But Nangong Xue was still affectionate towards him, how could he harden his heart and shake off her hand? But for her own good, he had no choice but to send her away. Thus, he secretly made the decision to enjoy one last moment of tenderness on this small path. As soon as he got out of the cave, he would immediately send her away. At that time, no matter what she said, for the sake of her life, he couldn't agree.
To someone who was in a hurry to escape, this path was extremely long, but Li Yijie's heart was filled with anxiety. He hoped that this path would drag on for a bit longer so that he could spend more time with Shimei. If he persuaded her to leave today, perhaps the two of them would become enemies. Even if he didn't, he could die at any time and never have the chance to see her again. Although fighting alone was a bit lonely, at least he didn't have to worry about the consequences. For an emotional person like him, this was even more important.
He saw that the light in front of him was gradually expanding. Finally, the path opened up, and the familiar blue sky and earth appeared in front of him. A gentle breeze blew, and the sun was warm. The gloomy atmosphere in the cave was swept away. Nangong Xue happily ran out of the cave. She opened her arms and spun around. Then she clasped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "We're out! We're back in the human world alive! Shixiong's internal injury has also been cured! Hey — — "
Li Yijie looked at her happy appearance and thought that soon, he would personally shatter her happiness, even though he was the one who wanted to see Shimei happy the most. The words were stuck in his throat. He wanted to spit them out several times, but he couldn't. He only felt that if he delayed a little longer, it would be better. His hands were tightly clenched into fists by his sides. His fingernails pierced his palms painfully.
But what was the true meaning of cruelty? Was it not cruel to disregard her safety and allow her to stay by his side, only to have her killed by Jiang Liechen one day? He knew that he had to say this quickly. If he waited too long, he was afraid that his heart would soften again. It was this unsuitable soft-heartedness that would cause her to suffer. The corners of his mouth drew back. He tried to mouth the word "Xue", but he couldn't bite down on the syllable.
Nangong Xue laughed heartily, but did not hear any response from Li Yijie behind her. In the past, even if he wasn't interested in what she was doing, he would still casually say a few words to make her happy. Why wasn't he doing anything this time? Could it be that his injuries had relapsed and he had fainted?
She turned around and saw that Li Yijie was still standing there, but his face was even gloomier than the sky before the storm. Only then did his heart settle down. After going through so many hardships and dangers, he had finally escaped from the cave. There was no reason for him to be unhappy, so why should he be unhappy? He laughed and said, "I say, Senior Martial Brother, why do you look like a block of wood …"
Li Yijie finally spat out the words that were on the tip of his tongue. "Xueer, you can go." However, he didn't feel the slightest bit relaxed after he said those words. Instead, an even heavier sense of guilt pressed down on his heart, causing his chest and abdomen to sink, and he almost couldn't breathe.
Nangong Xue asked curiously, "Leave? Go where? Why are you speaking so thoughtlessly? Of course we're leaving together. "
Li Yijie swallowed a few times. He felt as if there was a lump in his throat that he couldn't moisten no matter how hard he tried. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He looked into Nangong Xue's eyes, lowered his eyes, and said softly, "Don't stay by my side, Xueer. After you leave … find a good family to marry. Live a life of being a housewife, standing aloof from worldly affairs … the peaceful life that you yearn for. "
Nangong Xue was greatly shaken. She looked straight into Li Yijie's eyes and said, "Senior Martial Brother, you're chasing me away? What did I do wrong that I don't even have the right to follow you? "
Li Yijie said, "It's not that you did anything wrong. You're very good. It's just that … it's just that I'm walking on a dangerous path. My head is tied to my belt. I don't know when, one day, my head will fall to the ground. Listen to me, it's not a sudden decision. I've been thinking about this problem for several days, but I just can't bring myself to do it. You've been meditating on the mountaintop for six years. Although your days are a bit dull, you can still live peacefully. But as soon as you left the mountain and saw me, you've been walking in circles in front of the gates of hell several times. When I saw Jiang Liechen using you to threaten me, I even … I wished … that the person under his blade was me and not you. Do you understand? "
Nangong Xue said, "We live for chivalry, we die for righteousness. Which one of us Jianghu people isn't like that? It's better than living a mediocre life. Besides, you'll protect me. You won't let anyone hurt me, right? Am I not your most beloved Junior Martial Sister? You're also my most respected Senior Martial Brother. If I leave you, where will I go? I don't want anyone else, I only want you! Besides, didn't I get through the last few times without any real danger? In the end, I still managed to turn danger into safety. "
Li Yijie said, "That's because you were lucky once or twice. It's impossible to escape death every time. If it weren't for me this time, you wouldn't have been trapped in that cave. I've already made up my mind. If I can survive, I'll let you go no matter what. Xueer, I don't dare to say anything about sacrificing myself for righteousness, but you have to believe that I'm really doing this for your own good. "
Nangong Xue said with tears in her eyes, "For my own good? So you're prepared to take this risk alone? If you die, you want me to collect your body, bury you, erect a memorial tablet, and come to your grave every year to burn incense? Won't that be cruel to me? If you're not here, I'll die with you. I won't live a coward's life. Do you think I don't have the courage? "
Li Yijie broke out in a cold sweat. He said, "No, of course I believe you. But I don't want you to die with me! How about this: from today on, you and I will draw a line between us. We'll be strangers. If I unfortunately die, you don't have to collect my body, and you don't have to shed a single tear for me. As long as you … take care of yourself. You're a simple and kind girl. You're not suited for the days of fighting and killing in the Wulin world. What you want is to live in the wilderness, with a husband who knows his place, to protect you, and to be by your side at all times. We … maybe in this life, we'll only be brothers and sisters. "
Nangong Xue let the tears fall from her face. She didn't raise her hand to wipe them away. She sneered, "Now you want to cut off this only fate? You're so cruel! You're a hundred times crueler than the Seven Demons! Very well, since you're not anyone to me, what right do you have to decide my future and my fate? Decide what kind of life I'm suited for? What position do you have … you … "
She had decided to be strong, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she choked and couldn't continue. Li Yijie's image twisted and swayed in the mist of tears. Her eyes were sore, but she didn't know if it was because of the tears or because of this cruel Senior Martial Brother. She took a deep breath and looked up, making it hard for her tears to fall. She gritted her teeth and said, "What if I say I don't want to leave? I like to lick the blood of blades in Jianghu. What's wrong with this kind of life where my life is hanging by a thread? "
When Li Yijie saw Nangong Xue crying, his heart ached so much that he wanted to wipe away her tears and hold her in his arms to comfort her. But right now, being soft-hearted would only hurt her. He forced himself to be cruel and said, "If you don't want to leave, I'll leave. Jiang Liechen is right. If you want to achieve great things, you have to cut off all kinds of emotional fetters with your own hands. Only cold-blooded people can be invincible in this world. Of course you can choose to continue living in Jianghu and be the heroine of the Nangong Palace. You can do whatever you want. But … in the future, whether you live or die will have nothing to do with me. No one can use you to threaten me. Or … if you change your mind and are willing to get married, I can give you a large dowry and let my good Junior Martial Sister get married in a dignified manner. I can't give you a stable life, so I'll let someone with the ability do it! "
At this time, Lu Qian and Cheng Jiaxuan also walked out of the cave. The two of them walked at a slower pace. As soon as they came out, they saw Li Yijie and Nangong Xue arguing fiercely. They also happened to hear Li Yijie's last few heartless words. Lu Qian hurriedly walked forward and put his arm around Nangong Xue's shoulder. He gently patted her and said unhappily, "What are you arguing about? It's a happy thing to be able to come out of the cave alive. Don't tell me you're so happy that you've lost your minds? Brother Li, what did you say just now? Does it count? If you don't want Xueer, then let me take care of her. "
Nangong Xue ignored his hand on her shoulder. She only stared at Li Yijie with teary eyes and said, "Senior Martial Brother … you … you didn't say those words on purpose to hurt me, right? You're worried about my safety, so … let me stay. I won't cause trouble for you, and I definitely won't be a burden to you. I'll definitely practice diligently and be a good assistant to you … I beg you, Senior Martial Brother … "
Li Yijie said coldly, "That won't work. As long as I see you, my heart will be in a mess, and I won't be able to focus on fighting the enemy. If you can't protect yourself and get injured, it'll also distract me. The worst thing to do in a fierce battle is to be distracted. It's very possible that the enemy's sword will take advantage of that moment to stab you. Even if I die, you won't care? Are you still going to rely on me just to fulfill your own pleasure? "
Nangong Xue's eyes dried up, revealing a resolute hatred. She said, "There's no need to say anything else. Are you in a hurry to get rid of me, this burden? Even if the person I'm going to marry in the future is a pauper, a country bumpkin, a cripple, or a fool, you'll still let me marry him? You'll still casually hand me over to him? "
Li Yijie was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, that's right. As long as he has a good conscience and treats you well, I … can rest assured."
Nangong Xue's expression changed drastically. Streaks of tears ran down her face. She sneered and said, "Very good, I've finally heard Senior Martial Brother's heartfelt words. If my existence can only hinder your progress, then you don't have to make things difficult for me. I know how to end my own life. But you'll regret it. I'll remember every word you said to me today. You'll definitely regret it in the future! "
Li Yijie was already regretting it. He wondered if he had spoken too harshly. Subconsciously, he tried to find a way out. He said, "In the future, if I don't die …"
Nangong Xue sneered and interrupted him, "Then you don't have to apologize to me. I'm not a piece of trash that you can dump or pick up whenever you want. Do you understand? I'll never forgive you. I'll hate you for the rest of my life! I, Nangong Xue, am a woman of my word. "As she said this, she stomped her foot angrily, shook off Lu Qian, and quickly rushed out. Weeds grew in the wilderness, and soon, her figure was hidden from view.
Li Yijie opened his mouth to call out. At this moment, he really wanted to throw everything aside and follow his heart to chase after Nangong Xue. At the very least, he had to explain things to her clearly and find a suitable place to settle her down. He didn't want her to hate him for his good intentions. When he died, she would hate him even more when she mentioned this deceased Senior Martial Brother.
In the end, he wasn't a saint. He could sacrifice himself for the greater good, but he didn't want to leave this world with a bad reputation. He had only raised his arm halfway when Lu Qian stopped him. He said, "Brother Li, what happened between you and Xueer? It's not the first day I've known her, but she's always been a very strong girl. No matter how much she's suffered, she'll always pretend that nothing's wrong. At worst, she'll just hide in a corner and secretly cry. I've never seen her as sad and desperate as she was just now. If there's any misunderstanding between you two, it's better to clear it up. The longer you drag this out, the worse it'll get. "
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