“He’s dealing with something very important, and I… I think I shouldn’t go. I’m worried I’ll distract him. He hasn’t come back to see me, it must be because that matter is very, very important, so… I think I shouldn’t go. I don’t want to cause him trouble.”
She gently bit her lip and gazed intently at the house in the distance.
JOKER stared at Ya Ya's face, looking at the profile of her features. His gaze softened, and he sighed gently. "Believe me, my dear Ya Ya, everything in this world can be a problem for that kid... but you are the only one who will never make him feel like a problem."
"Why?"
“Because I said it.” JOKER smiled, then gently pushed Ya Ya out from behind the tree: “I need you to do me a favor.”
"What?"
“I know you can’t lie; you’ve never learned to tell a lie.” JOKER’s eyes were smiling. “That’s your most valuable quality, and I don’t intend to change it. But I need you to help me keep one thing a secret: neither Lao Tian nor that kid Chen Xiao should tell anyone about our conversation. You can say you saw me, but you can’t tell anyone about our conversation today, understand?”
Ya Ya hesitated for a moment: "But what if they ask me?"
“I know you won’t lie, so when they ask you, you don’t need to make up lies to deceive them, but…” JOKER: “You can choose not to say anything!”
Watching Ya Ya hesitate as she walked towards the house in the distance, JOKER leaned against the tree and suddenly chuckled softly, as if talking to himself: "What a busy night. Hmm... now it's time to go see an old friend."
...
...
In Xiaojia Town, a traditional folk music troupe that had been hired today was resting in an inn, with a group of performers busy packing their belongings. They had made a good amount of money today, and the troupe leader had a satisfied smile on his face.
Just as the troupe leader was carefully putting a thick envelope stuffed with banknotes into his bag, he turned around and saw a person standing behind him!
A black robe, long silver hair, and a gold mask!
If a normal person suddenly saw this scene in their room at night, they would be so frightened that they would scream uncontrollably.
But before the troupe leader could even utter a sound, he discovered that he couldn't make a single sound.
"Don't be afraid, I'm just here to borrow something." This person was, of course, JOKER: "I think your band must have a flute."
...
...
Inside the room, Lao Tian, Zhu Rong, and Gong Gong were frowning when suddenly, a melodious flute tune drifted in through the window!
The flute music was melodious, as if it were drifting from a very far place, yet when it reached the ears, it gave one the illusion that it was right beside them! The thick walls and windows seemed to have no effect on the sound; the flute music had a strange rhythm and melody, clear and distinct, each note seemingly able to penetrate the ear and fall directly into the heart!
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong both looked astonished, but Lao Tian froze the moment he heard the flute! A few seconds later, he suddenly jumped up, so violently that he overturned the table next to him! The ashtray and teacup on the table all fell to the ground and shattered, and Lao Tian's face was instantly filled with a mixture of surprise, shock, hatred, sadness, and many other emotions!
His hand involuntarily gripped the chair armrest, and with a snap, the hard wooden handle was crushed to pieces!
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong had never seen Lao Tian so distraught. His face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.
"Old Tian?" Zhu Rong called out subconsciously.
Old Tian seemed to ignore it, his eyes fixed on the window. After a while, he suddenly swayed.
"It's him! He's here! He's here!"
he?
Both Zhurong and Gonggong looked at each other with puzzled expressions, realizing that the other was just as clueless as they were.
"Listen up, stay here! Don't you dare follow me!! I'm not kidding! You must stay here, absolutely do not follow me!"
Old Tian's voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth, but his expression was more serious and solemn than ever before!
After saying that, Lao Tian suddenly darted to the window, quickly opened it, and his figure shot out, landing far away on the opposite house. Then, with a few leaps, he disappeared into the night sky.
The evening breeze brushed against Lao Tian's face, and for some reason, this gentle breeze felt like a knife, cutting into his skin with a faint pain. But Lao Tian knew very well that it wasn't the wind... but his own heart that was aching!
Following the sound, he quickly found its source!
In the town's central square, on the rooftop of a small building, a figure sat leisurely on the roof tiles, one foot resting on the eaves, bathed in moonlight. A long flute held in his hand, his black robe fluttering in the evening breeze. His long, silver hair also danced in the air!
When Old Tian landed beside him, JOKER didn't turn around. He simply put down his flute and sighed, "Tian... how many years has it been since we last saw each other?"
His voice carried the marks of countless years.
Chapter 277 [Remember You]
"Eighty-one years, four months, and three days."
Old Tian's tone was chilling. Standing there, he naturally exuded a cold aura, and even his eyes, which were fixed on JOKER, were full of a chilling look.
“Eighty-one years, four months and three days…” JOKER’s voice sounded like a sigh: “Has it really been that long? I can’t even remember it clearly anymore.”
"That's because you're not the one who gets hurt." Old Tian's hands clenched so tightly that his bones cracked, his knuckles turned white, and his face turned ashen.
"Are you trying to say... 'hurt'?" JOKER suddenly smiled, his tone filled with deep melancholy and loneliness: "So much time has passed, and the hatred in your heart still can't be extinguished? And... about what happened back then, if we're talking about hurt, were you the only one who suffered?"
"But you bastard! You killed Mingyue..." Old Tian suddenly roared, clenching his fists and glaring at JOKER. He suddenly shouted so loudly, but before he could finish speaking...
*Smack!*
A resounding slap landed hard on Lao Tian's face!
With Lao Tian's strength, as an S-class powerhouse, even though his strength was somewhat damaged in the battle with Chen Xiao in Japan a few days ago, he is still a top-tier powerhouse.
But JOKER struck without warning, and Lao Tian was caught completely off guard, receiving a solid slap across the face!
Several clear finger marks were imprinted on Lao Tian's cheek, but he was not very surprised, as if he was not surprised that this JOKER had the ability to hit him. He just had an angry expression on his face.