Yan Zhi studied divination and was very skilled in intuition and prediction. How could she not know what Xu Yuehuai's attitude would be before she spoke those words? But she still wanted to gamble on this insignificant opportunity, and Xu Yuehuai's rejection was expected. She stood up, first hanging her head, and when she looked up again, the emotion in her eyes had returned to normal.
"Alright, you can go back now. I'll stay here and enjoy the scenery for a while longer. You have to come back soon and tell me your answer. Don't keep me waiting too long, or I'll get angry with you!" Yan Zhi said jokingly, hands on her hips, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and you could vaguely see some tears in them. Xu Yuehuai pretended not to notice and agreed.
On her way back, she thought about what Yan Zhi had told her. Although she wouldn't change her decision, she would be more careful, at least to reduce the risks. Even if she still died in the end, she had nothing to be afraid of. Logically speaking, she should have been dead long ago, not waiting until now. So, those who have already died can only face death with equanimity.
Upon returning to the sect, Xu Yuehuai did not waste a moment and went to the sect leader's mountain. When he met the old valley master, he was strolling leisurely in the courtyard. His walking posture was a bit strange, which was because he had not walked for a long time and was not used to it. In addition, his leg had only recently healed and was still in the process of getting used to it.
The old valley master turned around upon hearing the voice and saw Xu Yuehuai standing there. He waved for her to come over, saying, "Little girl, what brings you here? Are you looking for your master? He's in his study."
The old valley master wanted her to come closer so he could take a good look at her. He didn't do anything special; he just thought the girl was pleasing to the eye and quite nice. Xu Yuehuai gave him face and went over. "Senior, I have a favor to ask."
Xu Yuehuai explained the situation of Yan Zhi and the others. After listening, the old valley master agreed and said, "Sure, bring that girl here. It's perfect, I also have many questions I want to ask her. It's such a small matter, let alone asking for help. Besides, you're doing this for this old man's sake. If those people were really not good people or had ill intentions, would you really bring her here?"
Xu Yuehuai smiled faintly, said goodbye to him in a hurry, and left. Yan Zhi was still waiting for her downstairs. When she arrived, Yan Zhi had returned to his usual self, with a faint smile on his face and a lot of food in his hands. When he saw Xu Yuehuai, he handed her the food, saying, "You've worked hard, you've worked hard. Eat a little more, don't be shy. These are all from the shops you took me to eat at last time. I bought them all."
Yan Zhi wore a smug expression. Xu Yuehuai didn't refuse her kindness, ate a few bites, and then told her that the old valley master had agreed to see her. So Yan Zhi followed Xu Yuehuai back to the sect, but both of them were very careful on the way back. Recently, Qingtao Valley had become a highly sought-after prize, everyone wanted a piece of it, without exception. The saying "If you can't have it, destroy it" was truly no joke.
No one knows how crazy that group is, or what earth-shattering things they might do. The fact that Qingtao Valley hasn't been destroyed yet is entirely due to their attitude of rejecting everyone without reservation, which has kept the others at peace.
Once they reached the top of the mountain, Yan Zhi looked around curiously. It was the first time she had ever seen a place with this kind of structure. Especially when she passed the library, her eyes sparkled like stars. "Wow, this is so interesting. It looks like a small house. It has a very cozy feel."
Xu Yuehuai remained noncommittal. In no time, the two arrived at the door. The old valley master stood there calmly, watching Shi Mu show off his cooking skills in front of him. It had been ten days since the old valley master had recovered from his leg injury. During these ten days, he had diligently followed Xu Yuehuai's instructions to take a medicinal bath, without forgetting a single day. And the results were remarkable.
Yan Zhi was stunned for a moment when she saw the old valley master. She had observed this old man from afar before, but she had never seen him so lively. In everyone's impression, he had always been the epitome of composure, without exception. But now she could see the old valley master arguing about whether to add salt or vegetables first in a dish.
She didn't think it was a bad thing; she just felt that the old valley master seemed to have come back to life, no longer the cold and aloof person he used to be, but a person with real emotions.
If others knew what Yan Zhi was thinking, they would probably be very surprised, after all, no one would think that the old valley master was cold and aloof.
"You've arrived? Please have a seat. We'll be ready soon." The old valley master already knew someone was coming, so he deliberately waited a while before speaking, and acted as if he didn't care.
Yan Zhi wasn't in a hurry. She followed Xu Yuehuai to sit at another table, which offered a panoramic view of the scenery below. The table outside the courtyard, though small, could easily accommodate four people.
Once all the dishes were on the table, the old master began to taste them with great interest. When he tasted a dish that he didn't like, he would offer some comments and suggestions for Shi Mu to improve next time. However, Shi Mu mostly ignored these comments and didn't take them seriously at all.
The meal was a bit of a blur for Yan Zhiguang. He was so engrossed in listening to the old valley master that he barely ate anything. At the very end, he hurriedly shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice and followed the old valley master into the inner room.
The door to the room was wide open. Shi Mu had gotten quite familiar with the old valley master over the past few days and wanted to go over to see what they were talking about, but Xu Yuehuai stopped him. Seeing the door open, Shi Mu asked in confusion, "If you're worried about being disturbed, shouldn't you close the door? Why is it open?"
Shi Mu wouldn't doubt that Xu Yuehuai was wrong, but would only doubt other people's motives. "A man and a woman alone should always avoid suspicion. The two of them went into the house to talk in order to avoid everyone. The door was left open by the old valley master to preserve the young girl's innocence, nothing more."
Shi Mu suddenly realized that no one had ever taught him these principles before.
Xu Yuehuai stood and listened for a while, originally thinking that the conversation would end soon. However, after half an hour, neither of them showed any intention of ending it. Xu Yuehuai went from standing to sitting, and finally began to doze off.
The old valley master cannot stand for long periods of time, otherwise his legs will feel slightly uncomfortable. Yan Zhi stood in front of him, and the two seemed to be talking about something very serious. Shi Mu passed by several times and glanced inside, finding the atmosphere very tense, not at all like a meeting.
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