Chapter 61

This was a measure taken out of necessity, a helpless method.

Ye Liuyun did his best, making the final change.

At the same time, he lost all his variations.

What he did not expect was that Shen Lian's full-force sword qi could disappear.

With the help of the Ice Jade, he could fearlessly face Shen Lian's God-Slaying Sword, but against the 'Yin-Yang Sword Qi,' he had no better solution.

Because this exceeded his expectations; no one would have thought that the sword qi could vanish into thin air, truly and completely disappear.

Ye Liuyun did his best, but unfortunately, Shen Lian surpassed his understanding. The palm he swung did not land on the sword qi but on the flesh and blood, and the sword qi also struck the young body.

Ye Liuyun's hasty palm strike was not powerful enough.

At the same time, he had already retracted much of it at the last moment, but it still broke the other's heart meridian, and the sword qi pierced through the other's back.

The sword qi exploded, carrying a tremendous forward force, offsetting Ye Liuyun's palm strike, causing the body to fall into Ye Liuyun's arms.

The scent of the other's hair bun filled his nose, followed by the smell of blood.

In the final helpless moment, Xiao Zhu shielded Ye Liuyun from the deadly sword qi.

Xiao Zhu did not know why, and she did not even know if Ye Liuyun could avoid the sword qi. But when Shen Lian raised his hand, she sensed extreme danger and subconsciously shielded Ye Liuyun.

In this life, Shen Lian's first kill was a woman.

Of course, it was also unclear whether Ye Liuyun's palm strike was more lethal or if Shen Lian's sword qi was truly fatal.

To be precise, Xiao Zhu had not yet died.

Shen Lian did not know if Xiao Zhu was someone who deserved to die.

Because in the secular moral standards, Xiao Zhu was considered a ruthless demoness.

Although she was the young lady of Guiyun Manor, she was arrogant and tyrannical, capable of killing all the people of Shunfeng Escort Agency for her selfish desires.

Shen Lian had no particular fondness for her.

But he had never thought of killing her on his own initiative.

He did not do it intentionally, and perhaps no one would have thought that Xiao Zhu would voluntarily shield Ye Liuyun from the sword qi.

There were definitely people in this world who were willing to die for Ye Liuyun, and there were many.

At least the sword servants of Mingjian Manor, like Sword Thirteen and Sword Fourteen, were absolutely willing to die for Ye Liuyun.

But if there were people who absolutely did not want to die for Ye Liuyun, it would certainly be Xiao Zhu, as she was probably the person who disliked Ye Liuyun the most in the world.

If Shen Lian was shocked, then Ye Liuyun did not know how to express his feelings.

He did not even have the mood to seek revenge on Shen Lian; the flying sword controlled by his true qi fell into the lake. This divine weapon, Ye Liuyun had no time to care about.

Xiao Zhu's martial arts were not shallow, and she did not immediately perish.

Ye Liuyun's true qi flowed continuously into Xiao Zhu's body, sustaining her last breath.

Xiao Zhu fell onto Ye Liuyun and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Only Ye Liuyun understood why Xiao Zhu said sorry, because over the years, Xiao Zhu had indeed opposed him countless times, and several times, Ye Liuyun had almost been killed by her.

"Don't talk. We'll go back to the manor. Mingjian Manor has the best medicine, and it will definitely stabilize your injuries," Ye Liuyun's mind was in chaos, but he still forced himself to remain calm.

"I know my injuries well. Even the great immortals cannot save me. Just listen to me, okay?" Xiao Zhu said intermittently.

Faced with such a situation, Shen Lian did not know what to do.

He had no regrets, but he still felt some guilt.

To be honest, he even envied Ye Liuyun, at least one woman was willing to risk her life for him.

Ye Liuyun was usually meticulous, but any major decision was made in a moment.

He did not regret any decision he made, but now he was lost.

Seeing Ye Liuyun's hesitation, Xiao Zhu suddenly smiled like a child and said, "Only at this moment do I believe you like me, not for the sake of the marriage contract. I was so foolish."

She used to hate having to marry the crippled Ye Liuyun because of the marriage contract, but just now, she hoped Ye Liuyun loved her, not because of the contract.

Ye Liuyun did not disappoint her. Over the years, she knew very well what kind of person Ye Liuyun was.

Shen Lian did not eavesdrop on their private conversation but stood far away with Kuhui.

He did not leave because he had not yet asked Ye Liuyun about the details of Qingxuan Sect's recruitment, but he wanted to see if he could help in any way or alleviate some of his guilt, even though he was not wrong.

This was the strange nature of human beings; right and wrong could not be simply and clearly divided.

It was also something Shen Lian was unwilling to give up, even for the sake of eternal truth; he would not become a cold, unfeeling stone.

******

Xiao Zhu ultimately passed away, after a night of eastern wind, in the spring when flowers bloomed.

She was buried among thousands of pear trees, the mountains covered in white pear blossoms, symbolizing her soul.

The best medicine from Mingjian Manor could not extend her life by a single day.

Ye Liuyun did not see anyone and had no intention of seeking revenge on Shen Lian.

He simply built a hut next to Xiao Zhu's grave and lived there.

Shen Lian met the master of Mingjian Manor, Ye Liuyun's father.

He was a very special person, with slightly gray temples and a good complexion.

What made him special was his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, as if he had experienced the vicissitudes of life, and everything he saw was like a dream.

Ye Laozhuangzhu dressed simply; if his eyes were ignored, he would look like an old scholar.

His name was Ye Qiufeng, named after the autumn maple leaves.

"Master Ye, how is Brother Liuyun now?"

"He is fine. You don't need to feel guilty; Master Kuhui has already told me everything that happened that day."

Shen Lian was silent, not knowing how to respond.

Was he not feeling guilty anymore, even though he believed that if it happened again, the outcome would not change?

Seemingly seeing Shen Lian's dilemma, Ye Qiufeng continued, "Liuyun asked me to give you something. This is also the reason I am seeing you."

Ye Liuyun gave Shen Lian a letter, which detailed how to reach Qingxuan Sect's recruitment and provided specific details.

This person was extremely intelligent, guessing Shen Lian's purpose from various details.

After reading the letter, Shen Lian felt even more uncomfortable.

He won the battle but also lost it.

At the same time, it proved that Ye Liuyun had not continued to be disheartened; he was still the young master of Mingjian Manor.

Shen Lian did not go to see Ye Liuyun but left Mingjian Manor.

He believed that one day, the two would meet again, and perhaps they would be enemies, or perhaps they would laugh and bury their past grievances. Who knew?