Chapter 61 Leaving Qingyun
Chapter 61 Leaving Qingyun
Wan Jianyi led Biyao and Qin Wuyan to a waterfall that cascaded down, the sound of the water booming like thunder.
"This waterfall originates from the deep pool of Bishui in Tongtian Peak. At the foot of the waterfall, there is a water cave with a stone staircase inside. Following the staircase, you can reach the top of the peak. The staircase has seven exits, leading to the seven peaks of Tongtian, Dazhu, Xiaozhu, Fenghui, Chaoyang, Luoxia, and Longshou respectively."
Wan Jianyi guided the two into the water cave. The cave was spacious and large, with a circular stone platform in the center that could accommodate more than a hundred people. It was connected to seven stone staircases leading in different directions.
Wan Jianyi pointed to the stone steps in the southeast direction and said, "These stone steps lead to Dazhu Peak. It's the shortest route and closest to the way down the mountain. You can choose to exit from here."
Biyao nodded, but Qin Wuyan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Senior, where do the other exits lead?"
Wan Jianyi said, "What, you don't want to take this path?"
Biyao immediately understood Qin Wuyan's intention; he was worried that they might encounter Zhang Xiaofan again, which would put her in a difficult position. But at this moment, getting out of Qingyun Sect as soon as possible was the most important thing. She said, "Senior, there's no need to say anything more. Let's take this route."
Wan Jianyi said, "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Jing Yu. If you encounter him, you should be fine. Bi Yao, Qin Wuyan, I hope you two have a safe journey to the East Sea!"
"East Sea?" Qin Wuyan was taken aback. Biyao had never mentioned to him before that they were going to the East Sea after leaving Qingyun Sect.
He's been resting and recovering from his injuries these past few days, while Biyao has been spending a lot of time catching up with Youji. The two haven't really discussed their future plans; he originally intended to take her to Xiaochi Town.
He frowned and cast an inquiring glance at Biyao.
Biyao coughed lightly, ignoring him, and said to Wan Jianyi, "Thank you for your care these past few days, senior. Please also take good care of Aunt You for me. Biyao thanks you in advance!"
She bowed deeply, then took Qin Wuyan's hand and walked up the stone steps. The two walked in silence, step by step, until they reached a flat slope after passing two or three bends. As they continued up, the path became narrower and narrower, only wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side. The surrounding stone walls were covered with green vines, and the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard from outside.
Qin Wuyan shielded Biyao behind him and cautiously moved forward, only to discover that the exit of the secret passage was actually a tree hole as tall as a human figure, with branches and vines intertwined to cover the entrance, making it extremely difficult to find.
He stepped forward, about to part the vines, when he suddenly heard what sounded like footsteps mixed in with the wind, and immediately stopped.
Biyao asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"
"Shh!" Qin Wuyan gestured for her to be quiet and whispered in her ear, "There seem to be people outside. Let's stay here for now."
Biyao nodded. The two stood at the cave entrance, gently parting a vine to peer outside. Though they couldn't see anyone, they could clearly hear voices; a woman's voice said:
"Master's wife, Xiao Fan and I are leaving for Yama Island tomorrow. Can this withered grass really save Master?"
Another, slightly weathered female voice said, "Of course not!"
"ah?"
"The withered grass can only help ordinary mortals return to life. Your master's situation is very different. The only way to save him is to start with Biyao."
"But Biyao hasn't appeared yet. Could it be that she has really perished at the bottom of the cliff?"
The woman replied, "No. You should go with Zhang Xiaofan to Yanluo Island in the East Sea to find the withered green grass. As for Biyao's whereabouts, I will have Ling'er tell you once I find her."
Biyao and Qin Wuyan, who were hiding in the tree hole, both looked puzzled. Who wanted to find Biyao?
The two continued to listen intently, and the voice of the woman who had spoken first sounded extremely familiar; it seemed to be Lu Xueqi. She continued:
"Then... can't we really tell Xiaofan about Master? Maybe he could..."
"No!" the other woman said resolutely. "Xiao Fan is simple-minded and still has feelings for Bi Yao. We must not tell him about this unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, he will definitely stop us. The reason we sent him to Yanluo Island this time was to get rid of him. If you encounter that demoness, you must try your best to hold her back and prevent her from ruining things."
Qin Wuyan had confirmed that the woman's voice belonged to Lu Xueqi, and the other person she addressed as "Master's Wife" was likely Su Ru. Therefore, after Lu Xueqi married Zhang Xiaofan, she would inevitably have to change her address. He couldn't help but want to peek out to confirm his suspicions, but Biyao grabbed him, signaling him not to act rashly and alert the enemy.
At this moment, Lu Xueqi seemed to sigh and say, "This disciple will do my best to cooperate and prevent Xiao Fan from ruining this matter."
"Alright! You go ahead! I'll take care of Biyao and Qin Wuyan."
After they finished speaking, their footsteps faded into the distance in the forest. When all that could be heard was the whistling of the wind, Qin Wuyan and Biyao poked their heads out of the cave, carefully examined their surroundings, and only emerged from the tree hollow after ensuring that they were safe.
Qin Wuyan carefully surveyed the surrounding bamboo forest, and only after confirming there was no danger did he lead Biyao down a small path. He couldn't help but ask as they walked, "Biyao, Senior Wan just said we're going to the East Sea? What does that mean?"
Biyao mumbled, "We'll talk about it later. Let's hurry down the mountain! I think it's dangerous here!"
The two hadn't gone far when they stopped abruptly. Ahead of them stood a young man in a blue Taoist robe, exuding a heroic air—it was Zhang Xiaofan.
Qin Wuyan instinctively shielded Biyao, his brows furrowing as he drew his sword, Zhan Xiangsi, and solemnly asked Zhang Xiaofan, "Zhang Xiaofan, are you looking for revenge against me again?"
When he said "again," he was naturally referring to the incident in the Illusion Moon Cave where Zhang Xiaofan had promised to release him and Biyao, but then allowed the Qingyun disciples to pursue them, forcing them to jump off a cliff.
Zhang Xiaofan ignored Qin Wuyan and looked at Biyao, asking, "Biyao, are you alright?"
Biyao glanced at Qin Wuyan's retreating figure. Whenever danger arose, he always rushed to protect her, fearing she might get hurt. After a moment's thought, she felt it was time to settle things between her and Zhang Xiaofan. So she stepped forward, grasped Qin Wuyan's hand tightly, and said solemnly:
"Zhang Xiaofan, thank you for your concern! I'm fine. Also, thank you for taking care of me in Xiaochi Town. I had just regained my memories then, and many things were unclear to me. If I caused any misunderstandings later, please forgive me. There are too many grudges between us, and I don't want to dwell on them anymore. However, I made it clear that day at the Illusion Moon Cave that our fate from our past lives has ended. In this life, whether it's the destroyed Ghost King Sect or the current Tianli Divine Sect, you and I are destined to be rivals, enemies. If you seek revenge against Qin Wuyan today, I will not stand idly by. And please, do not show me any mercy."
As she spoke, she quietly gripped the hilt of her sword, looking as if she were ready to fight to the death with her opponent.
Hearing her words, Zhang Xiaofan felt a great pain in his heart. Although he had long understood that he and she in this life were no longer destined to be together, he had still traveled all over the country to save her. She had always been his belief in living. Even though things had changed, hearing these resolute words spoken by Biyao herself still caused him great distress.
He said with a sorrowful expression, "Biyao, I just happened to hear some noise here, so I came to check. It's not that I'm here to seek revenge, as you say. Do you think I've become someone whose heart is filled only with hatred?"
Biyao said coldly, "What you have in your heart, or what you don't, is no longer my concern. Since you're not here for revenge, then let's part ways here. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. If we meet again someday and become enemies, I'll say it again: I won't be merciful, and you don't need to show any mercy either."
After saying that, she pulled Qin Wuyan and turned to leave, her steps firm and unwavering.
The Dazhu Peak was covered with dense forests. Biyao had often secretly sneaked up to Dazhu Peak of Qingyun Mountain to find Zhang Xiaofan before, so she soon recognized the way. Following her memory, she led Qin Wuyan along a side path. However, they soon encountered a fork in the road, and Biyao was immediately at a loss, not knowing which path was the right one.
Qin Wuyan tightened his grip on her hand, took a large step, and resolutely walked towards the road to the east.
Biyao asked doubtfully, "Aren't you afraid of getting lost?"
"What's there to be afraid of!" Qin Wuyan turned around and smiled, "If we make a mistake, we can just come back."
Biyao stomped her foot angrily, "What do you mean, 'come back'? Don't you know that the roads of Qingyun Mountain are like a maze? If I remember correctly, there's one path that leads to Tongtian Peak if you take the wrong one. There are many guards there, and most of them are experts. Although Senior Wan said that Lin Jingyu would let us go, you recently poisoned the Qingyun Sect disciples. If they see you, they might not be satisfied until they've torn you to pieces!"
Qin Wuyan smiled and said, "Biyao, are you worried about me?"
Biyao retorted angrily, "Isn't that obvious? If I weren't worried about you, why would I have come all the way from Xiaochi Town to find you? If I weren't worried about you, why would I have kept nagging Zhang Xiaofan to stop him from seeking revenge on you! Qin Wuyan, do you even understand..."
"Understand what?" Qin Wuyan pressed, his deep, clear eyes fixed on her.
"It's nothing!" Biyao quickly looked away and continued pulling him forward. They hadn't walked far when they came to another fork in the road. She was momentarily at a loss, unsure which way to go. So many years had passed; even if she remembered the past, she only remembered certain things, but she couldn't recall the path to Qingyun Sect.
Qin Wuyan stepped forward unhurriedly, saying as he walked, "I know the Qingyun Sect better than you do now. Besides, I used to walk these roads often before what happened to you."
Biyao said, "I remember, you tried to steal the Zhuxian Sword before."
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "It wasn't just that time. In the past, for the safety of a girl, I would often secretly follow her and accompany her to sneak up to Qingyun Sect countless times!"
Upon hearing this, Biyao instantly understood his meaning. A sudden thought flashed through her mind: when she was trapped in the Qingyun Sect, Qin Wuyan and Qinglong would always appear in time to rescue her. At the time, she had only thought it was a coincidence, but now she realized that there were no such coincidences in the world.
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