Wang Chongyang and Lin Wang walked one after another, facing the mountain hollow, parting the tall wild grass as they searched for a path.
Although the wilderness was hot at noon, a gentle breeze still blew occasionally, carrying a scent of fragrance. After many years, Wang Chongyang's heart still pounded, intoxicated by it. He quickened his pace, wanting to be by her side. Glancing at the bandages on her hands, he remembered the suffering he had caused her. He thought, "Let it end here."
Lin Chaoying noticed his accelerated pace suddenly halt. She turned to look and saw his brows furrowed, his face etched with worry. As Wang Chongyang saw her approach, he took a step back and said, "I am still the same person from eight years ago. You will regret spending eight years searching for me." He slightly turned his head to the left and said, "We should still..." Lin Chaoying quickly followed, "We should still go out and explore. If we don't feel comfortable, we can return to living in the tomb." Wang Chongyang, unwilling to go against her wishes right after their reunion, fell silent and lowered his head, continuing to walk.
They arrived at a rose bush. Lin Chaoying was delighted to see red flowers nestled against green leaves, bathed in spring sunlight and the clear breeze. Moreover, she could feel his presence right behind her. With a heartfelt sigh, she said, "Spending a lifetime here wouldn't be bad either." The person before her was like the beautiful scenery at this moment; how could he bear to be wasted? Wang Chongyang sighed softly and said, "Let's go. Don't wait until the sun sets in the west, and then regret it too late." He glanced at her as she happily set off, and could only follow, intending to guide her slowly later.
When they reached the locust tree grove, Lin Chaoying, to break the ice, taunted, "This grove is arranged too deliberately. With a little effort, it wouldn't be hard to uncover the clues." Inwardly, she felt ashamed for having missed it once. Wang Chongyang, seeing her still clad in black, knew she had reservations and didn't want to reveal the hidden secrets. He walked past her, moving straight ahead. Lin Chaoying watched his retreating figure, recalling countless dream-shattered nights. At the moment she found him, what should she say? What would she feel? It had come true, yet there was no difference at all, as if she had only seen him a short while ago... or just last night. At this moment, she felt she didn't need to think about anything, but to follow his footsteps with all her heart. Wang Chongyang suddenly turned around, almost bumping into Lin Chaoying who was following behind. They looked at each other for a moment. Wang Chongyang awkwardly spoke first, asking, "Are you hungry yet?" Without waiting for her reply, he continued, "There are autumn olives growing here, and they taste good." He muttered to himself and went to pick wild fruits.
Lin Chaoying saw his hands full of long, half-red, half-yellow wild fruits and approached him, saying, "I'll help you." Wang Chongyang handed them all to her, taking only one for himself and casually sitting down by a tree. Lin Chaoying looked intently and saw that he had sat down under that locust tree! She couldn't help but say, "I once took shelter from the rain under this locust tree."
Wang Chongyang replied, "What a coincidence." Was it fate?
Lin Chaoying said earnestly, "It's really that coincidental." It was fate!
Wang Chongyang changed the subject, saying, "These fruits are not only sweet and sour, but they also have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Eat more." Lin Chaoying was so moved that she couldn't speak, so she ate to comfort herself. Wang Chongyang was also adjusting his breathing when he suddenly heard her ask, "Do you often move around nearby?" Wang Chongyang nodded and said, "I have to find something to eat." Lin Chaoying asked, "Then go and pretend to be a villain to scare people." Wang Chongyang's expression soured, and he retorted, "That was their misunderstanding. I was too lazy to explain." Lin Chaoying asked again, "Why did you pretend to be a Taoist priest?" Wang Chongyang said earnestly, "I truly entered the Tao! After that incident, I wanted to return to my hometown and make further plans. When I arrived at Lishan, I fell ill and stayed with my old friend, Daoist Priest Jiang Sheng, the fifth generation descendant of the Guangsheng Temple, to recuperate. Day and night, I listened to scriptures and learned the Tao, giving rise to the idea of leaving the world and avoiding worldly affairs... Who knew it would attract so much gossip and lead to so many misunderstandings? In a fit of anger, I simply hid in this abandoned base. If I couldn't leave the world, I might as well be buried in the earth." He realized she was staring at him and felt he had said too much. He thought it was the most he had spoken in eight years. Lin Chaoying listened intently, having just felt the return of the flesh-and-blood him, but it stopped abruptly. Seeing him wipe his hands on the hem of his robe, he turned and walked away. She could only follow him. This straightforwardness and simplicity made her feel pleased.
Not long after leaving the woods, mist quickly enveloped the surroundings. Lin Chaoying saw the person before her flicker in and out of view. Fearing he would escape again, she reached out her right hand to grasp his sleeve. Coincidentally, Wang Chongyang turned his head and saw her face becoming blurry. He pulled her with his right hand backwards. In this way, their hands held each other. Lin Chaoying couldn't tell if it was a dream or mist. She felt her soul departing her body, her thoughts becoming sluggish. Wang Chongyang couldn't help but feel ashamed and self-reproachful. He had clearly resolved to stay away, yet he had drawn closer. After several struggles, he finally used the evening breeze to dispel the haze, pointing to the exposed mountain slope, withdrew his hand, and said, "Let's go over there."
Reaching the grassy area, he sat on a damp, green stone, feeling ashamed: he was not young, his great undertaking was not yet accomplished, and his future was uncertain. He truly did not deserve this good fortune... He should persuade her to leave as soon as possible. Suddenly, he heard Lin Chaoying say, "Your martial arts have improved quite a bit." Humility was useless, so he said frankly, "I had nothing to do, so I could only focus on cultivating my martial arts." Lin Chaoying continued, "You even created a set of martial arts that counter our Youxu Cave martial arts." His heart skipped a beat, and a sense of panic and unease surged. He looked up to see her approaching a crabapple tree. With a light flick, two broken branches fell. She caught one in mid-air and then used it to flick another branch towards her face. Wang Chongyang caught the branch and saw that the broken edge was as smooth as if cut by a knife. He secretly praised her internal energy for having improved significantly. Lin Chaoying said, "It's impolite to resort to weapons upon meeting again after a long separation. Let's be more refined and use flowers as swords to have a match." Wang Chongyang seized this opportunity to ask her to leave and agreed, "Thirty moves is the limit. If you lose, you must do as I say." Lin Chaoying was quite confident and said, "Alright." She thrust the branch straight at him, using "Leaf Bottom Calyx Hidden," the first move she had used when they first met in Ninghai County.
The way he dealt with the same move was entirely different now. His swordplay was like... gears meshing with a worm gear. The rhythm was controlled, and the direction had to be followed. The response was so close. Could it be that when he designed it, he was thinking of that period, of his continuous display of the entire Youxu Cave martial arts? Or the circumstances of their time together? ... Or me?
Twenty moves had passed. Wang Chongyang was secretly anxious. On the surface, he had controlled Lin Chaoying's attacks everywhere, but completely defeating her was not easy. He cursed himself for foolishly thinking of using this in battle to kill demons and monsters! With only two moves left before the limit, Wang Chongyang, at his wit's end, changed to his newly created scattered move, "Wandering the World," and thrust his sword diagonally. It was unexpected. If Lin Chaoying had not quickly raised her head to dodge, her forehead would certainly have been scratched by the flower branch.
Wang Chongyang retreated apologetically, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "I concede." Without delay, he immediately said, "You must listen to my words." Lin Chaoying said, "Speak." Wang Chongyang said, "Miss Lin's kindness, not wishing for me to be buried in the tomb, is truly appreciated. However, my future path still requires careful planning. To avoid delaying Miss's time, let us part ways here." He dared not look directly at her, fearing he would falter. After a moment, he heard no reaction. He looked up and saw her gazing at him without speaking.
Lin Chaoying finally asked, "Are you finished speaking?" Wang Chongyang nodded hesitantly. Lin Chaoying said, "Let me think about it for a night, and I will surely break your blockade tomorrow." Wang Chongyang uttered, "How can you say such a thing without keeping your word?" Lin Chaoying said, "You want me to listen to your words. Now I have heard six sentences. I have indeed been too trustworthy. Moreover, have you forgotten that I was ordered to take your head? How can I leave without completing the mission?" Seeing him look dejected and silent, she teased, "That last move, it doesn't seem to belong to this set of sword techniques." Wang Chongyang said sullenly, "It was also not specified which sword technique to use." Lin Chaoying asked, "What is the name of this set of sword techniques?" Wang Chongyang, seeing her smug expression, replied grudgingly, "It has no name." Lin Chaoying pretended to ponder for a moment and said, "Then let's call it 'Golden Boy Sword Technique'." Thinking of the shrine on Mount Hua, she blushingly turned her face away. Wang Chongyang blurted out, "It would be more suitable to call it the Old Daoist Sword Technique." After saying this, he immediately regretted it and felt ashamed, so he retreated to the other side.
With great difficulty, they found a stone cave. With Lin Chaoying on his back, he said, "The night mist is harmful. Let's rest here for the night, how about it?" Lin Chaoying lowered her head and entered. Seeing him not moving, she turned back and said, "I will rest elsewhere." Lin Chaoying said, "The mist rose so quickly and is so thick. Save some energy and stay here. If you have a clear conscience, why do you need to avoid suspicion?" After saying this, she tied ropes to the stone walls at both ends, jumped up, and lay on them to sleep. Wang Chongyang thought for a moment, turned to face outwards, sat down cross-legged, and adjusted his breathing.
As the first light shone through, Lin Chaoying, still groggy, saw his silhouette at the cave entrance. Fearing he would fly away like a dragon again, she quickly jumped down and rushed forward to embrace him. Several steps away, she felt a warmth and suddenly woke up. She forcefully stepped back, sat down in a panic. Soon after, she heard him call, "Do you want to go out? Although there is sunlight, the mist has not yet dispersed." Lin Chaoying had a sudden inspiration and said, "Let's compete in internal energy here."
Lin Chaoying, using a dark warrior training mode, used the stones inside the cave to compete in internal strength with Wang Chongyang. Afterward, they casually picked some fruits and shared them. After another hour or so, fearing he would be bored, she came to compete in boxing and footwork. The moves Wang Chongyang displayed were also unseen before, but they differed in style from the Golden Boy Sword Technique, carrying a more pronounced Taoist essence. Lin Chaoying wondered why he was only targeting the sword techniques. Unconsciously, dusk had fallen. Wisps of milky white mist outside became more apparent. Lin Chaoying originally wanted to find some fresh food to change Wang Chongyang's taste, but fearing it was too late, she became a little disheartened. Seeing him sitting solemnly outside, gazing at the gloomy landscape with a side profile, his expression serene yet tinged with curiosity, she wondered if he had discovered some pleasure. She sat beside him and followed his gaze. For a moment... although she couldn't observe anything specific, the faint breeze blowing against her body gradually brought a sense of peace and tranquility. She vaguely heard the sound of earth being turned... "It's a mole rat," he said. Although her attention wasn't entirely focused on the same thing, she remained silent. The important thing was this moment they were hearing it together; what they were hearing no longer mattered.
The next morning, when the mist finally cleared and the clouds dispersed, Lin Chaoying suggested they compete in lightness skill outside to get some fresh air. Lin Chaoying moved swiftly like the wind, and Wang Chongyang also flew like a bird with wings. They chased each other for a whole morning before stopping on a mountainside, the distance from the stone cave unknown. Wang Chongyang looked around the wilderness to pick fruits, while Lin Chaoying watched for rabbits or any animals. Lin Chaoying circled the bushes and suddenly heard a mooing sound. Following the sound, she saw a thin, yellow cow trapped in the gaps of the tangled roots. Although it looked somewhat familiar, she was preoccupied with the thought of how Wang Chongyang might like the taste of this lean cow grilled. The thin cow seemed to know its fate was sealed. It let out a cry, knelt down, and tears welled up in its eyes.