C170

"Jiang Wuyan, I'll head back to Bianliang tomorrow." As he fiddled with the lamp wick, he lowered his eyes slightly. Zhao Qingyan suddenly told him about something that he had decided long ago.

Jiang Wuyan stopped playing the zither and waited for the sound to fade before her gaze landed on Zhao Qingyan, "Take care."

Zhao Qingyan looked at him. The dim light from the lantern cast a shadow over his eyes as he said, "I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that if I lose my best friend, I will have nothing."

Jiang Wuyan's fingers suddenly tightened as she strummed her zither, cutting her fingertip in pain.

Zhao Qingyan was stunned by the sound of the zither once again. She smiled wryly as her ink-black eyes could not be seen clearly as usual.

Jiang Wuyan didn't know what he had seen, or perhaps she was still completely ignorant of it. She was used to being indifferent, and even though her heart was in turmoil, there was no trace of sadness or joy on her face. "Am I not sitting here?"

"Tomorrow." Zhao Qingyan held the words in his mouth for a moment before spitting out the latter half of his sentence, "Since when will we meet again?"

With a sigh, Jiang Wuyan said, "If you're afraid, then don't try to be brave."

Zhao Qingyan threw the scissors in his hand to the side, crossed his fingers, and propped up his chin. "It was only at the age of seven that I realized what fear really is. When I learned to fear, I met a breeze. Because of him, I would be able to muster up courage. In the days when there was no breeze, there was you, there was Lü Sobbing, there was a person who accompanied me and allowed me to stand up. Right now, I feel like I have no one to rely on during my years in the Puppet Palace. "

"This feeling is truly not good."

Jiang Wuyan was silent for a moment before she asked, "Are you planning to compete?"

Zhao Qingyan chuckled, "Fight? Who am I to argue with? How dare a tiny python fight against the Son of Heaven?!

Jiang Wuyan said, "You should know that the one you need to fight is not the current Son of Heaven, but the future Son of Heaven."

Zhao Qingyan pretended not to hear, "So what today? So what of the future? "Regardless of which court's gentleman it is, I am still a subject."

Jiang Wuyan frowned, "You really didn't …"

"Nothing?" Zhao Qingyan interrupted him while holding her forehead.

Jiang Wuyan hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing."

Zhao Qingyan tilted his head and looked at Jiang Wuyan. After a while, he suddenly said, "Actually, I often forget that my surname is Zhao and that I am a prince of the Song Dynasty. I even forgot that I was born in the mud of the imperial court."

Jiang Wuyan knew that he understood her meaning, so she directly said it out loud: "Life is decided by many days, there is no choice but to fight for it. You can see your own life clearly, so why do you keep on running away? The entire Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains will be handed over to someone else. The only thing that you will gain in the end is the fear of being able to achieve great merit, and that is definitely not being able to stay safe and sound. "

Zhao Qingyan's eyes drooped. "I am a timid person, but I am also a selfish person. In my heart, there have never been any commoners. I have never extravagantly requested to have my name left behind in the world, and even more so, I did not wish to sit on the throne that was so high that it could freeze one's heart. "What I want …"

"What you want is to fail, do nothing, become fish meat?" Jiang Wuyan stood up, her tone filled with a rare sharpness, "Do you dare to say that you don't have the heart of a tyrant, the ambition to become famous, or the ambition to play chess with the world?"

He stood three steps away from Zhao Qingyan and waved his right arm. His wide sleeves drew a snow-white mark in the air and his elegant demeanor was now replaced by a fierce and sonorous air. "You have the seed of a noble king, don't tell me you lack the talent of an emperor? Do you read hundreds of books just to be submissive and submissive? "

Zhao Qingyan frowned and slowly spoke, "I am a king, not an emperor. As a human being, what's wrong with me calling you a subject? "

Jiang Wuyan gritted her teeth, "With the talent of an emperor, you have to support a useless and useless person. You can't teach me how to be stupid."

Zhao Qingyan looked at the angry Jiang Wuyan with a puzzled expression, "My heart is no longer in the imperial government, how could you not know? "What I want is a floating boat in the martial arts world. I want peace and quiet for my entire life."

"Ships floating in the martial arts world, peace for this world." That's very well said! " Jiang Wuyan laughed, a lonely laugh, "Yun Mo, do you think that what you want is insignificant? How many people in this world could have a peaceful life? You don't even know how dangerous it is, and how many people would give their all to hope for peace in this life! "

Zhao Qingyan said, "I have not. I have never felt that my wish is insignificant. In fact, being born in a royal family, I can only make it a dream that will never come true."

Jiang Wuyan smiled coldly, "After becoming an emperor, I can't do anything." The person who is most unworthy of saying this is you. "You just can't accept it. You just can't let it go."

Zhao Qingyan was stunned. "What am I not reconciled to? You can't let go of what? "

"You don't know?"

"I don't know."

There was a long silence.

"What level of ambition do you hold hidden beneath your independence from the world? How much hostility is hidden under your weakness? How much unwillingness are you concealing under your submissiveness? "

Zhao Qingyan smiled bitterly. "I don't know."

Jiang Wuyan looked at him with an indifferent expression, "I can't see through you anymore. You're so worried about me that I want to stay away from you."

Zhao Qingyan said, "No matter how worried I am, I won't use it on you."

Jiang Wuyan swung her sleeves and said, "Don't make up your mind too early."

Zhao Qingyan laughed, "If you have to pretend to be suspicious of a close friend that you have treated so intimately, how tiring would that be? Me, I'm already tired enough. "

Jiang Wuyan chewed on his words, unable to figure out whether or not there was a metaphor behind them. After a moment, he took two steps forward and sat opposite Zhao Qingyan. "Are you willing to cut off your own heart? Are you not afraid of being implicated?"

Zhao Qingyan poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him. With a helpless tone, he said, "You've already asked that one time. I don't want to repeat it anymore."

Jiang Wuyan picked up the cup and swirled it around before raising her head to look at him, "Do you have any more tea?"

Zhao Qingyan was stunned, "No, this is the last one."

Jiang Wuyan asked, "Do you have any wine?"

Zhao Qingyan smiled and shook his head, "It's even more impossible. I have not fully recovered from my injuries. royal father has been keeping an eye on me, how can I possibly have any alcohol to drink? "

Jiang Wuyan muttered, "What a pity."

Zhao Qingyan asked, "What's wrong? At this late hour, we can't find any more wine. We can get Hao to brew another pot for us. "

"No need, let's have this cup." Jiang Wuyan stood up and handed half of the tea in the cup to Zhao Qingyan. She sat down again and raised her cup, "I'll offer you a cup of tea in place of wine."

Zhao Qingyan was surprised, but he did not ask. He raised his glass and said, "Thank you."

Please!" Jiang Wuyan shouted. She raised her head to drink the wine, her wide sleeves covering her eyes as she struggled for a moment. He put down the teacup again and looked at Zhao Qingyan, who was showing him the empty cup with a smile. His expression had already returned to normal as he replied with a faint smile.

Zhao Qingyan's eyes were still as unreadable as before, but there was a hint of a smile in them under the light. "We'll part ways tomorrow. The road ahead is long. I'll see you again in the future. I won't go back until I'm drunk. "

Jiang Wuyan had a calm smile on her face, which covered up all her emotions. "Alright, it's a deal. When that happens, I'll let Yun Mo waste the money."

Zhao Qingyan chuckled lightly. "Sure, as long as you don't get drunk too early."

"At that time." Jiang Wuyan sighed lightly, feeling nostalgic. "I should be able to sit with Tong Xuan and drink a few cups, right?"

Zhao Qingyan held her face up, reminiscing in her eyes. "That's right. It's been a long time since we've had a drink together. I wonder how good his alcohol capacity is."

Jiang Wuyan couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You definitely can't win. Just don't ask for a few cups of wine."

Hearing his laughter, Zhao Qingyan was stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing together with him. With friends, Fang could laugh. After laughing so much tonight, he should be able to lessen his worries, right?

Ran Hao stood outside the door, holding a bowl of rice soup, but did not push the door open and enter.

He could not bear to disturb this rare happiness.

— —

"Martial Uncle." Pei Yun followed behind Han Yan and carefully looked around.

Wen Wan lightly smiled. "What are you looking for? I'm the only one left in this courtyard, the others have all been sent away by me. "

Pei Yun was somewhat relieved and asked, "Martial Uncle, why did you call me here?"

Wen Wan said, "Tomorrow, the Crown Prince will return to the capital. Have you considered about the matters of that day?"

Pei Yun gritted his teeth and braced himself, "I want to go to the inner hall."

Wen Wan was not the least bit surprised. He nodded. "That's fine."

Pei Yun's stomach was filled with these two simple words. After a long while, he whispered, "I'm sorry, I just want to live fair and square under the sun." "I'll go back and visit Master. I'll go to Master's grave and apologize to him. I …"

"Alright, I know." Wen Wan's tone was surprisingly gentle, and there was no mockery in his eyes, "As long as you remember your surname, you are willing to work hard for your own wish, that is enough."

Pei Yun was startled, he had not expected him to be so lenient, and did not say anything for a while.

Wen Wan sighed. "In the past, I punished you to kneel because I hated your ingratitude. Besides, my master always punished me that way. Although it's been many years, I still want to add 'I'm sorry.'

Pei Yun was shocked, even Han Yan who was standing on the side could not help but show a trace of surprise in his eyes.

Ignoring their reactions, Wen Wei continued to speak his own words: "My experiences and yours are actually similar. Although I have parents, I am no different from an orphan. It was my master who dug me out of the snow and carried me back to the hospital to recover my life. Maybe he really isn't a good master. He rarely cares about his disciple, so he taught us martial arts hastily. Then, he left us to practice on our own. If you make the slightest mistake, you will be punished to kneel or be whipped. "

This was the first time he heard his martial uncle talk about these past events, and his eyes were filled with anticipation and surprise. Han Yan, who knew a bit about Wen Wei, also revealed a curious expression. Seeing that Wen Wan didn't intend to kick him out, he leaned against the wall and prepared to listen to the story.

Wen Wan said, "To be honest, my Master has never been a good Master. But I always knew: without him, I would have died in the snow twenty-four years ago. Without him, I would have been displaced forever, with no place to stay. Without him, I would not have a martial arts technique that can establish a foothold in the martial arts world. "

Pei Yun pursed his lips, guilt could be seen in his eyes. "Martial Uncle, I …"

"I'm not saying this to blame you." Wen Wan knew he was going to apologize, so he interrupted him, "You are not like me, I am too proud and too stubborn. In contrast, I lack some human emotions, but you are a complete, normal person. You are not suited to be an assassin. The only thing that can be said is that I didn't understand this at the time, which is why I punished you and even forced you away. "

Pei Yun bit his lips, "Martial Uncle, in fact, all these years I have been regretting, regretting that I ran away before Master even went into the earth. Just like what Martial Uncle said, without Master, I wouldn't have the chance to survive … "

Wen Wan replied, "Actually, the two choices I gave you were to return to the inner palace. In fact, you also made the same choice as I did."

Pei Yun was startled. "Why?"

"The reason I followed him back to Wu Gou was to repay the kindness and guilt I felt towards my sect. Going to the inner court with us is to put down my obsession with the dead and live on for myself." Han Yan, who was standing at the side, suddenly spoke with a smile.

Pei Yun asked, "How did you know?"

Han Yan shrugged. "Know what?" It's a guess. "

Wen Wan smiled. "It is not worth living for the dead. It is too tiring. Southern City's Lord and I will take revenge for the enmity between your Master and you. It would be best if you could choose a path that you like. "

"Live for the dead …" Pei Yun mumbled to himself, somewhat at a loss, "Is there really someone who will live for the sake of the dead?"

Wen Wan and Han Yan looked at each other, and couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, and a lot."

Pei Yun asked, "If I go through my life like this, will Master blame me?"

"Nope." Han Yan snatched the answer, paused for a moment, and then repeated the answer: "No."

Pei Yun asked, "Then will the Martial Uncles blame me?"

Wen Wan said: "If you think of kindness, and remember Lang Jing Jun and Wu Gou, we will not blame you. If you forget everything Wu Gou once gave you, I won't let you live. "

Han Yan was speechless, "How brutal."

Pei Yun started laughing, with a relieved smile on his handsome face, "I understand, that's good."

Wen Wan said, "In the future, there might be other things that we need your help with. You won't mind, will you?"

Pei Yun blinked, "I'll be waiting for you anytime."

Wen Wan took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it over to him. "If you have something to do, you can take this to the manager of the Maple Pavilion and give it to him. He will contact me." If you have nothing to do, often go to the Resting Maple Pavilion, pillars, tables, chairs, corners will leave some Wu Gou contact symbols. If it wasn't an emergency, I would have used this method to contact you. "

Pei Yun received the jade pendant, "Perching Maple Pavilion? That restaurant? "

Wen Wan nodded. "It's fine for you to go to any restaurant, but I also remember that there's a restaurant in the capital." He looked inquiringly at Han Yan.

Han Yan said, "Indeed, there is. Furthermore, the price of the dishes is very expensive."

Wen Wan smiled. "Actually, I rarely go myself, because I also think it's too expensive."

Han Yan said, "It is the custom of the imperial family to bet with snacks from the Deities Templar. As long as you stay in the imperial household, there is no fear of you not being able to eat them."

Wen Wan watched Pei Yun carefully put away the jade pendant, and his eyes flashed with a trace of gratification. He turned to Han Yan and said, "Then he'll have to trouble you to take care of him."

Han Yan nodded his head. "I know that I will do my best if I can."

Wen Wan cupped his hands. "Thank you, Sir Han."

Han Yan replied with a bow. "Young Master Wen is too courteous."

— —

"I won't send you off tomorrow."

Zhao Qingyan looked up, confused. "What?"

Jiang Wuyan said: "I'm planning to leave tonight. Tomorrow, you can go back to your village and I'll go back to my village."

Zhao Qingyan asked, "It might be a few years since we parted."

Jiang Wuyan smiled faintly as the color in her eyes deepened, "If you become your young prince, I will walk my path in the martial arts world." Tomorrow, leave with your identity as the young prince. This will be the place where the thoughts of the martial arts world ends. "

Zhao Qingyan did not say anything else. After a while, she nodded lightly, "Ok."

Jiang Wuyan subconsciously held onto the empty teacup in her hand, a struggle could be seen in her eyes.

This cup of tea is probably the last cup of tea between you and me.

After tonight, you will still regard me as your best friend, but I will push you into a bottomless abyss.

This cup of tea, a deception, is my last selfish.

Yun Mo, farewell.

He suddenly stood up and left in large strides, his snow-white robes leaving behind a final trace of his shadow. After that, he decisively left.

Zhao Qingyan clenched her fist and reached out to pick up the teacup that Jiang Wuyan left behind. She looked at the faint imprint on the teacup and her eyes drooped. She did not know what she was thinking.