As dusk fell, Huo Zhanbai and Liao Qingran prepared to head south to Lin'an.
In this kind of weather that is about to snow, Wei Liao and his wife should have lit a small red clay stove in the Gu Mulan Courtyard, drank Green Ant new wine by the window, and played rock-paper-scissors. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by this tactless person.
"Thank you for your hard work," Huo Zhanbai looked at the woman who had traveled all night and apologized, "Liao..."
However, the word of address got stuck in his throat - according to the status of Xue Ziye's friend, he should call him senior; and once he uttered the word senior, wouldn't he be admitting that he was inferior to Wei Wu
"Seventh Young Master, you're welcome." Liao Qingran didn't mind these details. He patted the sleeping child, turned around and handed him to Wei Fengxing, and reminded him: "The weather is still cold these days. Don't let Abao catch a cold. The food should be heated up and wear more clothes when going out. If you make any mistakes, I will punish you when I come back!"
Wei Fengxing held the child in his arms and nodded timidly, not daring to say a word.
How could this be the suave and charming Wei Wu Gongzi who charmed countless women in the past? He was clearly a sheep intimidated by the Hedong Lion. Huo Zhanbai could only watch with amusement, but he didn't dare to speak.
He finally understood where Xue Ziye's temper came from. It was true that like master, like disciple.
"Feng Xing, I'm going with the Seventh Young Master first." Liao Qingran climbed onto the horse and gave careful instructions, "It's not certain how long we'll be gone, it all depends on Xu Mo's condition - three to five days at the fastest, one to two months at the slowest. You'll be alone at home, so you need to be extra careful -" After giving her gentle instructions here, her tone suddenly changed: "If I find out that you and Xia Qianyu go to that kind of place to fool around again, I'll break your legs!"
"Yes, yes." Wei Fengxing was not angry. He just hugged Abao and nodded repeatedly.
In the twilight, the air was cold and the clouds were gray, with a faint sign of snow. Wei Fengxing took out something from his side, shook it open and it turned out to be a cloak. He came over and wrapped it around his wife: "Even if you are a miracle doctor, you have to be careful not to catch a cold."
Liao Qingran raised the corner of her mouth, and suddenly turned her head to kiss him on the forehead, revealing a childish look: "I know. Stay home and wait for me to bring your favorite plum blossom cake from Lin'an."
She rode away along the grass path first, and Huo Zhanbai jumped on his horse and looked back at the man standing in the yard holding the child and watching them go. Suddenly, he felt a little disappointed.
The so-called fairy couple is just like this.
He caught up with Liao Qingran, and the two rode side by side. The woman was wearing a hood and running fast in the night. Although she was over 30 years old, she looked more gentle and graceful like a piece of beautiful jade, with a noble temperament.
Lao Wu is such a lucky guy.
Huo Zhanbai vaguely remembered that many years ago, in a battle with the Southern Xinjiang Moon Worship Sect, Wei Fengxing was seriously injured and left the Central Plains for medical treatment, and returned a year later. I think the two of them met at that time - then the woman resigned from the position of the head of the Pharmacist Valley and came to the Central Plains under an assumed name; and the young and vigorous Wei Wu Gongzi also retired from the martial arts world and lived a fairy-like life together.
"Mr. Huo Qi, actually I have to thank you very much—" He was still distracted when he suddenly heard a sigh in his ear.
He was slightly shocked, and turned back to meet Liao Qingran's meaningful eyes: "Because of you, my silly disciple finally gave up that unrealistic fantasy. She was immersed in that dream for too long. Now that the obsession is broken, everything can start over again."
She looked at him with a smile: "Mr. Huo Qi, I wonder when you will be able to see through the obsession in your heart?"
Huo Zhanbai stroked the Dayuan horse that Xue Ziye had given him, and suddenly smiled: "Valley Master Liao, your disciple has a good alcohol tolerance. When Mo'er's illness is fully recovered, I want to go back to the Pharmacist Valley and have another good fight with her."
"Really? Then you can't drink better than her." Liao Qingran pulled the hood behind her ears and winked at him. "I taught her how to drink and play rock-paper-scissors. She has already surpassed me. You know? That's how Feng Xing lost himself to me back then."
"Ah?" Huo Zhanbai was surprised and burst out laughing.
"Haha," Liao Qingran looked at him and laughed, "If you go, you may make the same mistake again."
"Hahaha," Huo Zhanbai was startled for a moment, then burst into laughter again, spurred his horse and galloped away, answering loudly, "That's good too!"
The dusk was deep, and a little snow had already begun to fall. Huo Zhanbai looked up at the falling snow while running, and suddenly he felt a little lost: What was that woman doing now? Was she drinking alone, or talking to the person under the ice
Such a lonely valley... Time seems to have stopped.
He suddenly found himself unable to stop thinking about her. On the eve of returning to Lin'an to end everything, he unloaded the burden on his heart, and every bit of the past eight years emerged vividly... That night, the bright moon in the snow, the falling plum blossoms, and the person sleeping in his arms all seemed to be right in front of him.
Maybe... it's really time to say goodbye to the past.
How he wished he was still the young man eight years ago, who was persistent and reckless; he also believed that he would maintain this hopeless and passionate love for the rest of his life - however, everything eventually faded away over the years. Strangely, he did not feel sad about this disappearance, nor did he feel ashamed for giving up.
It turns out that even the deepest feelings in life cannot withstand the passage of time.
Liu Feifei was smart. He knew it was impossible to get it, so he let it go and chose another kind of happiness that he could grasp. What about him? In fact, when he woke up on a snowy night, he had already let go of the thread in his heart that he thought would never be let go, right
He rode all the way south, but his heart remained in the north.
"In fact, I have already lost myself to her..." Huo Zhanbai thought for a long time, then suddenly looked at Ye Xue and sighed, then said something without thinking, "I miss her so much."
Liao Qingran, who had been busy walking, was stunned for a moment and turned his head to look at the young man.
—The story of the seventh brother Feng Xing was spread all over the world. His high spirits, his crazy persistence, his forbearance and perseverance. All these things were discussed by the people in the world, and they shook their heads and sighed.
However, on this snowy night, when he was about to fulfill his long-cherished wish, he suddenly changed his mind
With a whistle, the flying snow kite turned and landed gently on his shoulder, looking at him with its black eyes. He freed one hand and wrote a few lines with charcoal, then tied a cloth to the snow kite's feet, patted its wings, and pointed to the sky at the end of the north: "Go."
The Snow Kites seemed to understand what its master meant. It grunted, flapped its wings, and flew away, disappearing into the snow and wind.
The piece of cloth fluttered in the wind and snow, but the few lines of words on it exuded a hint of warmth:
"Green ants, new wine, red clay stove. It's going to snow in the evening, can you have a drink?"
Purple night, I will return north soon, please wait for me with warm wine under the plum tree.
I will definitely beat you.
On the second night, the two men, who had been riding at full speed all night, arrived at Qingbo Gate.
It had just snowed in Lin'an, and some snow was still on the Broken Bridge. The two men had no time to appreciate it, so they rode their horses through the snow like a gust of wind, and fell off their horses at the foot of Jiuyao Mountain on the eastern outskirts of the city.
"Is Madam Xu here?" Liao Qingran dismounted with the medicine bag on his back and looked at a small building among the willows. Suddenly, his face changed, "Oh no!"
Huo Zhanbai looked up and saw the white cloth on the door lintel and the faint crying sound coming from inside. His face changed drastically.
"Qiu Shui!" he exclaimed, rushing in, "Qiu Shui!"
He pushed aside the curtain in front of the coffin and rushed in, and saw a small coffin placed under the flickering candlelight in front of the coffin. The child inside had his eyes tightly closed, his cheeks deeply sunken, and his small body curled up into a ball.
"Mo'er? Mo'er!" He felt as if he was struck by lightning. He leaned over to check her breath and it was already ice-cold.
There was a clanging sound in the back hall, as if some porcelain had fallen to the ground and broken.
"You are late." Suddenly, he heard a cold voice say.
"You're always late." The voice said coldly, with deep madness hidden in its calmness. "Ha... Are you here to see how Mo'er died? Or - to see how I died?"
As if a basin of ice water was poured down from his head, Huo Zhanbai suddenly turned his head and blurted out: "Qiu Shui!"
A beautiful woman came out from behind the mourning hall, dressed in white, with blood oozing from the corners of her mouth. She staggered towards him and slowly stretched out her hands to him - her fingers were a terrifying purple. He looked at the face that had haunted him since he was a teenager, and found that after not seeing her for more than half a year, she had become so haggard that he couldn't bear to look at her.
For a moment, his mind went blank and he stood there unable to move.
"Huo Zhanbai, why are you always late..." she murmured, "Always... too late..."
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to feel that her black hair was turning gray one by one.
"Oh no! Catch her!" Liao Qingran rushed in and saw the other person's face and fingers, and exclaimed, "She has taken poison! Catch her!"
"What?" He suddenly woke up and subconsciously tried to grab Qiu Shuiyin's hand, but she escaped nimbly.
“Hehe… come and catch me…” The woman in white turned around lightly, with bloodshot on the corners of her lips, her eyes hazy yet clear, she ran towards the back hall holding up the hem of her skirt, giggling, “Come and catch me… If you catch me, I will—”
Before she finished her words, Huo Zhanbai had already rushed over like lightning, grabbed her shoulders, and called out in a trembling voice: "Qiu Shui!"
"If I catch you, I'll kill you!" Those eyes suddenly showed crazy hatred, "Kill you!"
"Be careful!" Liao Qingran screamed behind him. With a swish sound, Huo Zhanbai's shoulder was cut by the sharp blade. However, his face was livid, and he didn't care about the injury on his shoulder at all. He exerted his internal force in his palm and instantly knocked the crazy woman unconscious.
"It's too late... You can't catch me..." Before she fainted, the haggard woman raised her hand and pinched the wound on his shoulder viciously, "I asked you to catch me... But you didn't! You're too late...
“When I married into the Xu family, I was waiting for you to stop me and take me away... Why did you come so late
“Later… I begged you to save my husband… But you, why did you come so late
"One day ago, Moer slowly breathed her last in my arms... Why did you come so late!!"
His blood flowed down her fingers, but he seemed unaware.
"Ha, ha! It's too late... too late! We missed our whole life..." She murmured, her voice gradually weakening, and she slowly fell to the ground, "Huo, Huo Zhanbai... I hate you so much."
Liao Qingran leaned over to take his pulse and check his complexion, then hurriedly took out a bottle of green medicine from his medicine bag: "Duanchangsan."
—This woman must have waited in vain for a savior, watched her only son die, and drank the poison in despair, trying to end her own life.
Unexpectedly, I rushed to Lin'an overnight, but failed to save the person I was supposed to save, and instead had to save another person who was not planned.
Liao Qingran flipped Qiu Shuiyin's eyelids and said, "This time, we have to watch over her for at least three days - but when she wakes up, we have to confirm whether there is anything wrong with her mental state... Her mood just now was too wrong."
However, when she looked up, the female doctor was suddenly stunned—
"Is it too late?" Huo Zhanbai murmured, his hands gradually trembling, as if he was knocked down by the past that swept in. The illusions that had disappeared for many nights came back again, the beautiful girl ran in the apricot blossom forest with her skirt lifted, turned back and smiled at him - he always thought it was just a joke, but he didn't know that it was her first and last request.
"Come and catch me... If you catch me, I will marry you."
—Her smile reappearing before his eyes again and again only accelerated his collapse.
He lowered his head dejectedly, staring at the pale and haggard face, tears streaming down his face.
He finally realized that the hand of fate that was strangling his throat had never loosened its grip—it was destined by fate. It destined him to wait in vain, destined her to wander and feel resentful.
All kinds of grudges are deeply rooted and difficult to resolve, like drawing a knife to cut water, and they cannot be easily resolved.
There was a huge snowstorm outside the door, blowing from the far north, sweeping across the city of Jiangnan with its sparse water clouds and willows.
In the heavy snow, a white bird flew against the wind, and a piece of cloth tied around its feet fluttered in the wind and snow.
It’s going to snow in the evening, where is the way home
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
The moment the woman who lost her child drank the poison with a wild laugh, someone thousands miles away was awakened.
Xue Ziye sat up suddenly in the middle of the night and felt inexplicably cold.
In her dream just now, she dreamed that she was running away, with countless bloody blades coming from behind her... However, the person holding her hand was not Xue Huai. Who was it? She just turned her head to see the person's face clearly, and the ice under her feet broke with a crack.
"Huo Zhanbai!" she exclaimed and sat up in cold sweat.
The summer garden is peaceful, with deep green shade and countless luminous butterflies dancing.
However, as she sat by the window, recalling her dream, she had a bad feeling. She didn't know whether Huo Zhanbai had arrived in Lin'an, whether Mo'er had been saved, and she even had a feeling that she would never see him again.
"Valley Master Xue, what's wrong?" Someone suddenly spoke softly outside the window, startling her.
"Who?!" She opened the window and saw the strange blue hair. She let out a breath, then couldn't hold back her anger and exploded. She grabbed the pillow and threw it at him, "What are you crazy about? What are you doing under someone's window in the middle of the night as a patient? Get back here!"
Miao Feng was startled by her, but he still kept his usual smile on his face. He just turned slightly and raised his hand, and the flying pillow seemed to have eyes and stopped in his hand obediently.
"Before Valley Master Xue arrives at the Great Guangming Palace, I want to make sure you are safe at all times." He returned the pillow and bowed slightly.
"…" Xue Ziye was speechless for a moment and waved his hand, "Forget it, the valley is safe, you should go back and have a good sleep."
"No need," Miao Feng still smiled, "I have been protecting the King of the Church for many years, I am used to it."
Are you used to not sleeping? Or are you used to standing under someone's window all night? Or are you ready to give up your life to protect someone at any time? Xue Ziye looked at him for a moment, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He sighed, put on his clothes and walked out.
"Master Xue isn't going to sleep anymore?" He was a little surprised.
"I'm not going to sleep anymore," she said, holding a glass lantern and walking towards the lake. "I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep."
Miao Feng didn't say much, but just followed her quietly through the Alsophila affine forest. Along the way, countless luminous butterflies flew around him, and several even tried to land on his shoulders.
Xue Ziye looked at him and couldn't help but smile slightly: "You really don't look like Wu Mingzi from the Demon Cult."
Miaofeng didn't understand what she meant and just smiled.
"Even butterflies won't land on someone who is too murderous." Xue Ziye raised her hand, and another luminous butterfly folded its wings and landed on her fingertips. She looked at Miao Feng, a little curious, "Have you ever killed anyone?"
"I have killed many." Miao Feng smiled faintly, without disguising it, "And, a lot of them."
After a pause, he added: "I came out of the Shura Field. Among the five hundred people, only Tong and I stayed. The other four hundred and ninety-eight were all killed."
Tong? Xue Ziye's body suddenly shook, he silently held the lamp tightly and turned around.
"Do you know Tong?" She heard herself ask this question involuntarily, her voice trembling a little.
Miao Feng was slightly surprised and paused: "I know him."
"How... did he get to your sect?" Xue Ziye asked softly, but his eyes gradually focused.
Miao Feng's eyebrows raised slightly, as if trying to figure out why the woman asked this question, but the corners of his mouth were still smiling: "This... I don't know. Because since I met Tong, he has lost his memories of the past."
"… Really?" Xue Ziye murmured and sighed, "Are you his friend?"
Miao Feng smiled slightly and shook his head: "There are no friends in the Shura Field."
"This is so strange..." Xue Ziye stopped by the lake and turned to look at him. "You have killed as many people as he has, but why is your murderous aura so restrained? Is your martial arts better than his?"
"Valley Master is wrong," Miao Feng smiled and shook his head, "If we duel, I may not be Tong's opponent."
He tilted his head, picked up a luminous butterfly on his shoulder, and smiled: "It's just that I'm not like him who is in charge of the Shura Field and has to be ready to fight with people at any time - unless someone threatens the King of the Church, otherwise..." He moved his fingers, and the luminous butterfly flew to the branch: "I don't have the intention to kill anyone."
Xue Ziye turned his head to look at him and suddenly smiled: "Interesting."
She walked forward with the lantern in hand, passing through the Summer Garden and heading toward the center of the lake. Miao Feng followed quietly behind her, his footsteps so light that they seemed nonexistent.
The lake was filled with ice and fire. She couldn't help but cough slightly and lowered her head to look at the familiar face under the ice. Xue Huai... This may be the last time I come to see you. Because tomorrow, I will go to that devil's cave and bring Ming Jie back.
Will your soul in heaven bless us
The young man sank and floated in the cold water, with an eternal smile on his face and his eyes slightly closed.
She lay on the ice, staring at it quietly, and suddenly she felt infinitely tired and clear-headed—Xue Huai, I know you will never wake up again... I understood it when I gave the purple jade hairpin to Huo Zhanbai. However, the dead are gone, but I cannot let go of the living. I am leaving here, crossing the snowy plain to Kunlun... Maybe I will never come back.
You have been sleeping alone in this cold water for so many years. Do you feel lonely
Perhaps, Huo Zhanbai is right. I shouldn't force you to stay like this. I should let you be free as soon as possible and return to reincarnation.
She leaned over the ice, looking at the person under it. The bone-chilling cold made her cough violently. The glass lamp swayed in her hand, reflecting a bright light on the ice.
A hand gently pressed between her shoulder blades, and a warm current flowed silently, and she felt her whole body instantly as if bathed in spring breeze.
"It's very cold at night," the voice behind him was calm and gentle, "Valley Master Xue, please take care of yourself."
She slowly stood up and stood on the ice for a long time, then whispered, "Before I leave tomorrow, please help me take Xue Huai away as well."
Miao Feng nodded silently, watching her turn around with the lantern and walk towards the Summer Garden - her footsteps were so light that they did not stir up a single snowflake, like a ghost in the cold night. Is there something very important to her hidden in this lake
He took one last look at the frozen boy under the ice, and a sigh flashed across his smiling face. He slowly leaned down, raised his palm, and cut the ice. It was as if there was a flame burning in his hand, and the knife easily cut through the thick ice.
With a click, the person underwater floated to the surface.
Miaofeng took off his cloak and wrapped it around the lifelike young man under the ice.
The next day, they left Pharmacist Valley as scheduled.
Lu'er and Shuanghong were very nervous about the Valley Master going out of the valley for the first time in many years. They rushed to express their desire to go with him, but Xue Ziye rejected them without hesitation - what kind of place is the Great Guangming Palace? How could she let these girls follow her on an adventure
The maids had no choice but to do their best to prepare her luggage.
When Xue Ziye walked out of the valley, he saw the luxurious carriage pulled by eight horses and the carriage full of items. He couldn't help but open his eyes wide in surprise: coats, shawls, hand warmers, charcoal, flints, food, medicine bags... everything was there.
"Do you think I'm going to open a grocery store?" Xue Ziye picked up the coats of various styles and the jingling hand warmers in the carriage, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "There are even five hand warmers! Stupid girl, you might as well put the entire Pharmacist Valley in there!"
The maids hesitated and made faces at each other.
"These things are useless - just listen to Aunt Ning and do what you need to do." Xue Ziye came out of the carriage with a bunch of sundries in one hand and threw them back to Lu'er. He looked back at Gu Miaofeng and suddenly lowered his voice, "Please help me take Xue Huai with me... ok?"
"Just follow the Valley Master's orders." Before the maids around could come to their senses, Miao Feng bowed, pointed her toes and disappeared.
In just a moment, he returned from the lakeside, holding something wrapped in a cloak in his hand. He jumped to the side of the carriage, nodded slightly to Xue Ziye, and leaned over to put the cloak into the carriage.
"Xue Huai..." Xue Ziye murmured and sighed, uncovered a corner of the cloak, and looked at the cold face, "We are going home."
The maids looked at the corpse wrapped in the cloak in shock, and could hardly believe their eyes - this, this is not the boy frozen under the lake? It has been so many years. Now, the owner of the valley actually dug him out from under the ice
"By the way, Lu'er, don't forget what I told you!" Xue Ziye turned around and told him before jumping on the carriage, with a smile on his lips. Before the maids could respond, Miao Feng had already boarded the carriage, shouted, and whipped the long whip, driving the carriage forward.
It rolled over the white snow in an instant and disappeared in the wind and snow at the valley entrance.
Thousands of miles away, a white bird was flying over the capital, flapping its wings hard in the wind and snow of the Forbidden City, heading north.
The wind was strong and the snow was heavy. The cloth fluttered in the wind like a gray handkerchief of fate.
―――――――――――――――――――
At sunset the next day, they walked out of the snowy plain along the Mohe River and set foot on the official road covered with heavy snow.
Next to a dilapidated post station, Xue Ziye signaled Miao Feng to stop the car.
"Right here." She lifted the heavy curtain, coughed slightly, and struggled to carry out the person wrapped in the cloak.
"I'll do it." Miao Feng jumped out of the car, stretched out his arms to take it, and turned his head to look at the deserted village on the side of the road - it was a village that had been abandoned for many years. No one had lived there for a long time, and the heavy snow had crushed most of the wooden houses. The wind whistled past, making a sharp sound in the empty village.
He turned around holding the corpse and saw the dilapidated village. Suddenly, a light flashed in the depths of his eyes.
—Sure enough, it’s this place?!
Xue Ziye held his shoulders and got out of the car. He stood under the dead fir tree next to the post station, stared for a moment, then walked silently on the knee-deep snow, struggling to walk towards the village.
Miao Feng also followed her silently and came to the open space in the north of the village.
There, there are vaguely raised mounds of graves, which is the village cemetery.
After the catastrophe twelve years ago, the master had brought her back here and carefully collected the remains of every villager. Everyone returned to this ancestral cemetery and reunited in the soil of their hometown - only Xue Huai was left sleeping under the ice. He must be very lonely, right
"Bury it here." She stared silently for a moment, covered her mouth and coughed violently, took out a dagger from her sleeve, and began to dig.
However, the soil that had been frozen for many years was as hard as iron. She dug with all her strength, but only poked a pale white dot on the frozen soil.
"Let me do it." Not wanting to waste time, Miao Feng bent down beside her and stretched out his hand - he didn't have any tools, but the hard frozen soil cracked like tofu under his palm. Just one cut and it cracked a foot deep.
"Get out of here! Let me do it myself!" However, she became angry, pushed him away, and stabbed the ground with the dagger even harder.
Miao Feng looked at her silently, without saying anything else, and just pressed his hands to the ground.
The internal energy surged out from the palm of his hand, silently penetrating into the ground, melting the frozen soil that had been frozen for eternity inch by inch.
Xue Ziye poked the soil with all his strength, coughing. At first, the frozen soil was as hard as iron, but as he dug it down, the soil under the dagger began to soften, and it became easier as time went on. An hour later, a pit eight feet long and three feet wide had been dug.
She knelt on the snow, panting exhaustedly, and carefully moved Xue Huai into the pit.
She scattered the broken dirt with shaking hands. The dirt mixed with snow gradually covered the pale face - she gritted her teeth and stared at the familiar face without blinking. If she sprinkled the dirt again, she would never see it again... No one would take her to see the northern lights again, and no one would hold her up when she fell into the dark glacier.
The dream that had been held on for more than ten years, the words that had been said, the things that had been promised, would all come to an end completely after this moment - from now on, she would no longer have any reason to escape reality.
The wind and snow were like knives. She stood up exhausted in a daze, and suddenly her eyes went dark.
"careful!"
When I woke up, I was already in a carriage. The carriage was shaking slowly and moving forward over the snow.
Miao Feng took her on the road without delay. It seemed that the condition of the demon on Kunlun Mountain was extremely critical. The wind was howling outside. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling blankly for a long time. The glass lamp was also shaking slightly. She felt cold all over, as if cold needles were piercing her limbs.
So... Is my body really that weak
In a trance, I suddenly heard a faint sound of music coming from the snow outside -
“… Kudzu grows with thorns, and sedges grow in the wild. My beauty is lost here. Who will be with me? I am alone!
“Summer days, winter nights, after a hundred years, return to their home.
"Winter nights, summer days. After a hundred years, return to your room."
At that moment, it was as if a sharp sword had pierced her heart. Tears suddenly flowed from her eyes, which had been dry during the funeral. She cried bitterly to the music. Wasn't that "Ge Sheng"? The poem that describes the ancient woman burying her loved one.
"The thorns are covered with vines, and the hills are covered with weeds. My loved ones are buried here.
"Who will keep him company? Only loneliness!
"Summer days are long, winter nights are bleak. I will come here to sleep with you in a hundred years."
—Every word of that, deeply rooted in her heart at the moment. So comforting and submissive, like a hand, sadly yet gently caressing her. She sat up suddenly, pulled aside the curtain and looked out.
"Master Xue, are you awake?" The music stopped and the person outside the car poked his head in.
"Is it you?" She saw the piccolo at his waist and stopped asking questions. She turned her head to hide the tears on her face.
"Are you hungry?" Miao Feng still smiled and handed over a package - wrapped in a cloth was the orange soft cake that was prepared in the carriage. In such a windy and snowy weather, it was still steaming in my hand.
"It's frozen. I warmed it up." Miao Feng smiled and threw another wine bag over. "This is the medicinal wine that Lu'er and the others prepared. They said you should rely on this to drive away the cold. It's also hot."
Xue Ziye was stunned for a moment, but before he could say anything, Miao Feng lowered the curtain and turned around to continue driving the carriage.
Alas... Facing this person with a smiling mask and no temper, she couldn't even find a chance to get angry or complain - she took a bite of the soft cake, drank a sip of medicinal wine, and felt the suffocation in her chest slightly dissipated. Looking at the two handprints on the soft cake, she finally couldn't help laughing - such a profound and unique skill was used to heat up the leftovers, which was really a waste of effort.
However, he just laughed and then stopped abruptly.
She fell into the tiger-skin-covered carriage, and the things in her hands fell to the ground.
"Valley Master Xue!" Miao Feng tightened his wrist, and the speeding carriage came to a sudden stop. He stopped the carriage, opened the curtain and flew in, picked up the unconscious person, and pressed his right palm on the Xinlingtai acupoint on her back. The warm internal force surged into her, circulated in her tendons and veins, and melted the blood that was stagnant due to the cold.
After an incense stick of time had passed, Xue Ziye's breathing became steady and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey, did I just... faint?" She felt a hand against her from behind and immediately understood what was going on. She smiled bitterly, feeling a little embarrassed - as the head of the Pharmacist Valley, she actually needed someone to save her.
Miao Feng nodded slightly at her, and without further delay, he rushed out of the carriage again, flicked the whip, and urged the carriage to continue galloping westward - it had been twenty days since he was out, and he wondered how the King of Popes in the Great Light Palace was doing
Before leaving, the King of Church solemnly instructed him to return within a month, otherwise the outcome would be unpredictable.
Miao Feng frowned slightly. It's not just the illness that's unpredictable, right? There are also the subtle and complicated situation in the church, and the many subordinates who are ready to make a move. With the current power of the king, it's not easy to control the situation for a month. If a famous doctor is not invited as soon as possible, the Great Light Palace may be in for another bloody storm!
He was so anxious that he didn't care about the horse's strength and hurried westward.
The snowstorm was getting stronger and stronger, almost reaching the horses' knees. The carriage was stuck in the snow, and by nightfall, all eight horses were exhausted. Miao Feng had no choice but to stop the horses in front of a desert sheltered from the wind and take a rest.
After traveling for a day and a night, he felt a little hungry, so he lifted the curtain and prepared to enter the carriage to get some food.
However, when he lowered his head, he let out a cry of surprise.
—Xue Ziye leaned silently against the wall of the carriage, his eyes closed, his cheeks pale, and he fainted again.
Miao Feng was shocked, and quickly reached out and pressed the Lingtai point on her back, and once again used the Mu Chunfeng technique to penetrate her internal energy.
In less than a moment, Xue Ziye let out a breath and moved his fingers.
At this point, he realized that the severity of the cold in the other person's body was no longer able to maintain her own functions. If he did not frequently send his true energy into her body, he was afraid that she would not be able to maintain it for even half a day.
She woke up slowly. Miao Feng didn't dare to move his hand away. He just helped her sit up with one hand.
"I... did I faint again?" The chill in her limbs gradually dissipated, and she felt indescribably warm and comfortable. Xue Ziye opened her eyes and saw Miao Feng curing her cold again. She was such a smart person that she immediately realized that she had been in critical condition several times, and it was only with the help of the other party that she escaped from the gates of hell.
Miao Feng just smiled, as if wearing an eternal mask: "Master Xue, don't worry."
Xue Ziye forced a smile at him, but he couldn't help but worry in his heart - the "Spring Breeze" technique was extremely energy-consuming, how could it withstand such frequent use? Moreover, Miao Feng's cold poison was still a chronic disease, and he needed to use his energy to dissolve it every day. If he exhausted his true energy to prolong his life, how could he suppress the cold poison in his body
Seeing that her complexion had improved, Miaofeng released his hand that was supporting her, but his other hand never left the Xinlingtai acupoint on her back.
"Don't move yet," Xue Ziye leaned forward, took his hand off his vest, leaned over and pulled out the medicine bag he brought, "I'll find some medicine for you."
Miao Feng was slightly startled: "No need. The wound on the abdomen has almost healed."
"It's not the knife wound." Xue Ziye rummaged through a pile of pills and herbs, and finally found a long-necked mutton-fat jade bottle, "It's for curing the cold poison of ice silkworms—" She uncorked the bottle, poured a red bead into her palm, and held it in front of Miao Feng: "This 'Chitian' was refined by me three years ago, and it is most effective in curing the poison of ice silkworms."
Miao Feng looked at the bead and knew it was a very precious medicine. Once taken, it would put an end to the cold poison that was attacking him like a maggot. However, he just smiled and shook his head: "No need."
"What time is it!" Xue Ziye was slightly angry and scolded rudely.
"No need." Miao Feng smiled and shook his head, pushing her hand away, and said calmly, "The Ice Silkworm Poison is the mark given to me by my loving father. It is my honor, how can I give it up?"
"..." Xue Ziye never expected him to answer like this. He was stunned and sneered for a while, "So, you are really a lunatic!"
Miao Feng looked calm, not minding her sharp sarcasm. "The King of the Church has always been aloof and has a hard time trusting others. If I hadn't been poisoned by the ice silkworm and needed him to give me the antidote every month, how could he have allowed me to serve him? There are many wolves and tigers around in the Church, and I want to stay by his side, so..."
Having said this, as if realizing that he had said too much, Miao Feng stopped talking and looked at Xue Ziye apologetically: "Thank you for your kindness."
Xue Ziye stared blankly at the young man with blue hair and white clothes, as if he was moved by his desperate heart of protection. He was silent for a moment, then said, "You have to stop the car every hour to let me breathe, and the carriage is stuck in deep snow. If this continues, I'm afraid we won't be able to rush back to Kunlun in time to save your king."
Although Miao Feng still had a smile on his face, there was worry in his eyes.
"Let's abandon the carriage and ride lightly." Xue Ziye stood up, picked out the warmest lynx fur and put it on, put the hand warmer into his sleeve, and nodded to Miao Feng, "Take all eight horses with you. You and I will each ride one, and the other six can either carry necessary items or be empty. If the mount is exhausted, you can replace it with an empty horse - changing horses continuously like this should make us go much faster."
Miao Feng was slightly startled: "But the Valley Master's body..."
"It's okay." Xue Ziye smiled, opened the curtain and walked into the snowy wind, "Aren't you here?"
Miao Feng looked at her for a long time, then slowly bowed: "Thank you."
In the howling wind, the two men rode side by side along the desolate post road, and the snow covered the golden lynx fur.
Half an hour later, her face gradually turned pale, and the people beside her looked at her worriedly: "Valley Master Xue, can you support it?"
"It's okay." She tried to smile, but her frozen body suddenly lost balance and she fell directly off the galloping horse!
"Be careful!" Miao Feng instantly turned into a flash of lightning and quickly caught her before she fell on the snow.
"I'm sorry." Miao Feng sighed, pulled the lynx fur over her chest, and continued to gallop with one hand holding the reins, while the other hand returned to press on her Xinlingtai acupoint on the back of her head, and the warm internal energy continued to flow into her. He whispered: "If you can move, press both hands on my Xuanji acupoint."
Xue Ziye barely moved, raised his hand and pressed it on the center of his chest.
Suddenly, it was as if a warm current swept through the body unimpeded - the warm current rushed in from the Xinlingtai acupoint at the back of the body, flowed through the whole body, and then was injected back into Miaofeng's body through the palm, circulating over and over again, and the two seemed to have become one whole.
"That's it." The internal breath completed a cycle in the blink of an eye, and Miao Feng breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Lean on me and rest." He continued to hurry on, but the internal energy in his body kept flowing, melting away the coldness accumulated in her body. "That's good, don't worry - when we get to the next town, we will stop to rest."
"Yeah." Xue Ziye responded, a little worried, "Can you hold on by yourself?"
Miao Feng smiled slightly and just quickened his pace: "There is nothing that people who come out of Shura Field can't hold on to."
"Alas." Xue Ziye hid in the lynx fur coat, like a small animal wrapped in a golden ball of fur. She looked up at the face that always smiled, thinking, "In fact, it's not bad to live for only one person in my life. Miaofeng, do you feel happy?"
"Yeah." Miao Feng smiled, "Before I met the King of Popes, I was not needed by anyone."
Xue Ziye nodded and closed his eyes: "I understand."
As if she was extremely tired, she wrapped herself in golden lynx fur, curled up in his chest and fell asleep quietly.
The snow was still falling endlessly, fluttering like goose feathers, covering both of them. The horses galloping in the wind and snow were like a bolt of lightning tearing through the white sky.
Miao Feng lowered his head and glanced at the sleeping woman, and suddenly a trace of uneasiness flashed across his brows.
Yes, he remembered... Indeed, he had seen her before.
The wind is stronger and the snow is heavier.
After a night of rapid running, they had already crossed the Kizil Desert. In the snow ahead, wheel tracks and signs of human footsteps gradually appeared - he knew that if they went further they would reach Uliastai, where they could find a place to rest and fodder for the horses.
The day dawned slowly and the snowy night seemed endless.
Miaofeng also gradually felt tired. The hand holding the reins began to lose strength. His other hand loosened and the person in his arms almost slipped off the horse.
"Ah?" Xue Ziye woke up in a daze. When she opened her eyes, she found that the rider who was carrying her had fallen asleep. However, his body was straight, still riding the horse, protecting her as she moved forward.
She sighed slightly and raised one hand to pull up his fallen hood. Suddenly, she saw a slight movement on the ground, as if something was rising under the snow.
Is it an illusion
Looking carefully, there was nothing. The eight horses were still running, but the horse carrying two people slowed down significantly, panting, and could no longer keep up with its companions.
However, it was precisely that moment of lag that saved it.
"Swish--" Xue Ziye suddenly saw the horse running in front of him split into two pieces out of thin air!
A long knife suddenly rose up from the snow, facing the galloping horse. With just one sweep, it cut the galloping horse in half! The horse let out a mournful whine, and large amounts of blood splashed onto the snow, as if a gorgeous red flower had bloomed.
She cried out in surprise, but before she could make a sound, her body suddenly flew into the air.
A long knife stabbed out rapidly from under the snow, instantly piercing through the horse she was riding and going straight out of the saddle!
Miao Feng didn't know when he woke up, but before he opened his eyes, he picked her up and lifted her ten feet above the horse's back. He turned in mid-air and landed on another horse. Before she could finish her scream, she had already landed on the ground again.
"Chasing Lightning?!" Looking at the mount nailed to the snow, his eyes slowly focused.
This move that can kill a running horse with one sword should be the one that Zhui Dian is one of the Eight Horses in Shura Field!
Tong, who is in charge of the Shura Field of the Great Guangming Palace, selects one killer from the Great Guangming world every year and trains them into eight steeds for eight consecutive years - one is Zhuifeng, two is Baitu, three is Tujing, four is Zhuidian, five is Feipian, six is Tongjue, seven is Chenfu, and eight is Yanzhi. Each of them is an independent killer and has always been the most elite part of the Shura Field, and they directly obey Tong's command.
Now, could it be—
Just as he was thinking, the horse under him was startled again, and a faint light, almost invisible, flashed across the snow. With a slight snap, the horse was cut off at the knees, and fell headfirst with a sad cry.
In a flash, Miao Feng pressed the horse's head with his backhand, rushed out like an arrow, and stabbed the sword into the snow!
That was the first time Xue Ziye saw him take action. However, she did not see the man clearly, let alone the sword. She only saw a flash of red light on the snow, as if a flame was burning all the way on the sword. Where the sword fell, the snow on the ground melted instantly, revealing a human figure.
"It's you guys." Miao Feng's sword pinned the man under the snow's arm, preventing him from escaping again. He said coldly, "Whose order?"
"Hey." The masked man sneered, and suddenly he was shocked and his entire left hand was broken off!
The snow flew all over the place in an instant, hiding the man's figure.
"It's useless." Miao Feng sneered: Even if he had his companions to protect him, the blood on his arm would make him nowhere to hide in the snow.
He followed the blood trail and stabbed his sword into the snow again - this time, he was sure that he had pierced Zhuidian's chest. However, he only flew about ten feet before he realized something, turned around in an instant, and pounced on the horse with his sword!
"Swish-" an invisible thin line swept up from the snow, and just as it was wrapped around Xue Ziye's throat, it was cut off in time. However, another short arrow shot out from under the snow at the same time, piercing Xue Ziye's heart-the killers actually split into two groups to take the two of them!
Miao Feng's sword was still entangled in the thin wire. Seeing the short arrow shooting towards him from the snow nearby, he had no time to fight back. He just turned his body to the side and barely blocked it with his shoulder.
Xue Ziye let out a low cry and watched the arrow come out from behind his shoulder, the blood having turned green.
"It's okay." Miao Feng's expression remained unchanged. "Stand still."
"The arrow is poisonous!" Xue Ziye immediately reached into his arms, took out a bottle of white medicine, and quickly applied it to his wound.
This arrow... Could it be Fei Pian? Miao Feng was shocked. All eight horses have arrived
He didn't have time to think, he immediately raised his sword and plunged it into the snow, quickly drawing a circle.
There was a "ding" sound, and as expected, the sword hit something under the snow. The snow suddenly burst open, and someone jumped out of the snow, with a long horse-slaying sword falling head-on with a gust of wind!
Bronze Jue's Gold Cutting Slash!
The force of that blow was terrifying. Miao Feng rushed out diagonally after Tong Jue's slash, not meeting the attack head-on. His figure was as fast as a ghost, and he passed through the snow and mist in an instant. The sword in his hand drew a bright arc and disappeared in a flash.
At the moment when the two figures intersected, the bronze jug fell to the ground, and a trace of red flashed across the edge of Miao Feng's held sword.
He didn't dare to stay away. After succeeding in striking with his sword, he quickly flew back to Xue Ziye's side and whispered, "Are you okay?"
"Not... not bad." Xue Ziye stroked the cut on her throat and said softly. She looked at the sword in Miaofeng's hand with some awe - because it was filled with internal energy, this ordinary green steel sword was surging with red light, as if the flame was burning all the way.
At this moment, Miao Feng seemed to be a different person. The person who once scared flying butterflies was filled with a cold murderous aura that made people unable to look directly at him. The smile on his face was still there, but that smile was a cold smile that looked down on life and death and killed anyone who stood in his way.
As expected, he is worthy of being a master in Shura Field, along with Tong!
She tried to breathe in the snow, her face gradually turned pale, and her body was shaky. Miao Feng glanced around with the corner of his eyes, worried, knowing that if he didn't give her more air, she would not be able to hold on. However, at this moment, there were powerful enemies all around, and five of the Eight Horses had not yet appeared. How could he be careless
The ground was littered with horse carcasses, their bellies ripped open, a horrible sight.
“Zhuifeng, Baitu, Tingjing, Chenfu, Yanzhi, come out,” Miaofeng thrust the sword in his hand into the snow and spoke slowly. A murderous look slowly gathered on his usually smiling face. He crossed his hands and pressed them on the hilt, thrusting the sword into the snow bit by bit. “I know that Tong sent you here - don’t let me deal with you one by one, join forces!”
Xue Ziye was shocked and blurted out—Tong? Miao Feng said, these killers were assigned by Tong? !
She froze there, feeling chilled to the bone.
The sword was inserted into the snow, and it seemed as if there was a flame burning on the sword. The surrounding snow continued to melt and spread rapidly, and had actually melted all the snow within a thirty-foot radius!
"Hey, everyone, just come out." A voice suddenly said coldly under the snow, "He's going to melt all the snow anyway."
The ground moved, and five shadows emerged silently, surrounding the two of them.
Waves of murderous aura approached, almost condensing the air.
"Valley Master Xue." When she was about to lose her strength, she suddenly heard Miao Feng calling out softly, and then he placed a hand on the Xinlingtai acupoint on her back and quickly sent his internal energy in. She opened her eyes wide in surprise - at this time, he actually dared to use his hands to heal her
The five people around him obviously noticed this sudden change, but they didn't understand what Miao Feng was doing. They were afraid of losing the opportunity, so they didn't move for a while.
Miao Feng pushed his internal energy to the maximum, filling Xue Ziye's body with energy to ensure that she would not be exhausted during the time she was away from him. He used voice transmission to instruct her, "I will hold the five of them back for a while, and you run to Uliasutai immediately."
She gritted her teeth and nodded silently.
"I'll follow." Miao Feng added.
"He is replenishing her energy and healing her wounds! Hurry up!" Finally realizing that they were actually stalling for time, Zhuifeng from Bajun sneered softly, and the five shadows suddenly disappeared out of thin air. Only murderous aura was approaching in the wind and snow!
"Go!" Miao Feng pushed Xue Ziye away with a palm, pulled out the sword from the snow, suddenly raised his head, and cut through the void with one strike!