The grass is green, with occasional flowers blooming, and bees and butterflies playing around. The sound of the strings is clear and long, slowly floating towards the water.

Amid the chaos of swordplay, there was a person playing the zither, which really attracted attention. The swordsman in white sat quietly, his bony hands brushing the strings of the zither, and the sound of the zither flowed out, still the same song "Slow Time".

He can actually play many songs, but in recent years, the one he plays the most is just this one. He has set up a formation around him, and the sound of his piano can also confuse the mind. When the Wutuo people arrive here, they will be confused by the formation and find it difficult to find the entrance. He can buy some time for Cui Yuezhi, waiting for this belated east wind from God.

The Wutuo people's boat was slowly approaching, and someone got off the boat with great momentum. Liu Buwang sat quietly, just like he was meditating in Qiyun Mountain in the past, calm and composed, not in a hurry. Taoist Yunji never boasted, but he always treated him with extra tolerance. Everyone always said that he was the best among the seven brothers on the mountain, and the brothers always laughed and joked that one day he would bring glory to the sect.

But... he had already been expelled from the sect.

The sound of the piano in his hands paused, as if disturbed by something external. He played a wrong beat and Liu Buwang was slightly distracted.

At the foot of Qiyun Mountain, he met Mu Hongjin, and later learned that Mu Hongjin was the beloved daughter of King Mengji of Jiyang City. Mu Hongjin was unwilling to marry the son of an important official in the court, and begged Liu Buwang to take her away. Liu Buwang hesitated for a long time and decided to let her wait in the inn, and he and his junior sister returned to Qiyun Mountain first to report the matter to Taoist Yunji.

But once he went up the mountain, he never came down. When he came down the mountain, it was already a year later.

Mu Hongjin always believed that he had deceived her and deliberately informed King Mengji of her whereabouts, and that he had sent Mu Hongjin back to King Mengji's palace. In fact, this was not the case.

Liu Buwang did go up the mountain in a hurry. When he got to the mountain, he told Taoist Master Yunji that there was a girl who had escaped from marriage and was forced by her family to stay outside. He hoped that Taoist Master Yunji could think of a way to let him take Mu Hongjin up the mountain.

Liu Buwang was kind and honest, and for the first time he lied to Taoist Yunji. He only said that Mu Hongjin was a girl from an ordinary family, and did not explain her identity as the daughter of Prince Mengji. Liu Buwang was worried that once Taoist Yunji knew Mu Hongjin's true identity, he might not help her.

But Taoist Master Yunji knew better than he did.

"Are you talking about Mu Hongjin from Prince Mengji's Palace?"

Liu Buwang was stunned: "Master..."

"You are so confused!" Taoist Yunji looked at him and rebuked him with a sullen face: "Do you know what her identity is? She is now the only daughter of King Mengji and will inherit the throne of King Mengji in the future. The reason why King Mengji arranged a marriage for her is because she will become the princess of King Mengji in the future."

"You were so careless that you took her to Qiyun Mountain. Do you know what kind of disaster it would bring to Jiyang City? And how much trouble it would bring to Qiyun Mountain? Even if you don't care about the lives of the people in Jiyang City, your brothers grew up with you. Do you care about their safety?"

"Master, it's not like that..." Liu Buwang defended himself.

Yun Jidao sighed, "Do you think King Mengji would let Qiyun Mountain go if he knew you hid his daughter here?"

"He won't know."

"Buwang, you are too naive." Taoist Yunji waved his sleeves and said, "Give up, I will not help you."

Liu Buwang knelt on the ground, thought for a while, then stood up and bowed to Taoist Yunji: "Disciple understands."

"What do you want to do?"

"I will figure it out myself, disciple."

Liu Buwang thought that although he was not as capable as Taoist Yunji, there was always a way out, and he would definitely be able to come up with another way. The most urgent thing was that he had to go down the mountain first, as the date he had agreed with Mu Hongjin was approaching.

"Are you still going to look for that woman?"

Liu Buwang said: "Yes, I have already made an appointment with her."

Taoist Master Yunji: "You can't go down the mountain."

"What?"

"I cannot bear to see you destroy Qiyun Mountain." Taoist Yunji said, "You must stay on the mountain."

"Master, she's still waiting for me!"

Taoist Master Yunji's face was completely ruthless.

Liu Buwang slowly drew out the long sword from his waist. He did not want to fight with his master, but he was very anxious. However, his swordsmanship was no match for Taoist Yunji's, and he was defeated in the end.

Taoist Master Yunji locked him up in a water cave on the mountain. There were waterfalls and fragrant orchids around the cave. It was a beautiful sight. But Taoist Master Yunji also set up formations around him. He couldn't leave the formations and was trapped here.

Liu Buwang's Qimen Dunjia was ultimately no match for Taoist Yunji. He pleaded with Taoist Yunji desperately: "Master, I just want to go down the mountain and say a word to her. I can't go back on my word. She's still waiting for me...Master!"

"If you can break the formation set by my master, you can go down the mountain."

Taoist Master Yunji turned and left.

Liu Buwang pondered the formation and tried to break it. But this formation was more powerful than all the ones he had encountered in the past. He was anxious and kept breaking it day and night. Finally, he fell ill and lost his strength.

Yu Shu came to see him and brought him medicine. Seeing Liu Buwang covered in wounds, he felt very distressed and whispered, "Brother, why are you doing this?"

"Can you please ask Master to let me out?" Liu Buwang leaned against the stone wall of the cave, barely breathing, but still said stubbornly, "I want to go down the mountain."

Yu Shu took a step back and couldn't help crying and yelling at him: "So what if she goes down the mountain? She's already married! She didn't wait for you, Mu Hongjin has already married her husband!"

Liu Buwang widened his eyes slightly.

He was in the mountains, in the formation, unable to notice the time outside, and could only count the nights. Every other day, he carved a mark on the stone wall, and when he turned around, he saw that more than two hundred days and nights had passed.

That girl, the one who wore a red dress, had bells on her long braids, and always clung to him with a smile, had gotten married? What was she feeling? Was she feeling resentful for not waiting for him, or was she feeling desperate because she had no one to turn to and was forced to get married?

Liu Buwang's heart began to ache violently.

"She didn't wait for you. She has forgotten your agreement." The little sister stood in front of him and said with tears in her eyes, "So, you should forget her too."

Forget her? How is it possible? He didn't feel moved when he was in the relationship, but only realized how deep the feelings were when they were separated. He had long been accustomed to being depended on, entangled, and deceived. Even though he was angry, he was happy with it. How could he forget it just like that?

"When was she found by the people in the palace, and when did they get married?" he asked slowly.

Yu Shu replied, "Not long after you left, she was found by soldiers. They got married not long after. Senior Brother," she tried to persuade him, "Go and give in to Master. Isn't it okay for us to live a good life in Qiyun Mountain in the future? Don't mention that matter again?"

Liu Buwang said nothing.

"Senior brother?"

He raised his head. The boy's eyes, which had always been as clean and clear as the warm sunshine in spring, now had a hint of coldness and a sense of distance that kept people at a distance.

Yu Shu was also frightened by his eyes.

"You can go now." Liu Buwang said, "Don't come here again in the future."

He worked harder and harder to study and ponder. He didn't care whether his body could bear it or not. He only had one thought in his mind: he wanted to go down the mountain.

Liu Buwang's Qimen Dunjia made rapid progress through his hard practice day by day. At the same time, he also noticed that since some time ago, the power of Taoist Yunji's formation was gradually weakening.

Another spring day came, and he broke out of the formation.

The spring rain wet the green grass under the eaves, and the boy's white clothes were stained by mud and water. He was undecided and walked firmly step by step.

The fellow disciples gathered around the bed of Taoist Master Yunji. Over such a long period of time, the formation became weaker and weaker. It was not his illusion, Taoist Master Yunji was about to die.

Liu Buwang was stunned.

He rushed to the bed of Taoist Master Yunji and knelt down. Taoist Master Yunji looked at him and asked, "Did you break the formation?"

Liu Buwang nodded.

The master reached out his hand and lightly touched his pulse. He sensed something and sighed deeply.

"Are you still going down the mountain?" he asked.

Liu Buwang knelt straight and upright: "Yes."

There was a long silence.

"You can go now." The master who raised him said word by word, "From now on, you are no longer a member of my sect. Don't come to Qiyun Mountain again."

"Master!" His fellow disciples were shocked and pleaded for mercy for him.

Taoist Master Yunji said nothing, closed his eyes, and when he looked again, he had passed away.

Overnight, he lost the master who raised him, and also lost the qualification to stay on Qiyun Mountain. After burying Taoist Master Yunji with his fellow apprentices, Liu Buwang went down the mountain alone.

After this separation, we know that this world is forever and we will never meet again.

His wound was aching slightly. He had been forcing his way through the formation, and he had finally hurt the root. It was raining heavily, and he didn't have an umbrella. He stumbled along the muddy mountain road without stopping, and finally walked down the mountain and entered Jiyang City.

The city was as lively and warm as that spring day, without any difference. Liu Buwang walked to the Mengji Palace. He hid under the eaves opposite the palace, wearing a hat, and wanted to see Mu Hongjin. Although he didn't know what to say to Mu Hongjin, he was the one who broke the promise and was more than a year late. He was the one who asked her to wait for him, and he was the one who didn't come.

But if she wanted to leave, and shook his arm like she did back then, asking him to take her away by himself, Liu Buwang thought, perhaps he would still be helpless and would do as she wished.

Then he saw Mu Hongjin.

Unlike the proud and beautiful girl of the past, she became even more beautiful and charming, wearing an exquisite and luxurious robe. She got off the carriage and tilted her head to talk to the man beside her. The man beside her also had a gentle look on his face. He hugged her waist from behind, and the robe could not cover her slightly bulging belly.

Mu Hongjin is pregnant.

The legendary "old man" was not very old, and his eyes were very gentle when he looked at her. And the look she gave him back was also gentle, completely different from the arrogant girl in her memory.

The rain wet his boots and his clothes, but Liu Buwang felt that it was not as serious as the panic in his heart at the moment.

They were in perfect harmony and loving with each other, looking like a couple from heaven, while he stood here, looking ridiculously out of place.

But why did he want Mu Hongjin to wait there? This girl was as bright and lively as the peach blossoms under the Qiyun Mountain. Beautiful people or things are always discovered by others. Just as he fell in love with her unconsciously, so did Mu Hongjin's "husband".

Mu Hongjin already has her own peaceful life, so there is no need for him to disturb her anymore.

It seemed that his gaze was too hot and sad. Mu Hongjin seemed to sense something and looked back. Liu Buwang turned slightly to the side and hid in the shadow of the eaves.

"What's wrong?" the man next to her asked, holding her hand.

"Nothing." Mu Hongjin shook his head. "Maybe it was my illusion."

The rain was cold, and it was obviously hiding under the eaves, so why did it wet his cheeks? He seemed to taste bitterness at the corners of his lips. It turned out that spring rain was not sweet.

He strode away.

The sound of the piano was as poetic as a painting, completely covering up the numerous murderous intentions in the jungle. Someone stepped in without noticing and suddenly screamed. For a while, there were continuous screams. Finally, someone realized that something was wrong and stopped the actions of the people behind him.

"Don't come in, there's an ambush!"

Liu Buwang smiled slightly.

After he came down the mountain, he was silent for a long time, like a walking corpse, not knowing what to do in the future. He could neither return to Qiyun Mountain nor look for Mu Hongjin. For a while, he felt that life was meaningless.

Until Yu Shu found him.

The little junior sister was not as lovely as she used to be, and looked much more haggard. When she stood in front of him, Liu Buwang suddenly realized that Yu Shu had grown into a grown-up girl, and was no longer the little sister who followed him around.

"Brother," the girl looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm sorry."

"What?" He didn't understand.

"The reason why Miss Mu was found by the palace soldiers was because I was the one who informed them."

Liu Buwang’s expression froze in place.

"I like you, I like you very much, and I don't want you to be with her." Yu Shu seemed to want to confess all her faults and seek relief. "I overheard your conversation, so I told King Mengji where she was hiding. I thought that as long as she got married, you would forget her and stop thinking about her! I didn't expect you to keep thinking about her for so many years."

"I'm sorry, I was wrong," she cried bitterly, "I hurt you, brother, I'm sorry."

She cried freely and unrestrainedly, but Liu Buwang was as stiff and cold as a stone.

He was young and ignorant, with a rough mind. He did not notice the deep affection in the eyes of his junior sister when she looked at him, nor did he notice the flash of hostility in Yu Shu's eyes when he looked at Mu Hongjin.

The girl's love and hate came directly, and her thoughts were simple. She only cared about venting her anger, but she didn't expect to cause a pair of lovers to miss each other forever. It was not until the world changed and the regrets grew like a snowball that she repented.

"How could you do this?" He got angry at Yu Shu for the first time, "Do you know, do you know..."

He didn't say anything else.

What did he know? At that time, he himself did not know that he loved so deeply.

Like a fool.

The eldest senior brother who heard the news came and found him and said to him, "Xiao Qi, don't blame Yu Shu. She was young and ignorant, and now she has realized her mistakes. You should also not blame your master for not saving you and locking you up in the formation on Mount Qiyun."

Liu Buwang replied woodenly: "I have never blamed anyone."

He only has himself to blame.

"Do you know why Master wanted to lock you up in Qiyun Mountain?" The eldest senior brother said, "Master has always been kind and generous. He has adopted seven of us orphans. Even if Mu Hongjin is a princess, what does it matter? If Master really wants to protect her, would he be afraid of the dangers that this identity brings?"

Liu Buwang looked at him, not understanding what he meant.

"Master is doing this for you."

Taoist Master Yunji once read the hexagram for Liu Buwang, and the hexagram showed that one day he would be torn to pieces for a woman and die young.

Affection will kill him.

"You are the master's most beloved disciple. The master was afraid that you would lose your life because of Mu Hongjin, so he locked you up in the formation." The senior brother said: "Although he acted biasedly, he was also doing it for you."

Liu Buwang just felt it was absurd.

It was just a hexagram, why did he have to miss it? Taoist Yunji did this for him, who could he blame?

It’s just that the world is unpredictable and plays tricks on lovers.

He stayed in Jiyang City, hiding in the dark, doing the same things every day as before. Until one day, Yu Shu was captured by Mu Hongjin's guards in the temple.

Yu Shu didn't have the guts to assassinate her. As soon as the news came out, Liu Buwang knew that Mu Hongjin was forcing him to show up. But he was not angry at all. In fact, deep down in his heart, he even felt a little happy. After so many years, he could finally see her again openly.

He met Mu Hongjin in the Buddhist temple late at night.

Time has polished her to be more gorgeous and beautiful. She is like a ripe fruit, with an unfathomable charm and willfulness all over her body. Liu Buwang thought bitterly, who made her look like this? Was it her current "husband"?

Yes, they even had a child. She had married and had children, and they were getting further and further away from him.

The woman's red robe was gorgeous, and her golden crown reflected a faint crystal color in the night. Even brighter than that were her eyes. She stared at him, and there was no longer the mischievousness and innocence in her eyes that she had many years ago.

He had a thousand words to say to her, but in the end, he didn't know where to start. At the end, the only thing he could say was "Where is the Jade Book?"

Liu Buwang still remembered Mu Hongjin's look at that time, which seemed to be a little surprised, and a little understood. The moment he said it, he regretted it instantly. He shouldn't be so blunt, he should say something else. Asking her how she has been doing these years, apologizing for breaking the promise that year, would be better than questioning her.

Mu Hongjin looked at him as if he were a stranger and answered casually, "In prison."

The conversation between the two of them was as awkward as that between strangers, as if they were standing on hostile grounds, and there was no longer the intimacy they had in the past.

Liu Buwang was very conflicted. He wanted to stay here, talk to her more, and see her more. But he was afraid that if he stayed here for too long, he would not be able to control his emotions and bring trouble to Mu Hongjin.

It has been a long time ago. He did not arrive in time back then. Now, Mu Hongjin has someone else by her side and no longer needs him. Why bother coming to disturb her and make himself unhappy?

He wanted Mu Hongjin to release Yushu and arrest him. Taoist Yunji raised him, and Yushu was his daughter. He couldn't bear to see Yushu imprisoned. Besides, Mu Hongjin's purpose in arresting Yushu was for him.

Liu Buwang thought that Mu Hongjin must hate him very much, but people are reluctant to show any emotion towards things they don't care about, so Mu Hongjin hates him. Maybe, after so many years, she still has a little bit of the love she had at that time.

"She's just a junior sister. You're protecting her like this. Do you like her?"

Liu Buwang replied: "Yes."

"What did you say?"

Liu Buwang looked at her, as if he wanted to engrave her current appearance in his heart forever, and said word by word: "I like her."

He admitted that he was the one who informed on Mu Hongjin, admitted that he lied to Mu Hongjin by making up a promise, and admitted that he had never had any feelings for Mu Hongjin.

Mu Hongjin smiled. Her smile was contemptuous and sarcastic, as if his likes and dislikes were so insignificant and ridiculous. She wanted Liu Buwang to be her lover as a condition for letting Yushu go.

Liu Buwang was angry, angry at how she could humiliate him like this, and also humiliate her. But in his anger, he actually gave birth to a faint desire. He was shocked to find that he had never given up in his heart. It was like burying countless fire seeds in the ground. With just one word from her, they could easily break through the ground and set the whole field on fire.

He agreed.

But Mu Hongjin was unwilling.

Mu Hongjin wanted him to take Yushu and get out of Jiyang City, and never set foot here again. She wanted to separate herself from Liu Buwang cleanly and never have any contact with him again.

This was the last time he spoke to Mu Hongjin.

Liu Buwang later changed his name to Yunlin Jushi and traveled around the world. He went to many places. He was elegant in white clothes and had superb swordsmanship. Wherever he went, people praised and admired him. But he was always cold and indifferent, as if he didn't care about anything.

He also never saw his fellow apprentices and Yu Shu again. In this world, everyone will eventually become alone. But every year during the Water God Festival, he would still return to Jiyang City. He would sneak into the city without anyone knowing, just to take a look at the city guarded by Mu Hongjin.

Just like protecting her.

When reading the divination for others, he would inevitably foresee twists and turns. In order to avoid twists and turns, he tried to avoid some encounters that might bring uncertainty, but he didn't know that every encounter in the world has its own precious fate. While avoiding disasters, he also fell into another trap of fate, just like himself.

A lifetime of regret, a lifetime so close yet so unattainable.

Deep in the jungle, the screams became louder and louder, and more and more people came ashore. His piano music became increasingly fierce, like a cavalry of iron and steel, looming in the thick array of murderous intentions.

The formation is not omnipotent. The more people there are, the shorter the time it can last, and the more energy it needs to consume. When Taoist Yunji locked him up in the formation on Mount Qiyun, in order to get out as soon as possible, he ignored his own injuries and forced himself to break the formation and study it, which eventually hurt his mind. In all these years, he has never set up such a strenuous formation.

A trickle of blood slowly flowed from Liu Buwang's lips.

In the springtime, he smiled calmly, as if he had just met her. He seemed to be the swordsman in white clothes, standing in front of his beloved.