The morning sun rose from the east and shone on the hill behind the Hut. The slightly warm morning light did not have any trace of twilight as it enveloped the summit of the mountain. The dozen or so teachers and disciples of the Sword Hut stood in the warm light facing the sun. It looked like an oil painting.
At the foot of the hill, the third-generation disciples of the Sword Hut, sword boys, servants who had served Sigu Jian for countless years, and officials looked at this scene. They knew that the Grandmaster of Dongyi had reached his last moment. Countless people found it difficult to hide their sorrow. They knelt on the ground and kowtowed endlessly toward the direction of the hill.
In the mountain residence at the waist of the mountain, Fan Xian and the Shadow watched. Although their expressions did not change, their hearts were moved. Fan Xian suddenly felt that his emotions were strange. After all these years, his relationship with Dongyi had always been complicated, particularly toward Sigu Jian, the Great Grandmaster. He actually did not have any deep understanding of him. He only knew that he was an extraordinary warrior and a powerful person who could use a sword in his hand to change the situation of the world. For many years, Sigu Jian had been his greatest enemy. Yet, with the passing of time, the relationship between people had undergone such a great change.
Even last night, Fan Xian did not have any extra feelings toward Sigu Jian. His negotiations with Sigu Jian were only a cooperation between the two sides based on a certain goal of mutual benefit. Fan Xian truly could not feel too much emotion toward a Great Grandmaster who had caused the deaths of many of his subordinates and Qing people.
The sunlight had come.
The sunlight came. Fan Xian couldn't help but laugh bitterly at himself. Looking at the thin and weak figure at the top of the mountain, he wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He had actually seen this Great Grandmaster as a revolutionary who protected the world and loved the people.
The Shadow stood a step outside the mountain gate and looked calmly and dazedly at Sigu Jian on the summit of the mountain. He watched his brother, whose life was tangled with and injured, take his last few breaths in the world.
After Fan Xian retreated back into the shadows of the mountain gate, he fell silent. For some reason, the blood in his heart surged slightly. The two different types of zhenqi in his body slowly began to circulate, particularly the powerful Tyrannical zhenqi at the back of his waist. It was released along his two arms and circled around the edges of his palms, forming a very round zhenqi circuit. It was only half an inch away from his palms, but it was a very sensitive release of zhenqi.
He sensed something, sensed something, and looked to the east, all the way to the boundless sea over there, to the waves that were breathing under the red morning sun.
On the summit, Sigu Jian's gaze also landed on the waves.
A gust of wind came from afar, carrying with it some wet raindrops. Above the rising sun in the sky, there was a thick layer of dark clouds. The wind and rain came, as if to send him off, as if to baptize him.
…
…
Other than Fan Xian and the dying Sigu Jian, no one sensed the aura purposely released by that person. Fan Xian quietly left the mountain residence and left behind the people kneeling on the ground in worship around the Sword Hut. He swept diagonally into Dongyi, raising his speed to the fastest level. In a short time, he had stepped over private residences and businesses, passed by the ships in the harbor, and arrived outside of Dongyi, on a secluded beach near the shore of the East Sea.
The raindrops by the shore were already falling densely, hitting the beach and creating tens of thousands of holes.
A gray shadow swept past and then stopped valiantly on a rock by the beach. It was Fan Xian. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the small holes the raindrops had made on the beach. Suddenly, he thought of the marks left on the beach when he saw half a small boat sink under the cliff in Danzhou many years ago.
The wind and rain did not grow stronger. They only blew gently and coldly as they fell. The morning sun rose higher. After rising into the rain clouds, the light in all of Dongyi grew dim, particularly on the ocean. The waves crashed against the rocks and stirred up endless mist. Mixing with the wind and drizzle falling from the sky, it added a sense of haziness.
Behind the mist, the figure of a giant ship slowly appeared. The body of the ship was enormous. It was an ocean-going merchant ship that could withstand tens of thousands of li of ocean waves. The ship was unable to get close to the shoreline covered in rocks. It only appeared in the distant ocean. Although it was far away, the inexplicable sense of pressure still made Fan Xian feel a glimmer of nervousness.
The sea suddenly calmed down at this moment. Although the wind and rain continued, the raindrops fell silently into the sea, fell silently into the sand, and moistened the world silently. The waves no longer violently crashed against the shore, but slowly rose and fell, as if this continent was breathing.
A small boat came faintly through the white mist.
Fan Xian took a deep breath. He then stepped onto the slightly wet and soft sand and walked toward the seaside to welcome the arrival of the small boat.
A person stood at the bow of the small boat with his hands behind his back. His slightly white hair was tied behind his head with a strip of cloth. His face was strange, and his eyes were clear and unfathomable. He wore a straw hat on his head. Although the hat was small, it stopped the gentle and dense wind and rain from approaching the small boat.
There was a person sitting at the bow of the boat. He also wore a straw hat, but the brim of the hat did not hide his different-colored hair or the strange and terrifying smile at the corners of his lips.
Ye Liuyun had come. When Sigu Jian was about to die, he had finally come to see him off.
Fan Xian felt slightly shocked. He then looked at the person sitting at the end of the boat and smiled warmly. Sir Fei Jie had also come. At a time when he was about to be exhausted, being able to see someone close to him actually diluted the shock Ye Liuyun's sudden appearance brought.
…
…
The small boat neared the seaside. Ye Liuyun stood quietly at the bow of the boat. His gaze passed through the green trees and hills by the seaside and cast into the distance. Sigu Jian was probably on the hill in that direction, looking wretchedly and coldly at the seaside.
Fan Xian stood in the wind and rain and wiped away the rain on his face. Looking at the silent and silent Ye Liuyun, his thin lips opened slightly. In the end, he didn't say anything.
The sound of water gradually rose. Fei Jie jumped down from the back of the boat and walked toward the shore in the shallow water. Fan Xian quickly went forward and helped his teacher onto the shore. The teacher and disciple met each other's eyes. Their gazes were both warm and gratified.
Fan Xian didn't talk about the problems in Jingdou, Ten Family Village, or Chen Pingping. He knew that traveling abroad was Fei Jie's lifelong wish. This Great Grandmaster of poisons liked freedom. If it weren't for Fan Xian, he would probably have long left the Qing Kingdom. Since Chen Pingping had tricked him away, Fan Xian would continue tricking him.
"These two years, we've wandered around the islands in the Southern Ocean," Fei Jie looked at his proudest disciple and said with a smile. Fei Jie looked at his proudest disciple and said with a smile, "I've already decided to set sail this year and travel to the West."
"The Western Ocean is very far." Fan Xian glanced at Ye Liuyun standing woodenly at the bow of the boat. Ignoring the Great Grandmaster, he held his teacher's hand and walked a little further. Worriedly, he said, "Given your temper, I'm afraid you'll have to go deep into the Western Ocean. How many years will it take to go back and forth?"
Fei Jie looked at him with a smile and said, "Given my and Master Ye's age, I'm afraid we won't be able to come back once we go."
Fan Xian's throat seemed to be blocked by something. He had thought he would never see his teacher again. Unexpectedly, when he saw him today, it would be an eternal farewell. After a moment of sadness, he forced a smile and pointed at the sea. "With a ship like this, we can go anywhere in the world."
Fei Jie turned his head and looked at the indistinct figure of the ship behind the mist. With a laugh, he said, "I bought a lot of foreign servants and some foreign girls. They are very different from us women. If you look, you'll definitely like them."
"I've spent some time with Ma Suosuo," Fan Xian replied with a smile. "Why are you here today?"
Fei Jie had wanted to ask this question earlier. He turned his head to look at Ye Liuyun, who was standing at the bow of the boat and had not come ashore. After a moment of silence, he said, "He seemed to have sensed something and knew that Sigu Jian was about to die, so he wanted to send him on his way."
"Hmm …" Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and glanced at Ye Liuyun, who was standing like a statue in the rain. Using a complicated emotion, he smiled gently and said, "Wasn't Sigu Jian killed by him and the Emperor?"
Fei Jie shook his head and didn't say anything. Fan Xian also stopped this topic. Looking at Ye Liuyun's figure, he also shook his head along with his teacher.
…
…
Ye Liuyun stood silently at the front of the little boat and looked silently in the direction of Dongyi. The straw hat on his head seemed to have lost its effect. It allowed the wind and rain to strike his body and then slide into the boat, leaving him wet.
After a long time, this Great Grandmaster suddenly lowered his head in thought for a moment. He then waved his hand at Fan Xian.
Fan Xian was slightly startled, but his expression did not change at all. Calmly, he walked over and stood in the knee-deep water. Looking at the little boat not five steps away, he respectfully greeted him.
"I'm leaving." Ye Liuyun looked at Fan Xian warmly. "I might never come back again. Do you have anything you want to ask me?"
Of the four Great Grandmasters in the world, Fan Xian had never seen Ku He. He only knew of the Northern Qi Imperial Advisor's power from Haitang, Northern Qi's arrangements after the incident, and Xiao En's memories. As for Sigu Jian, he had personally experienced his shocking sword intent and clearly knew his battle lines. As for the Emperor, Fan Xian knew in his bones that he was incomparably powerful.
Only Ye Liuyun, whom Fan Xian had seen in his youth, had also seen in Jiangnan. That stunning strike of a sword that could topple a building made him, for the first time, have a complete understanding of the Great Grandmaster realm.
Furthermore, there was a fundamental difference between Ye Liuyun and the other three Great Grandmasters. He was like a leisurely cloud. For his entire life, he floated on the land, temporarily stayed, and then left again. He was like a speck of light without strings holding it, incomparably free and at ease.
Because of this, Fan Xian had always admired and respected Ye Liuyun the most. First, it was the Junshang Conference and then Dong Mountain. Fan Xian finally understood that in this world, there would never be a person who was above the common people.
If there was, it could only be Uncle Wu Zhu and not the Great Grandmaster on the boat.
Fan Xian knew why Ye Liuyun had spoken at this time. After a moment of silence, he didn't ask for any questions about martial arts. Instead, he asked straightforwardly, "Why have you come?"
In the rain, Ye Liuyun raised his head slightly. The entire strange face appeared from under the straw hat. It was as if he had not thought that Fan Xian would use such a precious opportunity to ask such an unexpected question.
After a moment of silence, Ye Liuyun said, "I have come to send you off."
"Why are you leaving?" Fan Xian asked again.
"Because I like it," Ye Liuyun replied with a slight smile.
"Then, why did you attack in the beginning?" Fan Xian asked in the end.
"Because … I am a Qing person," Ye Liuyun replied seriously.
Fan Xian thought about this question for a long time. A Qing person. He was also a Qing person. In this world, belonging could truly determine the motivation of all actions. Even a Great Grandmaster was no exception.
Fan Xian took a deep breath and smiled. "I don't have any other questions. I'm just curious. Will you come back in the future?"
"Who knows what will happen in the future?"
Fan Xian shook his head and didn't say anything more. Given Ye Liuyun and Sir Fei Jie's realm, although it was the distant and mysterious Western continent, there was probably nothing that could hold them back or harm them.
Fan Xian didn't have any questions to ask, but Ye Liuyun seemed to have something to say. He looked at Fan Xian and smiled warmly. "After the Wei Kingdom, the world was in chaos. Wars broke out everywhere. The common people lost their homes and suffered unspeakably. I helped your father sweep away the last obstacle. The things in the future will be for you young people to do. "
Ye Liuyun, as a Great Grandmaster, had endured silently for 20 years and secretly cooperated with the Emperor's plan to sweep away all the hidden dangers within the Qing Kingdom in one fell swoop. He removed the two biggest obstacles to unifying the world, Ku He and Sigu Jian.
There was no point in Ye Liuyun staying on this land any longer. Thus, before he left, he came to take one more look and say these words to Fan Xian.
In this Great Grandmaster's eyes, Fan Xian was, without question, the most outstanding warrior of the younger generation. It was not just his martial cultivation, but also his ability to scheme and his daily attention to the common people. That was why Ye Liuyun had sent these words to him.
However, Ye Liuyun did not know Fan Xian's heart. For a Great Grandmaster to see through a person's heart was an impossible task.
After saying this, Ye Liuyun said no more to Fan Xian. He continued to stand at the bow of the boat, looking at the mountaintop and the person on the distant mountaintop who was about to die. Perhaps it was a friend.
Fan Xian lowered his head in silence for a moment. He then walked back to shore and spoke in a low voice with Mr. Fei Jie. They were about to say goodbye. He and his teacher had many things he wanted to say. Even if it was just some trivial childhood memories, there were not many opportunities to reminisce.
…
…
Fan Xian took out the booklet Ku He left him and handed it to Mr. Fei Jie. "The thing Ku He left behind should have something to do with magic. Find someone in the West and ask. Just read it out. Those people should be able to understand. It's probably something to do with Italy, Rome, or something."
Seeing how serious he was and how he said it was something Ku He left behind, Mr. Fei Jie furrowed his brows. He accepted it and put it in his clothes. In a raspy voice, he said, "Don't worry. No one can steal this from my hands."
Fan Xian's eyes were sharp. He had long seen that Mr. Fei Jie had done something to the booklet. He smiled and said, "If those thieves are not afraid of death."
"Since it's something Ku He left for you, presumably it has some use. Why didn't you keep it for yourself?"
"I memorized it last night." Fan Xian pointed at his head and smiled as he reminded his teacher of the strange memory he had had since he was young.
Fei Jie smiled and thought of the days and nights when he was teaching this strange creature in Danzhou many years ago.
The wind and rain by the East Sea gradually lessened. Fan Xian and Fei Jie sensed something at the same time and stopped chatting. Turning their heads to look at the little boat gently rising and falling with the waves, they looked at Ye Liuyun at the bow of the boat.
The smile on Ye Liuyun's face grew warmer and warmer, more and more free. It was as if he had seen through something and had a free and easy feeling.
A wave came crashing over. The little boat shook slightly. Ye Liuyun used the momentum to lower his body and bow deeply toward a grass hut on a small mountain in the direction of Dongyi.
Fan Xian's heart sank. He knew that person had gone.
Fei Jie watched this scene silently and said, "I'm leaving."
…
…
The long-legged mosquito in the grass hut finally could not stand the torment of time. Seeing that the weather was about to get hot, the happiest time of life, it could no longer stand in the corner of the wall. It stared hopelessly at the thick blankets and the empty space in the blankets. Dispiritedly, it fell from the wall and landed on the ground. Blown by the wind that leaked in through the crack in the door, it went somewhere.
On the small mountain behind the grass hut, the thin and weak figure was already lying in the arms of his disciples. There was no longer any sign of life.
The little boat by the seaside slowly left and headed toward the large ship in the mist. Fan Xian stood on the beach and bowed deeply as a farewell.
Until the end, Ye Liuyun still did not abandon the boat and go ashore. Perhaps this Great Grandmaster had set a limit in his heart. He did not want to set foot on this land filled with killing and helplessness for the rest of his life, because he did not know if he would be willing to leave once he set foot on this land.
This was the freedom and determination of being able to abandon.
Fan Xian watched the little boat gradually disappear into the wind and rain. He thought to himself, This is what it means to leave the little boat and leave the rest of one's life in the Jiang Hai. Some people can leave, but even more people can't. When can I go to the free Jiang Hai?
…
…
Covered in wind and rain, I came from the sea and lived in seclusion in this desert. The desert and the sea actually have the same meaning. Coming from the sea means going to the sea. Writing this here is a break point. The meaning it wants to express has been expressed clearly. It does not only mean that Sigu Jian lived by the seaside, died by the seaside, came from the sea, and pointed his sword at the world. It also does not mean that Ye Liuyun came from the sea to send him off and then went to the sea with Fei Jie. The main purpose is to create that kind of atmosphere and highlight Fan Xian's helplessness.
Many people say that Fan Xian hasn't been happy in a long time. Using the words written by Jiang Yicao four years ago, it is already like this. How can one still laugh?
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