Chapter 66 Chapter 66 He will bear all the costs...
"I..." She looked around and was shocked to find that it wasn't just Song Yaojie and Yi Haichuan. Everyone in the training ground was staring at them in silence as they embraced. Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable and quickly pushed him away. "Don't go crazy here. Let's talk about it back home."
"Go back?" He let go of her slightly, his expression lifeless. "Go back, will you talk to me nicely, Jiaojiao? We don't have many days left."
She took a long breath and said, "Yes, really. Don't be like this."
Gu Huaijin lowered her head. The gazes from all directions seemed to only penetrate her and had no effect on him. He held her face seriously, calmly, yet confusedly, trying to decipher her words. After a while, he finally let her go.
"With these two slaps, no one on the mountain will dare to embarrass you anymore." He glanced at Song Yaojie meaningfully, making her feel uneasy for a moment. "Jiaojiao, do you still want to watch here? If you do, ask Junior Brother Yi to accompany you. If not, ask Junior Brother Yi to accompany you back to your room."
She pulled herself out of his arms, "Senior Brother Yi is also going to compete."
He nodded. "Okay."
Then, he finally let her go and walked to Li Xuanbai, who was still recovering from the blows he had taken to the martial arts viewing platform, and stood at his feet.
"Is he dead? If not, come with me to see my uncle."
Li Xuanbai was stuck between the broken pieces of the seat and the railing. He smiled sinisterly and forced himself to sit up. "Fuck... they really gave you a hard time. Are you looking for death?"
"Forget about it. You've already caused such a big trouble. You're almost dead, and you're still looking for him." Gu Huaijin said coldly, "Master is calling you. I have to go look for him now, too. Come with me."
Li Xuanbai: "Who the hell wants to go with you? Get out of here!"
"Do you think I want to?" Gu Huaijin laughed, "If I leave you here, you'll be circling around Jiaojiao like a fly all day long. How can I feel at ease if I don't take you away?"
He said to the people behind him, "Come here, take Li Xuanbai away."
Li Xuanbai sat up, but he had just fallen so hard that he clutched his chest and laughed, "I was just caught off guard for a moment, and you dared to plot against me like this? I'm going to make you pay on stage today, just wait and see."
Gu Huaijin smiled helplessly, "Your last-minute cramming skills? Forget it." He turned around and said casually, "Take him away."
Li Xuanbai forced himself to stand up, dusted off his palms, and looked around: "Who dares? I'll go by myself."
The guards who were about to step forward met his gaze and all fell silent, lowering their eyes, not daring to look him in the face.
Gu Huaijin watched without saying anything. Finally, he glanced at the person sitting in the center of the martial arts viewing platform from a distance, turned around, and said, "Let's go."
*
In the competition on the mountain, the first ones to go on stage seemed to be disciples who had only been practicing martial arts for a short time.
She only knew a few people with names on the mountain. As for the others, even though Yi Haichuan explained them to her from time to time, she could not remember them very well and just glanced at them superficially.
The winner was decided again. One disciple was kicked out of the ring by his opponent, and fell into the water in an arc, causing the lotus leaves on the surface to sway a few times.
The person opposite opened his palm, and the four beads in the air were immediately collected into his palm, as if they were sucked in by his palm.
"He actually has four? There's another talented person this year." Yi Haichuan murmured.
"On Mount Tianshan, is the level of skill determined by the number of beads?" she asked.
Knowing her relationship with Gu Zhi, Yi Haichuan did not hide it from her:
"Exactly. The deeper one's power, the more beads one can control. Someone as dull as me has been in the mountains for five years before I can control five. It's said that the one above has only been in the mountains for three years and already has four beads. Although he still can't compare to what the eldest brother did back then, he is certainly a promising talent."
Speaking of Gu Huaijin, she asked, "So, how many can Huaijin control?"
"Seven," Yi Haichuan said, "the most on this mountain. Senior Brother is incredibly talented and diligent in his training. It's hard for others to even compare to him."
Hearing this, she thought of Li Xuanbai's arrogance and found it amusing. She smiled and asked, "What about Li Xuanbai?"
"Senior Brother Xuanbai and Senior Sister Yaojie both have six. The three of them are always in the top three on the mountain, and it's basically the same."
However, a month before this year's competition, Gu Huaijin stayed in her room every day, refusing to practice, and even staying up all night. It was probably difficult for her to maintain her previous ranking.
There was one more thing she had always wanted to ask.
She smiled meaningfully and said, "I know Li Xuanbai has been in seclusion these days, and Huai Jin seems to have been busy with official business. So what about Senior Sister Yao Jie? How is her training going?"
Yi Haichuan thought she was worried about Gu Zhi's ranking. "Senior Sister Yao Jie has been very busy lately. The Yin-Yang Key was lost on the mountain, and Senior Brother and the elders have been having a bad time lately, and they've been disobeying orders. Senior Brother Xuan Bai never gets involved in these matters, so everything has been handed over to Senior Sister Yao Jie."
"Oh." Like a snake smelling its prey, she coiled her tail in the dark with great interest. "Have you found the Yin-Yang Key on the mountain? I heard it's very important."
"That's right, but unfortunately, we still have no clue." Yi Haichuan sighed. "One Yin-Yang Key can open the Nine Stars Reverse Wheel, and a pair can open the Star Pavilion. Such important items have not been found yet. Senior Sister is extremely worried and has sent people to guard both the Star Pavilion and the Nine Stars Reverse Wheel. Unfortunately, the thief disappeared after stealing the key and has not made any move since then."
Then, the thief probably guessed that there would be martial law on the mountain at this time, so he hid in the dark and waited for an opportunity to strike.
She sighed. Gu Huaijin had almost taken over, but the Star Pavilion couldn't be opened again. Is there anyone on this mountain who can tell fortunes? Could they tell her when the Star Pavilion would reopen and when she could find a secret path out of the mountain? Ideally, fate would bring both to her.
Someone else entered the arena. Nan Qiong Shuang straightened her back, wanting to take a closer look, when she suddenly saw Qing Deng walk through the crowd, approach her, and bow to her, saying:
"Miss Chu, the elders are calling you to come to Bodhi Pavilion for a talk."
Only when I arrived at Bodhi Pavilion did I realize how lively it was today.
The Bodhi Pavilion was not big to begin with. It was where Huide worshipped Buddha and copied scriptures every day. There was a small hall at the entrance, and behind the pearl curtain was the Arhat bed.
At this moment, there were many people standing in the small square hall. A quick look revealed that Gu Huaijin, Li Xuanbai, Song Yaojie and Heng Huang were all there. Sitting on the Arhat bed were Huide and another old man with gray hair and long beard. He must be Heng Huang's famous father, Heng Qingnan.
Yi Haichuan lifted the bead curtain at the attic door for her and lowered it gently. The sandalwood beads clashed against each other, and the people inside heard the sound and turned around to look.
Gu Huaijin exchanged glances with her, lowering his eyelids. He stood in front of her calmly, but he couldn't help but lean towards Li Xuanbai. Li Xuanbai rolled his eyes at him and said, "Get lost."
Gu Huaijin sneered and looked at him as if he was sick.
"Everyone's here." Huide took a sip of tea. "I called you all here today to ask about Huang'er being bullied on the mountain. Who's going to speak first?"
No one answered.
Huide called out the name: "Huai Jin."
Gu Huaijin lowered his head: "Miss Heng's own affairs should be discussed by Miss Heng herself."
Huide glanced at him with his triangular eyes. Ever since Gu Huaijin returned the next day after going down the mountain, he had become quite different, no longer as easy to manipulate as before.
Heng Huang's eyes were swollen from crying, and there was a funny big bump on her head, which overlapped with her double buns, as if she had a pile of bean buns on her head:
"Today, I went to the Martial Arts Arena and saw Miss Chu sitting there. I told her to get out of here, saying, 'This isn't where you're supposed to sit. This is where we sit,' and told her to get out. But as I was saying that, someone kicked me off... off the steps, and then drew a sword to fight me. He used two beads and dislocated my wrist..."
"Hey, hey, hey, don't be so quick-witted when you're talking." Li Xuanbai habitually wanted to hug his shoulders, but when he saw Huide and Heng Qingnan looking in his direction, he calmed down and said, "I heard everything you said when you asked them to move." He imitated Heng Huang's shrill voice:
"'Who is she to say? She's sitting with me? You Tianshan people, what an insult!' And, 'Whoever sits where you sit will be stained with foul odor. Get me some gardenia soap and wipe it clean!' Didn't you say that?"
Huide cleared his throat.
Li Xuanbai ignored the obvious warning. "And what else? He even tried to snatch a candied haws fruit, saying, 'I don't want it, but she can't have it either.' What's going on? The Hengshan Sect is so poor that they have to come to Tianshan Mountain to snatch candied haws from others? That's ridiculous."
Heng Qingnan took a sip of tea and scraped the rim of the cup with the tea lid.
Heng Huang saw that Heng Qingnan didn't say anything and cried, "Daddy!"
Heng Qingnan: "Huai Jin has always been steady and considerate, but I didn't expect him to attack my daughter. A few days ago, Huai Jin visited Hengshan, and Hengshan treated him with courtesy. I wonder why he did this today?"
Gu Huaijin pondered for a moment. "Actually, it's more than just this one thing. Miss Chu was my honored guest, and I felt guilty because of me when she got hurt that day. Unexpectedly, I first ran into Miss Heng cursing Miss Chu under her window. Then, one day when I returned to the courtyard, I ran into Miss Heng ordering Miss Chu to kneel in the muddy water in the corner of the courtyard, and then forcing her to crawl to her feet on her knees."
"These are two separate matters. As for today, Miss Chu sitting in the center of the martial arts viewing platform was originally my order. Junior Brother Yi informed Miss Heng of this matter, but she still refused to give in and refused to allow Miss Chu to sit down. She even insulted her and told her to clean the seat."
"That candied haws was also my order. I asked Junior Brother Yi to buy it for Miss Chu. Miss Heng didn't really want a candied haws, but she was trying to humiliate my guest by taking advantage of the difference in status. Huai Jin has tolerated this for a long time, and today I don't want to endure it anymore."
"My daughter is indeed a little willful. We have spoiled her over the years and she has never suffered." Heng Qingnan sighed, and Heng Huang immediately cried miserably, "Daddy!"
Heng Qingnan continued, "But, just for a guest staying at Tianshan, a few angry words, a seat, and a candied haws, you actually broke my daughter's right wrist, dislocated her left wrist, and even threw her out, hitting the rocks and knocking her unconscious for half an hour. Aren't you, Tianshan, going too far?"
Huide lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, which meant that he didn't want to stop it.
Li Xuanbai laughed, "Then who is to blame for her willful behavior, her outbursts, and her lack of manners when she goes out?"
Huide tapped his knuckles on the narrow table. "Li Xuanbai."
Li Xuanbai ignored her, "If she had been taught better by her family, and hadn't taken advantage of her father's power as the head of the sect to bully others, and hadn't acted so arrogantly and made trouble everywhere, who would have dared to touch her?"
Huide raised his voice: "Li Xuanbai!"
Heng Qingnan couldn't utter a word. His chest heaved like an asthma patient, and his beard curled and straightened in the wind.
Li Xuanbai actually stopped talking. Huide sat behind the beaded curtain, her eyes like poisoned drills fixed on him, and for a moment even he lowered his head.
What was going on? She had heard Li Xuanbai call Huide "old man" with her own ears. Now, just because he was being stared at, he actually gave in?
He turned his eyes and saw Heng Qingnan behind the bead curtain.
It was probably because Heng Qingnan was present. This Li Xuanbai was not a simple person. The phrase "Gu Qingyao is the only one who knows my affairs" meant that Tianshan was keeping a great secret from him. However, he had a secret that could not be known to outsiders, so he had to keep it to himself in front of them.
It's quite interesting, Nan Qiong Shuang thought to herself. Normally, it's easy for him to speak for her because of his status. However, whether he is truly on her side and how far he can go for her can only be verified at this time.
Li Xuanbai stopped talking and tilted his head impatiently.
Song Yaojie clasped her fists towards Heng Qingnan and said, "Master Heng, please forgive me. Junior Brother Xuanbai has always been unrestrained and has acted recklessly. His words do not represent Tianshan. If I have offended you, Yaojie apologizes."
Li Xuanbai sneered.
"What about Huai Jin?" Heng Qingnan asked, "Huai Jin has always had a good temper, but for a seat and some candied haws, he slapped my daughter away. Wasn't that too much?"
Gu Huaijin lowered his head and said, "Junior Brother Xuanbai and I share the same crime and are willing to accept the punishment together."
Li Xuanbai smiled and said, "Better than me?"
Gu Huaijin remained silent. He had become more shrewd these days. Since there were always people who were more extreme than him, he could occasionally resort to any means necessary. Even if his uncle punished him again, he could still refuse to plead guilty.
Since the punishment was never fair, there were some things he didn't have to obey.
"Can you be compared with Li Xuanbai?" Huide lowered his eyes and spread out the folds of his robes across his knees.
"What position does he hold? What position do you hold? How can you be so willful? You're already so grown up, but you don't learn to share the affairs of the mountain. You stay locked up in your room all day for a woman, and you don't care about the matter of the Yin-Yang Key. Now you're even imitating your junior brother and acting so willfully. Is this how you act like a senior brother?"
Gu Zhi just said firmly: "As long as the two uncles and I share the punishment, I will accept it all."
Heng Qingnan looked at Huide tentatively.
Huide just lowered his eyes, fiddled with the rosary in his hand, and said nothing.
Gu Zhi understood that it meant that there was no way to punish him.
It turned out that as long as Li Xuanbai was framed together, he would be safe. All those years of enduring humiliation in the mountains were in vain.
He couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
"There's one thing I really want to ask Huaijin." On the Arhat bed, Huide sighed, glanced at Qingdeng, and gestured for her to pour tea. "You've always been the most considerate and respectful. No matter how angry I was, I never thought you would hit me in public, especially with my niece. What's wrong? Have you been feeling unhappy lately? Is it because of me?"
I've been feeling really down for the past month, but it's not because of Huide.
There was no time to even think about him.
At this moment, thinking that she was standing behind him, he really wanted to turn around and look at her.
But I still held back.
Being so impulsive today... No, not really. He was already extremely fed up with Heng Huang's temper, but he had only previously prioritized harmony between the two mountains over his own emotions, forcing himself to be perfunctory.
But now, she was going down the mountain. He would never see her again.
In the last two or three days left on the mountain, she could not bear any more injustice, no matter what the reason.
He will bear all the costs.
He said, "I dare not."
Huide: "Is it simply to vent your anger on Miss Chu?"
Gu Huaijin lowered his eyes and did not answer. Li Xuanbai sneered.
There was a moment of silence in the Bodhi Pavilion.
Nan Qiong Shuang listened from the side, wondering why she was called here today? She hadn't had anything to do for so long.
At this time, Heng Qingnan and Huide looked at each other silently and looked at her together.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Heng Qingnan sighed and said, "I know the elders are in a difficult position. I am also at fault in this matter. Why don't we both compromise a little? Huai Jin and Master Li will be competing in the arena soon. This annual competition is of vital importance, and I don't want to ruin the long-standing friendship between the two mountains."
"However, Huang'er's wrist is seriously injured. I also love my daughter dearly, so I can't let this matter go easily. How about holding whoever caused this incident accountable?"
Gu Huaijin: "What do you mean?"
"Since this matter was caused by Miss Chu, then whatever injuries Huang'er suffered should be taken back from Miss Chu."
Nan Qiong Shuang sneered in her heart.
A woman and two men got involved in a jealous fight, and in the end she was the one who got hurt?
Gu Huaijin: "I'm afraid this won't work."
Li Xuanbai: "Chu Jiaojiao cannot be punished."
The two of them said in unison, looking at each other with disgust.
Li Xuanbai: "Heng Huang's behavior is what he deserves, right?"
Heng Qingnan couldn't bear it any longer and threw the teacup to the ground, smashing it to pieces. The scalding tea splashed everywhere. Song Yaojie was shocked: "Master Heng!"
Heng Qingnan: "You bastard! Kneel down!"
Li Xuanbai stood in the middle with a smile on his face, refusing to bend his knees at all.
Song Yaojie drew her sword, "Is the friendship between the two mountains today going to be completely destroyed by your few words?! Kneel before Sect Master Heng!"
Li Xuanbai just stood there, and Huide finally slammed the table:
"Li Xuanbai, I've always pampered you and tolerated you in the mountains, but I never imagined I'd spoil you to this point, leading you to speak so arrogantly! I'm warning you, no matter what, I'm the one who calls the shots in the mountains. Don't you want to leave the mountains? If you keep being so pretentious, be careful or I'll have you thrown into the Waterfall Prison for fifty years!"
Gu Huaijin was stunned. He was also coming out of retirement? Why hadn't he heard of this before?
As soon as the word "coming out of the mountains" was mentioned, Li Xuanbai's arrogance suddenly stopped and he stopped talking.
Huide: "If you want to leave the mountain, Chu Jiaojiao must be punished. If not, you can't leave the mountain. Choose!"
Nan Qiong Shuang stood there, listening with bated breath.
Heng Qingnan: "Is there going to be a punishment or not?"
Gu Huaijin wanted to test how much Huide could tolerate Li Xuanbai, and also wanted to see how far he could go for Nan Qiongshuang. He lowered his eyes and smiled, waiting for his response.
Li Xuanbai stopped talking.
Heng Huang smiled: "Punish or not, Master Li?"
Li Xuanbai gave her a disgusted look and turned his head away.
I've asked it so many times, but still haven't gotten the answer. The answer is already obvious.
Nan Qiongshuang shrugged inwardly. She had long since realized that Li Xuanbai wouldn't put her before himself. To him, the most important thing was always himself.
That was nothing. It was just a casual crush, helping her was a favor, not helping her was his duty. He had already treated her well, so who would expect too much from him?
Li Xuanbai tutted, raised his chin and looked at Gu Zhi: "I'm asking you."
Gu Zhi laughed. If he couldn't hold it back anymore, he should just push it to him?
However, when he heard that this was all Li Xuanbai could do for her, he felt a little relieved.
Gu Huaijin said respectfully, "Miss Chu cannot be punished. If there is any punishment, I will take it on her behalf."
"Master Heng has already conceded, yet you still refuse to acknowledge your mistake? Gu Huaijin," Huide began to address him by name, clearly furious. "As the Young Master of Yishan, you haven't fulfilled your responsibilities, and you've been neglecting your duties every day because of a woman."
"Now, for this woman, you've hurt Sect Leader Heng's daughter, yet you still refuse to repent and continue to act on your own. I've taught you for over a decade, but have all my teachings been in vain?! Before your father went into seclusion, he told you to sacrifice yourself for the public good and be wholeheartedly devoted to the cause. Don't you feel guilty for taking your father's surname, Gu?!"
Gu Huaijin simply said, "I feel guilty, but I cannot punish you."
Huide actually grabbed the teacup and smashed it on Gu Huaijin's head through the bead curtain. The bead curtain shook and broken porcelain pieces flew all over the floor. He was immediately splashed with scalding hot tea from head to toe, but he just closed his eyes and accepted it quietly.
"Evil creature!" Huide stood up immediately. "This is how you behave as the young master of the mountain!"
Li Xuanbai chuckled at the side.
Nan Qiongshuang was immediately upset when she heard Li Xuanbai's laughter. She took a half step forward and grabbed Gu Huaijin's sleeve, "Elder, if you want to punish me..."
In fact, there is nothing wrong with punishing her. Why let the situation get out of control and cause chaos on the mountain? What did Gu Huaijin do wrong? Are you guys in Tianshan still trying to find the Yin-Yang Key?
Gu Huaijin felt her holding his clothes, opened his eyes, and held her hand for a moment.
At that moment, she felt a little relieved.
But he held her hand and dragged her behind him, not allowing her to come forward.
Gu Huaijin lowered his eyes, his expression quite calm. "Actually, Uncle Master, why is there so much anger? Since Uncle Master thinks I, the Young Sect Leader, am not doing a good enough job, then Uncle Master, please find another candidate. I will return the Young Sect Leader's seal to the mountain and will come down at a later date. This matter will then be settled."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the Bodhi Pavilion looked over in shock. Even Li Xuanbai had an expression that said, "This guy has gone crazy today," and the corners of his mouth twitched for a long time.
Song Yaojie: "That's nonsense! The head of the Tianshan Sect has always been from the Gu family. As the head's only son, what are you doing now? Are you quitting?!"
Gu Huaijin simply said, "When Daddy was in seclusion, he asked Uncle-Master to teach and assist me. Since Uncle-Master is not satisfied with me, I will step aside. Until Daddy comes out of seclusion, the Tianshan Sect will still be named Gu. Isn't it the same?"
Huide: "Do you want me, at my age of seventy, to be accused of forcing my nephew away and plotting to seize power?"
He said: "Since Huai Jin is incompetent, this is the best thing for Tianshan."
Huide was speechless for a moment. He stood behind the bead curtain, panting like an ox with anger and almost unable to stand.
When a person who has always been kind and considerate turns against him, it is like a thunderclap in a clear sky, which makes people stunned at first, then afraid, and finally muttering, how could this happen.
In fact, it wasn't a question of "how could this happen." Huide had been riding on his shoulder for nearly ten years, and he should have expected this day to come.
Gu Huaijin laughed: "What about Uncle Master's decision?"
Sect Leader Lian Heng also knew that he couldn't force the Young Sect Leader of Tianshan to leave the mountain just because of his daughter's momentary willfulness, so he had to persuade Huide:
"Elder, this matter is of no small importance. If Huai Jin insists on doing this—if Huai Jin insists on doing this, let's just forget about it today."
Gu Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his eyes, and smiled slightly with a hint of sarcasm.
The three words "Young Sect Leader" had restricted him to a great extent, but now, they were finally of some use.
However, it is a pity that Heng Qingnan gave in, so he could not take up the position with good reason and go down the mountain with her.
He took half a step back, wanting to find the person behind him, even if it was just to hold her hand.
Li Xuanbai suddenly laughed. "Choose a date to go down the mountain? You heard we were going down together soon, so you deliberately got involved, right?"
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