Gu Qing left the Royal Palace and returned to the Jing House.
The begonia tree was gone a long time ago, and nobody dared plant anything there. The courtyard was empty, and the starlight shone on the ground, looking like water.
Jing Jiu walked into the study room and looked at his Master lying on the bed, feeling a bit depressed.
Jing Jiu's eyes were closed tightly, his eyelashes still. His skin was as smooth as jade, and his eyes and brows were as beautiful as a painting. He hadn't changed a bit since one hundred years ago. He was still the same fairy man who had captured the colors of heaven and earth.
He was like a lotus sleeping in the night and wouldn't wake up until the morning sunlight arrived.
However, Lian Sanyue had passed away one hundred years ago; where could he find that morning sunlight?
This study room was set up by Zen Master himself, isolating the outside world. As such, Jing Jiu wouldn't be covered in dust like the furnishings in a regular house even if he were to lie on the bed for another one hundred years. Yet, they would wash Jing Jiu twice a day. It was a sign of filial piety as a disciple, and it also represented a good wish.
There was no filial piety in front of a sick bed; it was because it was hard for the sick bed person to recover, and despair would bring about countless negative emotions.
If there was a glimmer of hope, the situation would be different.
The sleeping Jing Jiu was even more difficult to take care of than the paralyzed patient, and it was especially difficult for him to turn over. Gu Qing didn't understand why his Master was so heavy.
It was a difficult task to clean Jing Jiu's body until the Young Zen Master came to Zhaoge City one year. He couldn't stand it anymore and taught them a trick.
Gu Qing employed his Sword Source and ignited the sword fire, moving it from the top of Jing Jiu's head to the soles of his feet.
His Cultivation state was much higher than before, so his control of the sword fire was much better than before. The sword fire could only move around Jing Jiu's white cloth, but it couldn't burn the cloth on the bed. Having done all this, Jing Jiu moved a chair and sat in front of the bed. He told his Master about what had happened in the Imperial court that day and the news from Aoyama, and then fell silent again.
What should he say next?
"I don't want to leave her, but it's impossible for her to be with me; otherwise, what would Jing Yao think? Zhongzhou School will definitely take this opportunity to create trouble. She will also be in trouble. Master, what should I do? " He said to Jing Jiu in a low voice with his head lowered, looking like a child who had made a mistake, "I did use some tricks to deal with the Peach, and I thought too much about it. I'm really a terrible person. Actually, I didn't want to be a bad person. I really did like peaches … but how could I like two peaches at the same time? Then I'm still a rotten person, right? "
Jing Jiu, who was in a deep sleep, naturally couldn't hear him and couldn't give any suggestions.
Gu Qing raised his head, looked at him, and said, "Master, I'm really under a lot of pressure. If you can't wake up, I have to hold on and try my best to hold on … I'm the Eldest Senior Brother of Shenmo Peak, I can't fall. No matter what methods I have to use, I have to stand here, even if I have to be a rotten person. Therefore, when spring comes next year, I'll still be her cultivation companion. Master, if you're awake, will you bless me? It would be great if you could beat me or kill me … It would be great if you could wake up. "
Having said that, he got up and left the study room. He closed the door of the study room slowly without making any noise, as if he was afraid of disturbing Jing Jiu's sleep.
It was still quiet in the courtyard. Jing Li was the grand scholar of the imperial court. Since his wife left him a few years ago, he would sit in his room in a daze every night without lighting up the lamp.
The whole Jing House was dark, except for the faint light in the back garden. A faint sour scent drifted over, making one salivate.
It was the scent of pickles.
Looking at the back garden, Gu Qing suddenly felt envious of the two of them.
The two of them hadn't gotten married yet, at least not in the ceremony; but they had lived in Silence for more than one hundred years.
Their situation was similar; but why were they so happy?
… …
… …
After leaving the Jing House, Gu Qing went to Taichang Temple.
Seeing him arrive, the young disciples of Shui Yue Nunnery laughed while covering their mouths. After bowing to him one after another, they walked away from him.
"Master, the Governor of the State is here."
A naughty girl yelled toward the building, and then left with a giggle.
The door of the building was opened, and the light shone on Zhen Tao's face. She was still as fresh and attractive as ever, though she was the master of Shui Yue Nunnery now.
Gu Qing's eyes beamed a bit. He walked to the front of her and asked, "How are you today?"
Zhen Tao had been studying the Heaven-Human Connection over the years in an attempt to break through a certain barrier.
They had the same goal and interest in Cultivation. In comparison, that woman in the imperial palace was more interested in staying with him, and didn't pay much attention to anything else.
"Pretty good." Looking at him, Zhen Tao smiled faintly. "How about you?" she asked after straightening his collar.
"I've talked to the Emperor and the Royal Dowager," said Gu Qing.
Feeling a bit bashful, Zheng Tao said, "That's not what I'm asking about."
"Senior Master Zhao has come out from behind closed doors," said Gu Qing with a faint smile. "But she has something important to deal with. I'll urge her."
Restraining her bashfulness, Zhen Tao said earnestly, "It has to be done before next spring."
Gu Qing and Zhao Layue became Cultivation partners because he had the intention of using Shui Yue Nunnery as a helper. He had never intended to conceal it from her, and he had made it clear a long time ago.
"Sorry," he said to Zhen Tao earnestly.
Smiling faintly, Zhen Tao said, "It's good that I can help you."
Gu Qing suddenly suggested, "Let's go for a walk?"
…
…
The two of them walked into the starry night at Taichang Temple.
The starlight shone on the purple flowers and plants outside the Fiend Prison, giving off an eerie feeling.
They strolled under the starlight and lingered among the flowers and plants. It was a peaceful and peaceful moment.
Walking together on the path toward heaven, helping each other and discussing with each other, this was what it meant to be a Cultivation partner.
How they started their relationship was a long story.
The starlight that night and that night were both very beautiful; there was no need to go into details.
Jing Jiu held her hand.
It felt good.
It was a wonderful feeling to be able to be seen by the sun and the stars.
It was like the love between mortals, very sweet.
Just like that, they held hands and talked casually.
Jing Jiu suddenly thought of something.
She must be able to guess what he and Zhen Tao were doing in the Royal Palace.
As such, she must be feeling very sad.
Jing Jiu lowered his head and looked at the purple flower swaying in the wind by his feet, remaining silent.
"What's the matter?" asked Zhen Tao worriedly.
"Nothing." Gu Qing lifted his head and said expressionlessly, "I'm thinking about the last three hidden moves of the Inherited Heaven Sword style."
"Is it very difficult?" asked Zhen Tao.
Gu Qing recalled the last two words his Master uttered before he fell down, and said, "It's really difficult."
…
…
The news that Gu Qing and Shui Yue Nunnery and Zhen Tao of the Aoyama Sect would become Cultivation partners soon spread in the Cultivation circle.
This was of course a happy event.
The fact that their sects were well-matched was only one aspect. More importantly, the Cultivation circle regarded this pair of Cultivation partners as a continuation of the relationship between the Immortal Jingyang and Lian Sanyue.
Shui Yue Nunnery was of course willing to become Cultivation partners, and so was the Aoyama Sect.
Even though some people, led by Fang Jingtian, were fully aware of the trouble it would bring, they couldn't object to it.
One early morning in spring, Gu Qing walked out of the Jing House and onto the street.
It had been one hundred and one years. Most people in Zhaoge City had forgotten what this street looked like in the past, thinking that the temple had always been here.
Looking at the temple on the other side of the street, Gu Qing thought of Jing Xin who was locked up in the Guocheng Temple and the Aoyama Meeting that would take place a dozen days later. He wondered if Tong Yan's idea was feasible, and whether Zhao Layue would be willing to listen to him.
If Fang Jingtian became the sect master of Aoyama, nobody could predict what kind of influence it would have.
Thinking of all this, Jing Jiu walked toward the distant royal palace. Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from above, "This wine is pretty good. Do you want to try it?"
Gu Qing thought it was He Zhan who had returned to Zhaoge City. Lifting his head to look up, he saw a handsome and amiable youth standing by the railing of the restaurant.
The youth wore a red cloth. It was unclear if it had been washed too many times or it was too old, but the color of the cloth had a different kind of flavor.
There were hundreds of pictures of the youth in red in the Pure Heaven Bureau, so Gu Qing knew who he was. It took him a long time to calm down. He didn't inform anybody, nor did he activate the Great Formation of the royal palace. "Greetings, Senior Master," he said while bowing to him.
Yin San waved his hand and said, "Come in and talk to me."
Gu Qing walked into the restaurant and came to a private room on the second floor. He saw the Heavenly Retrieval Orb on the table immediately.
Countless light rays shot out from the Heavenly Retrieval Orb, forming a seemingly real scene in which Jing Jiu and Empress Hu were strolling in the garden and talking at night in the grand hall …
If he wanted to, the Heavenly Retrieval Orb could let out a sound. In the Cultivation circle of Chaotian, this magic treasure was the only evidence. Back when the Aoyama Sect destroyed the Western Sea Sword School, it was Liu Shisui who brought the Heavenly Retrieval Orb into the Cloud Platform. Later, the Heavenly Retrieval Orb was returned to Zhongzhou School. The last time the Heavenly Retrieval Orb appeared in public was during the Dao Competition.
Gu Qing felt a lingering fear, wondering what he would have done if it had been the Zhongzhou School who had appeared that day.
Of course, now that the Heavenly Retrieval Orb was in the hands of this person, it would bring him more trouble.
Thinking of all this, Jing Jiu's face was a bit pale, but his countenance remained calm.
Yin San said with a faint smile, "If the little emperor knew this, what would he do to you? What would those chancellors in the Imperial court think of it? Yimaozhai doesn't like this vixen to be the Empress Dowager to begin with. Now that they have the evidence of her messing with the royal court, do you think those scholars can tolerate it? More importantly, if Shui Yue Nunnery knew this, he would think that you are humiliating them. What would happen then? "
There was only one answer to these questions.
That was destruction.
Gu Qing asked calmly, "Senior Master, what do you have in mind?"
"The decree of the Emperor, the messengers of Yimaozhai and the Guocheng Temple, you should stop all the preparations. I don't want the Aoyama Meeting to be disturbed by these troublesome matters."
Yin San continued, "Take care of these matters first. Next, I'll ask you to do two more things, and then I'll give you the Heavenly Retrieval Orb."
After a moment of silence, Gu Qing said, "Okay."
Having said that, Jing Jiu left the restaurant.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect walked into the room and put away the Heavenly Retrieval Orb, saying, "Encountering such a matter, he is still so calm. This lad has an ordinary Cultivation state, but his temperament is rather formidable."
Yin San said with a smile, "Our Aoyama has always been good at choosing disciples."
Shaking his head, the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect said, "I think he is so calm because he is determined to die."
Yin San said in a slightly mocking tone, "He is the next sect master chosen by Jing Jiu, and he is learning from Jing Jiu in all aspects. It's impossible for him to commit suicide."
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect thought it was reasonable.
"It's so troublesome. It's better to project the scenes in the orb to the sky so that all the people in Chaotian can see them," the voice of the Dark Phoenix came out from the roof.
Yin San said with a smile, "No, as long as he is willing to do one thing for me, he will do many more things for me. I've always wanted to know how it feels to persuade a disciple to betray him."
…
…
After arriving in the royal palace, Gu Qing didn't go to the grand hall, which was quite unusual. Instead, he went to the palace hall. He waved his hand to signal for the eunuchs and the palace servant girls to leave, and then he came to the front of Empress Hu. Under her bewildered gaze, he lowered his head and held her tightly in his bosom. Their bodies were pressed together, and then he started kissing her passionately.
After they separated, Empress Hu asked with a red face, "What's wrong with you today?"
Gu Qing said to her with a faint smile, "I missed you."
Then, he went to the cold palace hall and knelt down in front of the skinny Yuan Qijing for a long time. After that, he left the royal palace and went to Taichang Temple to meet Zhen Tao. He told her all his thoughts on the Three Hidden Styles of the Inherited Heaven Sword and kissed her on the forehead.
Having done all this, he went back to the Jing House and sat on a stool by the bed, his eyes looking at the outside of the window.
He didn't say anything to his Master who was asleep that day.
It was unnecessary to say anything at the moment.
His reputation was ruined.
Aoyama was disgraced.
I'm sorry, my Master.
What should he do then?
He planned to set up a trap to kill Taiping Zhenren.
Regardless of whether he could succeed or not, his fate was already sealed: death.
Ever since he built the small wooden hut with the monkeys on the Shenmo Peak, he had been learning from Jing Jiu.
He didn't talk much, and he was steady and almost indifferent.
But he was not the kind of person Jing Jiu was.
He wasn't afraid of death.
Especially in recent years.
Death was nothing.
I wanted to die a long time ago.
Should a man like me die?
Then I'd rather die.
Gu Qing thought calmly while looking out of the window.
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