Zhu Yourong left.

She left first and returned north to Duyou City.

At the intersection behind the Huangling Waterfall, Zhao Rong stood quietly for a while in the thick water vapor.

He was rolling up his sleeves at this time, reaching into his sleeves to touch something, then turned around and prepared to open the mechanism to separate the water flow of the waterfall.

At this time, in the heart lake, Gui nodded and said:

"Zhao Rong, the "little junior brother" Zhu Yourong just mentioned should be you, right? Except for the fact that he pursued her madly and was slaughtered by the ladies, which didn't happen so quickly, the other aspects can't be said to be similar to your current situation, but can only be said to be exactly the same."

Zhao Rong did not respond, but activated the mechanism and the waterfall separated.

He left Huangling Waterfall alone and came to the shore. After hesitating for a moment, he chose to walk upstream of Huangling Waterfall, which was the direction of his current home.

Gui couldn't help but ask, "Hey, did you really not hear it or are you pretending not to hear it?"

Zhao Rong shook his head, "Don't talk nonsense."

"I didn't say anything nonsense. A certain busty lady almost called out your name."

The sword spirit curled her lips, "Why did she make up this 'little junior brother', and why did she confide in you about her relationship... Can you really not hear it?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

The man shook his head calmly, rolled up his sleeves, and walked on his way home.

There was no pause in his steps, just like a normal afternoon when he was going home after finishing work.

Then Gui was determined to wake him up.

There was silence between the two for a while.

At a certain moment, the calm and firm voice of the sword spirit came from the lake of his heart:

"Don't lie to yourself. This Ms. Zhu, whom you respect, trust, and even feel close to, has already become a bad mentor to you. Well, you can also continue to make excuses and say that she is just your confidant and a friend, and that we are just joking around."

It sighed softly. "But it's obvious that her straightforward words just now... well, the great friendship that you solemnly think of has already been shamefully spoiled in advance on the part of Daoist Yourong."

The lazy and unrestrained voice of the sword spirit echoed in the ears of the silent Zhao Rong.

"Now, before she left, she threw this 'problem' directly to you. She didn't even dare to look at your reaction and ran back to the academy... However, this suddenly brave Mr. Zhu is probably waiting for your response and handling now."

Zhao Rong remained calm and kept his pace unchanged.

I just want to watch the fun and not mind the trouble.

At this time, it coughed and said seriously: "Zhao Rong, you still say you are not a scumbag?"

That was indeed the case. He had clearly told Concubine Zhao Lingfei and Zhao Qianer yesterday that the relationship between him and Mr. Zhu was normal and there was no dirty affair involved.

However, today, the intellectual and dignified Zhu Yourong betrayed the great friendship.

It really was a stab in the back for Zhao Rong.

After the sword spirit finished speaking, he patiently waited for someone's response.

However, Zhao Rong still stood with his hands behind his back, walking forward alone.

He walked quietly for a while, only pausing slightly, "Are you done?"

The sword spirit said honestly: "I have finished talking. Now it's your turn, Zhao Rong."

"You said it very well. Don't say it again next time." He said lightly.

Return: “…”

Zhao Rong said nothing more, his expression remaining calm as he walked towards the house where Zhao Lingfei and Zhao Qianer were.

After walking for a while, his hand touched something in his sleeve again.

Afterwards, Zhao Rong remained silent all the way and returned to the bamboo forest and houses built by the Confucian scholars guarding the tomb upstream.

It was afternoon now, and the autumn sun was shining brightly today, shining on the half-abandoned courtyards in the bamboo forest, adding a touch of warmth to the cold late autumn.

Zhao Rong passed by the bamboo forest courtyard where life and death once took place, passed by the bamboo forest with thousands of bamboo poles with all the leaves fallen, and passed by a stream...

Finally, Zhao Rong suddenly stopped at the corner of the intersection not far in front of the elegant courtyard where he and Qingjun Qian'er stayed.

One more step forward and you're home.

At this moment, Zhao Rong, who had always had a calm expression, suddenly showed some...guilt and self-blame on his face.

It also contains some complex expressions.

For example...confusion, doubt, etc.

Zhao Rong suddenly took a deep breath, raised his foot, and walked forward... half a step.

The man poked his head slightly out of the corner of the intersection, allowing him to clearly see the scene in the elegant courtyard not far away.

As Zhao Rong watched quietly.

In the yard, Qingjun was wearing a bun, as if she had just taken a bath and taken incense. She was wearing a thin, tight-fitting light pink skirt and drying his and her clothes and the bedding they slept in last night in the yard.

In the warm sunshine, Qingjun was facing Zhao Rong who was silently watching, with her head lowered and bending over, placing Zhao Rong's clean boots in the sunshine. Her delicate body was outlined by her tight skirt, making her look slender and well-proportioned.

She looked calm and focused, and it was unclear whether she was worrying about when her husband would return.

Xiao Qian'er was not seen in the yard. She must be in the house, or the little girl was bored and went out.

Thinking of the latter possibility, Zhao Rong quickly retracted his foot and looked back.

Afraid of being seen by her when she returns.

Fortunately, the next second, Zhao Rong heard a clear and pleasant voice of a young girl coming from the east wing of the elegant courtyard.

"Miss, please pour me some more hot water. The water in the bucket is getting cold again."

Qingjun, who was drying beddings in the courtyard, turned around helplessly and said, "Qian'er, why are you still staying in the bathtub? It's been 15 minutes. You should finish your bath quickly and get out."

"Miss, I want to wash myself clean. There was too much blood on my body yesterday. I don't know if I washed it clean last night. I always felt a little uncomfortable when I went to bed at night. I don't know if Brother Rong'er smelled the blood and was disgusted..."

The cute girl in the bathtub in the house said in a low voice, "When I slept with Brother Rong'er before, he would bury his face in my hair and sniff me in the morning, and poke me with his stubble... This morning he didn't move at all, he was so calm that it was scary, and it was the same last night..."

Zhao Rong, who was hiding in the corner, pursed his lips.

In the yard, Qingjun was also silent. She used her slender fingers to push the hair on her forehead behind her ears, then turned around and prepared to go into the house.

"Oh, Miss, can you give me the soap you use to wash your hair? The 'cold soap' produced by Cuixianfang smells so good, I want to use it too, and Brother Rong'er seems to like it too. Well, I was wondering why he always rubbed you a lot when we were intimate before..."

Xiao Qian'er's tone became happy and she called her "Miss".

Qingjun shook his head helplessly.

"Okay, all right, just wash it quickly."

Xiao Qian'er suddenly asked, "Miss, when do you think Brother Rong'er will be back?"

"I don't know, he might be busy...don't disturb him."

"Oh, Qian'er knows about this and will definitely not bother him."

There was a sound of splashing water in the east wing. Zhao Rong, who was familiar with girls, could even imagine that it should be Xiao Qian'er standing up in the bathtub, exposing her two white and tender shoulders. Feeling cold at this time, she hid again under the water in the bathtub with a splash, hugging her arms to keep warm.

In the east wing, Xiao Qian'er was bathing in a fragrant bath with floating flower petals, her wet hair was combed together in front of her round and small left shoulder.

Only her little head poked out of the water, her wet, bare face with eyes closed and slightly tilted upward, she muttered:

"...But Miss, do you think Brother Rong'er will finish things quickly and come back early~"

At this moment, Zhao Lingfei, who was about to enter the house, paused in front of the door, turned her head suddenly, and looked towards the only corner road outside the yard.

It seems like a blessing to the soul.

However.

There was no sign of him there.

There was no sound of footsteps that she was so familiar with from the invisible corner.

Concubine Zhao Ling looked dazed and stared at that place for three breaths, as if she was fantasizing about something... But then, she shook her head slightly and turned back.

Just at this moment, the sweet and naive murmur of Xiao Qian'er, who was bathing behind the screen in the east wing, was heard again.

"Miss, please help me get the towel. I forgot where it is again..."

As the girl finished her words, an exquisite little sword made of white jade with strange patterns flew out from the east wing with a crisp jingle, coming to get the towel for the young master.

It's a pity that such a first-class flying sword is given to an unreliable girl to do this job.

Concubine Zhao Ling came back to her senses, shook her head helplessly, and went into the house with Qiu Qian to get something...

…

At some point, Zhao Rong had quietly left the elegant courtyard.

The place they call home.

He still had his sleeves rolled up and walked the same way, returning the same way.

Passing by the stream, passing by the bamboo forest with thousands of bamboo leaves fallen, passing by the bamboo courtyard where life and death once took place.

But what changed at this moment was Zhao Rong's expression.

He felt a little guilty, a little frustrated, a little stunned, and also a little... relieved that he had finally made up his mind.

"Where are you going?" asked the sword spirit.

The man raised his head and looked at the autumn scenery of wild geese flying south in the distant sky.

"Self-cultivation."

Without hesitation.

"How to cultivate oneself?" asked the sword spirit.

"Traveling far south, the road is thousands of miles."

When he just left the corner, he left a letter on the ground, but after hesitating for a long time, he still did not take off Qingjun's white jade token and continued to carry it with him.

"Good." Gui nodded gently, "You have finally decided to go to Nan Xiaoyaozhou. It should have been done a long time ago."

Zhao Rong rubbed his face and shook his head in confusion and frustration. "I may not get there. I will walk along Lidu all the way south and measure this continent with my footsteps... until I am no longer confused and frustrated, and I have cultivated myself properly, then I will come back."

Even as he said this, he silently took out a silver medal from his sleeve.

This is a ticket for the intercontinental ferry sold by a business affiliated with Weiweishan.

Yes, it was when he was in the Duke's Mansion that he asked Qingjun's cousin to buy him a boat ticket to go south to find his hometown.

Yesterday at the ruins of Wangque City, Xiaoyu returned the item entrusted by Luo Xiu before his ascension to heaven.

Zhao Rong lowered his head and looked at the silver ticket that looked so familiar.

"The road I never took..."

This was the 'other way' he had mentioned when he 'released' Luo Xiu and gave her a silver medal as a farewell gift in Xingzi Town.

I'm back again.

Gui Rao said with interest: "Although I fully support your choice, it is still a little strange. Why did you suddenly change your mind? Did you not listen to Zhu Yourong and stay to manage your family and cultivate yourself? In fact, I think what she said makes sense... Well, compared with my suggestion to go south to Xiaoyao Island, of course, there is still a gap."

The sword spirit spoke in a proud tone, and was very satisfied that Zhao Rong finally chose the direction it had once pointed out.

Zhao Rong was silent for a long time.

Just when the sword spirit thought he would not answer it anymore.

Zhao Rong said softly, "I feel guilty, uneasy, and self-blaming and depressed... I don't know how I can face Qingjun, Qian'er, Xiaoxiao, and... Zhu Yourong now."

The sword spirit immediately understood that it must be Zhu Yourong's sudden change of "mentor's gratitude" that became the last straw that made the wavering Zhao Rong decide to travel far away to cultivate himself.

I guess the busty lady whose back looked as if she was fleeing in panic when she left had never expected this.

Gui smiled and suddenly asked, "So Zhao Rong, are you... running away?"

It seems to be smiling but not quite.

Zhao Rong was silent for a while after hearing this, and suddenly nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I chose to escape."

He actually admitted it directly.

The sword spirit smiled and admired this cheap sword master more and more. He felt that he liked him more and more recently.

Well, that might also be because Zhao Rong had a completely new look and became more handsome.

"Okay, it's good that you admit it. There's no shame in running away. To use your previous words, isn't this called... tactical shift? Let's do a tactical shift first and go south to Nan Xiaoyaozhou to cultivate ourselves... We will come back again in the future!"

Today, a certain dull-witted person finally came to his senses and smiled:

"If you don't return home with wealth and honor, it's better to travel at night in fine clothes, right? When the time comes, our Peach Blossom Sword Master, who has returned after going through untold hardships and has perfected his cultivation, will have to go and give that busty lady a good lesson. Let's see if she dares to betray her teacher's kindness so easily."

“……”There’s something wrong with you.

Zhao Rong shook his head speechlessly, "Don't talk nonsense."

Immediately, the man let out a long breath.

He turned around, with his back to the 'home' where the two beauties were still looking forward to. The last bit of reluctance on his face disappeared, and he prepared to leave.

However, after walking a few steps, Zhao Rong stopped again.

"What's wrong?" Gui asked, "You regret it again?"

Zhao Rong shook his head. "No, I just want to say hello to Xiao Xiao before I leave. She is still in Duyou City, and I can't hide it from her. Otherwise, she will panic and worry when she comes back and can't find me... and she might even do something stupid."

Gui thought about it and said nothing, "Okay, but let's write a letter. This trip may be dangerous. Let's not bring a little burden. Besides, this silly little fox demon can't do anything. It will ruin your Taoism and drag you down with it..."

The more the sword spirit spoke, the more speechless he felt. This silly little fox demon that Zhao Rong picked up was simply outrageous.

Zhao Rong: “…”

Seeing that he was hesitant and didn't say anything, Gui curled her lips and said, "Why, you don't believe it? Oh, if you go to find her in person, this silly little fox demon will probably pull your clothes again. Don't pull your belt off in public."

Hearing this, Zhao Rong, who was still hesitant, immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, write a letter. I'll send her a flying sword letter."

This extremely decisive tone clearly showed that he had a psychological trauma from the special ability of a little fox demon that pulled his belt.

The sword spirit nodded with satisfaction.

That's more like it. Those infatuated little fox demons who love to read books about talented men and beautiful women are really harmful to Confucian scholars. It's better to stay away from them as soon as possible.

It said secretly.