Chapter 124

"Hmph, twisting black and white," Bu Jingyun's mouth twitched.

Zhuang Buran smiled and said:

"In the future, if you wish to seek revenge, feel free to come to Ruoshui Ju; I will be waiting at any time."

He stepped toward Youruo and the other two, speaking first:

"Brother Wuming, I have let you see a joke. However, coming early is not as good as coming at the right time; I can just happen to use the damaged area of the bamboo grove to transplant peach trees. I wonder if you..."

Wuming raised his hand in slight helplessness to interrupt:

"No need to say more; I will help you find some peach trees."

Zhuang Buran looked at Nie Feng with a smile:

"Feng'er, you have been kind-hearted since childhood, which is why you stopped Jingyun from taking revenge. I imagine you feel both hatred toward me and, at the same time, cannot help but feel compassion, mindful of the little master-disciple bond that remains."

"Now that I am just an old, useless person retired from the martial arts world, I wonder if you could exercise your 'saintly heart' once more and help me clear an open space in the bamboo grove."

As he said this, his words carried a hint of pity and heartache:

"Youruo can be considered your junior sister; do you have the heart to let her use her delicate hands to do this rough work?"

"Father, your daughter is not as delicate as you say," Youruo said helplessly.

"Look at her, still as headstrong as before," Zhuang Buran continued to look at Nie Feng:

"I wonder if you are willing to lend a helping hand to this useless old man."

Once these words were spoken, Wuming and Youruo were left speechless.

And although Nie Feng could not immediately adapt to this black-clad old man who kept calling himself a 'useless old man' being the master who once dominated the martial arts world, looking at the damaged bamboo grove, he finally said:

"Junior Sister Youruo, with just you alone, I fear it will be difficult to clean up. Let me help you."

Zhuang Buran did not wait for his daughter to speak, but said happily:

"Good, the Snow Drink Saber is a rare treasure. Using it to tidy up the bamboo grove, I imagine it will only take a little effort."

He grabbed Youruo's arm:

"Feng'er's power is far greater than before. To prevent his saber Qi from hurting us father and daughter, we must step aside first. Don't add to the chaos here; come back to Ruoshui Ju with your father."

Immediately, Nie Feng looked at their gradually receding backs, his expression somewhat strange as he said:

"Senior Wuming, do you think he is really the World Association leader who once dominated the martial arts world, and really the master who taught me martial arts?"

Wuming sighed lightly:

"Perhaps, as he said, he has achieved complete enlightenment, let go of hatred, and thus the demon has become a Buddha, reaching the state of following one's heart without overstepping the rules."

Two years later.

Ever since the World Association leader Xiongba disappeared for no reason, the Twelve Devils of Tianchi spread the news that he had crippled his own martial arts and become a useless old man with no threat at all.

When this news spread throughout the martial arts world, the former subordinates of the World Association who had blood debts with Xiongba, and the many enemies hidden in the martial arts world, swarmed out, searching for his whereabouts everywhere.

This day.

A one-armed young man dressed in simple, elegant clothing, whose appearance could not be called handsome, walked into a bamboo grove.

He walked deep into the bamboo grove, only to see the dense, impenetrable bamboo suddenly recede, revealing a corner of a peach blossom paradise.

The one-armed young man showed a look of surprise; no one would have expected that hidden among the swaying bamboo shadows was a flourishing peach blossom grove.

This peach grove seemed like a secret carefully guarded by the bamboo grove, surrounded by cultivated bamboo forming a natural barrier; only when the wind rose and the bamboo waves surged would it occasionally reveal the pink clouds hidden within.

He looked out and saw sunlight spilling through the gaps in the bamboo tips, weaving a golden net among the peach trees, with fine, fragmented light spots dancing on the petals, as if stars had fallen into the mortal world, beautiful enough to captivate the heart.

The one-armed young man walked into the peach grove without realizing it, and after walking for a long time, he suddenly reacted.

He saw that the peach grove was full of winding, repeating strange paths, turning east and west, twisting and turning. What was even stranger was that the turns were all exactly the same; after a few turns, how could one distinguish east, west, south, or north?

The one-armed young man stopped, frowning as he looked around.

He discovered that all four directions were peach trees with colorful blossoms, with no end in sight. The more he looked, the more dizzy he felt. He also saw that among the peach trees there were neither white walls nor black tiles, nor smoke from cooking fires or the barking of dogs; it was terrifyingly quiet.

At this moment, he was completely lost, feeling that there were small paths in all directions, but not knowing which one to take.

"Senior Brother Shuang, so it was you who came!"

A beautiful woman in white suddenly appeared not far from the one-armed young man.

"Youruo, so you really are living in seclusion here," Qin Shuang's expression relaxed as he said:

"I heard some things about the martial arts world, so I specifically searched near the Zhonghua Pavilion."

"Senior Brother Shuang, follow my footsteps. This peach grove is built according to the positions of the Fuxi Sixty-Four Hexagrams, containing the Nine Palaces, Eight Trigrams, and the Strange Gate Five Elements formation, possessing the wonders of Yin and Yang opening and closing, and Heaven and Earth being inverted."

"The formation of the peach grove was set up by Father because he disliked Senior Brother Yun coming to disturb us too often and being too noisy."

As Qin Shuang listened, he followed closely behind Youruo, discovering that the path he was walking sometimes had no way forward, but after circling a peach tree, he would suddenly see the path ahead.

Sometimes, before reaching the end, he would suddenly turn and circle a peach tree, only to find another path.

After wandering around, his eyes lit up, and he saw a quiet and secluded small courtyard.

And at the gate of the small courtyard, there were two old peach trees, and under one of them, a figure was lying on its side.

Qin Shuang's expression froze. Although he could not yet see the face of the person in the black robe lying on the chair, his long, snow-white hair was fully exposed.

"Youruo, after Master crippled his martial arts, did he age this quickly?"

"Hehe, you are actually still willing to call me Master," the black-robed person lying on the chair said leisurely:

"Shuang'er, in terms of kindness and benevolence, you and Feng'er are truly evenly matched."

"Like him, you also hold hatred for me in your heart, but regarding my current situation, out of the master-disciple bond we once had, you cannot help but feel compassion."

"Unable to bear seeing me die miserably at the hands of former subordinates or enemies, you wanted to come and protect me."

Qin Shuang laughed at himself:

"Now it seems I was just being sentimental. With the formation of the peach grove, it is enough to protect you safely."

"Senior Brother Shuang, since you are here, why not stay for a few days?" Youruo said with a smile:

"And don't look at how Father's hair has turned completely white; his complexion is much better than before. If his beard were shaved off, he would look at most like he was in his early thirties."

Hearing this, Qin Shuang couldn't help but walk forward, immediately stunned on the spot. Previously, he thought he would see an aging old man with deep wrinkles, a dull complexion, and full of vicissitudes.

But what met his eyes was a young man who felt about the same age as himself; it was only because of the beard that he looked much older.

His skin was like ice and snow, his hair like a silver waterfall, and his eyes were clear yet lazy, making him look very much like the so-called Peach Blossom Immortal.

"It's only been two years of living in seclusion in the peach grove, yet your expression almost made me think twenty years had passed."

Zhuang Buran looked Qin Shuang up and down:

"Your martial arts cultivation doesn't seem to have improved much; I fear you are getting further and further away from your two junior brothers."

"In consideration of your good intentions, do you want me to teach you a few more unique skills?"

Just as Qin Shuang was about to refuse, Youruo smiled brilliantly:

"That would be great! Your daughter was just worrying about having no one to spar with!"

"In that case, these old bones of mine can rest a bit more, and I won't have to risk my old life sparring with you," Zhuang Buran let out a long sigh of relief.

Youruo shook her head and sighed:

"Father, you are living younger and younger. Your daughter was just thinking, if you shave your beard in a few years, I'm afraid you'll look even younger than me."

Zhuang Buran nodded:

"I'll take your word for it. I will strive to keep getting younger, and by then, it would be best if the white-haired person sends off the black-haired person."

"Hahaha, then you must work hard," Youruo laughed out loud.

(End of chapter)