Chapter 269 World Eleven (Ten)
Baoshan followed You Dongjun and left the village where she had lived for over a decade. She lifted the hem of her skirt slightly, her delicate embroidered shoes stepping on the soft, moist soil as she looked behind her.
All I saw were the tall mountains and rivers, and the houses gathered together. Along with the curling smoke, they gradually became blurred in front of the treasure fan, and turned into black ink spots, and finally disappeared.
Baoshan felt a little relieved, and she hurried her steps, trying to catch up with You Dongjun.
But Baoshan was frail and had never walked far before, so in her haste, her steps tilted slightly and she fell to the ground. You Dongjun stretched out his arm and gently supported Baoshan's body.
Baoshan's cheeks suddenly turned red, as if she felt guilty for being useless.
She pursed her lips and said softly, "This is my first time traveling far away."
You Dongjun frowned, casually taking off the cloth bag from his back and handing it to Baoshan. Baoshan hadn't left the village for a long time, and the journey was long, so it was inevitable that Baoshan would feel tired. You Dongjun used the cloth bag as a leash to lead Baoshan along.
Baoshan had witnessed You Dongjun exorcising demons, so she knew the cloth bag contained a peach wood sword, a treasure of immense importance to You Dongjun. Baoshan frowned, bit her lip, and showed a look of conflicted hesitation. But Baoshan knew she couldn't delay the journey because of herself.
She stretched out her hands, two soft, snow-white hands resting on the peach wood sword. You Dongjun held the hilt, Bao Shan tightly gripping the end. The two of them, one in front and one behind, even their shadows on the ground overlapped.
Gu Xiaoxiao seemed to be really angry. She was carrying a simple bag and walking in front with light steps.
Gu Xiaoxiao knew You Dongjun's speed, so she deliberately maintained her pace so that she could leave You Dongjun behind, thereby showing that she was in a very unhappy mood.
At the same time, she can stay close to You Dongjun, as Gu Xiaoxiao knows You Dongjun's temperament well.
If she was a few feet away from You Dongjun, You Dongjun would definitely think that Gu Xiaoxiao didn't want to go with him, and would not think that she was angry.
Gu Xiaoxiao was feeling depressed, but she couldn't hear the footsteps behind her.
When she turned around, she found that she had already walked very far away from You Dongjun and Baoshan.
Gu Xiaoxiao hurried back the same way, only to see You Dongjun using the peach wood sword he usually treasured as a guide to the treasure fan.
Gu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes wide and stared at the treasure fan.
Being stared at by such a cold gaze, Bao Shan trembled slightly and explained softly, "The road is rough and bumpy. The Taoist priest was worried that I would fall, so he delayed his journey and kindly led the way for me. Miss Gu, please don't misunderstand..."
Gu Xiaoxiao snorted softly, her eyebrows furrowed tightly. She thought to herself: If the road is uneven, why can she walk on it as if it were flat ground, and the little Taoist priest can also walk freely, but Baoshan is so fragile?
Gu Xiaoxiao looked Baoshan up and down, and seeing her delicate and frail appearance, she finally believed what Baoshan said.
——It’s strange that someone so frail can walk with such big strides.
Gu Xiaoxiao grabbed the treasure fan's soft hand. The soft and delicate touch made Gu Xiaoxiao feel dazed.
Gu Xiaoxiao's snow-white skin was carefully maintained by her family using hundreds of methods.
But after walking outside for many days, Gu Xiaoxiao's skin is not as delicate as before.
What made Gu Xiaoxiao feel strange was that Baoshan was clearly just a village girl, yet she had such a beautiful body and skin.
Even a woman like Gu Xiaoxiao would be tempted to touch this snowy skin. If You Dongjun were to touch it...
Gu Xiaoxiao didn't want to think about it.
She turned to You Dongjun and said, "Since Baoshan is unable to walk easily, I will lead the way."
Bao Shan's beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and she said softly, "Miss Gu, are you willing to help me?"
Gu Xiaoxiao nodded stiffly: "Of course."
Bao Shan's lips curled up slightly, and pure joy appeared on her beautiful face. She said to You Dongjun, "Since Miss Gu is so kind, I won't bother you, Taoist priest."
You Dongjun nodded slightly. Baoshan was willing to let Gu Xiaoxiao lead the way, so You Dongjun naturally would not stop him.
He turned around and walked ahead with steady steps.
Bao Shan and Gu Xiaoxiao walked side by side, both of them silent.
You Dongjun walked quickly and steadily, and soon left the two behind.
Gu Xiaoxiao looked at You Dongjun's figure and wanted to catch up with him. She asked You Dongjun why he took the treasure fan out of the village and why he treated the treasure fan with more patience than with her.
But Gu Xiaoxiao had just promised to lead the way for the treasure fan, so she naturally couldn't just leave it behind.
Bao Shan was a sensitive person, so she could tell that Gu Xiaoxiao was distracted. She lowered her eyelids slightly, a look of deep thought in her eyes. After a moment, Bao Shan whispered, "Miss Gu... could you please let me go..."
Hearing this, Gu Xiaoxiao subconsciously loosened her grip on the treasure fan.
Baoshan unconsciously raised his arm, and his sleeve slowly slid down, revealing a piece of his pale wrist.
A circle of crimson marks was imprinted on the snow-white skin, which was left when Gu Xiaoxiao gripped the treasure fan tightly on her wrist.
Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered, and her voice became anxious. She said hastily, "I didn't do it on purpose..."
She just didn't expect that the skin on the precious fan was so delicate.
A little carelessness can leave such horrific traces.
For a moment, Gu Xiaoxiao didn't know how to defend herself.
She was thinking, what if Bao Shan told You Dongjun about this and claimed that Gu Xiaoxiao was deliberately making things difficult for Bao Shan, a weak woman.
If You Dongjun saw such traces, he would probably believe it.
But Baoshan simply pulled up her wide sleeves to cover up all the scarlet marks.
Her voice was soft, and there was a soothing gentleness in her tone: "I understand, how could Miss Gu have such intentions."
Gu Xiaoxiao raised her head in disbelief, staring at the treasure fan in a daze.
Bao Shan whispered softly, "Miss Gu is a chivalrous woman with a soft heart. If she hated me, she would have said it directly and would not have resorted to such torturous methods. Now that I'm like this... it's because my body is different from that of an ordinary person. It's not Miss Gu's fault. Miss Gu, please don't worry about this matter."
It was clearly the treasure fan that was hurt, yet she was comforting Gu Xiaoxiao instead. Furthermore, even though she was fragile and easily injured, such a horrific red mark on her skin would surely be extremely painful.
Gu Xiaoxiao blinked her eyes slightly. It was obvious that Baoshan did not complain and even comforted her softly.
But Gu Xiaoxiao did not feel relieved, instead she became even more sad.
Because Gu Xiaoxiao really hates Baoshan. Yes, if it were before, Gu Xiaoxiao had not figured out her feelings towards Baoshan.
When Gu Xiaoxiao saw Bao Shan timidly following You Dongjun, the feeling that emerged in her heart was disgust.
Gu Xiaoxiao didn't want Bao Shan and You Dongjun to be too close, nor did she like the closeness between the two.
Even just now, although Gu Xiaoxiao felt aggrieved, she was worried that You Dongjun would misunderstand her after Bao Shan complained.
But Gu Xiaoxiao subconsciously felt that Baoshan would do this.
As long as Baoshan is such a delicate-looking but gossipy woman, it is natural for Gu Xiaoxiao to dislike her.
But Baoshan was not like that. She concealed her scars and comforted Gu Xiaoxiao softly.
Baoshan is gentle and beautiful inside and out, which makes Gu Xiaoxiao, who hates Baoshan, become an unreasonable person.
Gu Xiaoxiao considers herself not a saint, when the villagers are discussing the treasure fan.
Although she didn't agree out loud, she actually agreed in her heart.
In Gu Xiaoxiao's mind, Bao Shan should be a weak but annoying woman.
Bao Shan was ignorant and foolish, and was willing to marry the mountain god in disguise of a monster. She also tried to seduce You Dongjun. No one knew what method she used, but she made You Dongjun accept the willow green cloth in front of everyone.
But at this moment, Bao Shan's soft and soothing voice, the praise and admiration for Gu Xiaoxiao in her words, was like a soft but prickly hand, slapping Gu Xiaoxiao's cheeks and making them burn.
Bao Shan called her "chivalrous and tender-hearted", but what Gu Xiaoxiao did made her despise Bao Shan's weakness and regard her as a burden.
Gu Xiaoxiao turned her head away, her voice cold: "Don't think that I won't hate you just because of this."
Baoshan uttered a soft "ah", with obvious sadness in his words.
"So... Miss Gu hates me."
Gu Xiaoxiao remained silent. She called out to You Dongjun, "Little Taoist priest, please lead the way."
Gu Xiaoxiao hurriedly caught up with You Dongjun, leaving only one sentence: "She is slow, like a turtle, I don't want to lead the way for her."
You Dongjun didn't know what had happened between Bao Shan and Gu Xiaoxiao. He handed the peach wood sword to Bao Shan again, and the two of them walked slowly on the mountain road.
Gu Xiaoxiao heard the conversation between the two people behind her. Although it was soft, it was extremely irritating to her ears.
Gu Xiaoxiao really wanted to run in front of the two of them and stop You Dongjun from paying attention to the treasure fan.
But the way Baoshan handled the injury just now put Gu Xiaoxiao at a disadvantage.
Now, whenever Gu Xiaoxiao saw the treasure fan, she felt depressed and wanted to escape.
Gu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to quicken her pace, not thinking about what You Dongjun and Bao Shan were talking about, or whether they were having a good conversation.
There is lush green in the mountains and forests.
Bao Shan naturally knew that she was facing a free and easy-going young lady like Gu Xiaoxiao.
If he faced the opponent head-on, he would definitely be merciless and might even force You Dongjun to make a decision in anger.
Bao Shan just followed You Dongjun, and Gu Xiaoxiao was the person that You Dongjun's master asked him to escort.
At that time, Bao Shan and Gu Xiaoxiao had a dispute, no matter what the result was, it would be a troublesome matter for You Dongjun.
Since it was a troublesome matter, You Dongjun just wanted to stay away from it and would never be willing to get close to it.
Baoshan acted ignorant and naive, thinking about Gu Xiaoxiao.
Like Gu Xiaoxiao, who hates others but can only suppress it in her heart because the other party has done nothing wrong, the only solution is to stay away from them.
In this way, no one can disturb Bao Shan and You Dongjun's interaction.
Baoshan's watery eyes moved slightly as she surveyed the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees. She whispered, "Master, do you think there's any difference between this place and the mountain where the village nestles?"
You Dongjun shook his head and said indifferently, "All mountains are just clumps of trees, tall and short, verdant green, dotted with flowers, creating a deep and quiet scene. There's nothing special about them."
Bao Shan smiled faintly and said, "It's still different. The mushrooms growing next to the tree roots here don't have round caps, but slightly flat ones.
The birds in this forest have different calls. Here they are short and loud, while the birds in my home mountains are fresh and pleasant."
You Dongjun raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "You are very attentive, but I don't see any difference."
Bao Shan tilted his head slightly and asked curiously, "Are the mountains and rivers here very similar to Mount Mao?"
You Dongjun said firmly: "Of course it's different."
You Dongjun began to talk about the scenery of Maoshan and the difference between it and this place.
The precious fan listened quietly, its soft fingers sliding gently along the contour of the peach wood sword.
The snow-white palm slid from the tail of the sword to the sword body.
The distance between Baoshan and You Dongjun gradually narrowed.
From the nearby treasure fan, one could see that You Dongjun's raised eyebrows were shaking slightly as he spoke.
Travel to Liangcheng.
Even though Baoshan had always been calm, he couldn't help but open his eyes wide when he saw such a prosperous city.
The hustle and bustle of traffic and the bustling crowds create a prosperous scene.
This place is probably thousands or even hundreds of times larger than the village where the treasure fan is located.
People were coming and going on the street, all wearing silks and satins that Baoshan had never seen before.
But the look of surprise only flashed across Baoshan's eyes for a moment.
She quickly calmed down and pretended to be flustered after being away from home and seeing a prosperous capital like Liangcheng.
Baoshan gently pulled at You Dongjun's Taoist robe, and hid behind You Dongjun sideways, only daring to look at everything around her timidly with her watery eyes.
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