Guo Xuyang and Huang Yirong finally walked out of the reception hall of Quanqing Taoist Temple.From the moment they entered to the time they exited,it had been less than an hour,yet Huang Yirong felt as if an entire day had passed.
Huang Yirong walked in silence,with Guo Xuyang following quietly by her side.Both lost in their own thoughts,they traversed two gravel paths before Huang Yirong turned left and said,"You go rest.I'm heading back to my room."
"Miss Huang!"
Guo Xuyang's voice made Huang Yirong stop in her tracks.
"Thank you,Miss Huang,"Guo Xuyang said,bowing deeply with a fist salute towards her retreating figure.
Huang Yirong turned around."What are you thanking me for?"Seeing that Guo Xuyang still stood motionless,she curled her lip."Is it for saving your life?There's no need."She turned to leave again.
Guo Xuyang straightened his back and raised his voice."Apart from that,there are other reasons."
"What other reasons?"Huang Yirong's dainty white figure turned back once more.Dressed in women's clothing today,her white sleeves and skirt fluttered as she turned.
Guo Xuyang extended his arm,gesturing for Huang Yirong to continue walking.They began to walk and talk at the same time.
Huang Yirong bit her red lip hesitantly for a moment,then finally took a step forward."Go ahead."
"I owe you five great favors,Miss Huang,"Guo Xuyang said,holding up his hand to indicate the number.
Huang Yirong was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Guo Xuyang,who was close by.His handsome face,straight nose,and bright,sharp eyes met hers,but she quickly averted her gaze to the distant scenery.
The Quanqing Taoist Temple was built high in the mountains,with a natural and picturesque landscape.The stones,trees,flowers,and birds in the mountains only needed a little fencing and decoration to become unique scenes.At that moment,Huang Yirong was looking at a patch of white stones,and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Guo Xuyang seemed to have anticipated that the woman beside him would not respond,so he began to count on his fingers,listing each favor one by one:"First,of course,is the favor of saving my life.Second,I must thank you for going to the trouble of taking me to the top of the cliff.Third,it's the favor of helping me bring Master Xu and his grandson here for two consecutive days.Fourth,I never expected that you would give me such a rare treasure as the'Vajra Flower'..."When he got to"fifth,"his speech hesitated a bit."The last one is for keeping my secret."
"Vajra Flower..."Huang Yirong's body trembled slightly.
Guo Xuyang noticed this,his sword-like eyebrows furrowed."After Master Ma helped me treat my injuries last night,my body has recovered about seventy to eighty percent.Previously,I suppose because of my severe injuries,the power of this rare flower was focused on suppressing my wounds.Now that I'm much better,I can clearly feel that my internal energy is much more abundant than before."He paused for a moment,then said,"Miss Huang,I will never forget the favor of giving me the flower.If you ever need anything in the future,I,Guo Xuyang,swear to risk my life to repay you!"
Huang Yirong shook her head gently,her eyes vacant as she gazed into the distance."Actually..."
"Actually what?"Guo Xuyang pressed,seeing her hesitation.
"Never mind."Huang Yirong sighed deeply,speaking indifferently.
Guo Xuyang thought to himself,"According to Master Ma,this'Vajra'is an extremely rare treasure.How could a young girl like Miss Huang possess such a treasure?And why would she carry it with her while traveling in the martial world?And yet,it just so happened that I consumed it...Who exactly is she?"He had too many doubts that he couldn't figure out.But seeing that Huang Yirong had no intention of revealing more,he didn't dare to ask further and continued,"As for the favor of keeping my secret..."
"Didn't you initially suspect that I was the one who revealed your secret to Cang Ye?Now you're still talking about favors and debts,"Huang Yirong interjected.It seemed that whenever she was slightly angry,her usually indifferent tone would rise a bit.
Guo Xuyang blushed and bowed deeply to her with a fist salute."It was I who judged you with a petty mind.I have no words to say to Miss Huang's words."
Huang Yirong looked at the man beside her,who was almost eight feet tall,bending his body lower than hers,showing a submissive attitude to express his apology.Her anger dissipated in an instant.
"Never mind,it's not your fault.No one could have expected that Cang Ye was so capable,able to deduce that what you carried was not the'Dragon Ying Sword'just from the fact that you went to save Master Xu,"Huang Yirong said,lifting Guo Xuyang's clenched fist to indicate that he didn't need to blame himself so much.
Huang Yirong's palm was like a piece of jade,soft to the touch.Guo Xuyang barely touched it,and his mind was momentarily shaken.He immediately took a step back,subtly avoiding her,and said,"Thank you,Miss Huang,for your understanding!"
Huang Yirong's cheeks turned slightly warm at the sight,and she quickly withdrew her hand."Let's go."
Earlier,at the bottom of the cliff,Huang Yirong had saved Guo Xuyang,who was severely injured and unconscious.Guo Xuyang originally carried a wooden sword on his back.Huang Yirong,in order to treat his injuries,had removed the white cloth wrapping the wooden sword and placed it aside.
The different sensations of an ordinary iron sword and an extraordinary sharp sword would hardly escape the keen eyes of a highly skilled martial artist like Huang Yirong,even through thick white cloth.At that time,what Huang Yirong held was just a wooden sword.The weight difference between an iron sword and a wooden sword was significant,and even an ordinary person could easily tell the difference by simply holding it for a moment.Therefore,Guo Xuyang had already known that his secret had been exposed to this woman.
However,Huang Yirong never mentioned it,which meant she had implicitly agreed to keep his secret.But just now in the reception hall,when the palace master Cang Ye suddenly asked a question based on a minor association,Guo Xuyang had subconsciously thought that Huang Yirong had revealed the secret.In retrospect,Guo Xuyang indeed had no reason,but it was also understandable under the circumstances.
Guo Xuyang and Huang Yirong strolled along the bluestone path in the bamboo forest.This bamboo forest was specially planted and cultivated by Quanqing Taoist Temple,making it a unique place in the mountains.At the end of the winding path lay the highest peak.They seemed to walk casually,but they tacitly chose the most secluded and quiet paths in"Quanqing Taoist Temple."
"I understand what you're saying,"Huang Yirong's soft voice sounded in Guo Xuyang's ear."I've said it before,I did all these things voluntarily.You don't need to keep thinking about how to repay my kindness."She casually plucked a bamboo leaf and placed it on her lips.Her bright red lips matched with the tender green leaf,creating a gentle and melancholic tune that lingered in the green forest.
Guo Xuyang listened quietly,lost in a daze,until Huang Yirong finished playing and put down the bamboo leaf.The absence of the melody in his ears suddenly brought him back to reality.He clapped his hands in admiration and said,"Alas,what sorrowful and heartbroken music.Is it the lament of Lady Zhaojun?"
"You know quite a lot,"Huang Yirong smiled faintly.
This was the first time Guo Xuyang had seen Huang Yirong smile since he had known her.Her bright red lips curled up slightly,and her lively big eyes seemed like a pair of crescent moons.But even when she smiled,she still had a hint of indifference and melancholy.Overwhelmed by a sense of admiration and pity,Guo Xuyang quickly averted his eyes."I've just heard it played by others before."
Huang Yirong opened her palm,and the green leaf between her fingers was blown up and down by the strong wind on the mountain top,spinning and dancing in the air without falling to the ground for a long time.
"Life is already burdened with too much.You don't need to keep these so-called debts of gratitude in mind,adding unnecessary shackles to yourself,"Huang Yirong gazed steadily at the bamboo leaf rolling in the strong wind,her smile disappeared,and a hint of sorrow appeared in her eyes.
"Miss Huang seems to have some hidden"Miss Huang seems to have some hidden meanings in her words?"
"Let's go back,the wind here is too strong,it's not good for your injury,"Huang Yirong took over the conversation,turning around and walking back the way they had come.
Guo Xu Yang shook his head.He had made up his mind and decided not to voice his thoughts.He quickened his pace and walked beside Huang Yirong,casually positioning himself on the side away from the wind.
As soon as Guo and Huang reached the back hall,they saw a young man,around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old,with a square face and dressed in grey athletic clothes,walking towards them.
"Why have you come?"Huang Yirong was somewhat surprised.
"Miss Huang,you really are here,"the man said,bowing and clasping his fists in greeting to Huang Yirong.
"Did you follow me?!"A flash of anger crossed Huang Yirong's pale face.
"I would never dare,Miss Huang!"Li Ying bent lower,his head almost touching his knees.
Huang Yirong's eyebrows furrowed slightly,and she bit her lip hard.After a while,she turned to Guo Xu Yang and said,"Your injury is almost healed anyway...I'm leaving.Take care of yourself!"She gazed at the man opposite her,as if trying to imprint his appearance and voice in her memory.After a brief glance,she turned her head away and said just one word to Li Ying,"Let's go."She walked ahead,with Li Ying following behind,still bowed.
"Miss Huang!"The sudden turn of events left Guo Xu Yang confused about what had happened.Watching Huang Yirong's retreating back,which didn't turn around,he couldn't bring himself to say the words"see you again."