Chapter 47: A Sky of Love and an Ocean of Hatred

  He Tuo took a moment to adjust his breath in the cabin, restored his internal energy, opened a jar of wine and drank two mouthfuls, greatly refreshing his spirit. He thought: "Liang Xiao's martial arts have made great progress, but it's not certain that he can defeat me. However, if Little Monk recovers, the two of them joining forces will be difficult to deal with. I must take the initiative to attack first and kill one of them in order to ensure everything goes smoothly." Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a cheer from the bow of the boat, followed by Hua Sheng saying in a muffled tone: "Quickly go ashore..." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped, seemingly having his mouth covered by someone.

  He was both startled and delighted: "Could it be that they have seen land?" He jumped up, just about to rush out of the cabin, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He thought to himself that Liang Shao's plans were many and complex, and there must be some trickery involved. But Little Monk was straightforward and honest, and shouldn't be lying. He was uncertain what to do, so he glanced at Atan and said coldly: "You go take a look, if you see land, come back and report."

  He reluctantly endured the pain and stepped out of the cabin. After a while, he didn't hear any sound from He Tuo Luo, and he became suspicious again: "This lama has been dissatisfied with me lately, if he really saw land, he might abandon my father and son to escape." His suspicious nature made him think of this possibility, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He said to Harris: "Wait for me..." Harris panicked and shouted: "Master... don't leave me behind!" He Tuo Luo angrily said: "You're useless, take care of the little emperor, I'll be right back." He crawled out of the cabin, turned his head to look around, but all he saw was the endless sea, with A Tan lying straight and still in the distance. His heart skipped a beat, and before he could return, he suddenly heard the sound of breaking walls, and hastily rushed into the cabin, only to see Liang Xiao bursting in through the broken wall. Harris quickly tried to get up to grab Zhao Bing, but was stepped on by Liang Xiao's foot, who looked at He Tuo Luo with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

  He Tuo's face was gloomy, and he said coldly, "Surnamed Liang, what do you want?" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "You've occupied this place for a long time, shouldn't you move out now?" He Tuo didn't hesitate, loudly saying, "Good, it's settled then." Liang Xiao said indifferently, "There are four of us, but you only have one person. Adding two cripples, you can take care of yourself." He kicked Harris over to He Tuo, who stretched out his hand to hold him, gave a slight cold smile, and turned to leave the cabin. Zhao Bing saw Liang Xiao and was extremely happy, calling out "Uncle" and about to rush over, when suddenly he felt dizzy, was caught in someone's arms, and after taking a closer look, Yun Shu's face was deathly pale, gasping for breath like an ox, which scared Zhao Bing into tears.

  Liang Xiao didn't think that he, a mantis catching a cicada, would be followed by Huang Que, and even less did he expect that after being severely injured, he could still be so agile. He was slightly stunned, his eyes flashing with anger. This one leap and one hug had almost exhausted Cloud's strength, and for a moment his whole body went soft, leaning against the wall only to catch his breath, but in his heart he thought: "I'll risk my life, I won't let His Majesty fall into the hands of evil thieves again." Liang Xiao saw his appearance and knew that if he wanted to take him by force, Cloud wouldn't be able to resist, but seeing Cloud's stubborn expression, he couldn't help but sigh, thinking: "Forget it, let him have this one time."

  He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned to Huasheng and said, "Good brother, can you still take action?" Huasheng nodded repeatedly. Liang Xiao said, "The old man will settle his broken-legged son and must come to find us trouble. Later, you just use all your strength, only attack and don't defend!" He also said to Liu Yanyan, "You protect Xiaoshuang and Bing'er."

  Liu Yingying glanced at Yun Shu with a thought, thinking that protecting Huo Er was equivalent to protecting him. Suddenly, she heard He Tuo Luo's loud and long laugh, and the figure in front of the cabin door flashed, "Boruo Feng" transformed into lightning and shot in. Hua Sheng remembered Liang Xiao's words and launched "Yihe Xiang", one old and one real, with all his might punching out. He Tuo Luo only felt a force like a mountain, not daring to harden the blow, dodging to avoid it, and before he could stand still, he suddenly saw Liang Xiao's double palms falling from the sky, helplessly retreating again. For a moment, Hua Sheng's footsteps were steady, one punch and one kick came out, Liang Xiao was like a flash of lightning, spinning around Hua Sheng non-stop, his double palms were mysterious and unpredictable, unstoppable.

  The two brothers, one extremely clever and the other extremely clumsy, complemented each other perfectly. They fought so fiercely that they retreated step by step until they reached the ship's side. Knowing that if they didn't counterattack, they would fall into the sea. Suddenly, with a loud shout, "Bore like a sharp blade" made a false move, forcing Hua Sheng to retreat. His left fist flew out and hit Liang Xiao's left chest, but he was kicked in the waist by Liang Xiao. The two of them fell out separately. Hua Sheng was stunned and forgot to pursue, only to see He Tuo Luo use his hands to push off the ground, jump up, and leap towards the back of the ship.

  Peanut helped Liang Xiao up, and they returned to the cabin. Liang Xiao meditated for a while, spat out a mouthful of blood, and smiled: "One punch for one kick, I think he also suffered a loss." Liu Yanyan said: "I'll go with Peanut to beat him when he's down." Liang Xiao waved his hand: "Don't pursue a desperate enemy, He Daluo must have taken precautions this time, we can't rush in carelessly. He fought one against two and was injured, but he may not be convinced yet, I'm afraid he'll come again." After a pause, he thought for a moment and said: "Peanut, your divine power is unmatched, but you're not good at using it. I just thought of an array method, if we use it together, we can surely defeat He Daluo." Then he stood up, explained with hand gestures, and taught Peanut the way to attack and defend.

  The next morning, He Tuo Luo recovered from his injuries and thought of a way to defeat the two brothers. He came to challenge them again, but unexpectedly, the formation of the two brothers had already made some progress. The two sides fought for over 200 moves, and He Tuo Luo couldn't withstand it, so he retreated and escaped. Liang Xiao saw that Hua Sheng's old wound had reopened, bleeding profusely, and didn't pursue him either, instead helping him to bandage his wound. At noon, when everyone was chatting, they suddenly heard a long, mournful cry from A Tan. Liu Yueyue exclaimed, "What happened? Is there internal strife?"

  Liang Xiao's face turned iron-green, and he punched a hole in the deck, shouting: "If we don't get rid of this villain, heaven will not tolerate it!" Liu Xiangxiang's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized what was happening, her expression unchanged. Hua Xiaoxue saw that the two of them looked strange, and couldn't help but ask: "What happened?" Liang Xiao's face sank, and he didn't say a word. But Liu Xiangxiang leaned in close to her ear and whispered: "The white-haired old villain is cruel beyond compare, he killed the Grand Lama, drinking his blood and eating his flesh!" Hua Xiaoxue was shocked pale, and for a long time couldn't speak.

  Liang Xiao suddenly said, "A Tan seems to be ill." Liu Yueyue smiled and said, "It's all because of Xiaoxiao's injury." Liang Xiao was surprised and asked, "Has Xiaoxiao's martial arts improved greatly?" Hua Xiaoxiao looked ashamed and said, "It's all my fault. If... if it weren't for me, Master might not have died!" Liang Xiao was even more surprised and carefully inquired about the matter. Hua Xiaoxiao then told him what had happened that day. Liang Xiao sighed and said, "The ancient saying 'good fortune and bad fortune are intertwined' is indeed true. If you didn't have the 'Nine Yin Poisonous Veins', things would be terrible." Hua Xiaoxiao became angry and loudly said, "Brother Xiao, you're still laughing at me! I'd rather be ill than use that evil technique!" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Don't blame yourself either. Besides, if you hadn't injured A Tan, He Daluo would have killed him easily."

  Hua Xiao Shuang shed tears and said, "As soon as I cultivate my skills, I will harm people." Liang Xiao said, "It seems that your skills are not enough, you need to use living creatures as a medium to vent the toxic substances. Don't worry, you can transfer the 'Nine Yin Poison' to me, and I'll force it out again. As long as the yin poison is completely vented, your illness will be cured and you won't harm anyone." Hua Xiao Shuang thought for a moment and worriedly said, "What if you can't force it out?" Liang Xiao smiled lightly and said, "Xiao Shuang, you underestimate me too much. I can even force out the 'Five Elements Dispersal', let alone the 'Nine Yin Poison'."

  Hua Xiao Shuang finally felt at ease, and used the "Turning Yin into Yang" technique to transfer the "Nine Yin Poison" to Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao then forced it out again. The two of them pressed their palms together, circulating their energy for an hour, but Hua Xiao Shuang only felt extremely tired. Suddenly, she withdrew her palm and checked her pulse, only to find that the "Nine Yin Poison" had not decreased at all, while her energy and blood had been greatly depleted. She couldn't help but say: "Brother Liang, we've wasted our efforts. The 'Nine Yin Poison' has grown with me since birth, just like my blood. Even if some of it is lost, it will continue to grow. If we extract too much without replenishing the yang energy, it will only lead to a great loss of energy and blood, and ultimately cost me my life." Liang Xiao felt deeply disheartened and sighed: "Is there really no way to cure this?"

  Hua Xiao Shuang smiled and shook her head, saying: "It's not a big deal. The 'Nine Yin Poison Pulse' is hard to cure, but it's all about getting it out of the body. I've been studying the 'Shennong Classic' that my mother-in-law gave me, and I think I've come up with some ways to dispel yin and supplement yang. If we can master the 'Turning Yin into Yang Technique' to a certain level, the speed at which the poison flows out will be faster than its growth rate. Then, we can use spiritual medicine and acupuncture to aid in the recovery. It won't take more than ten years for me to fully recover." Liang Xiao sighed: "Ten years is still a bit too long." Hua Xiao Shuang said: "Master, you have such great skills but couldn't cure me, yet now I've found a way to heal myself." She smiled slightly and said: "Brother Xiao, you're right. 'The past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued.' The ancients may not necessarily be better than us modern people, and we modern people may not necessarily be inferior to the ancients..." Her face was smiling, but two lines of tears streamed down her face. She suddenly turned around and ran to the corner of the wall, her shoulders shaking slightly. Liang Xiao was startled and wanted to go comfort her, but Hua Xiao Shuang waved her hand and choked back a sob, saying: "Brother Xiao... you... don't come over... don't come over..."

  Liang Xiao was confused, and Liu Yingying pulled him outside the cabin, scolding in a low voice: "Big fool, don't you understand yet?" Liang Xiao shook his head blankly. Liu Yingying looked at him steadily, sighed, and said: "Her illness is cured, so you don't need to accompany her anymore!" Liang Xiao's eyebrows furrowed, and he lowered his head without speaking. Liu Yingying impatiently said: "Little scoundrel, the three days have long passed, have you figured it out yet?" Liang Xiao still didn't speak, and Liu Yingying's eyes blazed with anger, heavily slapping him on the ear, stamping her foot and saying: "You're a fool, she's also a fool, you two fools are really infuriating me to death!" She stormed into the cabin, sat for a while, then took a deep breath, embracing Hua Xiaoxuan and softly comforting her. Liang Xiao turned around to gaze out at the vast ocean, feeling extremely vexed in his heart.

  Within two days, Hei Dou Luo came again to provoke several times. At first, relying on the sharpness of "Bao Ruo Feng", he was still able to exchange blows with the two men, but as the fight went on, he felt that Liang Xiao's palm strength grew stronger and stronger, and it was already difficult to deal with just one pair of palms, not to mention the addition of Hua Sheng's assistance. If they continued to fight, there would be no winning or losing. He launched a fierce attack twice, then retreated, pretending to be arrogant and uttering two ruthless sentences before slowly leaving. His remaining aura was still present, and Liang Xiao did not dare to pursue him too aggressively.

  Heitaro returned to his hiding place, secretly worried. Atan's corpse had long been eaten away, and Heitaro had cast the "Prajna Fang" to catch fish, but for some reason, the sea fish by the boat were becoming fewer and fewer. Heitaro, of course, did not know that this was due to the decline of the ocean currents, and after half a day's work, he still hadn't caught a single one. With no fish in the sea, the seabirds had no food either, and they all flew away. Heitaro sat with a gloomy face for a while, then suddenly stood up and stared straight at Harris.

  Harris was very familiar with his father, and as soon as he saw the look in his eyes, he knew what he meant. His whole body began to tremble. He stared at Harris and sighed, "Harris, don't blame me, I have no choice as a father." He rarely addressed Harris as his son, and when he did, Harris's fearful expression intensified, and he stammered, "Master..." Harris was cut off by him saying, "If you want to blame someone, blame that scoundrel Liang Xiao. But you can rest assured, I will avenge you after eating you and gaining strength." When Harris heard this, he knew he was doomed for sure. His whole body curled up into a ball, shrinking backward. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he pointed behind He Daluo, exclaiming, "Master, look! Land... land..."

  Heedro shook his head and said, "This trick has been used by Liang Xiao once before. Your father won't fall for it again. Don't worry, your father will take action and won't let you suffer." He took a step forward, ready to strike, but Harris burst into tears and wailed, "Father, believe me this time! I've lost my leg and can't run away!"

  He saw that he was so anxious, not like pretending, turned his head and glanced, only to see the intersection of the sea and sky, there was indeed a thin black line, and he was overjoyed, shouting: "Not wrong, really!" His spirit was greatly boosted, and he helped Harris up, smiling wryly and saying: "My son, I was just joking with you earlier!" Harris had a dry smile on his face, but in his heart, he secretly made a poisonous oath: "You old scoundrel, you will also have the day when you are old and weak, unable to move... then I will make you suffer..."

  The father and son were both harboring evil intentions, pretending to be friendly. Hektoro brought a small boat, and Harris was lowered into the sea, just as he was about to jump up, his eyes suddenly turned around, turning back to the front of the ship. When Harris returned, he saw that Hektoro was holding an iron anchor in his hand. Hektoro jumped onto the boat, rowed out a distance, and with a loud shout, threw the anchor, which flew out and hit the big ship with a loud crash, creating a hole and causing seawater to rush in.

  Liang Xiao felt the ship's body shaking, and before he could rush out of the cabin, the big ship sank extremely quickly, and in an instant it had a tilted posture. He looked up and saw that Hetao and his son were already several miles away, and when he looked at the lifeboats, there were originally three, but the remaining two were destroyed by Hetao's palm force. Everyone rushed out after him, all of them pale. Liang Xiao thought for a moment, tore off a long wooden board, inserted it into his waist, picked up a two-zhang-long rope, handed one end to Huasheng, pulled the other end back, retreated several steps, jumped into the air, and pulled the rope straight, shouting: "Huasheng, swing me up!" Huasheng responded and moved, using his "Great Golden Strength" to swing Liang Xiao in mid-air, only to hear a whirring sound, as Liang Xiao turned into a faint shadow, rapidly rotating around Huasheng as its axis.

  Liu Yingying's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed: "I get it! This is the method for capturing wild horses." She grew up at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains, where there were many wild horses on the grasslands. When herdsmen caught them, they would ride horses while holding a rope lasso, chasing after the wild horses. As they approached, they would swiftly swing the lasso, which could be thrown extremely far, and capture the wild horse. Liang Xiao understood the principle of leverage, and realized that with this rope, Hua Sheng's divine power could be increased several times over.

  In an instant, Liang Xiao estimated the force and calculated the direction. Suddenly, he let go of his hand, and his body flew like an arrow off the string, flying over a mile away, straight towards the boat. In mid-air, he took out a wooden board from his waist, broke it in half, threw it down, and stepped on the waves to rush forward. He Daluo saw this, broke the ship's oars, opened them left and right, and threw them out with a whooshing sound.

  Liang Xiao dodged and weaved, his wooden board exhausted, when a sharp piece of wood flew straight at him, hitting him right in the chest. Liang Xiao clutched at his heart and let out a loud cry, blood splattering from his chest, his body swaying precariously as if he was about to fall into the sea. The crowd gasped in unison, Hei Tuo Luo's eyes gleaming with triumph, his movements slowing slightly. But Liang Xiao suddenly plunged downwards, only to shoot back up again, shaking off the sharp wood from his hand and landing on the water with a splash, sliding over a yard before shrinking back and stretching out, leaping onto the boat deck.

  Liang Xiao had used up all the wooden boards and had nothing to borrow strength from. Just as Hetao's sharp wooden spear was about to hit him, he quickly came up with a plan and made a daring catch. The sharp wooden spear carried ten times the force of Hetao's throw, and it was thrown out with incredible power. Liang Xiao barely managed to catch it, but it pierced three inches into his flesh, causing fresh blood to spurt out. He was skilled at changing tactics, so he pretended to be injured, deceiving Hetao into relaxing his guard. Then, he threw out the sharp wooden spear and used its buoyancy to jump onto the small boat. Hetao regretted it instantly and didn't wait for Liang Xiao to land before "Banzhao Feng" flew out in a flash. Liang Xiao also used both fists and feet at the same time. The small boat was narrow and cramped, with the two men going up and down like hawks fighting rabbits, using all their strength. In an instant, Liang Xiao's leg showed blood, Hetao's left shoulder was kicked, his body leaned back, and he didn't have time to change moves before suddenly seeing Liang Xiao's left palm pressed against Harris' neck, shouting loudly: "Turn the boat around, or everyone will die!"

  Hei Tuo Luo's face turned pale, unable to move, Harris was secondary, if Liang Xiao took another step, the boat would sink immediately. After weighing his options, he reluctantly rowed back with the wooden oars. At this moment, the big ship sank, and everyone hugged a few wooden boards floating on the sea. Liang Xiao helped the two women onto the small boat, Liu Yingying stretched out her hand to help Zhao Huan, Hei Tuo Luo angrily said: "If one more person gets on, the boat will capsize." Liang Xiao sneered: "Afraid of too many people?" and threw Harris into the sea.

  Hedoro was furious and scolded, but suddenly saw Harris desperately trying to survive, his hands grasping the side of the boat. Liang Xiao laughed and said: "Hedoro, your son is quite clever!" Hedoro's hair stood on end with rage, but he didn't dare to erupt, so he could only swallow his anger and give a faint cold smile.

  Yun Shu refused to let go of Zhao Bing, so Liu Yingying had no choice but to pull him up together. Hua Sheng grasped the ship's side and moved forward, while Zhu Er and Bai Chi could both swim, Jin Ling'er stood on top of Hua Sheng's head, narrowly escaping disaster. Only Kuai Xue couldn't swim, and by the time the boat arrived, he had already drowned. Hua Xiao Xiang gazed out at the sinking donkey, tears streaming down her face unnoticed. Liu Yingying hugged her and comforted her repeatedly, saying she would give Zhu Er to her, and Hua Xiao Xiang hastily declined, momentarily forgetting her sorrow.

  In the late afternoon, the raft towed everyone to land. After a brief exploration, it turned out to be an island. The isolated island was quite large, with rocky cliffs on all sides, dense bamboo and trees inside, streams flowing, birds flying and animals running.

  Liang Xiao's leg injury was not light, He Tuo Luo's shoulder and palm were also very painful, Harris broke his leg, and Hua Sheng and Yun Shu didn't need to be said. The five men had no choice but to temporarily stop fighting and find a place to rest. The island had sweet water and abundant food, which was a world of difference from the ship. That night, Liang Xiao caught a yellow sheep, Liu Yueying and Hua Xiaoshuang picked some coconut fruits and fetched clear water, drilled wood for fire, and had a delicious meal.

  The next morning, Liang Xiao searched the entire island but did not find any indigenous people. He returned with a sigh and called out to Hua Sheng. The two of them cut down trees and gathered materials to build a house. Liang Xiao was skilled with his hands, and Hua Sheng had immense strength. In no time, they built a small elevated house in the mountain valley. Inside, there were three wooden beds, where Liu Yingying and Hua Xiaoshuang slept together. Liang Xiao thought of ways to find grass stems, tree leaves, bird feathers, and animal fur to weave into four blankets. At the same time, he built a stone stove, made pottery from clay, and created a waterwheel to bring in spring water from the mountain. After his efforts, the small house soon had a warm and cozy atmosphere. Liu Yingying smiled and said, "Living like this for a lifetime wouldn't be bad!" Hua Xiaoshuang also smiled and nodded in agreement.

  Peanuts have something to eat and drink, and they are carefree. Only Liang Xiao shook his head and said: "Liang Garden is good, but it's not a place to stay for long. After staying for a few days, we will eventually have to go back." Hua Xiao Xue heard this and put away her smile, lowered her head and returned to her room. Liu Yingying glared at Liang Xiao fiercely, turned around and followed her in. In a moment, the two of them were laughing loudly in the room, and then Liu Yingying opened her throat and started singing. Her voice was extremely beautiful, singing one sentence, Hua Xiao Xue following one sentence, the song sounded gentle and made people forget their worries.

  Liang Xiao listened for a moment, feeling bewildered in his heart. He got up and left the valley, coming to the seaside, where he climbed onto a rocky outcropping and gazed out at the vast expanse of the ocean. His heart was also like the waves, rising and falling: "If there were no hatred, living on this island with Yingying, Xiaoxue, and Huasheng brothers wouldn't be bad either. But I have a blood feud to settle, and I must decide life or death with Xiao Qian." Thinking back on these few months, it was like a dream. "Before, I liked Yingying, but later thought she had changed her heart and had feelings for Ah Xue. We only had a fraternal agreement, not enough to confess, and she has already died. Now both Yingying and Xiaoxue have fallen in love with me, making it even more difficult. Love is not like arithmetic, where you can turn the heavens upside down and know the root of things. Alas, if I am forever unable to decide, I will become a monk like Huasheng and end my miserable life." He gazed out at the ocean, suddenly feeling discouraged and listless.

  Suddenly a wave hit, crashing into the reef, flying jade and splashing pearls, all of which landed on Liang Xiao's face. He cleared his mind, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let out a long whistle, the sound echoing far away. After three whistles, he spat out the blockage in his heart, and his chest felt open and vast. He gazed out at the sea and sky, which met at the horizon, a vast expanse of blue stretching out endlessly. After a while, he thought back to the changes in the yin-yang currents he had sensed in the ocean, and pondered the various moves he had created when fighting against Shi Tianfeng. He couldn't help but simplify his thoughts, eliminating the unnecessary and retaining the essential. As he meditated for a long time, his heart suddenly stirred, and he slightly crouched down, circulating the "Whale Breath Skill", his palms forming a frame, and the wind from his palms causing all the scattered stones on the ground to jump up.

  Liang Xiao thought of the deep sea's strange scenery, his palms slowly rotating in a circular motion, like waves rising and falling. After making several moves, suddenly like a stormy sea wind, the waves surged rapidly, fish and dragons leaped and danced, whales sang long songs; Suddenly, a yaksha emerged from the water with a spear, pushing the waves to assist the momentum, an angry jiao shook its tail through the air, swallowing clouds and spitting out fog; In an instant, the clouds were like thick ink, the wind was like a cow's bellow, white waves touched the sky, the sun and moon fell in surprise, flashes of lightning tore through the long sky, red light flashed chaotically, at this time strange changes suddenly occurred, the sea water boiled, suddenly split open, countless water spirits and sea monsters rode the wind and waves, whistling out... Practicing to this point, Liang Xiao's body was surging with energy, not spitting or coughing, suddenly his palms shot out together, slapping a boulder, a deafening crash, stone chips flying everywhere, dust smoke rushing to the sky, a huge boulder shattered into powder. Liang Xiao did not expect his palm strength to be so strong, nor did he realize that he had frozen in place with his palms still outstretched.

  Suddenly, a laughter came from afar, and Liang Xiao turned his eyes to see that Liu Yingying was standing far away, clapping her hands and saying: "Great, you little rascal, you're not honest, secretly practicing such powerful martial arts without telling me." She had been there for a long time, but Liang Xiao was so engrossed in creating martial arts that he hadn't noticed. Hearing this, he laughed and said: "I also learned it inexplicably." Liu Yingying snorted lightly and said: "Who would believe you!" She jumped over a patch of rocky terrain and came over. Liang Xiao saw her deliberately choosing to walk on the rugged path, fearing that she might fall, so he stretched out his hand to support her. However, Liu Yingying pushed his hand away, pouted and said: "Do you think I'm a delicate lady who would fall with just a gust of wind? Humph, your martial arts may be powerful, but don't look down on people!"

  Liang Xiao saw her pouting and slightly angry, and felt even more sympathetic. He sat down immediately and smiled: "You're wronged, you're the great thief of Liu, flying over eaves and walking on walls as if it's flat ground, what's a small reef?" Liu Yingying gave him a white eye and sat down beside him. The two looked out at the sea together for a while. Suddenly, Liu Yingying said: "Liang Xiao, that palm technique of yours made my heart tremble with fear, what's its name?" Liang Xiao said: "This palm technique is something I came up with from the turbulent waves and the flow of yin and yang in the sea, it's not yet perfected, let alone having a name." Liu Yingying laughed and said: "It's already so powerful when it's not even practiced well, once it's practiced well, won't you be able to defeat He Laozei...?" Liang Xiao continued her sentence: "...and make him ascend to heaven as two Buddhas." The two of them burst out laughing.

  Liu Yingying smiled and said, "Such a powerful palm technique must have a good name. Since you thought of it from the shocking waves, why don't we call it 'Bihai Jingtao Palm'?" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Whatever you say is what it is, whether it's good or not." Liu Yingying teased, "You little slippery head with an oily mouth and a slippery tongue!"

  The two of them leaned against each other for a while, and then Liu Yingying sighed and said: "Liang Xiao, I'm asking you, what's the story with that aunt that Bing'er mentioned? If I don't get to the bottom of it, my heart will always be uneasy." Liang Xiao was silent for a moment, then sighed and said: "She's my sworn sister, Bing'er doesn't know, he just randomly called her that." Liu Yingying felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders, and happily asked: "Where is she now?" Liang Xiao lifted his head, and with a bitter smile said: "In heaven." Liu Yingying was taken aback for a moment, then came to her senses, saw the pain in Liang Xiao's expression, and gently sighed as she leaned against him. After a long while, she said: "Liang Xiao, if Xiaoshuang left you, she would definitely not be happy for the rest of her life." Seeing that Liang Xiao didn't respond, she felt extremely displeased, stood up, and coldly said: "Let's go back!"

  Liang Xiao nodded and stood up. The two of them walked side by side back to the small building, but before they got close, they saw He Tuo Luo standing in front of the building, holding a wooden stick and blocking Hua Xiao Xue's path. Liang Xiao hastily rushed over, and when he approached, He Tuo Luo spread his hands apart and smiled: "Ping Zhang, don't worry too much, I have no malicious intentions."

  Liang Xiao saw that Hua Sheng and Xiao Feng were unharmed, so he put his mind at ease and coldly said: "What brings you here?" He Tuo Luo looked around and chuckled, saying: "Ping Zhang is not only skilled in martial arts, but also has excellent craftsmanship. Look at this place, my humble mountain cave is like a miniature hell!" Liang Xiao said: "If you have something to say, then say it, why beat around the bush?" He Tuo Luo laughed and said: "Alright, let's get straight to the point! I've long heard that Ping Zhang excels in clever ideas and is well-versed in the art of constructing mechanisms. During our southern campaign, many of the sharp warships were designed and built by Ping Zhang himself." Liang Xiao smiled and said: "He Tuo Luo, you want me to help you build a ship?"

  He Tuo shook his head and said, "No, it's not for my sake, but for everyone's. The sea route is treacherous, and without sturdy ships, it's really difficult to pass through. To build such a large ship, only Ping Zhang can do it. If we can build good ships, everyone will be in the same boat, returning to land together, isn't that a wonderful thing...?" Liu Yueyue didn't wait for him to finish speaking and coldly laughed, "Who wants to be in the same boat with you? There are mountains and rivers here, birds and fish, it's very comfortable! I'm happy and don't miss Sichuan, this life is not going back!"

  He Tuo's eyebrows inverted, and a stream of green air rose from his face. Liang Xiao waved his hand and smiled: "Master, don't listen to her. You go back, wait for me to think it over, tomorrow we'll all go together to cut wood and build a boat." He Tuo was taken aback, clapped his hands and laughed: "Ping Zhang is indeed heroic and has great vision! What ideas do women have? We men can't be ordered around by them!" With a chuckle, he strode away.

  Liu Yingying's face turned white with anger, and when he was far away, she grabbed Liang Xiao and scolded, "You big fool, why didn't you listen to me! This stinky thief, what good intentions would he have?" Liang Xiao smiled slightly, but before he could speak, he saw Yun Shu carrying Zhao Bing from a distance, walking towards them with a hesitant expression. Liang Xiao's eyebrows furrowed deeply, and Liu Yingying also asked strangely, "Is something wrong?" Yun Shu glanced at Hua Xiaoxuan and stammered, "The Emperor is seriously ill, I brought him here for you to take a look..." Everyone was shocked, and Hua Xiaoxuan hastily said, "Please come inside." Yun Shu nodded, but his feet still lingered outside. Liu Yingying impatiently said, "Enough of this dawdling!" and pulled him into the house. Liang Xiao also followed in, sitting behind Hua Xiaoxuan to fan the fire and boil water.

  Hua Xiao Shuang saw Zhao Bing's face as white as paper, his breathing weak. After feeling his forehead, she found it burning hot and couldn't help but change color, saying: "How many days has he been ill?" Yun Shu hastily replied: "Three days." Hua Xiao Shuang hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily: "You should have brought him here earlier." Yun Shu was shocked by her words, his eyes wide with astonishment. He trembled and asked in a shaky voice: "Are you saying he can't be saved?" Hua Xiao Shuang hesitated again before speaking softly: "If you had come three days earlier, there might have been hope. Now... I can only do my best to alleviate his suffering..." Her voice was barely audible as she spoke, and it seemed like she was about to cry.

  Yun Shu saw how distressed she was, her whole body covered in blood as if it had congealed, and thought to himself that no wonder he couldn't get any results from using his internal energy, it turned out that it was an incurable disease. He regretted it too late.

  Hua Xiao Xue stroked Zhao Heng's calf with her hand and sighed: "You don't believe me, you can take his pulse yourself. Between his 'Hand Jue Yin Heart Package Meridian' and 'Hand Shao Yin Heart Meridian', there is a strand of gloomy energy, it can be seen that he has heart disease. I think these past few days he's been frightened out of his wits, hence the illness. If we treat him day and night, he might live for another ten or half a month, but if we're not careful...I fear he won't make it through today."

  Yun Shu took his pulse, and indeed between the two meridians there was a knot of stagnant energy. For a moment, his mind was filled with the sound of thunder, and after being stunned for a while, he put down Zhao Heng, and said in a hoarse voice: "Since that's the case, Doctor, please do what you can to ease His Majesty's suffering, after today...I'll come visit again."

  He stood up shakily, and stumbled out of the door.

  Hua Xiao Shuang waited until he was far away, then let out a long sigh and said: "Xiao Gege, this kind of thing won't happen again. From now on, no matter what, I...I won't do it anymore!" Liang Xiao sighed and said: "Xiao Shuang, you did very well." Hua Xiao Shuang held Zhao Bing in her arms, took out a silver needle, and gave him acupuncture treatment, saying: "I didn't want Young Master Yun to take Bing'er to war, so I deceived him against my will. I hope from now on, Bing'er can live an ordinary life." Liang Xiao said: "He definitely can." Hua Xiao Shuang said: "If that's the case, even if I fall into the Tongue-Pulling Hell, it won't be in vain." Liang Xiao smiled bitterly and said: "If you go to hell, no one in the world will not enter hell."

  Liu Yingying was confused and frowned, saying: "What are you talking about?" As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly heard Zhao Bing burst into tears. She opened her eyes to look and saw that he was overjoyed. Hua Xiaoxuan comforted Zhao Bing with her hand and said to Liu Yingying: "Bing'er just caught a cold. Xiao Shuo was behind me, using the 'transmitting sound into secrecy' technique to teach me how to deceive Yun Daxia, saying that this would allow Bing'er to stay away from the war. I had no choice but to do as he said. As for the two knots of stagnant energy in the 'Heart Wrapping Channel' and 'Heart Channel', they were actually transmitted by Xiao Shuo using the 'reversing yin and yang technique'. I then transmitted them into Bing'er's body according to his method. Who would have thought that we really deceived Yun Daxia?"

  Liu Yingying remained silent for a moment, then stood up and stepped out of the door. Suddenly, she heard Liang Xiao ask: "What are you doing?" Liu Yingying didn't respond, and walked a short distance before seeing Yun Shu standing on a rocky outcropping, gazing out at the sea and crying. She couldn't help but think: "Yun Shu regards this child as his hope for restoring the country; in his desperation, will he do something foolish? If he jumps into the sea, I won't be able to swim - how can I save him? In the past, he saved me once; now that he's fallen on hard times, how can I just stand by and watch?" As she hesitated, she suddenly heard He Tuo Luo's laughter echoing through the air, and her heart skipped a beat as she hid behind a large rock.

  Yun Shu stopped crying and shouted, "What are you doing here?" A figure flashed, and He Tuo stood on the reef, laughing: "I heard that Yun Gong was crying, so I came to take a look!" Yun Shu raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you want to fight?" He Tuo waved his hand and laughed: "Wrong, wrong! I'm here to help Yun Gong revive the Han dynasty!" Yun Shu coldly said, "You're here to mock me?" After speaking, his expression darkened, and he muttered, "Revive the Han dynasty? What's there to hope for? The emperor has an incurable disease and won't live for a few more days!" He Tuo said, "What can that child do? It's better if he dies!" Yun Shu angrily said, "I may not be able to defeat you, but I'm not afraid of you either." He Tuo laughed: "I've said it before, today is not the day for us to fight. Just now, I was a bit too quick with my words; if you're angry, I apologize." As he spoke, he bowed his head and made a gesture of apology. Yun Shu became even more suspicious and didn't know what He Tuo was plotting.

  He Tuo Luo smiled slightly and said, "As the saying goes: 'The emperor's throne is passed on, next year it will be my turn.' Didn't Zhao Kuangyin also seize the world from a lonely orphan and widow? Can people with the surname Zhao become emperors, but those with the surname Yun cannot become sons of heaven?" Yun Shu was shocked and sternly said, "These words are treasonous! I, Yun, was born as a subject of Song and will die as a ghost of Song. How could I be a usurper or a reckless person?" He Tuo Luo coldly snorted and said, "In the eyes of us people from the Western Regions, Cao Cao and Wang Mang were great heroes who dared to do what they wanted. Moreover, would you just watch the Song people being bullied by the Yuan people after that child's death?" Yun Shu was stunned for a moment before saying, "As long as the emperor is alive, I will protect him." He Tuo Luo coldly said, "What if that child dies?"

  Yun Shu was silent for a moment, then weakly said: "What does this have to do with you?" He Tuo Luo smiled and said: "You Han people have a saying that goes like this: 'Those who are not of my kind must have a different heart.' Although I am currently acting on behalf of the Mongols, I am not a Mongol myself. Hmph, we are actually Semu people." Yun Shu's body slightly shook, and he blurted out: "What do you mean by this?" He Tuo Luo said: "The Mongols conquered the world through war, and in the past when Genghis Khan waved his royal seal, countless corpses piled up. My tribe suffered countless deaths at the hands of the Mongols. Do you show respect to me on the surface but not in your heart?" Yun Shu coldly smiled and said: "But you are assisting the tiger, destroying my Great Song is not a trivial matter."

  He Tuo sighed: "We are all Mongolian cattle and sheep, driven by them, only because we are not as strong as others, so there is no other way. If there is an opportunity, we also want to resist. You also know that the Mongols are good at fighting wars, but not good at managing finances, a large amount of wealth has been handed over to my clan to manage, and after decades, the Hui merchants have become rich and powerful. It's not that I'm boasting, but my family has been in business for nine generations, and all the wealthy Hui merchants are related to my family. However, we have a small population, and although we have countless treasures, it is not enough to compete with the Mongols on the battlefield. You Han people are different, with a large population and vast territory, as long as you repair your armor and rely on the southern waters, you can still fight against the Mongols. We Hui people have money, you Han people have people and land, if we work together, inside and outside, after more than ten years, can't we destroy the Yuan dynasty?"

  Yun Shu's blood was boiling, and he seemed like a drowning man grasping at a straw to save his life. Although he had some hope in his heart, he still had doubts about Hetao. After a while, he said, "You won't help me for nothing, will you?" Hetao smiled and said, "In the future, when things are settled, all the land west of the Altai Mountains and the old territory of Mongolia will belong to us, and the rest of the land will belong to you. And there's one more thing: merchants from Central Asia won't have to pay taxes." Yun Shu was furious and said, "How can this be reasonable?" Hetao smiled and said, "We'll negotiate the price, but we'll make a deal."

  Yun Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he fell silent. He Tuo Luo continued, "However, before you and I cooperate, we must first kill someone." Yun Shu asked, "Who?" He Tuo Luo coldly replied, "Liang Xiao that scoundrel must be killed. He is different from us; he has Mongolian blood and is also the nephew of Bayan and the grandson of Xiao Qian's disciple!" Yun Shu's eyebrows shot up, and he exclaimed, "Is this true?" He Tuo Luo said, "You have fought with him before, yet you don't know his origins? According to what I know, this person is actually a rare talent among Mongolians. If one day he were to take control of the Yuan dynasty's government, he would definitely be another Genghis Khan!" Yun Shu snorted in anger, "You don't need to exaggerate; I have long since sworn an oath to kill him."

  Liu Yingying heard Yun Shu being persuaded by He Tuo Luo and couldn't hold back, just thinking of speaking out to refute him. Who would have thought that her back suddenly went numb, her whole body stiffened, and she heard Liang Xiao sighing: "Let him go!" Liu Yingying was unable to move, feeling extremely anxious in her heart. Suddenly, she heard He Tuo Luo laughing and saying: "This matter is not urgent, he will build a sea ship, I'll say it's good to work together with him to build it. After it's built, we can kill him at any time. Later, you and I will take the ship back to the mainland and plot our plan to reclaim the country." He saw Yun Shu hesitating and said: "If you don't trust me, I'll use my son as a hostage, how about that?" Yun Shu immediately responded: "Good, as long as you're sincere, I won't touch your son's hair!" He Tuo Luo sneered, and the two of them walked away, talking.

  Liang Xiao opened the hole of Liu Yuanyuan, and Liu Yuanyuan angrily said: "What are you doing here?" Liang Xiao said: "I'm afraid something will happen to you." Liu Yuanyuan coldly smiled and said: "You don't trust me to meet Yun Shu, do you?" Liang Xiao said: "If I come, it's because I don't trust you; if I don't come, it's because I don't care about you." Liu Yuanyuan was slightly stunned, sighed and said: "I have some doubts in my heart, why does Yun Shu insist on killing you?" Liang Xiao bitterly smiled and said: "You didn't ask, I wouldn't say; you asked, I won't hide it from you." Then he told her the whole story.

  Liu Yingying was stunned, thinking that if she and Liang Xiao had never parted ways in the past, none of these terrible things would have happened. She gazed at Liang Xiao with a sorrowful expression: "What's the use of thinking about it? Alas, we can only blame our fate for being cruel."

  Two people each had their own thoughts, turned back to the small building, and it was already time to light the lamps. Zhao Bing had a sweat all over his body and was sleeping soundly. Hua Xiao Shuang lit a sheep's fat lamp and read "Shennong's Classic" with great concentration. Only Hua Sheng was like an ant on a hot pot, turning around with his hands behind his back, seeing Liang Xiao, he smiled and pulled him saying: "Big brother, I'm hungry!" He usually called out their names directly, but when he was hungry, he called him big brother. Who would have thought that Liang Xiao's mood was very bad and he completely ignored him. Liu Yingying sat on the edge of the bed, pondering and said: "Liang Xiao, do you really want to build a ship for He Tuo Luo?" Liang Xiao said: "Of course." Seeing her puzzled and unsure, he sighed and said: "I'm using their plan against them, in reality it's false. We'll build a fake ship for them, while we build a real one, they'll be busy building the fake one and won't discover that we're building a real one."

  Liu Yingying was confused and asked, "What's the difference between a true ship and a false one?" Liang Xiao explained his plan again, and everyone was delighted, cheering in unison. Just as they were rejoicing, they suddenly heard a rumbling noise, and Hua Sheng sighed, "You've been talking for half a day, and my stomach is growling too." Liu Yingying couldn't help but burst out laughing and asked, "What did it say?" Hua Sheng replied, "It said I want to eat, and I want to eat meat. There's no fine wine on the island, so that's okay." Everyone laughed again, and Liang Xiao said, "Alright, Uncle Hua, I'll go cook now." Hua Sheng was overjoyed and laughed heartily, but Liu Yingying kicked him and scolded with a smile, "You're Liang Xiao's uncle, but you're my servant. Don't be lazy, go chop wood and boil water!" Hua Sheng didn't dare disobey and rolled and crawled to follow Liang Xiao.

  It was a silent night, and the next day, He Tuo Luo came early to ask Liang Xiao to build a boat, and also called Hua Sheng along the way. However, Liang Xiao said: "He wants to take care of his family, and his hands and feet are clumsy, going would only make mistakes." He Tuo Luo originally wanted to borrow Hua Sheng's divine power, but knowing that Liang Xiao was still wary, he could only laugh it off.

  Liang Xiao drew a diagram on the sandy ground and said, "The sea is treacherous with strong winds and big waves. We are few in number, so it's best to build a sea-sailing ship with eight water wheels. Even if the wind sails break, we can still use the water wheels to propel the ship." He Tuo frowned and said, "Eight water wheels are too many, one or two would be enough." Liang Xiao said, "This is a sea-faring ship, the journey is very long, it's better to be prepared for any situation." He Tuo asked again, "How high and how long?" Liang Xiao calculated and replied, "One zhang six chi high, six zhang long." He Tuo wanted to complain that it was too big, but he thought twice and said to himself, "Once the ship is built, I'll start killing people, and the number of people will decrease, so the ship won't need to be so huge. But for now, I mustn't reveal this intention."

  He had ulterior motives and nodded in agreement. Liang Xiao guessed his intention, took the opportunity to speak fluently, and made the project sound incredibly complicated. In fact, many components were useless, but He Tuo Luo was an outsider and was deceived by Liang Xiao's smooth talk, becoming dizzy and disoriented.

  The two of them planned for a whole day before cutting down the trees to get materials. But then Liang Xiao pushed back, saying that this tree's wood quality was not good and couldn't withstand sea water erosion, and that tree was too curved. Just searching for dragon bones took several more days. He Tuo Luo smiled on his face but was anxious in his heart.

  Liang Xiao was secretly building a ship with He Tuo Luo, while Liu Yingying followed Liang Xiao's blueprint and had Hua Sheng cut down trees to gather materials. At night, they built another sea vessel. By daybreak, He Tuo Luo's ship frame was still unfinished, but Liang Xiao's mast was already set up; on the other side, the planks were sparse, while Liang Xiao had woven a sail with tree bark and installed it on the mast. Meanwhile, Yun Shu came to visit Zhao Huan, who pretended to be dying, deceiving Yun Shu into sorrow. In secret, he bitterly practiced his martial arts, preparing to make a surprise attack on Liang Xiao.

  On the fifteenth night, a gentle south wind blew, and the sky was overcast. Liang Xiao saw that it was a favorable wind and found an excuse to deceive He Tuo Luo, returning to his residence early. He and Hua Sheng used a pulley board to drag the boat to the seaside, loading all the necessary items on board. Hua Xiao Shuang carried Zhao Bing and boarded the ship first, followed by Liu Yuan and Hua Sheng. Liang Xiao climbed onto the bow of the ship, just about to remove the gangway, when he suddenly heard a cold laugh from afar: "Liang Xiao, you're quite skilled, deceiving me so thoroughly! Since there's already a ready-made boat, why bother building that bird-shaped vessel?" As the voice spoke, two dark shadows rushed towards them like wind and lightning.

  Liu Yingying suddenly recognized He Tuo and Yun Shu, and exclaimed: "Oh no!" Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow and calmly said: "You raise the sail. Hua Sheng, follow my instructions and turn that wooden wheel. Xiao Shuang, you go to the cabin with Huai'er." Liu Yingying hastily asked: "And what about you?" Liang Xiao replied: "I'll be right behind you." Liu Yingying hesitated for a moment, then Hua Xiao Shuang suddenly rushed over and tightly hugged Liang Xiao, trembling as she said: "Brother Xiao, we won't leave without you... don't take risks..." Liang Xiao's chest felt warm, his heroic spirit surged forth, and he laughed: "What's the big deal about a little risk?" At this time, Hua Sheng had already activated the "Great Golden Strength", turning the axle, and the ship began to move. This ship had four water wheels on both sides, connected by various ingenious mechanisms to a wooden wheel at the center of the ship, hence its name: Wuxing Lou Ship (Five Elements Tower Ship). As the wooden wheel turned, the water wheels spun simultaneously, and with just Hua Sheng alone, this large ship was propelled forward like flying.

  Liang Xiao saw the two men rushing closer and closer, suddenly pushed Hua Xiaoshuang away, jumped to the shore, and before he even landed, let out a loud shout, flapping his palms twice towards the two powerful enemies. The two men only felt Liang Xiao's palm strength like a raging tide, secretly shocked in their hearts, flipping their palms to resist. In an instant, the three of them simultaneously let out a muffled hum. Liang Xiao flipped out with a somersault, his feet deeply inserted into the seawater, He Tuo Luo retreated three steps, struggling to stand firm, drew out "Ban Ruo Feng", and shouted: "Yun younger brother, you go intercept the boat, I'll deal with this guy!" Yun Shu slanted and rushed out, about to seize the boat.

  Liang Xiao laughed and said, "Slow down, you want to get on the boat, first pass my test." With a stir of his left palm, a column of water shot out, rapidly rushing towards Yun Shu. The water column contained the "Whale Breath Skill", Yun Shu swung his arm to block it, but felt something unusual - although it was just a water column, when it hit his arm, it felt like an iron pillar. His body involuntarily fell back onto the shore, and he was shocked: "What kind of skill is this?"

  He Tuo's body shot up, and Liang Xiao's double palms flew out together, stirring up two water pillars. One was hard and the other soft, one in front and the other behind, welcoming him. He Tuo scattered one of the water pillars, his palm numb, secretly shocked. The other water pillar, however, was like a living thing, spinning in mid-air, coiling around He Tuo's palm wind, striking towards his armpit. He Tuo was greatly startled and lost color, hastily leaping back several feet, horizontally chopping out with one palm to disperse the water pillar. Turning his head, he exchanged a glance with Yun Shu, then suddenly they both pounced forward together. Liang Xiao laughed and said: "You've come at just the right time." He opened up his "Bihai Jingtao Palm", simultaneously intercepting the two great experts.

  It turned out that Yun Shu had visited Zhao Huan during the day and saw that the young emperor was pale and listless, his spirit gone. After returning to his residence, he couldn't concentrate on his meditation and martial arts practice, thinking only of Zhao Huan's face. As night fell, he couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to take another look at the child. He went to the small building and saw that the lights were still on, but when he entered, there was no one inside. Yun Shu felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He hastily sought out He Tuo Luo to discuss the matter. The two of them were both clever strategists, and after a brief discussion, they guessed that Liang Xiao had played a trick on them. Upon inspecting the area around the small building, they indeed found signs of a boat having been built. He Tuo Luo was furious, but Yun Shu, using his usual logic, deduced that Liang Xiao couldn't have left for long. The two of them searched along the island's coastline and finally found what they were looking for.

  Three people fought bitterly for a long time. "Bihai Jingtao Zhang" emerged from the vast ocean, and it was already powerful. Liang Xiao merged "Jingxi Gong" into the seawater, turning it into a water pillar to attack the enemy, making it impossible to defend against. The two great masters were blocked on the shore, watching helplessly as the sea boat sailed away, and they were so angry that their seven orifices smoked with rage.

  Hua Xiao Shuang saw Liang Xiao jump off the boat and her heart skipped a beat. She exerted herself to jump down as well. Liu Yuan Yuan held her back, saying sharply, "Don't be foolish, it's useless for you to go down too." Hua Xiao Shuang had been thinking about her promise all these days and didn't dare get close to Liang Xiao. On the surface, she forced a smile, but in her heart, she was suffering unbearably. At this moment of life and death separation, she couldn't bear it anymore and tears fell as she said, "Sister, I'm not allowed to be with him while I'm alive, can't I even die for him?" Liu Yuan Yuan's expression turned serious as she asked, "Xiao Shuang, don't you trust him?" Hua Xiao Shuang replied, "But the enemy is too strong..." Liu Yuan Yuan cut her off, saying, "Liang Xiao is very strong too." She gazed at the three black figures on the beach, her voice low and mournful. "I believe in him this time. If he doesn't come back, I won't live either."

  Hua Xiao Shuang was stunned, Liu Yingying turned around and said: "I'm going to raise the sail!" Hua Xiao Shuang hastily asked: "Sister, what can I do?" Liu Yingying smiled and said: "Xiao Shuang, do you believe in Buddhism?" Hua Xiao Shuang nodded, Liu Yingying said: "Then use your heart to chant Buddha's name, bless Liang Xiao, be sincere with all your heart!" Hua Xiao Shuang hastily replied: "I'll be a million times sincere." At that moment, she sat at the bow of the boat, concentrated her mind and prayed to heaven.

  The sail rose, the boat sailed faster, Liu Yingying looked at the shore, her heart burning like fire. Hua Xiaoshuang recited from Vipassī Buddha to ?ākyamuni, and then from ?ākyamuni to Maitreya Buddha, one by one, after finishing the three Buddhas of the past, present and future, the figures on the shore gradually became smaller and darker, almost invisible. Hua Xiaoshuang's mouth recited, but tears kept rolling down her face.

  On the shore, three people fought for over a hundred rounds. He Daluo let out a loud shout, "Bore like a sharp blade!" A flash of white light, and fresh blood spurted from Liang Xiao's waist. Yun Shu leapt up, throwing a punch, and Liang Xiao dodged back. He Daluo and Yun Shu saw the boat sail far away, unable to catch up, their hearts filled with anger and frustration, vowing not to let Liang Xiao off until they killed him. They rushed forward in quick steps. The three of them stomped their feet loudly, advancing and retreating, all stepping into the sea water. Yun Shu suddenly stopped, his eyes wide with surprise, and shouted, "Beware of a trap!" He Daluo hesitated for a moment before stopping in his tracks. Liang Xiao saw that Yun Shu had seen through his plan, let out a hearty laugh, and sank into the water.

  Hei Tuo Luo wanted to chase after him, but Yun Shu held him back and said: "Don't chase anymore. This guy was heavily injured by me that day and fell into the sea, yet he managed to survive. He must have some sort of magical connection with water spirits. Just now, he pretended to retreat into the water, precisely to lure us in. In a fight underwater, it's hard to say who would win or lose." Hei Tuo Luo broke out in cold sweat and nodded: "Thanks to General Yun's quick thinking, otherwise we'd have fallen for his trick again." Feeling frustrated, he picked up several rocks and threw them randomly into the sea.

  Liu Yingying saw Liang Xiao escape, she was overjoyed and hastily called Hua Sheng to stop the boat. Before long, Liang Xiao swam to the bottom of the boat, Liu Yingying dropped down a rope and pulled him up. Turning her head, she smiled and said: "Xiao Shuang, you are so sincere, it really moved Buddha!" Hua Xiaoshuang's face turned red, she had been searching for death earlier, but when Liang Xiao got on the boat, she had nothing to say. Liang Xiao asked strangely: "What about Buddha?" Liu Yingying smiled and said: "This is a secret between me and Xiaoshuang, don't let you know." Liang Xiao snorted and said: "Who cares?" He was afraid of having too many dreams at night, so he adjusted the sail to follow the wind direction, turned the rudder, and headed north.

  It had been several days, and all was well due to the fine weather and favorable winds. But on the fifth day, just before noon, the wind suddenly changed, and a few gusts of strong wind came over, making a loud cracking sound that snapped the weathervane off the mast. Liang Xiao looked up and saw dark clouds hanging low in the sky, almost touching the surface of the sea, with whirlpools of water forming one after another. In an instant, the winds howled, huge waves rose up, and the tower ship was tossed about like a small mustard seed in a boiling cauldron. Liang Xiao grasped the helm tightly, shouting orders, and soon Liu Yingying lowered the sail, Hua Sheng turned the waterwheel, and everyone used all their strength to navigate the tower ship, dodging the sharp winds and waves as they zigzagged through the sea.

  The clouds at the horizon grew denser, like thick ink, and the wind howled louder, causing a deafening din, as if thousands of horses and soldiers were shouting in unison. Suddenly, two massive waves crashed against the ship, which could not withstand them, and it tilted to the right. Everyone was thrown off balance, tumbling down, some clinging to the mast, others grasping the side of the boat, screaming and struggling desperately. The seasick passengers were vomiting nonstop, and even Zhao Huan, who was being held by Hua Xiao Shuang, had turned pale and fainted from fear. Liu Xiang Xiang shrieked repeatedly: "Liang Xiao, it's all over... it's all over..."

  Liang Xiao was struggling, and upon hearing this, his heart turned grey: "Even if I exhaust all my tricks, I'll still be unable to defy the will of heaven!" Suddenly, the large ship shook violently several times, as if it were about to capsize. For a moment, he didn't know where the strength came from, but he jumped up and grabbed hold of the wooden rudder, turning it several times. The ship spun around twice, miraculously stabilizing itself. Before he could even catch his breath, a massive wave crashed in from the right side, causing the ship to spin around two more times. Liang Xiao's strength flowed through both legs, pinning him to the deck, and for a moment, he was stuck there as if glued to the ship. He lifted his head up, gazing up at the sky with a fierce cry, his voice clear and piercing, like a strong wind breaking through the waves.

  After struggling to hold on, the wind and waves subsided slightly, and the four of them were about to catch their breath when they suddenly heard a deafening roar. They glanced up to see a massive wave, layered with fierce winds, towering high like a snowy mountain or a silver city, pressing down on them from mid-air. Everyone's face turned ashen at this sight. Just then, a loud cry was heard coming from nearby, and Liang Xiao recognized the sound. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw that to the right side of the Lou ship, a massive object had risen up, blocking the wave head, which retreated backward.

  Liáng Xiāo was overjoyed, shouting "Whale Auntie", the giant whale responded with a loud cry, as if answering him. In the blink of an eye, four giant whales emerged from the front, back, left and right of the building ship, forming a winnowing basket formation, surrounding the ship. The only sound was the howling wind, the huge waves hitting the sky, crashing onto the backs of the whales, sending pearls flying, turning into a vast white rain.

  Having been blessed by the whale, the building boat swayed gently, as if in a safe harbor, with an unspeakable sense of peace and tranquility. Everyone stared at the whales, speechless. After a long time, Hua Xiao Shuang asked: "Xiao Gege, which one is Whale Aunt?" Liang Xiao looked for a while, shook his head and said: "They are all the same mold, I can't tell either." Liu Yan Yan scolded: "Heartless guy, have you forgotten your lifesaver too?"

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "You're right, I deserve a beating!" As he spoke, he stretched out his face. Liu Xiangxiang coldly smiled and said, "You're just talking big with no sincerity, besides your thick skin would hurt my hand! Xiaoshuang you come, don't use your palm, using an oar is better." Hua Xiaoshuang smiled and said, "I won't hit him, I'll just fine him to find Aunt Whale." Liang Xiao wryly smiled and said, "You might as well just beat me." The two girls laughed.

  The wind and waves grew more urgent, with only giant waves rising and falling, and the sky was almost invisible. Although there were huge whales protecting them, the people on the boat still couldn't sleep, their eyes wide open, sitting in the cabin, taking turns telling stories to pass the time. They talked until the next day at dawn, when the light gradually turned white and the wind and waves calmed down. After another three quarters of an hour, the giant whales dispersed in all directions, and everyone's hearts were filled with joy, rushing to the bow of the boat, shading their eyes with their hands, and gazing out into the distance. They saw the blue sea and sky, white clouds scattered thinly, the red sun shining brightly on the water, and countless sparks flying up from the surface of the sea. The waves were like thin clouds at the horizon, rolling and unfolding, several silver fish leaping up like arrows, suddenly stabbing back into the sea, splashing water flowers in all directions.

  Everyone's heart is filled with joy, as if they were reborn. Suddenly, a humming sound is heard, and when they turn to look, a group of giant whales are swimming together in unison, shaking their heads and tails, slowly heading towards the distance. The last one has two small round whales accompanying it, and Liang Xiao excitedly shouts: "Whale Auntie!"

  The giant whale and its calf seemed to have heard the call, turned around again, swam around the building boat in circles, and made a series of calls. Liang Xiao didn't quite understand it in his heart, but he also heard the meaning of farewell, knowing that this time they parted ways, there was no chance to meet again, and unconsciously felt a pain in his chest, opened his mouth and let out a long howl, the sound echoing in the sky. The giant whale also made a long call, with a rhythm that seemed so natural, full of vitality.

  One man, one whale, either shouting or singing, sang in harmony with each other for a long time. Suddenly, Liang Xiao stopped his shout and watched as the giant whale mother and son sank into the depths of the sea. He turned back to the cabin without a word. The two women knew he was upset and accompanied him in silence. After a long silence, Liang Xiao gave the order to set sail. At that time, the wind had already subsided, and fortunately, the sun was high in the sky. Liang Xiao stood up on the deck and erected a wooden stick as a sundial, calculating their direction from the shadow of the sun. Having gone through this ordeal, he developed a sense of reverence for the vast ocean, fearing that the wind and waves would come unexpectedly, so he divided everyone into two shifts, working day and night. During the day, it was Hua Sheng's turn, and at night, it was his own turn with Liu Yingying, taking turns to push the waterwheel.

  Zhao Bing had a good scare, and after calming down, he was exhausted and sleepy. He hastily ate and drank something, and then fell into a deep sleep. This sleep lasted until the next morning, when his childlike nature got the better of him again, and he couldn't sit still anymore. He woke up Hua Xiao Shuang and dragged her out of the cabin to move around.

  Two people walked out of the cabin, and saw that the sky was clear and bright, with stars twinkling, a crescent moon sinking in the west, shining on the buildings and ships like silver and snow. Suddenly, a sea breeze blew over, salty and wet. Zhao Bing only felt his nose itching, couldn't help but let out a sneeze, and suddenly heard Liu Yingying's laughter from the back of the ship: "Bing'er, are you awake?" Zhao Bing was delighted in his heart, ran quickly to catch up, and Hua Xiaoxue feared he would fall into the sea, hastily following behind. The two turned to the back of the ship, and saw Liu Yingying sitting opposite Liang Xiao, who was lowering his head to fiddle with a pile of square wooden boards.

  Zhao Bing called out "Uncle" and sat down beside him. Liang Xiao stroked his head, smiling: "Little lazy worm, did you sleep soundly?" Zhao Bing grinned from ear to ear, staring at the wooden board on the ground, curiously asking: "Uncle, what is this?" Liang Xiao smiled: "If you can guess it, that's impressive!" Zhao Bing scratched his head a few times, pouting and saying: "I couldn't guess." He turned around and asked, "Frost Auntie, do you know?"

  Hua Xiao Shuang was talking to Liu Yingying while holding hands, and laughed: "This is the art of pulling stars!" Liu Yingying stroked her cheek and said with a smile: "You're still smart, you guessed it right away. I don't know anything, I just watch him fooling around." Hua Xiao Shuang's face turned red, and she whispered: "I only know roughly, I don't understand the deeper places either."

  Zhao Bing's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked curiously, "What is this 'Collar Star Technique'?" Hua Xiao Xue replied, "I've heard that it's a method used by sailors to determine their direction at night. The wooden board is called the Collar Star Board, and there are twelve of them. The largest one is eight inches long, with each subsequent piece decreasing in length by two tenths of an inch, so the smallest one is only two tenths of an inch long. As for this small stone block, it's called the Deficient Carving Stone Board, with carvings on all four sides. When using it, you just need to find the North Star in the night sky, hold the wooden board in the middle, stretch out your arm, and align the board so that the North Star is above and the horizontal line is below. By replacing calculations with these twelve wooden boards and small stone blocks, we can figure out where we are. As for the specific calculation method, I don't know." Zhao Bing listened in confusion, looking at Liang Xiao with blinking eyes. Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Wait until you're older, and I'll teach you then."

  Hua Xiao Shuang smiled and said, "Heng Er, Uncle is a master of learning, unparalleled in the world. He's willing to teach you, it's your good fortune." Liu Yueyue shook her head and said, "What's the point of learning these weird things? Heng Er, why don't you learn martial arts instead? With martial arts skills, you can go anywhere." Liang Xiao nodded and said, "That's also good. I can teach you all sorts of fist techniques, swordplay, archery, and spear techniques - anything that can be used to kill or harm people. If you want to become an emperor, I can even teach you strategic military tactics and economic skills. After ten years of accumulating wealth and ten years of war, when the bodies pile up like mountains and blood flows like rivers, you'll be able to revive the great Song dynasty and become a legendary hero. All the emperors and generals from ancient times to the present won't be able to compare to you." He spoke eloquently, but Zhao Heng grew more and more frightened, trembling slightly before bursting into tears. Liu Yueyue hugged him tightly and scolded Liang Xiao, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

  Li Wei shook his head and sighed, "I'm not bragging. The Mongols are constantly at war, the country's situation is difficult to sustain. But this battle has come down, and it can't be helped that countless civilians have been killed or injured." He paused for a moment, gazing at Zhao Bing, "Bing'er, I'll ask you again, do you really not want to be emperor?"

  Liu Yingying listened to his boastful words, but her face was very stern, without a hint of playfulness. Just as she was surprised and suspicious, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist. She turned to look at Hua Xiaoxue, who was staring at Zhao Kuang with her whole body trembling, her fingernails unknowingly digging into her own flesh. Liu Yingying's heart skipped a beat: "Is this little scoundrel for real?" She knew that Liang Xiao took his promises very seriously, and if he could rescue Zhao Kuang because of one promise, it was not impossible that he would help him revive the Song Dynasty because of another word.

  Zhao Bing was stared at by three adults, and for a moment he forgot to cry. After a long while, he said: "I don't want to be an emperor, nor do I want to learn Uncle's skills. If Bing'er wants to learn, he will learn from Frost Auntie." Liu Yingying asked strangely: "Why?" Zhao Bing scrunched up his small face and said seriously: "If I have Frost Auntie's skills, I can cure people's illnesses. If I can cure illnesses, Brother won't die either..." As soon as he said this, his throat choked up, and tears fell again.

  Everyone who heard this was stunned. Liang Xiao looked up at the sky and thought to himself, "How ridiculous that I, Liang Xiao, have lived for 20 years without being as good as a child. Fortunately, he has such an idea, very good, very good, it's not in vain that I risked my life nine times to save him." He felt relieved in his heart and burst out laughing loudly. Everyone saw how delighted he was and couldn't understand why.

  The next day, the sun was shining brightly. Liang Xiao saw many wooden blocks floating in the sea, resembling house beams, and guessed that they were not far from the shore. He immediately woke up Hua Sheng, and together they rowed the building boat with a force like flying arrows. Around noon, they saw a long, dark shadow looming in the distance through the misty clouds. Liu Yingying, sitting at the bow, was the first to spot it and exclaimed: "It's land!" Everyone came out of the cabin to look, and they were all overjoyed.

  In the evening, the building boat docked, and everyone abandoned the boat to go ashore, looking for a coastal village. Unexpectedly, after searching for two villages, only ruins were left. The four people were puzzled and continued on their way for several miles before finally seeing houses. They then learned that this place belonged to Guangzhou and had recently experienced a tsunami, with all the coastal villages suffering greatly. It turned out that the big storm of the previous day was actually a tsunami, leaving everyone shaken. That night, they stayed at a farmer's house.

  The next day, they set out northwards. At that time, the Great Song had already perished, and the Yuan court re-established the prefectures and counties, issued a proclamation to pacify the people, and the common folk returned home after being plundered. The world gradually became peaceful.

  On this day, passing through Huizhou, Hua Xiaoxue remembered something and said to Liang Xiao: "In the past, Mr. Dongpo was an official here, and his beloved concubine Chao Yun died of malaria. Her tomb is not far from here. In his later years, Mr. Dongpo was in a state of exile and hardship, but Chao Yun followed him for thousands of miles without changing her heart. She was a woman with great loyalty and righteousness. Now that we are in Huizhou, I would like to pay my respects to her." Liang Xiao listened and stood up respectfully, agreeing with a clap of his hands. Liu Yanyan, however, coldly smiled and said: "She was just someone's concubine, is she worth paying respects to?" But seeing Hua Xiaoxue's gloomy expression, she turned around and laughed, saying: "I was just teasing you, forget it. Let's just say I was talking nonsense. She had loyalty and righteousness, so it won't hurt to pay our respects."

  Everyone set out at noon. Hua Xiao Shuang was frowning all the way, while Liu Yingying was in high spirits, teasing Hua Sheng one moment and playing with Zhao Bing the next, and constantly arguing with Liang Xiao. The tomb of Chao Yun was located by a lake, surrounded by beautiful trees, and a lone grave was hidden deep within the dense shade, evoking a sense of desolation. Next to the grave stood an octagonal pavilion, which had not been repaired for a long time and had already collapsed. Everyone came forward to pay their respects, Liang Xiao showing his respect for Chao Yun's heavy emotions and righteousness, bowed first, Hua Xiao Shuang followed suit, while Hua Sheng and Zhao Bing didn't understand the reason, seeing the two bowing down, they also bowed down. Only Liu Yingying did not come forward, standing under a weeping willow tree, twirling a willow branch and watching with cold eyes.

  The worship has been decided, and Liang Xiao invites Huaxiao Xue to repair the small pavilion by the tomb. Huaxiao Xue steps forward, only to see that the pillars of the pavilion are mottled, and a couplet can be vaguely seen, which is elegant and refined, and is indeed the handwriting of Dongpo. The upper couplet reads: "No increase, no decrease, no birth, no destruction, no defilement, no purity", while the lower couplet reads: "Like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like dew, like lightning". She recites these two couplets several times, thinking of her own life, and feels that human life is like a dream, an illusion, and the morning dew, with joys and sorrows coming easily, and she can't help but shed tears.

  "Xiao Feng, why are you crying?" Huasheng asked in surprise. Hua Xiaofeng hastily wiped away her tears and changed the subject, saying: "Huasheng, do you know that this couplet comes from Buddhist scriptures and has a great origin? In the Diamond Sutra, it is said: 'All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; Like dew, also like lightning. One should view them as such.' All Buddhist teachings in the world do not go beyond this boundary." Huasheng seemed to understand but didn't really get it, and just hummed in response, but he didn't bother to think deeply about it because his heart was not stained with any dust.

  Liang Xiao gazed silently at the couplet, and after a while, he sighed: "The principles of the world are mostly interconnected. If one can practice martial arts to the realm of 'like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like dew, like lightning', they will be invincible in the world! Hua Sheng, your martial arts come from Buddhist law, if you want to make progress, you must penetrate these twelve characters." Hua Sheng's eyebrows furrowed, feeling even more confused. At this time, Liu Yuying took away the offerings and smiled: "Hua Sheng, let's eat..."

  Hua Sheng patted his forehead, smiled with his eyes open, and nodded: "Yes, yes..." He ignored others, grabbed wine with one hand and meat with the other, moving left and right, right and left. In a flash, his mouth was stuffed full. Liu Yingying glanced at everyone, held back her laughter and said: "You all talk about Buddhist law, martial arts, but none of you can compare to my single shout. Hmph, when Little Monk heard the word 'eat', he ran like lightning, drank with bubbles in his mouth, ate meat until it was gone, and got drunk as if in a dream!" Everyone burst out laughing.

  Liu Yingying pulled Hua Xiaoxue over, wiped away her tears and said softly: "Silly girl, crying again? You're too sentimental and will hurt yourself. Since you came to have fun, you should be happy and carefree." Hua Xiaoxue nodded: "Sister is right, I'm so silly, I shouldn't cry." She picked up a jug of wine and drank from it directly, she never drank before, but felt the spicy and pungent taste, couldn't help but cough. Liu Yingying patted her back, frowned and said: "You don't learn from others, but come to learn from Hua Sheng?"

  Hua Xiao Shuang coughed twice, leaned on Liu Yingying's shoulder, and took two more sips. Her face was originally pale, but after the wine entered her throat, it seemed to add a touch of rouge, making her even more beautiful. Liu Yingying looked at her for a moment, smiled and said: "Liang Xiao, if Hua Xiao Shuang's complexion were a bit rosier, she would be a great beauty!" Liang Xiao smiled and continued drinking with Hua Sheng.

  Liu Yingying stroked the girl's beautiful hair and said, "Xiao Shuang, if you recover from your illness, you must take good care of yourself and grow into a plump and lovely person." Hua Xiao Shuang nodded, then suddenly lowered her voice and whispered, "Sister Liu, will you promise me something?" Liu Yingying asked, "What is it?" Hua Xiao Shuang said, "It's not a bad thing, good sister, just promise me first." Liu Yingying smiled and said, "Where's the logic in that? You tell me first, then I'll consider it. I won't do anything that will put me at a disadvantage."

  Hua Xiao Shuang sighed, remained silent for a moment, and then said softly: "Sister, please treat Xiao Gege well throughout your life! Love him and care for him, no matter what, don't despise him, and let him be lonely!" Liu Yingying asked strangely: "Foolish girl, why are you saying these things?" Hua Xiao Shuang grasped her hand, trembling as she said: "Sister, promise me this time, okay?" Liu Yingying furrowed her brow: "Foolish girl, if he treats me badly, why should I treat him well?"

  Hua Xiao Shuang's body trembled, and she turned her head to look at the ground, tears falling drop by drop. Liu Yingying couldn't bear it, and said gently, "Don't cry, I'll agree to it." Hua Xiao Shuang burst into laughter, wiping away tears, "Sister, I knew you would always treat him well!" She poured wine and raised her cup, saying, "Xiao Shuang respects you with three cups." Liu Yingying was taken aback, and laughed, "You want to have a drinking contest with me? That's like playing with a big axe in front of the Lu Ban Gate." With a surge of boldness, she drank three cups with Hua Xiao Shuang.

  Zhao Bing ate two fruits and saw everyone drinking with interest, so he said: "Uncle, can I drink too?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "Good, take a big sip." Zhao Bing smiled and drank a mouthful, his face suddenly changed, frowned and spat out the wine, spitting out all the wine in his mouth. Liang Xiao smiled and asked: "Is it good to drink?" Zhao Bing's eyes were filled with tears, he panted with his small mouth, and shook his head vigorously. Liang Xiao smiled and said: "Remember, children can't drink." Liu Yingying scolded: "You're always bullying kids, come on, let's have a drinking contest at the door of my classroom!" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "If you are Lu Ban, I am Lu Ban's master." Liu Yingying scolded: "You are Lu Ban's useless grandson, always bragging!"

  Liang Xiao and Liu Xiangxiang started drinking, with each of them taking turns to drink a cup. Hua Xiaoxue had already drunk three cups and was no longer able to withstand the effects of the wine, so she fell over onto one side. Liang Xiao and Liu Xiangxiang became more and more excited as they drank, pointing fingers at each other and guessing fists. Liang Xiao was skilled at calculating, and Liu Xiangxiang lost nine out of ten times; even when he won once, it was because Liang Xiao had intentionally let him win. Before long, Liu Xiangxiang's eyes became blurry from drunkenness, and he fell over onto one side, cursing and muttering to himself. Liang Xiao then drank with Hua Sheng again, but Zhao Bing couldn't hold on any longer and went to sleep in the pavilion. The two of them continued drinking until nightfall, when Liang Xiao finally collapsed from drunkenness. Hua Sheng summoned up his last bit of energy and finished off all the remaining wine and meat; only then was he satisfied, and he urinated at the side of Liu Ru Pavilion before hugging a pillar and losing consciousness in the darkness.

  The bright moon rose from the top of the eastern mountain, and the clouds were thick and dark, flowing and changing unpredictably. Suddenly a gust of wind came, and Hua Xiao Xue sat up slowly, spitting out a small black pellet, and walked quietly to Liang Xiao. She looked at him for a long time, then said softly: "Liang Gege, I'm leaving! I wanted to say goodbye to you, but if you speak, I won't be able to leave! Alas, I can only use this inferior method... Actually, I don't want to leave, but what choice do I have? You can't treat two people well at the same time, and my sister will get angry. I'm not happy either... Mother-in-law said that beautiful women are bound to be bad, but it seems she's wrong... Liu Jie is not only beautiful, but also very kind..." She spoke to this point, her voice choked with sobs, and her fingers lightly brushed against Liang Xiao's temples. A small drop of water fell on his face, shining brightly in the moonlight.

  Hua Xiao Shuang let out a long sigh and said, "Sister Liu has promised me that she will treat you well for the rest of her life. She is a heroine among women, true to her word. From now on, I don't have to worry about you anymore... but... alas... for some reason, my heart still feels sad... but if I don't leave, what can be done?..." A few tears fell onto Liang Xiao's face and then slid into the mud.

  Hua Xiao Shuang took out a yellow object from her bosom and said in a low voice, "I put ** in the wine. After drinking it, you will sleep for a long time, but after smelling this fragrant osmanthus, you will wake up after two incense sticks... By that time, I will have gone far away..." As she spoke, she stood up and walked to one side, shouldering the bamboo frame full of medical books. She looked back at the crowd, her nose souring, tears gushing out like a spring. She gritted her teeth, made up her mind, and was about to take a step when she suddenly felt a numbness in the back of her neck and couldn't move.

  Hua Xiao Shuang was shocked, but then heard Liu Ying Ying sigh and say: "Little fool, where are you going?" Hua Xiao Shuang exclaimed in surprise: "Sister, you're not drunk..." Liu Ying Ying said calmly: "I've been eating and sleeping with you, how could you deceive me? I watched you buy medicine, prepare the medicine, and take the medicine. Of course, you didn't drink a single drop of wine, and threw it all up." Hua Xiao Shuang's heart was in disarray, stuttering and stumbling over her words, but then heard Liu Ying Ying say again: "Little fool, sleep well, when you wake up, you won't be in pain or trouble..." Hua Xiao Shuang called out "Sister", and suddenly felt a shock to the back of her head, and fainted.

  Liu Yingying patted the frost on her horse's mane, walked to the side of Zhu Er, stroked the soft horsehair, and a bitter smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Just as she was about to mount the horse, she suddenly heard a low voice say: "Yingying!" Liu Yingying's slender body trembled, and she said faintly: "You're awake too?" But then Liang Xiao sighed and said: "I knew there was deceit in the wine, but I didn't know who was behind it. I wanted to turn the tables, but unexpectedly..." Liu Yingying turned her head and saw that his eyes seemed to be shining with tears, and she felt a pang of pain in her heart. She shook her head and said: "Little scoundrel, I don't want to cry, and neither are you allowed to." Liang Xiao sighed and said softly: "Alright, I won't cry."

  Liu Yingying lifted her head, grasped a willow branch, and smiled, saying: "Little scamp, do you remember? The first time we met, you ruined my bamboo hat." Liang Xiao said: "I remember! At that time, your appearance with the willow hat was especially beautiful." Liu Yingying rebuked him, saying: "What kind of words are these? Am I not good-looking now?" Liang Xiao said: "You're even more beautiful now." Liu Yingying spat out a laugh and said: "You're just smooth-talking." With a snort of laughter, she continued, "It's good that you remember. You ruined my willow hat; should you compensate me or not?" Liang Xiao sighed and said: "A hundred times I should compensate." He reached out to pluck several willow branches, sat down on the spot, composed himself, and was about to start weaving when his waist suddenly tightened. He felt Liu Yingying's body pressed tightly against his back, hot as fire. In an instant, Liang Xiao's clothes were soaked with large patches of wetness. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a wisp of fragrance that lingered around him, seemingly there yet not quite there.

  At this moment, Liang Xiao couldn't help but softly call out: "Yingying..." Liu Yingying lowered her voice: "You just focus on weaving the bamboo hat, don't talk..." Liang Xiao slowly nodded, but his ten fingers trembled uncontrollably. He was usually skilled and quick at weaving, but now he kept making mistakes, having to start over again and again.

  The bright moon is in the middle of the sky, shining through the branches above, sprinkling down sparse and scattered silver. The mist rises from the surface of the lake, white and slightly transparent. Liang Xiao tied the last knot, exhaled and said: "It's done."

  Ling'er gently hummed, "Clumsy hands and feet, making me wait so long." She took the willow hat from him, put it on her head, and the soft willow branches fell in front of her face. With a gentle smile, she said, "Now it's better, you can't see me, but I can see you, this way we can talk more easily."

  Liang Xiao was silent, and Liu Yingying also fell silent for a moment. She stood up, looked at the sky, and sighed, "Liang Xiao, I'm telling you, Xiaoshuang is a little fool, but you're an even bigger fool." Liang Xiao was pondering the meaning behind her words when she continued, "I'm a very intelligent person. My master once said, 'Intelligent people can only deal with other intelligent people, they can't reason with fools.' Don't you agree?" Liang Xiao smiled wryly and said, "Am I even more foolish than Huasheng?" Liu Yingying sighed and said, "You're the biggest fool in the world, he's just the second. So, it's not that you don't want me, but rather... I don't want you... isn't that right?" She turned to her horse, jumped on, and rode away. Liang Xiao stared blankly, muttering to himself, "Yes, I'm not worthy of you..." Liu Yingying suddenly became angry and shouted, "Agreed, my ass!" She whipped her horse, leaving a bloody mark on Liang Xiao's forehead.

  The willow was startled and suddenly reined in her horse, shouting: "Dead Liang Xiao, you little demon, I'll hate you for eight lifetimes..." As she shouted, she turned around and leaned on the horse's back, transforming into a faint green mist that merged into the dense night. The hoofbeats gradually faded away, initially sounding like rain hitting lotus leaves, but soon disappeared after a moment.

  Liang Xiao stood by the lake, his heart feeling dazed and confused, as if he had returned to the back of a whale, standing alone in the vastness of the sea and sky, with no support or dependence. Another gust of wind came, and the lake's surface rippled with several circles of waves, the willow branches swaying in the wind, rustling softly, and scattered dry leaves fell on Liang Xiao's shoulders. He picked up a leaf, looked up, and saw a thin crescent moon sinking to the west, the darkness of night all around, obscure and unknowable.

  Liang Xiao stood still for a long time, let out a long sigh, turned around and walked to Hua Xiao Shuang's side, transferring his internal energy into her heart. Hua Xiao Shuang woke up as if from a dream, cried out in surprise: "Liu sister..." looked around. Liang Xiao shook his head: "Don't look anymore, she left, went back to Tian Shan." Hua Xiao Shuang was stunned, burst into tears: "Why did she leave? She...she promised me, to be good to you for a lifetime, she said it but didn't keep her word......Waaahhh...she deceived people...deceived people..." clenched her fists and pounded the ground.

  Liang Xiao pressed her shoulder and sighed, "Xiao Shuang, do you dislike me that much?" Hua Xiao Shuang was taken aback, shaking her head, "I... how could I?" Liang Xiao said, "If you don't dislike me, why keep saying you want to leave? Alright, all of you can leave, and I'll become a monk with Hua Sheng..." Hua Xiao Shuang panicked, covering his mouth with her hand, hastily saying, "I didn't mean that... I... I'm afraid it will be difficult for you..." She was both shy and anxious, speaking incoherently. Liang Xiao smiled slightly, saying, "Don't worry, from now on, I won't make things difficult for you anymore!" Hua Xiao Shuang lifted her head, opening wide her tearful eyes, staring fixedly at Liang Xiao.

  Liang Xiao Dao said, "I'm not drunk, I heard every word you said and I remember them all. I'll never forget them in my lifetime." Hua Xiao Xue covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing the cry that was about to escape.

  Liang Xiao looked at her and smiled bitterly, "Silly girl, you can't even deceive a sparrow, let alone me? Your tricks only work on Flower Born."

  Hua Xiao Xue's face turned bright red as she lowered her head, her mind in disarray. She could hardly hear anything, but with great effort, she calmed herself down and heard Liang Xiao say, "When your tears fell on my face, I made up my mind. If the swallow wants to leave, I won't stop her."

  Hua Xiao Xue couldn't help but lift her head and say, "Brother Xiao, this isn't right..." Liang Xiao didn't let her continue, waving his hand and saying, "Right or wrong, it's all in the past. From now on, I'll be with you, and I'll never leave again..."

  He tightly grasped Hua Xiao Xue's hands, locking eyes with her, his gaze filled with determination. "In this life, I will never leave again!"

  Hua Xiao Shuang felt a slight dizziness in front of her eyes, almost fainting. This sentence had echoed in her heart and dreams countless times, but hearing it by her ear was the first time. For a moment, she was overwhelmed with emotions, unsure whether it was joy or sorrow, heartache or happiness. After being stunned for a long time, she threw herself into Liang Xiao's arms, tears streaming down her face, wailing loudly.

  She didn't know how long she had cried, but she felt that all the grievances and hardships of her life were flowing out with these tears. Her body seemed to have turned into a feather, light and floating, tired and drowsy, unable to speak, and fell asleep in a haze.

  She saw her sleeping with tears on her face, but a smile at the corner of her mouth. Not wanting to disturb her, he sat down beside her and held her in his arms. Before long, he fell asleep too. When he woke up, he was dazed for a moment, then heard someone calling him. He opened his eyes to see Hua Sheng stumbling around, holding onto the pillar of the pavilion, shouting: "Liang Xiao! Liang Xiao!" The effects of the medicine had not worn off yet, and he struggled to get up, but fell down again. He mumbled: "Liang Xiao... uh... I've been drinking since I was young, never got drunk... uh, let's drink some more..." He hugged an empty wine jug and tilted it, but nothing came out. Then, holding onto the pillar, he stumbled around, saying: "Liang Xiao... uh... your legs are harder than wood, it hurts so much to bump into them..." He felt his way up the pillar, saying: "Uh... where's the top? Why is there no top? Uh... just like a big pillar..."

  Liang Xiao was both angry and amused, while Hua Xiao Xue also woke up to the sound, feeling embarrassed and puzzled. She took some fragrant wine and had Hua Sheng smell it. Hua Sheng suddenly woke up with a start, looked at the pillar in his arms, scratched his head and exclaimed: "Ah, why am I hugging this pillar?" Hua Xiao Xue and Liang Xiao exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and smiled wryly.

  The two of them didn't say anything, and Hua Sheng also didn't know what was going on. Before long, Zhao Bing also woke up. The two asked about Liu Yingying, but Liang Xiao only said she had returned to Tian Shan. For many days, the two had been through thick and thin with Liu Yingying, and upon hearing that she had left without saying goodbye, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of loss. Fortunately, one was just a child, and the other was a foolish monk, so their emotions came and went quickly, and after feeling sad for half a day, they put it aside. It was Hua Xiaoxiao who thought about Liu Yingying returning to Tian Shan alone, with a difficult journey ahead of her, and couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.

  The crowd rested for half a day and then set off northwards. After the disaster of the knife and the plague in Guangdong, many people died. Hua Xiao Shuang picked herbs to save people, rushing around everywhere, stopping and starting, staying in Guangdong for over a month. On this day, the crowd passed through Mei Ridge and entered Jiangxi. Just as they were walking, they suddenly heard two mournful cries from ahead. The crowd rushed forward and saw that two farmers were lying on the ground, their hoes scattered to one side, with both elbows and knees broken.

  Hua Xiao Shuang quickly helped the two of them set their broken bones, her technique was skilled and after bandaging they felt much better. Liang Xiao asked: "Who poisoned you?" The two men looked at each other with a bewildered expression, one of them trembling said: "We were walking fine, then our hands and feet started hurting, when we woke up we were lying here." Hua Xiao Shuang was surprised: "You didn't see anyone?" The two men shouted in unison: "No one, it's a ghost!" Liang Xiao scolded: "Nonsense!"

  Two men were frightened by him, and they became as silent as cicadas in winter. Liang Xiao thought that this technique of separating tendons and bones was clearly from a high-level martial arts expert, so why did he have trouble with ordinary farmers? He couldn't figure it out, so he asked a few more questions, but the two men just mumbled and said they hadn't seen the culprit. Liang Xiao had no choice but to escort them back home, then pretended to leave, turned around and secretly hid in ambush, guarding for a whole night, but there was no movement.

  The murderer refused to show up, and Liang Xiao was unable to do anything. The group continued on their way. However, after traveling less than twenty miles, they heard another scream. Liang Xiao rushed forward and saw a woodcutter lying on the mountain slope with two bundles of firewood and an axe scattered on the ground. He took a closer look and found that the woodcutter's limbs were also broken. Liang Xiao asked him about the cause, but the woodcutter said he didn't see the murderer either. After a moment of silence, Liang Xiao frowned, stood up, and shouted loudly: "If you're a good man, come out!"

  These two sentences used the "Whale Breathing Skill", and were transmitted far away, only to be echoed back from the mountains after a long time. At this time, the other three people also arrived, and Hua Xiao Xue asked: "Xiao Gege, what's going on?" Liang Xiao sighed: "I knew it would be fine!" Hua Xiao Xue didn't ask any more questions, and quietly tied up the woodcutter's hands and feet, letting Hua Sheng carry him back home. Who knew that not far from where they left, a miserable cry arose from the northwest, seemingly not just one person. Having gone through this twice before, the crowd was no longer surprised, and upon going forward to take a look, four more traveling merchants were lying on the road, their hands and feet broken, each crying out in agony.

  Huaxiao Sheng Bodhisattva was also very angry and said, "For no reason to break someone's hands and feet, how hateful! Xiao Gege, we caught the murderer, he must admit his mistake." Liang Xiao coldly smiled and did not speak, thinking in his heart: "Not only admitting mistakes, catching him, I will definitely break his hands and feet!"

  After that, every twenty miles or so, there would be a scream in front. Either refugees fleeing back to their hometowns, or peddlers wandering through the countryside, or rural farmers, or urban commoners. One by one, they were maimed and crippled, wailing and crying out in pain. As Liang Xiao walked on, his mood grew increasingly heavy, until he couldn't help but say on the second day: "This is very strange, the killer must be targeting us." Hua Xiaoxue said: "If he had a grudge against us, why not just take revenge directly? Why would he vent his anger on others?" Liang Xiao said: "Think about it, every time we hear a scream, it's either in the northwest or northeast. Although it's sometimes east and sometimes west, twisting and turning, it ultimately doesn't leave the north. As soon as we deviate from our path, there's a scream! It looks like he wants to lead me north." Hua Xiaoxue worried: "What should we do?"

  Liang Xiao thought for a moment, then coldly laughed and said: "He wants me to go north, but I'll go east instead. Let's see if he shows up!" Hua Xiao Xue hesitated and said: "What if he doesn't have any ill intentions and just likes to harm people? If we go east and more civilians get hurt, who will save them?" Liang Xiao was speechless, his brow furrowed in concern. Hua Xiao Xue continued: "If he wants us to go north, then let's go north. Maybe if we follow his wishes, he won't harm anyone." Liang Xiao felt that this approach went against his nature and said displeased: "This evil person is being suspiciously quiet, there must be a hidden plot. It's just me, I can handle him alone, but what if something happens to you or Zhao Bing?" Hua Xiao Xue sighed and said: "But if we go east, for the rest of my life, I won't have peace of mind." The two locked eyes in silence, when suddenly Hua Sheng became impatient and shouted: "Liang Xiao, the sun is setting! If we miss our lodging, there won't be any food to eat!" Liang Xiao angrily retorted: "I don't need you to teach me!" He picked up Zhao Bing and took large strides northward. Hua Xiao Xue saw that he had agreed and felt a warmth in her heart, quickly following behind him.

  Everyone headed north, and as expected by Hua Xiao Shuang, the number of casualties decreased. Liang Xiao finally calmed down and watched to see what tricks he had up his sleeve. They crossed the Yellow River in this manner for over a month. In the distance, they saw the outline of the capital city. Looking up, they saw a massive city stretching across the north, with a tortoise-shaped hill to the south and a dragon-shaped mountain to the north. The gates were like a beast's mouth, swallowing up wealth from all directions. The moat was as wide as the Honggou River, gathering water from hundreds of springs. To the south of the city, a group of soldiers were lined up in formation, searching merchants who were entering the city. Liang Xiao hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to step forward, someone called out: "Wang old brother, what are you doing here?"