On the way back to the mountain, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the two of them were silent to each other and gradually slowed down their pace. They did not meet the brothers and sisters on the mountain along the way, and even Uncle Ziqi, who always had various leisurely moments in the middle of the night, was nowhere to be seen.
On the contrary, Qing felt empty in his heart and wanted to cry, but he only felt extremely uncomfortable.
Suddenly Qingqing turned his head and stared blankly into Nan Jianing's erratic eyes: "Why did the young master suddenly decide to stay when he was in Xuantan?"
Jianing lowered his head: "My father picked me up from the woods. After all, my family can't tolerate me." Xu Shi blurted out for a moment, and Master Nan suddenly said: "But Qilang can tolerate me, and so can Master Zihua."
Qingqing looked at the mountainside not far away. It was quiet at night, except for the brocade hall with a bright light on.
"Then what if one day the two of them can no longer tolerate the young master?"
"No." Jianing suddenly smiled and shook his head, "That day will never come."
Halfway up the mountain, Jianing couldn't help but slow down, not even daring to take a breath, and quietly took a few steps towards the Zhijin Hall. Looking around, Qingqing realized that all the rooms with lights turned off were empty.
There was no one around, but only the brocade hall still had the flickering sound of candlelight. He grabbed Mr. Nan and said, "It's not necessary. Master has already discovered it."
As they got closer, the blurry figures became clearer: Qixue stood at the end of the crowd, looking at the two figures with guilt written in her eyes and not daring to make a sound; Qilang turned her head alone, her eyebrows furrowed
, ignored Jianing, who had been away all night; Qichuan, dragging his unhealed wounds, his face pale, silently leaned against his master's sister.
Zi Hua and Zi Qi both had stern eyes. Qing Qing and Master Shishu were facing each other with fierce looks. They were frightened when they were nervous and almost gasped. Linghu Ziqin stood at the head of the crowd, but turned around.
Turn around and look up at the spiritual lantern hanging at the entrance of the hall.
Qingqing did not dare to say anything, but walked closer, knelt down and whispered: "Master."
Jianing was also frightened to death. Together with Qingqing, he knelt on the other side. Zihua took a few steps forward, and the braid on his head was about to reach the sky: "Where have you been tonight!"
"Go back, Master." Jianing was almost speechless, "At the foot of the mountain..."
I thought that the master was going to ask him what he had done, but Zi Hua suddenly said: "Do you know how many years this servant grass has been used as medicine?" Jianing was stunned and replied: "After the torture, it was stored for three years and used as medicine for ten years.
.”
“Where can you find this grass in the world?”
"It can only be found in Lirong Mountain."
"What's the use of the two of you stealing?"
"For, to save people..."
"Okay." Zi Hua nodded, with his little hands on his hips, and his bulging eyes were about to burst into flames, "You knew that this was not an easy task, but you went down the mountain without permission when a fellow disciple was seriously injured. Who are you saving!"
"Hua!" Zi Qin suddenly spoke. Although his voice was gentle, it made Zi Hua stop teaching him. Thinking that Nan Jianing came from Nanlin, there was no need to think about who he wanted to save when he went down the mountain. He was just worried.
Zi Hua impulsively said something too harsh. "There is no rush at this moment. Let's ask clearly first."
After saying that, Ziqin turned around and said, "Qing Qing."
Qingqing stood up when he heard the sound and raised his eyes in panic.
"When you returned to the mountain, you set up a poisonous plum blossom formation in the middle of the mountain. What was the reason?"
"Return to Master." Qing Qing opened his mouth and then lowered his head again, "The descendants of Xihu and Nanlin harmed me, Li Rongshan, and I want to retaliate with a counterattack."
The voice sounded like water in the night, and Ziqin asked again: "Then why did you steal medicine and go down the mountain to save the disciples in West Lake and Nanlin tonight?"
"This disciple caught a glimpse of the bamboo letter that Master kept. I don't want to, I don't want... I really want to kill the lives of those who are kind to me so easily..." As he said this, tears were already falling from his eyes.
Ziqin smiled bitterly silently and looked around: "Yes... you have been at the foot of the mountain for a long time. It would not be an accident if there were young people from Nanlin or West Lake who helped you a little. Could it be that even if those people were kind to you?
, but you have no complaints against other disciples?" Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but look at Qichuan's empty sleeves.
Qingqing closed her eyes, and the scene of An Yu's silver arrow hitting Qichuan's shoulder suddenly came to mind. She couldn't help but bend down, cover her face with her sleeves, and cry silently. Qichuan said nothing and did not look at the two of them.
He turned his head to one side.
Seeing that the two of them stopped arguing about what happened tonight, Ziqin said in a deep voice, "Do you all know how to punish someone who is a coward?"
When Qingqing heard this, he suddenly raised his eyes and took a few steps forward on his knees: "Master! I am willing to accept any punishment, please don't, Master..." Midway through the words, Ziqin's eyes turned sternly: "Shut up!"
Hearing this, Qingqing lowered her head and sobbed silently.
Ziqin looked at Nan Jianing and saw him looking up blankly. He must have been in the mountains for a few days and was not familiar with the rules of Lirongmen yet, so he looked at Qichuan. Qichuan hesitated and looked at the master, lowered his eyes and said:
"Fifty bamboo sticks will drive you out of the mountain."
"Master..." Qingqing was already sobbing, "This disciple is willing to accept any punishment. I just ask Master not to drive this disciple down the mountain..."
Ziqin raised her head and saw that the night sky was stained with ink and speckled stars were scattered all over the sky. She couldn't help but sigh deeply:
"Qing Qing, why didn't you tell me?"
It's just that it's useless now. How can he not be punished if he steals the rare herbs from Lirong Mountain in ten years to save his enemies? Seeing Qichuan still looking away in confusion, Ziqin said in a deep voice.
He ordered: "Go and get the bamboo stick."
Hearing this, Qichuan seemed to be stunned for a moment before looking up.
Only then did he remember that Linghu Hengshen, the disciple who had always been in charge of rewards and punishments on the Lirong Mountain, was no longer there. He was the eldest disciple of the Lirong sect, and now he must be responsible for this. He thought of Hengshen falling into the bottom of the Xuantan, covered in blood.
, Qichuan's throat felt bitter, and he turned around and left the crowd.
Zi Qi was startled, and quietly said to Zi Qin: "Senior brother, the two of us are not doing anything harmful to the world. Even if we have to punish him, it won't be too late to wait for Qing Qing's old injury to recover for a few days."
Ziqin ignored his junior brother's words, and while frowning, he heard a low voice calling: "Master..." Hearing this, he looked up and saw Qingqing kneeling on the spot with tears in her eyes: "Master, is Mr. Nan being beaten by a disciple?"
After much persuasion, I pulled him down the mountain... let the disciples bear the punishment of Mr. Nan..."
Upon hearing this, Nan Jianing straightened up abruptly: "No!" He quickly kowtowed to the leader and said, "It was the disciple's own idea to go down the mountain in violation of the sect's rules. I don't blame anyone else. Please give me guidance from the leader!"
Looking at the two people kneeling on the ground in front of the hall, silently mourning, Ziqin suddenly remembered that there was a strange rocky field under the Xuantan. She looked at Qingqing and Xiyang, nodded and said: "When we go back this time, we won't go anywhere.
Not leaving."
"Master, are you serious?"
"Of course, seriously."
He never thought that a promise would be remembered more clearly by his young disciple than he was. Ziqin looked at Qingqing's face covered with tears, lowered his eyes, and said to himself: Qingqing, forgive Master.
Then he sighed and said to everyone: "Okay."
"Master!" Qixue's eyes widened suddenly. Without thinking, she rushed behind a few people and knelt in front of the master. Qilang, who originally stood aside and refused to look at Jianing, finally insisted.
Unable to stop himself, he took a few steps forward and knelt down beside Jianing, just kowtowing continuously. All Lirong's disciples knew that Qingqing's injuries were not minor, and if he was punished again, he would risk half his life.
Linghu Ziqi couldn't believe his ears. He stared at the expressionless white face of his senior brother and said secretly: "Brother, why are you doing this!" Everyone knelt on the ground to beg for mercy, walking far away.
The sound came.
Qichuan held a bamboo stick in his hand, and his feet seemed to be covered in mud, dragging his steps little by little and unwilling to move forward. Ziqin gave her a stern look, and Qichuan hurriedly lowered his head.
I only heard an order ringing in my ears: "Start."
Qingqing gritted her teeth and remained silent. Qichuan held a hard bamboo stick with sharp edges and felt the muffled blows on Wushen's body. Qixue turned around and saw Qingqing's messy body.
The tears on my face have dried up, but beads of sweat continue to appear.
Sweat poured down, even the clothes all over his body were wet.
Hearing Qingqing's silence, Qixue was just secretly frightened, worried that she was really determined to be punished and did not use any internal strength to resist. She did not dare to step forward, so she could only stare at Qingqing's dull eyes.
I'm afraid that at any moment, the dim light inside will dim.
Nights in Lirong Mountain have rarely been so quiet.
Ziqi stared at his senior brother for a long time, but when he saw that the leader had no intention of stopping, he could only give him a sharp look, staring at the two people holding the stick and being beaten in front of the hall. He heard Qichuan's low voice gradually getting quieter: "Four
Nineteen, fifty..."
With a "wow" sound, Qingqing suddenly burst out with a mouthful of blood.
That was not the ordinary blood vomited due to internal injuries, but a mouthful of dull black blood. The blood was strong, whether it was the relapse of old poison or a new injury. The dazzling black and red fell on the ground, and a few strands hung on Qingqing's mouth.
.
Qichuan couldn't help but stop her hand. Ziqin glared at her: "Who allowed you to stop!"
"Master..." Qichuan finally couldn't bear it at this moment. He opened his lips slightly and spoke weakly, wanting to beg again.
Seeing that the headmaster's expression was unusually serious, she had to bite her lips and raise the bamboo stick with her trembling right arm. Regardless of the headmaster or the master's orders, Qixue stepped forward, leaned against Qingqing again, and thought about it.
Passed Qingqing's hand.
Qingqing stood up and without saying a word, gently pushed Qixue aside.
The blows sounded like thorns. Several disciples knelt aside. Just listening to the sound, they felt the pain in their hearts. Finally, they heard Qichuan counting quietly in a low voice: "Ninety-nine, one hundred."
Finally unable to hold on any longer, Qingqing's vision went dark and she fell into Qixue's arms.
"Qing Qing!" Everyone was caught off guard by fright, and hurriedly stepped forward to check her breathing. Zi Qin rushed to the center of the crowd, held Qing Qing in her arms, and whispered: "Qing Qing, this is the master."
Qingqing tilted his head, showing no signs of waking up.
Ziqin put two fingers on the side of Qingqing's neck, and felt his heartbeat gradually slow down, and his breathing became weaker and weaker. He quickly picked up his disciple, looked back, and met Ziqi's cold eyes.
So without any further instructions, he flew away from Zhijin Hall and ran towards the top of the mountain in one breath.