The weight of human relationships
Xiao Yu did something that no one expected.
During their exchange, Gu Yi's sword was always pointed an inch or two from her throat. Occasionally, due to Gu Yi's turbulent emotions, it would deviate slightly, but it never strayed from her vital point.
At that moment, Xiao Yu suddenly lowered his head and bumped into it.
Amidst A Qiu's exclamation, Gu Yi instantly sheathed his sword, but blood had already splattered everywhere.
Gu Yi sheathed her sword in time, avoiding any vital injury to Xiao Yu, but she slumped to the ground, saying in a voice devoid of any emotion, "Now that I think about it, I'm the one who harmed Master."
A-Qiu asked in astonishment, "Harmed by you? Why would you harm your own master?"
Xiao Yu said blankly, "I was originally the eldest daughter of the Lanling Xiao Clan, and I was already engaged. But since I became a disciple of my master, I have had no intention of returning to Beidu. After being made the head disciple of the Hidden World Sect, I have completely given up worldly desires and only want to stay in the sect forever to protect... the sect." She paused slightly at this point.
Ah Qiu didn't know what she meant, and just hoped she would continue.
Xiao Yu continued, "But a year ago, someone came to my home. They didn't say anything to me, but jokingly suggested that I make a bet with my master. If my master won, I could stay in the Hidden World Sect and live as I pleased; but if my master lost, I would have to go down the mountain with him and go home."
She spoke briefly, but what she didn't mention was that the other party also brought a golden phoenix pearl, a white jade comb, a bright red wedding dress... That was a full twenty loads of betrothal gifts, sent by her fiancé's family, the Northern Qiang Ning Prince's Mansion, to the Xiao family.
In addition, there was a pair of jade discs from Gaochang, several bushels of luminous pearls, and more than ten fine horses from the Northern Qiang, which were said to be gifts from the Xiao family to Li Wujiu as a token of gratitude for his years of cultivation.
Although the person who came spoke casually, with a perpetually nonchalant smile on his lips, everyone knew that there was no such thing as a proper etiquette or a proper banquet.
In the martial arts world, if someone suddenly sends a large gift to someone who is not a close friend, it's either to buy their head or their life. If that's what they've bought, please don't bother them anymore.
Gu Yi said in a deep voice, "Someone came to the Hidden Sect to provoke Sect Master Li like this, so why didn't the news get out, to the point that I was completely unaware?"
A Qiu knew that Gu Yi's concerns were not without reason. The Hidden World Sect was a sect with a history of over 100 years. If someone came to their door to bully them like this, how could it not spread?
Xiao Yu said awkwardly, "This is my home, and both my master and I have decided to keep it as quiet as possible. After all, this is just a disciple's family matter. If it becomes public knowledge, it would be a serious matter."
What she didn't say was that her family had deliberately brought betrothal gifts from the Prince of Ning's mansion to force her to leave the mountain, and that they had used such generous gifts to openly praise but secretly belittle and humiliate Li Wujiu. This was because her elders had vaguely guessed her thoughts, and that was why they were doing this so subtly to cut off her hopes.
Li Wujiu was certainly not one to back down from trouble, nor would he allow himself to be provoked like this. But the crux of the matter lay in her feelings. Li Wujiu was a man of such a carefree and leisurely nature that he would not detain a disciple and prevent her from going home.
And so, that night came about, in the Mingyue Valley of the Dayuan Mountains, the master and disciple had their dialogue.
"What do you think, my disciple? Tell me."
Even now, she still clearly remembers the way her master's clear and bright eyes gazed at her with such profound meaning.
Faced with such a gaze, she, who was always bold and decisive, felt inexplicably afraid. She feared that in the next instant, that gaze would turn indifferent, telling her to pack her things and leave the sect quickly, so as not to provoke these powerful people and ruin the peace of this place.
She immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This disciple absolutely does not wish to leave the sect." She hesitated for a long time before deciding to make her point more clearly: "This disciple does not want to be a tool for family marriage. This disciple hates the infighting and deceit that confines one to the boudoir and the court. I only wish to live a life like Master, upright and carefree."
She knew that if she made her position clear, her master would stand by her side.
Although my master is carefree and indifferent, he is by no means a person without a sense of responsibility.
The master sighed deeply, looked at the bright moon in the sky with a sense of loneliness, and said, "But you are ultimately born and raised by your parents. If you disobey your parents, it is also unfilial. Although I am not afraid of gossip, people can never exist independently of ethics and the judgment of the world."
Yes, if the first disciple of the Hidden World Sect, the future sect leader, is actually an unfilial daughter who openly disobeys her parents, and the sect deliberately indulges and protects her, where will her future and the reputation of the Hidden World Sect be placed?
Moreover, she knows her own actions; her sins go far beyond just being unfilial.
Her heart sank.
She hadn't realized it before, but now she understood that the glittering world outside Dayuan Mountain was nothing short of a nightmare. Beneath the grand halls and luxurious houses lay endless scheming, and within the Beining Prince's mansion, a future of forced smiles awaited her, a future she could spend her life trying to embellish and deceive. She could do it well, but she didn't want to.
It was only because Li Wujiu made her realize that there is a way of life that is to return to simplicity and live naturally and peacefully.
Li Wujiu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said softly, "In fact, since my disciple is unwilling to go down the mountain, Master certainly has many methods and means to make the Xiao family not dare to say a word."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yi smiled slightly and said, "This is the Li Wujiu I know."
Ah Qiu thought to herself, Li Wujiu and Gu Yi are good friends. Even if he is indifferent and quiet, he is not a three-year-old child who has just entered the martial world. There are many things that do not need to be discussed in the open with etiquette and reason, and can be resolved privately with the methods of the martial world.
But under the starry sky, the light in Li Wujiu's eyes immediately disappeared, and he sighed, "However, I have a guilty conscience, so I can no longer use these methods."
Xiao Yu looked at her master, puzzled, but Li Wujiu avoided her gaze. He simply said, "Tomorrow, have that person come up the mountain. Whatever conditions he proposes, have him draw up a line, and I will accept it."
For a moment, Gu Yi was speechless.
He only murmured those four words repeatedly: "I have a guilty conscience."
A Qiu asked, "What path did that person take that forced Sect Leader Li into a life-or-death situation? It was tantamount to forcing him to commit suicide."
Tears welled up in Xiao Yu's eyes as he said, "I didn't know it would be like this back then."
The man climbing the mountain with his hands behind his back was tall and handsome, dressed in a blue robe. He had previously declared that if the Hidden World Sect didn't intervene, twenty loads of betrothal gifts and a token of gratitude to the master would be displayed on the main street of Huanhua City. As long as the Xiao family's daughter didn't descend the mountain, these layers of lavish gifts wouldn't be put away, so the world would know the actions of the Hidden World Sect's Sect Master Li—in short, he had abducted someone's daughter and was preventing her from returning home to marry. The local prefect, having a long-standing relationship with the Hidden World Sect, and with outer disciples in Huanhua City, temporarily prevented the crowd from gathering, claiming that government supplies had arrived. But this could only be concealed temporarily, not forever. Besides, the man hadn't even truly used his methods yet.
Upon hearing this, A Qiu finally couldn't help but interject, "Is the person from your Xiao family who entered Dayuan Mountain Xiao Chang'an?"
Xiao Yu said sadly, "That's right. You may not know, but Chang'an was known as Gan Luo in the Northern Qiang royal court since childhood. He could subdue the enemy without fighting and take the city without bloodshed. He was also... the child that my parents valued most besides me."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu felt a strange mix of emotions, realizing that she knew far too little about Xiao Chang'an.
This young man was elegant and approachable to everyone, and he blended in with the dancers without any sense of incongruity. Who would have thought that at such a young age, he would be so ruthless and vicious, forcing the grandmaster Li Wujiu to essentially retire from the martial world?
She wanted to ask Xiao Yu again why Xiao Chang'an had gone to the capital afterward, but she knew it wasn't the right time to ask. Compared to Li Wujiu's life or death, this was no longer a major issue.
Tears welled up in Xiao Yu's eyes as he said, "At that time, Chang'an said something to his master."
He said, "Sect Leader Li's divination skills are renowned throughout the land, revealing all the secrets of heaven. Chang'an would like to make a bet with Sect Leader Li. If Sect Leader Li wins, Chang'an will immediately pack up the caravan and leave with his people, and from then on, the Xiao family will never set foot in the southwest again. If he loses, please release my sister, and we will still send her the teacher's thanks as before. If the Hidden World Sect ever needs the Xiao family's help in the future, just let us know."
His request sounded like a perfect solution, covering all aspects. If he won, Xiao Yu could still stay in the Hidden World Sect as her senior sister, and everything would remain the same. If he lost, he would simply bring Xiao Yu back, and the Xiao family would still owe the Hidden World Sect a favor.
But when Gu Yi heard the phrase "Sect Leader Li's divination skills are so profound that he can predict all the secrets of heaven," he suddenly pressed his hand to his chest and spat out a mouthful of dark red blood, which turned a large red patch on his veil.
A Qiu was shocked and hurriedly placed her palm on his back, but then realized that her own injury had not yet healed and she could not use her true energy to heal others. She was so anxious that sweat broke out on her nose, but she did not know what to do.
Gu Yi leaned against A Qiu, his voice hoarse and trembling as he said, "Don't you know... your master never performed divination for anyone in his life?"
As Xiao Yu recalled his master's life, tears welled up in his eyes. Only now did he realize how little he truly knew about his master.
From the moment she met Li Wujiu, she trusted him wholeheartedly and was willing to follow him... even willing to spend her whole life, never leaving him, only wishing to guard him under his walls. But when it comes to understanding him, how could she compare to Gu Yi, who had known him for many years?
Gu Yi coughed and said, "Twenty years ago, Li Wujiu was known as the Divine Calculator of Heavenly Secrets, but he never performed divination for others. Firstly, because divination reveals heavenly secrets and affects the fortune of the human world, and secondly, it also shortens the lifespan of the diviner. The reason why Li Wujiu chose to live in seclusion and was difficult to find was also to avoid these power struggles in the human world!"
He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "After I entered the world, I almost never had any contact with him, also to keep him out of my business!"
When A Qiu saw Gu Yi punch the table, she was completely stunned, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
Xiao Yu, the head disciple of the Hidden World Sect, who was always resolute and composed, finally broke down completely at this moment, sobbing uncontrollably, "Therefore, it is I who harmed him! If it weren't for me, the Lanling Xiao Clan would not have come after him!"
By this point, Ah Qiu was fully aware that this whole affair might have been a scheme orchestrated against Li Wujiu from the very beginning. From the moment he met Xiao Yu and took her into his household, he had been caught in someone's trap, their aim being to force Li Wujiu to step forward and divine the fate of the world.
When she thought of another extremely similar thing, her heart felt as if it had fallen into an icy abyss.
The reason she stayed by Gu Yi's side was so similar to Xiao Yu's relationship with Li Wujiu!
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