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  I don't know how long I slept, but in the midst of a deep sleep, I felt that everything around me was familiar. It's been so long since I've had this feeling of peace.

  So I sank deeply into the dream, as if unwilling to wake up, but in the depths of the dream, there was always a sharp pain that lingered and refused to disperse, constantly piercing my heart.

  He let out a sigh, and Gu Lie slowly came to. The room he found himself in was like a dream, and he gazed at it silently. It had been his home since he was a boy, and as he grew up, the furniture, doors, windows, almost everything here had left an indelible mark on his heart.

  Against the wall of the bed, that big "Dao" character was still hanging on the wall, only the color and strokes had faded a bit, but each stroke looked as vigorous and powerful as when I first saw it years ago.

  The wooden frame of the window made a slight sound, opening a gap, and Xiao Hui, a gray-haired monkey, jumped in from outside. Seeing that Gui Li was already awake and sitting up on the bed, he couldn't help but get excited, grinning from ear to ear, and jumping onto the bed in just a few leaps.

  A sudden throb in Gui Lie's heart, this scene seemed just like it was many years ago, if not for the injuries on his own body and the opened spiritual eyes of Xiao Hui, he would have thought it was all just a Southland dream.

  But after all, it's impossible.

  Xiao Hui was chirping "chee chee chee" at Gui Li. Gui Li looked down and saw that Xiao Hui had picked some wild fruits with both hands, seemingly wanting to share them with his master. Gui Li shook his head, indicating he didn't want to eat. Xiao Hui didn't insist, turned around, jumped onto the table in the middle of the house, sat down, opened his mouth and started eating voraciously.

  The ghost gazed silently at everything in the room, his eyes finally falling on the half-open window through which Xiao Hui had entered. A small patch of light came in from outside, but it was impossible to see what lay beyond. Yet Gu Lian didn't need to look; he knew that outside the window was a small courtyard with an ancient pine tree, a lush green lawn, and a winding stone path. On one side of the yard stood a semi-circular archway. Every blade of grass and every tree had long been etched into his memory, never to be erased.

  The air is fresh and slightly sweet, even in the small courtyard outside, it seems to bring the fragrance of green grass.

  In a daze, he had a feeling of going home, but after a moment, a sharp pain in his heart woke him up.

  There were footsteps coming from outside the door.

  The fierce gaze turned to the door. The footsteps quickly reached the doorway, but at the slightly ajar door, the person outside seemed to hesitate for a moment and did not immediately push open the door.

  The ghost stared intently at the door.

  After a moment, the door was finally pushed open.

  A tall and majestic figure stood at the door, almost simultaneously, that person also saw the awakened Gui Li. The two people's eyes met in mid-air, but neither of them spoke immediately. In their eyes, there were too many complex emotions for a moment, it was as if this made all the words unspoken.

  The little monkey Xiao Hui sat on the table, opened its mouth and spat out a pit of a wild fruit, then looked towards the door for a moment, "squeaked" a few times, and continued to eat its wild fruit with its head down.

  The man standing at the door let out a sigh, and his mouth seemed to curve into a bitter smile. He shook his head and walked in, gazing deeply at Gui Lian, saying: "After so many years of not seeing each other, should I call you Old Seventh or Little Shidi?"

  The corners of Gui Lie's mouth moved slightly, and finally, he looked at the man in front of him and called out in a low voice: "Big Brother Master..."

  Everything on top of the bamboo peak is still as quiet as it was in memory, a piece of silence, and I don't know where others have gone.

  Song Daren silently gazed at the person in front of him, who was once his most beloved younger brother, one of the seven apprentices under Master Tian Naiyi of Da Zhu Peak. Now, however, times had changed and people were no longer the same.

  It's been ten years, but this is still our first meeting.

  "How have you been all these years?" Song Daren asked, sitting across from Gui Lie.

  Gui Li didn't answer, he just remained silent. Ten years have passed, looking back, time has flown by like water, unknowingly walking through this long road, yet, how can one say a single "good" word!

  Song Daren gazed at him, the former young Zhang Xiaofan, who still had his original outline, but on his face, there was a hint of vicissitudes, and he didn't know when this person, who was much younger than himself but now had a higher cultivation level, had white hair appearing at his temples.

  Song Daren let out a long sigh and said faintly, "How's your body now?"

  The ghost lowered his head and looked at the wound, only to see that the original tattered cloth on his chest had been replaced with neat and clean bandages. It was clear that Da Zhu Feng's senior brothers had re-bandaged him. The wound on his chest still seemed to be throbbing in pain, but it was much better than before he fainted. He remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'm fine now, thank you, senior brother, for your concern."

  At this point, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something, looked at Song Daren and said: "I...have already betrayed Qingyun, do you still recognize me as your junior brother?"

  Song Daren smiled wryly, his smile tinged with a hint of bitterness. "Shifu's wife has told us all about it," he said. "Before Shifu passed away..." As soon as the words "passed away" left his lips, Song Daren's eyes reddened and his voice choked up, causing Gu Lian to tremble slightly at the sound.

  Song Daren composed himself and continued, "Master had told Master's wife before he passed away that he never personally drove you out of Dazhu Peak, and he also never thought you were in the wrong ten years ago. So Master's wife instructed us that from now on, as long as you are willing, you can still be our Seventh Brother... Little Brother..."

  The ghost slowly lowered his head, his body trembling slightly, his left hand placed on the bed sheet, tightly clenched into a fist, while his right hand covered his face, quietly wiping away the tears that seeped out from the corners of his eyes.

  The room fell silent for a moment. After a long time, when he saw Gui Li's emotions slowly calming down, Song Daren's low voice sounded again: "If you're not seriously injured, follow me to Shou Jing Tang, Shi Niang is there... mourning Shi Fu, she wants to see you."

  "... is"

  As soon as he walked out of the archway, he saw that familiar circular corridor. Song Daren silently led the way in front, his broad and thick shoulders resembling a small mountain.

  Guilei quietly followed behind him, and couldn't help but recall the time when he was a youth, first arriving at Dazhu Peak, following Song Dahen all the way, slowly integrating into the world of Dazhu Peak.

  Looking back on past events, it's as if they were a dream.

  His gaze fell quietly on Song Daren's waist, and only then did he discover that at some point, a white cloth had been added to Song Daren's waist, naturally to mourn the passing of his teacher Tian Naiyi.

  His face turned gloomy and he closed his eyes.

  As I walked out of the corridor, I saw the Guardian Hall in the distance. However, unlike its usual serenity, today it was shrouded in smoke and incense, accompanied by faint sounds of sobbing.

  Song Daren quietly walked towards the Shou Jing Tang, after two steps, he suddenly felt something, turned his head to look back, and found that Gui Lie was standing still on the spot, staring at the Shou Jing Tang, but did not take a step forward.

  "What's wrong?"

  The ghostly face looked pale, and for some reason, he gazed at the smoke-filled Shoujing Hall, where a faint cry was heard, and felt a few points of fear in his heart, like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to face the parents who were about to be saddened.

  Song Daren seemed to have seen something, sighed and said: "Let's go." As he spoke, he patted his shoulder with his hand. Gui Li's body moved slightly, looked at Song Daren for a moment, nodded silently, and stepped forward.

  As they approached the Shou Jing Tang, the smell of incense grew thicker and the sound of sobbing became clearer. However, among the familiar voices from his memories, there was no cry of a woman, neither Su Rou's nor that of his expected sister-in-law Tian Ling'er who had already married into another family.

  Finally, under Song Daren's leadership, he once again stood at the entrance of the Guardian Hall.

  His gaze swept across the eight people in an instant, stopping on him. Gui Li's body trembled slightly, his eyes scanning each person one by one.

  Wu Deyi, Zheng Dalie, He Dazhi, Lü Dashin, Du Bishu!

  These familiar faces are now appearing one by one in front of Gui Lie's eyes, many years ago, they were the people he was closest to in this world, his most trusted brothers and masters.

  Their waists were all tied with white cloth, just like Song Daren's. Their faces were filled with sorrow, and some of their eyes had already turned red from crying. Inside the mourning hall, a large iron pot was placed, with flames burning inside. The fellow disciples standing beside it slowly put the paper money in their hands into the flames.

  Smoke and fire swirl around, smoke fills the air.

  The ghost looked away, and in the smoke behind him, Tian Naiyi lay quietly on a spiritual bed, his dirty clothes changed into a clean set, neatly dressed on his body. His appearance seemed to have calmed down a lot. At this moment, Shifu's wife Su Rou sat beside Tian Naiyi's body, stretched out her hand and grasped Tian Naiyi's hand, holding it tightly.

  Her expression was very sad, but she didn't shed a single tear. In her hair, near the temples, a small white flower was inserted, which was still slightly dewy in the morning, elegant and beautiful, with a hint of sorrow. She just tightly held her husband's hand, gazing at Tian Naiyi's face. But his daughter, Tian Ling'er, did not appear in this mourning hall.

  But that big yellow dog, which had been difficult to raise since childhood, was now quietly lying on the ground beside the bier, its head also listlessly pressed against the ground, completely losing its usual lively personality.

  The fierce gaze fell on Tian Bu Yi's body and couldn't move again. His footsteps were heavy, slowly moving step by step. Song Da Ren silently walked to the side, took a hemp rope back, and handed it to Gui Li. Gui Li looked at him, his eyes flashing with gratitude, nodded, took the rope, and said in a low voice: "Thank you."

  Song Daren glanced at Su Rou and said, "You go to your master's wife now." After finishing speaking, he silently walked back to the middle of his fellow disciples, knelt down in front of Tian Bu Yi's body, kowtowed three times. When he lifted his head again, his eyes were a bit red, turned around and took a stack of paper money from Wu Da Yi who was kneeling beside him, and started slowly throwing them into the fire.

  The ghost looked at the hemp rope in his hand for a long time, then tied it around his waist. The grayish-white rope wrapped around his waist, carrying a hint of sadness, yet seemingly re-tying his heart to this place.

  He silently walked forward and arrived at the spiritual bed, knelt down, and knocked his head three times towards Tian Naiyi's body. Then he turned to Su Rou and knelt on the ground.

  "Disciple..." His voice suddenly stopped, and after a long while, he heard him open his mouth again in a low tone: "Disciple Zhang... Xiaofan, pay respects to the master's wife."

  Behind him, the six disciples of Dazong Peak, including Song Daren, looked over here with complex expressions on their faces, but more of them still showed a kind of blood-is-thicker-than-water joy and closeness.

  Even Su Rou's face showed a faint hint of comfort, she looked at Gui Li and nodded, then a hint of pain flashed across her face as she turned to Tian Bu Yi and said in a low voice: "Bu Yi, did you hear that? This is Lao Qi, he has come back to pay his respects to you."

  Guili knelt down at Su Rou's feet, unable to speak.

  Behind him, a stifled sob was heard.

  Smoke and mist swirled, drifting slowly, the quiet hall became somewhat dizzy, I don't know if it's because the owner is not there, even this magnificent hall looks empty, not a bit lively due to the crowd.

  After a while, Song Daren wiped away the tears from his eyes and walked forward. He came to Su Rou's side and said: "This matter is not urgent!" Su Rou suddenly interrupted Song Daren's words and said calmly.

  Song Daren was shocked, and the many disciples behind him, including Gui Li, were also stunned for a moment. The Shou Jing Tang was quiet, with not a sound to be heard.

  After a while, Song Daren finally plucked up the courage and carefully said: "Master's wife, Master has passed away, the disciples all understand that you are heartbroken, but this aftermath... cannot be delayed."

  Su Ru's expression remained unchanged, and she didn't even glance at Song Da Ren. In her eyes, except for the brief look at Old Seventh who had just returned, there was only Tian Bu Yi's figure.

  Song Daren's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and for a moment he didn't know what to do. He turned his head to look at the disciples kneeling on the ground burning paper money, but they were also at a loss, unsure of what to do. Just then, Su Ru suddenly spoke up and called out: "Daren."

  "Yes, Master's wife, what are your orders?"

  Su Rou said: "You and others temporarily go out, without my permission, you are not allowed to come in."

  Song Daren was stunned for a moment, then retreated several steps back. Several of his junior fellow disciples looked over at him. Song Daren furrowed his brow and remained silent, standing beside him was He Dazhi who usually was quick-witted but now shook his head slightly towards him with an anxious expression on his face. Seeing this, Song Daren's eyebrows only furrowed even tighter.

  He has been with these junior brothers for a long time, what He Dazhi is worried about in his heart, he naturally understands very clearly. He is the one who has followed Tian Bu Yi and Su Ru for the longest time among these disciples, no one knows better than him the deep affection between the master and mistress, if it were not for them being around, Mistress would have...

  As soon as this was mentioned, Song Daren's face turned white with fear, and his feet couldn't move no matter what. At this moment, Su Ru glared at them and said in a low tone of anger: "What are you doing? Are you not going to take your master's words seriously just because your master is dead?"

  "Bang! Bang!"

  One after another, apart from Gui Li who was already kneeling in front of Su Rou, all the disciples of Da Zhu Feng including Song Da Ren knelt down and kowtowed. Song Da Ren repeatedly said: "Disciple dare not, disciple dare not!"

  Su Ru sighed and a deep fatigue appeared on her face, as if she didn't even have the energy to scold them. She simply waved her hand lightly and said, "You all go out."

  Song Daren and others did not dare to disobey the teacher's wife again, so they retreated one by one with a bitter face. However, the big stone in their hearts was still heavy, and they didn't know what to do. Gui Li bowed slightly towards Su Ru and slowly backed away. Before he had taken a few steps back, Su Ru suddenly said: "Old Seventh, you stay behind, I have something to ask you."

  Gui Li was taken aback and stopped in his tracks, but behind him, Song Da Ren and the others let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, as long as someone was by Shi Niang's side, nothing unexpected would happen. Before long, only the sound of footsteps could be heard, and soon Song Da Ren and the other six had all withdrawn from the Quiet Hall.

  Inside Shoujing Hall, it suddenly became quiet, with only the flames burning and devouring the paper money, occasionally making a slight crackling sound.

  The ghost stood silently on the spot, bowing his head and not speaking. It was unknown how long had passed when Su Ru let out a sigh and said: "Your master is always hard-mouthed and soft-hearted. The incident ten years ago has been weighing on his mind all this time. Although he didn't say it to me, I can tell that in his heart, he actually feels somewhat guilty towards you."

  His eyes turned red, he shook his head vigorously and said hastily: "No, it's not that, it's just that I'm unworthy as a disciple, I've let down my master's kindness, I owe an apology to my master..." By the time he finished speaking, he was already choking back tears.

  Su Rou's mouth trembled slightly as she heard the ghostly voice in front of her, which seemed to have brought up a deep-seated pain. Although her eyes were filled with agony, she managed to hold back her tears. She gazed silently at Tian Bu Yi's face and said softly, "In your master's heart, you were never considered a disciple who was driven out of the sect. Do you understand?"

  The ghost nodded his head and said in a low voice: "Yes."

  Su Ru said: "Since you've recognized him as your master now, go and burn some paper money for him. Consider it a way of showing your filial piety, I'm sure he'll be pleased..."

  The ghost's teeth were clenched tightly, and he knelt down towards the field where Ye Yi's body lay. He kowtowed three times, his eyes welling up with tears. Then, he got up and walked over to the large cauldron, kneeling down beside it. The flames in the iron pot had died down significantly, probably because Song Daren and the others had all left, and no one was adding any more paper money. Guile glanced sideways, seeing several stacks of thick, unopened packets of new paper money piled up not far away.

  On the top of the bamboo peak, there were Taoist practitioners everywhere. For hundreds of years, they might not have used even a single sheet of paper money. These things must have been purchased by Song Daren in a hurry to handle his funeral affairs and brought from the foot of the mountain. Thinking of this, Gui Li's heart felt another pang of sadness. Silently, he stretched out his hand, took over a stack, untied the seal, and one by one turned the paper money into ashes.

  Su Ru sat beside Tian Naiyi, silently gazing at the flames that danced and rolled restlessly, casting flickering shadows on the iron pot next to Gui Li's face.

  "She suddenly asked: 'Were you by your master's side when he passed away?'"

  Gui Lie's body trembled slightly, then he turned around and remained kneeling beside the iron pot, facing Su Rou, saying in a low voice: "Yes."

  Su Rou looked at Gui Li deeply and said: "Yesterday, after you fainted, I treated your wounds and changed your dressing. However, I discovered that the severely injured area on your chest had a unique Red Flame Sword Energy inside your body, which is exclusive to your master. The injury to your meridians was also the most severe due to this reason. What's going on?"

  The ghost's heart suddenly jumped, and he unknowingly broke out in a cold sweat. After a moment, he said in a low voice: "This time the disciple was injured, indeed it was the master who used his heavy hand, but..."

  He said that at this point, he was momentarily stunned and didn't know where to start. The sudden change that night was so abrupt and bizarre that even though he had experienced many upheavals in his life, he couldn't help but be shocked and moved. Moreover, the fact that his most revered teacher had died made it even harder for him to put into words.

  Su Ru hummed and her phoenix eyes gleamed with authority as she said coldly, "Tell me the truth."

  Gui Li was so frightened that he didn't dare to look at Su Ru, lowering his head. After a moment, he slowly began to speak, recounting the events of that night when he returned to Cao Miao Village and encountered a mysterious person, chasing him all the way to the abandoned temple outside He Yang City, until Tian Bu Yi's death, telling Su Ru everything in detail.

  Su Rou's face turned paler and paler as she listened, especially after hearing the last part about Tian Naiyi's final demise. She had no blood color left on her face, only a pair of hands tightly grasping Tian Naiyi's palm, as if afraid that her husband would leave again.

  Finally, Gui Li said in a low voice: "That's what happened, I don't dare to deceive you, Master."

  Su Ru's gaze shifted to Tian Bu Yi, deeply gazing at that familiar and peaceful face. Perhaps in her husband's heart, he didn't have much regret, maybe in his heart, he always thought these were things he should do!

  She took a deep breath, straightened her body, although in fact she really wanted to lie down like this, lying with her husband, and not caring about anything anymore. Only, she knew it wasn't time yet.

  "Did you really see it clearly..." Su Ru's voice sounded a bit ethereal.

  Gui Li didn't understand for a moment and asked: "Shifu's wife, what do you mean?"

  Su Ru's face turned pale and she whispered: "That mysterious person, is he really the True Master... Dao Xuan Shixiong?"

  The ghost took a deep breath and said decisively: "My disciple saw it with his own eyes, that person turned into flying ashes, my disciple wouldn't be mistaken."

  Su Ru nodded silently, and after a moment, she asked again: "According to what you just said, it was not Yi Ye who struck you down when he finally lost his mind, but rather Lu Xueqi from Xiaozhu Peak who killed him?"

  His body shook violently, and in an instant, cold sweat poured down his forehead, but in the end, he still gritted his teeth and said, "Yes!"

  Su Ru didn't speak, she just stared blankly at Gui Li, as if in a trance. However, under her gaze, the expression on Gui Li's face changed dramatically, like being roasted over low heat. After a while, he finally spoke in a low voice: "That... Lu Xueqi, she actually wanted to save me, no, was my disciple..." Suddenly, his expression turned solemn and he knelt down on the ground, speaking in a low voice: "Master's wife, it's all my fault, that Lu Xueqi..."

  Su Ru sighed and said, "I remember that among the disciples of Qingyun Gate, you have been particularly close to her all these years. Even after you joined the demonic path, I heard she still misses you dearly. For your sake, she went against Shuiyue Shizhi's wishes several times and even rejected Yun E'lan, the master of Fengxiang Valley's proposal, didn't she?"

  Gui Li knelt on the ground, his mind in a mess, with thousands of words in his heart but unable to utter a single sentence. On that fateful night of great change, although he knew Lü Xueqi had acted mainly to save him, Tian Nanyi was still his mentor who had raised him into adulthood and the person he revered all his life. Yet, it was right before his eyes that the Tianhuang divine sword pierced through his mentor's chest... Afterwards, in a state of deep pain, he almost unconsciously pushed Lü Xueqi away from him.

  After the unrest in Southern Xinjiang, the brief embrace that once existed has become a deeper and wider chasm under this cruel fate. I truly do not know why Heaven is so ruthless!

  This time in front of Su Rou, although Gui Li had such a complicated mood, he couldn't just watch Su Rou misunderstand Lu Xueqi. However, he deeply understood that his master's wife treated his master with deep affection, which was even more than what he himself could do, so how could he ask his master's wife to be generous when he himself found it hard to accept?

  The ghost was stern and silent, and didn't know what to say for the better.

  Facts are as sharp and ruthless as a knife edge, and every person who gets close seems to be hurt by it!

  At this moment, Su Rou's face did not have the resolute look that Gui Li had imagined, but instead, after the initial sadness passed, her face slowly took on a thoughtful expression. A moment later, Su Rou asked Gui Li, "I remember you said earlier that before Nie Yi's death, his consciousness briefly recovered and he recognized you, right?"

  The ghost nodded and said, "Yes."

  "What did he say to you then?"

  Guili thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "After Master woke up, he told me two sentences."

  "What did he say?"

  Guili Dao said: "The first sentence the master said was a bit strange, just repeating three words: Don't blame her, don't blame her. The second sentence was to entrust his disciples that after the master's death, they would bring his old body back to Dazhu Peak and hand it over to Shifu, and inform Shifu..."

  Su Ru's expression changed, and she said: "What does he want you to tell me?"

  The ghost said in a low voice: "When Master was dying, he asked his disciples to tell Mistress, asking Mistress to mourn with restraint and not to...not to do stupid things."

  Su Ru was speechless, her eyes brimming with tears, her body swaying weakly, as if she was about to collapse. Gui Li's heart ached with worry and concern, but he didn't dare approach her, instead kneeling on the ground and kowtowing: "Madam, please restrain your grief!"

  After a while, Su Rou's slightly calmer voice was heard, saying softly: "I'm fine, you can get up now."

  Gui Lie finally stood up, raised his head and looked over. Su Ru's face had calmed down, but the sorrow in her eyes was still evident.

  In the quiet hall, there was another silence. Gui Li quietly added a few more paper money to the iron pot on the side. At this time, Su Ru suddenly spoke up and said: "Are you also dissatisfied and resentful that Lu Xueqi killed your master?"

  Gui Li was taken aback and didn't know what the mistress meant by this sentence, so he couldn't answer for a moment. But Su Ru was an extremely clever person, and having already seen through the ways of the world, she had largely understood from Gui Li's expression on his face.

  She said faintly: "Do you know or don't you know that before his death, the three words 'don't blame her' he wanted to say to you, what do they mean?"

  The ghost's expression changed, and he said, "What?"

  Su Ru smiled slightly and said: "As I expected, it's just that he might not be willing to let that Lu Xueqi, Miss Lu, kill him."

  Gui Li was shocked and said: "Master's wife, your words..."

  Su Ru let out a long sigh and said, "Forget it. The past is unbearable to recall, but it can't be shaken off after all. Our generation's secrets can't implicate you young people." She turned her head silently, looking at Tian Naiyi, only to see Tian Naiyi's face calm and peaceful, as if he was asleep. She said softly, "Naiyi, you must also want me to tell him that secret..."