Farewell to you
This was the first time in years that she had faced the outside world, and it was such a stark contrast between joy and sorrow.
But because she was lying on Gu Yi's back, she felt at ease.
It was as if as long as Gu Yi was there, no matter how fierce the storm or how drastic the changes in the world were, it would not harm her in the slightest.
His embrace, his arms, are as broad and strong as the world's most solid city wall. He always keeps his promises.
She never asked where he would go after taking her away from Jianzhang Palace. But she knew the outside world was vast. Many ordinary people never even came to the palace and still lived very well.
Gu Yi rarely talked to her about things outside, but Aunt Yuan Yi had.
She spoke of the streets and alleys in front of her house, the fragrance of gardenias sold by vendors in summer, the pond in spring, and the large tank with koi swimming in the yard. She said that for a penny, one could buy three strings of dried mulberries soaked in acacia honey, sweet with a hint of tartness, a favorite treat for little girls.
Of course, there's also the sashimi and yokan from Shui Xian Lou. The sashimi is made from freshly caught fish from the river, sliced with exceptional knife skills until it's paper-thin, translucent, and layered like flower petals, with a sweet and fresh flavor. As for the yokan, the stewing process requires precise control of the heat to achieve its rich, savory, and non-greasy texture.
Aunt Yuanyi had secretly brought her both of these dishes from the Imperial Kitchen, but Aunt Yuanyi privately commented that they were not as good as those from the Narcissus Pavilion outside the palace.
Therefore, the world outside the palace meant vibrant, colorful, and full of life to her. Human life was as dazzling as fireworks, and even though it might experience the chaos and displacement of dynasties, people would always rebuild and be reborn from the ruins.
She was curious about it, just like any other little girl outside the palace.
Until an extremely cold energy locked her and Gu Yi firmly in place.
A figure stood atop the opposite palace roof, blocking Gu Yi's path. The man was tall and imposing, dressed in flowing white robes, with an ethereal air, yet his face was concealed by a black bird mask.
Gu Yi, who had been walking with his back bent and hunched over, raised his head and stopped at this moment, his eyes flashing with a sharp look, his spine straight and his shoulders taut.
At that moment, the "Luoyue" sword, which had been hidden at his waist, came into his right palm.
Ah Qiu was pressed against his back, and she could hear every single one of his subtle movements perfectly.
The man in white, with an imposing air, laughed casually and said, "Although I don't know where you come from, friend, no one in the world can withstand a single move from me while carrying someone on their back."
His voice possessed a magnetic quality and a strange magic, traveling through the air from the opposite side, yet it evoked a strange and unsettling feeling in the listener.
It was as if space itself had been distorted.
Even though A Qiu was not familiar with extraordinary skills, he could guess that this person must be a master at manipulating space with sound.
Now, she naturally knows that this person is her future master, Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall.
But when he appeared, he was still dressed as the Qiang musician Shi Changqing from the former Huan Palace. He was not only dressed in a white robe, but also had the white jade Qiang flute "Double Wings" that he later passed on to her at his waist.
Gu Yi did not answer, but held his sword horizontally across his chest, silently watching the newcomer.
Seeing that Gu Yi remained unmoved, Wan Qiqing slowly circled around him and said, "Tonight, the palace was a sea of blood and a mountain of knives, with several factions fighting each other. My friend, you have been lying in wait in the palace for so long, but instead of taking advantage of the situation and reaping the benefits, you have fled outwards. Why is that?"
A Qiu knew perfectly well that Wan Qiqing's question was intended to probe Gu Yi's background and background in order to devise a strategy to deal with him.
After all, Wan Qiqing came here for her, but without knowing the true nature of her relationship with Gu Yi, or why Gu Yi was lurking in the palace, it was hard to guarantee that if the two of them fought, she wouldn't be hurt. Or, if Gu Yi knew that she was the one he wanted, he might use her as a hostage to blackmail her.
Gu Yi initially tried to conceal his whereabouts and did not want to attract the attention of "Shi Changqing". But if he did not answer now, his momentum would be completely overwhelmed by Wan Qiqing.
He finally spoke, "Shi Changqing, your entry into the palace at this time is probably just an attempt to take advantage of the chaos, isn't it?"
When Wan Qiqing was exposed by his name "Shi Changqing", his eyes suddenly lit up with a sharp light. He slowly said, "So you were hiding in the palace. You have indeed come for a reason. Even I, a mere musician, cannot escape your surveillance."
Gu Yi calmly said, "Given the fame of Master Shi as the 'King of the Flute,' anyone who has ever stayed in the palace would be hypocritical to pretend they don't know. It's just that no one knows that the elegant Master Shi actually possesses such superb and unparalleled martial arts skills."
At this point, Gu Yi did not steer the conversation toward himself at all. Instead, he countered each move with a witty remark, subtly pointing out that Shi Changqing had been concealing the fact that he knew martial arts. This demonstrated his cautious and composed personality.
Wan Qiqing laughed loudly and said, "I came here to try and get some benefits in the palace. But meeting you tonight has suddenly made me want to have a friendly competition."
He approached leisurely, neither too close nor too far, and slowly said, "A master like you, who is so unassuming and composed, must have a unique way of mastering martial arts. I have never heard of you before. If I were to miss you in person, I would regret it for the rest of my life."
His landing point was perfect, right at the edge of the range of Gu Yi's sword attack.
At this point, the situation was no longer in Gu Yi's control, and he said in a low voice, "Get down."
A Qiu knew that Wan Qiqing's words were not an exaggeration. If Gu Yi was still carrying her on his back, he would definitely not last a single move against Wan Qiqing. Because in a battle between experts, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant. Even if Wan Qiqing respected his status and would not launch a sneak attack on her while she was on Gu Yi's back, Gu Yi would never gamble with her life.
In addition, having lost one person made it very inconvenient for him to move around, and he also had many concerns about attacking and defending.
Such a heavy burden, in the eyes of a supreme master like Wan Qiqing, was like crippling his own martial arts and courting death.
She gently slid off Gu Yi's back, her feet firmly planted on the roof tiles, and involuntarily said, "Be careful."
Gu Yi simply hummed in agreement.
When Wan Qiqing saw that Gu Yi was willing to put her down, a fleeting look of joy flashed in her eyes.
He extended his right palm in a gesture of invitation, and then leaped up to the top of a triple-eaved roof about five zhang away to distance himself from A Qiu. He said in a clear voice, "In order to avoid accidentally hurting this young lady who is not related to me, please move over here."
Gu Yi glanced back at A Qiu, and this was the first time in A Qiu's life that Gu Yi had seen a fleeting moment of hesitation and doubt in her eyes.
She didn't have time to think about the meaning of that look; she only heard Wan Qiqing continue:
“If either of us is not careful, she could fall from the top of this palace even if she just slips.”
Gu Yi finally had no more hesitation and rushed straight towards the rooftop where Wan Qiqing was.
The way he leaped up was as powerful and vigorous as a large bird, yet extremely light and agile.
Ah Qiu was still unaware of the meaning behind his last look.
I could already hear his words of advice:
"Take care of yourself."
A Qiu felt dizzy and disoriented, not knowing how many days he had been in this prison.
Apart from the clear memories of the past that kept automatically surfacing in her mind, her mind was filled with chaos and confusion.
She would occasionally touch the water and food that were delivered to her every day, but most of the time she remained motionless.
The master's attitude was not discernible from these dishes. They were neither particularly coarse or unpalatable, nor were they prepared in a way that was especially refined and palatable for her.
The fact that they at least sent her food shows that her master didn't want her to die.
But for her at this moment, these questions have lost their meaning.
They just passively and aimlessly lived one day at a time.
She no longer had the strength to consider the intentions of those around her, or how they planned for her to continue.
She didn't even understand why she had become like this.
Being expelled from Jianzhang and abandoned by Gu Yi was, for her, a devastating disaster.
But she also remembered that when she was six years old, the day Wan Qiqing first brought her back to Lanling Hall, she seemed to be in the same situation.
"Take care of yourself."
Why didn't she realize then that Gu Yi's last words of advice were also his silent farewell?
His previous attempts to probe Wan Qiqing, and his various maneuvers and responses, were essentially the same as Wan Qiqing's—all aimed at confirming one thing:
That means the other party has no intention of harming her and will treat her kindly.
Wan Qiqing came to the palace tonight to take advantage of the chaos with only one purpose: to take A Qiu away.
He must have already learned of A Qiu's whereabouts and the mysterious man beside her based on certain clues.
But his various tests and feigned chance encounters were merely to lull Gu Yi into a false sense of security, distract him, and prevent him from realizing that his true purpose lay with this girl.
Otherwise, taking A Qiu from Gu Yi unscathed would be a very complicated task, or even impossible.
Gu Yi was forced to let go of A Qiu because he was afraid of harming her, and Wan Qiqing went through all this trouble not only because he was afraid that Gu Yi would destroy everything in his anger.
But in Gu Yi's eyes, the fact that Shi Changqing, such an arrogant and unrestrained person, would go to such great lengths to guard the route he would take when leaving the palace, and painstakingly set up a scheme to make him leave A Qiu's side in order to ensure her safety, shows how much he values this child.
Therefore, he finally made his decision.
"If the world were at peace, would you, A-Qiu, be quietly embroidering and reading in a secluded mansion somewhere in Jianzhang, no longer having to live such a life of fear and anxiety?"
“Your mother has a friend who has been looking for you.”
"He's famous and handsome. No matter what the situation, he should be able to protect you."
The words Gu Yi had said to her back then suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
Just as Gu Yiteng leaped away from her, a rocket struck her precisely in front of her, and a sea of fire instantly erupted, separating her from Gu Yiteng.
When she looked in the direction the rocket had been fired, she saw a young man in white riding past below, seemingly putting away his bow and arrows.
He was tall and lean, and his eyes were bright as he looked back at her. He smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth, and his expression was surprisingly friendly.
Of course, she later learned that it was her second senior brother from Lanling Hall, Mo Yimingyue. At that time, he was ordered by his master to enter the palace, but only to assist his master in completing the task of bringing her back, and to investigate the unfathomable secrets of Jianzhang Palace.
The thunderous sound of galloping hooves was like a cacophony of thunder, rushing towards them. Someone had deliberately lured the chaotic army here.
The next instant, before she could even understand what was happening, she was being held tightly in someone's arms, who laughed loudly, "Thank you for your kindness. I hope you will know that she is the daughter of an old friend of mine. I will not hurt her or harm her, and I will even teach her unparalleled skills."
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