Blood sedge

Chapter 1210 Mother and Son's Farewell (Part 3)

Upon hearing this, Tang Afu, who was sitting to the side, subtly changed his expression.

"How did you know?" Xiao Zhirou was shocked and quickly explained, "Xunyi, I know you are dissatisfied with Yun Zhuiyue and definitely don't like your mother being so close to him, I..."

“Valley Master Xiao is overthinking it!” Liu Xunyi quickly interrupted the flustered Xiao Zhirou, then smiled gently at her and comforted her, “It’s true that I harbor resentment towards Yun Zhuiyue, but he is, after all, the adopted son of Clan Chief Teng, Valley Master Xiao’s childhood friend, and also Ping’er’s adoptive father. How could I put you in a dilemma because of my own likes and dislikes?”

"Xunyi, aren't you angry with your mother?"

"Of course not! Although Yun Zhuiyue is treacherous and despicable, he is truly sincere towards Valley Master Xiao, and as for Ping'er... I imagine he has some genuine feelings for her as well. He can disregard the lives of everyone else in the world, but he would never allow you and Ping'er to suffer any harm." Liu Xunyi said with a nonchalant smile, "Besides, Valley Master Xiao and Ping'er are women after all, and there will inevitably be some inconveniences when traveling. The journey to the Western Regions is long and arduous, and we don't know how many troubles we will encounter along the way. With a highly skilled and experienced martial artist like Yun Zhuiyue by your side to take care of you, I can feel much more at ease."

"Xunyi, are you really not worried?" Xiao Zhirou was still skeptical.

“Valley Master Xiao is the leader of a sect, and I believe you must have your own principles and sense of proportion in your actions.” Liu Xunyi spoke sincerely from the bottom of her heart. “Moreover, after Valley Master Xiao and Ping’er leave Luoyang City, Yun Zhuiyue will be left alone here, which will surely make him uncomfortable, and I will not be comfortable either. Therefore, it is better to let him go with you, so that I don’t have to hate him.”

"Don't worry! I won't have much contact with him, and I won't make things difficult for you in the future." Although Xiao Zhirou understood Liu Xunyi's intentions, she still solemnly stated her attitude, "However... Yun Zhuiyue's trip to the Western Regions is also justified. Because we have another very important matter to attend to on this trip, and this matter... is more or less related to him."

"Oh?" Xiao Zhirou's words immediately piqued Liu Xunyi's interest. "Besides visiting the Kunlun Sect and Senior Kong Sheng, is there anything else you need?"

"About your sister," Xiao Zhirou said with a wry smile. "As the saying goes, 'A daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home once she grows up.' This girl... I'm afraid she has already set her sights on Wu Shuang."

"Ping'er?" Liu Xunyi was taken aback and asked with concern, "What happened to her?"

"Ever since Wu Shuang brought that girl named Chun Tao to Danfeng Garden, your sister has been worried sick and unable to eat or sleep." Speaking of Yun Jianping, Xiao Zhirou's expression was a mixture of doting and helplessness. "When Wu Shuang wanted to leave Danfeng Garden, she insisted on going with him, even declaring that she would follow him wherever he went. For a young woman to be so unreserved, following a man around without any status or recognition, is simply absurd! No matter how I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen to a word. In desperation, I had no choice but to take her with me."

"This..." Liu Xunyi pondered, "It seems that Chun Tao's appearance caused Ping'er to become extremely jealous, which is why she impulsively said those things. However..." Liu Xunyi changed the subject and tentatively said, "Wu Shuang is indeed a good person. He is handsome, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and his age is quite suitable for Ping'er. Moreover, I think he... also has feelings for Ping'er. However, he is a descendant of the Western Liao royal family, and his background and family history are far more complicated than ordinary people. This concerns Ping'er's lifelong happiness, so we must be extremely careful about this."

“That’s right! Yun Zhuiyue and I think so too!” Touched by Liu Xunyi’s words, Xiao Zhirou immediately put the teacup she had just picked up back on the table and said cautiously, “I really can’t see through Wu Shuang. I always feel that he’s hiding too many secrets, and what he says is half true and half false, making it hard to believe him. If he’s a playboy who likes to flirt around, or a womanizer who starts relationships and then abandons them, I’m really worried that Ping’er, being so naive, will be deceived by him…”

Because Xiao Zhirou had been deeply hurt by Luo Tianjin's manipulation of her feelings, she felt a deep-seated aversion to men, especially to a talented and intelligent man like Wu Shuang.

She could always see the shadow of Luo Tianjin in these kinds of men, especially that shrewd and capable demeanor, which really made her uneasy.

As for Yun Zhuiyue, as Yun Jianping's adoptive father, he naturally did not want her to ruin her life because of a setback in love, and follow in Xiao Zhirou's footsteps.

“I inquired about Wu Shuang’s character from Xunzhen. Although he is cynical and unrestrained, he is not the kind of person that Valley Master Xiao is worried about.” Liu Xunyi did not want to reopen Xiao Zhirou’s wounds, so she comforted her with kind words.

"Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. This concerns Ping'er's lifelong happiness, and I, as her mother, must personally oversee it no matter what." Xiao Zhirou's expression hardened, and her attitude became even more resolute.

"So... Valley Master Xiao plans to personally go to the Western Regions to investigate Wu Shuang's background?" Liu Xunyi suddenly realized.

"Not only that! I also want to meet Wu Shuang's family and clarify things between Ping'er and Wu Shuang face to face. I absolutely cannot let Ping'er follow him without knowing the truth. By the way... I also want to take this opportunity to meet the legendary Young Prince Qin and see who this person who has been helping you behind the scenes is." At this point, Xiao Zhirou raised an eyebrow and glanced meaningfully at the silent Liu Xunyi, asking with a deeper meaning, "Should I also investigate Xunzhen's background for you?"

Liu Xunyi, who was preoccupied with Yun Jianping, panicked upon hearing the name "Xunzhen." Her expression momentarily went out of control, revealing her tension, embarrassment, awkwardness, and hesitation—a truly fascinating sight.

"Valley Master Xiao is joking. Why should I need to pry into Xunzhen's background?" Liu Xunyi, completely bewildered, hastily refused.

"What? Haven't you always been curious about her?" Xiao Zhirou pretended to be ignorant. "You said before that this woman is as cunning as a demon, often manipulating you and causing you endless suffering. In that case, what's wrong with me investigating her background so that you can deal with her more easily?"

"Oh! So that's what Valley Master Xiao meant..." Gradually understanding Xiao Zhirou's meaning, Liu Xunyi, realizing she had misunderstood, felt extremely embarrassed and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"What did you think it was?" Xiao Zhirou suppressed a laugh and asked, feigning confusion.

"N-nothing..." Liu Xunyi, her face flushed red, was completely flustered and could only stammer incoherently, "What I meant was... Xunzhen isn't that scary, I can handle it myself..."

Seeing Liu Xunyi's panic, Xiao Zhirou couldn't help but laugh, but she stopped teasing him.

“Xunyi, Yun Zhuiyue and I have discussed it and plan to leave Chang Wuhui and the ‘Eight Beauties’ from Jueqing Valley, as well as the two protectors Si Wudao and Tang Xuan, four Wuchang, and eighty messengers from Longxiang Mountain, to serve you and lend you a hand,” Xiao Zhirou added. “Will these people be enough? If not, I can summon more disciples from Jueqing Valley…”

“Enough! That’s enough! Dragon Elephant Mountain is now like a rootless duckweed. Yun Zhuiyue can’t take all his disciples with him everywhere he goes. It is indeed a sad situation of being dependent on others.” Liu Xunyi chuckled. “However, since I promised to let them stay, I won’t go back on my word. As long as Yun Zhuiyue can leave all his disciples at Danfeng Garden without worrying that I will cut off their escape route when he’s not around, let’s arrange it this way!”

“What is he worried about?” Xiao Zhirou said unhappily. “If he doesn’t even have this much trust, why would Yun Zhuiyue stay here? Besides, this is also an opportunity for him to show his sincerity to you. It’s a rare opportunity, so how can you not cherish it?” Liu Xunyi knew that Xiao Zhirou was deliberately saying the opposite of what she meant, in order to ease the conflict between herself and Yun Zhuiyue, so she didn’t say anything more. She added, “The people from Longxiang Mountain can stay in Danfeng Garden, but Chang Wuhui and the ‘Eight Beauties’ absolutely cannot.”

"Why?" Xiao Zhirou was taken aback.

“Firstly, I really don’t need that many people. Even the people from Longxiang Mountain, I don’t really intend to use. After all, when I was establishing the Buzheng Sect, I suddenly became close to the people from Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley, which inevitably aroused the suspicion of Master Xie and Xunzhen. At that time, the situation would only become more complicated.” Liu Xunyi explained, “Secondly, the journey to the Western Regions is a long way. You and Ping’er need to have some trustworthy people around you to prevent any unforeseen events.”

“I agree!” Tang Afu immediately chimed in. “Whether it’s Wu Shuang or Yun Zhuiyue, they are all outsiders and cannot be fully trusted. I would not feel at ease if the Valley Master did not have any family members by his side.”

“This…” Xiao Zhirou hesitated, seemingly still worried about Liu Xunyi.

"Don't worry, Master Xiao. Right now, the Prince Xian's Mansion and the Western Martial Sect will only try their best to win me over and will never plot against me. As for the Mongols... now that Shen Dongshan is acting as guarantor, I don't expect them to cause me any trouble in the short term."

"Well... alright!" Seeing Liu Xunyi's insistence, Xiao Zhirou stopped being stubborn and advised, "No matter what, you can't let your guard down. Be careful in everything you do."

"I will keep Valley Master Xiao's teachings in mind," Liu Xunyi readily agreed.

"That's good! That's good!" With many concerns, Xiao Zhirou slowly got up, pacing around the study while repeatedly thinking about what else she needed to tell him.

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi took the initiative to interrupt her worries and asked with a smile, "When does Valley Master Xiao plan to set off?"

"Our plan is... first thing tomorrow morning."

"So fast?"

Liu Xunyi was taken aback, and the smile on her face gradually stiffened. Her mouth opened and closed slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
Xiao Zhirou's sudden departure left Liu Xunyi with a strange feeling that was hard to explain.

It felt like sadness, heaviness, worry, bitterness, and also... emptiness and helplessness.

The last time he had a similar feeling was on the day he lost Liu Xunyu.

Now, revisiting that old dream, though not as intense as when his sister went missing, is still enough to make him uneasy and anxious.

“Xunyi, the journey to the Western Regions is long and arduous. In addition, we will have to detour around Kunlun Mountain. If all goes well, we will have to return to Changbai Mountain to see Granny Peach Blossom. After all that trouble… I don’t know how many days it will take?” At this moment, Xiao Zhirou’s emotions also became somewhat sad, but she restrained herself very well. At least on the surface, she appeared much more composed than Liu Xunyi. “Our separation will last at least half a year, and at most a year. Right now, what I worry about the most is you.”

“Xiao…” Looking at Xiao Zhirou, whose eyes were full of tenderness and worry, Liu Xunyi wanted to act as if nothing was wrong, but unexpectedly his eyes involuntarily turned red, and when he spoke, he couldn’t help but choke up, “Don’t worry, I… I can take care of myself. You and Ping’er should take good care of yourselves.”

"My son, your fame spreads far and wide, your might shakes the world. With your protection, I believe no demon or monster would dare to act rashly." Xiao Zhirou forced back her tears, giving Liu Xunyi a proud and warm smile. "But you, your temperament is too strong, and you don't know how to be flexible when things happen. If you encounter a hurdle you can't overcome, don't try to tough it out. Just let Afu take you back to the Valley of Heartbreak. That will always be your home. Don't be reckless! Don't be stubborn! Don't worry! Wait for your mother to come back safely, understand?"

“I remember…” The feeling of being protected was both unfamiliar and longed for by Liu Xunyi. Even though he was no longer a weak and naive child, Xiao Zhirou’s words, “Wait for Mother to come back,” still made his chest feel tight and his nose feel sore.

“My son is a true man, and I’m just being long-winded!” Xiao Zhirou smiled self-deprecatingly, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, and then turned and walked towards the door, afraid that if she walked too slowly, her tears would fall again, and she was also afraid that if she walked too slowly, she would be reluctant to leave. “Afu, take good care of Xunyi for your master, and take good care of yourself too.”

"Rest assured, Valley Master, I guarantee with my life that I will protect Liu Xunyi to the fullest extent!"

"Stop talking nonsense! You and Xunyi must wait for me to return safely!"

"Disciple obeys." Tang Afu stared at Xiao Zhirou's retreating figure with trembling eyes. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, were digging their nails into his palms, trying to numb his sorrow with pain.

"It's getting late, I...I'm leaving!"

Before leaving, Xiao Zhirou glanced at the chessboard by the window one last time out of the corner of her eye, then, without further pretense, quickly opened the door and fled into the night.

Inside the room, Liu Xunyi stared blankly into the darkness outside the door, suppressing the sorrow of parting. After a long silence, she finally murmured a sentence in a voice barely audible.

"Take care on your journey, Mother..."

……

(End of this chapter)