Chapter 487: Returning to the Mountain

The cool pavilion was already a mess of cups and plates, and Lu Geng was already somewhat tipsy.

Lu Geng looked at Duan Rong with a flushed face and sighed, "Disciple, I truly admire your tolerance for alcohol."

Duan Rong kicked an empty wine jar at his feet and laughed, "I won't hide it from you, Senior Brother, I have never been drunk since the day I was born!?"

"Is that so?" Lu Geng exhaled the wine fumes rising up and laughed, "Impressive."

Lu Geng shook the wine jar in his hand and realized only the dregs remained. He turned his head to glance behind him, seeing only a few empty jars left there; they had mostly been drunk by Duan Rong and himself. Zhu Cheng had drunk some when the banquet first started, but hadn't drunk much since. Zhu Peng had gone to escort Qin Xueyin and hadn't returned yet.

Lu Geng stood up unsteadily, poured the dregs from the jar into Duan Rong's cup and his own, and laughed, "Disciple, I think we should stop here for today. I, your Senior Brother, toast you with this last cup as a send-off for your departure tomorrow!"

Duan Rong also smiled and raised his cup, saying, "It was truly a pleasure drinking with you today, Senior Brother!"

As they spoke, the two of them drained the wine in their cups.

Lu Geng was about to leave the table, but when Duan Rong saw his footsteps were unsteady and staggering, he immediately reached out to support him.

Seeing that the two were about to leave, Zhu Cheng also stood up. Duan Rong glanced at him and said, "Official Zhu, wait for me in the flower hall. I have something to tell you in a moment."

Zhu Cheng's expression froze, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, Official!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Geng's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was racing.

Duan Rong supported Lu Geng, both of them reeking of alcohol, and they walked out of the cool pavilion as if pushing each other along.

Yang Zhen was sitting in a dimly lit pavilion not far away. Seeing Duan Rong come out, his eyes flickered, but he noticed that Duan Rong did not walk toward him, but instead went in the other direction with someone else.

A sharp pain pricked Yang Zhen's heart, and images of drinking with Duan Rong in the past flashed through his mind. Back then, he and Duan Rong would sit and drink together; at first, they could be courteous to each other, but often by the end, they would be snatching—whether it was the wine or the food, it was like wild dogs fighting for scraps.

Thinking of this, Yang Zhen couldn't help but smile slightly, but his smile quickly faded, because he felt that Duan Rong would likely never drink with him again.

Yang Zhen poured himself another cup of yellow wine and sent it down his throat. He had been sitting in this pavilion for a long time, and the wine in the pot had slowly gone cold, just like his heart.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly, looking at the withered lotus in the pond, and said with a bitter smile, "Deep autumn, withered lotus, cold wine; it really is quite fitting!"

On this side, Duan Rong supported Lu Geng to the entrance and boarded a carriage. The carriage rattled into motion, and Lu Geng poked his head out of the carriage window, smiling at Duan Rong, "Disciple, go back and give my regards to Senior Sister and the others..."

Duan Rong thought of that fierce Senior Sister Fan Hongjiao looking at him with lecherous eyes and couldn't help but shiver.

Seeing Lu Geng's carriage drive away, he was just about to turn and walk into the mansion when he heard another rattling sound. He saw another carriage driving out from the darkness and stopping in front of the mansion.

A figure jumped out of the carriage; it was Zhu Peng, who had been escorting Qin Xueyin back.

Zhu Peng stood in front of the door and gave Duan Rong a strange look.

Duan Rong asked, "How is she?"

Zhu Peng said, "No different. Just cried her eyes out."

Duan Rong sighed slightly, "For this kind of thing, to walk away from it, one always has to shed a layer of skin."

In fact, Duan Rong had already sensed it when Qin Xueyin was willing to come with her zither.

If she were not deeply mired in the quagmire of love, how could she demean herself so? Coming to the door to perform?

The song of "Heartbreak" she played while plucking the zither sounded like weeping in Duan Rong's ears!?

He never imagined that more than half a year ago, he was merely playing a game with Zhu Peng and happened to go upstairs, yet it had become a sickness of the heart for Qin Xueyin, who had fallen deeply in love.

A sickness of the heart still requires heart medicine to cure, but it is unknown if she can swallow this good medicine.

Good medicine is bitter to the taste!

Zhu Peng said, "Big Brother, Miss Qin is infatuated with you; why must you be so resolute?"

Duan Rong said, "You think I am so resolute, very cruel. Is that it?"

Zhu Peng hesitated, "It is a bit."

Duan Rong looked at Zhu Peng and said, "What do you young masters know? It is precisely because she is infatuated that I must be resolute. Ambiguity is the true cruelty."

Hearing Duan Rong call him a young master, Zhu Peng felt somewhat unconvinced and thought to himself, "It's as if you aren't young yourself?"

Indeed, if one were to truly calculate the age in this world, Zhu Peng was actually two years older than Duan Rong.

However, Zhu Peng immediately saw the clear and profound look in Duan Rong's eyes, and his heart seemed to be touched. He took a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong looked at the paper and asked sideways, "What is this?"

Zhu Peng said, "Miss Qin asked me to give it to you."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong took the paper and unfolded it to see four elegant characters in cursive script, written with bold and flowing ink: Supreme Forgetting of Emotions.

Duan Rong looked at it and shook his head slightly.

If one were truly a person who had forgotten emotions, they would not want the other party to know that they had forgotten. And those who want the other party to know they have forgotten are usually precisely because they have not yet forgotten!

Duan Rong handed the paper in his hand to Zhu Peng and said, "Keep this for me. Also, if you see her again in the future, do not mention me in front of her."

Zhu Peng was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why?"

"How can there be so many whys?"

Duan Rong had already turned and walked into the mansion.

Zhu Peng stood there, holding the "Supreme Forgetting of Emotions," watching Duan Rong's back as he hurried away, and sighed slightly, muttering to himself, "Supreme Forgetting of Emotions?! If anyone should be forgetting emotions, is it only you, Miss Qin!?"

He didn't know when it started, but Qin Xueyin's beautiful shadow often appeared in Zhu Peng's heart... If it weren't for that, why would he always mention Qin Xueyin in front of Duan Rong, knowing that Duan Rong didn't like it? Because he knew very well Qin Xueyin's desire to see Duan Rong.

That heart is this heart!

In the night, Duan Rong walked hurriedly back to the Back Courtyard and went straight into the pavilion by the pond.

Duan Rong stepped into the pavilion and saw Yang Zhen sitting there with a cold expression.

Seeing Duan Rong walk over, Yang Zhen's eyes flickered, and he stood up, saying, "Official."

Duan Rong walked over, put his arm around Yang Zhen's shoulder, looked at the wine and food on the Stone Table, and said, "I let you drink cold wine here for so long. This cold night, cold wine—how does it taste?"

Yang Zhen's lips trembled slightly, and he said, "It's... it's fine."

Duan Rong sat down on the Stone Chair beside Yang Zhen and signaled for Yang Zhen to sit down as well.

Duan Rong picked up the wine pot, poured a cup for each of them, and said, "It seems it has been a while since we drank together, hasn't it?"

Yang Zhen said, "It has been a while."

Duan Rong suddenly raised his cup and said with a faint smile, "Will you have a drink with me?"

Yang Zhen's gaze flickered, and he also raised his wine cup.

Duan Rong said, "Though the wine is cold, the sentiment is not. Yang Zhen, we are still childhood friends."

Hearing this, a flash of strange light crossed Yang Zhen's eyes.

The two lightly touched cups and drank them dry in one gulp.

Duan Rong said, "At the banquet just now, I was hosting my Senior Brother Lu Geng. Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng, who were keeping us company, are also my master's blood relatives in the secular world. If I had let you join the table, it would have appeared that I was being too presumptuous. Differences in status exist; that is a fact. I hope you can understand."

Yang Zhen said, "I understand."

Duan Rong patted Yang Zhen on the shoulder and said, "That's good! Follow me."

Yang Zhen followed Duan Rong out of the pavilion.

At this moment, the sense of desolation in Yang Zhen's heart had vanished; instead, a faint, lingering sentiment from the past drifted in his chest, now and then...

When Duan Rong led Yang Zhen into the flower hall, Zhu Cheng was already sitting there waiting for a while.

Seeing Duan Rong enter, Zhu Cheng immediately cupped his hands in a salute and said, "My Lord!"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Zhu Cheng, no need for such formalities. I have kept you here because I have a favor to ask of you."

Zhu Cheng's gaze flickered, and he said, "My Lord, just give your orders. How could this subordinate be worthy of the word 'favor'?"

Duan Rong said, "You said that yourself! Words spoken are like spilled water. As the saying goes, spilled water is hard to recover."

Zhu Cheng looked at Duan Rong's expression, his gaze flickering, unsure of what he intended to do.

Duan Rong suddenly pointed at Yang Zhen behind him and said, "His name is Yang Zhen, my childhood friend. When he was in Xiangu County, he served as a Constable, and his martial arts are quite good. I want to secure a career for him, letting him work under you at the Dali Temple. I just don't know if you are willing to take him in?"

As soon as Duan Rong said this, Yang Zhen, who was standing there, stared at Duan Rong in a daze; warmth surged in his heart, yet his spine felt a chill.

The Dali Temple!?

The Dali Temple, which manages the criminal justice of all of Qingzhou!

Duan Rong wants to get him into the Dali Temple!?

Zhu Cheng smiled upon hearing this and said, "I wondered what it was. Anyone sent to me by you, My Lord, is naturally capable; how could I have any reason not to use him?"

Duan Rong smiled slightly, turned his head to look at Yang Zhen, and said, "Yang Zhen, this is Temple Rectifier Zhu Cheng, Lord Zhu of the Dali Temple. From now on, he is your superior! Why don't you hurry and pay your respects to Lord Zhu!"

Hearing this, Yang Zhen was dazed for a moment before he suddenly came to his senses. He immediately cupped his hands and bowed to Zhu Cheng, saying in a clear voice, "Subordinate Yang Zhen pays respects to Lord Zhu!"

Zhu Cheng patted Yang Zhen's cupped fists and looked him over with a smile. Zhu Cheng considered himself a judge of character, and at a glance, he saw that Yang Zhen was a steady and clever person, so he asked, "Brother Yang, what is your cultivation realm?"

Yang Zhen said, "Reporting to My Lord, this subordinate is at the First Layer of the True Qi Realm."

"True Qi Realm!" Zhu Cheng's eyes brightened, and he smiled even more happily. "Good, not bad!"

During those three years when Duan Rong was an Outer Sect Disciple, Yang Zhen had always been the Chief Escort of the Yuanshun Escort Agency. Every time Duan Rong finished his official duties and returned to Xiangu County, he would always find time to guide Yang Zhen's cultivation.

Coupled with the fact that Yang Zhen was not lacking in cultivation resources after becoming the Chief Escort, his cultivation had indeed risen with the tide over these past few years.

Zhu Cheng then fished a token from behind him, handed it to Yang Zhen, and said, "Take this token! Come to the Dali Temple to report to me tomorrow morning."

Yang Zhen looked at the token in front of him; in the center of the wedge-shaped token was a raised, embossed character for 'Temple'. His heart surged with excitement, and he raised both hands to respectfully receive the Dali Temple token.

"Subordinate acknowledges the order!" Yang Zhen gripped the token and said in a deep voice.

Yang Zhen followed Duan Rong out of the flower hall, walking slowly through the pitch-black night, occasionally feeling the token in his hand. In the darkness, Yang Zhen looked up at Duan Rong's back in front of him; this childhood playmate's back now appeared to him like a great mountain—it was a feeling that made one feel secure, a feeling that made one look up in admiration!

Yang Zhen wondered, when would he be able to give others this feeling? A feeling that makes people feel at ease and willing to follow.

Duan Rong was not yet aware, or rather, he had not clearly realized, that there was a leadership quality in him that was vastly different from Zhu He.

It was already late at night when the two returned to the Separate Courtyard.

Duan Rong walked into the room; Zhu Xiaoqi had already fallen asleep.

The noise he made entering the room startled Zhu Xiaoqi awake. Under the covers, Zhu Xiaoqi sniffed and indeed smelled the scent of wine drifting from Duan Rong.

She concluded that Duan Rong had truly gone to drink at a flower house, pulled the quilt tighter, turned her back to Duan Rong, and went to sleep without saying a word to him.

Duan Rong had only slept for two hours before he slowly woke up. Hearing the watchman's clapper counting the hours from outside, he slowly got up and put on his clothes, shoes, and socks with light steps, fearing that any loud noise would wake Zhu Xiaoqi.

After dressing, Duan Rong went to the front hall, took out a Fire Folder, lit a dim lantern, and under the lamplight, wrote a brief letter to Zhu Xiaoqi.

He did not intend to take Zhu Xiaoqi back to the Sect this time, but rather to leave her here in this Separate Courtyard.

Over the past two days, Zhu Xiaoqi had asked about Xiao Yu more than once, and every time he had brushed it off, but if he took Zhu Xiaoqi to Yunfu Peak and she asked about Xiao Yu again, how would he answer her?

After much thought, Duan Rong decided to leave her in this Separate Courtyard for the time being.

Duan Rong finished the letter, folded it, put it into an envelope, then extinguished the lantern and walked out with the envelope.

He walked out of the room, arrived at the door of the side room, and reached out to knock on the door.

After a rustling sound, the door opened, and Yang Zhen stood there.

Under the moonlight, Duan Rong looked at Yang Zhen, handed him the letter, and said, "Give this letter to Xiao Qi. I won't be taking her back when I return to the mountain."

Yang Zhen's lips moved, but he said nothing, merely taking the envelope. He had originally thought Duan Rong would take Zhu Xiaoqi back to the Sect; for the past two days, Zhu Xiaoqi had been constantly talking about wanting to see her young mistress. If she saw this letter and learned that Duan Rong had left alone, he didn't know how heartbroken she would be.

Duan Rong said, "Help me comfort her."

Yang Zhen said, "I will."

Duan Rong said, "Go back to sleep for a while. You need to be well-rested for your first day reporting to the Dali Temple."

"Mm."

"I'm leaving."

Duan Rong turned and left; Yang Zhen walked out of the room and stood under the Corridor watching Duan Rong.

Duan Rong walked to the entrance of the Separate Courtyard, where Chou Luan stood up from a large bluestone and said, "My Lord, are you leaving?"

"Mm." Duan Rong looked at Chou Luan and said, "Chou Luan, the young lady in this house is entrusted to you. Protect her well."

Chou Luan said, "My Lord, rest assured. If it comes to death, I, Chou, will certainly die before her."

Duan Rong nodded. At this moment, Chou Luan said, "My Lord, wait for me a moment."

Under the moonlight, Chou Luan was seen entering the utility room in a nearby corner, and after a few breaths, he emerged holding a jar of wine.

Chou Luan said, "My Lord, I have nothing else, only wine. This jar of twenty-year-old Green Ant Wine is the best wine I have! I present it to you, My Lord, to bolster your spirit for the journey!"

Duan Rong suddenly laughed heartily. Chou Luan treated wine as his life; gifting him the best wine was equivalent to gifting him his life.

Duan Rong took the wine jar, pecked open the wine seal directly, took a sniff at the mouth of the jar, and said, "Truly good wine!"

Duan Rong tilted his head back and poured a gulp down his throat; the mellow liquid entered his throat, and warmth reached his stomach.

Duan Rong wiped his mouth, then handed the wine jar toward Chou Luan, saying, "With such good wine, how could I enjoy it all alone?"

Chou Luan looked at the wine jar, slightly stunned, then took it over and poured a gulp down his throat. Chou Luan was addicted to wine as if it were his life; with such good wine down his throat, his eyes were already shining.

Duan Rong glanced at Yang Zhen in the Corridor and said, "Yang Zhen, why don't you come over yet?"

Yang Zhen smiled upon hearing this, jumped down from the Corridor, took the wine jar from Chou Luan's hand, and also poured a gulp down his throat.

The three of them just like that, one gulp for you, one gulp for me, had already drunk more than half the jar of wine.

Duan Rong took the wine jar from Yang Zhen's hand and said, "Yang Zhen, Chou Luan, us drinking together under the moon can be considered a fine tale. Duan is leaving!"

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he carried the wine jar and walked out of the Separate Courtyard, pouring wine down his throat as he walked.

Yang Zhen and Chou Luan stood there, watching Duan Rong depart, until Duan Rong's back was completely submerged in the depths of the night...

(End of this chapter)