"Sure enough, the Wanku Valley is related to the Hundred Families," Fang Xie said calmly, as if everything was within his expectation. "The Hundred Families, the Rebirth Fruit. It seems that this has all been a conspiracy since three years ago. It appears that we're not the only ones who want the Alliance Leader to step down."
Wen Tong folded his sleeves and lowered his head, saying, "Now that Leader Zuo is in power, many people have been secretly dissatisfied. More people are concerned about where the former Alliance Leader has gone. Our family has always been just a target for Leader Zuo to use. But we're not the only target in his hands. I'm afraid Island Master Tang, Elder Wei, and Sect Leader Tong have all been exploited by him. So many lives in our family, including Mr. Qiongxue, ultimately couldn't escape the Alliance Leader's revenge. All he's doing is to satisfy his own interests. Such an Alliance Leader will only make the martial world more chaotic."
"Our family has fallen to such a state. Island Master Tang and the others are just watching from the sidelines. If I hadn't returned, that despicable Alliance Leader would have become even more complacent and arrogant. Do you know the real purpose of my visit to Island Master Tang and Elder Wei?" From behind the brocade curtain, that pleasant voice slowly sounded.
Wen Tong looked up at the brocade curtain and asked in a low voice, "Is Lord Fang Xie's purpose not to concentrate our forces but to strike after the enemy has revealed their moves? So the 'trap' Lord Fang Xie mentioned was to make Island Master Tang and the others misunderstand and frame each other. In this way, we can eliminate those who have wronged our family without using a single soldier..."
Wen Tong lowered his head in surprise and gasped. Such a sophisticated and scheming mind didn't seem to be the way of the people from their family. From the master and the mistress to Mr. Qiongxue, the people in their family were all kind-hearted. Who would have thought that the eldest young master of their family had such great ambitions...
Under the black cloak, the thin lips on the fair porcelain-like chin slightly parted, and he said emotionlessly, "Our family ended up in such a vulnerable state because we were too weak. Gu Rongxue is just a useless person."
Wen Tong lowered his head and frowned slightly. The eldest young master of their family actually spoke of his own younger brother like this.
From behind the brocade curtain, the pleasant voice drifted over again, "Are you standing up for Gu Rongxue?"
Wen Tong was startled. He folded his sleeves and lowered his head, whispering, "Wen Tong wouldn't dare."
The red jade ring on his thumb glistened. Fang Xie said indifferently, "Wouldn't dare." After a moment, he slowly said, "Good, very good, 'wouldn't dare'."
In the gilded incense burner, the sandalwood smoke curled upwards and drifted in the room along with that cold voice.
The moon rose above the treetops, and the sky was dotted with stars.
The carriage slowly stopped, and the curtain stopped fluttering.
"Let's get off," Zhong Fengyue picked up his long sword. His beautiful ink-colored eyes looked at Su Xiaoliu who was quietly leaning on one side.
Su Xiaoliu straightened up and nodded. She was wearing a white cloak over her green silk dress, and the white pom-poms hung in front of her. Zhong Fengyue lifted the curtain for her, and Su Xiaoliu got off the carriage holding the side of it.
The tree shadows were dancing, and the evening breeze was blowing gently, bringing a bit of chill.
Su Xiaoliu pulled her cloak tighter and looked up at the familiar place in front of her.
The cold moonlight shone on the ground. The grass had grown over the steps. The old wooden plaque was hanging high, and the board with the words "Martial Arts Teahouse" written on it was lying obliquely on one side, covered with a layer of dust. The mottled wooden door was gently closed, and the cold silver moonlight was flowing in front of it, just like on a certain night in the past. It was familiar, but she just couldn't remember it.
She was back at this old temple again.
Zhong Fengyue in white clothes walked up to her with his sword in hand. Su Xiaoliu looked up at him and said, "Situ Qianyue, let's go in and take a look."
Zhong Fengyue looked down at her, curled the corner of his mouth, nodded, and said, "Okay."
Su Xiaoliu retracted her gaze, tightened her cloak, and walked towards the wooden door.
The two of them stepped onto the steps, stepping on the dusty stone steps. Su Xiaoliu stretched out her hand and gently pushed open the wooden door. With a creak, the heavy wooden door slowly opened to both sides.
The moonlight poured down from the big hole in the roof of the old temple, illuminating a patch of the ground. The ground was clean, just as tidy as when they left.
Su Xiaoliu looked up at Zhong Fengyue. With the help of the moonlight, she could clearly see his peerless side profile. Su Xiaoliu suddenly remembered the nights they had spent together. Her face flushed slightly with a hint of shyness. She saw him walk to the table, pick up the fire starter beside it, and light the candle on the table.
The dim light illuminated the whole old temple. The tables and chairs were quietly arranged, and there wasn't much dust on the Buddha statue on the platform.
The candlelight was dim, and the shadows were swaying.
Suddenly, a night from the past appeared in Su Xiaoliu's mind.
The moonlight was bright, covering the front of the temple. The slightly cold wind swept across the ground, and the green vines were climbing strangely.
The moonlight was beautiful. Situ Qianyue in white clothes and she were sitting quietly under the tree. The whispers were still echoing in her ears...
In a flash, the candle flame in front of her eyes changed from blurred to clear. Su Xiaoliu turned her head, and what came into view was Zhong Fengyue's handsome face. He was quietly looking at her. His jade-like ink-colored eyes were shining with a stunning and moving light. The distance between them was only one shoulder.
Su Xiaoliu turned around, raised her eyes to look at him. In an instant, the things she had experienced in the past few months flashed through her mind like an inescapable shadow. The heavy heart that had been burdened for a long time suddenly relaxed, and a sense of grievance swept over her, catching her off guard. Her almond eyes trembled slightly. She took a step forward, hugged his waist tightly, and buried her head.
"Situ Qianyue, I'm not dead... I'm really not dead..." In the capital, she thought the martial world was a place full of right and wrong, and she might die at any time. However, after all these experiences, she could still stand intact in this old temple. Her heart was filled with pain, relief, and more importantly, an unopened knot.
She wasn't dead, but Gu Rongxue was dead, and Feng Yufei was dead too. Everything seemed like an inescapable shadow, lingering in her heart. For a moment, it pressed on her so hard that she could hardly breathe.
The slightly sobbing voice was muffled in his chest. Zhong Fengyue only felt a pang in his heart. He quietly hugged her. His jade-like ink-colored eyes were filled with distress. His long eyelashes drooped, and he softly said, "Xiaoliu..."
Suddenly, Su Xiaoliu woke up. The person holding her wasn't Situ Qianyue, but Zhong Fengyue, the young master of the Heavenly Grace Cult. She had nothing to do with him anymore. That poor husband would never come back. Her heart twitched painfully.
Su Xiaoliu hugged him and remained silent for a long time. After a while, she straightened up, raised her eyes to look at him, moved her small lips, and said, "I, I'm going home..." She gently pursed her lips, took a few steps back, then turned around and ran out of the old temple without looking back.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind. Although she was just leaving, it seemed like she was running away in a hurry.
"Wife!" Zhong Fengyue's panicked call came from behind.
Su Xiaoliu stopped in her tracks. She turned around. There was a certain distance between them. Her almond eyes filled with tears were staring blankly at him.