"Actually, I suffered a great blow some time ago, and after getting back on my feet, I feel like my whole person has been completely changed."
"How did it change?"
"For example... wanting others to approve of you, wanting to get things you never dared to dream of."
"That's great," Xuezhi laughed. "Don't be angry when I say this, but you used to live without a sense of self. Now you finally seem like a living person. I used to tell Zhao... no, I told a friend that our Chonghuo Palace's Great Protector was a bloodless, aimless wooden man, a master of mechanisms."
"That's truly an astonishing assessment."
"You flatter me." Xuezhi patted him. "Let's hurry up and find someone else. My second uncle seems to still be throwing a tantrum. He's not young anymore..." She then shivered.
Mu Yuan quickly pulled her into his cloak.
"Stop making excuses."
Lin Fengzi bit her lip in the jungle, then turned and walked away.
They had grown up together, but she had never been this close to him before. Xuezhi suddenly realized her heart was racing. But she knew Mu Yuan meant no harm, so she didn't pull away.
However, at that moment, a scream came from the jungle, a scream like that of a vengeful ghost, heart-wrenching and devastating.
Xuezhi and Muyuan exchanged a glance, then immediately ran in that direction.
117
They searched for several miles but didn't see a single person. It was getting dark, and Xuezhi's lips had turned purple from the cold, and her hands and feet were numb.
Soon, she kicked something. She initially thought it was a wooden stake, but then stepped on something soft, which made her realize something was wrong. She immediately asked Mu Yuan for a tinderbox and lit it.
There was a person standing beneath her feet.
Moreover, it was a person who was already completely dead and stiff.
Xuezhi covered her mouth, suppressing her gasp. Mu Yuan, on the other hand, didn't react much. He even boldly picked up a tinderbox and squatted down to examine the corpse.
"This person has only been dead for a short time, and there are no wounds on his body. The body is still warm, but it has already stiffened. He must have died from extremely profound internal energy."
Xuezhi paid no attention to Mu Yuan's words. Because she had clearly seen the deceased's face—a swallow flower.
A chill ran down her spine. She felt uneasy, not only because she knew the person, but also because of Yan Zihua's expression—her eyes and mouth were wide open, as if she were seeing something terrifying before she died.
The two quickly contacted the Shaolin disciples still staying in Moonlit Valley, but since Shi Yan had already gone to bed and it was inconvenient to disturb him, they had no choice but to go find the Emei disciples instead. Abbess Ciren personally examined Yan Zihua's body and remained lost in thought for a long time.
"This person's martial arts skills are improving at an alarming rate."
Mu Yuandao asked, "What does the nun mean?"
"Whether he practices which manual in the 'Lotus Wings' or both, it doesn't matter. This person's current skill level is at least five times that of the last time he appeared."
Xuezhi and Muyuan exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say next.
The sky grew even darker.
The following day, news of Yanzihua's death quickly spread throughout the Jiangnan region.
Yuan Shuangshuang cried her eyes out, saying that this man was cruel to the martial arts world and didn't even spare weak women. In contrast, as the head of the Emei Sect, Abbess Ciren reacted much calmer.
Chong Xuezhi stayed in her room for most of the day before taking a boat to Suixing Island.
The southern part of Suixing Island is a peach grove, and the northern part is a plum grove.
In winter, snowflakes danced in the air, and plum blossoms bloomed in the cold. Xuezhi passed through thousands of plum branches, like countless specks of rouge, and entered the Qingshen Tower.
She had come to say goodbye to him. But he wasn't there. Lin Yuhuang and the others were already packing their things; if she disappeared for too long, she would be discovered.
Not much has changed here; the interior still features the beaded curtain and misty rain scene, and a marble desk. On the desk sits a calligraphy scroll, a brush holder, and two sprigs of red plum blossoms. In the center of the room is a rosewood shelf, a lotus leaf screen, and a large incense burner. The kang (heated brick bed) is against the wall, upon which sits a brazier filled with strong tea, its aroma permeating the air. Sparks dance in the brazier, illuminating the cold-blooded staff hanging on the wall.
Three years ago, she spent an unforgettable night here.
Through the screen and curtains, she could almost see a man in a single garment sitting quietly by the bed, his amber eyes filled with tenderness.
After waiting in front of the Red Mansion for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xuezhi finally gritted her teeth and left.
As soon as she stepped down the stairs, she was almost completely engulfed by a sea of snow. The sky was a deep, dark blue, almost merging with the snow. Xuezhi immediately put on gloves, draped a red fur coat over her shoulders, and plunged into the snowstorm, amidst the falling plum blossoms.
The cold wind howled.
She shouldn't have heard anything.
However, as if sensing something, it looked up at Merlin.
Black hair, white snow, red plum petals.
A snow-white figure stands in this chaotic world of colors.
Shangguan Tou was wearing a white hooded cloak. Seeing someone approaching, he couldn't help but look up. In that instant, a gust of wind ripped open the hood, and his long, black hair flew wildly in the wind like a billowing ribbon.
The two stood facing each other like two speechless puppets.
The wind rushed into the valley, roaring and howling, surging in all directions. All that remained of the world were pale, slanting streaks of falling snow.
Xuezhi breathed a warm breath onto her gloves and slowly walked towards Shangguan Tou:
"I'm leaving now."
"……I know."
"There are some things I have to say."