?、、、、、、、

  Under the Azure Cloud Mountain.

  The sky is high and the clouds are light. Standing at the foot of the mountain, looking up with my head raised, I see only a vast expanse of blue. A gentle breeze blows in, invigorating my spirit.

  Lu Xueqi gazed for a long time, with no one around, and naturally, no one would notice that in this secluded mountain foot, there was such a beautiful woman quietly looking at the sky. The clear wind blew, her shoulder-length hair fluttered lightly, sweeping across her slightly pale face.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī's parting words still echoed in her ears:

  "In the conversation between Daoxuan Shixiong and Wan Shixiong that year, we learned that all the past generations of Qingyunmen's Zhenren would reveal this secret to their next-generation disciples when they were still relatively clear-headed. The ancestral edict passed down through the ages was for the sake of Qingyunmen's reputation and the lives of all living beings under heaven, in order to avoid creating more killing karma. When there was no other choice, the disciple who inherited the position could assassinate their master..."

  "This time, Daoxuan Shixiong unexpectedly didn't tell Xiao Yicai this secret. In my opinion, there are only two possible reasons: Firstly, before Daoxuan Shixiong made up his mind to tell Xiao Yicai the secret, he was already counterattacked by the demonic spirit of the Zhuxian ancient sword; Secondly, Daoxuan Shixiong relied on his deep cultivation and especially the intense battle ten years ago when he used the Zhuxian sword array but didn't see the heart demon counterattack, so he thought this time could also be resisted, but when the demonic spirit really counterattacked him, it was already too late."

  "Although the situation is like this, as disciples of Qingyun, we cannot stand by and do nothing. Tian can't disappear easily, Su Shimei is in a state of panic, only I can make this critical decision. I hope everything will be settled on the mountain, you don't need to get involved, but if they are really found at the foot of the mountain, you should also take on this great responsibility. The ancestors of Qingyun will surely protect us two master and disciple!"

  Lu Xueqi slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Turning back to gaze, the majestic mountains and rivers behind, handsome and upright, distant mountains rising and falling with a hint of mist, near look steep rocks towering, everywhere is elegant, all are scenery.

  Lofty and towering, reaching into the clouds, surpassing all under heaven.

  What a wonderful cloud!

  A faint, warm smile slowly emerged at the corner of her mouth. This mountain range was where she grew up into an adult after all. It had the mentors she respected, close sisters and brothers, as well as memories she once had...

  She turned around, stepped away, her white clothes fluttering like snow, amidst the vastness of heaven and earth, boundless and endless. Even if she were a peerless beauty or a heroic figure, perhaps she was just a grain in the ocean after all.

  ※※※

  It's the first time, I've come down from the mountain following my superior's orders, but there isn't a clear destination to go to. Although I'm shouldering great responsibility, I don't know where to complete this task, thinking about it is quite laughable.

  The Tianyuan was held quietly in his hand, but there was no familiar feeling, it should be said that it had long been a part of the body, the faint blue light had also been retracted into the scabbard. One person and one sword, walking steadily forward.

  Where should I go?

  The universe is so vast!

  In front of her was a three-forked road, Lu Xueqi stopped in her tracks. It wasn't that she didn't know the way, among the disciples of Qingyun Gate, she was one of those who came down the mountain more frequently. The wide and flat road in front of her, she had walked it countless times, it was the most convenient route from Qingyun Mountain to the largest town at the foot of the mountain, Heyang City.

  Another fork in the road, which looked abandoned for a long time, was overgrown with weeds and only a section near the intersection was faintly visible. Looking further ahead, the more distant parts had already been submerged by the wild grasses.

  Actually, there are countless small mountain paths leading down from Qingyun Mountain. Many of these trails were created by villagers living at the foot of Qingyun Mountain who went up the mountain to cut firewood or pick wild fruits for a living. There are also many roads that have become desolate and abandoned over time due to various reasons.

  This road, who knows where it leads, and who will remember, what kind of people have walked through here?

  Lu Xueqi slightly shook her head and sighed inwardly. Since returning from the southern border, she had been separated from that person, and her mood had really changed a lot.

  She gently shook her head, wanting to throw away this thought, and was about to re-walk on the main road. At this time, from the other end of the main road came villagers in threes and twos, old and young, wearing clothes with axes, ropes and carrying poles, looking like they were all woodcutters from nearby villages going up the mountain to cut firewood.

  As they approached, the woodcutters saw Lu Xueqi and stepped aside one by one, their faces filled with respect. The disciples of Qingyunmen were originally revered in this area of hundreds of miles, let alone Lu Xueqi's extraordinary beauty, which was as ethereal as a fairy, making people dare not gaze at her directly.

  Lu Xueqi stopped in her tracks, nodded slightly to them as a courtesy, and then turned to leave. Just at that moment, one of the old woodcutters, who appeared to be already gray-haired but still spirited, chuckled and said: "Miss, don't you know the way?"

  Lu Xueqi's body slightly paused, stopped, and her eyes wandered, looking at the old woodcutter for a moment, hesitating, and then lightly shook her head. Before she could speak, the enthusiastic old woodcutter had already said: "I know you cultivators from Qingyun Gate are formidable, often flying around, but when it comes to this road under our feet, sometimes we rural folks are more familiar with it than you."

  The woodcutters next to them all burst out laughing, and Lu Xueqi looked at their kind faces, feeling a sudden warmth in her heart, and the steps she was about to take also stopped again.

  The old woodcutter chuckled and said, "The big road in front of you leads to the River City in the south. It's the most bustling place within a hundred miles around here. Once you get there, it'll be much easier for you to go anywhere else." He then pointed at the abandoned small path and said, "Don't go down that road. Many years ago, it was also a thriving village, but now it's all ruined and deserted."

  Lu Xueqi smiled slightly and said, "I understand, thank you, old man."

  The old woodcutter waved his hand and chuckled twice, continuing to walk towards Qingyun Mountain with the others. Meanwhile, a slightly younger woodcutter next to him sighed and said, "There used to be a temple in that village, I heard it was quite spiritual. Over ten years ago, my wife and I went there to pray for a child, and indeed we had one. Unfortunately, it's gone now too."

  The old woodcutter nodded and said: "Yes, I also remember that the temple was gone, it's really a pity..."

  Their voices gradually subsided, and their figures also gradually disappeared into the mountains and forests. In the gentle breeze blowing from afar, there seemed to be their loud and cheerful laughter. Lu Xueqi turned around, the smile on her face still lingering, and for some reason, her mood seemed to have improved a lot.

  She smiled and raised her head, stepping forward towards the big road.

  Her footsteps were originally light and quick, but somehow her pace suddenly slowed down. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and deep down in her heart, it was as if something important had flashed by, but she couldn't grasp it for the moment.

  In the depths of memory, something seems to have quietly awakened...

  She stood still, motionless, the scene from just now replaying quickly in her mind, the woodcutters' words echoing again:

  "Don't go down that road. Many years ago, it was a bustling village, but now it's all destroyed and deserted..."

  "There was originally a temple in that village, I heard it's quite efficacious..."

  Lu Xueqi suddenly shook her whole body, and after a moment, she slowly turned around, looking once again at the small path that was overgrown with weeds, as if it had already been buried in the shadows of time...

  ※※※

  How much can ten years change things?

  Appearance, mood, or hatred?

  No one can truly understand others, and sometimes even themselves. But this is the only path that has truly changed.

  Because there is no road here anymore.

  Dense wild grass, year after year of growth, covered the past history, witnessing the ruthlessness of time. Until a white lonely figure quietly approached the dusty place.

  In the wild grass, you can still vaguely see the ruins and broken walls. In the gentle breeze blowing towards your face, there is no longer that bloody smell of the past, but only the slightly astringent fragrance of the wild grass.

  Walking through one broken door after another, looking at the stone walls of the steps that were quietly covered with moss, those laughter and joy that once existed in life, the happiness that was once possessed, all scattered with the wind?

  Lu Xueqi's face was slightly pale, and her slender and elegant hands gripped Tianyuan even tighter. In this abandoned village, it seemed as if someone's gaze was secretly watching her.

  She even had such a feeling of being out of breath.

  But she didn't stop her footsteps, just quietly walking by, passing every room, who still remembers the people here?

  Until she saw that broken temple.

  Unlike the surroundings, the dilapidated temple that had long been in disrepair was surrounded by not a single blade of grass. It's more accurate to say it was just a few pillars rather than a house, and only on the scattered stone blocks that remained on the ground could one vaguely make out the shape of a deity, revealing what once stood there.

  Lu Xueqi walked slowly over.

  There is no wild grass and no moss, everything here seems out of place with its surroundings, it's unknown what it's for, even the hardy wild grass doesn't want to enter this place.

  Or is it that all the past resentment and hatred have gathered in this place?

  So when it's late at night and people are quiet, will someone cry and whisper, telling past stories?

  Lu Xueqi suddenly turned around, and before she knew it, her eyes were shining with tears.

  Caomiao Village!

  This place that has long been forgotten...

  She sat down quietly in the corner of the wall, motionless, as if listening to something silently, or feeling something.

  A gentle breeze blew from afar, rustling her black hair, which fluttered softly at her temples.

  ※※※

  The sun rises and sets, morning and evening, day and night, the stars change.

  The white clouds in the sky are like a gray dog, disappearing like a shooting star. Time is like water, and it will eventually go away like this, never stopping for anyone.

  In the distant wild grass, a sound of insect chirping came from somewhere, except for the wind, this is the most vibrant voice here. Maybe, in another ten years, this place will become a bustling place again?

  Or maybe it's still the same old thing.

  Who cares anyway?

  Three days have passed, and Lu Xueqi has been sitting quietly in this desolate place for three days. The world's constraints and heavy responsibilities, yet it was only in a place like this that she had found a place to catch her breath and escape.

  Quietly, just indulge in it, and let yourself hide.

  But in the end she still had to leave.

  White clothes fluttering, quietly coming, Lu Xueqi's figure reappeared, leaving the dilapidated small temple, and walking again under the broken doors of the small houses. Somehow, her gaze at this place seemed to have already contained a deep affection that was reluctant to part with.

  In the distant sky, clouds floated gently, and in the vague layer of clouds, it seemed as if blown by the wind, a white line quietly crossed the sky. Lu Xueqi took one last look at these houses, turned around and left, never looking back, that white-clothed figure, quietly walked away into the wilderness.

  Above the vast sky, white clouds are still silent.

  Suddenly, a swift and silent flash of light emerged from the clouds, bringing with it a few wisps of white cloud that dispersed in the air. In an instant, this beam of light landed on this abandoned small village.

  "Squeak, squeak......"

  Familiar monkey calls, three-eyed gray-haired monkeys jumped to the ground, looked around, and apparently came to this wild place, far more pleasant than in the belly of Fox Mountain. In an instant, the monkey jumped away on its own, drilling into a dense thicket of wild grass, and went off to play somewhere unknown.

  The ghost stood silently at the center of the village, expressionless.

  Apart from the eyes, the fatigue and pain that cannot be concealed. [Study Garden: http://.]

  He stared blankly at everything around him, slowly turning his head, the once familiar place, everything was slowly emerging in his mind, even the wind blowing from afar carried a hint of familiarity.

  The fragrance of my hometown soil...

  And behind him in the distance, behind the dense wild grass, that white and slightly lonely figure finally disappeared into the distance.

  He walked slowly, and the things that had been imprinted on Lu Xueqi's eyelids appeared in front of him again, the ruins, the broken walls, the green mossy stone steps, and finally, the dilapidated small temple.

  He didn't walk over there, he just gazed at the small temple from afar, lost in thought, and it was right there that a young man's life changed!

  He stood for a long time, and looked for a long time, but ultimately did not pass by. After a long while, he turned around, trampled the wild grass on the ground, and walked along the narrow path where the houses were still barely distinguishable from one another. He walked very slowly, as if every step was extremely heavy, until he stopped in front of the third house in the second row.

  This was a house that was no different from the other dilapidated houses, with the same missing doors and windows, the same desolation and abandonment, and even the moss on the stone steps seemed to be more luxuriant than in the other houses.

  His pale lips began to tremble slightly, and for the first time in years, his eyes welled up with tears that he could no longer hold back. Slowly, he knelt down in front of the small hut, burying his head deep into the earth amidst the wild grass.

  That faintly heard in the wind was a low voice that struggled with sobs:

  "Dad, Mom..."

  ※※※

  Luoyang City

  After the beast disaster, Heyang City was severely damaged, with countless deaths and injuries. However, after the disaster, life had to go on. People from all directions entering the city, as well as those who escaped and returned home, gradually made this ancient city lively again.

  On the busiest street, the best wine house in Heiyang City was still the Shanhai Building where Zhang Xiaofan had stayed when he first came down from the mountain. Although it looked much quieter than ten years ago due to the disaster, people who had barely escaped with their lives would hardly have the mood to come here and indulge in food and drink again.

  However, on this day, a strange guest came to the Shan Hai Garden. She was a young woman who looked beautiful and charming, but what's more, under her beautiful face, she had an unusual feeling that seemed to capture people's hearts, as if just being swept by her watery eyes, the men around her would soften their bones by three points.

  It was Xiao Bai, the nine-tailed celestial fox who had gone missing with Gui Li and Lu Xueqi after the great change in Southern Xinjiang.

  She walked into the Shanhai Garden Restaurant with a big and generous stride, her charming eyes scanning the room. For a moment, everyone from the manager to the waiters, including the only two tables of customers, stared at her in stunned silence, and no one came forward to greet her. Fortunately, Xiaobai seemed to be accustomed to this kind of situation and didn't get angry, but instead smiled slightly and said, "No one is going to serve me?"

  One word awakened the dreamer, and the shopkeeper, after all, was getting on in years, still retaining a few points of composure. He quickly calmed down, and immediately hit the back of the head of the shop assistant who was standing aside in a daze, saying: "The guest has arrived, why don't you go to greet them?"

  The shopkeeper stumbled, as if he had a guilty conscience, and walked up hesitantly. He didn't dare to look directly at Xiaobai, but instead smiled obsequiously: "Miss, do you want to have dinner or stay in the hotel?"

  Xiaobai thought for a moment and said: "Let's eat something first, do you have a nice seat here?"

  The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, please go upstairs."

  Xiaobai nodded and walked upstairs, saying: "You find me a quiet spot by the window."

  "Don't worry, miss. The private room upstairs is only for you. You can choose any seat you like and I guarantee it will be quiet, no one will disturb you."

  Xiaobai was taken aback for a moment and said: "How can there be no one? I heard that business was quite good here before?"

  The young shop assistant had already walked upstairs, and upon hearing this, he smiled bitterly: "Who says it's not? At the beginning, business was booming, and people from all over Rivertown came to drink here. But damn it, with that beast demon causing trouble recently, everyone is on edge, and in the end, countless people died or were injured. At a time like this, there won't be many people who want to come here either."

  Xiaobai nodded slowly and let out a soft sigh, saying: "So that's how it is. No wonder."

  At this time, the shopkeeper had already led Xiaobai to a table by the window on the second floor and was wiping it with a cloth he brought with him. Xiaobai sat in his seat looking out the window, seeing people coming and going on the street, which was still quite lively, but most people's faces had few smiles, instead more were frowning.

  Xiao Bai looked silently for a moment, then suddenly asked the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, I'll ask you something, and you answer me honestly."

  The shopkeeper nodded and said: "Miss, go ahead and ask."

  Xiaobai hesitated for a moment before saying: "All the people in this River City, including you, of course, hate that beast demon?"

  The young shopkeeper grunted, and his face immediately showed a look of indignation. He said loudly: "Of course! In this River City, during that beast disaster, nine out of ten families were affected. You can go to the street and ask anyone, I guarantee they will definitely have relatives who died under the claws of those beasts. Poor ordinary people like us had no way to resist, but fortunately, there were immortals from Qingyun Mountain who showed great mercy and power, drove away the beast, and allowed us to live a normal life again."

  Xiaobai looked at the shopkeeper's excited expression and couldn't help but smile wryly in his heart. Before he knew it, the figure of a man who was struggling to survive under the faint light of the setting sun in the depths of Mogu Cave in Nanjiang Town flashed before his eyes again.

  In this world, right and wrong, who can say clearly?

  The shopkeeper seemed to have realized his own loss of composure, his face reddening as he took a step back and said in a low voice, "This... this was just something I said casually, miss, don't take it seriously. Do you want to order?"

  Xiaobai smiled and said, "Alright, but there's no need to order specific dishes. Go down and tell the boss to bring up three or four plates of your signature small dishes, and also bring up ten jugs of good wine."

  The shopkeeper was taken aback and exclaimed: "Ten jars?"

  Xiaobai looked at him and nodded: "Ten catties."

  The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice: "Miss, are there any other friends coming? If so, I'll also prepare more bowls and chopsticks in advance."

  Xiao Bai smiled and said: "Don't think too much about it, just me alone, the wine will be ten jugs, hurry up and bring them over, don't ask anything else."

  The shopkeeper nodded and retreated, but his eyes clearly showed an incredulous expression. In fact, it was hard to blame him. Ordinary people's drinking capacity is usually only one or two jugs, and those who can drink four or five jugs are either wine immortals or wine demons. But this charming woman, obviously couldn't be measured by ordinary standards as an "ordinary person".

  As there were not many guests, soon the shopkeeper had already brought up the dishes that Xiao Bai wanted and placed them on the table. The wine pot with the words "Shan Hai Yuan" carved on it was also neatly arranged at the other end of the wine table.

  It's just as well that the tavern business is slow at this time, otherwise if it were bustling, I'm afraid it would attract all the customers in the whole tavern to gather and watch. However, even so, Xiaobai probably wouldn't care anyway.

  The shopkeeper quickly left, and only Xiaobai was left in the elegant room. She poured herself a drink, and soon, a pot of fine wine had been emptied, but her cheeks showed only a faint pink color, without any sign of intoxication, instead adding a few more touches of charm.

  *sigh*...

  She suddenly let out a soft sigh.

  The fine wine was as clear as amber, thin and thread-like, pouring from the mouth of the jug into the wine cup, splashing tiny water droplets. Xiaobai gazed at the wine cup in front of her, watching the faint reflection of herself swaying gently on the surface of the water.

  Then she smiled, with a hint of bitterness in her smile, picked up the wine glass and drained it in one gulp.

  Outside the window, people make all sorts of sounds flowing endlessly, hurrying past in a throng. Those voices sound as if they are very far away, as if they were in another world.

  She put the sixth empty wine bottle aside.

  Soft red on her cheeks, set off her eternally youthful and beautiful face, those eyes were still clear.

  A drunkard is never intoxicated with liquor, but with his own mind!

  Her white teeth lightly bit her lip, she smiled softly to herself, then shook her head and poured a drink.

  Outside the window, on the street, for some reason, the noise seemed to suddenly get a bit louder. Xiao Bai frowned and moved to the window, looking out onto the street. As she glanced over, she was taken aback, seeing a woman in white walking slowly down the street below, her face beautiful and ethereal, like an immortal. But it wasn't Lu Xueqi, so who could it be?

  The people around seemed to be attracted by Lu Xueqi's stunning appearance, but were also intimidated by her icy temperament and did not dare to approach her directly. They gathered from a distance, watching and discussing in whispers. Xiao Bai looked at Lu Xueqi's figure, and a faint smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth.

  "It's really a small world, isn't it..." She murmured to herself with a hint of a smile, then stood up, looking like she was about to take the initiative to greet Lu Xueqi. But just as she had stood up, her expression suddenly changed, and her gaze left Lu Xueqi on the street below, drifting towards a remote corner of the city wall in the distance.

  A familiar black figure flashed by extremely quickly, and then disappeared into another dark corner. Just a moment later, another gray figure that was not unfamiliar to her chased after in hot pursuit.

  Xiao Bai stared blankly at that corner for a moment, then a hint of sarcastic smile appeared on the corners of his mouth: "Today is indeed a coincidence, if I don't go to join in the fun, it would be unforgivable to myself, and even more so to that old ghost Shangguan. Hehehe..."

  Among the cold laughter, her figure suddenly disappeared like a ghost from the elegant seat on the top floor of Shanhai Building. After a long time, the shopkeeper came to collect the bill and only saw a silver ingot on the table, six empty wine jars, and four more that had also vanished.

  On the street, Lu Xueqi's figure suddenly disappeared from the street at some point.