Yunjian Pavilion, the number one sword sect in the world, finally fell on the day of the Xuanle Sect’s young master’s wedding. Gu Hang died, several grand masters, elders and other disciples were either dead or injured heavily and a few more captured. The originally luxurious wedding banquet became purgatory for Yunjian Pavilion.

Xuanle Sect was in ruins and many disciples of Xingtian Sect and Xuanle Sect were injured in this battle. But compared to the destruction of Yunjian Pavilion, it was not worth mentioning.

Xiao Yuan returned all the remnant souls that had been stolen by Gu Jing to their original owners. The ‘neutral parties’ who had been suspicious of Xingtian Sect suddenly believed everything. They were filled with righteous indignation at Yunjian Pavilion’s evil deeds and cursed impassionately for three days and three nights.

“Unexpectedly, Yunjian Pavilion claimed to be on the righteous path but actually used evil things to take people’s souls and let Xingtian Sect carry this black pot. I don’t know how many other surprises Yunjian Pavilion hid!”

“The most hateful thing is that they stole Qingyan. With Qingyan, who wouldn’t be the ‘number one sword sect in the world’, even I can be!”

“To steal Qingyan, he destroyed the entire Xiao family. Young master Xiao Yuan really suffered a lot. When he was a child, he managed to escape. When he grew up, he was caught by Yunjian Pavilion and his blood was taken – he is so good-looking, how could Yunjian Pavilion be willing to do that!”

“It’s a pity, it’s a pity I didn’t know about it earlier, or I would kill a few more Yun dogs in this battle.”

……

Xiao Du listened and said coldly: “Do you think you are very funny?”

Everyone looked at each other and shut their mouths.

Xiao Yuan smiled and said, “There is actually a lot more you can do.”

“We hope Master Xiao will teach us!”

“The people of Yunjian Pavilion are gone but Yunjian Pavilion is still there.”

Everyone understood.

A few days later, many sects reached the main peak of Yunjian Pavilion. At this time, there were still disciples in Yunjian Pavilion who had not gone to the banquet. They were vulnerable and it didn’t take long for them to be defeated. People searched through Yunjian Pavilion shamelessly and took away the magical treasures and panacea they found. When they were almost done, Xiao Du let out Qingyan and said, “Go ahead.”

In an instant, flames soared into the sky on the main peak of Yunjian Pavilion, Qingyan burning all the flowers, grass, trees and objects on the mountain to ashes, just like it had in Pangu Mountain back then. The fire burned for ten days, and Huaizhou, the closest place to Yunjian Pavilion, became the land of eternal light and you could not see the darkness after nightfall for a whole month.

Two figures, one in white and one in red, stood shoulder to shoulder on the summit of another peak, the wind blowing the hem of their clothes and their black hair. Cyan fire reflected in their eyes and there was a subtle similarity in their expressions.

“It’s all over, Ah Yu.” Xiao Du said solemnly, “Those who hurt you all got the end they deserve.”

Xiao Yuan said indifferently: “Then your end is pretty good.”

Xiao Du smiled sarcastically, “With you as my brother, it is indeed… very good.”

Xiao Yuan didn’t want to say anything else about this, so he changed the subject: “There are countless treasures in Yunjian Pavilion. Why don’t my brother pick a few to play with?”

“No need.” Xiao Du narrowed his eyes, “I find the things in Yunjian Pavilion dirty. It is more interesting to watch others fight for those dirty things, unable to contain their joy.”

Xiao Du’s bad taste was still the same as before. Xiao Yuan said, “Then enjoy the show. I’ll go first.”

Xiao Du was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Ah Yu.”

Xiao Yuan paused, “En?”

Xiao Du looked at him solemnly and asked, “In the future, will you still stay in Xingtian Sect?”

Xiao Yuan said the truth: “Maybe not anymore.”

Xiao Du’s chest felt blocked, his heart throbbing with dull pain.

“But I am still a member of Xingtian Sect. If Xingtian Sect needs me, I will come back at any time.” Xiao Yuan thought for a while, and said, “Just think of us as brothers who have separate families. Although we don’t live in the same place, we can still meet from time to time, give gifts and eat New Year Eve’s Dinner together.”

Xiao Yuan didn’t know how brothers from ordinary families got along, but it seemed that once one of them had a family, he had to focus on his family and couldn’t stay with his brother.

Xiao Du nodded like he was given charity, “Then, can I still protect you?”

“Yes, but it’s not necessary.” Xiao Yuan said, “I can protect myself. Even if I can’t, there is still someone by my side.”

“Someone by your side…” Xiao Du chuckled softly, “How fortunate is he to be your… someone by your side.”

The main peak of Yunjian Pavilion burned to the ground, and ‘the famous righteous sects’ wanted to deal with the other peaks. They couldn’t start without the permission of Xingtian Sect, so they sent someone to ask Xiao Yuan. In their opinion, the young good-looking lord was obviously easier to talk to than the Venerable Lord of Xintian Sect who treated everyone coldly and disdainfully.

After Xiao Yuan learned of this, his normal demeanour changed and he said coldly: “Xingtian and Xuanle Sects have not taken a single thing from Yunjian Pavilion. Everything has fallen into your hands. What? Is that not enough? Don’t be too greedy.”

The man said with an air of righteousness: “Master Xiao misunderstood. I just thought that Yunjian Pavilion was so heinous that it should be wiped out completely as soon as possible.”

Xiao Yuan didn’t bother to listen to his righteous words and said, “No.”

The man was quite reluctant, “But…”

Xiao Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at him, “Do you want to teach me how to do things?”

The man felt his coldness and didn’t dare to say a word more. He hurriedly apologized and retired. Afterwards, he didn’t forget to sigh: who said that the beauty was easy to talk to, he was clearly the same as his brother.

Yunjian Pavilion had dozens of different peaks, each with its own purpose. Among them, Juedi Peak was the one where the disciples of Yunjian Pavilion were punished and imprisoned. After being captured alive by Xingtian Sect, Lin Wulian was taken to Yunjian Pavilion. He watched his shimen burn to ashes. His body that could not recover for a long time, became weaker and weaker and even his sanity was destroyed. 

When Xiao Yuan arrived, he was huddled in a corner, sitting with his arms around his knees, his eyes empty and dull. He was still wearing his Yunjian Pavilion attire from the day of the great battle, the blood stains on it have long since turned black.

He didn’t seem to hear Xiao Yuan’s footsteps. He slowly raised his head when someone walked in front of him, and a dark light lit up in his hollow eyes.

Xiao Yuan’s face that could charm any living being was as stunning as when he had first seen it. After so much time passed, neither he nor Gu Louyin had the youthful aura of the past. But Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yuan who was ‘dead’ once, looked like everything had changed about him and nothing had changed at all.

Xiao Yuan met Lin Wulian’s gaze and said, “It seems that you are awake now.”

“Where is my master?” After not speaking for many days, Lin Wulian’s voice was hoarse like sandpaper. That day, he was swapped by Xiao Yuan in the melee and he did not witness Gu Hang’s death with his own eyes. This was a blessing for him. At least, he could believe it didn’t happen.

Xiao Yuan did not answer directly, but only said, “If he is still there, he will definitely come to save you. Gu Hang is cold-hearted, you are the only person he cares about.”

“You… you want to use me as bait?”

Xiao Yuan said, “You knew that in the first place, didn’t you?”

Lin Wulian’s expression was blank, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Xiao Yuan.

“You know who you are,” Xiao Yuan said slowly, “and you know that you shouldn’t call Gu Hang ‘Master’, but should call him…”

Lin Wuzhi suddenly said, “Yes, I knew, I knew it when I was a kid. Master is my father, and shidi is my younger…”

Before he uttered the words ‘younger brother’,  there was a snap. Lin Wulian was forced to turn his head. There was a red mark left by the folding fan on his pale cheek and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

“Listen up, Gu Louyin has nothing to do with you father and son duo,” Xiao Yuan said, “He belongs to me.”

Lin Wulian curled up on the ground, panting. For some unknown reason, he giggled: “What’s the use of denying it? He and I will always share the same blood!”

Xiao Yuan was not as irritated as Lin Wulian had expected, and said, “You know that you share the same blood, but you still like him and want him? Over the years, it must have been hard holding back.”

Lin Wulian’s bloodshot eyes froze as Xiao Yuan dealt him the heaviest blow with a single light-hearted sentence.

“I never thought about it!” Lin Wulian opened his eyes wide, as if in a fit of madness, “I just wanted to be his good shixiong, his good gege. I didn’t, I can’t…!”

Xiao Yuan felt puzzled, “You were his good shixiong and I didn’t stop you. Why did you target me? What did I do wrong?”

Lin Wulian murmured: “Shidi liked you, he liked you very much. But you don’t deserve it, you only have your face, you don’t deserve his liking…”

“So after you learned that there was serpentine beauty in my body, you acted out a good show, all by yourself?” Xiao Yuan sighed, “What a ruthless man. That’s right, you  knew that you are Gu Hang’s biological son and naturally believed that he would do anything to save you.”

“But shidi believed you,“ Lin Wulian didn’t know whether he was crying or laughing, “No matter what others said, he only believed you.”

Xiao Yuan suddenly said, “So, at that time he liked me? I really didn’t see it at all.”

Lin Wulian vomited a mouthful of blood, “What are you pretending for…!”

Xiao Yuan looked innocent, “I don’t pretend and I didn’t mean to anger you. Why don’t you tell me, how could you see that he liked me back then?” He was really curious. He asked Gu Louyin, but Gu Louyin didn’t tell him.

Lin Wulian closed his eyes, shivering, as if he would be angered to death if he looked at Xiao Yuan one more time.

Xiao Yuan chuckled and said, “If you were really harmed by someone back then, I would not regret giving you thirty cups of my blood to save your life. However, it was you who poisoned yourself with withered bones. Even if my blood was fed to pigs, it would be better than to have it wasted on you. At least I can kill a pig and eat it when I am hungry. My ge suggested a tooth for a tooth, a hundred times over. Since you took thirty cups of my blood, I will take three thousand cups from you. But I don’t think this is necessary. We can consider that the blood-letting has never happened – Meng-jiejie.”

“Here I am.” Meng Chi walked in with a smile, “Master Lin enjoys withered bones so much, jiejie will let you have enough today. Guess if there will be anyone to detoxify you this time?”

After leaving Juedi Peak, Xiao Yuan went to another peak of Yunjian Pavilion. He had been to this mountain several times; Gu Louyin’s mother was buried here.

The main peak of Yunjian Pavilion was already a dry mountain, but this mountain was still lush and full of life. Gu Hang and Gu Louyin stood in front of Yuan Lu’s tomb. Gu Hang said, “Our family has finally reunited.”

Gu Louyin said, “There is still one more person – he’s here.”

“You two, are you standing here for penance?”

Gu Louyin looked back and said, “Where have you been?”

Xiao Yuan bowed to his mother-in-law and casually said, “Went to kill someone.”

Gu Hang said curiously: “If you want to kill someone, why do it yourself?”

Xiao Yuan asked rhetorically: “Why can’t I do it myself?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that…”

Gu Louyin said, “It’s a pity.”

“What’s a pity?” Xiao Yuan was a little upset, “You don’t like me killing people?”

“It’s a pity that I didn’t see you killing someone with your own hands.”

Gu Hang stared at Gu Louyin as if he was seeing a ghost. When did his son become so… so……

Xiao Yuan was refreshed.

Gu Hang shook his head incomprehensibly and asked, “What are your plans for the future?”

Gu Louyin said, “Depends on him.”

“Go find my Shizun first.” Xiao Yuan said, “Uncle, what about you?”

“I’ll stay here. “Gu Hang looked at his wife’s grave and said softly, “Just like before.”