Warm rain and sunny wind begin to break the frost.
The drizzling spring rain dyed the grass and trees green, and the Cangya Mountain was shrouded in misty water, like a veil, penetrating the distance. Suddenly, a stream of green light flew over, and in a flash it passed through the rain curtain and the heavy restrictions, heading towards the depths of the thousands of mountains and valleys.
The stream of light went straight up to the sea of clouds, flew into a half-open carved window, and landed on the sandalwood table, transforming into a green phoenix bird no bigger than a palm, with smooth and soft wings without a trace of moisture.
A pair of bony hands came over, and it squinted its eyes and rubbed the palms of the hands.
Liu Qishuang untied the thin bamboo tube from its claws.
The paper is Kuizhou mica paper, thin and soft, and the ink is Lantai Shen ink, even and dense. The handwriting is vigorous and clear like a tall bamboo or a sword with its edge hidden.
"It snowed again last night, perhaps it was the last snow of the year. The white plum blossoms in the garden have not yet fallen, and their fragrance is floating in the air. The gentleman took the plum blossoms and put them on the snow to make tea, which is sweet and refreshing. Thousands of miles away, I don't know how often the Cangya Mountain will be sunny or rainy, but the spring breeze is blowing over the Nanshan Mountain again..."
Liu Qishuang thought that the winter in Beilu was really long.
I don't know if my junior brother has made any progress in his cultivation, but his temperament has become more and more stable, and his handwriting has become more and more elegant. She only replied to the long letter with a few words at first, but after a while, she was able to write a few pages.
There are many ways for practitioners to communicate. Duan Chongxuan seems to prefer writing letters, while Yin Biyue and Yan Xing prefer to use communication talismans. Seeing that her fellow disciples are doing well, she feels relieved.
Time flies and years pass silently.
She had never been to the Northern Imperial City, but she knew there were thirty-six main streets and eighty-two secondary roads there. She knew the name of every tall building and the customs of every festival.
She had never seen her junior fellow apprentice again, but she knew what time he went to court and what time he went to bed every day, knew that he had newly planted silver begonias in his imperial garden, and knew what he ate and what kind of tea he drank.
The letter was full of trivial matters. It was as if the man was not an emperor, but a rich young man, wearing a light robe and loose belt, fanning himself as he climbed the stairs. His life was peaceful, happy and satisfying, and all the wind, frost, swords, and undercurrents were not real.
The imperial city of Beilu is illuminated by bright lights in the autumn moon, and a lone wild goose soars in the wind on Cangya Mountain.
After breaking through the barrier of life and death, Liu Qishuang's cultivation had made great progress. However, after many years, he was still stuck at the peak of Mahayana, unable to cross the last threshold. In Wei Jingfeng's words, it was because of a knot in his heart.
"If the knot in your heart is not untied, the bottleneck will not be broken."
The state of mind of cultivation cannot be forced, and she is not in a hurry. After being driven down the mountain by her master, she went to the Central Continent, concealed her cultivation, and became a teacher at Lanyuan Academy. Wearing a wooden crown and tied hair, and a shabby blue shirt, she spoke the "Jiuhua Sutra" in a calm tone, and the sharp aura of the past has faded.
Many years passed like this, and returning to Xihua Peak was nothing more than a big dream into the mortal world, like the clouds rolling and unrolling in the blue sky, leaving no trace.
Not only was today's letter sent by Qingyi Luan, it was also much shorter than previous ones, making it particularly special.
"Third Senior Brother and Chen Yi have an appointment to fight in Chongming Mountain. I want to go and watch the fight. Senior Sister, are you willing to go down the mountain? After the duel is over, I will accompany you to the snowy plains of Donglu."
The Donglu Snow Plains, a taboo that had been kept secret for many years. Just like that, on an ordinary spring rainy day, Duan Chongxuan mentioned it nonchalantly.
Liu Qishuang was stunned.
Then I saw a woman with black hair and a white dress, standing barefoot on the snow. She was smiling softly, but her expression was resolute and fierce. She seemed to want to say something to her, but just as she opened her mouth, she fell backwards, half of her body turned into white bones, and blood was all over the ground.
The snowy plains of Donglu, the golden palace, and the jade eyebrows.
She stood at the window and looked into the distance, her expression showing no sign of sadness or joy.
In the spring rain, the ancient Cang Ya has a unique kind of vibrant green. The rain curtain falls along the house, splashing mist, dyeing her brush and ink with more moisture. If she writes a little late, large ink flowers will bloom on the paper.
“I don’t want to go,” she wrote.
When Duan Chongxuan received the reply, he secretly regretted for a long time, but he was still impatient. For great practitioners, the passage of time is not a worry or a fear, so what's the harm in waiting another hundred years?
He saw with his own eyes that Senior Sister carried the body of Jade Palace Master back to East Land. A bystander sees things clearly, and he understood many things that Liu Qishuang did not realize. Now they are all in the Xihua lineage, and all seek benevolence and have a smooth path, but Second Senior Sister still has a knot in her heart. It's just that it is hidden so deeply that neither she nor others can see it, and it is not really untied. Senior Sister once protected him and broke through the ambush thousands of miles away to return to North Land. Now that he has firmly established his throne, he can't do anything for Senior Sister.
Thinking of this, Duan Chongxuan sighed and muttered to himself: "Forget it, I have to find out the obstacles to my cultivation by myself."
Luan Er didn't understand what the mental block was, and he pounced from the gilded beam of the bedroom and bumped into him, chirping and asking for fruit.
"You are so greedy. Get down! I can't hold you anymore!"
Many palace maids stood outside the curtain with their heads lowered, but they did not dare to take Qingyi Luan away.
In the morning, the mountain fog had not yet dissipated.
Yan Xing never thought that fighting with Chen Yi was a big deal. When he was at Xihua Peak, he often fought with Jun Yu. They would fight whenever they were in the mood. What was the big deal? So when he rushed from the restaurant to the foot of Chongming Mountain, he was puzzled by the huge crowds of people. Why did so many people come? Did everyone have a lot of free time recently? From a distance, he saw Chen Yi sitting on the high platform, surrounded by several Lianjian elders and Yecheng priests.
Someone recognized him and there was a commotion in the crowd. People saluted one after another and the crowd parted to both sides to leave a path for him.
"Here he comes! Ancestor Yan is here!"
All of a sudden, people called him "Uncle Master Yan", "Uncle Master Yan", "Ancestor Yan" and so on, which scared him so much that he sobered up.
Immediately, a Taoist child came to lead the way and served tea to him, and led him to a seat on the high platform. He felt a little uncomfortable, so he waved his hand and said, "I don't want to sit here anymore. I'll just come up and say a few words and then leave."
Chen Yi and the others stood up to greet Yan Xing: "How are you, Daoist Fellow Yan?"
Yan Xing looked over and asked: "Master Qu is not here?"
We both have family members who are sect leaders, but neither of us came, so we can be said to be in the same boat.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yi looked very happy: "Dui Yan is pregnant, I asked her to stay at home to take care of the baby."
“…”
Chen Yi doesn't talk much, but whenever he mentions his wife, he always wants to say a few more words: "When it comes to stacking cigarettes, they say winning or losing is up to fate. The real thing is to go home early to accompany her to take care of the baby."
“…”
Yan Xing looked up at the sky. Patriarch Song told me not to go back unless I can win.
He could only wave his hands again: "Let them stare at us like monkeys. We can't beat them. Let's go up the mountain."
The people below the stage couldn't hear what they said, but they were all in an inexplicable excitement. They only knew that if they missed this opportunity, they didn't know if they could see such a grand event again in their lifetime. Under the attention of the crowd, the two figures flickered and it was difficult to find their traces. Then they appeared on Chongming Mountain more than a hundred feet away. They didn't take the mountain path, but walked on the lonely peak as if it was flat ground. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared in the clouds.
At dawn today, the largest gambling house in Ye City opened the betting market, and outsiders rushed to place bets, lining up on the long street. However, many people did not dare to get involved. After all, gambling during the flower-picking meeting was a customary folk entertainment activity, but it was a bit disrespectful to the strong to dare to open a bet for a battle of this level. If they angered Cangya Mountain or Lianjian Sect, they would be in trouble.
Yin Biyue took Luo Mingchuan to sit on the rooftop beside Qiu Lake, bought a jar of good wine, and looked at the misty Chongming Mountain from afar. His eyes passed over the nearby Qiu Lake, the crowds in the distance, and through the mountain mist, he saw the two people greeting each other on the top of the mountain. The battle between him and Chen Yi a hundred years ago seemed to be wiped clean and instantly came alive.
He sighed: "Frost Blade Lanyue, long time no see."
Cheng Tianyu stood at the foot of the mountain, his breath was steady and he was able to control it freely. Although he was very close to the crowd, no one noticed him, and he seemed to be indistinguishable from the crowd.
He stood with his hands behind his back, closed his eyes and concentrated. The noise around him faded away. He felt the sword intent rising up from the clouds and mist, like a raging wave, a river hanging upside down on Chongming Mountain. With a clang, another sword light flashed brightly, like the bright moon hanging high in the sky, reflecting the thousands of rivers. The two contended, the true essence collided and tore through the sea of clouds, and the remaining sword intent flowed down from the gaps in the clouds.
But suddenly he heard a sigh: "Your cultivation is increasing rapidly, but why don't you grow taller?" He was startled and his heart trembled. He turned around to see who was coming, and then he loosened his hand that was subconsciously holding the hilt of the sword.
The man was wearing a long silk robe with gold thread, a jade pendant with a coiled dragon around his waist, and a folding fan with a painting of a bright peach blossom. His clothes were ostentatious and colorful, and his expression was half-smile, he didn't look like a serious person, and the servants following him were full of murderous aura.
Cheng Tianyu glared at him for a moment, then turned his head away without saying anything.
Duan Chongxuan thought, how come this guy never grows up? He is clearly angry, but he still pretends to be unwilling to argue. He leaned over, lowered his voice, and used his fan to block his voice: "I have someone set up a game in the city, do you want to place a bet?"
Cheng Tianyu was startled. He had never tried these tricks before, but they sounded interesting and he couldn't help but want to try. He didn't even ask about the odds, so he took out a purse and said, "I don't have any banknotes, so you can bet 20 spirit stones for me."
"Twenty is not enough. I'll give you two hundred. Who do you want to bet on?"
Cheng Tianyu originally wanted to bet on Yan Xingsheng, but he couldn't bear to see him look so rich and powerful, so he straightened his back and said, "I'll bet on Senior Brother Chen."
"Sure. I'm the banker anyway, so I won't lose money."
Cheng Tianyu said nothing and ran behind Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan looked over in confusion, only to see Duan Chongxuan waving his fan and saying with a smile: "It's a pity that I didn't see Sect Master Song today."
Zhong Shan nodded as a greeting: "Master, you are very busy."
Duan Chongxuan sighed for his third senior brother, said goodbye to Qinglu and the other two, and left Chongming Mountain leisurely.
He waved his fan and walked along the busy streets of Yecheng, wearing a white dragon fish suit and walking calmly.
Time flies by, and Yecheng has expanded more than twice, but the city still looks vaguely the same as before. Wine flags are waving on the tall buildings, and the streets are crowded with cars and horses. The Black Armor City Guards are moving around in an orderly manner.
He walked from the noisy downtown in the north of the city to the deep alleys of the mansions of the wealthy families in the south of the city, and suddenly touched his chin: "Am I getting old? Am I not good-looking anymore?"
After all this journey, why do the girls I see now seem less attractive than before?
The general dressed as a servant immediately bowed and said: "My Lord will never grow old, and his life span will be as long as the heavens."
Duan Chongxuan was speechless. It would have been fine if he had answered the question irrelevantly. "Live as long as the sky" was just a compliment to the old man for not cherishing the opportunity to flatter him. If I were a tyrant, I would have killed you right now.
The tallest thing in the most majestic city in Southern Continent is not the towering city wall, but the terrace of the City Lord’s Mansion.
At this time, Ye Zhiqiu was standing there watching this scene, thinking with amusement: "After being an emperor for a long time, his power is naturally strong. Even if he pretends to be gentle, he is still skin and bones. Who dares to look at you?"
The old housekeeper glanced at the sun and said, "Master, you have been standing for a long time. Please take care of yourself."
The attendant stepped forward respectfully to hold an umbrella. Ye Zhiqiu patted the railing and turned around. The housekeeper helped him down the platform, and a group of guards followed behind him. Young City Lord Ye An had a sophisticated elevator installed when he renovated the terrace ten years ago, but Ye Zhiqiu still went up and down step by step by himself.
The people of Yecheng have lived here for generations, enjoying good weather and good harvests, chatting and talking about everything. In their hearts, the city lord is almost a god, and gods never grow old.
But Ye Zhiqiu is really old.
Master Wuwang passed away many years ago, and the dean left the academy three years ago. Some people speculated that he had a breakthrough opportunity, while more people believed that his time was up and he had to return to his hometown.
Time is fair. Heroes grow old and beauties turn gray.
This is no longer the era when they could call the wind and rain with a single hand and draw their swords with high spirits.
Ye Zhiqiu got up very early today and sent someone to fetch the ceremonial robe that the city lord wore for offering sacrifices to the heavens. The servants busied themselves dressing him up, with layers of clothes and complicated accessories. He straightened his clothes in front of the mirror, and finally pushed the door open with a sword at his waist.
He said: "Today we have a distinguished guest."
Ye An hadn't seen his father wearing a sword for many years, so he was nervous: "Is the visitor an enemy or a friend?"
"It's an old friend."
Ye Zhiqiu watched on the terrace for three hours before coming down. He waved his hand to indicate that no more help was needed. He stood up, dusted off his robe, took the walking stick handed to him by the servant, and walked steadily and steadily.
"Open the gate."
This voice was full of true energy, not at all like that of an old man in his twilight years. It spread far and wide, and the huge city lord's mansion seemed to have fallen, and everyone's heart was trembling.
The hierarchy here is strict and the rules are harsh. The young city lord usually goes in and out through the side door facing the long street, and the rest of the family can only go through the side door facing the alley, and the servants go through the small door in the backyard. In the past ten years, the city lord has not traveled, and no distinguished guest has been able to open the main door of the city lord's mansion.
“Bang—”
The old red door was opened by four guards, making a dull thump. Dust flew everywhere. Outside the main gate was a wide street that could accommodate four carriages. This street belonged to the city lord's mansion. It was usually deserted, and the black-armored city guards took turns guarding it day and night. The gate faced the main road of the mansion, and two rows of guards were lined up on the side of the road, wearing full armor and carrying swords.
Hearing his father's voice, Ye An walked out of the front hall and onto the main road. Wherever he passed, the guards on both sides of the road saluted and followed him. The sounds of their armor were uniform as they walked, and they marched towards the wide-open gate of the mansion.
Ye An stood three steps away from the door, staring at the empty street. His father was of a very high generation, and there were only a few great practitioners of his generation in the world. Who was the "old friend" who came today? When entering the mansion, if he came in a sedan chair, should he be asked to get off? If he came in a sedan chair, how should he be asked to get off?
His face was calm, his body was tense, he was full of pressure, and he said nothing.
In late spring and early summer, bright sunlight shone through the acacia trees outside the mansion, and the shadows of the trees swayed. The sound of a bell came from the ferry in the north of the city, faintly, and it rang three times. Then he heard footsteps, scattered and chaotic, like strolling in a garden.
I saw a young man fanning himself coming towards me at the corner of the street. As he walked, his sleeves fluttered in the wind, and his brocade white robe shone brightly, which was very dazzling in the sunlight.
The young man came closer, smiled gently, and bowed to him as a greeting.
Ye An went forward and said: "There is an important matter in the palace today. May I ask Your Excellency..."
He met the young master's eyes and suddenly couldn't continue. He had followed Ye Zhiqiu since he was young, and had seen a lot of the world, and was good at judging people and things. The man in front of him had a young face, but his age was hard to tell. Time seemed to have no power on him, and the marks of wind, frost, and swords could not be left at all. Although he was smiling, he showed a calm majesty that shocked people.
The man said, "I'm looking for your father."
The City Lord's Mansion was very large. Ye Zhiqiu walked through the winding corridors, passed the martial arts field and pavilions, and strode quickly to the front of the main hall.
I saw a tall figure stepping into the threshold. In the half-light, he put away his folding fan with a "swish" sound, stood with his hands behind his back, and said solemnly: "Long time no see, City Lord Ye."
At that moment, Ye Zhiqiu thought he saw Duan Sheng'an. Duan Sheng'an was a man who had just succeeded to the throne without any injuries and was very imposing. The next moment, the man in front of him smiled, and the shadow in his memory was shattered, leaving only a casual and completely unfamiliar appearance.
He suddenly came back to his senses - Duan Sheng'an had been dead for many years, and even Duan Chongxuan was not young anymore.
He glanced at the dense crowd of city guards, waved his hand tiredly, and asked Ye An to take them away. Since the other party came alone, there was no need for him to make such a big scene.
"please--"
The two of them walked into the guest hall side by side. There were guest seats on the east and west sides. The main seat was the two armchairs facing the plaque. Duan Chongxuan took one without any hesitation.
Ye Zhiqiu thought, just like your father, the whole world is your family.
The butler served the tea himself, but was stopped by the guest: "Please stay."
Ye Zhiqiu's hand that was taking the teacup paused.
Duan Chongxuan took out two things from his sleeve, handed over the banknote, and placed the booklet on the table.
"It's three thousand six hundred taels in total. It's all here."
The City Lord's Mansion naturally had no shortage of 3,600 taels. The housekeeper didn't understand why and felt uneasy. He looked at his master's expression, took the banknote with both hands, said "thank you", bowed and left.
There were only two people left in the hall. Ye Zhiqiu picked up the booklet and opened it. The paper was thin and brittle, and had already turned yellow. When he was a teenager, he had summoned Qing Yi Luan in Ye City. The road was damaged, the houses collapsed, and this pit Duan Shengan's account book was sent out. He didn't expect to get it back today.
He couldn't help but feel a lot of emotions: "This was originally sent to your father."
Duan Chongxuan took a sip of tea and said, "The son pays for the father's debt."
After a whole day and night, Ye Zhiqiu's mood finally improved.
A lot of people have come to the city recently. It's not surprising. Yan Xing and Chen Yi are going to fight in Chongming Mountain. Yecheng is crowded with people, ten times more than usual. But since yesterday, strange faces have mixed in with the peddlers on the street. The dealers in the gambling house, the waiters in the restaurant, and the women holding children under the tree are all wrong. Those people are far better than the Yecheng priests, but they are willing to pretend to be idle people in the market and secretly protect their masters.
There were hundreds of great practitioners that he could see, and even more that he could not see. This was Ye Zhiqiu's city, not the mountains and rivers of Beilu, which made him very uncomfortable.
It was not until Duan Chongxian came to the mansion alone and returned the money that he felt that this child was better than his father.
When Duan Sheng'an was alive, they only met once every few decades. Every time the Emperor of Beilu came, he would dress up as a parade around the palace, bring his own cook to prepare food and drink for the two of them, and order the servants in his palace around at will. If he saw a flower or tree in Houhua Kingdom that he didn't like, he would immediately send someone to transplant it somewhere else, without any sense of being a guest.
Ye Zhiqiu couldn't stand it any longer: "I am the city lord, this is my house!"
He thought to himself, if you dare to reply, "So what? I am the emperor", I will draw my sword and gamble the dignity of this city, even if I cannot win.
But Duan Shengan said: "But we are friends."
How shameless! Ye Zhiqiu held his breath but had no place to vent his anger, cursing his ancestors in his heart.
These were all things that happened when I was young. Thinking back, they seem like they happened in my previous life. Ye Zhiqiu was silent for a long time. He drank his tea, squinted his eyes, and looked at the dust particles floating in the light and shadow.
"At that time, your father wanted to send you to me... I said I couldn't do it. I didn't have the ability. In my lifetime, it would be great if I could protect this city."
"It was raining heavily the day he left. He said he was going to the academy to meet the teacher. Who would have thought that in the end, he would send you to Cangya Mountain."
When people get old, they always like to reminisce about the past, but unfortunately their memories are scattered and cannot be strung together. Duan Chongxuan listened to him quietly, and after listening, he laughed: "Back then, I was pushed around by you guys and no one wanted me? It's really pitiful."
Ye Zhiqiu also smiled, the fine lines at the end of his eyes became deeper. He looked at the person in front of him, as if he was looking at a younger generation who didn't know how to appreciate the blessings he had: "Why pity me? Look at Ye An, my son. He was destined to succeed the city lord from the day he was born. How can he choose?"
Fate is not in our control, but Duan Shengan made painstaking plans and created another way out for his son.
Duan Chongxuan couldn't possibly not know this.
Back then, Liu Qishuang crossed the Floating Sea at night to save him. If he was willing to return to Cangya, he would only be a disciple of Xihua Peak, and even if the Northern Emperor turned the tables, he would not be able to hurt him. If he wanted to fight for the throne, it would become his own business. Cangya Mountain would not help him, and the Sword Saint would not help him.
But how did he choose? He stood in front of the majestic gate of the imperial capital and bowed to Liu Qishuang, "Senior sister, I'll send you here."
The ambushes and assassinations along the way neither killed him nor frightened him. He finally climbed up to the high platform of the imperial palace, looking out over the vast mountains and rivers, holding a beacon spear in his hand.
At that time he said: "I have never been afraid."
Duan Chongxuan now sighed: "I had a choice, but unfortunately I didn't choose it."
Ye Zhiqiu frowned: "I don't understand, why did you go back to Beilu?"
"When it's my turn to go back, I will go back. I can't just watch my father's kingdom being handed over to others."
"The royal bloodline is extremely domineering, and the inheritor is prone to short life. Aren't you afraid?"
When he was in Yecheng, he was a young and charming man. All the young girls in the city liked him, and every boss of a gambling house or teahouse knew him. With such a temperament, even if he had unlimited power and thousands of people worshipping him, it would not be as good as living a hundred years and playing with the world.
Ye Zhiqiu asked casually. He used to chat with Duan Sheng'an without any taboos, but to Duan Chongxuan face to face, this question was already sharp.
He put down the teacup, looked at the ripples in the brown tea soup, and his expression suddenly became cold.
"The destiny of the country is in my hands, the destiny of heaven is in my hands, what should I fear?"
"Young man, don't be so angry. Think about it. I came here just to pay back the money. Is there anything else you want to ask?"
Duan Chongxuan was silent for a while, and his momentum faded away: "City Lord Ye, you are my father's friend, what do you think I want to ask?"
"It happened many years ago, and I can't remember all the causes and conditions... I only remember that your mother was actually a demon cultivator, and she came to kill your father."
"……I see."
When he was a child, he thought his father was omnipotent, but why did he kill his wife and send his son away thousands of miles away? Now that he has been on the throne for so many years, he also understands that there are many kinds of helplessness in the world, and the emperor has the most helplessness.
The playboy pushed the door open, opened his folding fan and waved it, and saw pavilions scattered around, green and red, a beautiful scene of late spring.
He turned around and thanked me: "Sorry for bothering me. Goodbye."
Ye Zhiqiu watched his back as he walked away. From this point of view, he didn't look like his father at all, which was good.
Liu Qishuang was still practicing in the mountains. He didn't feel bored, but the Sword Saint couldn't stand it.
"It's time for you to take in a disciple. Only when you have a disciple who is filial to you can you live a comfortable life."
Liu Qishuang thought, but I don’t need my apprentice to buy me wine, cakes and little rabbit lanterns.
But she still went down the mountain, because she believed that what the master said was always reasonable. She returned to the academy to teach, and she really met a younger generation who was compatible with her. The little girl smiled with cute dimples and said, "What do you think of me? I want to learn Taoism from you."
Liu Qishuang's process of accepting disciples was even more careless than that of the Sword Saint. If he liked someone, he would just let it go: "Then let's go."
The little girl immediately changed her words: "Master, I borrowed a few books from the library. I'll return them and then we'll leave."
Liu Qishuang had been in the academy for quite some time, but she had never been to the library. She had only heard that the books there were vast and covered everything.
"I'll go with you." The building was three stories high, with tall bookshelves lined up one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see. The little girl went to the butler to return the book, while Liu Qishuang casually walked among the bookshelves, looking around.
When she reached the third floor, she paused, closed her eyes, and her aura changed quietly. She stepped onto the stairs, her steps steady. The third floor was still full of bookshelves, with only one person standing at the end of the bookshelf. The person also saw her and put down the book in his hand.
The two men greeted each other from a distance, more than ten feet apart. At some point, the breeze outside the window became still.
"Master..." The little girl came up to look for Liu Qishuang, but she lost her voice when she saw this scene, as if her throat was being strangled. After the man finished his greeting, he picked up the book again and wiped it carefully with a silk cloth. Liu Qishuang also turned around and went downstairs.
They didn't talk all the way until they left the academy. The little girl came to her senses and said in fear: "Master, who was that just now?"
"Many years ago, he came to the foot of Cangya Mountain and fought with my third junior brother."
The little girl exclaimed: "So powerful... so he lost in the end?"
Is that why you come to the library to clean?
Liu Qishuang looked back at the eaves of the academy: "No, he won."
"Master, where are we going now?"
"Take you around and take a look around."
The little girl pulled her sleeve and said, "Can we go to East Continent?"
"Why do you want to go to East Continent?"
"I have a friend who lives there, and I promised her that I would go back to see her." Liu Qishuang was silent for a moment: "Okay."
“Master is so nice!”
"...I have friends there too, let's go."
"Are they very good friends?"
"yes."
"Has it been a long time since we last met?"
"yes."
She took a boat to Donglu and sent her apprentice to her friend's house, where wine was warm and lights were dimmed, and laughter came out of the window. But she was alone and continued to head east.
Snow was still falling on the snowfield, fluttering down like the scattered willows on the outskirts of Tai'an.
After spending a hundred years, Liu Qishuang finally stood on this snowy field again - the place where she lived in her childhood, the place where she once fought, and the place she never wanted to return to.
The place where Yu Zhanmei was buried.
There was white snow on the stele. I reached out and brushed it away, and the iron-painted and silver-hooked words appeared: The Tomb of My Old Friend Yuzhanmei.
She was usually a man of few words, but at this moment she seemed to be influenced by her apprentice and wanted to say something for no reason.
"I think this place is better than the Golden Palace. It's quiet and no one will disturb you. What do you think?"
"I have never understood why you cannot tell east from west, south from north, or salt from sugar when cooking. You rely on remembering clothes and sounds. How can you be the palace master if you are so stupid?"
No one answered her, and the wind was howling between heaven and earth.
"ah--"
Suddenly, a long howl sounded on the snowy plain. It sounded clear at first, but heart-wrenching at the end. The echo shook the snow on the dead branches, and the icicles shattered into powder, which fell all over the woman's clothes.
Having once seen through the barrier of life and death, all greed, anger, ignorance and resentment were gone, and one has achieved the great way.
We gain and lose throughout our lives, but what we lose is always more than what we gain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
