When he got to the main hall, Nanzhu first sat down with everyone to reminisce about the past, and then talked about what had happened after they separated. His marriage with Ji had been obstructed in every way, with Guo Feng and Shun Shigong secretly sabotaging it. Fortunately, Ji was interested, and the marriage was finally settled.
Biyou Palace is an important place in Penglai and also Nanzhu's sleeping palace. It cannot be opened to the public. Moreover, it is small and inconvenient to receive guests. The main island of Penglai is controlled by Liuyu Gong Guofeng, and Xianshe Island is the sphere of influence of Pingcang Gong. Neither side is right. The monarch and his subjects made concessions to each other. Finally, it was decided that the wedding ceremony would be held on Linggui Island of Shunshi Gong, including receiving guests and other matters.
Nanzhu said to Gu Pinglin: "I'm sorry to trouble you this time. I will settle you all on the Fairy Snake Island."
On the night of the wedding, the newlyweds moved into the bedroom, so it was not convenient for Gu Pinglin and his group to stay in the Biyou Palace. Lord Pingcang was one of their own, so they would feel more comfortable on Xianshe Island than Linggui Island. Gu Pinglin said, "That's great, thank you for your trouble."
Bu Shuihan said: "Since we have a wife, we should live outside."
Nanzhu smiled cheerfully: "You all know Qi Niang. She will definitely not mind even if she lives in Biyou Palace next time."
Duan Qingming raised his glass and said, "Madam, you don't mind, but we dare not be so shameless. Cousin Wan'er, do you think so?"
When talking about Ji Qinnan, Qi Wan'er didn't say much and just snorted.
Nanzhu was very generous and smiled at him, "Ji originally wanted Brother Qi, but Brother Qi was not interested. Now I have got the beauty."
Qi Wan'er felt a little uncomfortable, and said with a cupped hand: "I have no fate with the Ji family. The South Island Master is a man of great talent, and he deserves this beauty. This is not an insult to her. I came out this time to find my sister's whereabouts. I will leave after the wedding wine. I hope the South Island Master will not mind."
Nanzhu nodded: "Looking for your sister is a big deal, how can you blame me? Don't worry, I will arrange for you and Brother Yao to leave the island secretly."
Qi Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you."
Not long after they sat down, someone came from outside to report something. Knowing that Nanzhu was busy, everyone got up and said goodbye. Nanzhu then ordered her servants to send everyone to the Fairy Snake Island for settlement.
Gu Pinglin slowed down his pace and waited for Bu Shuihan and the others to leave. He suddenly turned around and said, "Aunt Ji has been in Penglai for a few days."
Nanzhu was stunned: "I just came last month, why are you asking this?"
Gu Pinglin said: "You trust her very much."
Nanzhu calmly asked back, "What's wrong with that?"
"I'm just a little confused," Gu Pinglin said, "You don't seem like someone who would trust others easily."
Nanzhu smiled and said, "I have my reasons. First, she is Qi Niang's wet nurse. Second, the Ji family has placed such a heavy trust in me. They will not harm me now, but will help me wholeheartedly. Naturally, I have to trust them more."
Gu Pinglin said: "I see."
"Let's put this aside," Nanzhu approached him, "I just wanted to ask you, do you have any plans to find a Taoist partner?"
Gu Pinglin asked, "Minggong's daughter?"
"No wonder Mu Zhi said you are so smart," Nan Zhu said, "Don't worry, I treat you as a brother so I dare to say this. I married Ji and gave up Gongnu, but it was forced by the situation, not because she is not good. Marrying her will benefit you and Lingxin Sect."
Gu Pinglin laughed: "Just that?"
Nanzhu frowned and said, "You doubt me? I do want to use this opportunity to win over Lord Shunshi, but it's not all for myself. Not to mention that the princess is smart and clever, if you marry her, our relationship will be even closer. From now on, Lingxin Sect and Penglai Island will be as close as brothers, isn't that good?" He said seriously, "You also know that she had her eyes on Duan Liu before. This girl is not very content. Now that I marry Ji, she must have other plans. Duan Liu is much more talented than you. I think there must be many people in Lingxin Sect who support him. The princess has the power of Lord Shunshi behind her. If they become a Taoist couple, I'm afraid it will be bad for you..."
"No." Gu Pinglin interrupted him.
Nanzhu looked unhappy: "You believe too much..."
"I have my reasons. Thank you for your kindness, Brother Nan." Gu Pinglin ended the topic. "You don't have to worry. Shun Shigong is not good at making decisions. When you were weak, he never submitted to Guo Feng, and he will not do so now. Even if Minggong's daughter does not marry you, she will definitely not marry a force related to Guo Feng."
Nanzhu thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense. Well, since you are sure, I won't persuade you any more. Let's go. I'll take you out."
Gu Pinglin followed and walked out, saying casually: "I haven't seen you for a long time. Brother Nan has changed a lot."
"Really? I don't think so." Nanzhu raised her hand and patted his shoulder, smiling, "No matter what, our brotherhood will never change."
"Of course," Gu Pinglin said, "but everyone has desires. When people have something in their hearts, it is easy for outsiders to take advantage of their weaknesses. Brother Nan has great ambitions, but he should not be too eager. He should control his state of mind."
Nanzhu froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "I understand the reason."
Gu Pinglin said nothing more, and the two of them walked to the dock. Bu Shuihan and the others were already waiting on the boat. Duan Qingming stood at the bow. He was tall, and his white clothes reflected against the blue water made him more conspicuous. Next to him stood Ming Gongnu.
Lady Ming bowed and saluted Nanzhu, explaining, "I just happened to be going back, so I'll take you all to Fairy Snake Island."
Nanzhu looked at Gu Pinglin and nodded: "Thank you, my lady."
Gu Pinglin boarded the ship, and everyone headed for the Fairy Snake Island. Lady Ming introduced the scenery of the three Penglai Islands in detail, many of which people had never heard of or seen before. She spoke in a gentle voice, which was very touching. Everyone knew her well when they were in the sea, and they talked and laughed without restraint. Even Yao Feng asked a few questions, but Qi Wan'er sat far away on a chair, with a slight contempt in her eyes, and did not come forward to talk.
Gu Pinglin walked over and asked: "Brother Qi, you are not interested in the scenery of Penglai?"
Qi Wan'er hesitated and said, "I always feel that there is something strange about Penglai, don't you think so?"
Gu Pinglin said: "Really? I don't think so."
Qi Wan'er shook her head: "The South Island Master's demeanor and behavior seem to be different."
Gu Pinglin said: "People will change. Now that he has the help of Ji family and has become the legitimate owner of Penglai Island, he will certainly be more confident in what he says and does than before."
Qi Wan'er seemed to be thinking about something.
Gu Pinglin didn't want him to mess with someone he shouldn't mess with, so he reminded him, "You and I are guests, and the matter of Penglai Island has nothing to do with us."
"That's right." Qi Wan'er really put the matter aside after hearing this. She looked at Duan Qingming and Ming Gongnu at the bow and couldn't help but say, "My cousin's talent is far better than yours. He should be very popular in the sect."
Gu Pinglin said: "Of course."
Qi Wan'er said, "This woman is very clever."
"Minggong's daughter?" Gu Pinglin asked with interest, "How is it?"
Qi Wan'er hesitated to speak, after all, it was not good to talk about a woman behind her back: "Nothing, just a casual remark. There are many noble families who fight for a little benefit, unlike your Taoist sect. Cousin Duan should have no intention of fighting with you."
Gu Pinglin nodded: "Brother Duan wants to perfect his swordsmanship and has no intention of becoming the head of the sect."
Qi Wan'er said, "You created a new sword art, how can you be compared to the position of a mere head of a sect?" Realizing that he had made a mistake, he immediately added, "You created the sword art of formations to make up for your lack of talent, which is also unique."
He had always been arrogant and had previously been quite disdainful of the Way of the Sword. He had never expected that after leaving the Qi Clan, his state of mind would have improved so much. Gu Pinglin could not help but be surprised: "Brother Qi, you must have gained a lot from your trip outside the mountain."
Qi Wan'er really said, "During the time I spent outside the mountain, I witnessed authentic and extraordinary swordsmanship. I realized that there is always someone better than you. After thinking about it, I realized that Yao's swordsmanship, cousin Duan's swordsmanship, Yan Sen's swordsmanship, and your swordsmanship all have their own strengths. There are more than a million swordsmanships in the world. Yan Sen was able to integrate soul arts into his swordsmanship, so who says that swordsmanship can't be integrated with formation arts? The so-called authentic is nothing but a superficial view of the world. It turns out that I have never left the Qi family, so I am blinded by one thing."
It's wrong, but he is so direct to me, so I say this person is lovable. Gu Pinglin said happily: "Congratulations, brother Qi, with such a state of mind, your swordsmanship will surely reach a higher level."
"Of course," Qi Wan'er said without thinking, raising her eyebrows, "When Chaoge's new sword is completed in the future, I will definitely challenge you to a duel."
Gu Pinglin smiled: "This is a blessing for Gu Jiu, but Aunt Ji San may have recognized you now, so you need to make plans early."
Qi Wan'er was surprised and shook her head: "Although we have contacts with the Ji family, our relationship is not deep. I have never seen her." He thought about it for a moment and confirmed: "I have been in seclusion for many years. She can't recognize me."
Gu Pinglin said, "Although she doesn't recognize you, you are a famous genius of the Qi family. The relationship between the noble families is complicated, so how could they not ask about you? The Qi family has been looking for you everywhere, so there must be a portrait of you circulating. Moreover, Ji Qiniang is in love with you and may have collected your portrait. She is Qiniang's wet nurse, so it is possible that she saw it by chance."
When Qi Wan'er heard this, her brows gradually furrowed.
"You don't have to worry too much. Maybe I'm overthinking it," Gu Pinglin said. "But it's better to be prepared than to be in trouble. Why don't you discuss with Brother Yao first and ask the South Island Master to help keep an eye on the Qi family. That way, if there's any movement, you'll be the first to get the news."
Qi Wan'er was slightly delighted when she heard this: "Brother Gu, you are thoughtful. Thank you very much."
"We are all friends, no need to be polite." Gu Pinglin pressed his shoulder and walked away with his hands behind his back.
The more Qi Wan'er thought about it, the more she felt that this was possible. She stood up and was about to go and discuss it with Yao Feng. Suddenly, she remembered that she was still in a cold war with Yao Feng. She couldn't put her face aside for the moment, so she could only pace back and forth in front of the window.
But Yao Feng noticed something was wrong and came over to ask, "What's wrong?"
Qi Wan'er coughed twice and turned her face away: "Nothing, just a little trouble."
Yao Feng immediately asked: "What happened?"
Seeing his concern, Qi Wan'er was afraid of being caught and taken back to Qi's family, so she didn't care about being angry anymore, and the two of them went to the back of the cabin to discuss. Qi Wan'er didn't talk much with the people of Penglai Island. Everyone knew about the feud between Qi's family and Penglai, so they didn't care.
The Biyou Palace was not far from the Fairy Snake Island. Lady Ming led the group on a tour, deliberately slowing down the boat and circling the three large islands for nearly two hours. The group did not find it boring.
Lady Ming patiently explained the scenery of the main island, and suddenly pointed ahead, looking back and smiling: "Ahead is our Linggui Island, Master Gu hasn't been there yet, right?"
Everyone looked over.
Gu Pinglin had been silent the whole time, but after hearing this, he spoke up: "Indeed, no. I've often heard that the Fairy Waterfall on Linggui Island is one of the five scenic spots in Penglai, and the corals on Linggui Island are even more of a treasure."
The daughter of Minggong said in a gentle voice: "I originally wanted to invite Master Gu to live on Linggui Island, but the island owner was afraid that too many guests would disturb everyone's peace and quiet. If Master Gu is interested, I will take you to visit it another day."
Gu Pinglin raised his eyes slightly and met the half-smiled gaze of the man next to him: "How dare I trouble you, my lady."
"Master Gu is a distinguished guest of Penglai. It is my honor that he is willing to show me his respect. Why would I bother you?"
"In that case, it would be disrespectful to refuse."
Lady Ming smiled and said sympathetically, "You all have come from afar, and I have disturbed you for half a day. I am afraid you must be tired. I will send you to the Fairy Snake Island first."
The boat speeded up and soon arrived at the Fairy Snake Island. Lord Pingcang had received the news and was waiting at the dock to welcome everyone to the island. Since Jun Muzhi entered the Tiancan Sect, Nanzhu lost his arm. Now he is trying his best to make more friends for Nanzhu, and he is worthy of being a loyal old minister.
Compared to the small Biyou Palace, the Penglai Three Islands are much larger. Xianshe Island is not only guarded by cultivators, but also inhabited by many fishermen and common people. In terms of numbers, they are the main residents of the island. The prosperity of Xianshe Island comes from these weak mortals. Everyone lives in a courtyard in the south. The terrain here is high and the view is wide. Standing on the corridor, you can see the bustling streets in the distance and the boundless East China Sea.
Lord Pingcang escorted Gu Pinglin and the others to the yard, chatted with them for a few words, and then returned home. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
On the corridor, Gu Pinglin called Duan Qingming: "I want to borrow Cheng Yi for a while."
Duan Qingming smiled and said, "He is not my man, so it's up to you."
Gu Pinglin stopped talking, stood on the veranda and looked at the scenery for a while, then prepared to go back to his room. When he turned around, he heard Duan Qingming's voice from behind.
“What did Nanzhu say?”