Когда мы вернёмся

Глава 188

Lately, inspiration has been flowing into her like a spring.

"Woman, what are you laughing at?" Suddenly, a laughing voice rang out from behind.

Qingyun was startled and quickly flipped open a book to cover what she had just written. She said coquettishly, "Lige, you should knock next time you come in."

Li Ge raised an eyebrow. "Oh?! Does that mean you're doing something shady, woman?!"

Qingyun quickly shook her head, "No! You often appear behind me suddenly and silently. What if I get scared to death one day?"

"Woman, don't talk nonsense. Some jokes are not appropriate." Li Ge's expression was slightly displeased, and her voice also carried dissatisfaction.

Knowing he was worried about her, Qingyun turned her head and smiled sweetly, "Okay! Okay! I won't say it again."

Qingyun stood up, walked to Lige's side, and said, "Why are you here so early today? You usually come after dinner."

"I'm relatively free today. There wasn't anything important to do during court, so I came here right after it ended. The weather is so nice today, let's go to Immortal Valley!"

Qingyun smiled and nodded, "That's exactly what I was thinking too."

Before leaving, Li Ge glanced at the papers pressed down by the book and a smile appeared on her lips.

Fairy Valley.

It is currently the height of summer, with sweltering heat, but Fairy Valley is refreshingly cool, with lush and verdant trees, making it a delightful sight.

Qingyun hadn't returned to Immortal Valley since their last parting. Upon entering Immortal Valley, Qingyun ran around like a wild girl.

"Hmm! The river is still as clear as before, and there are just as many fish. Haha, Old Man Immortal's fishing skills must have deteriorated!"

"Ah! The mechanisms here are truly intricate; the old man was right, he wasn't exaggerating!"

"Wow! Li Ge, this place is so cool! It's even better than the Phoenix Ice Palace. Li Ge, let's find a place like this to live in seclusion someday, okay?"

Li Ge looked at her with doting eyes, his brown eyes filled with tenderness. "Okay."

"Alas! Yun girl, you've found a man and now you don't want this old woman anymore." At this moment, a mournful voice rang out in the air.

Qingyun was delighted and turned around to look behind her. Sure enough, she saw an old man with a white beard looking at her with a resentful expression.

Qingyun laughed loudly, walked over, and patted the old man on the back vigorously, saying, "How could that be? Old man, you are my most respected elder!"

"Ahem. Yun girl, be gentle, these old bones of mine can't take your rough treatment," the old immortal chuckled. His long beard shimmered white in the sunlight.

Qingyun then withdrew her hand, stepped back to Lige's side, and smiled broadly.

The old man looked up at the couple before him, nodded with satisfaction, and said with relief, "I'm relieved that you're taking care of Yun'er."

Qingyun and Lige were both taken aback. Why did the old man's words seem to carry the feeling that "he is about to leave this world"?

At this moment, the old man chuckled, stroked his white beard, and said, "Let's go inside! I will tell you anything you want to know today."

Qingyun and Lige exchanged a glance and followed the old man into the house.

After drinking a cup of tea, the old man slowly began to recount what happened back then.

"Yun girl, do you remember what happened in the world when Fengxi suffered a three-year drought and not a drop of rain fell?"

After pondering for a moment, Qingyun said, "Old Immortal, are you referring to that stone tablet that fell from the sky? Since I was a child, I have often heard my father talk about that magical stone tablet in the palace, saying that I am the princess bestowed upon Fengxi by heaven."

"Has Yun girl seen that stone tablet?"

Qingyun nodded.

"The stone tablet was brought back from the common people by my father and placed in the treasure pavilion. I have seen it several times when I went in before."

"Do you remember what's up there?"

Qingyun bit her lip, and after recalling for a long time, she finally answered, "It was written in red cinnabar: 'May you obtain longing, a glass bead, and blessings for the world.' The people were overjoyed and flocked to find 'longing.' However, there's a strange thing: the last dot of the character '思' (longing) curves upwards."

The old man chuckled, a gentle light gradually appearing in his eyes.

“Yun girl, that stone tablet was carved by your mother. When your mother wrote the character ‘思’ (si), she loved to make the last dot curve upwards. When you look at it upside down, it looks just like your mother’s delicate eyebrows.”

"Carved by the Palace Master of Meijue?! Why?!" Li Ge was shocked.

"Don't rush. Let me tell you slowly." The old immortal took a sip of tea, caught his breath, and began to reminisce. "Forty years ago, Juechen Valley and Immortal Valley were connected and called Juexian Valley. Together with Qin Palace and Li Palace, they were the three pillars of the martial arts world. I was young then, and I considered myself the number one martial artist. I was arrogant and overbearing. Alas, who isn't reckless in their youth? Later, during a battle between various martial arts sects, I was struck by the Centipede Venom Fist of the Five Poisons Sect and seriously injured. Just when I thought I would disappear from the martial arts world forever, Meijue appeared. She was dressed in red and gracefully descended from the sky. Her flowing hair shone with a captivating luster under the sunlight. She saved me and healed my wounds. Since ancient times, even heroes have difficulty resisting the charms of a beautiful woman. I fell completely in love with her."

Upon hearing this, both Qingyun and Lige were deeply moved.

"Later, to express my gratitude, I invited her to visit the Valley of Immortals. But I never expected that she would fall in love with Juechen at first sight." At this point, the old immortal looked at Li Ge, "Your master had the world in his heart, dedicated his life to healing the sick, and only cared about his patients. In addition, his temperament was extraordinary, like that of a banished immortal."

Qingyun glanced at Lige and suddenly realized that Lige's temperament was indeed learned from the old man Juechen.

At this moment, the old immortal sighed, his eyes filled with deep sorrow. "Meijue has been exceptionally beautiful since childhood, and no man has ever ignored her. Yet Juechen ignored Meijue for a full ten years. Meijue has always been stubborn in love; she refused to compromise with other men, and she was determined to have Juechen. Finally, after a few more years, Juechen finally noticed Meijue, who had been by his side for over a decade, and began to fall for her. This marriage should have had a happy ending, but unfortunately, fate was cruel and determined to separate them. As Meijue's martial arts skills improved day by day, the demonic nature within her permeated her being more and more rapidly. Finally, one day, the demonic nature within her completely erupted. She became ruthless, killing anyone she encountered, even those considered Buddhas, and slaughtered countless people in the martial arts world."

At this point, the old man's body trembled slightly, as if he were recalling that bloody scene from back then.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.

After an unknown amount of time, the old immortal finally recovered and continued in his low, hoarse voice, "Later, the various righteous sects of the martial world formed separate teams to hunt down Mei Jue. As for me... I was consumed by jealousy because I had been waiting for Mei Jue's favor for over a decade. I secretly told several respected elders in the martial world about Mei Jue and Jue Chen's affair. After learning about it, the elders all urged Jue Chen to lead the various sects of the martial world to hunt down Mei Jue in order to atone for his sins. In the end, Jue Chen accepted the mission."

Qingyun was taken aback. She asked, "Was it really true, as the martial arts world says, that you and Elder Juechen joined forces to force Mother to her death?"

The old immortal shook his head, then nodded. He sighed and said, "It should be indirect! Although Meijue's demonic nature fully erupted, she still had moments of lucidity. During our battle at White Bone Cliff, Meijue regained her senses. She saw her beloved wielding a long sword, with a large group of men rushing towards her from behind. At that moment, her eyes were filled with endless hatred. I will always remember what she said then; she said she would hate Juechen for the rest of her life. Later, her demonic nature flared up, and she used the poem 'Hate at the River's Edge' to stain White Bone Cliff with blood. No one present was spared."

The scene from years ago seemed to appear before the old man's eyes: the sky was filled with red, and Meijue was dressed in red, her eyes filled with overwhelming hatred.

"And then I discovered something: Juechen's love for Meijue was no less than her love for him. Juechen's eyes at that time were filled with heartache, pity, and deep love. But Meijue couldn't see any of that. She was blinded by hatred and the demonic energy within her. She took a few steps back, completely forgetting that behind her was the bottomless White Bone Cliff. I grabbed Juechen, and just like that, she fell to her death. From then on, Juexian Valley split into Juechen Valley and Xian Valley. Juechen began to live a secluded life in Juechen Valley, and he never contacted me again. In the battle at White Bone Cliff, Juechen and I were both seriously injured, but Juechen didn't heal himself afterward, which is why he left so quickly. Later, reflecting on my actions, I was filled with regret and guilt, and I also began to live in seclusion."