Song Jinyu had been sitting on her horse for a while.
She was both surprised and not surprised to meet Zhongli Mingye outside the city. In the bag on her back were Yan Fei's memorial tablet and a bow and arrow.
She had sent Cheng Song and Niaoniao ahead to handle some matters, and when traveling alone, she had to be more vigilant.
Thinking about how to escape from him, Song Jinyu sighed silently, her face expressionless. She refused to look at the man. She had no choice but to let Zhongli Mingye down.
Yan Fei was dead, and the situation on Tianmen Mountain was extremely precarious. As the most beloved disciple of her master, she had no other option.
Zhongli Mingye didn't say a word. He looked at the cold woman in front of him with a desolate look in his eyes. Just two days ago, they had been so intimate.
Now, they were like strangers.
After a long time, not wanting to keep the stalemate going, Song Jinyu picked up her horsewhip. "Get out of the way...!"
At this moment, she had nothing to say. "You can't leave..." Zhongli Mingye said in a deep voice. He could see Song Jinyu's dilemma, but in any case, he couldn't let her leave today.
"I don't want to be your enemy. Get out of the way!"
Still not daring to look at him, Song Jinyu's eyes wandered. The spring sun was getting stronger, blinding her eyes. "Jinyu... be obedient..." Zhongli Mingye felt sorry for her. In just two days, she had lost a lot of weight. Mincui said that she hadn't eaten or drunk anything since Yan Fei's death.
"Before Yan Fei died, he entrusted me to take good care of you..." He lowered his voice. Although he didn't like Yan Fei, Zhongli Mingye knew that like himself, Yan Fei regarded Song Jinyu as the most important thing in his life. "If you leave, Yan Fei won't rest in peace in the underworld."
Both he and Yan Fei wanted her to be happy, to live a good life. Zhongli Mingye dismounted and walked over. He wanted to grab Song Jinyu's reins.
Unexpectedly!
The young girl gave him a fierce look and backed her horse a few steps. She took out a bow from behind. "I must leave today!" Her words were cold, leaving Zhongli Mingye at a loss.
This feeling was unprecedented. He watched the thin young girl quietly. Not once did her eyes fall on him.
Was it because she didn't dare or didn't want to?
Seeing that Zhongli Mingye still stood there without moving, Song Jinyu drew her bow fully, the arrow ready to be shot. "Zhongli Mingye, get out of the way!"
For the first time, she actually pointed the bow and arrow at him. Song Jinyu had really stepped on her own heart for the sake of Tianmen Mountain and Yan Fei. Zhongli Mingye couldn't believe it. He gave a bitter smile. "You..." Before he could say anything, the first arrow whistled past his ear.
His phoenix eyes widened as he stared at Song Jinyu.
The second arrow was shot straight into the ground in front of him, only an inch away from Zhongli Mingye's foot.
This time, Zhongli Mingye didn't want to say anything anymore, but he still didn't get out of the way.
The third arrow was aimed at his heart. "Today, those who block my way shall surely die!"
As soon as the words were out, the arrow left the bow and, with the wind, grazed his jade crown. It made a whistling sound, as if mourning something.
Song Jinyu slowly closed her eyes. Qingfeng glared at her. It was for this woman that Prince Yu had taken so many risks to plan for her.
Now, she was acting like this. It was really heartless.
Zhongli Mingye looked at the arrow on the ground. He had known that her archery skills were good. Today, he saw that she was really accurate.
He looked up at her. There was desolation, sadness, disappointment, and resignation in his eyes. She had indeed chosen Tianmen Mountain over him.
She knew it was a dead end, but she still carried on. She was willing to give up the happiness within reach and sacrifice her future just to avenge Yan Fei and return to Tianmen Mountain.
Was it like this? Song Jinyu, Zhongli Mingye silently stepped aside. Since that was the case, he would let her leave.
With no more obstacles in the way, Song Jinyu tightened the reins and galloped away on her horse. Just as she passed Zhongli Mingye, a tear fell from her eye. I'm sorry... Zhongli Mingye. I'll repay this kindness in my next life!
This tear was crystal clear.
It drifted in the wind and landed on Zhongli Mingye's face. He felt the wetness and clenched his fist tightly. His thoughts went back to the day when Song Jinyu had seriously injured Ouyang Jinse.
Ouyang Jinse had been lying on the ground, laughing out loud. The feeling was exactly the same.
Watching the disappearing figure, Zhongli Mingye felt heart - broken. It was as if... he had lost that innocent and lovely young girl.
However, the next moment, he mounted his horse and chased after her. "Catch up!" Qingfeng didn't understand why Zhongli Mingye still wanted to follow, but he could only obey the order.
Song Jinyu whipped her horse, tears streaming down her face. She had many helplessnesses today, but the only thing she regretted was hurting Zhongli Mingye. It turned out that it was so easy to hurt someone, but it also made her so heart - broken.
Those who hurt their loved ones would only feel more pain.
If possible, she would rather have never met Zhongli Mingye than hurt him today.
Hearing the sound of hooves behind her, she was a bit dazed. She couldn't believe it. Looking back, she saw that Zhongli Mingye had caught up.
"Let's go together..."
Although he was smiling, the smile didn't reach his eyes. He sighed. In the end, he just couldn't let her go. Just now, Qingfeng had asked him why he was protecting Song Jinyu like this. Zhongli Mingye had only said one sentence, "If I go, no one will dare to touch her!"
"..." Song Jinyu didn't know what to say. At this moment, she hated herself even more.
Therefore, when they stopped to rest, she just sat quietly. The atmosphere between the two of them was very stiff. Zhongli Mingye's attitude was even more distant. Those three arrows had really hit his heart.
But he was still concerned that Song Jinyu hadn't eaten or drunk anything. He motioned for Qingfeng to give her the water bag. "No need!" She still refused coldly. "You can starve and thirst, but if you die on the way, you won't be able to avenge your enemies or return to Tianmen Mountain."
Zhongli Mingye couldn't bear it anymore. This woman had been stepping on his bottom line.
"..."
Knowing that he was doing it for her own good, Song Jinyu didn't say much. She silently drank the water. Hugging her knees, she sat on the rock.
Curling up into a ball, she closed her eyes and thought.
Yan Fei's death had almost made Song Jinyu lose all her rationality. Now, although the news from Zhong Yuanliu was a bit slow, she knew that the situation on Tianmen Mountain was probably very bad.
The incident was too sudden! Although she had expected the internal instability of Tianmen Mountain from the beginning and had told the three sects in advance, she still couldn't prevent Yan Fei from being killed.
Yan Fei, Yan Fei. Song Jinyu felt more and more guilty. Yan Fei was dead, and her master's life or death was unknown. She hoped... she hoped that things weren't as bad as she thought.
But Zhong Yuanliu's news was that no one was allowed to enter or leave Tianmen Mountain suddenly.
From the death of the grand elder to Yan Fei's death, Song Jinyu watched as the situation was moving in an even more terrifying direction. She remembered what her master had said.
Tianmen Mountain was the power of the emperor, and it would also be a thorn in the side of the next emperor.
Cooperating with the emperor was like seeking the skin from a tiger. A famous family that had existed for a hundred years could be destroyed in an instant.