Chapter 81

As for Xu Zhu, who in the original story accidentally made a crucial move and then received vocal guidance from Duan Duan Yanqing to break the deadlock, with me watching right beside him, he will not be given that chance.

"Luck plus cheating; is this how protagonists operate without any sense of reason?"

Upon learning how Xu Zhu solved the chess formation, all the women were rendered speechless.

"Many familiar faces have arrived, but what surprised me most is that Rong'er is actually here! Right beside Huang Huang Yaoshi and Feng Heng!"

"With that appearance and that demeanor, I recognized her at a single glance!"

"I just don't know why I didn't see her yesterday... Ah, she must have been wandering about seeking fun, causing me to worry for nothing."

At the foot of Leigu Mountain, there stood an inn.

"That heartless fellow; how could I have gone off to play? He only knows how to wrongly accuse people," Huang Rong muttered in dissatisfaction.

However, since the two had not exchanged a single word, yet he could pick her out from among hundreds of people at a glance, Huang Rong was still very happy.

"There is too much happening today; I have no time to go up and speak with Rong'er, which is truly a pity."

"But it does not matter; Huang Huang Yaoshi has promised to teach me the 'Flicking Finger Divine Skill' and will remain at the foot of the mountain for two days, so I will go find her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, is it?"

Resting her fair, slender hand against her cheek, Huang Rong pondered which outfit to wear tomorrow.

"Not far from Huang Huang Yaoshi's family group, there was another trio consisting of two men and one woman."

"The men were Chu Chu Liuxiang and Hu Hu Tiehua; their appearances differed little from their screen images, making them easy to recognize, but the woman could not be identified by her face alone."

"However, her identity was not difficult to guess."

"Her beauty was no less than that of Sister Sister Azhu or Sister Sister Abi; she wore a set of green robes, carried a pair of short swords, and was so familiar with Chu Chu Liuxiang and Hu Hu Tiehua... Combining these traits, she could only be Gao Gao Gao Yanan."

"Is it my turn?"

Gao Gao Gao Yanan grew nervous, wanting to know what fate and ending awaited her character in the story.

Would she, like her current self, share the same troubles?

Thinking of this, Gao Gao Gao Yanan subconsciously glanced at Hu Hu Tiehua.

Hu Hu Tiehua, who was burying his head in his meal, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine; a bone-chilling coldness shot from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head, as if a great calamity were imminent.

He hastily raised his head, sweeping a sharp gaze around in all directions.

"What is wrong?" Chu Chu Liuxiang asked, looking over in confusion.

Hu Hu Tiehua searched for a long time but found no suspicious target; he could only swallow the rice ball in his mouth, his expression troubled as he said, "I do not know; I just have an inexplicable premonition of misfortune."

A premonition of misfortune?

Hearing this, Chu Chu Liuxiang fell into thoughtful silence, then subtly glanced at Gao Gao Gao Yanan beside him, raising an eyebrow.

He scratched the bridge of his nose with his finger and began acting as a "transparent man."

"Gao Gao Gao Yanan is a disciple of the Huashan Sect, taught by Great Master Master Kumei; she became famous in the martial world for her 'Thirteen Styles of Clear Breeze' sword technique, thus earning the elegant title of 'Female Swordmaster of Clear Breeze'."

"She was valiant and spirited, calm and composed, persistent and strong, valuing loyalty and righteousness; it seemed one could find no faults in her."

"Yet, she was ultimately not a perfect person."

"When things reach an extreme, they reverse; sometimes, virtues can turn into vices."

"Gao Gao Gao Yanan had two flaws that could not be ignored."

"Gao Gao Gao Yanan's first flaw was her stubbornness."

"And her stubbornness stemmed from her persistence."

"To what degree was she persistent? Almost comparable to South South Murong Fu, who would stop at nothing to restore his nation."

"The only difference was their goals: South South Murong Fu was persistent in his career, while Gao Gao Gao Yanan was persistent in love."

"In 'The Legend of Chu Chu Liuxiang,' Gao Gao Gao Yanan loved Hu Hu Tiehua; once, when Hu Hu Tiehua was drunk, he promised to marry her, making Gao Gao Gao Yanan extremely happy."

"However, after sobering up, Hu Hu Tiehua went back on his word."

"Faced with Gao Gao Gao Yanan threatening suicide, Hu Hu Tiehua even fled overnight by jumping into a lake."

"Afterward, this bizarre pair spent a full eight years with one hiding and the other searching!"

"I am baffled; is it really worth it?"

"When someone is avoiding you, their attitude is already obvious; must you really pester them so relentlessly, insisting on hanging yourself from a single tree?"

"Eight years; how many eight-year periods does a human life contain?"

"Why be so persistent, tormenting both yourself and the other person?"

"Devoted love? Single-minded affection? To me, it looks more like wishful thinking and self-delusion."

"In the end, apart from moving yourself, can you truly expect to win the other person's sincere heart?"

At the dining table, Gao Gao Gao Yanan remained silent, yet her mood was anything but calm.

Eight years; she had actually pursued a man for eight years with no result!

Just as the diary stated, how many eight-year periods does a human life contain?

Yet she had wasted such a precious portion of her life on a man who refused to accept her.

What was most detestable was that this scoundrel had already promised to marry her, only to renege afterward and even flee overnight by jumping into a lake!

Was she really that annoying?

Thinking of this, Gao Gao Gao Yanan felt both aggrieved and furious; her slender hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword...

"There is killing intent!"

Hu Hu Tiehua shuddered; that feeling of impending disaster returned!

Sensing something amiss, he turned his head to look at Gao Gao Gao Yanan.

Seeing the young woman's gloomy expression, Hu Hu Tiehua felt his scalp go numb; without even swallowing the food in his mouth, he turned and fled directly.

Crash!

The next moment, the chair he had been sitting on was shredded by sword light.

Hu Hu Tiehua ran even faster.

Gao Gao Gao Yanan, however, did not give chase; she stood still for a moment, then turned and went downstairs.

Only Chu Chu Liuxiang remained, looking utterly bewildered: "The rain is coming down quite hard this time; who knows when it will clear up."

But this was someone else's private affair, and Gao Gao Gao Yanan seemed to be in a fit of anger, so he felt it improper to pry or ask questions.

[I cannot understand Gao Gao Gao Yanan's view on love; it feels far too humble.]

[Of course, she might also be enjoying herself; that is hard to say.]

[Yet until the story's end, Hu Hu Tiehua never accepted Gao Gao Gao Yanan.]

[Such persistence, only to end in emptiness in the end—why degrade oneself so?]

"Emptiness, then?"

Gao Gao Gao Yanan gripped her short sword tight, pressed her lips together, and finally made up her mind.

[Here, one must speak of Hu Hu Tiehua.]

[Hu Hu Tiehua is the type who, if coaxed, will not move, but if struck, will retreat—a donkey that only obeys when stroked. His thoughts are wild and unfathomable, completely unlike those of ordinary people.]

[In matters of love, this manifests as: the more unattainable something is, the more he wants it; what he can easily have, he rejects.]

[Gao Gao Gao Yanan is merely one typical example.]

[While avoiding Gao Gao Gao Yanan, he once hid in a small wine shop for a full three years.]

[The reason he stayed so long was not because the shop's wine and dishes were exceptional, but because he had taken a fancy to the shopkeeper's wife.]

[That woman was dark-skinned and diminutive, with no trace of beauty about her, yet Hu Hu Tiehua lingered there for three whole years!]

[For no other reason than that, unlike the usual chivalrous women of the martial world, she did not treat him with special favor, but remained cold and unyielding throughout.]

[The more Hu Hu Tiehua could not obtain her, the more his heart itched, so he stubbornly challenged himself, determined to conquer her at all costs.]

[In the end, seeing Chu Chu Liuxiang arrive at the door, Hu Hu Tiehua prepared to leave with him. Fearing they would never meet again, the shopkeeper's wife could no longer hold back and openly confessed her feelings, only for Hu Hu Tiehua to flee in terror.]

[One must admit, this man is truly somewhat despicable!]

Seeing this, all the women were left speechless.

Could there really be such an oddity in this world!

This was not merely somewhat despicable; it was despicable to the bone!

Moreover, it showed great disrespect toward women.

What did he regard women and love as? A challenge game to prove his own charm?

Once cleared, he would simply brush himself off and leave, completely indifferent to how deeply his actions would wound another's heart.

For a moment, all the women felt intense disgust toward Hu Hu Tiehua.

[The third example is Jin Jin Jin Lingzhi.]