Zhongnan Temple was on the mountain, and Qin Jiujiu and Xie Jing did not walk up the mountain. However, they did not expect that when they reached the gate of the temple, looking down, there were only stone steps within sight.
The gate of the temple was tightly shut, and many fallen leaves were scattered outside.
At a glance, one might think it was a long-abandoned Taoist temple.
However, the architecture of this temple was grand, and it was likely that during its prosperous times, people would have come and gone incessantly.
Qin Jiujiu thought of the Taoist priest she met outside the palace gate. According to him, since the Son of Heaven was so devout, Zhongnan Temple should not have fallen into such disrepair, which was somewhat strange.
Qin Jiujiu walked forward and knocked on the door, but after a long time, there was no response from within the temple.
"Is there no one here?" Qin Jiujiu turned her head to look at Xie Jing. His expression was hidden in the light, making it impossible to see clearly.
She saw him subtly swirl his palm, as if forming a hand seal, and suddenly a great force struck the door in front of her. Qin Jiujiu's bangs even moved with it, and the door creaked open in response.
Upon entering, she saw only fallen leaves.
"Is anyone there?" Qin Jiujiu tentatively called out, but the appearance of the courtyard truly looked as if no one lived there.
But that Taoist priest had clearly told her to come here!
Qin Jiujiu did not believe that the Taoist priest would be willing to weave such a lie to play a trick on her, so she said, "Let's go in and take a look..." and continued to walk forward.
"Jiujiu!"
Qin Jiujiu's expression was momentarily stunned because this voice belonged to Liu Jin.
Xie Jing remained expressionless. Before he even entered the door, he already knew there were signs of people within the temple, otherwise, he would not have opened the door.
However, it was Liu Jin who appeared, which surprised him somewhat.
Qin Jiujiu turned her head and saw a woman in white. Liu Jin had changed out of her usual favorite red attire, and the hairpins in her bun were few, making her look very plain.
She was in mourning.
Liu Jin's demeanor had also changed significantly. Qin Jiujiu suddenly recalled the description in the original text of her encountering misfortune. Seeing her now, she finally understood how tragic the scene must have been! It was enough to make a woman who was originally so flamboyant and radiant temper her sharpness.
Dressed in white, she was gentle, but Qin Jiujiu felt that Liu Jin, who appeared so fragile at this moment, seemed as if she could ascend to the heavens at any moment.
She stood rooted to the spot, not moving for a long time.
It was truly a case of seeing her again, but everything had changed.
Liu Jin's face held no smile. She walked closer to Qin Jiujiu, her expression growing heavier. Upon reaching her, Qin Jiujiu realized that her eyes were already bloodshot, and her eyes were filled with glistening tears, as if they would fall at any second.
"Sister A'jin..." As soon as Qin Jiujiu spoke, she saw her tears falling like pearls from a broken string. Feeling her grief, she stepped forward and embraced Liu Jin tightly.
Xie Jing watched from the side, feeling inexplicably uneasy. He stared intently at Qin Jiujiu. At this moment, Liu Jin had her back to him, while Qin Jiujiu was facing him.
Sensing Xie Jing's gaze, Qin Jiujiu looked up at him with a hint of confusion.
Xie Jing appeared to be angry, but she hadn't provoked him!
At this moment, Qin Jiujiu felt Liu Jin hug her back. Hearing her low sobs in the crook of her neck, her heart stirred, and she whispered, "Sister A'jin, cry! Crying will make you feel less distressed!"
Xie Jing watched from the side, and realizing that his intimidating gaze was not working to make Qin Jiujiu let go, he walked over to the two of them and said coldly, "Is there anyone else in this temple?"
Liu Jin released Qin Jiujiu. The lingering redness in her eyes showed her recent sorrow. Qin Jiujiu looked at her with concern, not paying attention to what Xie Jing was saying.
Sensing that Qin Jiujiu's gaze was always on Liu Jin, Xie Jing's expression grew even colder. He directly stepped forward, grabbed Qin Jiujiu's hand, and pulled her closer to himself.
Liu Jin replied, "There is another Taoist priest. He often goes down the mountain. When I knew you were coming to the Imperial City, I asked him to pass on a message if he saw you!"
Qin Jiujiu was a little confused and asked, "How could he recognize us?"
Liu Jin's expression softened. "With the four of you having such distinctive appearances, it's naturally easy to recognize!"
Xie Jing continued, "If that's the case, where is he now?" He had a feeling that this Taoist priest was not simple!
"The Taoist priest comes and goes like the wind, and I rarely see him..." Before Liu Jin could finish speaking, Xie Jing's sword suddenly unsheathed and flew towards a certain spot.
"Young man, don't be so impulsive... you might easily harm innocent people!"
That direction was a visual dead end, but it turned out someone could hide there.
Qin Jiujiu watched as the Taoist priest she had met earlier emerged from that blind spot, a smile on his face. He was speaking to Xie Jing.
"Little girl, we meet again!" He swept his gaze over the three of them, then settled on Qin Jiujiu. He then looked at Xie Jing and pouted, "Little girl, I told you, this person beside you is very ill-suited for you! Why are you still with him?"
His gaze fell on their clasped hands, and he tutted. Then, he walked directly towards them, making a move to forcibly separate their hands with his whisk.
Xie Jing's eyes were now filled with murderous intent. The moment he uttered the words "ill-suited," murderous intent filled Xie Jing's eyes. However, whether he didn't feel it or deliberately pretended not to, he still walked up to the two of them.
The sword suspended in the air, receiving its master's instruction, instantly changed direction and attacked the Taoist priest.
However, with a flash, he had already moved aside. The sword, unable to adjust its direction immediately, flew straight towards Qin Jiujiu.
In a moment of panic, Xie Jing quickly struck the sword down, and with a clang, the sword fell in front of Qin Jiujiu.
The Taoist priest landed silently not far away, looked at the three of them, and shook his head, looking lazy. "Little girl, I told you, following him will put you in great danger!"
Qin Jiujiu felt the killing intent emanating from Xie Jing. She quickly hooked her fingers into his palm, trying to attract his attention.
As expected, Xie Jing's restless heart was calmed and stabilized.