(middle)
(Four)
Sima Changfeng pushed open the door and saw Yan'er sitting in the dark. She hadn't lit a lamp and was not talking.
"When did you come back?" he asked.
"Noon," she replied.
He was startled by the tone of her voice. It wasn't cold, it wasn't indifferent, but it was depressed, a depression she had never felt before.
He walked over and asked cautiously, "How is Leng Yue?"
"No," she replied.
Hearing Yan'er's dejected response, he froze in his tracks, unsure of what to say to comfort her. Yan'er, however, spoke first: "Hua Tuo said the cold moon poison has penetrated her marrow. She won't live many years."
He was about to speak when he heard Yan'er say again: "Changfeng, I have never had any brothers or sisters since I was a child. Lengyue is like my own sister."
"I see."
Sima Changfeng sat down beside Yan'er and held her in his arms. Yan'er leaned against him and whispered, "Changfeng, I'm actually very weak."
He patted her back with his thick palm and said softly, "I understand."
Yes, he understood everything. Back then, he'd willingly accepted her sword strike to quench her rage. She'd been so overwhelmed, her eyes reddened. She'd suddenly let go, the Phoenix Blood Sword teetering on his chest. She'd shaken her head and backed away, a sight that hadn't left him feeling good.
On the surface, she was the renowned Dragon Goddess, with exceptional martial arts skills and a cold demeanor. But he knew clearly what a soft heart lay beneath that cold exterior.
She should have been as happy as a bird, but now she has to carry a heavy burden.
She said: Sometimes, I really feel scared.
She said: "I have never had any brothers or sisters since I was a child. Leng Yue is like my own sister. But she doesn't have many years left to live."
She said: Changfeng, actually I am very weak.
He patted her gently and comforted her softly, "Don't be sad, I believe Hua Tuo will have a way."
Yan'er nodded.
He lowered his head and kissed her gently. This was his Yan'er, the Yan'er he vowed to protect and cherish for his entire life.
He doesn't want anything, as long as Yan'er is safe and happy.
To defeat Bantianyue, one needed the combined power of Dragon Soul and Phoenix Blood, as well as Ruthlessness and Selflessness. Thus, Sima Changfeng and Shangguan Yan once again focused on practicing their combined swordsmanship. Their replacements were Gongsun Heng and Zheng Fang, two of Gu Mutian's most prized Dark Clothes Team disciples.
She and he still lived in the room closest to Huangfu Renhe, while Zheng Fang and Gongsun Heng set up two beds on the floor directly in Huangfu Renhe's bedroom so as to protect Huangfu Renhe at any time.
Night should be a great time for lovers, but Yan'er and Changfeng only think about how to protect the stinky tofu and how to fight against the half-moon.
Some questions can't be avoided. Yan'er thought about it again and again, and decided to ask him what he thought.
"Changfeng, I know you can't bear to attack Bantianyue, but have you ever thought about whether Bantianyue will show mercy to us?" she asked.
He replied, "Given Ban Tianyue's personality, he will definitely kill us all."
She looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.
He continued, "Yan'er, I've actually been thinking a lot lately. Although Bantianyue raised me for over a decade, he is, after all, the murderer who killed over thirty members of my Sima family. He adopted me simply to train me to be his killing tool. I've killed so many people for him, and his kindness in raising me has long since been repaid. All ties between him and me are severed."
"You say that, but you don't necessarily mean it. Back at Broken Sword Cliff, you..."
At Broken Sword Cliff, Ban Tianyue was defeated by Feng Yan, Bai Tong, and Ouyang Feiying. Sima Changfeng, believing his meridians were severed, offered to spare his life. Bai Tong refused and lunged, only to be met with a powerful palm strike from Ban Tianyue, shattering his internal organs and killing him. Although Bai Tong had already sustained severe internal injuries from his impulsive training, Ban Tianyue's palm strike was undoubtedly the most direct cause of his death. Ban Tianyue jumped off the cliff, leaving everyone presumed dead. Yet, he is now alive. Not only has his power remained undiminished, but the power of the Divine Moon Cult has even surpassed its former strength.
Bantianyue's martial arts skills were not wasted, but Baitong's life was ruined. Thinking of Baitong's death, Yan'er couldn't help but feel sad.
"Yan'er, I understand. I made this mistake once and I will never make it again," he said.
She looked into his eyes, as if asking, Is this true?
He suddenly became nervous, grabbed her hand and said, "For the peace of Sifang City and our future, we must eradicate Bantianyue."
His voice was a little tense: "Yan'er, promise me that you won't get hurt for me again, okay? I really can't bear the pain of losing you. I would rather be the one who gets hurt."
She quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "Don't say such things. You don't want me to get hurt for you, and I don't want you to get hurt for me."
Changfeng kissed Yan'er's hand and nodded repeatedly.
They are no longer as impulsive as they were before, no longer eager to prove anything with their lives.
Yan'er nestled quietly in Changfeng's arms, saying word by word, "I believe we will all be safe."
Why does one of us have to get hurt? We're all going to be fine, right?
(five)
"Yan'er, Changfeng, do you think this move 'Dragon Love and Snow Heart' can be sublimated to a higher and deeper level?" Gumutian asked.
She thought for a moment, then replied, "The four lines of the 'Dragon Love and Snow Heart' technique—'Above the azure sky, below the netherworld, intertwined branches, lovebirds'—tell us to have the courage and determination to sacrifice for each other. If we elevate this feeling, does it mean we need to have the courage and determination to die for all living beings?"
"Changfeng, what do you think?"
"Yan'er and I agree with each other," he said.
"Well, that's right!" Gu Mutian said, "The courage and determination to sacrifice for one another is selfless and powerful. If it can be further sublimated into great love for all living beings, personal grudges and honor and disgrace will no longer matter. Then the power of the combined sword and blade will inevitably increase greatly!"
Gu Mutian patted Sima Changfeng's shoulder and said, "Changfeng, I know you're a sentimental person. Bantianyue raised and taught you, so you couldn't bear to kill him. But have you ever thought about how many lives would be lost in Sifang City if you let Bantianyue go out of your momentary weakness? How many more orphans like you and Yan'er would appear, and how many families would be wiped out?"
"Senior, you are absolutely right. Compared with the safety of the people in Sifang City, Changfeng's personal grudges are not worth mentioning. What's more, Bantianyue was originally the enemy of my Sima family. Changfeng will not be soft-hearted." He said.
She still looked at him quietly.
She believed everything he said.
How quickly things change. Just moments ago, they were practicing swordplay, and in the blink of an eye, the Divine Moon Cult had stormed the palace. The Imperial Guards suffered heavy casualties, and Ling Xue was seriously injured. They had no choice but to seek temporary refuge in Chunfengdeyi Palace. The palace had fallen.
The city lord stayed by Ling Xue's side, while she and Chang Feng silently stood guard outside the door. Dark clouds piled up, thunder roared, and the entire sky seemed to be collapsing. Soon, heavy rain began to fall.
"Miss Shangguan, Brother Sima," Gongsun Heng said, "The ancient elders asked Brother Zheng and I to take over your positions."
"Thank you very much."
The rain was getting heavier. Yan'er leaned against him and murmured, "The storm is finally here."
"The sky will clear up after the rain, and everything will be fine." Changfeng comforted.
Although we are safe for the time being, it is really a headache to figure out how to turn defeat into victory.
She and Changfeng never slacked off in their sword-fighting, competing with Hua Tuo and the old man from the frontier three times a day. Nong Yue led the dark team out every night, and Leng Yue was also trying to find a way to resolve the feud between her and Shi Qiuyan.
One day, Shi Qiuyan invited Lengyue to dinner. Lengyue made careful arrangements, but still failed. Shi's army chased them to Chunfengdeyi Palace. The dark-clothed team and the old people from the frontier came out to fight. She and Changfeng also ran to help.
Repelling the Shi family army was a no-brainer, but their hiding place had been exposed. Even though the real city lord had already moved to a safe place, the situation was still somewhat disadvantageous for them.
No one knew what would happen. They were not afraid of dying, but only of dying in vain.
"Long Wind,"
"Um?"
"What if we can't get through this time?" she asked.
"No, good will never prevail over evil. We can definitely defeat Bantianyue and restore peace to Sifang City," he said.
She sighed, "Who knows what the future holds? If I could choose, I'd really like to find a place with beautiful scenery, away from the hustle and bustle of society, and live a simple and peaceful life."
"After all the troubles have subsided, we will find a place to live in seclusion and live a life like in paradise."
"I want to go to the Desert Ridge."
"Okay, then let's go to the Desert Ridge."
"I just don't know if I can live to see that day." Yan'er said in a low voice.
He smiled and patted Yan'er on the head: "What nonsense! We have the sword and the sword together, plus the double sword of Sai Hua Tuo and Leng Yue, we will definitely get through this disaster safely this time."
"I hope so." Yan'er said.
"Yan'er, why do you always say depressing things today?" he asked.
"The current Bantianyue is no longer the Bantianyue of the past. His Golden Buddha Indestructible Body has been fully cultivated, and the power of the Shenyue Sect has also grown much stronger than before. Now he is not only cruel and ruthless, but also has unfathomable skills. And Shi Qiuyan, he has a special relationship with Lengyue. It is too difficult for Lengyue to deal with him. I'm afraid..." Yan'er said.
"Yan'er, don't worry. Leng Yue said she can resolve Shi Qiuyan's issue. We should trust her, right?"
"Everything about the future is unknown, how can we not worry?"
"Since everything is unknown, worrying is useless. Instead of worrying about the future, it's better to seize the present. Actually, I think this place is nice, with beautiful scenery and far away from the hustle and bustle. Let's just treat it as a desert ridge for now. No matter what happens in the future, at least we are happy at this moment, right, Yan'er? Look, how beautiful the night is tonight."
Yan'er looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and smiled sweetly: "Yes, at least at this moment, we are very happy. The night is really beautiful tonight."
Love will always nourish each other's hearts unknowingly.
When she leaned against him and said some discouraging words, he comforted her gently but firmly. At this moment, he was no longer the wavering person he was before.
On days when he wasn't strong enough, he learned to reassure her.
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