Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapter 67

Then the human wall was pulled apart by several feet, revealing Ming Er and Lan Qi standing side by side behind it.

"Actually, we've been here for quite a while, but unfortunately, Young Master Yun doesn't know how to treat guests properly." Lan Qi smiled as she looked at Yun Wuyai.

"The guests weren't exactly polite either." Yun Wuyai's gaze swept over the corpses scattered on the ground.

"That's because Young Master Yun didn't know how to be a guest in the first place," Lan Qi added, subtly implying that Dongming had plotted against Shouling Palace to seize "Lan Yin Bi Yue".

Upon hearing this, Yun Wuyai simply said, "If you really want to calculate it, the dynasty will always owe us."

"Oh?" Lan Qi's green eyes flickered as she shifted her gaze to Ming Er.

Yun Wuyai also turned to look at Ming Er. Their eyes met in mid-air, both of them calm, composed, and serene.

“Regardless of who owes whom, at this moment…” Ming Er’s gaze fell on the Dongming experts whose swords were stained with blood, then on the dead on the ground, “Young Master Yun, are you willing to give people an answer so that these people can die in peace?”

Yun Wuyai's slightly weary gaze drifted over the corpses, then shifted to meet Lan Qi's eerie blue eyes and Ming Er's distant, hazy gaze. After a moment, he said, "Tonight, we are both murderers, so why bother with such a show? The grudges between Dongming and the Imperial Dynasty cannot be explained in a short time, nor can they be resolved with a few empty words."

"What does Young Master Yun mean?" Ming Er looked at the person opposite him.

"Continuing tonight will only result in more deaths; it will be meaningless," Yun Wuyai said indifferently.

"Those who die by my slap are truly despicable," Lan Qi lazily interjected.

Yun Wuyai met Lan Qi's cold and eerie blue eyes and said calmly, "What difference is there between you and me and them? When we die, whether we are pierced by a thousand arrows, or we are in a desolate mountain, or our bodies are never found, we will all just die with a breath."

Lan Qi was taken aback upon hearing this. On the noble and handsome face opposite her were a pair of eyes that were cold yet slightly weary. For a moment, she didn't understand what the person opposite her was thinking, yet she seemed to be able to understand the soul of the person opposite her.

“The dead no longer care, but the living refuse to be confused.” Ming Er’s calm voice came.

Yun Wuyai's gaze swept around, finally settling on the deep night of Wufang, and he said, "December 9th, at the summit of South Peak, this young master will be waiting for you."

Chapter 27: The Sun Hides at Dawn (Part 1)

On the night of November 18th, in the forty-fourth year of Yinghua, more than a thousand martial arts masters of the imperial dynasty, imprisoned by Dongming, broke out from the North Gate and South Peak of Dongming, but only two hundred or so managed to escape with their lives. On the same day, a massive force of more than three thousand set off for the Dongming Sea, many perished at sea, some remained imprisoned, and others... submitted to Dongming.

After promising to meet again, Yun Wuyai turned and left. As he turned, his gaze swept over the corpses on the ground. He stopped and looked back. "You don't need to worry. We will take care of these corpses. When that day comes, perhaps you can take them back, or perhaps..." His gaze fell on Ming Er and Lan Qi, "...and stay with you forever." He left these words lightly and casually, and then strode away.

In the woods, Yuwen Luo gazed at the dark blue figure on the high bank in the firelight, listening to him say calmly, "Continuing tonight will only result in more deaths, which is meaningless," and seeing the indifferent indifference with which he trampled over the hundreds of lives on the ground.

"How can such a heartless person, who treats human life like dirt, deserve to be submitted to!" Looking down, she saw her brother's pale, blood-stained face. A sharp, piercing pain shot through her heart again. She collapsed onto her brother's body, but he was already cold and lifeless. She couldn't help but burst into tears again. "Brother..."

At that moment, no one came to comfort or dissuade them, because too many people had died that night, and everyone had their own pain.

"Let's go."

Back in the woods, looking at the wounded and ailing heroes of the dynasty, Ming Er uttered only this one sentence before leading the way with Lan Qi. Behind them, the experts from the Ming and Lan families followed closely, some supporting, some carrying, until they quickly disappeared into the woods.

The firelight at the foot of the South Peak gradually died down, the fighting and screams ceased, and the night finally returned to silence.

In the sky, the stars and moon shone coldly and brightly, illuminating the world with a serene and dreamlike beauty. Only the wind blew tirelessly, carrying the thick stench of blood far and wide.

He ran after the two people ahead, not knowing where they had gone, how long he had been running, or where he was going. He only knew that he was staring at the two figures ahead, running and running... running... He ignored the pain of his wounds and the exhaustion in his body, and kept running...

When the two figures in front finally stopped, the sky was already beginning to lighten; the night had passed.

In the dim morning light, the group looked around and saw that there were towering mountains surrounding them, and many houses could be vaguely seen where they stood.

"We will rest here." Ming Er's voice rang out, sounding exceptionally calm in the darkness, making everyone feel at ease. "Ming Ying, Ming Luo, please make sure all the heroes are settled in properly."

“Yes,” Mingying and Mingluo replied.

The heroes, who were nearly numb both physically and mentally, finally began to regain some consciousness.

"Lan Long, prepare hot water for me to take a bath," Lan Qi called out.

"Yes." Lan Long replied and immediately flew away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"You've all had a long night. If you're injured, treat your wounds. If not, eat and get some rest." Lan Qi turned around and waved to greet the assembled heroes. As she turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of Xie Mo and Song Gen holding Ning Lang a few steps away. Their eyes met, and she paused for a moment, but then continued on her way, only casually saying, "Lan Tong, you keep an eye on things."

"Yes," Lan Tong replied.

After Lan Qi left, Ming Er looked at the crowd who were still standing there in a daze and said, "Fellow cultivators, let's rest and heal our wounds for now. We can talk about everything else tomorrow."

At this moment, someone came to their senses and hurriedly expressed their gratitude: "Thank you for saving me, Second Young Master."

These words immediately snapped everyone out of their daze, and they hurriedly expressed their gratitude: "Thank you, Second Young Master."

For a moment, a chorus of thanks broke the hazy, serene morning.

Ming Er waved his hand, appearing gentle and humble, "There's no need for such formalities. We are all members of the martial arts world of the dynasty, and what I did was simply what I should do. Everyone has had a long night, and the most important thing now is to rest and recover from your injuries. Don't worry about anything else. The accommodations and food here are simple, so I hope you will make do with them."

"What are you saying, Second Young Master? The company and Seventh Young Master have shown us such great kindness today that it cannot be expressed with just a word of 'thank you'. I, Ai Wuying, am a rough man who doesn't know how to speak nicely. I will only say one thing now: if you two give me any orders in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" A tall man stepped forward from the crowd. He was none other than the lone bandit Ai Wuying.

“Master Ai is right. Great kindness needs no words of thanks. We will always remember the kindness of the Second Young Master and the Seventh Young Master,” someone chimed in.

"That's right, we will repay your kindness in the future." Everyone expressed their sincerity.

Ming Er nodded slightly and said, "I appreciate everyone's kindness and Seventh Young Master's appreciation. Please rest early." After speaking, he turned to the Ming family's subordinates and said, "Take good care of them. Ming Luo, everyone is injured, so please take good care of them."

"Yes," the Ming family members responded.

"Please rest assured, young master," Mingluo said.

"Esteemed heroes, please follow me." Mingying led the way.

"Second Young Master, we shall take our leave now." The group clasped their hands in a fist salute and followed the Ming family members downstairs. The Lan family members, who were also downstairs, helped settle the group down at Lan Tong's signal.

Lan Tong walked up to Xie Mo and Song Gen and said, "Please follow me." Without waiting for their reply, she led the way. Xie Mo and Song Gen exchanged a glance and followed. Just as the Second Young Master Ming had said, resting and healing their injuries was the most important thing at this moment.

People left one after another, then the sound of doors opening and closing could be heard, followed by the lighting of candles.

"Brother Yuwen, let's go together." Hua Qinghe looked at Yuwen Luo with some worry. The latter's gaze was fixed on a wooden door to his left, where Lan Qishao's figure had just disappeared.

Yuwen Luo took his elder brother from the back of one of the Ming family's subordinates; this was the only one they had brought back. He helped his brother sit down on the ground, raising his hand to wipe the blood from his brother's face, but he couldn't clean it; it remained frozen, cold. "Brother, she never knew… and she never will." He murmured, his eyes welling up with tears, which fell onto the back of his hand, bringing a slight warmth, but his heart felt even colder and more aching.

"Yuwen Luo." Hua Fushu called out to him as he muttered to himself.

"Let's go." Yuwen Luo carried his brother on his back, but he was too exhausted to stand up even after several attempts.

Hua Qinghe reached out, took it, put it on his back, and said, "Let's go."

Yuwen Luo didn't say anything and went with them.

After watching everyone leave, Ming Er was about to turn and go when he noticed two figures standing beside him. Looking closer, he saw Qiu Hengbo and Liu Mo quietly watching him. He paused for a moment, then a gentle smile bloomed on his face. He stepped over and said softly, "Miss Hengbo, you should go and rest early too."

Qiu Hengbo raised her hand to press down a stray strand of hair that had flown up beside her temple, her body shivering slightly in the cold morning wind.

"It's cold outside, Miss, please go inside." Ming Er softened his voice as he looked at her.

"Mm." Qiu Hengbo responded, glanced at Ming Er with her watery eyes one last time, then turned and left. "Liu Mo, let's go."

"Yes." Liu Mo followed.

Ming Er watched them enter before leaving. Recalling Qiu Hengbo's gaze just now, a cool, faint smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. The two beauties hailed as the most beautiful in the martial arts world truly deserved the title "beautiful," especially this Miss Qiu, who was truly intelligent and insightful. His oversight just now was accidental, unintentional—a pity… but oh well.

In the crisp morning breeze, the wooden cabins gradually lit up with their warm, reddish lights, and the deliberately hushed voices gently broke the silence, bringing warmth and life to the cold, desolate valley.

Ming Er walked slowly, his green robe as graceful as a willow, his face as beautiful as jade, his elegant demeanor like that of a fairy. At that moment, he appeared as serene and quiet as snow in the night.

Stepping through the door, Qiu Hengbo slightly turned her head and saw the green figure turn and leisurely walk away without looking back. Turning back, she continued walking, but at that moment her heart suddenly felt cold and bitter.

"If I hadn't been there just now, then those two sentences wouldn't have come out." She murmured softly, a bitter feeling washing over her in an instant.

"What did Miss say?" Liu Mo didn't hear clearly or understand.

Qiu Hengbo shook his head and said nothing more.

Almost a whole night of fighting, yet not a single glance back, not a single look exchanged. Did he truly trust Tianyi Needle so completely that he had no worries whatsoever? Prioritizing the greater good and possessing benevolence and chivalry are certainly good and admirable, but perhaps to neglect it to this extent... is simply because he never took it to heart.

Hengbo, Huayan is such a talented and accomplished family, a perfect match for you. You two will surely be a divine couple, and you will be even happier than your father and mother.

Father, you're wrong.

Liu Mo looked at her young mistress, whose face was pale and expressionless, with only her eyes watery as if something was surging within them.

…………

The sounds in the valley gradually subsided. After washing up and changing into clean winter clothes prepared by the two families, everyone ate and drank their fill. Those who were unharmed went to sleep, while the injured were treated by Mingluo and others. By dawn, the valley was completely quiet.

The group hadn't eaten or slept well for months, and after another night of fierce fighting, everyone was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Only now could they finally relax, unwind, and fall asleep peacefully. They slept through the entire day and night, and it wasn't until the next morning that people gradually woke up.

Qiu Hengbo and Liu Mo got up very early, had breakfast, and then went out for some fresh air.

As soon as they stepped outside, the cold wind made them shiver, but they felt refreshed nonetheless. They hadn't seen clearly that morning due to the dim light, but now they realized they were in a valley, surrounded by towering mountains that acted as a natural barrier, isolating them from the outside world. This secluded location was likely why they had chosen this place to stay. The front half of the valley was low and flat, while the back half was a high hillside. Several wooden buildings stood on the flat ground, and many small wooden cabins were scattered across the hillside.

"This place is not bad," Liu Mo said.

They lived alone in a small wooden cabin, and standing on this high point, they could see the entire valley at a glance.

Nestled against green hills, the simple wooden houses, while not particularly elegant or refined, possessed a rustic charm. It was still early; many were not yet awake, only a few occasionally seen moving about in front of or outside the houses. Smoke curled from the chimneys, and voices were quiet; the valley was exceptionally peaceful yet vibrant, as if they had lived there for countless lifetimes, and this was merely an ordinary morning, while the carnage and bloodshed of the previous night seemed a distant memory.

"Hey, Second Young Master and Seventh Young Master are over there." Liu Mo suddenly pointed ahead.

Looking further, at the very front of the valley, where the terrain is lowest, there is a pond, presumably formed by rainwater accumulating from the surrounding mountains. In the center of the pond, a large rock protrudes, and Ming Er and Lan Qi are standing on it. The morning breeze is blowing their clothes, giving them an air of otherworldly elegance.

Today, Ming Er was unusually dressed in a white fur coat, with a light blue cloak over it, which made his figure appear even more upright, like a jade mountain and a bamboo grove. Half of his black hair was tied up with a jade crown, while the other half hung long down his shoulders, which further accentuated his jade-like face. He truly lived up to the name "banished immortal." Even the gods in heaven might not have such a pure and elegant charm.

Lan Qi was dressed in a pale yellow brocade robe, with a white fox fur coat over it. The fluffy white fur framed a face as beautiful as a painting. Her long eyebrows were dark, her eyes were clear and blue, and her lips were slightly curved, revealing a smile that was extremely subtle. Her long hair was tied with a golden crown, with a scarlet tassel hanging down from the side of the crown, which further reflected her jade-like pupils and snow-white skin. She was truly gorgeous and elegant to the bone.

From a distance, one could see that the two seemed to be talking about something. Lan Qi tapped her palm with her jade fan, sometimes letting it fall onto Ming Er's shoulder. Ming Er stood with his hands behind his back, like a pine tree on a cliff, unmoved by wind and rain.

"Ah, the Second Young Master and the Seventh Young Master are just like figures in a painting," Liu Mo suddenly exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Hengbo's heart stirred.

At that moment, Ming Er and Lan Qi seemed to have finished their conversation and were about to leave the big rock. Ming Er jumped up first, but unexpectedly, Lan Qi suddenly raised his shoulder like a sword and attacked the back of Ming Er's head.

"Oh dear!" Liu Mo exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this.

But Ming Er seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He raised his left hand and used two fingertips to catch Lan Qi's jade fan. At the same time, he turned his right hand and blocked Lan Qi's horizontal palm. Then the two of them began to exchange blows on the pond. Sometimes they flew into the air, sometimes they landed on the rocks. Their moves were wonderful. They walked on the water and their figures were graceful and beautiful.

"Heh, so they were just playing around," Liu Mo laughed.

In her eyes, the two were merely using sparring as a pretext for a game, but Qiu Hengbo saw it as far more complex. Every move they made was laced with hidden danger; every palm strike and finger movement was imbued with immense power. A moment's carelessness from either side could result in lacerations, broken bones, and severe injuries. These two were clearly sparring seriously.

"Sigh, even when these two are fighting, it's like people playing in a painting, so beautiful to watch." Liu Mo sighed again, then turned to look at his young mistress with a smile, "Miss is so lucky to have someone like the Second Young Master..." He left his words unfinished, but the meaning was obvious.

The person in the painting...