broken branch

Chapter 2
The night is vast.

It will be fifteen days later, so the moon this night is not completely round, and the edges are blurry, with a bit of a strange red.

There is a thin mist in the forest.

The hot breath from Duan Ling's breath while he was running blew away the mist, allowing him to see clearly the man running in front of him—he had fallen somewhere, and his body was covered in mud. There were many small scars on the feet, and the black hair was not tied up in time, and it was only loosely scattered on the shoulders.

Duan Ling was woken up by him in the middle of the night, he was still at a loss, he only knew that tomorrow the leader would use him to practice kung fu, if he wanted to survive, he had to escape tonight.

Everything was flustered and urgent, but the hand holding him was warm and strong.

After running for an unknown amount of time, the man suddenly stopped and turned to look at Duan Ling.

"There will be guards ahead, you can go alone."

Duan Ling was taken aback and said, "Aren't you going with me?"

The man shook his head, and stuffed a black token into Duan Ling's arms.He usually has a gentle voice, but this night, perhaps because he ran too fast, he sounded a little deeper. He said: "There is only one piece of the holy decree of the leader. If two people leave, they will be seen through on the spot."

"But you stole the leader's token and gave it to me, just in case..."

"It's nothing, I have my own way to escape." The man pushed Duan Ling and urged, "It's too late, go!"

Duan Ling held his hand and refused to let go, asking, "Why take the risk to save me?"

The moonlight quietly shone on that person's face, his eyes were bright and kind, just like the person in the painting.He didn't answer the question, but shook Duan Ling's hand and smiled at him.

Duan Ling's heart was pounding.

When he woke up from the dream, there still seemed to be a warm touch on his hands, and he stared at the bed curtain for a long time before he remembered that he was in a room in an inn.

A few days ago, he and Lu Xiuwen packed their bags and left Qingzhou City.Lu Xiuwen didn't tell where Lu Xiuyan lived, but only told him to go all the way south.

Maybe it's because he will soon see Xiuyan, he has frequently dreamed about the past these days.

He was kidnapped by the wicked when he was still young, and he was in fear every day, and he was in danger. During that period of torture, only Lu Xiuyan treated him tenderly.After ten years, I don't know what Xiuyan looks like now?

Then he laughed at himself for being stupid, Lu Xiuwen and him are twin brothers, even if they change after they grow up, their appearance will not be too different.

I remember that in the past, the two were often mistaken because they looked alike.Lu Xiuwen's favorite thing is to change into Xiuyan's clothes and pretend to be his younger brother to deceive others, but there are always people who are fooled.

Only Duan Ling can tell the truth from the fake at a glance.

He didn't notice the difference in the appearance of the two, but the eyes.

There are hooks hidden in Lu Xiuwen's eyes.

As long as he raised the corner of his eyes, he gave people a half-smile and half-smile glance, as if he could hook the flesh on the tip of a person.

Duan Ling is sometimes very afraid of him.

But Lu Xiuyan is different.Xiuyan is always gentle and quiet, his eyes are clear and bright, like the silent moonlight in the long night.

Duan Ling felt a little hot just thinking about it.Seeing that it was already bright, he got up to wash up, and then knocked on the door next door.

After knocking for a long time, I heard Lu Xiuwen's voice: "Who?"

"It's me. It's almost noon, if you don't come out, we won't be able to hurry today."

Lu Xiuwen responded and said, "Wait for me for a while."

This waited for a long time, and Duan Ling's patience was almost exhausted before he heard a "bang" sound from inside, as if something had fallen to the ground.

"What happened?"

"It's okay, I accidentally broke the cup."

After Lu Xiuwen finished speaking, it took a while before he came to open the door.

Duan Ling felt that his face was extremely pale, so he couldn't help asking: "Are you in good health?"

Lu Xiuwen blinked his eyes, and said: "Everything else is fine, but I don't have much strength on my body. Would you like to carry me?"

He held out his hand as he spoke.

Duan Ling slapped his hand away: "Dream."

Lu Xiuwen laughed out loud, always taking pleasure in teasing him.

Duan Ling resisted the urge to strangle him again, and went outside the inn to harness the carriage. When he was done, he looked back and saw Lu Xiuwen walking down the stairs, looking sickly.

Duan Ling couldn't see it, so he stretched out his hand to help him, and helped him into the carriage, saying: "It's too late for breakfast, you can eat some dry food."

Lu Xiuwen gave a soft "hmm", and then there was no movement.

Duan Ling hurried on his way and ignored him, whipped his whip, and the carriage continued south.This official road was not very easy to walk, and it was bumpy all the way. At noon, Duan Ling reined in the reins and parked the carriage under a tree.He turned around and opened the curtain, only to see that Lu Xiuwen had fallen asleep leaning against the wall of the car.

Duan Ling found dry food and came out. While eating, he pushed Lu Xiuwen and asked, "Do you want to eat?"

Lu Xiuwen tried his best to open his eyes, and said, "No, I'll just drink some water."

Duan Ling handed him the water bottle, but when he touched the back of his hand, he felt cold.Duan Lingdun knew that he was wrong, and touched Lu Xiuwen's forehead again. Although it was not as hot as when he was sick last time, he felt cold sweat.

"Are you really all right?"

"of course."

Lu Xiuwen said, but hid his left hand behind his back.

It was only then that Duan Ling realized that his left hand was clenched into a fist, and there was a bit of glaring red between the fingers.He quickly grabbed Lu Xiuwen's hand, opened his fingers, and saw that he was holding a piece of broken porcelain tightly in his hand, and his palm was already dripping with blood.

He remembered that Lu Xiuwen broke the teacup in the room, presumably the fragment came from this, but why did he hurt himself?

"What are you crazy about?"

"It's nothing, the road is too boring, I just want to scare my junior."

Lu Xiuwen threw away the fragments in his hand as if nothing had happened, as if it wasn't his hand that was bleeding, and he didn't feel any pain at all.

Duan Ling pulled the cloth strips down to bandage his wound, and suddenly he had a flash of inspiration and asked, "The poison on your body...has it flared up?"

When he was in Qingzhou, Dr. Yao once said that Lu Xiu's tattoo was extremely poisonous, and the poison had entered the internal organs, and there was no cure for it.Only because several poisons restrain each other, he saved his life.

Once the attack occurs, the pain can be imagined.

The hair on Lu Xiuwen's sideburns was already wet with sweat, and because his face was very pale, his eyes were extraordinarily black, Wu Zhanzhan glanced at Duan Ling, and said: "Just take a rest, there will be no delay You are on your way."

Duan Ling said angrily: "Who cares about this? Why didn't you tell me earlier when you couldn't hold on? Do you want to die on the way?"

He regretted his carelessness a little.

Something was wrong when Lu Xiuwen got up early in the morning. When he wanted to carry him on his own, he probably really didn't have the strength to walk. Later, he pinched the broken porcelain in his palm and reluctantly walked down the stairs.If it wasn't for the accidental discovery just now, he would definitely have to persevere.

Duan Ling bandaged the wound on his hand and said, "I'll find a doctor."

"No, the doctor can't cure me."

"Maybe some medicine can be prescribed to relieve one or two."

Lu Xiuwen waved his hand and said, "Instead of wasting this effort, it's better... Junior Brother stay and talk with me."

Duan Ling was stunned for a moment, then blurted out: "What can I talk to you about?"

Lu Xiuwen trembled all over, as if he was in severe pain, he curled up all over.Duan Ling saw him like this, so he had no choice but to hold his arm and let him lean on his shoulder. After a while, he heard him whisper: "I don't talk to my junior brother. I really have nothing to say, but it's my job to cultivate words." Brother, can you always talk about him?"

Speaking of Lu Xiuyan, Duan Ling did have many things to ask. He thought for a while and said, "How has Xiuyan been these past few years? But he has suffered a lot?"

Lu Xiuwen laughed "chih" and said, "My younger brother, Lu Xiuwen, can't I protect him? How can I let him be bullied?"

"The Devil's Cult emphasizes that the weak prey on the strong. You have become like this because of your own carelessness in practicing martial arts, and you have gone mad, let alone a person who doesn't know martial arts?"

"After I abolished my martial arts, it was indeed difficult for me to move forward in the sect, but not long after, I asked Xiuyan to leave the Tianjue sect and find a place with beautiful mountains and rivers to live in seclusion."

Duan Ling didn't believe him and said, "How could the leader agree?"

Lu Xiuwen said calmly, "I volunteered to test the drug for the leader, and the leader naturally agreed."

Duan Ling was taken aback.

Others may not know what testing medicine is, but he knows it best.For a person like him who was taken captive to the Devil's Cult, what he fears most is not death, but being caught and tested for medicine.

The elixirs refined by the Demon Cult have different effects, some are extremely poisonous, while others are very helpful for practicing martial arts. In order to know the properties of the medicines, the leader often tries them on living people.

It's fine if you only suffer from one kind of poison, but the person who tries the medicine will be tortured by thousands of kinds of poisons, sometimes with severe pain in the intestines, sometimes with unbearable itching, sometimes as if being burned by fire, and sometimes as if entering an ice cave. All kinds of tragic, far better than any kind of torture.

Duan Ling once saw a person who was testing medicine, his skin was festered every inch of his body, and he fell to the ground crying and screaming. In the end, his hands and feet were completely rotted away, leaving only bones.The most frightening thing is that he is still alive, dragging his body to crawl on the ground, leaving a long trail of blood.

Really life is worse than death.

Duan Ling was still young at the time, and he was so frightened that he had nightmares all night. Later, Lu Xiuwen laughed at him and lied to him that he would arrest him for drug testing.

Unexpectedly... the person who tested the medicine turned out to be Lu Xiuwen.

It can be seen that the leader is really insane, and he will not let go of the beloved disciple he cultivated.

Thinking that Lu Xiuwen did this to protect his younger brother, Duan Ling couldn't help but wipe off his sweat, and said, "Although you are vicious, you really protect Xiuyan. "

Lu Xiuwen closed his eyes slightly and said, "That's natural, Xiuyan is my real brother."

After a while, he suddenly asked: "Why is Junior Brother so determined to find Xiuyan?"

"Xiuyan once saved my life, so I won't mention it here. When I was in the Devil's Cult, I was often beaten and scolded. Only Xiuyan pleaded for me and healed my wounds. I have already sworn that after I find him , to be with him for the rest of his life. If Xiuyan likes children, we can also adopt a few as adopted sons..."

Lu Xiuwen suddenly interrupted him and asked: "If there is someone who treats you as well as Xiuyan?"

Duan Ling didn't even think about it, and immediately said: "I only recognize him in my heart, even if others are thousands of times better, I won't take a second look."

There was a slight smile on his handsome face, and his eyes were indescribably moving.

Lu Xiuwen seemed to be kicked hard by someone, the pain caused his internal organs to shift their positions, and his flesh and blood were messed up in a mess.

He has tried medicines for the leader for many years, no matter how strong the poison is, but he never had an attack, which is as difficult as it is now.He gasped for breath and exhausted all his strength before he could say a single word: "Okay..."

Duan Ling waited for a long time, but he didn't see anything to say. Looking carefully, he found that he had fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder.But he was restless in his sleep, his brows were tightly frowned, and fine beads of sweat oozed from the corners of his forehead.

Duan Ling gently wiped the sweat off his forehead. For some reason, he remembered how many years ago, when he first joined the Demon Cult, Lu Xiuwen held a long shiny silver whip and squinted his eyes to look at him.

At that time, he had practiced his whip technique very well. With a swipe of the whip, he brushed past Duan Ling's cheek, and then hit the ground heavily.

Duan Ling broke out in a cold sweat.

Lu Xiuwen raised his eyebrows, laughed loudly, and said, "From now on, you will be my junior."

Things are wrong.

That proud boy was only in a dream after all.

After Lu Xiuwen fell asleep all night, he felt much better the next day.

But Duan Ling didn't dare to go on the road any longer, and he greeted him along the way, treating him like fragile porcelain, lest he would fall ill again.He completely forgot that when he was in the Devil's Cult, he used to curse Lu Xiuwen every night.

Lu Xiuwen was also not polite, he always said the word "junior brother" and ordered him to do things to his heart's content.

As a result, the original one-month itinerary has been dragged on for two months.

The weather is getting colder and it will be winter soon.

Lu Xiuwen's health became worse and worse, his hands and feet were cold all day long, Duan Ling couldn't see it, and added two more winter clothes for him.

The place where Lu Xiuyan lives in seclusion is quite remote. At first they took the official road, but later they chose the country roads. In the end, they couldn't even drive a carriage. Duan Ling climbed over two mountains with Lu Xiuwen on his back, and finally arrived at a scenic place Beautiful valley.

The climate in the valley is warmer than that outside, surrounded by mountains, with a gurgling stream in the middle, with beautiful mountains and clear waters and lush vegetation.

It was evening when Duan Ling and the others arrived, and they saw a cloud of cooking smoke rising from a distance.

Lu Xiuwen tugged at Duan Ling's sleeve and said, "I'll walk down by myself."

Duan Ling bent down according to his words.

Lu Xiuwen walked a few steps, turned around and asked, "How is my complexion today?"

Duan Ling saw that his complexion was pale, and only his eyes were still bright. He knew that he was a terminally ill person at a glance, and he felt a little uncomfortable, so he hesitated before saying, "Shang Ke."

Lu Xiuwen nodded before continuing to walk forward.

Not long after, I saw a small house appearing under the cover of emerald green. The building was rather simple, but because it was in such a valley, it had a quiet and quiet atmosphere.

Twilight Quadruple.

A man was chopping wood outside the door. The hatchet in his hand was old and not very sharp. After chopping a few times, he raised his arm to wipe his sweat.

Only then did Duan Ling see his appearance clearly—slightly darker than Lu Xiuwen's, with seven to eight similar features, handsome eyebrows and slender eyes, and a gentle expression. Although he was wearing coarse clothes, he couldn't hide his strong bookish air.

Duan Ling couldn't help but stop, and heard his own heart beat louder than louder.

The man saw them soon, he stood up quickly, surprised and delighted: "Brother!"

Lu Xiuwen's pale face had a tinge of blood, and he said with a smile, "Xiuyan."

Lu Xiuyan walked over quickly, only to find that he was still holding a hatchet in his hand, he hurriedly threw the knife aside, and firmly held his brother's hand.

Although the two are no longer young, but when they stand face to face, they are still like twin lotuses with twin pedicles, dazzling and handsome as before.

"Brother finally left Tianjue Sect to come to me, has your illness been cured?"

Lu Xiuwen sighed, and said, "A lot of things have happened outside, there is no such thing as a perfect religion in the world."

"What?" Lu Xiuyan was stunned, then looked at Lu Xiuwen's face carefully, his brows were slightly frowned, "Brother, your illness..."

Lu Xiuwen is best at changing the subject. He glanced at Duan Ling and said, "I brought a friend to see you."

Lu Xiuyan didn't recognize Duan Ling immediately, looked him up and down, and said, "You are...well, by the way, you are Ah Ling? Isn't it?"

Duan Ling originally wanted to say a thousand words to him, but when he saw someone, he was speechless again, and he said for a while, "It's me..."

Lu Xiuyan looked at Duan Ling, then at Lu Xiuwen, and said, "I remember that you are brother's younger brother, and you used to run behind him. Well, you used to be tall and thin, but now you are much stronger."

Lu Xiuwen said: "Junior brother has practiced martial arts well."

"That's great." Lu Xiuyan smiled softly and asked, "It's been so many years since you left, why did you come with Big Brother today?"

Duan Ling has experienced in the rivers and lakes for several years, and he has experienced strong winds and waves. He would not blink his eyes at the moment of life and death. When he came in front of him, he became inexplicably nervous and said, "Xiuyan, I did it for..."

I came to see you.

Before the sentence was finished, someone called out first.It was an immature child's voice, and said crisply: "Father!"

Then I saw a five or six-year-old boy running out of the house, threw himself over and hugged Lu Xiuyan's leg, and shouted, "Father, it's time to eat."

As he spoke, he glanced at the two strangers standing beside him, rolling his eyes, shy and curious at the same time.

"Chen'er." Lu Xiuyan smiled and hugged him up, and said, "This is the uncle I often mention to you, call someone quickly."

Lu Xing stared straight at Lu Xiuwen, and asked old-fashionedly: "Are you the uncle who looks exactly like my father?"

"Yes." Lu Xiuwen patted his head and asked, "Does it look like it?"

"It looks like it, but Chen'er can recognize it."

Lu Xiuwen couldn't help laughing.

Lu Xiuyan pointed at Duan Ling again and said, "Uncle."

Huang Xing didn't make any trouble this time, he simply called uncle.

His voice is clear and pleasant.

In Duan Ling's ears, it was like a bang of thunder, which made him unable to recover for a long time.

What is this boy called Xiuyan?

father?
"This is... your son?"

"Yes, Chen'er just turned five years old this year." Lu Xiuyan looked at the sky and said, "You shouldn't be allowed to stand and talk, dinner is already cooked, let's go in and eat together."

While talking, another person came out of the house.

This is a beautiful woman dressed as a young woman, and the jingchai sarong can hardly hide her beauty. She walked over and gently took Lu Xiuyan's arm, and said with a smile, "My lord."

Duan Ling hadn't recovered from the previous shock, but he was hit hard again, his expression was a little numb, and he couldn't make a sound in a daze.

"Husband." The woman smiled slightly, parting her red lips, "Since there are guests here, why don't you ask them to come in and sit down?"

"It's my elder brother."

"Brother, you're finally here, Xiuyan misses you every day." The woman immediately bowed her knees to salute, and then looked at Duan Ling, "This is..."

"This Mr. Duan is my elder brother's younger brother and also my friend."

"Master Duan."

Duan Ling seemed to have something stuck in his throat, unable to swallow or spit it out, he reluctantly said: "Madam Lu..."

In just three words, each word seemed to gouge out his heart.

What was said later, Duan Ling can't remember clearly, only that the boy said something, and then the whole family laughed together.Lu Xiuyan patted the hand of the woman beside him, his lovely wife and son were enjoying themselves happily.

He was then invited into the house for dinner.Because she didn't know that there were guests coming, Mrs. Lu only cooked two simple home-cooked dishes, but even if it was delicacies from mountains and seas, Duan Ling didn't know how to taste them.After a meal, he hardly said a word.

There are only two rooms in the house, so Duan Ling and Lu Xiuwen had to sleep together at night.When he entered the room, he was still silent, looking at the burning candles on the table, he suddenly said: "I will leave here tomorrow."

Lu Xiuwen was reading a book with his head down, but he didn't raise his head when he heard the words, and said, "Okay, thank you brother for sending me all the way."

Duan Ling became even angrier when he heard that, he didn't even have a chance to express his feelings after running such a trip, instead it made Lu Xiuwen cheaper.

"You already knew that Xiuyan had already married?"

"Well, although my brother and I can't see each other, we often exchange news."

"Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Junior brother didn't ask, why should I say?" Lu Xiuwen looked innocent, and even pretended to be surprised, "Did you never think that Xiuyan might have married and had a child?"

"I..." Duan Ling was angry.

With his firm mind, he thought that Lu Xiuyan must be a thousand times better than him, after all, Xiuyan risked his life to save him back then!Who would have guessed...

Thinking of the Hemeimei family of three, Duan Ling's face was terribly gloomy.

Lu Xiuwen still wanted to fan the flames, he shook his head and said, "It turns out that it's my junior brother, you're just being sentimental."

Then he said, "You might as well hurry up and find a woman to marry. When you give birth to a daughter next year, there is still time to marry Chen'er."

Duan Ling snorted coldly, took the teacup in his hand as his neck, and crushed it with a "crack".

Lu Xiuwen glanced at him, and said with a smile in his eyes: "If Junior Brother refuses to give up, there is nothing he can do."

"what?"

"In front of you, isn't there another person named Lu?"

Duan Ling was stunned for a moment, and drew out his sword on the spot, intending to eliminate harm for the people.

Lu Xiuwen didn't dodge or dodge, he yawned deliberately, and said, "My good brother, why don't you help me make my bed?"

Duan Ling almost tore the bed down.

Then he realized that this was Lu Xiuyan's bed, so he held back and didn't move.But he didn't want to share a bed with Lu Xiuwen, so he simply blew out the candles and sat at the table all night.

When it was almost dawn, he fell asleep in a daze. He dreamed of Lu Xiuyan when he was a boy and pushed the door in. He vaguely looked like that night under the moonlight, with black hair and bright eyes. He called him, "A Ling."

Duan Ling opened his mouth, and just about to speak, he woke up from his dream.

The house was dark, the door was closed tightly, and the sky was half-bright outside the window.

Duan Ling suddenly felt melancholy.

He couldn't sleep anymore, and after washing up, he opened the door and walked out.

The early morning in the valley is very quiet, you can hear the chirping of birds, and through the thin mist, you can see a glimmer of light in the clouds.

Duan Ling strolled around the stream twice, unexpectedly meeting Lu Xiuyan who got up early to fetch water.

"Repair words..."

"A Ling, why do you wake up so early? Are you not used to sleeping?"

"No, I slept too much in the past few days, so I woke up earlier."

"The conditions in the mountains are simple, I have wronged you."

"No, this place has beautiful scenery, and it's just right for a fairy couple like you and Mrs. Lu." Duan Ling squeezed his fists, feeling a soreness in his chest, but still said, "I didn't know you were married...Congratulations. "

"Haha, my son is so old, what congratulations are there?" Lu Xiuyan patted him on the shoulder and said, "There is nothing delicious at home, but I brewed two jars of good wine, let's drink together tonight."

Duan Ling looked at his unconcerned appearance, and thought that maybe he was just being self-indulgent.He thought about the grace of saving his life for many years, perhaps Lu Xiuyan had already forgotten it.

Duan Ling sighed deeply, and tried to keep his tone as natural as possible: "You must have taken a huge risk in stealing the token of the leader back then. No matter what, I will always repay your life-saving grace."

"Aling..."

Lu Xiuyan was stunned for a moment, and just about to speak when he heard a "squeak", Lu Xiuwen pushed open the door and came out.

Since he saw his younger brother, his complexion has improved a lot. He is wearing white clothes today, so he doesn't look pale anymore. He leaned against the door and said lazily: "Xiuyan, I have a few words to tell you. Say."

As he spoke, he glanced at Duan Ling and asked, "Do you mind, Junior Brother?"

Duan Ling naturally didn't want to fight with him, and thinking about what he teased last night, he turned his head away without saying a word.

Lu Xiuyan already had a lot to ask his elder brother, but there were so many people talking yesterday that it was inconvenient to mention many things.Seeing that the weather was fine at this time, he pleaded guilty to Duan Ling and accompanied Lu Xiuwen to wander in the nearby woods.

Although it has entered winter, the vegetation in the forest is still lush, and the gurgling sound of running water can be heard in the distance, and there is elegance in the silence.

Lu Xiuyan didn't talk nonsense, and cut straight to the point: "Brother, tell me the truth, what's wrong with your illness...?"

Lu Xiuwen didn't answer him right away.With his hands behind his back, he glanced at the rolling hills all around, pointed to one of the peaks, and asked, "What mountain is that?"

"That's Luoxia Mountain. Every day when the sun sets in the west, the sun is shining all over the sky, shining like a brocade, but the scenery on that mountain is the most moving, so it got this name."

"Since it's a place to watch the sunset, why did the siblings go up the mountain so early?"

Lu Xiuyan took a closer look and found a graceful figure halfway up the mountain. The expression on his face could not help but be gentle, and he said, "Chen'er's mother planted two phoenix trees on the mountain, and she would go up the mountain to water every day."

Lu Xiuwen nodded and said: "Seeing that your husband and wife are so affectionate, and Chen'er is so smart and sensible, I am finally relieved."

"Big brother..."

"Back then, I told you to hide from the world because I was afraid that you would be implicated by me. Now that the Juejiao is extinct, if you feel that life in the mountains is hard, you can take Chen'er and the others to live outside."

"I have lived in the mountains for a long time, but I feel that the smoke outside is too heavy."

"Really? I also like this valley." Lu Xiuwen bent his lips and said calmly, "After I die, bury me on the Luoxia Mountain, so that I can see the scenery of clouds and clouds every day."

He had always avoided answering about his illness, but now that he suddenly said these words, Lu Xiuyan was taken aback.

"Brother!" He was so anxious that his nose was sweating, "How do you say such unlucky words?"

Lu Xiuwen looked as usual, and said with a faint smile: "Everyone is bound to die, but sooner or later."

"But elder brother is still so young... When you sent me away from Tianjuejiao, you once said that you found a cure for the disease, but you just want to stay in the school for treatment. Could it be that you lied to me?"

When Lu Xiuyan said this, even the circles of his eyes were red.

Lu Xiuwen patted Chen'er on the head lightly as if to comfort Chen'er, and said, "How could Big Brother lie to you? I looked through ancient books and found a cure, but that method was too weird. The senior wrote it randomly, so it can't be true. God's will is like this, and there is nothing I can do about it."

Lu Xiuyan didn't know whether what he said was true or not, but he still persuaded him: "This method won't work, there must be other methods. There are many talented doctors in the world, so it may not be possible to cure your illness."

"What my brother said makes sense. It's just that it's been too cold these few days. When the weather is warmer in spring next year, I'll go to that miracle doctor again."

Lu Xiuyan didn't know that he only had a few months left to live, so he thought it moved him, and was about to talk about it in detail, but he heard Lu Xiuwen say, "What did Junior Brother say to you just now?"

"A Ling? He just mentioned the leader's token and the grace of saving his life. He didn't know what he meant. I'm afraid there was some misunderstanding."

"There is no misunderstanding." Lu Xiuwen said with deep black eyes, "You saved his life a few years ago, if he wants to repay his favor, let him repay it."

"But I've never..." Lu Xiuyan paused, and suddenly said, "Brother, are you pretending to be me to lie to him again?"

"He recognizes you and me every time. I want to see if there are any exceptions."

"Brother, you love to bully Ah Ling the most. But the leader's token is very important, how can you steal it? The leader..." Lu Xiuyan didn't know what to think, and his face suddenly changed, "The leader used to say, brother, you are a rare one. I saw a martial arts prodigy, after a hundred years, you will be the leader. But for some reason, the leader suddenly became furious, saying that you violated the rules of the sect, and ruined all your martial arts. Could it be because of this? That's right, that's right, Ah Ling disappeared at that time..."

Lu Xiuwen was quiet for a while, neither admitting nor denying, just asked: "Xiuyan, did I ask you anything?"

Lu Xiuyan was stunned for a moment, and said: "Since I was a child, my elder brother has always protected me. In the dangerous place of Tianjue Sect, if my elder brother was not there, I would have died thousands of times."

"Okay, then you promise me one thing today."

"what's up?"

"Since Junior Brother has admitted to the wrong person, why not just let him make the mistake? Keep this secret for me."

Lu Xiuyan was puzzled: "A Ling said he wanted to repay his favor, why did he keep it from him?"

At this time, the sun was rising high, the sun shone through the leaves of the trees, and the wind gently blew the hem of Lu Xiuwen's clothes.Only then did Lu Xiuyan realize that he was much thinner than before.But when Duan Ling was mentioned, he still couldn't help smiling slightly, the look in his eyes was indescribable, enough to move Tie Shi's heart, he whispered like a sigh: "My junior brother values ​​friendship the most, I know that I don't have a long life Well, why make him sad?"

Duan Ling waited for Lu Xiuyan for a day.

He ate two steamed buns steamed by Mrs. Lu for lunch, and in the afternoon he sharpened a wooden sword for the boy named Huang Chen.

Huang Xing looked more like his mother, with a fair face, and a pair of eyes that were particularly flexible, always turning around.When Duan Ling practiced sword by the stream, he danced his little arms and legs along with him, and he was pretty decent.He still called Uncle Duan Ling in the morning, but in the afternoon, he had already called Master one by one.

Duan Ling looked at the top of his sweaty head, and thought that this was someone who was related to Lu Xiuyan's blood, so he couldn't help but correct him.He couldn't help but think that maybe he could build a house here and live next to Lu Xiuyan.

It's just a little bad, Lu Xiuwen will definitely stay here, and when we see each other every day in the future, he will be so angry that he will die of anger.Then he thought that half a year passed by suddenly, and whether he wanted to or not, he would never see that person again, and his heart sank, and he felt indescribably depressed.

Lu Xiuyan didn't come back until evening, and he carried a bloody hare in his hand.

Lu Xiuwen followed slowly, beckoned to Huang Xing, and took out two pastries as if by magic.That brat, Huang Xing, immediately turned his back on him, and ran over cheering, leaving his new master behind.

Duan Ling had nothing to do, seeing Lu Xiuyan squatting by the stream peeling the skin of a rabbit, he walked over to give him a hand.

"Did you have your lunch in the mountains?"

"Well, I got some wild game."

"There is rabbit meat at night, which is just right for wine."

Lu Xiuyan twitched the corners of his mouth and forced a smile.Seeing that his eyes were red, Duan Ling guessed that he already knew about Lu Xiuwen, so he didn't know what to say for a moment.

After a while he said: "I said in the morning that I want to repay your life-saving grace. You will have an order in the future, even if it is a sea of ​​swords and swords, I will not frown."

Lu Xiuyan opened his mouth, but stopped talking.

Lu Xiuwen was playing with Huang Chen next to him, so he glanced over coolly.

Lu Xiuyan swallowed his words again, lowered his head and concentrated on washing the rabbit, and said, "Where is the need to go into the mountains of swords and seas of fire? As long as you live happily, Ah Ling, I... I have nothing else to ask for."

Duan Ling felt sore, and said, "Of course."

Lu Xiuyan was proficient in gestures, and he washed the hare in a short time, took it in and chopped it into small pieces, then fried it with star anise and fennel, and the aroma was overflowing.Mrs. Lu cooked two other vegetarian dishes, although they were only some wild vegetables in the mountains, they also had a special flavor.

This meal was much richer than yesterday, Lu Xiuyan brewed plum wine at home, opened two jars today, just in time to drink with Duan Ling.

Both of them felt uncomfortable, and when they drank, they really felt like they had met their confidants.Madam Lu took Huang Chen into the room to sleep as soon as it got dark, and Lu Xiuwen couldn't stay up all night, so in the end it was just the two of them drinking one cup after another.

"This plum wine has been brewed for seven years, and it has been seven years since I left my elder brother. I never expected to see him again. He is already dying of illness."

"Haha, you've only been there for seven years, but I've been thinking about someone for ten years."

"My two brothers' parents died early, and my elder brother was very stubborn since he was a child. In order to protect me, I don't know how much he suffered. During that day, he didn't dare to make a mistake."

"If I knew it was nothing to wait for these ten years... Huh, I would have married a wife and had children a long time ago."

Lu Xiuyan's drinking capacity is mediocre, and Duan Ling's not so good. The two of them were so drunk that they couldn't speak properly, but they managed to carry on.

Duan Ling didn't remember how much wine he drank, he only knew that after two jars of wine were exhausted, Lu Xiuyan moved out another two jars.In the end, his throat was burning hot, and he fell asleep on the table.

In his sleep, he vaguely heard Lu Xiuyan calling out "big brother".

When he woke up, he was already lying on the bed in the house.He still hadn't passed the alcohol, and he couldn't open his eyes because of the headache. He felt someone pushing his shoulder and whispering in his ear, "Drink some hangover soup."

The voice was a little familiar.

Duan Ling managed to open his eyes, and found that the face in front of him was also familiar.He couldn't help laughing, and called him: "Xiuyan."

The person in front of him didn't respond.

Duan Ling was in a hurry, grabbed his hand and called again: "Xiuyan..."

This time the voice was very soft, for fear of scaring him away.

The person in front of him was silent for a while, then smiled, and lowered his head to drink the hangover soup in the bowl.

Duan Ling was very drunk, his mind was in a mess, and he asked in a daze, "Isn't the soup for me?"

"Well, it's for you to drink."

The man approached Duan Ling, his face suddenly changed to the appearance of ten years ago, just like that day under the moonlight.

Then Duan Ling tasted the hangover soup.The weird-smelling soup didn't wake him up, but made him even more drunk. He chased after it eagerly, eager to taste more intoxicating tastes.

There was some soup that was too late to swallow down the corner of his mouth, and Duan Ling couldn't help but lick it.

Someone said "hmm" and backed away.

Duan Ling recalled the night when he escaped from the Devil's Cult. After Lu Xiuyan smiled at him, he turned around and left in the same way.

Memories intertwine with reality.

Duan Ling suddenly gained strength, sat up from the bed, and hugged that person.

"Don't go..."

The man was startled, and stretched out his hand to pull his hand: "Isn't the wine sober yet? Stop making trouble."

Duan Ling hugged him tightly and called in a low voice: "Xiuyan...Xiuyan..."

The man struggled a few times at first, then gradually calmed down and hugged him backhanded.

(End of this chapter)