291 - The End of Matters in Youyan
In the lost and fearful eyes of the girl, there was a shock that flitted past.
"Why?" She asked with confusion.
In these days, what she and Xian'er had painstakingly searched for was contained within the crystal orb. She had recognized what it was in the first glance, but she did not take it in that instant. It was as if she was still considering something.
“Because I want to help you."
Ye Qingyu smiled peacefully.
After a period of hesitation, there was a faint smile that suddenly appeared on Song Xiaojun's face.
"Fine, thank you." She finally extended her hand to receive the crystal orb.
With a flicker, the crystal orb disappeared from her hands.
But then she fell silent once again.
It seemed as if it had fallen into a state where they both had nothing to say.
Ye Qingyu had already gotten used to such a situation.
He poured himself some wine, watching her with a smile. "I will leave in three days. At that time, you should quickly depart along with Xian'er. It is said the most dangerous place is the safest. But you have stayed for far too long within the Pass. And the way you dress is so eye catching, you should already have attracted the attention of some people. If the Pass Lord's Residence spends their effort to investigate such a matter, you and Xian'er will definitely be discovered..."
Song Xiaojun did not say anything.
But there was a faint sadness in her eyes.
"Xian'er is not here anymore."
She lifted the bowl of wine in front of her, and once again finished it in small gulps and swallows, like a deer drinking water. Droplets of the alcohol dribbled down, following the curve of her mouth, down her neck that was as white and as gentle as a swan. Drop by drop, it fell onto her delicate and intricate collarbone, like six or seven pearls moving about in a jade tray, with an inexplicable attraction about it.
"What? Xian'er... what happened?"
Ye Qingyu finally understood that the matter could potentially be serious. No wonder the girl with such a poisonous tongue had never appeared from beginning to end, could it be... there's an accident?
"She died in battle." Song Xiaojun wiped away the alcohol droplets at the corner of her mouth, saying such a fact calmly.
Ye Qingyu was dumbfounded.
"What happened? Just what has occurred?"
There was a twitch in Ye Qingyu's heart. Just when did this occur. In this recent period of time, he had always kept the silly dog Little Nine beside Song Xiaojun to protect her. But there were no incidents at all, so why would this happen?
"Twenty three days ago... it happened long ago."
Song Xiaojun's composure quickly returned to calmness.
It was as if there wasn't anything that would be able to affect her. The bloodline of darkness within her body had smothered her memory, but also changed her personality. It was as if all her emotions were robbed from her soul. She did not know why it was like this, but it was as if ice was running throughout her arteries instead of fresh blood.
She also did not know why she came to the little liquor house today.
This was the day that she decided she would forcefully enter and try to take the [Lotus Fire of the Black Moon] by force from the Pass Lord's Residence and put herself in danger. Before she did her last gamble, perhaps she wanted to find the last shred of warm memory she had in this icy and cold city. That's why she had come to such a location. As she sat on the table near the window, silently drinking her wine under the sunlight that shone through from the cracks of the clouds, it was as if she was saying goodbye to something.
It was as if Song Xiaojun herself knew, that her end had some.
And then it was like everything was fated and logical, she once again met with the youth she felt confused about.
For her, the position he had within Youyan Pass, his identity, the battles he had that shook the entire Jianghu of the Empire, did not mean anything. The thing that truly made her incomparably curious was why it was him that she did not dislike instinctively. He even emitted a sense of intimateness.
Song Xiaojun had never imagined that this man would use such a calm and unhurried tone to give the [Lotus Fire of the Black Moon] over to her. The item that she and Xian'er had paid such a great sacrifice but failed to obtain.
Even she herself was not aware of what sort of emotion she was feeling right now.
As if she was relieved from a burden?
Or was her heart still unwilling?
Opposite.
Ye Qingyu seemed to have understood the reason behind the fear and confusion in Song Xiaojun eyes.
So it was because of Xian'er…
That girl was strange and had a poisonous tongue, but she was a girl that truly and utterly did her utmost to protect Song Xiaojun. For her to die in battle, this was somewhat unbelievable. Ye Qingyu knew just how cruel this matter would be for Song Xiaojun.
Twenty three days ago?
Ye Qingyu suddenly realized something.
At that time, that was namely the day of the martial alliance meeting. It was also when he had told Little Silver to contact Liu Yuqing and told Little Nine and Wen Wan to go in search for Bai Yuanxing and the others. In other words, Song Xiaojun and Xian'er had largely met with some sort of danger during this time, and Xian'er had died in battle...
Just who was the enemy that caused the Song Xiaojun whose bloodline had awakened to fail to protect the person beside her?
Ye Qingyu looked at the icy cold girl in front of her. His heart could not but help feel pain for her.
Ever since her bloodline had awakened, everything had changed.
Even though she now possessed the powerful strength of the bloodline of darkness, but if she had a choice, perhaps she would hope even more that she was still the clumsy and ditzy little loli of the past. Where she could not even walk steadily, where she tripped over because her clothing was too long. But at least she had friends who cared about her.
The path of darkness was originally destined to be a lonely and cold path.
This time, her ambush of Lu Zhaoge had caused her to be enemies with the whole world.
What was even more terrifying was that Ye Qingyu could be sure the person who had attacked Song Xiaojun during this period of time was definitely not the Youyan army. This represented that there was another terrifying and powerful force that was Song Xiaojun's enemy, hidden in the background.
Just what sort of pressure and weight was on the delicate shoulders of this young girl?
Ye Qingyu suddenly felt that he had never even truly even understood the Song Xiaojun who had changed her identity. He was a complete stranger to the legend of the Unmoving City of Darkness. He did not even know what had happened in the half a year since Wang Jianru had brought Song Xiaojun away. Just what sort of environment was Song Xiaojun currently facing?
As Ye Qingyu's thoughts were still confused and muddled, the girl in front of him suddenly stood up. "I have to go. Bye," as she said this, she headed towards the direction of the entrance to the liquor house.
Ye Qingyu subconsciously stood up, gesturing with his hand, but he did not know what to say.
Song Xiaojun walked for several steps, then suddenly turned back. There was a strange light in her bright and beautiful eyes. She stared at him for ten breaths of times, then suddenly said, "Thank you... I... I have a little present for you. I hope... you are able to treat it well... can you?"
Ye Qingyu was taken aback, then nodded his head without the slightest hint of hesitation.
Song Xiaojun took out a white little fur ball. Like it was some sort of treasure, she lightly rubbed it with her hand and against her face, then presented it to him with both hands.
Ye Qingyu's gaze fell on the little furry white ball.
it was a cute little white rabbit.
It was a little rabbit that had fur as white as snow. It seemed to be only one or two months old, with no trace of imperfection on the colour of its fur. It was like a little snowball. It had ears like a pair of little scissors, and eyes as red as ruby, and a faintly pink mouth...
Ye Qingyu had not imagined that Song Xiaojun's present would be this.
Furthermore, he had not imagined that Song Xiaojun would have a little rabbit with her.
But he still extended his hand to receive the little rabbit.
"Thank you, please... treat it well. Thank you." Song Xiaojun rarely said so much, and she even said two words of thanks. She gave a last glance to the little white rabbit, then turned to leave.
"Zhi Zhi Zhi...."
The little white rabbit began crying out in distress, wanting to jump out from Ye Qingyu's hands.
Ye Qingyu tightly held it in his hands.
"Where are you going? If I want to see you, just where should I go to find you?" Ye Qingyu could not help but take several quick steps forward to ask such a question.
"Did you not say that I should depart Youyan Pass? I'm leaving." Song Xiaojun did not turn back. "Even I don't know where I will go. If I have time, I will come find you."
The sounds stopped.
Her entire person disappeared from the liquor house.
As if she had dissolved in the air.
"Zhi Zhi Zhi..." The little bunny cried out in panic.
Ye Qingyu stood where he was for a moment, somewhat lost. He then returned to his table, placing the little rabbit on the table, to let it run about. He drank bowl after bowl of alcohol, his emotions somewhat distressed.
Outside the window.
The dim clouds had disappeared and sunlight once again shone on the earth.
He finished the jar of high alcohol content wine, throwing a gold piece towards the owner. With the white bunny in his embrace, he left the Common Liquor House.
The moment he left the door, all the noise from the liquor house disappeared.
Ye Qingyu turned around to have a look.
Common Liquor House.
The rumbling mortal world.
That day, he went all around Youyan Pass. He went to places where he was normally too busy to go to because he was cultivating. He firmly remembered all the places in Youyan Pass into his head, and once again visited the rubbles that were in the process of being constructed into White Horse tower. He sat there for a while.
Ye Qingyu had not imagined that so many things had happened despite not even being in Youyan Pass for a year. And he would leave in such a way, away from the large city at the border of the Empire.
The second day.
The military order and official documents sent from the military department finally arrived in Ye Qingyu's hands.
According to the arrangements of the agreement, Ye Qingyu would be relieved of the duty of the Patrolling Sword Envoy of Youyan Pass. As long as he handed over the official seal, this was officially done.
Afterwards, he had three months of idle time to take care of private matters.
The arrangements of the military understood the needs of the people. To take care of the newly promoted third class Marquis, they had agreed that Ye Qingyu could first return to Deer City to visit his family. After taking care of everything, he could report in at the Snow Capital.