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"Thank you very much, Seventh Young Master." The two were overjoyed and stood up.

As Lan Qi stepped out the door, he was thinking that the wedding hall would probably be set up in the main hall, but unexpectedly, two people bowed to him in the corridor. "Lan Wei (Lan Min) thanks Young Master Qi for his kindness." Then the two bowed to the outside of the corridor. "Lan Wei (Lan Min) thanks Heaven and Earth." After that, the two looked at each other, smiled, and bowed deeply to each other.

After they finished bowing, the two turned back to face Lan Qi. At that moment, a maid came over with a tray and three wine cups on it.

Lan Qi glanced at the wine offered to him, then at Lan Wei and Lan Min, whose faces were beaming with joy. A smile curved his lips as he picked up a glass of wine. Lan Wei and Lan Min each raised a glass, saying, "This is our wedding wine, Seventh Young Master, please."

Lan Qi tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Lan Wei and Lan Min followed suit, each downing their own cups in one go.

"Qu Yuan, today is a joyous occasion. Set up five tables of banquet in the main hall. Everyone in this house, regardless of rank, should go and drink the celebratory wine!" Lan Wei ordered loudly.

"Yes!" Qu Yuan replied.

"Congratulations, Master Wei! Thank you, Master Wei!" The servants in the house all stepped forward to congratulate and express their gratitude.

Lan Wei and Lan Min looked at each other and smiled, their joy and sweetness barely concealed in their eyes and brows.

So this is how the wedding ceremony is held? So this is how they become husband and wife?

Lan Qi looked at the newlyweds, then at the servants in the courtyard who were also beaming with joy, and couldn't help but smile, praising, "Good! As expected of someone who follows me, you do things in a unique way."

Lan Wei and Lan Min looked at Lan Qi upon hearing this, speechless, only smiling, somewhat dazed, yet happy.

"Today is your happy day, so enjoy it to the fullest." Lan Qi walked outside. "Have the manor in the south of the city tidied up. I'll stay there tonight."

"Seventh Young Master..." Lan Wei was about to call out, but he only waved his fan behind him and disappeared after turning around.

Wedding ceremony... husband and wife...

On the street, Lan Qi waved his jade fan, his gaze slowly sweeping across the roadside, his mind replaying the scene from just moments ago. Could Lan Wei and Lan Min's joy today be considered a merit he had accumulated? But what good was this merit? Was he to wait for a reward in the next life? The next life… he didn't need it. He only wanted this life—a life of unbridled freedom, of doing whatever he pleased without restraint!

They had longed for this day for so long, killing and shedding blood for it. The tenderness in their smiles had erased the bitterness of the past. That was the happiness of ordinary people, husband and wife together, raising children... But it was so far away from him, something he... disdained! It was the most unreliable and illusory thing!

In this world, the only things that are truly reliable are the warmth in one's lungs and what one holds in one's hand...

His steps suddenly stopped, and he turned around to see a person in a plain white robe standing a few feet away, looking at him with a calm and distant gaze and a hint of affection.

"I'm so lucky to run into Sect Leader Ming while just wandering around." Lan Qi clasped his hands in a fist salute, his fan closed.

“It wasn’t a coincidence,” Mingkong said gently. “I came here specifically to find you.”

"Oh?" Lan Qi raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what business Sect Leader Ming has with me?"

People came and went on the street, and as they passed by, they all glanced in astonishment at the two people standing in the middle of the street with extraordinary bearing.

"The scenery in Xicheng is quite nice. How about we walk and talk?" Ming Kong smiled.

Lan Qi nodded slightly, holding the jade fan.

The two left the bustling city and headed towards a secluded spot. Before they knew it, they had arrived at a lake in the east of the city. There were very few people there. Willow branches drooped over the water, and a stone bridge spanned the lake like a rainbow. It was a beautiful place.

Lan Qi gazed at the lake, waiting quietly to see what the Wind and Mist Sect Leader had to say.

Mingkong's gaze also fell on the lake, watching the ripples drift gently in the breeze. After a while, he spoke, "You and Fengyi have been separated for over ten years, haven't you?"

“Eleven years,” Lan Qi replied calmly.

“A person’s life is only five or six eleven-year periods.” Ming Kong’s gaze suddenly became more distant, as if he was recalling some past event. After a moment, he spoke again, “Feng Yi has been like that since he went up Wushan. He has lived like that for more than ten years. He has never had a day of peace and happiness. He has had a very difficult life.”

Lan Qi couldn't help but turn to look at him, a wicked smile appearing on her lips, a smile containing undisguised sarcasm, "Not a single day of peace and joy? Isn't that what he brought upon himself?"

Mingkong gazed at the lake, his expression calm and indifferent. "You are not him, how do you know if he brought it on himself or if there is another reason? I watched Feng Yi grow up, and you, being his sibling, should know his character even better."

"Did Sect Leader Ming come here today for us brothers?" Lan Qi tapped her palm lightly with her jade fan, her face expressionless. "There's no need for that. If you want to go home, Brother, the Lan family of Yunzhou will never refuse you."

Mingkong finally turned to look at Lan Qi, his eyes filled with helplessness, sighs, and pity. "You know I'm not talking about this. If Feng Yi can't let go of this, he'll never have peace in his life. His knot is in your hands. If you're willing to untie it..."

“Hehe…” Lan Qi suddenly chuckled, her bright blue eyes as deep as a bottomless pool. “I have nothing in my hands. From the moment we parted, I have nothing left.”

Mingkong looked at him for a long time before sighing, "Your resolute nature is very much like your master's."

Lan Qi's eyes twitched, and she looked at Ming Kong with a strange gaze.

Mingkong continued, "Actually, I came to ask you how your master is doing lately?"

Lan Qi remained silent, only looking at him with an unfathomable light in her emerald eyes.

"Rumors in the martial arts world say that you never use the Lan family's traditional martial arts, but no one knows the origin of your martial arts." A warm smile appeared on Ming Kong's face. "But the move you used on Ying Mountain could not be hidden from me. Only three people in the world can see that move, and I am one of them."

Lan Qi looked at Ming Kong, and after a long while, blurted out, "It really was you."

Mingkong simply smiled as he looked at him.

"The person who made him grit his teeth day and night for so many years was actually you." Lan Qi shook his head and sighed.

"Has he still had this temper after all these years?" Mingkong seemed to find it amusing.

“He was still the same when I left.” Lan Qi opened her jade fan again.

"Where is your master?" Mingkong asked again.

Lan Qi looked up at him and said calmly, "I don't know. I haven't seen it for many years. If you want to know, you should go and see for yourself."

“Many years…” Mingkong’s voice suddenly became much lower, his gaze fixed on the lake, his eyes looking distant and boundless, “It has been many years since I last saw it, I really should go and see it, perhaps this will be…” His voice suddenly stopped, his thoughts seemed to drift away.

Lan Qi looked at him quietly for a moment, then said, "It's not like you can just see me whenever you want."

“Hmm.” Mingkong nodded faintly. “I know. To see your master is like seeing a fairy in heaven—so far away, so difficult…”

XIV. A Terrifying Dream (Part 1)

Her clothes were as white as snow.

People are like jade.

Yet it is an inability to get close to the alienation.

Looking at it again, it was nothing more than a beautiful but lifeless, pale and bleak painting.

There is such a painting by the window on the second floor of Fumanlou Restaurant. Whether it is the waiters or the guests in the same building, they are always amazed and then sigh.

As soon as Ming Er went upstairs, he saw it and a smile that even the spring breeze would feel ashamed of appeared on his face. He calmly walked over and gently called out, "Brother Feng Yi."

Feng Yi looked up and saw a figure in light blue, standing like a lotus in the wind, elegant and refined, with a faint smile on his lips, which immediately put his mind at ease. "Second Young Master Ming."

Ming Er nodded. "Brother Fengyi, are you waiting for someone?" His gaze swept across the table, where there was only a pot and a cup of tea.

"Just sitting for a while," Feng Yi shook his head.

"Oh." Ming Er smiled. "It's almost noon, how about we have lunch together?"

"Okay." Feng Yi nodded indifferently.

Ming Er sat down opposite him, called the waiter to order the dishes, and after the waiter left, he looked at Feng Yi with a hint of curiosity but not in a way that would offend anyone. After looking at him for a moment, he said, "Brother Feng Yi and Seventh Young Master look very alike, except for their eyes."

When Lan Qi was mentioned, Feng Yi paused in his teacup, then brought it to his lips with a normal expression.

Ming Er said no more, picked up the tea poured by the waiter, smelled it, and then took a sip.

After finishing their tea, the two remained silent. However, the guests at the nearby tables kept glancing over, some in amazement, some admiration, some whispering, and some chuckling quietly. Yet, no one dared to approach them. The two, dressed in white and blue robes, seemed as high above them as the blue sky and white clouds.

"Has the Second Young Master been acquainted with... Yinyin for a long time?" After a long while, Feng Yi surprisingly spoke first.

Ming Er smiled faintly and said, "We've known each other for a long time, but we only recently met."

"Oh," Feng Yi responded, then fell silent, staring blankly at the teacup in his hand.

“Brother Fengyi,” Ming Er suddenly called out.

Feng Yi looked up at him.

"Sometimes, some things can only be kept in your heart forever, but sometimes, some things should be said face to face, otherwise it will be a regret for a lifetime." Ming Er's expression was calm but gentle as water, his hazy eyes looking at you from afar, but in that instant, they softened your heart.

Feng Yi's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the person before him. The eyes were clear, yet seemed shrouded in a light mist, making them difficult to see clearly. They were so close, yet felt so distant. The person's face was gentle, serene, and possessed a profound and expansive capacity for understanding. After a long while, a faint smile finally appeared on his face. "People in the martial world call the Second Young Master 'The Immortal,' and it's truly true."

"Although I have only just met Seventh Young Master and Brother Fengyi, we have a deep bond of friendship. I hope Brother Fengyi will not take offense at my abruptness," Ming Er said calmly and sincerely.

“How could that be?” Feng Yi shook his head, a hint of sadness flashing in his dark eyes, which were completely different from Lan Qi’s. “What the Second Young Master said makes sense, but…” His hand unconsciously tightened around the teacup. “But perhaps this is all I can do for the rest of my life… Perhaps… even this is impossible…” He murmured in the end.

Ming Er paused for a moment, then said, "I am unaware of the truth, but I feel that Seventh Young Master and Brother Feng Yi are clearly of equal talent, so why is it that Brother Feng Yi..."

He paused abruptly, as a deep, piercing pain welled up in Feng Yi's eyes. His hands, gripping the teacup, turned white at the knuckles as he murmured, "Di Hua Zeng Ying..."

Seeing his expression, Ming Er couldn't help but sigh softly, "Brother Fengyi, since you can't let go, why don't you pick it up again?"

"Pick it up again?" A glimmer of light flashed in Feng Yi's dark eyes. "Again..." But in the blink of an eye, that glimmer of light dimmed again, and his eyes returned to darkness. "Do you think a broken piece of jade can be restored to its original state? Can spilled water be recovered?"

Those dark eyes stared intently at Ming Er, and in that instant, he clearly sensed the darkness and despair in that person's heart.

“That’s all impossible.” Feng Yi’s voice was bitter and strained. “Besides…”

"Oh dear, what a coincidence!"

Suddenly a voice rang out, and Feng Yi was struck as if by lightning, his whole body trembling, and then he turned his head to look out the window.

On the street, Lan Qi, dressed in purple and holding a jade fan, was looking at four men and women a few feet away with an air of elegance. Ming Er glanced at them and recognized them as the two pairs of senior and junior brothers and sisters from the small town at the foot of Mount Meng that day.

The four men looked at Lan Qi with a mixture of surprise, fear, and a complex feeling that was hard to describe. There were hundreds of martial arts heroes on Ying Mountain, and they were among them. Lan Qi couldn't see them, but they recognized him at a glance. After asking around, they learned what kind of people he had offended.

Lan Qishao, the current head of the Lan family of Yunzhou, one of the six great families in the martial arts world, is known in the martial arts world as "Bi Yao" and is a figure that everyone respects and keeps at a distance.

"Where are you four headed?" Lan Qi glanced at the pink-clad junior sister's head, where the purple jade hairpin was no longer visible. He couldn't help but tease the two senior brothers, "Young heroes, we were each given a purple jade hairpin by you the other day, and we liked them very much. We haven't thanked you yet."

The two senior brothers' faces turned red and then pale, while the two junior sisters' eyes immediately showed resentment.

"It's fate that we meet again today. How about we have a drink together?" Lan Qi said with a smile, ignoring the expressions of the four people.

The four exchanged glances, and then the senior brother in blue clasped his hands in a salute and said, "I am Qi Zang, a disciple of Shi Buzhuan of Ranzhou. This is my junior brother Shi Rufeng, and these are my third junior sister Shi Ruyun and my fourth junior sister Qiu Zhuqing." He then pointed to the silver-clad man, the pink-clad woman, and the yellow-clad woman beside him and introduced them, saying, "We were unaware of Seventh Young Master's identity that day and offended him greatly. We hope Seventh Young Master will forgive us."

"Oh, so you are Shi Buzhuan's children and disciples." Lan Qi nodded in realization, his gaze sweeping over the four of them. "That old man Shi is not good-looking, and his martial arts are not very good either, but his children and disciples are all handsome and good-looking. Why don't you all follow me? I have always liked beautiful people like you."

The four were stunned for a moment, then instantly realized what was happening. Their faces flushed red. Shi Rufeng was the first to lose his temper and blurted out, "You...you're going too far! I...I..."

Lan Qi closed her jade fan, took a few steps closer, and looked at Shi Rufeng, "How are you?"

Shi Rufeng's heart skipped a beat as the blue waves rippled across the water, and he was speechless.

Lan Qi's emerald eyes, brimming with spring water, slowly flowed over the other three. A smile slowly bloomed on her lips, a captivating and alluring beauty, yet also a chilling ruthlessness. The three were instantly captivated and chilled.

"The senior brothers are lustful at first sight, and the junior sisters are indecisive. Since that's the case, why not give in to your desires?" The jade fan snapped open, sending up a cool breeze that stung the faces of the four men.

The four of them turned pale and stared blankly at the person in front of them, who was dressed in purple and had emerald eyes, and was as beautiful as a demon.

Lan Qi laughed, a laugh that was both smug and mocking. She pointed her jade fan at Qi Zang's chest and said, "There are many filthy desires here, so why bother to hide them? It's just disgusting."