The disciples of Shiyue Peak who were driving the boat eyed each other speechlessly, not knowing what to do. Their task was to go to Zhaoge City to bring back the injured Zhao Layue. Now that Aoyama was right in front of them, it was already against the order of their masters to stay on the sword boat for a few more days, let alone going to the distant north.
Gu Qing said to those disciples seriously, "Go get ready. You all know that my Master and Senior Master don't have good tempers."
Along with the slight quiver, the clouds around the sword boat were disturbed, turning into wisps and falling behind.
Gu Qing walked back to the bow of the boat. His line of sight returned from the broken clouds to the back of Zhao Layue, his eyes full of worry.
The sword boat didn't travel very fast, and Zhao Layue didn't urge it. It took them a few days to arrive in White Town.
White Town, which used to be quiet in the past, was now much livelier, but it also felt colder.
The twilight was thick, devoid of any warmth. It was the middle of summer, but it felt like the middle of winter.
As the sword boat of Aoyama landed, the magic boats of many sects could be vaguely seen in the distance.
Many courtyards were scattered on the snow-covered fields, which were obviously newly built in the last few days.
"They still don't forget to live comfortably at such a critical moment; they are truly the immortals."
Gu Qing's expression was very calm when he said this, and no one could sense the sarcasm in his words.
It seemed that Zhao Layue didn't hear what he said, as her line of sight was fixed on the surrounding twilight.
Though her Cultivation state was still low, her acquired Sword Body had a very sensitive perception, so she could sense a few powerful energies above the clouds.
They must be the super swordsmen of various sects, gazing at the distant north.
Would they just stand there and watch?
…
…
The wooden sword boat landed outside a courtyard.
Nan Wang stood outside the courtyard.
A few days ago, she, Duke Of He and the others left Zhaoge City and came here.
She wouldn't have come out to greet Zhao Layue in person if it were any other time.
The two of them were of the same generation and status, but their experience and Cultivation states were far different.
The situation was different today.
Jing Jiu had contributed greatly to the Aoyama Sect and even the entire cultivation world. However, he was trapped in the snowfield, his fate unknown.
It was natural for Shenmo Peak to be concerned about this matter, and it was something that needed to be treated seriously.
When Zhao Layue walked into the courtyard, the Aoyama disciples greeted her.
Gu Qing followed behind her. He glanced around and found that there were exactly nine of them.
Nan Wang didn't follow them in because he wanted to make it easier for Shenmo Peak to ask questions or throw a tantrum.
"What happened?"
Zhao Layue asked expressionlessly.
Yao Songshan stepped forward and recounted everything that had happened in the Law Battles in detail.
Zhao Layue remained silent for a while, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the Aoyama disciples.
The Aoyama disciples lowered their heads.
The Liangwang Peak disciple named Lei Il-kyung blushed with shame.
When Jing Jiu asked them to leave, they were so indignant that they even thought of disobeying the order, regardless of their seniority.
However, what happened in the Law Battles proved Jing Jiu's prediction.
If it weren't for Jing Jiu, they would have died in that weird cold fog like the two Western Sea Sword School disciples.
Zhao Layue didn't ask them about what had happened, as Nan Wang had expected. She didn't say anything after asking them about what had happened. Instead, she asked them to leave.
Later, the Grand Supreme Elder of the Ōzawa Sect and the Platanus Sect came to express their gratitude and offer their condolences to Zhao Layue.
Then, Duke Of He, Monk Duhai, and the others came to visit.
Finally, no one came, and the courtyard was quiet again.
"What do you mean by condolences? This is too much! "
Young Yuan said with red eyes.
Gu Qing was still calm, saying, "What should we do next? Wait here?"
"No one knows what happened in the snowland. The Sect Master's decree clearly states that the Aoyama disciples are forbidden to step into the snowland, especially me."
Zhao Layue said indifferently.
Gu Qing thought for a while and said, "I'll go there and ask around. No matter how badly Lo Huainan was injured, she couldn't have been in a coma for too long in the Cloud-Dream Mountain."
Zhao Layue looked at the rain clouds in the south and said, "I'll go to see the Sword Justice."
Young Yuan wanted to say something but stopped on second thought.
…
…
Gu Qing went to the Zhongzhou School.
As the leaders of the orthodox Cultivation circle, the Zhongzhou School and the Aoyama Sect had always disliked each other.
If it were in the past, he would never receive any kind glances, only vigilant and hostile ones.
But today, he received a cup of hot tea. After knowing that he was the disciple of Jing Jiu, there was even a fruit plate on the table in front of him.
The person who received him changed from an ordinary disciple to an elder in Yuanying Realm.
The atmosphere in the courtyard of the Zhongzhou School was a bit tense.
Bai Zao was the only daughter of the Sect Master, and her position in the Aoyama Sect was much more important than that of Jing Jiu.
Gu Qing asked, "Senior, is Immortal Master Luo awake?"
The elder said, "Not yet. Bai Zhenren is treating him."
The Cultivation circle knew that Bai Zao followed his mother's surname, so Bai Zhenren was the wife of the Sect Master of the Zhongzhou School.
In the Mingcui Valley outside Zhaoge City, Zhao Layue was assassinated by Wei Chenzi, an elder in the Yuanying Realm of Zhongzhou School. Bai Zhenren went to Aoyama Sect to see the Sect Master of Aoyama and Yuan Qijing to explain the matter. Considering Gu Qing's status, he had no chance to see her.
The couple of the Sect Master of the Zhongzhou School were both highly achieved swordsmen in the Dacheng State, equivalent to the Sect Master of Aoyama and Yuan Qijing in the Heavenly Arrival State. They were as powerful as the immortals in the legends. With the help of such figures, Lo Huainan would wake up soon as long as she was still breathing.
"Is it inconvenient for us to wait here?" asked Gu Qing.
The elder of the Zhongzhou School glanced at him, thinking that it was inconvenient for a disciple of Aoyama to stay in their sect since it was getting dark. But he understood why Jing Jiu was in a hurry, so he didn't ask him to leave. "You wait here then," he said.
What he meant was that Jing Jiu shouldn't walk around, as it would cause some misunderstanding.
Gu Qing thanked him profusely.
The elder of the Zhongzhou School wouldn't stay with him all the time, so he left first.
Looking at the new hot tea and fruit plate, Gu Qing had a more and more vivid feeling.
The relationship between the Aoyama Sect and the Zhongzhou School was about to improve.
It turned out that the disappearance of his Master and Bai Zao would unite the orthodox Cultivation circle.
Thinking of all this, Gu Qing waited in Silence.
As the night grew darker, he heard footsteps. Jing Jiu raised his head.
The elder of the Zhongzhou School walked in and said, "Huainan has woken up."
Gu Qing's expression turned solemn. He adjusted his sitting posture and put on a posture of listening attentively.
The elder of the Zhongzhou School began to narrate the story told by Lo Huainan.
Gu Qing listened very seriously, his expression focused. He would hum from time to time and let out a soft gasp. His face was full of worry, moved, and finally melancholy.
In the story, Jing Jiu and Bai Zao were good people, and so was Lo Huainan.
But before that, in order to save Tong Lu, he fought with the snow worm and was swallowed by the worm. He was badly injured and his consciousness was a bit hazy.
He could remember a bloody sword piercing through the skin of the snow worm.
Junior Sister Bai Zao poured Zhen Yuan into his body.
Jing Jiu stood in the wind and snow, fighting with the snow worm with an indifferent expression.
The cold fog didn't seem to harm him.
The wind and snow grew stronger, and the fog grew colder. The situation became more dangerous. Jing Jiu was covered in blood, but he was still fearless.
Seeing that Jing Jiu couldn't hold on any longer, Junior Sister Bai Zao activated the Ten-Thousand Mile Seal and brought him back to the Cloud-Dream Mountain.
The last scene he saw was Junior Sister Bai Zao rushing toward Jing Jiu, and then the sky and earth turned white.
It was an avalanche.
It wasn't the real snow falling down from the cliff, but countless snow worms.
…
…
After telling the story, Lo Huainan fell unconscious again.
Having heard the story, Gu Qing took his leave.
After telling the story, the elder of the Zhongzhou School looked at him with a gentler expression. He said his condolences, and asked Xiang Wanshu to see him off.
Xiang Wanshu was very sad and said something to him.
Gu Qing didn't remember the specific content of those words, but they were mostly about thanking him, saying that he would like to visit Jing Jiu if he didn't have Jing Jiu, etc.
The reason he couldn't remember these words was that he felt a bit cold at the moment.
The field of White Town at night was even colder than it was during the day.
Looking at the faintly visible grayish white under the night sky in the north, Jing Jiu wondered if that was the rumored cold fog that would kill anyone who entered it.
Would his Master still be alive?
Jing Jiu tightened his collar reflexively.
He had learned the Six-Dragon Sword style of Shiyue Peak when he was on Liangwang Peak. His sword energy was like a fiery dragon, and so was his will of sword, which was least afraid of the cold.
Yet, he felt a bone-piercing coldness at the moment.
…
…
The long night was coming to an end.
The morning sun was about to rise.
As Gu Qing returned to the courtyard of the Aoyama Sect, Zhao Layue had just returned as well.
It was unclear how long she had stayed under the dark rain cloud, but she still couldn't change the attitude of the important figures of the Aoyama Sect.
Yuan Qijing didn't allow her to enter the snowland.
Young Yuan showed a hesitant expression, saying, "What if I …"
"No need," said Gu Qing while patting his shoulder.
Then, Jing Jiu told him the story of Lo Huainan.
It was a simple story. It was because Lo Huainan was severely wounded, and her spiritual awareness was not clear, so many details were missing. Young Yuan listened to Jing Jiu carefully, and filled in the scenes in his mind. He felt that his Senior Master was very outstanding, and his blood was boiling. He wished he could rush into the snowland and fight those monsters.
Zhao Layue suddenly looked at Gu Qing and asked, "What do you think?"
Gu Qing fell silent for a while, and said, "This is a good story. There are no loopholes if there are no details; but I … still don't believe it."
It was because he didn't believe it that he felt the cold night wind when he left the Zhongzhou School.
Zhao Layue said expressionlessly, "I don't believe it either."
Young Yuan was a bit surprised, asking, "I don't think there is anything wrong with it."
Gu Qing said, "That's because you have had too little contact with my Master."
Young Yuan asked confusedly, "What's wrong with Senior Master?"
Gu Qing said bitterly, "It's because he can't be the brave and fearless person described by Lo Huainan, who fought bloody battles and refused to leave until the end."
Young Yuan didn't understand, wondering why Lo Huainan said so many good things about Senior Master Jing Jiu and described him as so outstanding.
Gu Qing said, "I can't explain it clearly. Anyway, the temperament of the person she described doesn't match the Master's."
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