Укротитель зверей

Глава 30

I was so moved that my fingers trembled. "You mean, you could have left during these three years, but you never did?"

“Yes, the guard delivers the meals at a very fixed time, and I never say a word. He only needs to hand over the empty bowl on time. As for the tinder, I think I will have to see you one day. Although I am not afraid of the dark, you may still need it.” He said this, gently releasing my hand, taking a step back, and being extremely respectful.

I looked at him with pity and muttered to myself, "No wonder..."

I thought to myself, no wonder you mistook me for someone else, it turns out you can't see. But then I thought again, that doesn't make sense. Since his eyes are unaffected underground, how could he not know what I look like?

"What?"

"No, it's nothing. It's rare that you still remember what I look like."

I dared not tell the truth. He regarded me as his family's high priest and treated me with kindness, but a lie is still a lie. If he were to suddenly be jolted awake by some shock, after sixteen years of waiting, and suddenly despair, I could not be sure what he would do.

He was still facing me, smiling. "Many years have passed, but you haven't changed at all. I still remember the first time I met you. You were only thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a pink shirt, and you were with a bear on the cliff. I chased it away, and you stomped your feet and said I was being nosy."

He reminisced leisurely, his words filled with nostalgia, but I was startled and almost fell to the ground.

Judging from what he said, does that mean I really do look exactly like that priest?

"Sir?" He recognized the voice and caught me in the blink of an eye, even more astute than someone with eyesight.

"No, it's nothing." I stammered, trying to reassure myself. No, no, who in the palace doesn't know that I look like my mother? How could my father, the emperor, possibly have a relationship with a person from the martial arts world, let alone be imprisoned in the dungeon? Who would dare?

Dan Gui must have been out of her mind and made a mistake. For sixteen years, she guarded an empty prison cell, waiting for that person to return. If it were me, even if it were a bear, let alone a person, I might still believe that it was the person I was waiting for.

That must be it, I concluded. Then, thinking of the priest he mentioned who, at the age of thirteen, wore a pink shirt and spent time with bears, I felt a pang of longing.

"Dan Gui, you've worked so hard, thank you." I spoke to him with utmost sincerity.

"Why do you say that, my lord?" Dan Gui seemed startled and took another step back. "Protecting the priest is the duty of the Right Envoy of our sect. As long as you can be rescued, I, Dan Gui, will die without regret."

When I heard the words "Right Envoy," my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help but take another look at him. If Chang Ling was right, the person imprisoned in the ninth cell of the Earth rank was a priest of the Holy Fire Sect. Dan Gui called himself the Right Envoy and addressed that priest as "Sir." Then he must have been an early figure in the Holy Fire Sect, and perhaps even Mo Li's predecessor.

I started to feel anxious when I thought of Mo Li. I wondered where he was and what he was doing. I had already experienced the cunning of those old men. Dan Gui was a master among masters in my eyes, but he was tricked by them and lost all his power back then. And that priest who left the Soul-Stealing Flower on the wall, anyone who could make Dan Gui so subdued must not be a weak character. Yet he was still locked up in the dungeon.

As I thought of this, my eyelids twitched violently, and I knew something was wrong.

I can't give those cunning old men the chance to use me to lure Mo Li into a trap. I must find him and tell him that I've been rescued. Even if I can't help him, at least he'll know that I'm safe.

So, where should I look for him?

I looked around blankly and realized with frustration that, at this moment, if I really wanted to find Mo Li as quickly as possible, the only way was to run back to the outside of Lan Family Village and wait for him to appear on his own.

"Dan Gui, I have to go back to Lan Family Village." I had no fear of Dan Gui anymore and told him the truth.

He looked surprised. "Does Your Excellency wish to seek revenge against the elders for what happened back then?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll find someone else."

He was even more puzzled, "Does the lord still have old acquaintances in Lan Family Village?"

I choked, unsure how to explain to him. Although Dan Gui was delirious, he was clearly a highly skilled martial artist. If he insisted on taking me away, in my current state, I probably wouldn't even be able to withstand a single finger of his.

I had a slight headache, so I could only give a vague answer: "Perhaps someone will go to Lan Family Village because of me. Now that I'm out of trouble, I should let him know. Otherwise, if he gets trapped while trying to save me, how can I bear it?"

I spoke vaguely, but Dan Gui understood. After a moment of contemplation, she looked up and asked, "Does Your Excellency mean that someone is heading towards Lan Family Village to rescue you?"

I marveled at the incredible ability of this seemingly delirious martial arts master to understand what I was saying, and immediately nodded, "Yes, yes, absolutely right."

“Of course I’ll go.” He walked towards me and bent down.

"What, what are you doing?" I asked, puzzled.

"Since you have difficulty moving around, let me carry you on my back; it will be faster that way."

He was referring to the gold thread rope still wrapped around my foot. I glanced down at the thin, black iron chain, realizing it later than anyone else.

Sigh, once you get used to something, it's really hard to remember it.

I wanted to go back alone and ask him one more time, "Dan Gui, where is Lan Family Village?"

Dan Gui could not see, but she listened intently to the direction of the stream's flow, then raised her hand and pointed into the distance.

"Sir, please look in this direction."

I looked in the direction he was pointing, and good heavens, the manor was already several miles away, with only the faint white walls visible in the moonlight.

I was stunned. How could I go alone?

Dan Gui was still waiting for me in front of me. I gritted my teeth, feeling sorry for him for making this mistake, but I still obediently climbed onto his back. As soon as he got up, he only said, "Please give me directions, sir." After saying that, he sped off.

As the wind whistled past my ears, I suddenly recalled those days many years ago when the monsoon carried me around, and I was filled with emotion.

My master once told me before I started playing, "From now on, you'll have to walk every path on your own." Though the words were harsh, I was mentally prepared. But today, Dan Gui's words truly brought back a sense of nostalgia.

The valley meandered, and I pointed out the direction to Dan Gui. He moved gracefully, his breathing steady even as he walked quickly, and he still had time to talk to me.

"Where have you been for the past sixteen years, sir?"

How could I possibly answer that? I coughed, my cheeks turning slightly red.

"Well... it's a long story, and I don't remember many things."

He didn't press further, but just smiled and said, "Some things are better forgotten."

...

Report: I spent the entire May Day holiday eating, drinking, and having fun.

Narrator: What she meant was, please forgive her for updating so little during the May Day holiday...

Chapter 75

Dan Gui led me down the mountain. I pointed out the directions on his back. Although he was blind, he was still very fast. His white hair fluttered in the moonlight, sometimes brushing against my face, and a few strands almost blinded me.

I pressed my hand against his hair, feeling sad, and whispered, "Your hair has all turned white."

He nodded. "Let it go, it's alright."

My senior brother used to travel the world and often told us strange tales while on the mountain. I remember he told us about a young man who was imprisoned in a dark cave for ten years. He was eventually rescued, but his hair was completely white, probably because he had never seen the sun. There are also people who are so sad that their hair turns white overnight.

And this person waited underground for sixteen years for someone who might never appear. Such a long period of despair, if it were me, would not only have turned my hair white, but I would have lost the strength to even live.

Dan Gui led me out of the valley. I asked him to stop at a slightly higher point, get off him, and hide in a secluded spot to look towards Lan Family Village.

Lan Family Village is not large, but it is quite elegantly built. The moonlight shines like mercury on the stream in front of the village, and willows sway outside the white walls. If I had not personally witnessed the eerie and terrifying place inside, I would have really thought it was a paradise.

I watched for a while, wanting to know what was happening in the village, but the night was quiet and there was no one moving around inside or outside the village. There wasn't even a light in sight. The more I looked, the more it resembled a ghost town.

I crouched in the bushes and peeked out. Dan Gui stood beside me, patiently waiting without urging me. When I looked up, I suddenly saw him bathed in moonlight, his white hair as silver as a mirror, dazzling and eye-catching. I fell down on the spot and grabbed his sleeve, pulling it down.

"Get down quickly, or someone will see you."

Dan Gui's skill far surpasses mine; my strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree. But he immediately obeyed and lowered himself, saying, "Don't worry, sir. The forest here is dark and you can't see us from inside the manor."

The jungle was dense, and I was hiding in the shadows where the moonlight couldn't reach. He crouched down so that we could both sink into the darkness. I breathed a sigh of relief and calmed myself down to talk to him.

"There's no sound from there at all. I don't know if the person who came looking for me has already entered the village. What should I do now?"

He pondered for a moment, "Sir, is this man a member of my sect?"

I nodded, and then, remembering that he couldn't see, I was about to speak again when I saw a faint light in his eyes in the darkness. He must have seen my movements.

"Can you see?"

"Just a rough outline." He nodded.

I blinked in the darkness; it turned out that the lack of light here was actually a good thing for him.

"A believer...I guess so." I hesitated, not wanting to lie to him.

What is your current position?

I choked, staring at his blurry silhouette in the darkness, my mouth agape in vain.

Osmanthus, Osmanthus, Mo Li's position, how can I explain this to you?

He says he's the same as you, a Right Envoy of the Holy Fire Cult? Wouldn't that be incredibly provocative for you, making you realize I'm a fake and tear me to pieces?

"I'm not quite sure." Although Dan Gui was gentle, I really didn't dare to take the risk. After struggling for a long time, I still gave up telling the truth and painfully gave a vague answer.

"Is that so?" He pondered for a moment, then continued, "Ordinary believers are not allowed to enter the place where the elders reside. Even if they are granted permission, they must stop at the outer hall. If his position is not high, he will probably find another way to find the elder. If his position is high, then it is another matter."

I immediately recalled the scene of Xiao Wei stopping on the path that day, and nodded repeatedly, "Then who can swagger in?"

He was slightly surprised. "Under the sect leader, only the left and right envoys and the heads of the various halls are allowed to enter and leave the place where the elders reside. Has Your Excellency forgotten?"

I froze on the spot, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.

Oh no! It's all because Dan Gui made me feel so safe that I unconsciously forgot I was still a priestess.

I stammered, "This...this is actually what I've been doing all these years..."

I thought something big was about to happen, but then I heard the sound of horses' hooves. In the distance, in front of Lan Family Village, there was an open space. Although I couldn't see clearly, I could vaguely make out a group of people riding horses and galloping away. In the blink of an eye, they had all entered the village.

In a moment of panic, I pointed in that direction and, without caring whether he could see it or not, whispered, "Dan Gui, someone has entered the village."

Dan Gui stood up, facing the direction of Lan Family Village, and listened attentively with a solemn expression. After listening, she lowered her head and said, "Please wait here, sir."

I exclaimed "Huh!" and he had already darted away. I couldn't catch him and stamped my feet in frustration.

That manor was extremely dangerous to begin with. The Fourth Elder and Wen Su were both there, and each of them was formidable. I didn't see clearly who entered the manor just now, but I was worried about Mo Li and was naturally very anxious. However, I never thought that Dan Gui would rush over there so rashly.

It's true that Dan Gui is highly skilled in martial arts, but he came alone, and he had just brought me out of the underground. The moonlight was as bright as day, and his eyes must be unable to see in such light. If they were to ambush him again, how could I be at ease?

Strangely enough, from the time Dan Gui met me in the dungeon until now, it has been at most a few hours, yet I have already felt close to him. However, he grew up in the palace and is related to me by blood, but after looking at his face for more than ten years, he still feels unfamiliar to me. The contrast between the two is truly perplexing.

Worried about Dan Gui, and disregarding the possibility of being discovered, I took off after her. The chains on my feet jingled, preventing me from using my cloud-walking technique.

Dan Gui's figure was elusive, and in the blink of an eye he was far away from me. I dared not reveal my target and called out to him loudly. In my haste, I immediately bent down, picked up a stone the size of a fist, and threw it at him.

My master is a renowned leader of the martial arts world, a master among masters. In short, he can injure people with anything, from picking flowers to throwing leaves. But I, his last disciple, am a disgrace in the martial arts world. Let alone picking flowers and throwing leaves, I can't even throw a small stone accurately. My senior brothers often laugh at me, saying that my most powerful hidden weapon is a brick, which no one can match.

I was getting anxious, so I threw the stone with all my might. Although it wasn't very elegant, after three years of martial arts training, my aim was still pretty good. I was about to hit the target, but Dan Gui's white hair was flowing and she was extremely fast. The stone flew over and lost momentum before it even got close to her clothes.

The jungle was dense, and his figure disappeared into the darkness in an instant. Just as I was getting angry, I suddenly heard the sound of wind surging ahead, followed by shouts, as if someone was fighting.

"Dan Gui!" In my panic, I no longer cared about concealing my whereabouts and dragged the chain as I ran over. Before I had run a few steps, I heard a jumble of footsteps, as if several people were running towards me. In my confusion, I had no time to dodge, and those people were already in front of me. One of them was dressed in red, which was still bright and eye-catching in the darkness. When he saw me, he exclaimed in surprise and reached out to grab me.

These people were incredibly fast, coming like the wind. Before I could even utter a scream, I suddenly heard a familiar voice right next to my ear.

"Safety!"

I was jolted and wanted to turn my head to look, but I didn't dare, fearing that he was just my hallucination and would disappear in the blink of an eye.