See
“Ah Sheng came back last night.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yun was so shocked that he almost lost his grip on the amulet in his hand.
"What?"
The village chief's words and Guan Nan's words both proved that her immature conjecture was very likely true.
Grandpa said in a low voice, "He came back last night. He suddenly sneaked in during the night. I woke up in the middle of the night and vaguely saw a figure. It was really scary. He told me not to tell anyone, but I thought I should tell you anyway, so you won't always worry."
On the way back, Lin Yun seemed preoccupied, but she quickly masked it and spoke to the village chief in an optimistic manner, "There's still some pork left from yesterday. I smoked it this afternoon so it can be stored properly."
Last night, everyone in Shixi Village ate together for dinner. She had brought pork, and most of it was eaten, but there was still quite a bit left for the village chief. So she wanted to find a way to store the meat properly before she left.
"well."
Along the way, no matter what questions Lin Yun asked, the village chief always agreed. It seemed that in his eyes, his granddaughter had grown into a capable adult and the one who would make decisions in the family.
"Grandpa...did my brother say anything else to you?"
The term "brother," which she had used for many years, now felt completely foreign to her, and she hadn't uttered it in a long time.
"Same as always, say something like 'Everything is fine, don't worry about me.'"
Didn't he mention me?
"No, not really. I just told him you went to the Jingyin Sect. He probably thought you'd be doing well there." The village chief was also puzzled. Before leaving home, he always talked about his sister, but now that he's back, he doesn't mention her at all.
"That child has grown much taller and thinner."
In the darkness, he couldn't see Ah Sheng's face clearly, but he had already sketched that figure in his mind a hundred times when he left home.
The wind carried Grandpa's sighs and reflections: "It's good that he's safe and sound."
The two returned home around 1:00 PM, before having eaten lunch.
There were still many dishes left over from last night, and Grandpa, who is usually frugal, insisted on making some new dishes for Lin Yun to eat.
She couldn't refuse, and said helplessly, "If I make some new food, there will be leftovers. I don't know how many days you will have to eat these leftovers. After I leave, you will definitely not want to waste them."
"I'll feed them all to Ah Huang." Ah Huang is Aunt Zhang's dog.
"Don't I know you?"
In the end, the village chief stubbornly prepared a few new dishes to bid her farewell. The promised smoked meat was never made; the grandfather said he would make it himself and told her to leave during the day, as the road was difficult to travel at night.
A group of people escorted Lin Yun to the alley entrance. The village chief stood at the front, his eyes brimming with tears. The composure he had maintained during their reunion was now shattered, leaving only deep reluctance and worry.
He added worriedly, "If you suffer any injustices over there, or if you don't want to stay anymore, come back."
"I understand." This was the second time they had parted, but Lin Yunwang felt much sadder than the first time. As for why she was more sad, she couldn't explain it.
Waving goodbye.
Even though Lin Yun had walked quite a distance, a group of people were still standing at the alley entrance. She couldn't help but turn back and shout, "Go back! I'll be back next year!"
It still stands.
Until Lin Yun completely disappeared from sight.
During this visit, she saw that her grandfather was in much better condition than when she left home, which put her at ease. Aunt Liu told her that the government had given him a subsidy because he was over 70 years old, which he received every year, so he no longer had to work in the fields.
They even set up an orchard, but something seems to have gone wrong; the orchard hasn't blossomed this year, and they won't let Lin Yun go to see it.
One worry was over, so the other... She turned around. The trees here grew very low, and their drooping branches always brushed against her forehead.
Outside this low grove of trees, beyond the layers of branches, stood the familiar man in black, motionless like a stone statue. He was usually very well hidden; Lin Yun had only discovered him once.
That time, it was because he discovered that Lin Yun had met with someone unexpected. Concern clouded his judgment, and he lost his composure, naturally giving himself away. Perhaps he harbored a secret thought—what if she recognized me? This was something he both wanted to think about and dared not.
The two stood eight zhang apart, neither taking a step forward, stubbornly clinging to their own opinions.
Just like in all previous confrontations between the two, he, as the older brother, eventually gave in. He carefully took a step forward, and seeing that Lin Yunwang neither raised his sword nor retreated, he continued to move forward.
Ah Sheng wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
Normally, this should be a touching scene of brother and sister reuniting after a long separation. The brother should eagerly inquire about his sister's well-being, and the sister should rush towards him with tears in her eyes. This is just the usual scenario, but this was definitely not the case. The brother had been missing for a long time and had been following his sister for more than half a month, yet he refused to show himself. No matter how you look at it, this situation is strange.
Twenty steps, fifteen steps, ten steps, five steps.
"Chen Fengcong, you're a real bastard!"
He was the one who moved first, but she was the one who spoke first.
Lin Yun raised his right hand high, gathered his strength, and swung it down forcefully, but ultimately couldn't bear to, stopping just an inch away from him.
She hated him for following her like a shadow for half a month without acknowledging her, and she hated even more that he had tormented her into an unrecognizable state. The wooden skin she had seen in the bamboo forest that night was definitely not normal, but now that he had taken off his mask, his skin was normal again.
What stood between the two of them was the concealment and deception she hated most.
"I originally thought that the person I encountered last night was a despicable scoundrel who threatened the lives of others' relatives, but it seems that he is a disgraceful bastard who disregards human ethics," Lin Yun said coldly.
Shen Feng knew she was extremely angry. When she was young, whenever she was extremely angry, she would speak in a sarcastic or cryptic way because she couldn't show it.
"Good sister, I was wrong, please forgive me this time, okay?" Shen Feng deliberately dragged out his words, acting pitiful, as if he had his own reasons.
Seeing his good attitude, Lin Yun's anger subsided considerably, and his expression softened. "Then tell me, why did you follow me and tease me, but refuse to reveal your identity?"
The young man struck a slightly flirtatious pose and said, "Of course, I'll wait until you notice."
When he saw the dark cloud over Lin Yunwang's face again, he knew he had said the wrong thing. He knew his sister's weakness and how to coax her; similarly, Lin Yunwang also knew her brother very well and knew when he had lied.
He knew that now was the time to tell the whole truth.
But we can't do that.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and lowered the hand she had been holding for so long. She thought to herself: I really want to slap him! This bastard who left home on a whim has no idea how worried his family is about him!
"Have you found the truth you were looking for?" The roar in her ears and the emotional turmoil made her body weak. She found a tree nearby and leaned against it for support so that she wouldn't look too disheveled.
The jagged tree trunk hurt her back, but she insisted on standing ramrod straight.
Lin Yunwang was inherently proud and unyielding.
As Shen Feng watched his sister stagger towards the old tree, a bitter taste rose in his throat. However, he quickly suppressed his pained expression and resumed his playful grin.
He rushed forward and supported his sister's swaying body.
Shen Feng's Adam's apple bobbed twice. He used the act of helping her to avert his gaze and said, "The person who struck up a conversation with you in the teahouse, disguised as a traveling doctor, is called Liu Danbai..." He then changed the subject, "...from Qiling City."
Seeing his sister frown slightly, he explained, "It's the Qiling City you're thinking of."
“After the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, Qiling City has become increasingly detached from worldly affairs. So this time, pushing you to the Jingyin Sect must mean that something has happened that requires this pawn.” He gripped Lin Yunwang’s arms tightly, very worried that she would be drawn into some kind of storm.
“But…” she said, “I’m already in this game.”
Lin Yun was only slightly surprised by the identity of the person in the teahouse. After calming down, he carefully recalled what had happened during this period and found that many things made sense.
She suspected that the person behind leading her to the Jingyin Sect was no ordinary individual, but she didn't consider the possibility of Qiling City. After all, the name "Qiling City" represented authority in the cultivation world. If they wanted to do something, they would just do it directly; why bother with such a roundabout way?
The girl looked up, and a low branch lay across their path, obscuring their eyes.
Even if you can't see clearly, you still have feelings in your eyes.
“Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be bad to live this life heroically,” she said firmly. “I have promised my master that I will never leave the Jingyin Sect in this life. Besides, the Rejuvenation Pill that saved my grandfather’s life is tied to my 10 years of commitment.”
"What if they're just deceiving you? What if they're just using you as a tool? What if..."
“Brother,” Lin Yun interrupted him softly, “I’m not a child anymore. I can tell right from wrong and falsehood from pretense.”
"Please believe me."
That's fine too.
Shen Feng lowered his arms and said nothing more.
The two were so familiar with each other that they often didn't need words; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's thoughts. Therefore, he knew all too well the meaning behind Lin Yun's words: she was determined to move forward, and no one could stop her.
He began to hate himself. If he had returned to Shuofeng City earlier, if he had made contact with that person sooner, if he had revealed his identity without hesitation from the beginning... would everything have been different? No one could answer his question.
With his keen judgment, Shen Feng felt increasingly uneasy. But there was no point in trying to dissuade him now; Lin Yun had made her decision, and all he could do was protect her as best he could.
There were still so many things left unsaid, but beyond that, there were even more things that couldn't be said. Shen Feng had never wanted to tell his sister what had happened since he left home, but some words were already on the tip of his tongue due to his surging emotions, and he swallowed them back down.
As the black barrier gradually peeled away, Lin Yun was about to set off back to the Jingyin Sect.
So all those words and instructions were reduced to just one sentence: "I will always be your brother."
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