The immortal sword had always been arrogant, with an extreme潔癖 (jié pí) regarding spiritual roots. It hadn't even favored Gu Junshi before, only reluctantly allowing her occasional closeness after being reprimanded by its owner, Fusheng, in secret.
Let alone a strange woman. It disdainfully hooked her collar with sword energy and dragged her out of the lake. From a distance, she looked like a dripping piece of "cured meat." It followed its owner, Fusheng, to the base of a cliff by the mountainside.
On the sheer rock face, dozens of meters high, the characters "莱山" (Lai Shan) were written with flowing, powerful strokes, standing upright with a commanding presence.
Simply gazing at these two characters gave Liu Jiang Fusheng a sense of his mood surging and ebbing.
When Ziying woke up, she found herself sprawled on the hard rock. She raised her head, instinctively brushing aside the hair that obscured her vision. What met her eyes was a vast, serene, clear lake surface. And… it was morning?
The drastic shift from the eerie peril of the suspension bridge before she fainted to the bright and peaceful scene upon waking left Ziying stunned for a good while. WAp.kanshu伍.net
She pushed herself up on her knees, her memories of what happened earlier still fresh with lingering fear.
The feeling of being unable to stop her descent no matter how she struggled, the sensation of being on the brink of death, was truly terrifying.
At that moment, a cold, clear, magnetic voice sounded from behind her: "How did you fall?"
Ziying turned back in surprise. Upon seeing Liu Jiang Fusheng, her eyes, a mixture of surprise and joy, cried out in a soft, trembling voice: "Senior Brother Fusheng."
This emotional outpouring, akin to villagers encountering the People's Liberation Army, was half genuine. In this unknown and strange territory, encountering someone she knew… well, at least vaguely familiar, meant she wouldn't have to fight alone…
For Ziying, who harbored such naive thoughts, her intestines would soon be filled with regret.
Liu Jiang Fusheng completely ignored her impassioned cry. Even the clear, limpid depths of his eyes suddenly became clouded with frost and coldness, as if expressing his displeasure at her evasive answer.
Don't expect a man who had just been abandoned by his beloved wife to be understanding. At this moment, he wished the whole world would suffer and grieve with him.
Ziying felt as though his soulless, chilling gaze pierced through her entire being, causing goosebumps to rise. She had always had a strong sixth sense, and she felt that Senior Brother Fusheng appeared very… dangerous at this moment.
She quickly said, "I, I don't know. It seemed like I was pushed, but…"
Even with Senior Brother Danya's bead protecting her, those ghosts shouldn't have been able to approach her. Besides, those evil spirits were irrational and only attacked violently. Junior Sister Fangrui was beside her at the time. Why did those evil spirits push only her…
Hearing her say she was pushed, Liu Jiang Fusheng's raven-black eyelashes swept down, and he said tightly, "Then what about Ah Yi?"
"Sister Gu…" Ziying recalled the scene at the time, her moist eyes rippling strangely. She said with a hint of admiration, "She… she was fully protected by Senior Brother Danya. She should be fine."
How did this Gu Yi manage it? She used to think the rumors about Senior Brother Danya trying to steal Senior Brother Fusheng's affection were false, or that Senior Brother Danya's approach to Gu Yi was for some ulterior motive. After all, how could a pheasant be worthy of a phoenix?
But what she saw at that moment was Senior Brother Danya embracing Gu Yi with eagerness, his gaze towards Gu Yi filled with an undeniable sincerity.
Liu Jiang Fusheng didn't want to hear a single word about Danya and Gu Yi. After confirming Gu Yi was safe, he turned to leave.
Seeing him about to abandon her, Ziying quickly chased after him, pleading pitifully, "Senior Brother, wait for me! It's just the two of us here. If we encounter danger, we can help each other."
Liu Jiang Fusheng's steps did not falter.
Seeing his continued indifference, she was somewhat surprised. In the past, she could use her looks to feign helplessness, and even if the other party wasn't interested in her, they would pity her as a weak woman and show her favor.
Honestly, the current Liu Jiang Fusheng was nothing like the humble and courteous senior brother she knew before. When he was by Gu Yi's side, he was like a beauty painted with ink and built with snow, admired and longed for. But now, his eyes held hatred, his expression carried resentment, and his malice, ready to lash out at anyone, was unmasked.
Could it be because he was betrayed by Gu Yi?
Then, was this the opportune moment to strike?
She felt a stirring of desire, and her fair, delicate face flushed with excitement, making her appear exceptionally beautiful.
She adjusted her tone and spoke in an innocent, "green tea" manner: "Senior Brother, are you worried about Sister Gu? Actually, Sister Gu has Senior Brother Danya taking care of her, she'll be fine. Seeing you like this, I really envy Sister Gu, having you and Senior Brother Danya—"
Mid-sentence, she almost bit her tongue, holding her breath with wide eyes.
Because at this moment, a spiritual sword, radiating a frosty chill, was pointed directly at her nose. A fraction of an inch closer, and it could have sliced off her nose.
Cold sweat instantly streamed down her forehead.
"Don't try to sow discord with me. If you mention Ah Yi one more time…" He turned his head, his eyes clear, his lips curved into a smile that was as beautiful as a spring breeze melting winter snow, but his tone, while gentle, carried a sinister edge: "I'll cut off your tongue."
Ziying's face turned pale, and she quickly raised her hands, her expression straightened. She said solemnly, "I understand."
A mad beauty who would spill blood at the drop of a hat was someone she couldn't afford to provoke. She had only one life, and it was better to save it for another man's home.
Liu Jiang Fusheng was determined to leave this place. Before them lay a green lake, and behind them were rolling mountain ranges. However, they were blocked by barriers, and even cutting with a celestial sword couldn't break through them.
Ziying, lacking divine artifacts like celestial swords, could only explore the surroundings. Suddenly, she came to a narrow gap between rock peaks and, after a short while, shouted loudly: "Senior Brother— here! There's a secret passage here."
Liu Jiang Fusheng appeared behind her in an instant.
Ziying had already felt that this large black-gray stone in the midst of the grayish-green rocks was out of place. It was as conspicuous as a white person standing in a crowd of black people.
So she fiddled around and indeed found a secret passage.
Standing before the dark, unfathomably deep cave entrance, Liu Jiang Fusheng pondered for a moment, then glanced at her: "You go first."
Ziying: "..."
Honestly, even if he didn't consider their fellow disciple relationship, she was still a delicate young girl. How could he heartlessly make her go first as a target?