Soon, the next day arrived. Li Jiuge got up early. Ji Yunxi opened the door and saw a few people standing sparsely in the courtyard.
They were Yun Luo Tian's Yun Han and others who were the first batch to leave. Last night, Ji Yunxi thought the large number of people would attract attention, so she discussed with Yun Han again.
Yun Han volunteered to lead the first batch of people to leave. Those following behind were Ji Yunxi, Feng Xingzhi, Ji Yuchen and others.
"Uncle Yun Han, be careful on your way."
After the farewells, Yun Han and his group set off. About an hour later, Ji Yunxi's group also set out.
Lu Shu and Qing Xuan led the subordinates of Meng Hua Pavilion secretly following the team to prevent being tailed.
The three teams moved towards the destination according to the pre - set route.
The sun at noon was scorching. When passing by a river, Lu Shu waved his hand to stop the team.
"What's going on?" Qing Xuan thought there was something ahead and stared warily in all directions.
"There's no one. There's a river nearby. Let's take a break here and then continue."
"Okay." Qing Xuan went to the river to fetch water. Ripples spread out one after another on the water. A gentle breeze blew, dispelling the stuffy mood.
After fetching water, Qing Xuan walked downstream, washed his face, and then walked back.
As he was about to reach the resting place, the leaves rustled. He suddenly turned his head, but there was no one behind, only a dense forest.
"Is anyone there?" Lu Shu happened to be on his way back with water. Seeing his action, he knew that Qing Xuan must have sensed something.
"I'm not sure, but I feel strange, as if someone is staring at us." Qing Xuan voiced his inner feeling. Before setting off, Ji Yunxi had told them that, as expected, the people from Wang Yue Pavilion would follow them, so they should be careful all the way.
The two looked at each other and instantly reached a tacit understanding.
Qing Xuan walked into the nearby forest. He gathered strength in his palm and suddenly cast a spell at a certain position.
The person from Wang Yue Pavilion took the blow without making a sound.
"There's no one. Maybe we were wrong." Qing Xuan deliberately said loudly.
"Okay, then let's go back quickly. We still have a long way to go." Lu Shu nodded and deliberately urged him.
The two played along. The people from Wang Yue Pavilion breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they hadn't been discovered and feeling complacent.
Back at the resting place, Qing Xuan used the master - servant contract to convey a message to Ji Yunxi.
"Master, as you expected, they've really followed." Qing Xuan's tone was a bit excited, as if eager to fight them.
"Have you clashed with them?" Ji Yunxi immediately asked about their situation.
"No. They didn't make a move, and we didn't expose them." Lu Shu told Ji Yunxi about his attempt to test the people from Wang Yue Pavilion. Hearing this, she couldn't help laughing out loud. She had been worried about their safety, but now she felt relieved.
"As long as they don't make a move, just ignore them. Jiang Yaoji must have guessed that we're going back. Report any unusual movements immediately and be careful." Ji Yunxi carefully instructed them, and they both agreed repeatedly.
The rest of the journey was smooth, and soon they returned to Qin Se Valley.
"I didn't expect the people from Wang Yue Pavilion to be so patient and not make a move." Ji Yunxi chatted with Feng Xingzhi. As they got closer to Qin Se Valley, everyone relaxed.
Feng Xingzhi was a bit worried, but he didn't show it on his face. "Yes, I wonder what they're plotting."
It would be better if they knew their plot. Not knowing anything made them more vulnerable.
"Jiang Yaoji alone can't stir up much trouble." Ji Yunxi's words made sense. Jiang Yaoji had suffered heavy losses and couldn't stage a comeback in a short time, unless she got help from others.
Feng Xingzhi nodded in agreement. Just then, a flash of white light appeared in his mind. He suddenly remembered a person, Yu Mingyi.
Feng Xingzhi didn't know why he thought of him, but he still clearly remembered the look in Yu Mingyi's eyes when he was serving his sentence. Feng Xingzhi knew it was a look of hatred.
"Xingzhi, Feng Xingzhi?"
"Ah, oh." Feng Xingzhi was pulled back to reality and looked at Ji Yunxi innocently.
"You seem absent - minded."
"It's okay. I just suddenly remembered something." Feng Xingzhi comforted himself in his heart, thinking he must be overthinking.
"Do you have something on your mind?" Ji Yunxi looked into his eyes, and Feng Xingzhi stared back without evasion.
"I don't." It was just his speculation without any evidence, so Feng Xingzhi didn't plan to tell Ji Yunxi.
"Forget it. Don't think about it. We'll just cross the bridge when we come to it. Let's take things as they come." Although Feng Xingzhi's eyes were frank, Ji Yunxi knew he wasn't telling the truth, so she pretended to be relaxed.
At this time, they arrived at the entrance of Qin Se Valley. The barrier they had set up was still there. The guards at the entrance immediately went to find Gu An after seeing Ji Yunxi and the others.
"Everyone, please wait a moment. I'll go and invite the Valley Master out." The guard ran to deliver the message. Soon, Gu An, Gu Yiping and others came out to greet them.
Gu An gently waved his sleeve, and a few blue star - like lights fell into the air. The barrier disappeared like melting ice.
Everyone walked into the valley. The scenery was still the same, but after all they had been through, their state of mind had changed when they returned.
"Congratulations to you two." Gu An said with a big smile. He hadn't been able to attend their wedding, but he had sent gifts. He still felt a bit regretful. Now he was very happy to be able to congratulate them in person, especially seeing how much they loved each other.
"We received your gifts. Thank you."
"It's just a little token. How have you been recently?" Gu An waved his hand and asked about their recent situation.
Ji Yunxi briefly told him what had happened recently. Gu An was surprised. He didn't expect it to be related to the Mermaid Clan.
Gu An prepared rooms for everyone to rest. After the long journey, everyone was led by the maids to their rooms. In the end, only Feng Xingzhi, Ji Yunxi and Gu An were left.
"You two aren't going to rest. Do you have something else to talk about?" Gu An saw that they had no intention of leaving and asked.
"We were just talking about ourselves. We haven't had a chance to ask about the situation in the valley yet."
Gu An led them towards the main hall while saying, "The people from Wang Yue Pavilion tried to break in when they found you weren't here. Fortunately, the barrier you set up was there, and they couldn't find the secret passage behind the valley. So there's no problem. Everything is fine." Hearing this, Ji Yunxi felt relieved.
"What about the God - Slaying Sword? How is it?" Feng Xingzhi looked at Gu An. After all, the God - Slaying Sword was crucial to the overall situation, so he was more concerned.
"It's still being refined. This is a critical moment. Follow me."
As he said this, Gu An led them to a room in the back courtyard.