Chapter 72 Leaving the Mountain
Chu Jianshan asked, "Me and Cheng Yuan?"
Ji Shi nodded stiffly.
"Yes, it's all true."
Ji Shi paused for a moment, then asked, "When...?"
Chu Jianshan replied, "Qingyao City."
"So it's so early..." Ji Shi smiled wryly, "Does Senior Brother Bai know?"
"Know."
“So…” Ji Shi’s eyes couldn’t help but look forlorn: “Only I don’t know.”
Chu Jianshan hesitated for a moment, wanting to apologize, but Ji Shi stopped him in time: "I don't mean to blame you. I shouldn't ask about what happened between you two, but... there is something I need to tell you."
Chu Jianshan asked, "What?"
After a long pause, Ji Shi looked up at Chu Jianshan and said, "Cheng Yuan killed my master's wife. I witnessed it with my own eyes. Even if, as you say, he was forced by the secret techniques of the Linyi Sect, I still... cannot forgive him easily."
"Now that he holds power over Linyi, if things remain peaceful between us, I naturally won't make things difficult for him. But if he continues to make mistakes..."
Ji Shi paused for a moment, then continued, "If we meet again, we will be enemies, not friends."
Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes: "I know all of this, and I have no right to ask you to forgive him."
He looked up to the west, where the sun was almost completely setting, casting long shadows. The last rays of light shone on the stone tablet, gilding it with a layer of gold dust.
Facing the cenotaph, Chu Jianshan said in a deep voice, "Tomorrow I will request to leave Changjin Mountain. From now on, there will be no more Immortal Venerable Nanxu here. These mistakes... should be borne by me."
Ji Shi was stunned for a moment and didn't say anything.
As the daylight faded, he couldn't see Jian Shan's face clearly, but he vaguely felt that everything seemed to have returned to the starting point.
There will be no more Immortal Venerable Nanxu on Changjin Mountain, no more disciple Cheng Yuan. Bai Qianfan will most likely continue to follow Chu Jianshan. From now on, no matter where they are, whether they live in the ends of the earth or endure wind and rain, this place will no longer be the home they yearn for.
On Changjin Mountain, only the sect leader's disciple, Ji Shi, remained.
Even though she knew the answer, Ji Shi couldn't help but tear up and asked the question in a trembling voice: "Will you... come back?"
Chu Jianshan simply smiled and asked him, "Do you remember who I am?"
Ji Shi hesitated and asked, "...Chu Jianshan?"
"Yes, Chu Jianshan, there should never have been a Chu Jianshan on Changjin Mountain."
Ji Shi understood his words and the principle that all good things must come to an end, yet she still couldn't suppress the overwhelming sadness surging within her. Everything before felt like a dream, giving this ordinary person a brief and beautiful illusion. Now, things had changed, people had left, and when would they meet again?
Ten years? Twenty years? Or a lifetime?
"Don't be sad, we'll definitely meet again," Chu Jianshan said, as if he had guessed what he was thinking, and told him to take care of his senior brother and Asheng.
"...Take good care of yourself too."
The moment those words were spoken, tears welled up in Ji Shi's eyes and fell.
It was completely dark when Chu Jianshan hesitated for a moment before turning and leaving.
"Chu Jianshan!" Ji Shi suddenly shouted loudly.
"What?" Chu Jianshan stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.
Ji Shi wiped away his tears and took a deep breath: "You still owe me two taels of silver!"
Chu Jianshan smiled and said, "I've always remembered it, I haven't forgotten."
"I'll definitely return it to you next time we meet."
After saying that, he left, and Chu Jianshan's figure gradually disappeared into the forest, becoming impossible to see.
Ji Shi slowly squatted down, letting tears stream down his face. The night wind was still chilly. He hugged himself and murmured through his tears, "You must, you must remember to return it to me."
Remember to meet again.
As dawn broke, Chu Jianshan had packed his things. Actually, there wasn't much to pack: two sets of clothes, some miscellaneous items, and a few taels of loose silver.
It's strange, he clearly remembers having a lot of things from before.
Jiang Yan still refused to see him, so he sent a letter to her explaining the situation and wishing her a smooth and worry-free life.
"I knew you were going to run away."
Bai Qianfan's voice came from the doorway. He was leaning against the door, a bundle slung over his shoulder, and had a knowing look on his face.
Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, asking him, "Why did you come here?"
"Let's run together," Bai Qianfan walked up to him and asked, "How about it? Are you willing?"
Chu Jianshan raised an eyebrow: "Extremely willing."
Bai Qianfan placed the equally light bundle on the table and asked him, "Where do you want to go?"
After hesitating for a moment, Chu Jianshan suggested, "Let's go to Qingyao City first. Although it is a wealthy place, it is not an easy place to defend. There must be a reason why Linyi Gate guards it."
Bai Qianfan nodded in agreement, but after hesitating for a while, he asked the question that was on his mind: "Aren't you afraid... of running into someone there?"
Chu Jianshan's eyes darkened, and he replied, "So what if we run into each other? Are you going to kill me?"
Bai Qianfan pouted: "It's really hard to say. You treated them like that before, if it were me, I would hate you to death."
Chu Jianshan hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Then kill me, and all grudges will be settled."
...
The two's journey down the mountain to Qingyao City went smoothly. After disguising themselves, they entered the city from the north and were not recognized by the people of Linyi Gate. They arrived in the city without incident. As soon as they arrived, Chu Jianshan saw many people patrolling Linyi Gate. He had no choice but to lower his veil. When he passed by the group of people, he was startled by a woman's shout and stopped in his tracks.
"Give me back my son! Give me back my son..."
Chu Jianshan turned around and saw that the woman was in a standoff with the group from Linyi Gate. She was dressed in coarse linen clothes, her clothes were tattered, and a sickly little girl, about five or six years old, was clinging tightly to her.
Bai Qianfan wanted to go over and take a look, but Chu Jianshan reached out and stopped him, shaking his head slightly.
"You damned woman! Are you crazy?! Get out of here!"
The man from Linyimen kicked her away, then patted himself off, his eyes full of disgust.
"Mother! Waaah..."
The little girl beside her was terrified and cried as she tried to help her mother up, but the woman ignored her.
"I beg you, I beg you! Give me back my Ah Shui!" She was still unwilling to give up, and knelt down again, grabbing the hem of the Linyi Sect cultivator's robe to prevent them from leaving, and kept kowtowing to the ground.
"How would we know about your son! Get out of here! Don't get in our way!"
"You know!" The woman exclaimed emotionally, trying to grab the man's sleeve to stand up. "My Ah Shui was tricked away by the people of Linyi Gate! You must know where he is!"
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll chop you up!"
Enraged, the man drew his sword and held it to her neck. The woman stopped crying, her body trembling, and she retreated step by step.
Seeing this, the man sheathed his sword, forcefully pushed her aside, and the group strode away.
Chu Jianshan breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief, released the spiritual power he had been holding back, and went over to help the kneeling, weeping woman up.
The woman looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Who are you...?"
Chu Jianshan didn't answer, but asked, "You said your son was tricked away by the people from Linyi Gate, what do you mean?"
Upon hearing this, the woman couldn't help but choke up again, as if she had finally found someone to confide in and wished she could tell all her grievances from the beginning.
“My husband died early, leaving behind only these two children. I’ve been a widow for so many years, and it wasn’t easy to raise them. Just when life was getting better and better, this little slut got sick!”
As she spoke, she reached out to pinch the little girl's face. Chu Jianshan quickly stopped her. The girl wanted to cry but didn't dare, so she could only sob silently, her face turning red.
The woman continued, “I said life and death are up to fate, and at worst we can just give up on treatment. But my Ah Shui is kind-hearted and refused to give up no matter what. Just a few days ago, the people from Linyi Gate said that my Ah Shui has talent and gave me one tael of silver to take him away. My silly son actually went with them, but once he left… he has been missing ever since!”
The woman knelt before Chu Jianshan, tears streaming down her face, wailing and lamenting, which occasionally attracted onlookers.
Chu Jianshan could only comfort her first, saying, "I will help keep an eye on your son's matter. Don't be too sad. Also, no matter what, none of this is your daughter's fault. Don't make things difficult for her."
"Really!" The woman seemed to have only heard the first half of the sentence. She excitedly grabbed Chu Jianshan's arms, her eyes full of pleading: "You... can save my son, right!"
Chu Jianshan dared not make a guarantee, and only lowered his eyes to say, "I will try my best..."
"Thank you so much, young master! Thank you so much, young master! I'll do anything to save my son!"
The woman was about to kowtow again when Chu Jianshan stopped her in time. He comforted her for a long time before she felt at ease and left with the girl, looking back every few steps.
Chu Jianshan and Bai Qianfan continued walking, with people passing by Linyi Gate intermittently. Neither of them spoke a word. When they reached a less crowded area, Chu Jianshan broke the silence first and asked, "Are there many cases like this lately?"
Bai Qianfan replied, "No more, no less."
Chu Jianshan turned to look at him, somewhat puzzled as to why he would say such ambiguous things.
What does "not more, not less" mean?
"There are indeed a few cases, but none of them warrant a major investigation. Some of those who disappeared a long time ago have now changed their story and said they have nothing to do with Linyimen. The truth remains unknown."
Chu Jianshan sighed softly. This was yet another unsolvable mystery. Although he had some guesses, he couldn't make any rash statements without concrete evidence. Now he could only pray that these things had nothing to do with Cheng Yuan, otherwise the situation might not be very pleasant.
"Where are we staying tonight?" Bai Qianfan suddenly asked.
Chu Jianshan said, "Go and book an inn."
Bai Qianfan said quietly, "I didn't bring any money."
Upon hearing this, Chu Jianshan suddenly stopped in his tracks, stood still, and met his gaze. He hesitated, looking somewhat unpleasant.
Bai Qianfan sensed something was wrong and tentatively asked him, "Don't tell me you gave all the money to that mother and daughter."
Chu Jianshan nodded slowly.
Bai Qianfan: "..."
He hadn't even realized that Chu Jianshan was so quick. Well, now they're penniless. Where are they going to sleep? On the streets!
Chu Jianshan felt a little guilty and apologized softly, "I... I didn't expect you didn't bring any money. Didn't you say you were from a wealthy family?"
Bai Qianfan shrugged: "The money exchange has closed down. No matter how rich I am, I can't come up with the money."
Chu Jianshan felt a wave of despair and began to look around, searching for a warm corner.
After a moment of silence, Bai Qianfan suddenly said, "Actually, it's no use giving them money. That girl's illness doesn't seem like it can be easily cured, and... I doubt her mother will use the money to treat her."
“I know,” Chu Jianshan nodded. “I was just thinking that with this money, she might be beaten less for a while.”
Bai Qianfan smiled and nodded, unable to help but admire his spirit... But they were the ones who had nowhere to stay! Who could he complain to?
"Wait!" Chu Jianshan suddenly reached out to stop him.
Bai Qianfan stammered, "What, did you find some secluded spot where you can spend the night?"
No, look!
Chu Jianshan pointed to a notice board, and Bai Qianfan followed his finger and read the contents of the notice board word by word.
"The city lord is critically ill and earnestly requests all physicians and doctors to come to his residence. A reward of five hundred taels of silver will be given."
The two exchanged a glance; they had found a place to stay for the night.
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