Chapter 130, Chapter 130: A Debt of Love...
Chapter 130 Peach Blossom Debt
"Senior Feng."
"Senior Feng."
Upon entering the main hall, they saw an elderly man sitting upright. Shen Lang and Zhu Qiqi stepped forward to pay their respects. Seeing him, they felt a little guilty. After all, their disciple had fallen for someone else's disciple, and their disciple... well, he was a bit special.
Feng Qingyang smiled at them and said, "There's no need for such formalities."
While Shen Lang and his companions were making waves in the martial world, Feng Qingyang had already retired to the mountains. Therefore, he had never met Shen Lang and his group, but he knew their names and deeds. After all, those events had caused quite a stir and were incredibly sensational; although he had retired, he wasn't oblivious to their happenings and naturally knew about them.
Feng Qingyang used to admire Shen Lang and his fellow young men, but now, seeing Shen Lang only fueled his anger. It wasn't for any particular reason, just because of the good disciple he had raised. However, he was too proud to lose face in front of others, so he could only put on a smiling face.
I'm so angry, but I still have to keep smiling, which makes me even angrier.
Shen Lang and Zhu Qiqi felt that Feng Qingyang's smile was forced, but then they thought it was normal, after all, Gongzi Yu... cough cough, he was feeling guilty.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two sides finally sat down to talk.
"Master's wife, you said you came back because of Master's matter. What exactly is it?" Gongzi Yu asked. "Actually, you could have just sent me a message and asked me to handle it."
Whether it's people or matters, he can handle them perfectly, so why should they have to come all the way here in person?
“That woman is very cunning; you won’t be able to handle her.” Zhu Qiqi glanced at Shen Lang casually. “Let him deal with it himself; after all, he’s the one who caused this.”
Shen Lang smiled bitterly, "This whole thing can't be blamed on me, can it? I'm just an innocent victim."
"I didn't say it was your fault," Zhu Qiqi said with a smile. "I only said it was because of you, wasn't that right?"
Since she'd already said that, could Shen Lang refute her? Of course not. He wasn't stupid; he still wanted his wife. "I'm just so unlucky."
He said that, but Zhu Qiqi wouldn't let it go. She sighed and said, "That's true."
Feng Qingyang looked at them with some curiosity, so what exactly was going on?
Ling Hao watched them curiously. Zhu Qiqi didn't seem angry at all; she just wanted to tease Shen Lang a bit. So, the matter really wasn't Shen Lang's fault. But what exactly happened? She really wanted to know.
Gongzi Yu couldn't help but laugh when he saw the almost identical expressions on the faces of the master and his disciple.
Zhu Qiqi also saw it and said with a smile, "Actually, it was really just bad luck. If that person hadn't been so skilled in martial arts and ruthless, it wouldn't even be considered a big deal. We once went to the desert for Chai Yuguan, but we offended another person when we left the desert."
The desert? This place and the people here have been appearing quite frequently lately. Ling Hao thought to himself.
Gongzi Yu frowned slightly. "Master's wife, could it be Shi Guanyin?" He glanced at Shen Lang and guessed.
“No mistake, it’s her.” Zhu Qiqi nodded.
It is common knowledge that Shi Guanyin has a penchant for handsome young swordsmen. Anyone she sets her sights on is abducted. And no matter how resistant these young swordsmen initially are to her, they all eventually go mad for her, becoming mindless zombies, none of them ever leaving that desert.
It's not that no one tried to rescue them, but they all perished in the desert. They didn't save the people; they lost their own lives in the process.
When Shen Lang and his companions were about to leave the desert, they rescued a girl in a small town on its edge. She was incredibly beautiful, and the desert was a lawless place; she was almost harmed, so naturally, Shen Lang and his group had to save her.
Little did they expect that this seemingly pitiful and frail girl was actually Shi Guanyin, who had taken a liking to Shen Lang and deliberately appeared in a weak and vulnerable manner. She managed to deceive them at first, but Wang Lianhua quickly exposed her true nature.
Based on Wang Lianhua's way of life back then, he was no better than anyone else, just like himself. He was too perceptive of such people.
Back then, the group fought against Shi Guanyin together, and although they didn't lose, she still managed to escape. The desert wasn't their home turf, and after lingering there for a while without catching her, and given that they had other things to do, they left.
Years later, Zhu Qiqi received a letter from the Zhu family on the island. Or rather, it was a cry for help, stating that the Zhu family members, especially Zhu Xi, were being targeted by Shi Guanyin. They were very worried and hoped that Shen Lang could help them find a solution.
Zhu Qiqi's anger flared instantly upon reading the letter's description of Zhu Xi's actions. Shen Lang, who was sitting beside her at the time, was given a sharp pinch on the arm by her. She knew that Shi Guanyin's targeting of the Zhu family was definitely because of Shen Lang.
She eventually realized that it wasn't Shen Lang's fault; Shi Guanyin's thinking was different from most people's. But she was so angry at the time, and Shen Lang was right there. Who else could she vent her anger on if not him?
They all knew that Shi Guanyin was not easy to deal with, especially Zhu Qiqi, who worried that Shi Guanyin would completely wipe out the Zhu family. So the couple decided to return to the Central Plains, at least to deal with Shi Guanyin.
They were coming back, and of course, Wang Lianhua and Xiongmao'er were coming back too. They didn't want to stay on the island gazing at each other; that would be too boring. Since Shi Guanyin and Zhu Xi were both in Kyoto, they headed straight there after disembarking.
While on the boat, Wang Lianhua said he wanted to travel with them, but as soon as they got off, he ran off, with Xiongmao'er following along. Shen Lang and Zhu Qiqi didn't think much of it, figuring they were heading straight for the desert. But even after all these years, Wang Lianhua still couldn't say anything nice, insisting he didn't want to stay with them and wanted to go have fun on his own.
I'm used to it, really.
So that's how it is. Gongzi Yu and Ling Hao finally understood why Shi Guanyin wanted to deal with the Zhu family and why she used such cruel methods to deal with Zhu Xi.
But Linghao still had some doubts, "Why wait until recently to deal with the Zhu family? Shi Guanyin always had a chance, didn't she?"
"She's probably recovered from her injuries," Shen Lang said. "Back then, a few of us teamed up to injure her, and her injuries were quite severe."
Although Shi Guanyin has continued to roam the desert and inspire fear in all these years, the fact that she hasn't truly left the desert tells us that her injuries haven't fully healed. Her appearance in the Central Plains now is probably because her injuries have healed.
As for why Shi Guanyin targeted Zhu Xi first instead of the Zhu family, Shen Lang had a guess: it was probably because Zhu Xi resembled Qi Qi. Within the Zhu family, Zhu Xi was the most like Qi Qi in both appearance and temperament.
Back then, Shi Guanyin's gaze towards Qi Qi was like it was poisoned. A person like her wouldn't change her mind no matter how many years passed. Therefore, the person she most wanted to destroy was definitely Qi Qi, but since she couldn't find her, she turned her attention to Zhu Xi.
Shen Lang also guessed that Shi Guanyin probably wanted to use this opportunity to lure him and Qi Qi out. After all, if she wanted revenge, she probably wouldn't feel that the Zhu family alone was enough for her to vent her anger on.
Ling Hao nodded in agreement. So this was the origin of the "peach blossom debt." However, she felt that this didn't seem like a peach blossom debt, but rather an unexpected disaster.
Feng Qingyang looked at Shen Lang's face and thought what they were saying must be true. Even after so many years, Shen Lang's face still had the power to bewitch young girls; it must have been even more so back then. He then looked at Gongzi Yu's face, thinking how both master and disciple were so attractive.
However, he quickly reconsidered. His disciple's swordsmanship was superb; protecting Gongzi Yu wouldn't be a problem. Ah, what could he do when his disciple liked him? Feng Qingyang gave Gongzi Yu another cool glance.
Gongzi Yu said, "My men had already located Shi Guanyin, but she escaped and her whereabouts are unknown." He thought he had to deal with Shi Guanyin as soon as possible, partly for his master and mistress, and partly because of Feng Qingyang.
He sensed that the other person's gaze was starting to change. He had to prove that he was different from his master, that he had the ability to resolve things, and that he wouldn't cause trouble for Ah Hao. Thinking of this, Gongzi Yu's expression became more serious.
Zhu Qiqi's expression immediately changed. "They wouldn't have gone to the Zhu family, would they?"
"No." Gongzi Yu shook his head. "I've already had people guarding the Zhu family. If Shi Guanyin appears, they'll still be able to find traces." If they can't even do that, then they should all get out of here.
Zhu Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief. "Ayu, thank you so much." It has to be a disciple she raised herself. Some people are just useless.
Chen, Useless Wave: "..."
I'm innocent!
"You flatter me, Master's wife. It's what I should do," Gongzi Yu replied. He wasn't concerned about the Zhu family itself, but rather about his Master's wife, Zhu Qiqi. It was because of her that he sent people to guard the Zhu family. He knew that if the Zhu family were wiped out, she would be devastated.
During those years on the island, Zhu Qiqi showed him more love and care than his own parents. How could he not think about her?
"So where will Stone Guanyin go?"
Gongzi Yu said, "She should have gone back to her lair. My men have found some traces of her heading towards the desert."
Shen Lang stood up. "Then I'll go to the desert." If Shi Guanyin's matter isn't resolved completely, he won't have any good days to live.
Zhu Qiqi looked at him and said, "Then I'll wait for you to come back in Kyoto." Although she really wanted to go back to the Zhu family to visit her father, for the sake of the Zhu family's safety, it was better for her not to go back for the time being. It was only said that Shi Guanyin might have returned to the desert, but it wasn't 100% certain.
If Shi Guanyin were still in the Central Plains, her return to the Zhu family would bring them utter destruction. Although she missed her father dearly, her brother in the capital could somewhat alleviate her homesickness.
"Okay." Shen Lang nodded. "Wait for me to come back." He wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible, so naturally he had to travel overnight at full speed. Although Qi Qi's martial arts had improved, she still couldn't withstand such a ordeal. With A Yu and the others in Kyoto, protecting her was not a problem.
But... Shen Lang looked at Zhu Qiqi with reluctance; they hadn't been apart for many years.
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Author's note: Goodnight [kiss]
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