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  Qingyun Mountain, Xiao Zhu Peak.

  The night was deep and dark, the sky was as solid as ink, only to see the thick black clouds moving slowly in the sky, from that endless blackness, falling silently rainwater. Farther away on the horizon, a faint rumble of thunder came, don't know if there will be more violent wind and rain coming soon.

  The disciples of Qingyunmen who went to the southern border have returned for several days. Among them, Lu Xueqi saw the elders of the sect and then returned to Xiaozhufeng, never appearing again. Even the undercurrents in Qingyunmen caused by the mysterious disappearance of Daoxuan Zhenren and Tian Buyi seemed to be ignored by her.

  The majestic and beautiful Xiao Zhu Peak, still as calm as it has been for thousands of years, the bamboo forest covering the entire mountain, on this stormy night, is still whispering softly with the rustling sound of the bamboo waves, silently gazing at the people on the mountain.

  A small cottage with a green lamp, candlelight flickering like fireflies.

  The door creaked shut, but the window was still half open. The mountain wind and rain came quietly, and the rain powder occasionally flew into the room, wetting the bamboo-made windowsill, slowly condensing into water droplets, quietly falling, leaving a trail of water marks. The wind blowing from afar gently shook the window, making a soft "creak" sound in this silent rainy night.

  The candle flame on the table in the house flickered, dimming and brightening repeatedly, several times seeming to be blown out, but always struggling to persist until the mountain wind weakened, slowly recovering its brightness.

  In the darkness, there was no other light, and a short distance away from this single candle flame, everything was shrouded in shadows.

  Lu Xueqi sat under the lamp, silently staring at this candle flame.

  Green lamp, red makeup, in such a night, as if the melancholy that has condensed and cannot be dissipated, silently engraved on the passage of time, but I don't know how much more time can be retained.

  Outside the door, a faint sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. Lu Xueqi's head moved slightly. A gust of mountain wind blew through the window, causing the candle flame on the table to flicker and dance. The hair by her temples also fluttered gently in the breeze.

  The door creaked open with a low sound, and was pushed open by someone. The wind and rain outside suddenly grew louder, as if the wind had increased in strength and was about to rush into the house. Fortunately, after that moment, the person had already entered the room, turned around and closed the door, also blocking out the wind and rain outside, restoring a sense of calm to the room.

  Lu Xueqi stood up and slightly bowed her head, saying: "Elder sister, how did you come here?"

  It was Wen Min who came, she glanced at Lu Xueqi and walked to the table, softly sighing: "Since you returned to the mountain, it's been hard to see you leave this house door. If I didn't come to see you, I'm afraid no one would know how you are now?"

  Lu Xueqi looked up at Wen Mian, only to see her master's sister with a hint of a smile on the corner of her mouth, her eyes soft and full of concern. She smiled softly and said, "What would I have going on? Thank you for your concern, Master Sister."

  Wen Mian looked at her for a long time, and saw that Lu Xueqi was slightly pale except for her face, but her spirit was as usual. He slowly put down his heart and said: "Sister, you're fine, but as your sister, seeing you become like this now, my heart is really aching. Moreover, after you returned to the mountain, you only saw Master once on that day, and then closed yourself in this small house, never going to see her again. No matter what, you can't blame Master in your heart, we are all raised by her."

  Lu Xueqi shook her head and said, "Sister, what are you talking about? I would never dare to have any blaming thoughts towards Master. I didn't go to see Master because I know my own shortcomings and was afraid of causing Master to get angry and worried."

  Wen Min was taken aback for a moment, looking at Lu Xueqi, after a long time, his face was complex, and he stopped speaking again, only sighing softly, and stood up.

  At this moment, in the distant sky, a flash of lightning suddenly flashed by, followed by a burst of thunder, which rose abruptly, with a sound like tearing silk, yet seemed to reverberate above my head, the echo lingering for a long time without dispersing.

  The wind outside seemed to pick up again.

  Wen Min frowned and walked to the window, looking out for a moment before saying, "Look at the sky, it seems like the rain is going to get heavier again."

  Lu Xueqi stood up and slowly walked to the window, standing beside Wen Mian, looking out. In the darkness, two slender figures stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the deep black night and endless rain.

  In the distance, the rustling of bamboo and the sound of rain hitting the leaves are faintly audible.

  For a moment, it was unclear whether they were quietly submerged in this peaceful atmosphere, both of them speechless.

  After a long while, Wen Min finally took a deep breath and smiled slightly, saying: "Come to think of it, we haven't sat together watching the rain like this in a long time either."

  Lu Xueqi's mouth curved into a faint smile, "Yes, I remember too. When I was a child and first went up the mountain, it was you, my senior sister, who took care of me. At that time, I didn't understand things, and every time there was a stormy night with thunder booming, I would be especially scared." She slowly turned her head around, her eyes filled with gentleness, and said softly, "Every time, it was you, my senior sister, who brought me to sit together by the window, watching the rain, telling me not to be afraid."

  Wen Min shook his head and smiled, stretching out his hand to gently stroke the soft long hair on Lu Xueqi's shoulder, suddenly letting out a sigh of emotion, saying: "In the blink of an eye, you've already grown up."

  Lu Xueqi felt Wen Mian's palm, gently patted on her own shoulder, as if from there, a few warm intentions were transmitted. After being silent for a moment, Lu Xueqi looked at her master sister and said, "Master sister, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

  Wen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "I know you've always been clever and perceptive, nothing can escape your notice..." She paused, saying, "Younger sister, actually with your intelligence, you far surpass me as an older sister. How is it that you can't see through this, can't understand? Why must you suffer in vain?"

  Lu Xueqi's smile at the corner of her mouth slowly disappeared, replaced by a familiar calm expression. However, facing Wen Min, she no longer had that icy feeling.

  "I'm not sad!" Lu Xueqi gazed out at the night scene outside the window and said quietly.

  Wen Min looked at her in shock, Lu Xueqi's gaze drifted far away, unknown where she was looking in the deep night color, but her tone of voice was clearer than ever: "I've never been bitter, Shifu. Since we learned from our master, it's always been about being free and easy, with a carefree heart, to comprehend the mysteries of nature and seek immortality, isn't that right?"

  Wen Min nodded and said, "Not bad, actually in our cultivation, Taoism and Buddhism have some similarities."

  Lu Xueqi gently leaned on the windowsill bamboo handle, a gust of cold wind blew over, she seemed to feel some chill, her body shrank slightly, but still stood there, and crystal clear water droplets quickly condensed on her pale palm.

  "But what am I going to do for the rest of my life?"

  Wen's mouth slightly opened and her eyebrows furrowed.

  "I know that for thousands of years, the teachings passed down by our ancestors through the Qingyun Gate are absolutely correct. We ordinary people want to escape the cycle of rebirth and achieve immortality through cultivation. In the past, I also thought this way, so I devoted myself to practice. But now...” Lu Xueqi smiled softly to herself, as if speaking from the depths of her heart: “If I were to live a life without emotions or love, with a heart as blank as white paper, and ascend to immortality, then wouldn't that kind of longevity, that kind of divinity, be something I don't want after all?"

  "Wen Min said: 'Sister, what are you talking about?'"

  It's as if she didn't hear Wen Mian's words, Lu Xueqi continued to speak on her own: "I know what you're thinking in your heart, Shifu, you probably think I'm ignorant of the ways of the world and its dangers, that my thoughts and desires are mostly unattainable. But do I not also know? If it's said that life is bitter, I too have indeed suffered for this reason. Only now, I've come to accept it, people say the world is hard to endure, unforgiving, but I ultimately cannot be like them, leaving home to become a monk. However, even so, I only hope there's someone in my heart who can think of me, and I also know he has me in his heart, as long as it's this way, I'm content."

  Wen Min snorted and said: "Don't you know that you will never have a result in the end? Don't you care about this?"

  Lu Xueqi's face changed for the first time, as if a deep and gloomy cloud had passed over it. After a while, she spoke in a low voice: "Of course I care, who wouldn't want to be together forever? It's just that knowing it's hard to achieve, I'd rather not think about it. Anyway, who knows what the future holds, but I'm someone who won't forget."

  Wen Min gazed deeply at the elegant woman in front of him, her beauty was like a lily in the night, quietly and elegantly blooming in solitude. She let out a soft sigh and said: "Anyway, I knew it was futile to persuade you, tomorrow morning, go see Master."

  Lu Xueqi was taken aback, turned her head and said: "Although I am not unwilling to meet Master, if I go, it is likely that I will anger the old lady again."

  Wen Min shook his head and said: "Today is Master's private request for me to come and call you, it's an important matter, don't worry."

  Lu Xueqi hesitated for a moment and said: "After the trip to Nanjiang, the Beast God was destroyed, and the heart of Zhengdao's troubles has been eliminated. What else is there?"

  Wen Min hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's the resurgence of the demonic cult."

  Lu Xueqi's body shook slightly, and a complex, inexplicable glint flashed in her eyes as she said, "What?"

  Lu Xueqi's unusual expression was all in her eyes, and Wen Mian sighed inwardly, but still spoke calmly: "Recently, rumors have been circulating that the remnants of the demonic sect that were defeated by the Beast God during the beast calamity are still present, seemingly with the intention of making a comeback. Moreover, our Qingyun Gate is currently plagued by internal and external troubles, and Master seems to be worried as well. She has always valued you highly, so it's likely that she called you over because of this matter."

  Lu Xueqi remained silent for a long time before nodding and saying, "Alright, I'll go see Master tomorrow morning."

  Wen Min nodded and said: "Then you should rest early too, I'm leaving."

  Lu Xueqi didn't stay much longer, and saw her off to the door. Wen Mian suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at Lu Xueqi, saying: "Junior sister, if you have any troubles in the future, don't keep them bottled up inside. If you trust me as your senior sister, then tell me about it. It's always better than keeping it to yourself."

  Lu Xueqi nodded slowly and said in a low voice: "Yes, Shijie, I know."

  Wen Min looked at her expression and guessed that although she agreed, with Lu Xueqi's temperament, it was likely that something was wrong, but she wouldn't say anything. For now, he could only sigh and turn to leave.

  Leaning against the door, watching Wenmin walk away into the distance.

  Lu Xueqi slowly withdrew her gaze, and all she saw was the dark night sky, the wind and rain rustling, this world was silent, as if everything was imbued with a sense of desolation.

  She was stunned for a moment, and after a long time, as if she had just woken up from a dream, she silently turned around and gently closed the door.

  Heaven and earth, wind and rain are all locked outside the door.

  ※※※

  Just as the news secretly obtained from Qingyun Gate, thousands of miles away in Huqi Mountain, the once deserted mountain suddenly became bustling. Large numbers of demonic sect disciples returned to the residence of Guiwang Sect, and the previously sealed mechanisms were opened one by one. The abandoned sentry posts also resumed one after another under orderly command.

  On a sunny day, the last and most powerful faction of the Demon Sect, Gui Wang Zong, led by Gui Wang, returned to Zhongtu.

  Large and small packages, a queue that seemed to have no end, like a group of ants returning home from afar. In this crowd, the most eye-catching were the hundreds of demonic sect disciples guarding and escorting something massive every few dozen feet. The outside was completely covered with thick gray canvas, presenting a huge square shape. Underneath the canopy, there were occasional low, mournful roars that sent shivers down one's spine, full of ferocity and anger, but somehow sounded like they came from a creature exhausted to the point of being out of breath.

  This enormous mysterious object was quickly transported into the huge cave of the Gui Wang Sect, which had been operated for generations in Fox Qi Mountain by these seemingly seasoned devilish disciples. The air only left behind a gradually fading low-pitched echo of an unknown monster's mournful howl, and at the same time, a strange bloody aura somehow emerged from the surroundings, drifting in the wind.

  The Demon King stood with his hands behind him, standing on one side of the cave, seeing off the last mysterious giant being transported deep into the cave. His face was expressionless, and at a glance, it seemed as if nothing had changed, except for the hair on his temples, which had turned white for his daughter's sake, and now had some more.

  Behind him stood two figures, one was You Ji, still with the same black veil covering her face, silent and speechless. The other figure was shrouded in a dark shadow, it was Gui Xiansheng.

  When the disciples of the Devil Sect had almost all entered the cave, several people quickly ran forward to report to the Ghost King in a low voice. The Ghost King listened silently and did not say anything, but slowly nodded his head. Those people from the Devil Sect quickly dispersed under the silent command, and the giant stone mechanism at the entrance of the cave slowly fell down, blocking out the light from the outside world.

  The Demon King let out a soft breath in the darkness.

  This familiar, cave-like smell.

  In the deep and quiet cave tunnel, a faint light slowly lit up. It was the disciples of the Demon Sect who had gradually ignited the torches hanging above the passageway. Under the familiar dim yellow glow, shadows began to flicker and move.

  Behind him, You Ji slowly took a step forward and said softly: "Master, do you want to go see Gui Li?"

  The King of Ghosts' eyes seemed to flash with a hint of light as he said, "I returned but haven't seen him yet, where is he?"

  "He has always been at Biyao's place."

  The King of Ghosts was about to take a step forward when he suddenly stopped and said, "I'll go alone from here on out. You don't have to follow me."

  You Ji responded with a sound, watching the King of Ghosts walk into the distance, until that figure disappeared. She turned her head back, but suddenly startled, the mysterious figure beside her had vanished without knowing when. Under the black veil, You Ji's two willow eyebrows slowly furrowed, and her eyes flashed with complex expressions.

  Outside the icy stone chamber deep in the mountain cave, it is a stark contrast to the lively scene outside. There is no noise here, still as quiet as ever, perhaps in some people's eyes, this place should be more desolate.

  The Demon King stood outside the icy stone chamber for a long time, facing the stone door, but somehow he never reached out to open it. The thick stone door lay across his path, but his gaze seemed to have already pierced through the seemingly impenetrable stone blocks.

  After passing through the stone gate, in a place filled with cold air, is your daughter still lying quietly?

  Will a strong man like him also have a weak moment and be unwilling to face his own daughter?

  It was unknown how much time had passed, but the King of Ghosts' body moved slightly, slowly stretching out his hand to trigger the mechanism. A low rumble sounded, and the stone door creaked open in front of him.

  A chill ran through the air, coming from behind the stone gate and hitting him in the face. There was also a faint mist of white air floating around in the stone room. The King of Ghosts stepped inside, and the stone gate closed behind him once again.

  Nothing has changed.

  That quietly lying figure, even including the man who had always been sitting beside him in his memory.

  Guili didn't turn back, not even to take a glance, he just kept staring at Biyao. Guwang also didn't say anything, silently walking to the other side of the Ice Stone Platform, gazing at his daughter.

  Bixiao still had that calm and satisfied smile on her face, quietly lying down, with the magical artifact of the demonic sect, Hehuan Bell, quietly suspended in the palm of her crossed hands.

  A faint, golden light seemed to emanate from the bell on the honeysuckle, casting a soft glow of varying lengths. In the silent stone room, it was as if there was a low, crisp ringing sound coming from somewhere, but no matter how carefully one listened, they couldn't find any trace of it. All that remained was the faint light on the bell, like gentle eyes watching the two men in the stone room.

  "In these days when I'm not around, is she all right?" The Demon King said calmly, his gaze having been on his daughter since they entered the stone chamber.

  The ghost slowly raised his head and looked at the Ghost King. The Ghost King also withdrew his gaze from Bi Yao and looked at Gui Lie.

  The eyes of two men met in mid-air, as if there was a silent thunderstorm.

  Among them, Bi Yao's hands held a gentle glow that flowed softly on the Huan Lian bell.

  "She's fine." Ji Li said calmly as he stood up straight.

  The Demon King nodded and said, "With you here, I feel at ease."

  He paused for a moment, then said: "This time you went to Nanjiang, did you get any news about the Soul Returning Technique?"

  A faint gloom flashed across Gui Li's face, and he shook his head. The Ghost King remained silent, lowering his head to glance at Bi Yao before softly sighing. In fact, this time Gui Li went to the Southern Territory mainly to track down the Beast God and capture the strange beasts around it under the Ghost King's secret order, but as the two conversed, they seemed to have already forgotten about this matter.

  In the stone room, there was another silence.

  Finally, the King of Ghosts' expression turned solemn, and he said lightly: "I still have some things to say to you, but this place is not suitable. Let's go out."

  The demon king nodded slightly, not saying anything else. He took one last look at Bi Yao, and for some reason, a hint of guilt flashed in his eyes. He turned around and walked out. The demon king followed behind him, walking out of the stone gate. The heavy stone gate slowly fell, once again trapping the silence inside. In the vast ice chamber, only the faint glow of the Huanyuan bell remained, drifting aimlessly.

  Two men walked shoulder to shoulder in the spacious corridor, and on their way, they encountered disciples of the demonic sect, who retreated to both sides, bowed their heads in courtesy, and the sound of footsteps echoed softly.

  After turning a few corners, the two arrived at Gui Lie's residence. The Ghost King glanced at Gui Lie, seeming to sense something. Gui Lie's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didn't look at the Ghost King. Instead, after a brief moment of hesitation, he reached out and opened the door.

  Two people walked in.

  "Rustle, rustle... rustle..."

  "Roar......"

  In the familiar cries of Little Gray, there were also a few strange roars. The beast that had once followed the Beast God was now lying on the floor in Ghostly's room, its spirit seemingly weak and languid, with a lazy look, its copper bell-sized eyes closed, motionless on the ground.

  The little monkey Xiao Hui was still in high spirits, jumping around the glutton's side, touching its left and right sides, pulling its tail, patting its head, and occasionally even stretching out its hand to open the glutton's huge mouth, curiously looking inside.

  Looking at Xiaohui's appearance, it seems that he wants to liven up the gluttony spirit and play together, but apparently has no effect on the gluttony.

  The Demon King and Ji Lian walked in, but Taotie seemed to be ignoring them, still lying lazily on the ground. The little monkey Xiao Hui let out a happy cry, jumping onto Ji Lian's body three times before perching on his master's shoulder.

  Gu Lian rubbed Xiao Hui's head and said faintly to Gui Wang, "It's this one."

  The Demon King didn't say a word, only gazing at the Glutton who was prostrating on the ground. At the corner of his mouth, a faint smile slowly emerged, but within that smile, there was an added hint of profound and unfathomable meaning.