We're going to die together.
Zhan Beiye lay on the ground with Meng Fuyao and the unconscious Yun Hen by his side. Even Lord Ingot was drenched and panting. The wind on the cliff blew up their clothes, which were torn and stained with blood.
Yun Hun walked over slowly with a strange look in her eyes. She looked down at Zhan Beiye and saw his determined and fearless eyes. After a while, she said, "You may have lost, but it's an honor."
Zhan Beiye let out a long breath. He knew that Yun Hun's words came from the bottom of her heart, and he also knew that it was a heavy sentence. This comment from Yun Hun, who was ranked sixth among the Ten Strongest, would quickly spread throughout the Five Continents. It was equivalent to confirming their position as the top experts of the younger generation.
In the past thirty years in the Five Continents, there had never been a person who could withstand a hundred moves from the Top Ten Powerhouses. Especially after the first five of the Top Ten Powerhouses disappeared from Jianghu, Yun Hun was the true number one in the world. However, today, the three of them had fought fiercely with the legendary Yun Hun for an entire day. This number one in the world, relying on his incomparably rich experience and the top-notch true Qi that he had cultivated for half a sixty-year cycle, used all his means, and still got injured.
This meant that in a one-on-one fight, the three of them were strong enough to withstand a hundred moves from Yun Hun.
This was a battle record that they could be proud of. They had never done it before, and they might not be able to do it again in the future.
Zhan Beiye only smiled, and his smile was full of character. "Actually, I'm quite grateful to you."
Yun Hun's gaze slowly swept past his hand that was tightly gripping Fuyao's hand. She saw his blood-stained fingers gently caressing Fuyao's broken little finger, and how he was still pressing his hand against Fuyao's back in an attempt to restore some True Qi for her even though he was on the verge of death. Yun Hun's gaze trembled slightly, and she felt a slight pain in her heart, as if something had touched a secret in her heart.
She stood there in a daze, staring blankly into space.
The sky gradually darkened. The golden-red setting sun gradually sank behind the bluish-green Western Mountain. The brilliant red in the sky gradually faded and was replaced by a dark green. The light and shadows on all sides dimmed, wiping away the shadows of the people.
Night was approaching, and the moon was about to rise, but it did not.
Yun Hun finally sighed and said, "I swore … to protect the heir of the Zhan Clan and not to let the enemies of the Zhan Clan go."
She extended her hand, which was encircled by clouds. Zhan Beiye stared at her hand. He did not put up any defense, but secretly placed his palm on Fuyao's back, waiting for the moment Yun Hun made his move to push her away.
Not far behind, Xiao Qi was waiting with his men. They would definitely be able to receive Fuyao.
That cloud of mist instantly arrived in front of Zhan Bei Ye's mouth!
Zhan Beiye growled in a low voice. The last bit of True Force flowed out of his body, not towards Yun Hun, but towards him.
"Little Seven, catch!"
Xiao Qi rushed over and saw Fuyao's body being pushed by Zhan Beiye towards him. He did not even bother to catch her. Instead, he shouted without turning his head, "You guys catch her!"
With a whoosh, he circled around Fuyao and thrust his spear at Yun Hun without a word.
Zhan Beiye was so angry that his mouth was crooked.
He roared angrily, "You bastard, scram!"
Xiao Qi retorted arrogantly, "Scram after I save you!"
He rushed forward, thrusting his spear left and right at Yun Hun. This ruffian, who had been fighting on the streets ever since he was three years old due to the death of his parents, was taken in by Zhan Beiye and personally taught him martial arts. He was not as reckless as he looked. He could tell that Yun Hun was a woman, after all. Her physical strength was naturally limited, and after a day of intense fighting, her True Force would definitely be damaged. He could not use any techniques against such a person, so he might as well fight with his strength.
He brandished his spear, and the momentum of the spear was like that of a tiger. Every thrust of his spear was filled with all the strength in his body, and even the sound of the wind on the cliff was shattered. With every thrust of his spear, he seemed to be able to hear his muscles and tendons being overused, and the subtle pulling sounds of his muscles being unable to bear the load. He felt that his entire body was trembling slightly, as if he was going to soften into a pile of mud at any time.
The sand and stones on the cliff were swept up by the violent wind. Yun Hun's brows furrowed in anger as she said coldly, "A small fry like you dares to provoke me?" With a wave of her sleeve, Xiao Qi was sent flying.
Halfway through the air, the young man propped himself up with one hand and pulled himself back. It was still the same thrust!
Yun Hun's thin brows raised so much that they almost formed a vertical "one". What was wrong with all the people she met today? Why didn't they know how to retreat, protect themselves, or escape? Why did they only know how to use their flesh and blood to persevere?
She reached out in frustration and threw Xiao Qi again and again. She could not be bothered to kill a small fry like him. If word got out that one of the Top Ten bullied a servant, her reputation would be tarnished.
Soon, Xiao Qi's blood was added to the pile. He laughed and desperately stood in front of Zhan Beiye. Just as he was about to faint from exhaustion, he grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and wiped it on his face!
The coarse sand rubbed against his face until it was burning with pain. In that kind of pain, he wiped away the blood on his face and once again brandished his spear and rushed forward. That spear of a tall tree did not carry any flag, but it carried a kind of persistence and faith. With blood as ink, the firmament as the flag!
Zhan Beiye could not speak, nor did he have the strength to scold him. He just silently turned his head and looked at the moon in the sky.
The moon had finally risen!
Tonight, the night of the full moon!
The golden and round moon finally rose above the cliff after Xiao Qi's desperate struggle. The moon floated in the sea of clouds.
Tonight, the moon was exceptionally bright, illuminating Cang Mountain. The silver light came from the depths of the sky, reaching the end of the world in an instant.
Yun Hun suddenly looked back and saw the full moon in the sky. Her expression changed slightly. She listened attentively and suddenly floated up without a sound.
She floated up and the jade light dimmed. Then, without hesitation, she smashed towards Xiao Qi's head!
"Pu —"
It was not the sound of the head being smashed, but the sound of the jade being caught in the net and hitting something soft.
It was a dazzlingly beautiful net. Every single warp and weft was as bright as silver, smooth and clean, and a slight tremble would cause silver light to ripple, making the net look like a dream. It was like the graceful undulating strings of a peerless zither playing in the spring breeze, or the fine silk flowing out from the delicate hands of a beautiful woman. When it wasn't moving, it was like a pool of still water, and when it fluttered, it was like the purest moonlight.
The lingering moonlight, the beauty that had once regretted her old age, sighed at the decline of prosperity, reflected the flames of empires, saw the parting of love, and the passing of time.
The moonlight was in the man's arms, and the man was in the moon.
The cool moonlight sprinkled down from high above. The person in the moonlight was so pale that he looked like a ray of light. His slender fingers were as white as the moonlight, holding the lingering net. He slanted his beautiful and charming eyes and glanced at Yun Hun.
He said slowly, "Why are you hiding from me?"
Yun Hun's expression changed again and again. Ever since the man appeared, she had quickly turned around and refused to look back. She raised her hand and then put it down again, not knowing what to do. Twice, she seemed to be trying to stuff her long grey hair into her collar, but she immediately let go halfway and could only turn her head helplessly.
The man did not seem to mind her little movements and refusal at all. He leisurely took a few steps forward. Since the man appeared, he had been so bright, giving people the feeling that he was so dazzling in the moonlight. However, after he took a few steps, she realized that he was born like a round of moonlight. The genuine Qi around him moved and the halo was hazy. Wherever he went, there was a new breathtaking brilliance.
He had a head full of long silver hair, sparkling with light as he moved. He had a face that was both happy and angry at the same time. He was so beautiful that it was hard to tell if he was a man or a woman. His smiling lips were like a crescent moon, lofty yet strange. He gave people the feeling that he was cold, but his eyes were hot. Especially when he looked at Yun Hun, it was like a strange burning moon.
He reached out and slapped Xiao Qi away, throwing him far away. He said, "Your breath is foul, don't suffocate Ah Yun."
When Yun Hun heard Ah Yun, she wanted to run without saying a word. She was immediately caught by the tangled net. The man slowly pulled the net and pulled Yun Hun step by step towards him. He complained, "Ah Yun, you are so cruel to always hide from me. If it wasn't for the night of the full moon, I wouldn't have been able to find you."
Yun Hun stiffened her back and resolutely refused to look back. Her thin shoulders leaned forward, looking like she was desperately resisting the net and the girl's resentment. However, she did not see the strange smile on the man's lips.
She fought fiercely for a day and was at the end of her rope. How could she resist the man who came prepared? She struggled free and could not help but be angry. "Yue Po, if you continue to pester me, I will fight you to the death!"
"You have said this for 38 years, a total of 217 times." Yue Po's evil gaze swept across Yun Hun's body. His gaze did not look like he was looking, but more like he was caressing. "Come, let's fight to the death."
The word "let's" was said in such a lingering way that it almost made people's noses bleed. Yun Hun's back was facing him, and he could vaguely see that even his neck had turned red. He stuttered and could no longer speak.
Yue Po did not speak either. He only looked at Yun Hun's back. His previous laughter and debauchery disappeared, replaced by loneliness and desolation.
As the two of them faced each other in silence, Meng Fuyao, who had been thrown away, ran back to Zhan Beiye's side. Panting heavily, she looked at Yue Po blankly and asked, "This is the person you've been waiting for?"
Zhan Beiye let out a long sigh. "Finally."
"You know him?"
"No." Zhan Beiye smiled slyly. "I only know of a legend. It is said that Yue Po chased after Yun Hun for many years, but for some reason, Yun Hun refused to accept him. She ran all over the place to avoid him. Later, Yue Po took advantage of Yun Hun's inattentiveness and planted a primer in her body. When the moon is full, he can use the Moon Tide to sense Yun Hun's location …"
"Stop!" Meng Fuyao became more and more suspicious. She raised her hand and interrupted him. "How are you so sure that he will come? What if something happens to him? What if he is far away? What if he is not even in Tian Sha? "
Zhan Beiye answered innocently, "That's why I said it depends on luck …"
"You told us to hold on until nightfall because Yue Po 'might' come?" Meng Fuyao broke down and asked with a tiny bit of hope, "Then if he comes, he will definitely save us?"
"I don't know," Zhan Beiye answered honestly. "Yue Po is temperamental, and everything he does depends on his mood. And this mood is tied to Yun Hun, so … he might help us, or he might kill us faster."
Meng Fuyao was speechless. Decided by Yun Hun's attitude? Wouldn't that be the end of her? Looking at Yun Hun's awkward behavior, Yue Po would most likely be snubbed for the 217th time. Wouldn't he die faster then?
"Damn you," Meng Fuyao howled. "You can't fool people like this."
"Fuyao," Zhan Beiye held her hand. "If I didn't say that, we would have lost the strength to continue after half a day and would have died long ago."
Meng Fuyao was silent. After a while, she sniffed and smiled. Patting his shoulder, she said, "Yes, give us hope, and we will have the courage to persevere."
Zhan Beiye looked at her crooked smile, and a trace of darkness floated across his eyes.
There were some things that no one gave him hope for, but he still did not want to give up. For example, this woman in front of him.
Meng Fuyao did not notice his expression. She kept staring at the man and woman, her eyes rolling. Suddenly, she turned to Zhan Beiye and asked excitedly, "Hey, is Yue Po a man or a woman? Tsk tsk, a ladyboy. "
Her voice was as soft as a gossamer, but Yue Po actually heard her. He turned back and smiled. "You can try it yourself."
Meng Fuyao did not even blush. She lay on the ground and looked at the beauty like a dead dog. "Senior Yue Po, I have a piece of advice for you. Do you want to hear it?"
Yue Po pulled on the net, his eyes lingering on Yun Hun's back. The woman's looks were worlds apart from his, but he looked at her as if she was a peerless beauty.
He answered casually, "Hmm?"
Meng Fuyao said solemnly, "This is very important. It can't be said for nothing."
Yue Po finally turned to look at her. "You're indeed a crafty woman. You want me to protect your lives, right? Sure, on the condition that this sentence is useful to me. "He smiled and said slowly," If it's useless … I'll kill you first. "
"Sure." Meng Fuyao shook off Zhan Beiye's hand. Yun Hun suddenly turned back and said angrily, "Yue Po, what right do you have to interfere in my affairs?"
"Because I've been chasing you for 38 years. Because I have the guts to admit that I've been chasing you for 38 years in front of these juniors." Yue Po was not angry, but his words were like polished diamonds. The moment Yun Hun met his gaze, he became mute and turned his head away.
Meng Fuyao slowly climbed up from the ground. Zhan Beiye struggled to pull her up. "Fuyao, don't take the risk! We still have other chances to live! "
Meng Fuyao ordered, "Rat, go!"
Lord Ingot pounced forward and stuffed his fat body into Zhan Beiye's mouth.
Zhan Beiye spat out Lord Ingot's name and tried to get up to pull Meng Fuyao back. Unfortunately, the last fight between him and Yun Hun was too fierce. He struggled to get half of his body up, but with a bang, he fell back down, almost crushing Lord Ingot.
Without turning back, Meng Fuyao slowly walked toward the moon with her knife in hand. The beautiful man turned back, still holding the silver net in his hand. Upon closer inspection, Meng Fuyao realized that the man did not age at all, as if he was eternally youthful. Unlike Xing Hui, who looked charming from afar but aged up close, Meng Fuyao could not help but feel jealous as she looked at his bright, moon-like cheeks.
How could there be such a man in the world who was blessed by the heavens? How could women live without changing their looks?
She glanced at Yun Hun. That woman was as stiff as a puppet, clutching her greyish-white long hair, which was far less radiant than the moon's silver hair. She didn't say a word, her fingers twirling nervously, tearing off her white hair.
Meng Fuyao smiled. She was even more certain of her plan. She slowly walked towards Yue Po and whispered into his ear, "I'm going to teach you how to woo women."
The first few words were so soft that it was almost inaudible. The last two words were slightly clearer, just within Yun Hun's hearing range. She caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye, and Yun Hun froze.
Yue Po looked at her suspiciously. "You? A young girl who hasn't even grown all her teeth. Do you understand? "
Meng Fuyao revealed a standard smile with only half of her front teeth. "It's not the number of teeth that matters, it's the quality that matters. It's not the age that matters when it comes to wooing women, it's the power of understanding."
She was extremely close to Yue Po, almost brushing his shoulder. Yue Po didn't feel anything, but Yun Hun's gaze drifted over. Meng Fuyao smiled sinisterly and pulled Yue Po. "Senior, let's talk over there."
"No, she'll run." Yue Po refused to let go of the net.
"I promise you, she won't run." Meng Fuyao whispered into his ear. "Do you want to know how she feels about you? Follow me. "
Her nose was clearly bruised and her face was swollen, but she smiled like a seductress. Her eyes shone like pearls under the moonlight. Moon Soul looked at her eyes that were so bright that they were threatening, and finally let go of the net. But she said, "If she runs, I will kill you."
"Go ahead." Meng Fuyao smiled confidently.
Indeed, Yun Hun didn't leave. With her back facing Yue Po, she shouted, "I want to kill these people before I leave!"
"Alright, alright." Meng Fuyao smiled. "Once I'm done with my talk with Senior Yue Po, you can kill them however you want."
Yun Hun clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves. The veins on the back of her pale hands could be seen. She turned her head away without a word.
Yue Po glanced at Yun Hun's back thoughtfully. He followed Meng Fuyao around the boulder and said, "This is the first time she didn't run away."
"Senior, it's not that I want to scold you, but you're really stupid." Meng Fuyao squatted behind the boulder and scolded with a blade of grass in her mouth.
Yue Po immediately turned his head. "Huh?" His nasal voice was heavy, and the moonlight was cold.
"Do you know why she didn't accept your rejection?" Meng Fuyao's words changed the cold and murderous moonlight to the soft moonlight above the red silk tent. "Inferiority! Inferiority! "
"Inferiority?" A beautiful old man murmured in shock. "Inferiority for what?"
Meng Fuyao looked up at the sky and sighed. This man was even weirder than Yun Hun!
"Come here." She pulled Yue Po over and pointed to a puddle on the ground. "Look at yourself. You're young and youthful, so beautiful that anyone would be jealous of you."
Yue Po stared at the shadow in the water and said, "Eh, it seems like it. Sigh, I haven't looked in the mirror for many years."
Meng Fuyao resisted the urge to beat him up and continued to enlighten him. "You're blessed by the heavens, and your looks are eternal. But what about her? She's young and white, and her looks are average. "
"But she can't abandon me," Yue Po replied. "It's not my fault that I'm beautiful."
"Your martial arts are above hers, aren't they? But when it came to the ranking, you gave in to her out of affection, didn't you? "
Yue Po was silent for a while. "She doesn't like losing to me."
What an idiot … Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes. She didn't understand that women were creatures who didn't mean what they said. She would be sad if you lost to her.
"Let me ask you, do you usually speak freely, especially like to tease women, and say some flirtatious things?"
"How did you know?" Yue Po slowly adjusted the net in his hand. "Actually, other than her, I don't see any distinction between men and women."
"Are you stupid?" Meng Fuyao was exasperated. "You don't see any distinction between men and women, but she does!"
"Huh?"
"Your beauty already makes her feel inferior. When you give up your ranking, she probably thinks that you don't want to compete with her. You have a stunning appearance, and you like to be flirtatious and flirtatious. Naturally, there is no lack of beauties throwing themselves at you. Moreover, you are unrestrained and don't know the boundaries between men and women. In her eyes, how does she feel?"
Yue Po was stunned as if he had been struck by lightning.
Under the moonlight, the beautiful man wrinkled his perfectly curved eyebrows and muttered, "Could it be that I've been wrong all this time?"
Meng Fuyao looked at him and felt that these top-notch experts were quite pitiful. Their obsession with martial arts had caused problems in their minds, and because they had been at the top for a long time, they could no longer see the most ordinary principles of the world. Given their status, people feared them more than they loved them. They avoided them as if they were snakes and scorpions. So many years had passed that no one dared to take the risk to enlighten this pair who were deeply in love but emotionally retarded.
"Hey, you mean," Yue Po suddenly grabbed her, "it's not that she doesn't like me, but that she doesn't dare to like me?"
"Yes." Meng Fuyao patted his shoulder like a brother. "You're too beautiful, strong, and flirtatious. You don't seem reliable. She's afraid that you'll hurt her even more if she trusts you. She might as well not accept you and see you more often." She smiled sinisterly and whispered into Yue Po's ear, "Otherwise, why would you 'find' her every time?"
Yue Po looked at her sideways. "You're acting like a Casanova at such a young age."
Meng Fuyao smiled smugly. "Praise, praise, praise."
She sneakily looked at the irritated Yun Hun and laughed. "See, he's jealous …"
Yue Po suddenly said, "I think those two fellas are interested in you too. Why aren't they jealous when you're pretending to be intimate with me?"
Meng Fuyao was stunned. After a while, she raised her eyebrows. "What's there to be jealous about, my good friend?"
Yue Po laughed. "Do you really think I'm an idiot?"
Meng Fuyao looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Trust, do you understand? There's a lack of trust between the two of you. "
"… Trust …" Moon Soul fell into deep thought and suddenly said, "She and I were actually childhood sweethearts. I had always liked her thirty-eight years ago, and I thought that she knew as well. I had originally planned to propose to her at the end of that year, but in the end, she fell ill with a strange illness during mid-autumn. After she recovered, her hair turned completely white. At that time, I was traveling around the world, and when I heard about it, I went back to visit her. On the way, I ran into an enemy, and fortunately, Mist saved me. She said that she wanted to visit my hometown, so I brought her back. That day, Mist and I both went to visit her. When Mist pushed open the door, she was looking at herself in the mirror.
She turned her body slightly and looked at Yun Hun, who was pacing back and forth anxiously. She thought about how she was always in a trance, how she kept pulling out her white hair, how she was awkward and eccentric, how she, as one of the Ten Strongest, said that she was the most miserable person in the world, and how she looked hurt when she heard the words' confidante '.
Thirty-eight years ago, a young woman's hair had turned white overnight. She was heartbroken and had given up on herself. Then, she saw her lover coming with a beautiful woman. How painful was that moment? So much so that it hurt to this day, 38 years later?
It turned out that he was just a pitiful person who had always been worried about the gains and losses of love, and didn't dare to face it, so he had to escape.
She also smiled absentmindedly. She smiled because of those stories that had been sealed for a long time and carried the fragrance of old papers.
She moved closer to Moon Soul and said softly, "Do you want to know how she feels about you?"
"Hmm?"
"That's it!"
Suddenly, Meng Fuyao threw out a punch. Her hair was disheveled as she shouted, "If you don't live, we'll all die together!"
The wind from the punch surged and hit Moon Soul, who was extremely close. His back was facing the cliff, so he was caught off guard and fell!
A gray light flashed, so fast that it seemed as if it had always been there.
Yun Hun rushed over at an unimaginable speed. She did not look at anyone, not even the murderer. She ran straight to the bottom of the cliff and shouted anxiously, "Yue …"
She crashed into the bottom of the cliff with an indomitable force that did not look back.
She crashed into an embrace that had been waiting for a long time.
At the bottom of the cliff, the man who was like the moonlight was holding onto the silver light in his sleeves. He quietly opened his arms and waited for the embrace that he had not seen for 38 years. When the graceful gray-haired woman ran down the cliff without hesitation and ran into his arms, the man's eyes instantly turned red.
He let go of her hand, letting the silver net sway leisurely to cover both of their bodies. He stretched out his arms and hugged her tightly. He rested his chin on her hair and carefully, tenderly, and gently stroked it. His voice was as soft as the moonlight between the clouds, less teasing and seductive, and more solemn and sad.
He said, "Ah Yun, I've waited for this call for 38 years."
The moment Yun Hun fell into his arms, she understood what had happened. She wanted to struggle, but she was shocked by the tone that she had never heard before. She buried her head in his arms, and a faint man's fragrance lingered around her. It was familiar yet strange, and she had not smelled it for 38 years.
The moonlight was quiet and cool, illuminating the people who were hugging each other in silence between the milky white clouds of the dark cliff.
Yun Hun was embraced by Yue Po. She was embarrassed, happy, and sad at the same time. She did not know where she was, but she vaguely heard him say, "So this appearance is also a bad thing …" Then she moved.
She did not know what Yue Po was doing, but she only longed for the warmth of this moment. She did not move or speak.
The moonlight shone on the man like the moonlight. He suddenly took a light breath, and then exhaled, spitting out a little silver light. Then, his silver-white hair slowly dimmed, fading into a greyish white color, and even more withered than Yun Hun's.
And on that beautiful, androgynous face, fine lines of age gradually appeared. The lines that were engraved at the corners of his eyes and lips made him age by 20 years in an instant.
Then he smiled and rose up, gently landing on the top of the cliff. He did not let go of Yun Hun, and the woman was held tightly by him. She felt embarrassed, and awkwardly turned her back.
Meng Fuyao suddenly let out an "ah" and pointed at Yue Po's aging face and white hair. She said in horror, "You … you …"
Yue Po smiled at her. Suddenly, he flicked his sleeve, and the silver light in his palm flew toward her.
"This is a treasure unique to our sect to cultivate Qi. Only experts who have cultivated for more than 50 years and have extremely pure Qi can have it. My ageless appearance comes from this. Now that I have no use for it, you can have it."
Meng Fuyao took it, and the silver light converged in her palm. It was a small round ball, translucent like a sarira. She looked at it hesitantly … Wasn't this gift a little too much?
Yun Hun suddenly looked up. The moment she saw Yue Po's face, she let out an "ah" and tears instantly flowed down her face.
She could not say a word for a long time. She could only stare at Yue Po's face with tears in her eyes. His smile was as enchanting as usual, his elegance was still the same, and his face that had not aged for 38 years. Today, for her, he had actually abandoned himself.
When he understood the pain she felt when she looked up at him, he was willing to lower himself.
"Senior, it is rare to find someone with a heart," Meng Fuyao suddenly said. She looked up at the pair on the mountain rock and said quietly, "Senior Yue Po has proven to you that nothing is more important than you. In the future, please let go of your pointless inferiority complex and learn to trust him."
Yun Hun turned back and looked at Meng Fuyao. After a while, she smiled helplessly. "Should I thank you or scold you?"
"As long as you don't kill me." Meng Fuyao shrugged.
"I will still take Zhan Nancheng with me. This is my oath. After that, I will resign from the Tiansha Imperial Family and will no longer meddle in the Zhan Family's affairs." Yun Hun flicked her finger and a small box appeared. "I think I still have to thank you. I'll give you this little toy. I've had it for decades, but I've never understood its use. If you have this opportunity, I'll let you have it."
Meng Fuyao beamed as she accepted it. Although she had suffered a little today, it was a good deal.
Yue Po looked back and smiled. Holding Yun Hun and Zhan Nancheng's hands, they flew into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. Meng Fuyao stood at the top of the cliff, thinking about Yue Po's smile. It was calm and perfect, even more beautiful than the first time she saw him.
She turned back and looked at Zhan Beiye, who stood up shakily. She looked at Yun Hen, who was slowly opening his eyes. She looked at Xiao Qi, whose face was covered in blood, grinning. She looked at Yue Bao, who was slowly taking out a fruit to chew on. The moon was bright and the wind was clear. The clouds had dispersed. It was also a happy ending for life.
= = =
After returning from Luofeng Cliff, Meng Fuyao, Zhan Beiye, and Yun Hen were immediately brought to an ordinary residence in the west of Pandu City to recuperate. The residence looked exactly like any other residence in Pandu, but its interior was shockingly complex and vast, filled with numerous secret mechanisms. In the basement of the residence, Meng Fuyao witnessed the farsighted plans of the Grand Preceptor Zhou, who was known as the 'first among the two ministers'. He had protected a large number of capable ministers during the chaos of the late Jin Dynasty, and when the fall of the Jin Dynasty was a foregone conclusion, he was willing to bear the blame of being condemned by the world and lead the surrender of the city as a Grand Commandant. He had used his entire life to recruit followers and spread his wealth, leaving behind incomparable power and wealth for his only descendant.
Despite knowing that someone was plotting against him, the old man still requested for Zhan Beiye to be conferred the title of King. He even took the initiative to confer Zhan Beiye to the barren Geya Desert. This was because a learned scholar had told him that the Geya Desert used to be a rich continent that had been covered by sandstorms. In the depths of the desert, there were ruins of an ancient kingdom that had been destroyed. That prosperous dynasty had left behind countless treasures, which later became one of the sources of top-notch equipment for Zhan Beiye's Black Wind Cavalry.
The distant Geya became the best place for Zhan Beiye to train his troops. In the depths of the vast desert, in addition to the Black Wind Cavalry, there were also tens of thousands of elite soldiers that Zhan Beiye had recruited through various methods. Among his troops, there were even valiant Moluo soldiers that he had recruited with a huge amount of wealth.
Because of the old Grand Tutor Zhou's defection, Zhan Beiye was able to protect many civil and military officials of that time. Although most of them had lost their authority and some had changed their minds with the change of dynasties, there were still some who had gone through ups and downs in the world of officialdom and now had their own forces. These people had buried the past and their gratitude deep in their hearts, waiting for an opportunity to repay the kindness of that extraordinary old man many years ago.
The clouds moved in all directions, and the wind and thunder were about to rise. When the dragon that had been in hibernation for many years raised its head, it would definitely bring about an upheaval that would shake the heavens and earth.
After recuperating in the secret chamber for a while, Zhan Beiye walked out of the darkness on a bright and beautiful morning. He smiled at Meng Fuyao and said, "Fuyao, I'm leaving."
"Hmm," Fuyao replied and looked at him calmly. While he had been recuperating, he had also been meeting batch after batch of people, discussing plans and research routes with a group of advisors who had popped out of nowhere. On the day that he was almost fully recovered, she knew that he was going to leave.
Zhan Beiye stared at her bright eyes, his heart filled with heroic spirit and a thousand strands of parting. This journey to the Pass had been cleansed by blood and fire. Would everything be the same when he returned? He really wanted to tell her, "Fuyao, come with me." But he couldn't.
He couldn't be so selfish. He had to change the world and change the court. He had already placed her in chaos, he couldn't continue to place her in danger. The bones and teeth she had broken for him were like the blood vessels in his heart that were broken. It was forever bleeding, and the scars were hard to heal.
Zhan Beiye's hand slowly reached into his bosom and caressed a small embroidered pouch. It was the half-broken tooth — that day in the Inner Palace, he had secretly picked it up and kept it in his bosom. If he could not have the keepsake to exchange with her in this life, he would keep this thing that belonged to him until he died, and then burn it with his ashes.
He said, "Fuyao, I've already sent someone to inform Zong Yue to come back and treat your wounds. I'll leave the Black Wind Cavalry to you …"
"Don't," Fuyao rejected him directly. "Take it with you. I know that your power in the capital can't go against the imperial army and the troops stationed in the capital, so you have to send your mother back to Geya and lead your elite troops to fight your way here. But you need someone to escort you back to Geya. I wanted to do it myself, but I have something important to do. So, let's do our own things and not worry about each other."
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. She indeed had something more important to do — the True Martial Arts Tournament. The emperor, Zhan Nancheng, would be there personally, and the champion would be rewarded personally by Zhan Nancheng, as well as a portion of the Tian Sha Army's power!
She wanted to be the champion, seize the Tian Sha Army's power, and kill Zhan Nancheng!
She wanted to personally open the city gates for Zhan Beiye when he reached Pandu!
Her small face shone brightly because of these decisions. Zhan Beiye looked at her deeply, wanting to reach out and caress her face, but he stopped halfway and laughed.
"Fuyao, let's meet again in the Tian Sha Golden Palace!"
= = =
After sending Zhan Beiye off, Fuyao entered a period of arduous training day and night. There were many things she had to do. Her battle with Yun Hun had improved her inner strength once again, and she had to make use of the time to integrate Da Feng's inner strength. She also had to study the Qi Cultivation essence of the Moon Soul to see if it was compatible with her own inner strength. At the same time, she also studied the box that Yun Hun had given her. It was the size of a palm, black, and borderless. It seemed impossible to open, and she could not tell what material it was made of.
After studying it for a long time, she decided to put it aside and wait for that illusory opportunity. Yun Hen stayed in Pandu. He had come to participate in the True Martial Arts Meet. After Taiyuan split into Shangyuan and Taiyuan, the Yun Family had protected the Taiyuan Kingdom. Now that they were new nobles in Taiyuan Kingdom, he naturally had to represent the Taiyuan Kingdom. Back then, he had been injured and abandoned by Fuyao after the Taiyuan Palace incident. It was Zhan Beiye who had sent people to take care of him, and they had formed a friendship from then on. This time, Yun Hen had contacted the Black Wind Cavalry and learned that Zhan Beiye was in danger, so he immediately came to help. Now that Zhan Beiye had entrusted him to take care of Fuyao, he was naturally duty-bound.
On the second day after Zhan Beiye left, Ya Lanzhu rushed over with all her might. When she realized that she was a step too late, she burst into tears and wanted to give chase again. But she was held back by Fuyao. If this child had mobilized so many people to give chase, wouldn't Zhan Beiye's whereabouts be known to the whole world? Meng Fuyao had a glib tongue and unrestrainedly praised Ya Lanzhu's martial arts, making Ya Lanzhu think that the True Martial Arts Meet would lose its luster without her as the champion. Thus, she obediently stayed and waited for the True Martial Arts Meet.
One day, when Meng Fuyao was bored from her martial arts practice, she brought Ya Lanzhu and Yun Hen out for a stroll. The True Martial Arts Meet was about to begin, and Pandu was filled with martial artists from all over the world. The streets were filled with Jianghu practitioners with swords and sabers. The teahouses and taverns were filled with martial artists from all over the world. Fights often broke out at the slightest disagreement, previewing the elimination round.
The three of them went to the "Drunken Fugui" and sat down at the table where they had sat before. They saw Eunuch Hua drunk as usual, tripping over idiots and extorting compensation as usual. Ya Lanzhu giggled, and Fuyao smiled as well, though there was a hint of sourness in her eyes. This old man didn't like to drink, but he had gotten drunk for Zhan Beiye for twenty years!
Before Eunuch Hua left, she stepped forward to help him. The old man looked up at her and took a wax pill from her.
She returned to her seat and continued drinking and playing rock-paper-scissors with Ya Lanzhu. Suddenly, one of the customers next to them said, "The rest of the countries don't have to send anyone for this meet. Even if they do, they'll just be asking to be humiliated. Our Twin Swords of the Upper Abyss have taken control of the Mystic Yuan Sect at such a young age, and their Stirring Thunder Technique is renowned throughout the world. Who in the world can match up to them?"
"Are the Twin Swords sure to come?" another person asked. "I heard that the Yan couple are busy with government affairs and may not be free."
"Senior will come," said an arrogant youth. "Even if he doesn't come, it'll be the same for me. I've been personally taught by Senior, and I've long since memorized the Stirring Thunder Technique."
The crowd echoed his sentiments, and the youth's expression became even more arrogant. He looked around proudly without a word, and all the customers lowered their heads in silence. This youth had been in the restaurant for several days, and he had never been a match for his sword. He was indeed skilled, and they could not blame him for being arrogant.
Suddenly, someone burst into laughter.
"Hey, what's the Twin Swords of the Twin Swords of the Upper Abyss?" Meng Fuyao asked Ya Lanzhu with a loud laugh. "What wings? A pair of ducks? A pair of herons? Or a pair of bats? "
Ya Lanzhu blinked. "Don't tell me it's a pair of chicken wings?"
The two of them laughed so hard that they slammed the table and chairs. The restaurant was dead silent, and everyone looked at Meng Fuyao with pity. This brat did not know the immensity of heaven and earth, and dared to offend the successor of the Stirring Thunder Technique.
Meng Fuyao laughed while wiping her tears. "Oh my God … Twin Swords of the Chicken Wings …"
Suddenly, a cold light flashed, and a sword was pointed at the tip of her nose.
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