The surroundings were silent, with only the occasional sound of branches bursting in the fire. The strange boy and Gui Li did not speak again, the flames burning uncertainly between them.

  The surface of the roasted pig gradually turned golden, and a faint burnt smell emerged from the rich aroma. At this time, the entire surface of the roasted pig was covered with a transparent layer of light oil droplets. Guili finally turned the roasted pig over a few times and said, "It's done, you can eat now!"

  As soon as the words fell, Xiaohui and Jiaozi rushed up at the same time. Xiaohui cried out loudly and grabbed the roasted pig's hind leg with one hand, seemingly unaffected by the scorching hot skin. But Jiaozi was even more fierce, opening its bloody mouth wide without moving its hands or feet, and directly inserting its head into the flames to take a big bite of the pork.

  This big mouth, originally extremely large, became even more frighteningly huge. A whole roasted pig was bitten down by this monster in one bite, leaving only one hind leg being grasped by Xiaohui on the outside.

  Xiao Hui was furious, his monkey face twisted in anger, clutching the pig leg and refusing to let go. At the same time, he jumped up and down, shouting loudly. But the gluttonous beast didn't care about any of this, its sharp teeth chomped down with a "crunch", instantly tearing the delicious pork into two pieces like a withered branch. Xiao Hui was caught off guard, and in his haste to use force, he fell backwards, rolling on the ground twice before getting up, only to find that he was now holding just one pig leg.

  As for the delicious roasted pig, most of it was now being devoured by the glutton, who was loudly chomping away, and the remaining bones seemed to be crushed and swallowed directly into its belly. It ate with a speed and ferocity that was like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds or a mighty army charging forward. Especially notable were the four eyes on its face, which were squeezed to the sides by its bulging mouth, yet still shone brightly, clearly showing how much it was enjoying the meal.

  "Squeak, squeak......" Xiaohui saw that the delicious food that originally belonged to her was snatched away by this vicious beast, how could she not be angry? But after calling out a few times, she suddenly lowered her head and started devouring it as well. She ate very quickly, and in just a short while, one of the pig legs was already half gone.

  "Roar......" The low, muffled roar sounded again, and it slowly turned its head to look at Xiaohui. Such a large roasted pig was eaten clean in just a short while, swallowed directly without even leaving any bones behind. Moreover, it was very obvious that the glutton was not satisfied yet, its four eyes shining brightly as it stared straight at the last piece of meat in Xiaohui's hand.

  Xiao Hui viciously swallowed the last piece of meat, and three eyes stared at Gluttony. Gluttony's mouth was filled with drool, and he slowly walked towards Xiao Hui, step by step. Xiao Hui suddenly waved his hand, throwing the remaining bones in another direction, while revealing a schadenfreude expression on his face. Unexpectedly, Gluttony's figure flashed like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped into the air, caught up with the flying meat bone, bit it down, made a turn in mid-air, and flew back to land beside the young man. However, at this time, Gluttony seemed to know that this was the last thing, and surprisingly did not swallow it in one bite, but instead showed a very cherished look, sticking out his tongue to lick the meat bone repeatedly.

  Xiao Hui was startled by the sudden movement, but after a moment, it turned its head towards Gui Li, suddenly waving its paws and chirping loudly. Gui Li looked at it for a while, then his face changed expression, saying: "You say it looks like Da Huang?"

  Xiao Hui immediately nodded, and then looked at Piao Yu. The anger on the monkey's face gradually faded, replaced by a strange and warm expression. He looked at Piao Yu, who was licking a meat bone, for a while, then carefully moved over, slowly stretching out his hand, as if wanting to touch Piao Yu's fierce head. Piao Yu's ferocious skull turned around, warningly growling softly, Xiao Hui immediately jumped back, but afterwards called out softly twice, and again approached Piao Yu, while Piao Yu's attention seemed to have temporarily left the meat bone, focusing on Xiao Hui instead.

  After a moment, Xiaohui's hand stretched out again. The Glutton didn't move, but all four of its eyes were fixed on Xiaohui's hand. Guilian and the young man remained silent, especially the young man whose eyes had an eerie glow as he quietly watched the exchange between the two strange beasts.

  Xiao Hui's hand touched the top of Jiao Tu's head, gently stroking it. Jiao Tu let out two low growls from its mouth, but no longer showed any opposition, and its attention returned to the meat bone in front of it. Xiao Hui slowly approached the side of this strange beast, using his hand to gently stroke Jiao Tu's body, a happy expression appearing on his monkey face.

  The ghost slowly lowered his head, vaguely remembering that many years ago, on the top of the big bamboo peak, Xiaohui and Dahuang also became close in a similar way. Time is like water, and it turns out that Xiaohui still remembers the past...

  The young man suddenly broke the silence and said with a slight smile: "I didn't expect that they two are quite destined, aren't they?"

  The demon king glanced at Xiao Hui and Bao Er with a hint of warmth in his eyes, saying: "Not bad."

  The young man turned his head, added a small twig to the fire, and fell silent again. After a long while, he suddenly laughed and said: "This glutton has been following me for many years, I always thought it was me taking care of it, but today I just realized that it's actually happier than me." The smile on his face seemed to have a hint of bitterness, saying: "Besides being full and drunk, even if we're not the same kind, there's still you, this monkey, willing to be friends with it."

  The ghostly figure gazed at the young man with a raised eyebrow, seeing his pale complexion and seemingly carrying an inexplicable sense of desolation. He said lightly, "If you're feeling lonely, why not go find a friend?"

  That young man snorted and proudly said: "In this vast world, who is worthy of being my friend, and who dares to be my friend?"

  The ghost's eyebrows furrowed, and this young man's tone was really exaggerated, making him feel somewhat disgusted. However, he saw that the young man seemed to have thought of something, his face turned gloomy, and he muttered to himself: "But, it turns out there was one person... I truly believed in her..."

  The demon gazed at him through the flames burning in front of him and said calmly: "How is it?"

  The young man's face suddenly turned cold, and he sneered: "Later, I found out that she was actually deceiving me. Not only that, but she also made me suffer terribly, almost to the point of no return!"

  The ghost was silent, and from the young man's expression, he suddenly recalled a deeply buried past event ten years ago. The face of that kind monk seemed to appear before his eyes again...

  He suddenly shook his head violently, but his hands tightened their grip. The branches that were originally being added to the fire heap emitted a faint rustling sound and turned into powder, scattering all over the ground.

  The young man glanced at his hand and suddenly said, "Do you also have such a sad past?"

  The ghost's face was gloomy and silent, but the young man looked at him with sparkling eyes and suddenly said: "If you are going to die now, is there still something you wish for?"

  He was taken aback, his mind a jumble of confusion, as countless thoughts flooded in, never having considered this question before, it suddenly presented itself to him, deep grudges, great hatreds, ten-year-old vows, lingering white clothes, this life of drifting with the wind and rain, yet he had never thought about what his deepest heart's last wish was.

  It was worth saving Biyu, and if he could save her, he would be willing to die himself! This thought had occurred to him countless times in the past ten years, on countless nights. Yet, there was still that frosty face, which he couldn't bear to abandon, quietly floating in a secluded corner of his heart...

  He was stunned for a moment, the night wind was rustling, and he didn't know how much time had passed. When he came to his senses, the young man had disappeared, and the glutton on the ground seemed to have just flown into the sky, merging with the dark night curtain. A low roar echoed from afar.

  Xiao Hui jumped onto his shoulder, chirped twice, Gui Li slowly raised his head to look at the sky, and suddenly said in a low voice: "Xiao Hui, I still want to see her one more time, right?"

  Xiao Hui seems to be quite puzzled and too lazy to care, his monkey head lifted up and gazing at the sky, as if still searching for the shadow of a snack.

  The dying embers gradually turned into a wisp of light smoke, drifting gently away. Gui Li and Xiao Hui stood silently in the depths of the mountain forest, for a long, long time. In the night wind, only faintly audible was a low voice.

  "...must see her once..."

  This calamity in the world has become increasingly dire as time passes, monsters and alien tribes have already invaded Central Plains, causing heavy casualties among civilians. Many disciples sent by the Orthodox Sect to investigate have disappeared, and a few who returned with slightly higher cultivation levels were all injured, reporting to the Orthodox Sect masters about the horror of the monsters.

  The world was in chaos, and the righteous were at a loss. Just then, news spread that the three major orthodox sects of Qingyun Gate, Tianyin Temple, and Fengxiang Valley had formed an alliance on Mount Qingyun to jointly deal with this great calamity. Immediately, cultivators from all over the world flocked to Mount Qingyun. In just a few days, tens of thousands of people gathered around Mount Qingyun, most of whom were refugees from the Central Plains. To them, these cultivators who seemed like gods were their last hope.

  The Qingyun Gate, which was in charge of receiving guests, was extremely busy, with more and more Taoist friends and ordinary people coming to Qingyun. Soon, the guest rooms on Tongtian Peak were not enough to accommodate everyone, so they had to open up the guest rooms of other sects as well. Fortunately, the Qingyun Gate was a large sect with a thousand years of history, deep roots, and great achievements, so it was finally able to accommodate everyone. However, the Xiaozhu Peak sect, one of the seven sects, did not open its doors to outsiders because it had always been an all-female sect, and Master Shuǐyuè's personality was also quite strange. This left many young disciples from other sects who had long admired Qingyun feeling disappointed.

  But anyway, although the disaster is imminent, this time it is still an unprecedented grand gathering of the righteous path. The Qingyun Gate is the host, and its reputation has increased rather than decreased compared to before. Implicitly, there is already a sense that the world looks up to Qingyun as a model, and the master of the Qingyun Gate, Daoxuan Zhenren, is now even more firmly seated in the position of the number one person in the world.

  At night, the peaks of Qingyun Mountain Range were all lit up, a spectacular sight that had never been seen in thousands of years. From afar, at the foot of the mountain, with the wind blowing, it seemed as if one could hear the loud laughter and conversations of people on top of the high mountains. The people who were frightened by the disaster seemed to have lightened their mood in this situation. After all, even if the sky fell, wasn't there still a Qingyun Mountain above their heads?

  At this moment, the quietest place on Qingyun Mountain was probably Xiaozhu Peak. All the sects, after Qingyunmen's kind explanation, strictly restrained their disciples and forbade them from approaching Xiaozhu Peak. After all, if something were to happen under the current circumstances, it would be a farce that no one would want to see.

  Compared to the hustle and bustle of other mountain peaks, Xiaozhu Peak appears much more serene. Occasionally, two or three beautiful female disciples from Xiaozhu Peak walk by on the mountain path, as the gentle breeze blows, causing the sea of bamboo to sway in unison, producing a soft rustling sound.

  That night, the moonlight was clear and cold, shining on the mountain path of Xiaozhu Peak. The bamboo shadows swayed gently, and the shadows danced uncertainly on the steps of the mountain path. From a distance came four or five female disciples of Xiaozhu Peak, with Wen Mian being the first one to appear. It could be seen that including Wen Mian, these female disciples all had somewhat gloomy complexions, their eyebrows furrowed, seemingly having very heavy hearts.

  A cold wind blows through the bamboo forest, as if a dark shadow is flashing by.

  Next to Wen Min was a young girl who looked about thirteen years old, with a rather small temper. She glanced at the dark place and her face turned pale. She leaned close to Wen Min, grabbed her clothes and whispered: "Elder sister, it seems like there's someone over there!"

  Wen Min and the others were startled, looking back together. After a moment, Wen Min's face showed a hint of a smile, and she patted the little girl's cheek, saying: "Xiao Shi, that is the mountain wind blowing the bamboo, the swaying shadow of the bamboo branches. Every evening it's like this. You've just come up the mountain, after a while you'll get used to it."

  The girl called Xiaoshi let out a sigh of relief, but was still a bit scared. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and turned her head to look back at the mountain behind them. "Big sister, there's not even a single person around the Moon Viewing Pavilion on the back mountain, it's all these gloomy things everywhere... we left Xueqi sister alone over there, won't she be scared?"

  Wen Min's face turned gloomy, and she sighed, saying: "It's Master Shibo who wants Snowy to reflect in that place, we can't do anything about it. But Snowy shouldn't be afraid, should she?"

  Another woman standing behind Wen Mian suddenly hummed, with a tone of discontent, saying: "I really don't understand why Master Shou would treat Xue Qi like this just because she refused to accept the marriage proposal from Huo Xiang Gu?"

  "Snap", deep in the bamboo forest, there seemed to be a faint low echo, as if some small animal had broken a bamboo branch. However, all the women's attention was drawn over there at this moment and no one heard the sound, only the youngest, Xiaoshi, seemed somewhat suspicious. She glanced into the depths of the bamboo forest, saw shadows flickering, and couldn't help but turn pale again, hastily turning her head away.

  Wen Mian sighed and said, "Actually, that Li Xuan Dao brother is not bad at all. He's a talented person with a good family background. In the future, he will likely inherit the position of Valley Master of Huo Xiang Valley. Moreover, judging from his appearance, he seems to be very fond of Xue Qi. However, love is something that cannot be forced."

  Another woman suddenly whispered in a low voice: "Master is really something, knowing Snow Chi's temper, why didn't he help her plead with Master Matriarch?"

  The woman shook her head and said, "I don't think so. Xue Qi was originally the most obedient to Master, and she also respected Dang Men Dao Xuan Shibo very much. But this time, she openly clashed with them on Tongtian Peak... I think... perhaps Xue Qi has already had someone in her heart..."

  "Shut up!" Wen Min suddenly whispered, and everyone was shocked. Wen Min's face slightly relaxed, but his tone was still very severe, and he said in a low voice: "We absolutely cannot spread such speculation, otherwise if it reaches the ears of our Master and Shifu, I'm afraid the consequences will be unthinkable."

  Everyone was silent, and the woman standing behind Wen Mian sank into silence for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Sister, to be honest, I think that we can think of what kind of people the Master and the Patriarch are, how could they not have thought of it? This time, the Master and the Patriarch deliberately agreed to the marriage proposal from Huixiang Valley, perhaps it's because they knew that Xueqi had..."

  Wen Min's sharp turn of the head made her stare at her, and the woman's face changed slightly as she sighed and stopped talking. Wen Min heard her sigh and fell silent for a moment before also sighing: "Lin Shimei, actually everyone's feelings are the same. Xue Qi and us, although we entered the sect on different days, but over these ten or so years, everyone has already become like sisters. Who doesn't want to see her become like this? But... Alas, I don't know what to say either. Anyway, I think Master has always doted on Xue Qi and won't make things too difficult for her."

  The other female disciples nodded in unison, and the crowd slowly walked away, whispering softly, with faint sighs still audible, gradually disappearing into the distance.

  The bamboo forest's shadows danced, and suddenly a black figure seemed to float out of the deep darkness, landing on the mountain path. It was Gui Li. In this place surrounded by enemies, his face was pale, and he remained silent for a long time before slowly turning his head to gaze at the back of Xiaozhu Peak. Behind that bamboo forest, the moonlight shone brightly like frost, said to be the location of the Qingyun Six Scenic Spots' Xiaozhu Peak Moon Viewing Pavilion.

  A cliff suspended in mid-air, except for the rear half which is connected to the mountain body, most of it hangs high in the air. Tonight, the moonlight is bright and high in the sky, clear and shining like water, like frost and snow falling on the world, falling on this moon-watching platform. Although not as brilliant as the legendary full moon night that can illuminate the entire small bamboo peak, the soft moonlight on the moon-watching platform makes the entire cliff shine brightly like daylight, especially the smooth rocks on the ground reflecting countless moons at different angles, making it even more beautiful and serene.

  When Gui Li stepped onto the Moon Viewing Platform, this beautiful scene unfolded before him. In the moonlight as gentle as frost, a woman in white clothes like snow stood with her back to him on the platform, gazing out at the endless black night, standing silently.

  The ghostly face was calm, but a pair of eyes seemed to be shining brightly as if reflecting the beautiful moonlight, and the white-clad figure, like a fairy standing in the moonlight, looked as if it had no worldly flavor at all.

  It seemed like she sensed something, and the figure moved slightly. Lu Xueqi's cold and slightly tired voice rang out: "Shi Jie, why have you come back again..."

  She slowly turned her head, speaking as she did so, but before she could finish what she was saying, her voice suddenly disappeared. Lu Xueqi's normally calm and collected face suddenly revealed an expression of utter disbelief. The figure of a man stood silently behind her, gazing intently at her.

  "Zhang..." She slightly opened her mouth, and though she hadn't spoken loudly, her voice was already low and husky, "...Xiao Fan."

  Guile stood still, bathed in the moonlight that illuminated Lu Xueqi's skin as white as snow, almost translucent and flawless, adding to her breathtaking beauty. From afar, he felt a strange sense of not daring to get close.

  "How are you?" He had a thousand words in his heart, but all that came out were these few words.

  Lu Xueqi gazed at the man, the one standing at the intersection of moonlight and shadow. The expression on his face was so complex, as if something in his heart was tormenting him, yet that figure was clearly right in front of her! A figure she had thought about countless times in her dreams!

  She slightly lowered her head, wanting to speak but hesitating. After a long while, she softly said: "Since you've come, why not come in?"

  The ghost's severe body shook, and at this moment, the little gray that had been following him also disappeared. Only his eyes flashed with hesitation, for him, it seemed that even these few short steps required a lot of courage.

  Lu Xueqi still stood there, silent as ever, the mountain wind blew over, her white clothes fluttering gently.

  Step out of the footstep, walking on the moonlight, the distant bamboo forest behind her rustling, the woman in front of her quietly lifted her head and gazed, Gui Li standing in front of her.

  Lu Xueqi looked at him, the initial excitement and panic on her face quietly disappearing. Suddenly, she said: "Do you still remember what I once said? The next time we meet, it will be as sworn enemies. You," she looked at him, saying slowly: "Why do you still want to see me?"

  The ghost's mouth twitched, his eyes flickered, and he suddenly averted his gaze, no longer meeting Lu Xueqi's eyes. Just as Lu Xueqi's face was gradually darkening, the man in front of her slowly turned back around, as if hesitating, seeming to struggle, and finally said softly: "You... seem thinner..."

  Lu Xueqi's body trembled, and a look of astonishment flashed across her face again, but it was immediately followed by joy. On her pale face as white as frost and snow, a faint blush appeared for the first time in her life, like a delicate and transparent red jade, with endless tenderness and entwining shyness.

  Even if there's no tomorrow, even if the road ahead is still dark, but if the heart is warm, perhaps it won't be afraid anymore...

  This beautiful and serene woman suddenly smiled, like the most delicate lily in the deep night, silently smiling in the wind. Her white figure was as dazzling as the existence of moonlight. Gui Li held his breath.

  Lu Xueqi suddenly spoke up, saying word by word: "I'm very happy!" Then, she still smiled, her eyes soft as the gentle ripples of water.

  The night grows darker, and the moon sinks in the west.

  Standing shoulder to shoulder on the cliff in front of the Moon Watching Platform, gazing out at the darkness ahead, the mountain wind blowing by, the clothes of the two fluttering simultaneously, their silhouettes in the bright moonlight.

  Gentle, it's the feeling of the wind blowing on your face!

  In the vast and dark sky, there are still some twinkling stars, shining quietly.

  "Has someone from Fengxiang Valley proposed to you?"

  "After a long silence, Lu Xueqi calmly said: 'Yes, both Master and the Head of the Sect have agreed.'"

  The ghost's voice sounded unchanged, faintly saying: "On the road I came from, I heard those few female masters of yours talking, and they said you were unwilling?"

  Lu Xueqi smiled and said, "Yes, I don't want to."

  Gui Li turned his eyes to look at her, and what entered his line of sight was Lu Xueqi's calm face, along with a faint smile between her eyebrows. His heart suddenly felt a surge of excitement, as if it had risen from the depths of his heart, causing even his body to tremble slightly. He couldn't help but blurt out: "Come with me."

  Lu Xueqi's body trembled, and when she looked at him, all she saw was a fierce ghost. But in her eyes, he was still the same Zhang Xiaofan from back then - that strong-willed and determined young man?

  Where are you going?

  Whatever! The ends of the earth!

  The corners of her mouth rose with a smile, but in her eyes, there was a faint glimmer of tears, as if she was hesitating about something. However, after a moment, she finally said softly: "Where's Bi Yao?"

  Like a basin of cold water poured over his head, Gui Li's entire body felt chilled to the bone. The icy chill that emanated from the deepest recesses of his heart seemed to freeze him into an ice sculpture in an instant. The emerald-green figure, with a serene smile, the beautiful form lying on the ice stone pedestal, struck him down completely in the blink of an eye.

  He silently lowered his head, remaining silent for a long time. Then, when he lifted his head again, the excitement on his face had vanished, replaced by indifference. Lu Xueqi stared blankly at the change in him, feeling clearly that the man in front of her was gradually moving away from warmth and intimacy, hiding into cold darkness.

  She took a deep breath, a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, but who saw that there were faint tears in the corners of her eyes, and that moment was a breathtaking beauty!

  "Next time," the ghost turned around and slowly walked away, "you'll use a sword when we meet again!"

  He left without looking back, like a resolute lover who had severed all thoughts of love. The moonlight followed him from behind, like a gentle hand's weak tug, but ultimately unable to hold onto his silhouette.

  He disappeared into the darkness, which was where he came from and also the direction of his departure!

  Lu Xueqi's pale face still had a somewhat stiff faint smile, her snow-white clothes fluttering in the wind, under the moonlight, until she silently shed her first tear.

  Bamboos all over the mountain are swaying in the moonlight on this desolate night...