at him and said, "First, men and women should not touch each other. Besides, even if I asked, he probably wouldn't answer me. He seems like a cold and aloof person who is also very affectionate. As for others... he wouldn't even bother with them."
Then she shrugged.
"Secondly, I can call people 'sister' or 'younger sister,' but I feel uncomfortable and strange when they call me 'brother,'" she continued.
Li Xingyi glanced at Gongsun Dou and asked, "Deep affection? What do you mean?"
Both of them were stunned for a moment, and Mu Ming immediately looked to the side and said, "Wow, this tree is growing really well."
"..."
The opportunity is yours, so don't let it slip away.
Seeing this, Gongsun Dou knew that Mu Ming wanted him to explain. Then he looked at Li Xingyi with deep affection and said softly, "Deep affection is a profound and lasting emotion, and now... this is my deep affection."
He spoke the last sentence very softly.
Li Xingyi, love me.
Hanxing, love me.
Regardless of what he was called, Gongsun Dou hoped she would fall in love with him.
Li Xingyi felt that Gongsun Dou seemed no different from usual today, except that his eyes held a few more profound emotions.
Li Xingyi looked at him and said, "Thank you for your explanation, Senior Brother. Let's go."
She then turned and continued on her way. Mu Ming immediately followed, saying, "Hey, wait for me."
Gongsun Dou was stunned, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears. The wind blew the boy's black hair, as if to soothe his sad heart, but the wind itself made him feel exceptionally cold.
Just then, a voice rang out, "Senior brother, keep up."
Gongsun Dou looked up and saw Li Xingyi standing on the steps in front of him, waiting for him.
Gongsun Dou calmed down a bit, regained his composure, and said, "Alright."
It's okay, it's just a minor setback.
Li Xingyi walked ahead with his eyes lowered.
I don't know why I felt a little pain in my heart just now, but when he looked up and answered me, I felt fine again... Oh well.
After a long while, the group finally arrived at Frostbite Gate. Mu Ming was exhausted and panting heavily. She leaned against a white pillar on the gate, catching her breath. After she caught her breath, she suddenly said, "Wait a minute? Aren't you martial artists? Why didn't you use your lightness skills to bring me up here?"
"..."
Li Xingyi thought for a moment and said, "Hold you in my arms or carry you on my back?"
After hearing this, Mu Ming said, "Uh, never mind, I'll just treat it as exercise."
Li Xingyi asked, "How is it? Can we leave now?"
Mu Ming smiled and said, "Okay."
The group then entered the room, and Mu Dong bowed and said, "Sect Leader."
Li Xingyi grunted in agreement and introduced, "This is Mu Ming, who will be a disciple of the sect from now on."
Mu Dong replied, "Yes."
Then Mu Dong said to Mu Dong, "Let's go, I'll take you to your lodgings."
Mu Ming smiled and said, "Okay."
Before leaving, he waved goodbye to Li Xingyi.
Li Xingyi said to Gongsun Dou, "The affairs within the sect are busy, I should go and take care of them."
After saying that, he left.
Gongsun Dou watched her retreating figure
Inside the Lulin Palace, Mu Chu and the other three cupped their hands and said, "Sect Leader, it's time to choose new elders."
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi raised his eyes and asked, "Are you leaving?"
Mu Chu said, "We left because we wanted to become better sect leaders, and also because we wanted to find our own paths. Perhaps one day we will meet again."
Li Xingyi closed his eyes and said calmly, "I understand."
After the others left, Li Xingyi quietly looked at the lily of the valley by the window. After a moment, she walked to the table with the zither on it, sat down, and lightly plucked the strings with her fingertips, making them vibrate like springs. This was the sound of the lily of the valley.
After a long while, the sound stopped.
"My dear lily of the valley, please bring happiness to everyone."
Li Xingyi lowered his eyes, placed his hands on the strings, smoothed them, and said softly.
At night, as Li Xingyi was writing something with a pen, the door suddenly opened and a woman's voice called out, "Miss!"
Li Xingyi paused, holding the pen, and looked up to see a familiar face—it was Qingyi!
Although Qingyi's appearance had changed, she had only become more mature, and Li Xingyi recognized her at a glance.
Upon seeing this, she immediately stood up and walked towards Qingyi, who happily hugged her and said, "Miss, I missed you so much."
Li Xingyi let her hug him and asked, "How have you been?"
Qingyi released her hand and said, "It's fine. How is Miss?"
Li Xingyi replied, "That's good. As for me, that's good too."
Hearing this, Qingyi felt relieved. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and said, "No, I should call you sect leader."
Oh no, I got too excited and forgot.
Li Xingyi said calmly, "It's alright. There's no one else around now. Just don't forget next time."
Qingyi nodded and said, "Mm."
The room fell silent again. Li Xingyi thought for a moment and then asked, "Qingyi, how are you doing with your martial arts?"
Qingyi was puzzled, but still replied, "At least I can beat Senior Brother Hongxing."
After hearing this, Li Xingyi asked, "How skilled is Senior Brother Hongxing in martial arts?"
After all, Li Xingyi had been in seclusion and didn't know much about Hongxing and the others, so he could only ask them one by one.
Qingyi seemed to have sensed something and said, "Sect Leader, besides you and Uncle Mu Chu, the most powerful person in the sect is Senior Brother Gongsun Dou. I can't beat him, and Senior Brother Hongxing is even less likely to beat me."
"..."
At this moment, a voice came from behind, "Hey, Junior Sister Qingyi, have you forgotten that you have a senior brother like me?"
Li Xingyi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a boy with a high ponytail and a blade of grass in his mouth leaning against the door frame looking at him. He also had a familiar white jade safety buckle on his waist. He smiled and said, "Junior sister, it's been a long time."
The boy picked up the foxtail grass and said, "No, I should change my address. It should be 'Sect Leader'."
As soon as Li Xingyi saw this person, he knew who it was, because Senior Brother Hongxing would never do such a thing, and there was also that signature white jade safety buckle.
She calmly replied, "Senior Brother Li You, it's been a long time."
Li You smiled and said, "If the sect leader wants to know the strength of the people in the sect, he may ask me."
Li Xingyi looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Li You smiled and said, "Our senior brother's martial arts are all above ours, while I am only below him. Of course, you, the sect leader, should be above him."
Upon hearing this, Li Xingyi walked out the door and said, "I look forward to your performance in the elder selection competition in a few days."
Qingyi asked in confusion, "Isn't this the sect leader's room?"
Li You watched Li Xingyi's retreating figure, her eyes filled with an inscrutable tenderness, followed by an unwavering determination.
Li Xingyi, I, Li You, have decided on you.
At the Water Mist Pavilion, in Gongsun Dou's room, Gongsun Dou suddenly heard a clear, silvery bell sound, "ding-a-ling." He knew that Li Xingyi had arrived. In the entire Frost Cold Sect, no one else besides Li Xingyi possessed this unique silver bell.
Gongsun Dou immediately got up and walked quickly to the door, trying to calm himself down before slowly opening the door. At that moment, Li Xingyi arrived at the door, and the two met eyes.
Li Xingyi looked at him and said calmly, "Senior brother has good hearing. I just got to the door and you opened it."
Gongsun Dou said, "The silver bell on the sect leader's body is unique in the Frost Cold Sect. When the silver bell rings, the sect leader arrives."
Li Xingyi glanced at the silver bell on his body and asked, "Will you participate in the elder selection in a few days, senior brother?"
Upon hearing this, even Li Xingyi herself was taken aback, because she had originally come to compete with Gongsun Dou, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it, and the words that finally came out were these.
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Dou was stunned. Becoming an elder to protect Li Xingyi was indeed a good thing, but his own status probably wouldn't allow him to become an elder of the Frost Cold Sect. As the crown prince, the most important thing was the affairs of the state.
After a long silence, he finally managed to say, "...No."
Li Xingyi was surprised that he refused, since Gongsun Dou would definitely participate in the past, but this time was different.
Li Xingyi stared intently at Gongsun Dou, as if trying to see right through him, and asked, "Why?"
Gongsun Dou's eyes were full of helplessness as he said softly, "If the sect leader ever understands me, he will know."
After listening, Li Xingyi looked at him quietly without saying a word. At this moment, the silver bells on his body jingled softly in the wind. Their heartbeats were like two intertwined melodies, sometimes synchronized and sometimes beating separately, forming a unique rhythm.
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