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I raised my hand and gently shook the water chain held in place by the silver curtain, forcing a smile as I said, "This is the Bagua formation you mentioned. The voice you heard was Lin Yu, wasn't it? In fact, you knew Lin Yu long before you met me, didn't you?"

Zi Mo stood quietly, his brown eyes no longer cold and desolate as before; something lingered within them, something he wanted to say but couldn't express.

I looked up at him, and he seemed like a real person, towering over me by more than half a head, with straight, jet-black hair, brown eyes, gentle features, and an indifferent air that seemed to have seen through the world. Zi Mo was once the only person in this world who knew who I was, yet accepted all my flaws.

My hand reached out, eerily pale in the candlelight, and then silently pierced his chest, right to his heart. I looked up at him, speechless: 'When I first arrived in this world, I was filled with fear and anxiety, and you taught me how to advance and retreat; in Puhua Street, I was selfish and cowardly, and your ruthless yet compassionate words jolted me awake; in the Tarakan Desert, I was lonely and helpless, and your presence sustained me; in Xiajia Village, you taught me strategy; in the Xiangxi military camp, you instructed me in military tactics; even in Luonan, with Yunyan and Yihan by my side, it was still you who taught me how to overcome crises step by step.'

"Zi Mo." I gazed deeply into those brown eyes, as deep as a whirlpool in the ocean. "Is all of this real? Are these feelings that bind me so tightly real? Or are they, like this body, ethereal and fleeting, as if they never existed at all?"

He didn't say a word, closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he had that indifferent expression, that mocking look, that worldly-wise detachment: "Galan, you guessed it all, didn't you? I was the one who told Lin Yu he would die, I was the one who made Lin Yu knowing he would be suspected by Yang Yi but still had to be used, and I was the one who summoned you to this world and made you lose your peaceful modern life."

Zi Mo chuckled softly. In the gentle sunlight, his smile was indescribably beautiful. Rays of light streamed through his translucent body, as if they might melt him at any moment. He said, "Galan, now that things have come to this, you must really wish I would disappear, right? Ideally, I should have never existed in your life at all..."

Even his voice seemed to radiate warmth, enveloping my entire body. But I felt as if I'd been doused with icy water; a strange, indescribable fear surged through me, causing me to blurt out without thinking, "No! I never wanted you to disappear, never..."

The sound stopped abruptly, and my eyes clearly reflected Zi Mo's shocked and trembling face, and the deep sorrow in the depths of his eyes.

We stared at each other, and every second, my eyes slowly filled with tears. I shook my head gently, and tears fell.

I think of Xu Lie's resolute figure as he walked away, I think of my unborn child, I think of that world without light. Can I really not care about any of this? Can I really turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people, the deviation of history from the right path, and even to the fact that I and Lin Yu were being used? Can I really, knowing his intentions, still choose to walk step by step down the path he has paved for me?

Why is it that the hatred slowly rising in my heart pales in comparison to the sheer terror I felt watching his transparent body fade into nothingness? He is Zimo, the only Zimo in this world who truly understands me!

I abruptly raised my hand to stop him from speaking. My head was throbbing. I rubbed my temples and said weakly, "Han Fei, I'm begging you, please go into the Bagua Formation and don't come out for a while. I don't want to... I don't want to see you again for even a moment."

After saying that, I suddenly twisted the water chain on my wrist, and a white light still flashed across my tightly closed eyelashes as if lightly cut by a blade.

Xiao Yi

2007.11.22 11:34

Chapter 55: Suspicion Turns to Hatred (End)

Chapter 57 Maple Forest Cottage

Chapter 57 Maple Forest Cottage

The day after Yihan left, I woke up with a headache and a sore throat, as if I was about to have another attack. I didn't know if it was from the change in environment or from the lingering resentment I felt about Zimo Yufei. I missed Yihan even more, missed his embrace, missed his cool, gentle scent, missed his long, slender fingers with calluses…

The palace maid who had been serving me had just finished helping me wash up when there was a knock at the door. I ran to open the door, my eyes still blurry, and almost the instant the sunlight streamed in, I let out a startled cry.

Outside the door stood a beautiful, voluptuous woman with limpid eyes and radiant emerald irises. As if oblivious to my complex and fearful expression, she gracefully curtsied and said, "Mei Niang has come to deliver a message for the master. Young master, there is no need to be nervous."

Yufei? I caught my breath and finally remembered that she was now Yufei's subordinate. But the images of the Night Division members falling one by one flashed through my mind, along with Qin Ye's desperate yet gentle smile. Even if she was Yufei's subordinate... I still longed for her...

“I have offended you greatly in the past, but you have lost your men, and our lord has lost 30,000 elite troops. So it can be said that we are even.” Mei Niang raised her head with a smile, her face full of sincere apology, but there was a cold glint in the depths of her eyes. “Could you please stop holding a grudge against our lord and us?”

I closed my eyes briefly. Revenge could wait; right now, I just wanted to see Yufei. I stepped out of the room and said calmly, "Where is Liu Cenfeng?"

Mei Niang smiled, took out a maple leaf from her sleeve and handed it to me, saying, "Yesterday, Bai Wuchang gave you a map of Maple Mountain. Today, this map shows the location of Maple Forest Cottage in Maple Mountain. The master has prepared a small feast at the cottage to await you."

I silently recalled the map from yesterday, roughly figuring out the location of Maple Mountain, but then I hesitated. Yi Han had told me before he left not to leave the palace, and that he would be back soon. Should I wait a little longer…?

“Young Master,” Mei Niang interrupted my thoughts, “the Lord will be setting off back to Firefeather Kingdom after noon.”

"What?!" I exclaimed in surprise. "How could it be so fast? Isn't he attending the wedding?"

Mei Niang smiled calmly and said, "Our Emperor personally came to Shui Wu for the wedding. Huo Ling had no one to take charge of the overall situation, so the Lord had no choice but to return."

I frowned and thought for a long time before finally nodding and saying, "Okay, wait a moment, I'll go in and change my clothes."

As soon as I entered the room, I took out a piece of incense that I kept close to my body, lit it, and burned it on my clothes. This was Yunyan's special "Soul-Chasing Incense," which was undetectable to the human nose and mouth when burned on clothes, but a special kind of bird could detect it. Ruoshui's identity could not be exposed, but she would definitely see me leave with Mei Niang. When Yihan returned, she would neither think that I had disappeared without a trace nor be unable to find me.

No! I'm not doubting Yufei. I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel Zimo's question, "Besides possessing Nie Yufei's memories, what else does this Liu Cenfeng resemble?" No! Yufei is Yufei. No matter how many years have passed or how many bodies he's changed, his inner self will never change.

Fengshan, as its name suggests, is a mountain forest full of maple trees. It's only early summer now, so naturally we can't see the mountain covered in red maple leaves under the setting sun. But the lush forest, the clear flowing streams, and the intermittent birdsong still make one feel relaxed and happy.

After walking for a long time, a narrow path paved with cobblestones finally came into view. Mei Niang, who was leading the way, stopped and bowed, saying, "The Lord's residence is just ahead. We are not allowed to enter without being summoned. Please forgive Mei Niang for leading you this far."

I nodded, not wanting to say anything more to her, and stepped onto the path. On either side stood tall, straight green bamboo, the mountain breeze rustling the leaves together in a soft, crisp sound. My feet trod on uneven pebbles, which, though not very comfortable, felt strangely familiar. A slight smile crept onto my lips; a foot massage—only Yufei would think of such a method.

Speaking of the Dragon Inn back then, and its interior furnishings and the service of the waiters, why didn't I think of this as a business philosophy that only modern people would have? A strange thought flashed through my mind, as if something crucial had just disappeared, something I wanted to grasp but couldn't.

After walking for a while, I gradually heard the rumbling sound of water. The air was fresh and moist, and the wind was stronger, but it didn't sting my face. Instead, it felt refreshing and relieved, as if all my worries had been blown away.

Suddenly, a breathtaking view opened up before me, the first thing that caught my eye was a fiery red expanse, clustered deep within the bamboo forest like a trail of crimson silk, or like fiery clouds at sunset. The beauty was so stunning that I was speechless with awe.

As I entered the maple forest, the sound of water grew clearer, but after wandering around for a while, I found myself circling in the same spot, unable to find my way out. A thought suddenly struck me, and for some reason, I remembered Huang Yaoshi's Peach Blossom Formation. My lips twitched slightly, and I had no choice but to close my eyes and recall the map on the maple leaf. As I thought, I carefully took one step after another.

The roar of the water was deafening, and even the wind carrying water droplets dampened my thin clothes, sending chills down my spine and making me shiver occasionally. Yet, my excitement grew stronger, for I knew I would soon be out of the maple forest. Sure enough, the dazzling fiery red before me faded, and blue sky and white clouds drifted by. I happily ran out, taking three steps at a time. The red maples had all disappeared, and I had barely stepped out of the forest. One step, excitement; two steps, and I began to feel something was wrong; three steps, and I stared in horror at the sheer drop of the waterfall above; the fourth step, however, was unstoppable, and I cried out in alarm, "Ah!"

I was thrown forward by inertia, and just as I was about to be swept away by the waterfall and smash into a pile of mud, I was pulled back at the last second. I gasped for breath, my whole body soaked in cold sweat. Just thinking about that life-or-death situation that I had just faced without any warning made my scalp tingle and my limbs go weak.

A muffled laugh, masked by the sound of water, reached my ears. Startled, I looked up and met a pair of mocking blue eyes and a face that looked like an angel after surviving a near-death experience. The voice was heavenly: "Lanlan, you owe me another life."

Anger surged up inside me, and I grabbed the flesh beneath his thin shirt and twisted it hard, yelling, "You bastard, you almost scared me to death! Why did you call me to a place like this? You almost got me killed!"

"Ouch...ouch..." Her two eyebrows, as straight as distant mountains, furrowed slightly, giving her a pitiful look. "How was I supposed to know you were so easily frightened? Alright! Alright! I'll carry you around to show you my place."

Before I could react, he bent down and nimbly pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. My heart skipped a beat, and I was about to speak when I saw a beautiful smile curve his lips as he said, "Lanlan, this body is much lighter than yours before."

My lips twitched. He added, "Well, she's a bit too bony, and her waist is too thin."

The veins on his forehead started to bulge. His hand, which had been on my waist, slid down and landed on my buttock. He paused for a moment, then looked incredulous: "Lanlan, is this body of yours even a man's? Your butt is even more bouncy than before."

"Nie—Yu—Fei—!!" I didn't care if we were on the edge of a cliff. I was in his arms, but I beat him up with my hands and feet, and at the same time I didn't forget to yell at the top of my lungs, "You fucking die!"

Liu Cenfeng laughed as he brushed my hand away, then deftly grabbed my ankle with one hand: "Lanlan, I'm wearing white clothes, it would look terrible if you put a footprint on it... Hey! How come your ankles are so thin..." He suddenly exerted force and gently pulled me into his arms again, although the position of being pulled upside down halfway was really embarrassing.