Under the osmanthus tree.
The two stood facing each other in silence.
Only a smile was exchanged.
Xu Yue'er and Zhao Shuning were standing at the door.
"How did Father get to know that Old Miao from Jiangning?"
Zhao Shuning shrugged helplessly. She didn't know about this either, and Old Miao had never mentioned it to her.
She originally wanted to recommend Old Miao to the Imperial Medical Office by virtue of Xu Bin, the Grand Tutor's status. With the Grand Tutor's recommendation, even if he was illiterate, no one would dare to say a word.
If Miao Qing worked in the Imperial Medical Office, he would surely find more solutions to the intractable diseases of the people in the State of Cangwu.
Their acquaintance was beyond Zhao Shuning's expectation.
It was not a bad thing for old friends to reunite.
"I've never seen Father smile so contentedly as he did tonight."
In the past, even when she composed excellent poems, Father would only offer a few words of praise. This kind of relieved and genuine smile was the first time Xu Yue'er had seen.
"Parents have so many hardships. As you grow older and understand more, you'll know."
Zhao Shuning stroked Xu Yue'er's hair.
At that moment.
She seemed like a loving mother.
Xu Yue'er nodded.
"I used to think that Father, being so highly respected, should have no regrets. But he never allowed anyone to get close to this osmanthus tree. I heard that when Father got this mansion later and wanted to rebuild it, he specially moved the mansion back several dozen centimeters. It seems that this osmanthus tree carries too many memories of him and Old Miao."
More importantly.
It carried the days of their youth.
And their longing for the future.
Zhao Shuning lowered her head and said to Xu Yue'er, who was deep in thought, "Let's go back. With Old Miao here, your father's illness won't be a big problem."
Xu Yue'er nodded.
She and Zhao Shuning entered the room together.
Under the flickering lights.
The two women sat facing each other.
No one knew what they talked about in detail.
Before dawn.
The lights in the small courtyard went out.
The light in the room also dimmed.
Zhao Shuning stretched.
Standing on the Shengxi Pagoda in Huadu, she watched the rising sun. Everything seemed to be at its best.
If only Bu Ran were by her side at this moment.
Thinking of Yan Ruyu, Zhao Shuning felt a warm feeling in her heart.
Far away, Yan Ruyu seemed to sense Zhao Shuning's thoughts. He gently placed his hand on his chest, where his heart was beating warmly and powerfully.
A heart that had been frozen for a thousand years.
Now housed a person.
From then on.
Wherever she was, there would be boundless radiance.
The two understood each other's hearts and cared about each other. Even though they were thousands of miles apart, they knew that they each had a place in the other's heart.
That was enough.
Even if there were more hardships ahead.
They could face them together.
A smile appeared on Yan Ruyu's snow - white face. The bloodstain on his lips contrasted sharply with his hair and skin.
The extremely cold power in his body.
Seemed to be getting more and more restless.
The tyrannical aura in the Ancient Wilderness.
Spread to every corner of the Ghost Domain.
Since Shi Jiu had entered the wrong space - time and lost her magical power from the Underworld, at this moment, she just stayed behind Feng Zhan.
Her hand nervously grabbed the corner of Feng Zhan's clothes.
Although she was scared.
She didn't back down.
Seeing that Yan Ruyu seemed to be running out of strength, Feng Zhan looked worried.
"Bu Ran, how are you?"
"I'm fine."
In this Ancient Wilderness, there were too many factors that conflicted with his own power. Back then, the barrier he had set up and the contract he had made with the fierce beasts here stipulated that they wouldn't step into this area without permission.
That was why.
The Ghost Domain had been out of Yan Ruyu's control for hundreds of years. Their rampancy had put more burden on his already weak body.
"You people from the Feng family are really stubborn."
The white - clothed young man on the opposite side.
The wings behind him blotted out the sky and the sun.
The young man's expression was cold.
His face seemed to be forever fixed at the moment of his sacrifice.
Young and innocent.
But on this innocent face, there was a frost that didn't match his age.
"Zhao Huai, go back. You don't belong to this world. If you stay in this world forcefully and disrupt the plane, the consequences will be immeasurable."
"Go back? Do you think it's possible?"
Zhao Huai sneered coldly.
He added, "Moreover, protecting this Nine - Province Continent is your responsibility, Feng Bu Ran, not mine."
"Zhao Huai, you are also the ancestor of all beasts. You should pity the common people. The Zhao Huai I knew in the Clan Assembly was not like this."
Feng Zhan was right.
When they were in the Clan Assembly, they did get along well.
However.
That was the human Zhao Huai before he broke through the seal, not the supreme being of the Beast Realm.
"Human emotions are mostly base. You don't need to say more to me. Do you think I'll go back to the dark and endless Four Seas and Eight Wastelands? Dream on."
In Zhao Huai's words.
There was extreme coldness.
It seemed impossible to find a crack.
Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, "You said that human emotions are base. What about your feelings for Ning'er? Zhao Huai, Ning'er is also human and a part of this Nine - Province Continent."
"Could it be that your affection for Ning'er is all fake?"
Zhao Huai's eyes narrowed slightly.
There was a hint of fluctuation in his voice.
"Little Ning'er is different from those selfish humans."
Zhao Huai added, "Feng Bu Ran, I'm not confronting you head - on now, not because I'm afraid of you. We've both lived for thousands of years. I don't need to be afraid of you. If it weren't for the fact that I'm worried that Little Ning'er has many things left unfinished and our conflict would distract her, we would have a fight sooner or later."
"I know. That's why you've been staying in the Ancient Wilderness."
Avoiding a head - on confrontation with him.
Meant avoiding Yan Ruyu.
At the right moment, the conflict between them was bound to break out into a fight.
"Your body is getting weaker day by day. Looking at your gray hair, you can rest assured. After you're gone, with me around, no one will dare to touch Little Ning'er."
Hearing this, Feng Zhan was greatly shocked.
He quickly stepped forward.
He questioned, "What do you mean? Bu Ran is in good health. He'll be alive and well even after you, this thousand - year - old monster, is dead."
Yan Ruyu covered his chest.
He said in a low voice, "Brother."
Seeing this, Zhao Huai sneered contemptuously.
"Human emotions are really ridiculous. Feng Bu Ran, the person beside you is your brother, yet you didn't even tell him this?"
"Zhao Huai, you don't need to say these things. I came here this time just to ask you, are you willing to go back to the Four Seas and Eight Wastelands?"
At this time, Feng Zhan blocked Yan Ruyu who was speaking.
He stared intently at Zhao Huai in mid - air and said, "You speak."
"You can't say it."
"Oh?"
"Brother, he'll talk nonsense. His words can't be trusted."
"Bu Ran, shut up."
At this moment, Feng Zhan really looked as majestic as an elder brother.
When the two brothers were together, they mostly joked and laughed. Serious moments like this were rare.
Feng Zhan turned his head.
"Zhao Huai, you speak!"