The four of them went out together, but only Yan Liang returned.
"They're gone?"
Wang Lianhua leaned against the wall and asked him.
Yan Liang nodded: "I'm leaving."
After they left, the next to leave in that order should be Wang Lianhua, Dongfang Bubai, and Fang Yingkan.
Yan Liang took the time to say goodbye to Bai Yutang, Zhan Zhao, and Pang Yu, in order to resolve the regrets of the past. He had passed away too early, and his departure was too tragic and ruthless. The time they spent together after their reunion was joyful and precious. Yan Liang felt an indescribable sense of relief. Although he was still somewhat sad, he felt more relaxed and happy.
If he were to become dejected because of separation, then that would not be him.
To Yan Liang's surprise, only a few people remained at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Fang Yingkan and Dongfang Bubai had both left, leaving only Wang Lianhua, Lu Xiaofeng, Ye Gucheng, Ximen Hefeng, and Hua Manlou together.
Dongfang Bubai and Fang Yingkan went out together, supposedly to explore the surrounding area and see sights that could not be seen in the real world.
"Aren't you afraid that if you don't stay with your Dongfang, he'll lose his heart to Young Master Fang?"
Yan Liang, being a sarcastic person, couldn't help but tease him upon learning of this.
“Dongfang is deeply devoted to me, so naturally he wouldn’t be fickle and fall for someone else…” Wang Lianhua was already used to Yan Liang’s penchant for rambling, so she immediately straightened up, a half-smile on her face, and said, “But you are really an incompetent emperor—is there any monarch who can casually make fun of his subjects?”
Yan Liang feigned indifference: "I am no longer the emperor, so how can I be considered incompetent? But the mutual trust between you and Dongfang is truly admirable. Once they return, I will certainly repeat your words to Dongfang without alteration—"
It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to hurt each other. Wang Lianhua raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "Likewise, I will also repeat your words to Young Master Fang."
Their eyes met, both filled with murderous intent.
Their expressions were serious and earnest, not at all like they were joking.
Lu Xiaofeng stared for a long time before finally speaking up.
As a representative of the onlookers, he raised a serious question.
Do you two know the meaning of "leisure"?
Yan Liang looked back innocently, while Wang Lianhua was quite interested.
Lu Xiaofeng asked himself and answered, "Your conversation just now was 'idleness'."
Yan Liang replied sincerely, "You must be quite free to watch the whole thing from the sidelines."
Lu Xiaofeng: "..."
That's undeniable...
Wang Lianhua had a good impression of Hua Manlou and was also skilled in medicine and enjoyed studying stubborn diseases, so he specially stayed to treat Hua Manlou's eye disease and prescribed medicine for him.
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was filled with the fragrance of medicine all day long. When Yan Liang stepped into the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, a sense of familiarity arose spontaneously - he remembered the days when he first came here and kept the medicine with him.
Hua Manlou sat at the table, smiling quietly, as if the old days had come back to life.
Yan Liang and Wang Lianhua were each other's teachers. Now that Yan Liang has returned, he has joined the pharmaceutical team. Occasionally, when they have nothing to do, they will banter with each other. Dongfang Bubai and Fang Yingkan, who are not present, will always be mentioned unintentionally. This makes Lu Xiaofeng, who is occasionally bored, feel that the two of them are too idle.
When Ximen Hefeng saw Yan Liang return alone, he looked sad and buried his face in Ye Gucheng's arms, wiping away tears. Ye Gucheng stiffened and held him loosely. Ximen Hefeng was intelligent and resolute, more mature than other children his age, and this was the first time Ye Gucheng had ever seen him cry.
Yan Liang found Ye Gucheng's helpless appearance amusing. After watching for a while, he took out a bunch of trinkets and quickly made Ximen Hefeng stop crying and start laughing. Hua Manlou handed Ye Gucheng a handkerchief. Ye Gucheng glanced at him, reached out and took it to wipe Ximen Hefeng's tears.
Ye Gucheng, the Lord of Baiyun City on Feixian Island in the South China Sea, is always dressed in spotless white, giving people an impression of being cold and aloof, like a celestial being or snow on a mountain peak.
But now, this celestial being, with a slight bow of her head, wipes away the child's tears, as if she too has descended from the clouds to the mortal world.
The few people who were idly watching the commotion all laughed.
Lu Xiaofeng made no attempt to hide his smile, and Ye Gucheng saw it as soon as he looked up. Looking around, he saw that almost everyone was smiling.
Yan Liang laughed heartily while holding the rattle drum, Wang Lianhua's expression was subtle, and even Hua Manlou had a smile on his lips.
Ye Gucheng: "..."
He calmly placed Ximen Hefeng on the ground, made the young apprentice stand up straight, and solemnly instructed him: "Don't cry anymore."
Ximen Hefeng gave a forceful "Mmm" with a sob in his voice.
Ye Gucheng's expression softened, and then he heard Ximen Hefeng shout, "I will definitely learn swordsmanship from you, Master, and defeat my father!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng, who had been smiling to the side, froze on his face.
—Does Ximen Chuixue's son have such lofty ambitions at such a young age?
Ye Gucheng paused, patted his head, and said, "It's good that you have this intention."
Sun Xiuqing and Ximen Chuixue are now separated. Sun Xiuqing has expressed her desire to return to the Emei Sect, all of which Ximen and Feng know. The Emei Sect now has Zhang Yingfeng and Yan Renying. Although it is no longer as magnificent as it once was, its status in the martial arts world is still among the top.
Sun Xiuqing and Ximen Chuixue were able to marry and have a child, so they must have had moments of deep affection; but as time went by, their ambitions diverged, and conflicts inevitably arose, so a peaceful separation seemed to be the best course of action.
But to Ximen Hefeng, all he saw was Ximen Chuixue's obsession with sword practice and his neglect of his mother. He didn't want Sun Xiuqing to leave, but he was powerless, so he thought of Ye Gucheng—the only person who had defeated Ximen Chuixue—to be his master. He was sure that Ye Gucheng could also defeat his father and reconcile his parents.
His idea was very simple. On the first night Ye Gucheng took him away from Wanmei Manor, he learned about his idea from Ximen and Fengkou.
Now, it is clear that she is moved by the departure of Pang Yu, her first friend.
"That's not bad either."
They avoided Ximen Hefeng, and Ye Gucheng explained to them the reason why Ximen Hefeng made those remarks. Yan Liang listened and gave his evaluation.
"Lord Ye, you will be a good master, and he will be a good disciple."
Ye Gucheng nodded slightly: "Thank you for your kind words."
Yan Liang looked at him and couldn't help but laugh.
When the immortal descended to the mortal realm, he was lonely and desolate. Looking back now, he can't help but feel the silent passage of time.
＊
Not long after Yan Liang returned, Ye Gucheng and Ximen Hefeng prepared to leave. On a clear autumn morning, the master and apprentice bid farewell to them and set off. The carriage gradually disappeared into the distance, becoming a black dot in their sight.
Yan Liang withdrew his gaze, but turned his head to see Hua Manlou gazing in the direction the carriage had left, his eyes vacant, yet a smile played on his lips.
A thought struck him, and he smiled unconsciously.
The system store offers items for equivalent exchange, allowing users to trade their vision for others. However, the prices are extremely high, and Yan Liang neither has enough points to exchange for them nor is he willing to do so.
If it were Hua Manlou, he certainly wouldn't want to exchange someone else's eyesight for his own.
Yan Liang always thought that Hua Manlou was a very peculiar person.
Though blind in appearance, not in spirit; kind-hearted and gentle.
Like Yuan Suiyun, he was blind, yet he loved all things in the world more than anyone else.
Fortunately, the medicine for treating his eye disease is almost finished, and the day when Hua Manlou can see again is not far away.
Yan Liang thought to himself with a pleasant mood.
——————
In the Huzhou area of Jiangnan, Fang Yingkan and Dongfang Bubai were boating on the lake. The early autumn weather was turning cool, but there was still a bit of warmth. The lake surface rippled gently, making it very refreshing.
Fang Yingkan and Dongfang Bubai had been traveling together for half a month. Being unfamiliar with the area, they enjoyed the scenery of Jiangnan together and their journey was quite harmonious.
Their thoughts were very similar—it's a rare opportunity to experience something like this, so why not take a closer look?
There are many martial arts sects in this place, and some even share the same name as those in their respective martial arts worlds, which makes one marvel at the wonder of the world.
Compared to Ximen Chuixue, Ye Gucheng, and others, Gong Jiu was not well-known in the martial arts world, but if asked about him, he would surely reveal some clues. Fang Yingkan had long guessed that Gong Jiu was no ordinary person, and after hearing this, he found it interesting—it seemed that all those who were on good terms with Yan Liang were not ordinary people.
After hearing his idea, Dongfang Bubai denied it very decisively: "When Gong Jiu mentioned Yan Liang, he never said that the two of them were on good terms."
The two were drifting slowly on the lake in their covered boat. Just as Dongfang Bubai spoke, another covered boat swam past their side.
Fang Ying glanced at the awning boat and said, "If we weren't on good terms, why would Gong Jiu take you to Suzhou to see Yan Liang?"
Dongfang Bubai said, "Naturally, it's because he finds it interesting."
Fang Yingkan said, "Ordinary people wouldn't travel thousands of miles just to see someone because they're interested, carrying a lot of burdens along the way."
Dongfang Bubai, who was deemed a burden, narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you trying to say that you are the only one who is not on good terms with Yan Liang?"
Fang Yingkan asked in surprise, "How do you know?"
"After all, you are a friend of Yan Liang who doesn't consider him a friend."
Dongfang Bubai repeated exactly what Wang Lianhua had said to him, his words full of provocation.
"Of course, I am not friends with him; there is a distinction between ruler and subject."
Fang Yingkan remained unfazed.
Dongfang Bubai snorted lightly, too lazy to respond, and turned his head to look at the awning boat that hadn't moved much since they arrived. He raised his voice and said, "Don't listen to what is improper. Eavesdropping is not the behavior of a gentleman. Why don't you come out and let us see you?"
Fang Ying looked at the slightly swaying awning boat.
The awning boat was originally swaying and drifting aimlessly on the lake, but it stopped when it reached the awning boat that the two of them were in. Even a fool would notice that something was wrong with the boat and the people on it.
The boat rocked slightly, and someone pushed himself out of the cabin, bringing with him a medicinal fragrance.
The man was dressed in black, his lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes were filled with surprise and uncertainty. He looked young, about the same age as Pang Yu.
Fang Yingkan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Why did you eavesdrop on our conversation, brother?"
The young man's face stiffened, and he looked somewhat embarrassed. He said, "...I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
He surprisingly admitted to eavesdropping.
Dongfang Bubai was a little surprised.
With an innocent smile and a very approachable demeanor, Young Master Fang continued to ask, "But is there anything about our conversation that you're concerned about?"
As he asked this question, he had already made up his mind.
It must be related to either Yan Liang or Gong Jiu.
As expected, this young man was not only related to Yan Liang... but also to Gong Jiu.
“I overheard you talking about Yan Liang and Gong Jiu… I happen to know someone with the same name, so I was a little curious,” the young man in black said, repeating his previous explanation. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
This young man was none other than Tang Tianzong, who had been lured to the Jiangnan region by a seemingly plausible but ultimately ambiguous letter from Gong Jiu.
"My name is Tang Tianzong," he said. "I am a disciple of the Tang Clan."
Dongfang Bubai suddenly understood and smiled slightly—he had heard this name from Gong Jiu.
According to Gong Jiu, he was a short-tempered, idle person who was friends with Yan Liang.
Author's Note: Gong Jiu: Keeping his achievements and fame hidden.
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