Peaceful Jianghu

Chapter 117

On a gentle slope of the cliff, you can see the steps spiraling down.

Xiao Dao looked at Xue Beifan with suspicion, seemingly puzzled.

Xue Beifan, holding Xiao Dao's hand, carefully descended the steps and arrived at the foot of a waterfall. The waterfall wasn't very large, but below was a deep pool, with white spray splashing everywhere. The surrounding dense forest, now in autumn, had mostly withered and yellow leaves, carpeting the ground.

"Woof! Woof!"

A few barks rang out, and Xue Beifan smiled, crouching down. "Come here!"

Then, several wild dogs ran out of the woods. Looking at their big ears, Xiao Dao realized they were definitely wild dogs, not some domesticated, stupid dog!

Xue Beifan pointed to a small bamboo building next to the waterfall, "There."

Xiao Dao stood there blankly, staring at the small building. After a while, he squatted down and asked Xue Beifan, who was patting the heads of several large dogs that were affectionately rubbing against his hand, "Isn't that a pavilion?"

Xue Beifan smiled slightly, "The Beihai Sect only has that place as my residence."

"They're letting you live in the mountains?!" Xiao Dao frowned. "Those things aren't sealed, are they? Won't it be very cold in winter?"

Xue Beifan smiled and said, "All the difficulties are actually only in childhood. When you grow up, they really don't matter much."

"You lived there alone when you were little?!" Xiao Dao exclaimed in surprise. "How could that be?!"

"There's also a basement. We'd go there when we were in solitary confinement. It's dark, but warm."

Xiao Dao had already heard from Xiao Yue, and from Chong Hua and Shen Xing Hai, that Xue Bei Hai's mother harbored resentment towards Xue Bei Fan's mother, and therefore tormented him in every way. So it's true! That vicious woman has a heart of stone; her actions are utterly outrageous! Letting a child live in this kind of mountain cabin, one can only imagine how terrified young Xue Bei Fan would be, living alone here alone, cold and hungry, amidst the eerie shadows of the trees at night.

Xue Beifan gently patted the heads of several large dogs, and they ran away.

Xiao Dao asked curiously, "These dogs aren't yours, are they?"

Xue Beifan thought for a moment, then took Xiaodao to a clearing in the woods behind the wooden house. There, Xiaodao saw more than a dozen small graves standing densely packed together, each with a simple wooden or stone tablet serving as a tombstone, all carefully carved.

"What is this?" Xiao Dao asked, puzzled.

Xue Beifan thought for a moment, then pointed to each one, “Well, the biggest one is the only one there, an old lady from the old courtyard who used to bring me food. Then the two slightly larger ones are the two dogs I took in. Over here are a few cats, over here are rabbits from the mountains, and a few chipmunks. Over there is a snake, and over here are a few birds.”

Xiao Dao's eyes sparkled. "You were such a good kid! You even made graves for the dead animals!"

Xue Beifan smiled without saying a word, then shook his head. "There's nothing fun here, let's go back."

"But didn't the old lady have any relatives?" Xiao Dao asked. "Why are you asking me to bury her too?"

Xue Beifan frowned slightly.

Xiao Dao's heart skipped a beat. She seemed to recall Xiao Yue mentioning that those who liked Xue Beifan were all killed by Xue Beihai and his mother, while those whom Xue Beifan liked were all killed by Feng Wuyou. Could it be...?

Seeing Xiao Dao's shocked expression, Xue Beifan smiled gently, "It's nothing, it's all in the past."

"How hateful!" Xiao Dao said angrily. "Where is your stepmother's grave? I'll spit on her!"

Xue Beifan was both amused and exasperated. "She's already dead, but I'm the one who survived to the end!" With that, he took the knife and went up the steps.

After taking only two steps, Xiao Dao suddenly turned around.

"Watch out!" Xue Beifan caught her in his arms. The stone steps were slippery, and if he hadn't been quick, Xiao Dao would have landed hard on her bottom in the mud.

"Can't you just walk properly?" Xue Beifan looked at Xiao Dao helplessly.

"Hmm..." Xiao Dao hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Are you afraid that the big dogs will also be killed, so you play with them for a while and then chase them back into the mountains?"

Xue Beifan smiled helplessly.

"So... is there anything else you like around you?"

Xue Beifan reached out and pointed to the shadow on the ground, "It...and there's more." Then, he pointed to the knife, "You."

It was a simple, unassuming sentence, lacking even a fraction of the earnestness Xue Er usually displayed when flattering him, yet it felt as if Xiao Dao had been stabbed in the heart, leaving a dull, throbbing pain. He pouted uncomfortably and continued walking.

Xue Beifan followed her up to the top of the mountain.

Xiao Dao glanced at him again, as if he were looking at a big dog that had lost its owner.

Xue Beifan patted her head. "I already told you, it happened a long, long time ago."

Xiao Dao didn't say much, just followed beside him, fiddling with her fingers.

"how?"

"No wonder," Xiao Dao muttered, "No wonder you never seem to speak sincerely; it's just a habit."

"My habit is that the more I like something, the less I should get close to it," Xue Beifan said, looking at Xiaodao.

Xiao Dao moved two steps to the side. "Then why are you still sticking to me like a leech?"

Xue Beifan snorted, "Everyone makes a mistake sometimes."

Xiao Dao was taken aback.

Xue Beifan leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I can't let those two lead me by the nose forever, can I?"

Xiao Dao nodded, finding it to be very reasonable.

"There's always someone who appears," Xue Beifan said, a smirk playing on his lips, "who makes me fall in love with it so much that... I'm saved!"

Xiao Dao's face turned red, and he felt a sharp prick in his heart, as if he had been stung by a tiny needle.

The moment Xiao Dao stepped through the side gate, he felt quite pleased with himself; the lingering indignation he felt for Xue Beifan, or even the faint pang of heartache he had felt earlier, had completely vanished. But as he exited the gate, Xiao Dao suddenly touched the back of his neck and glanced back. In the distance, there were only cliffs and dense forests, as thick as a curtain.