The room suddenly quieted down, and a few dog barks could be faintly heard outside the dark room.
" A total of nine people," the woman said calmly,""Surround this inn according to the location of the Nine Palaces. Judging from their footsteps, they should be the masters of the Azure Mountain. At least four of them are elders. Perhaps Reverend Tingyun, that stubborn old man, was among them.”
Su Zhen snorted." They came so quickly. Do they think I, Su Zhen, have become easy to talk to after cultivating for 60 years?"”
As soon as he finished speaking, an old voice sounded from the opposite roof."Brother Su Zhen, Fairy Shui Qingying, have you been well?”
A red light flashed in Su Zhen's eyes, and a terrifying killing intent was emitted. He said in a deep voice,"So it's that old bastard, the Immortal Tingtao. He's the most hypocritical and insidious of the Seven of the Azure Skies.”
The voice of the Ting Tao Immortal outside continued,"Since you're near the Azure Mountain, why don't you come up the mountain to catch up with us old friends? If outsiders know about this, they will think that we have lost our manners.”
Su Zhen smiled contemptuously and replied,"Old bastard, why are you here so late?”
The Immortal Tingtao replied," My Senior Brother Sect Master was overjoyed when he learned that you and your wife were passing by the Azure Mountain. He insisted that I invite you to the mountain to meet. He had no other intention but to reminisce about our old friendship."”
"Get lost, stop that old ghost Xin from doing it yourself. With your capabilities, you can't ask me to do it.”Su Zhen replied.
" Great Swordsman Su, you're so arrogant. Senior Martial Brother Tingtao can't invite you and the Water Fairy alone. How about me and the other two Senior Martial Brothers?" another female voice sounded.”
Shui Qingqing's face tensed up as she whispered,""It's Reverend Tingxue. It looks like four of the Seven Sons of the Azure Skies have really come.”
"Even if they all come, what do I have to fear?" Su Zhen's expression did not change.”
Shui Qingqing looked at her daughter, who had a puzzled look on her face and did not know that danger was coming, and sighed,""The two of us will naturally not be afraid of the Jade Drop Nine Springs Sword Formation, but what about Yu 'er?”
" Although the Taoist priests of Azure Mountain are shameless, they wouldn't bully a little girl," Su Zhen said." I'm afraid that someone else will interfere when we fight. That would be troublesome."”
Shui Qingying smiled bitterly and said," I don't know how many people are secretly jealous of the things we have hidden on us. If they didn't know where the Gathering Cloud Peak is, they would have come to kill us long ago." On the surface, these Taoist priests seem to be punishing you, a demon, but in the end, aren't they after that thing?”
"If I don't want to give it to you, who can take it away?" Su Zhen chuckled.”
"Then what about Yu 'Er?" Shui Qing asked.”
Su Zhen turned around and bowed. His parents had gone to meet a few old friends and would be back soon.”
"Yu 'er wants to go too. The Azure Mountain must be very fun." Su Zhiyu asked innocently.”
Shui Qingling looked at her daughter's innocent face and felt her heart ache. She forced a smile and said,""Yu 'Er, be good. Father and Mother have something to do. Children can't go.”
Su Zhiyu nodded and said,"Yu 'Er, listen to your parents. Come back quickly." Yu 'Er wants Mother to coax her to sleep."
"Kid, aren't you leaving? Why are you still standing here?" Su Zhen looked at Ding Yuan.”
"I'm not leaving. You guys go ahead. I'll stay behind to protect this little sister.”Ding Yuan said.
"You'll protect him?" "Do you know what you're capable of?" Su Zhen laughed.”
Ding Yuan looked at Su Zhen indifferently until the laughter stopped before he replied,"There's nothing to laugh about. Since I've agreed to repay you, I'll at most give up my cheap life.”
The contemptuous look on Su Zhen's face gradually disappeared. He nodded and said,"Okay, stay here and help me take care of Yu 'Er.”
"Don't worry, as long as I don't die, this little sister won't lose a single strand of hair!" Ding Yuan said.”
He was only as tall as Su Zhen's chest and did not have any cultivation, but his words were extremely firm, making people almost forget his age.
Su Zhen waved his hand, and a faint red light lit up in the room. The color was very strange.
Ding Yuan was surprised. He looked carefully and saw that Su Zhen was holding a bronze lamp the size of a palm. On the lamp holder was a ferocious and terrifying beast. The wick of the lamp was as thin as a golden needle, and it was spitting out dark red flames.
"Rise!"
Su Zhen shouted softly, and the bronze lamp left his hand and floated in the air. The faint red light sprinkled down like a waterfall, forming a circular cover that shone on Su Zhiyu and Ding Yuan.
"This is an ancient divine item, the Heavenheart Lamp. It can ward off evil spirits and ghosts. Stay inside and don't move around, and don't touch the lamp holder. There was no need to panic if a stranger came with ill intentions. With the protection of the Skyheart Lamp, there were only a handful of people in the world who could crack it.”Su Zhen instructed.
"Hero Su, Water Fairy, if you don't say anything, we'll come in ourselves!”Daoist Master Tingxin's voice urged him again.
" There's a slope twenty miles east of the city. Countless graves are strewn all over the place. If you're not afraid, follow me!" Su Zhen replied with a long howl.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a dazzling red light shone behind him. It turned out that the demonic sword Red Blood, which was hidden in its sheath, roared and shot into the night sky like a bolt of lightning.
Su Zhen's figure flashed, and he merged with the red light and disappeared outside the window.
"Father!" Su Zhiyu shouted.
Shui Qingling nodded at Ding Yuan and said,"Little friend Ding, I'll leave Yu 'er to you."”
She flipped her wrist, and a green sword light shot up into the sky. She disappeared in an instant.
Ding Yuan looked at the night sky outside the window and thought to himself,"Is this the legendary sword immortal? If I had such ability, why would I be afraid of those bastards?”
Su Zhiyu tugged at the corner of his shirt and asked softly,"Brother Ding, when do you think my parents will come back?”
Ding Yuan didn't know either. He was naturally more sensible than Su Zhiyu. He knew that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming must have gone to the open space outside the city to fight with the Seven of the Azure Skies. As for why the Seven Sons of the Azure Skies came to look for Su Shui and his wife, it seemed to involve other secrets.
Ding Yuan had more or less heard about the Azure Mountain. Two hundred miles to the west of the city, there was a huge mountain with green vegetation all year round. It was called Bi Luo. Many people said that there were immortals living in the deepest part of the Azure Mountain. Hunters in the mountains could occasionally see seven-colored lights in the middle of the night, which meant that immortals had descended to the mortal world.
Unfortunately, the mountain road was rugged and the dangerous peaks were difficult to climb. Even monkeys couldn't climb the seven highest peaks of the Azure Mountain, so no one could see what the immortals looked like with their own eyes.
"Brother Ding, does your wound still hurt?" Su Zhiyu asked again.”
Ding Yuan was thinking about something, but he was always interrupted by the little girl. He said impatiently,"It doesn't hurt. If there's nothing else, go to sleep first.”
"Oh," Su Zhiyu replied and obediently walked towards the bed. Strangely enough, the light shield from the Skyheart Lamp gradually spread out as Su Zhiyu moved, still enveloping them.
Ding Yuan raised his head and looked at the Heavenheart Lamp, wondering what kind of immortal treasure this was. But what use did that faint red light have?
"Brother Ding, I can't sleep." Su Zhiyu sat on the bed and called out.
"If you can't sleep, you'll count sheep. You'll fall asleep when you count to a hundred.”Ding Yuan said casually.
"But in the past, when I slept at night, Mother would tell me stories about immortals before I could fall asleep.”
"I don't know how to tell stories!" Ding Yuan thought that this little girl was really spoiled by her parents. Why was she so troublesome?
"You can tell me stories from your childhood.”Su Zhiyu said.
"I didn't have much to say when I was young.”
Su Zhiyu did not give up. She smiled sweetly and said,"You can tell me what you played when you were young, what books your parents taught you, and did they force you to practice the sword?”
Ding Yuan thought of his childhood and felt bitter."Go to sleep!"
Su Zhiyu had been treated like a pearl by her parents since she was young. She was obedient and did not meet a third stranger on the Gathering Cloud Peak. When had she ever been scolded in such a foul voice? She immediately pouted and began to cry.
Ding Yuan was annoyed by her. He wasn't afraid of others beating him up, but he couldn't stand the little girl crying. She could only try her best to speak in a gentle voice,"Don't cry. Go to sleep, okay? When I wake up, my parents will be back."
"You're bullying me!" Su Zhiyu choked.
Ding Yuan couldn't help but laugh bitterly in his heart. If this was considered bullying, then what about the grievances he had suffered in the past? If he hadn't promised Su Zhen and his wife, he would have turned around and left. The further he went, the better. But now, she could only say,"Don't cry. I'll tell you a story."”
"Really?" Su Zhiyu said she wouldn't cry. It seemed that this was one of her usual tricks in front of her parents.
" Let me tell you a story from my childhood," Ding Yuan said after some thought.
Su Zhiyu's tears were still there, but she sat quietly on the bed and listened to Ding Yuan's story.
"When I was young, I lived with my mother in a remote town. My mother made clothes and accessories for others to earn money. When I was eight years old, I began to sell the jewelry my mother made the night before at the market. I could exchange it for a few copper coins every day.”
"What about your father?" Su Zhiyu interrupted curiously.
"I don't have a father!" Ding Yuan's eyes suddenly shot out a wave of hatred."My father didn't want us when my mother was pregnant with me. I never thought that I would have such a father!”
Su Zhiyu apologized softly,""You can continue."
"When I was ten years old, my birthday was coming, so my mother told me to sell my things and go home early so that I could spend my birthday. I went to the market early in the morning to set up a stall. The business that day was not bad. By noon, I had earned a day's worth of money. Just after noon, the town's tyrant, Old Third Ba, took a group of lackeys to the streets to collect protection fees. He relied on the fact that his two older brothers were local officials, so he was lawless. The people in the town were afraid of him and called him 'Ba Yanluo' behind his back.”
Ding Yuan was immersed in his memories and said slowly,"He came to my stall to collect money, and I handed it over to him as usual. Little did he know that Old Third Ba had told him that his brother was going to celebrate his 40th birthday and that he would have to double the protection fee today. How could I have so much money on me? I could only argue with him. Third Brother Ba smiled and said that it was fine if he didn't want to pay. He wanted my mother to be his mother for a year. It was a low debt. I bit his hand in anger. Old Third Ba and his men immediately rushed over and beat me up. They took all my money and trampled all my accessories. There were hundreds of people gathered at the side, but no one dared to say a word as they watched these four to five ruffians make a scene!”
" Brother Ding," Su Zhiyu said angrily," Third Brother Ba is too much. When my parents come back, I will tell them and let my father avenge you."”
"I dragged my injured body until it was dark before I got home." Ding Yuan shook his head and continued. Mother waited for me to get anxious and went outside to look for me. Naturally, she heard about this matter. I hugged my mother and cried. She told me,'Don't cry, child. There was no justice in this world. Justice only belonged to the strong.'After hearing what Mother said, I stopped crying and only thought about how to take revenge on Old Third Ba. It was my birthday that night. Because all the money I saved in the market was taken away by Third Brother Ba, I had to make do with eating the corn cakes made by my two mothers. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. In the middle of the night, I couldn't sleep. I got up from the stove and took a kitchen knife. I stuck it at my waist and went out.”
"Brother Ding, are you going to seek revenge on Old Third Ba?" Su Zhiyu asked.”
"I just wanted to teach Old Third Ba a lesson." Ding Yuan nodded. When I walked to the entrance of the Ba Residence, there was actually a lot of traffic. It turned out that Boss Ba was living his life. I stood in the corner and smelled the fragrance of wine and meat. My heart felt extremely uncomfortable. Boss Ba has wine and meat on his birthday, but I only have two tortillas to share with my mother. Why is that?”
"The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. So, I climbed into the Ba Mansion with the help of a small tree. It was bustling with people coming and going inside." I pretended to be a handyman and found a broom to carry on my shoulder. No one suspected a child like me even when it was dark. I walked to the entrance of the main hall of the Ba Mansion and bumped into Third Brother Ba who was going out to see the guests off. He was drunk and could not walk steadily. I followed him. After he finished sending off the guests, he didn't return to the main hall. Instead, he walked towards the courtyard next door. It turned out that he needed to pee. He deserved his bad luck. There was no one in the courtyard except for a servant girl who served him. I quietly walked behind Old Third Ba, pulled out the kitchen knife and whispered,"" Ba Yanluo, I'm going to kill you tonight!'The knife stabbed into his waist and blood spurted out.”
"You killed him?" Su Zhiyu was shocked.”
Ding Yuan snorted." He was lucky. I was too small and could only stab him in the waist. I was inexperienced and panicked, so I gave him a rotten life." However, I only found out about this later. At that time, I also thought that I had killed him. When that servant girl called out to me, I panicked and hurriedly threw away the kitchen knife to find a way to escape from the Ba residence. I didn't dare to go home directly. I hid outside until dawn before quietly returning home. But the moment I entered, I found that the house had been turned upside down and Mother was gone.”
"Did Old Third Ba's men come for revenge?”Su Zhiyu asked.
"I don't know. I only know that mother is missing, but I can't find her. I asked the people nearby, but no one could tell me clearly. I was afraid that Old Third Ba's men would come for revenge, so I had to leave quickly. After that, I went back a few times but couldn't find my mother. I think she was killed by Old Third Ba.”
"Maybe your mother left on her own?”
Ding Yuan shook his head and said,""Even if my mother wanted to leave, she would definitely bring me along. Moreover, she wouldn't leave in the middle of the night, right?”
Su Zhiyu felt that Old Third Ba was the worst person in the world, so she said,"Brother Ding, when Father and Mother come back, I will ask them to help you beat up Old Third Ba.”
" No need." Ding Yuan said," I will kill him with my own hands in the future, but I hope he will live long enough."”
Just as Su Zhiyu was about to say,"I'll help you when the time comes," the Skyheart Lamp above her head trembled a few times and let out a low hum.
Ding Yuan was alarmed. He walked to the bedside and said,"Don't say anything. It seems that an evil person is here!"”
"Why is this little brother talking like this? How does sister look like a bad person?”The closed door opened without any wind, and a beautiful and enchanting young woman in purple stood at the door with a smile.
Ding Yuan knew that the people who had come must be Su Zhen and his wife, so he said coldly,"You didn't knock on the door, nor did you ask if the owner inside was willing to see you before barging in. If you're not a villain, then what are you?”
The young woman smiled charmingly, like a blooming peony flower that dazzled the eyes, and said,"Who are you, child?”
"Who are you looking for?"
The young woman raised her head to look at the Skyheart Lamp and replied,"I'm Water Fairy's old friend. I haven't seen her for 60 years, so I naturally want to pay her a visit. Why, are they not here?"
Ding Yuan knew that this young woman was asking the obvious. He thought to himself that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming seemed to be at the level of sword immortals. No matter what intentions the person who came to find them had, they were definitely not to be trifled with. Since I promised to protect Yu 'Er, I naturally can't go back on my word. No matter what, I have to hold on until they return.”
"You're my mother's old friend. Why haven't I heard of you?"”
The young woman was startled and giggled,"Don't lie to me, do you think I don't know that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming only have one daughter?”
Su Zhiyu glared at the young woman, then turned her head and asked in a low voice,"Brother Ding, why is she looking for my parents?”
" Don't speak," Ding Yuan said to the young woman,""Uncle Su and Auntie Shui will be back soon. You can stand there and wait.”
" You're lying to me again." The young woman smiled."Little brother, don't you know that you can't pay with your life for lying to a dead person? Su Zhen and Shui Qingying were probably fighting with the Taoist priests of the Azure Mountain. How could they come back so soon?”
Ding Yuan could tell from her words that this young woman wasn't from the Azure Mountain, but he didn't know where she came from.
The young woman looked at Su Zhiyu affectionately and asked,"Little girl, you must be Su Zhen and Shui Qingming's daughter, right?”
"My name is Su Zhiyu. Who is your sister?”Su Zhiyu didn't understand that danger lurked everywhere. Seeing the amiable young woman, she couldn't help but feel close to her.
"Big sister's name is Yan Shu. Those who know big sister call me Fairy Zi Lian. Big sister will take you to find your parents, okay?”
Yan Shu's nickname had the two words " Zi Lian " because she was good at using the Demon Sect's treasure, the Purple Spirit Whip. However, the " fairy " was given by herself, and most people still called her " demoness."
Looking at her appearance, she was less than thirty years old and was in her twenties. In fact, she was already a hundred years old and was almost a figure of the same era as Su Zhen and his wife. She came from the Great Snow Mountain's Valley of Valleys 'Granny Heartless's sect. She relied on her sect's prestige and the Purple Spirit Whip in her hand to roam the Heaven Continent. Although she was willful and unruly, she never did anything bad, so the people of the righteous path did not make things difficult for her.
"Don't listen to her nonsense." Ding Yuan used his body to block Su Zhiyu and stared at Yan Shu vigilantly."Since you claim to be Auntie Shui's old friend, you should be a famous person. How can you be so despicable as to have designs on a ten-year-old child?”
Yan Shu's expression did not change as he said,""I'm only bringing her to find her parents. What's wrong with that? If you don't believe me, I can swear to you that I will never hurt this little sister.”
She didn't know how true her words were, but she couldn't fool Ding Yuan.
Ding Yuan stood in front of the bed and was only certain of one thing. No matter who it was, they could forget about taking Su Zhiyu away!
"It's useless even if you swear a hundred oaths. Anyways, I won't let you take Sister Su away."”
Yan Shu thought to himself, I don't know where Su Zhenshui found this little brat. He's not even that old, but he's so difficult to deal with. If he didn't think of a way to trick Su Zhiyu, he wouldn't have another chance when Su Zhen came back. He had waited for such a good opportunity with great difficulty. As long as he held Su Zhen's precious daughter hostage, he was not afraid that the couple would not bow their heads, but they were stopped by a little brat.
Speaking of which, if it wasn't for the Skyheart Lamp above the two children's heads, why would she waste her breath here?
Just as he was thinking, a small snake silently crawled under the windowsill. Its golden body was only three feet long, and it quickly slid toward the bed.
However, the moment the snake head touched the red light from the Heavenheart Lamp, a buzzing sound could be heard. The light from the Heavenheart Lamp exploded, and the trembling became even more intense.
The golden snake seemed to have been electrocuted as it bounced back several feet and crashed into the wall. It struggled for a few times before it breathed its last.
Shocked, Su Zhiyu threw herself into Ding Yuan's arms and shouted,"Snake!"
Yan Shu giggled." Little sister, don't be afraid. It's just that old poison outside. He can't be arrogant with sister around."”
In the quiet courtyard, a hoarse voice slowly said,""The Purple Tempering Demoness even deceived a ten-year-old child.”
Ding Yuan sighed in his heart. He knew that another troublesome person had arrived.
###################################
The room suddenly quieted down, and a few dog barks could be faintly heard outside the dark room.
" A total of nine people," the woman said calmly,""Surround this inn according to the location of the Nine Palaces. Judging from their footsteps, they should be the masters of the Azure Mountain. At least four of them are elders. Perhaps Reverend Tingyun, that stubborn old man, was among them.”
Su Zhen snorted." They came so quickly. Do they think I, Su Zhen, have become easy to talk to after cultivating for 60 years?"”
As soon as he finished speaking, an old voice sounded from the opposite roof."Brother Su Zhen, Fairy Shui Qingying, have you been well?”
A red light flashed in Su Zhen's eyes, and a terrifying killing intent was emitted. He said in a deep voice,"So it's that old bastard, the Immortal Tingtao. He's the most hypocritical and insidious of the Seven of the Azure Skies.”
The voice of the Ting Tao Immortal outside continued,"Since you're near the Azure Mountain, why don't you come up the mountain to catch up with us old friends? If outsiders know about this, they will think that we have lost our manners.”
Su Zhen smiled contemptuously and replied,"Old bastard, why are you here so late?”
The Immortal Tingtao replied," My Senior Brother Sect Master was overjoyed when he learned that you and your wife were passing by the Azure Mountain. He insisted that I invite you to the mountain to meet. He had no other intention but to reminisce about our old friendship."”
"Get lost, stop that old ghost Xin from doing it yourself. With your capabilities, you can't ask me to do it.”Su Zhen replied.
" Great Swordsman Su, you're so arrogant. Senior Martial Brother Tingtao can't invite you and the Water Fairy alone. How about me and the other two Senior Martial Brothers?" another female voice sounded.”
Shui Qingqing's face tensed up as she whispered,""It's Reverend Tingxue. It looks like four of the Seven Sons of the Azure Skies have really come.”
"Even if they all come, what do I have to fear?" Su Zhen's expression did not change.”
Shui Qingqing looked at her daughter, who had a puzzled look on her face and did not know that danger was coming, and sighed,""The two of us will naturally not be afraid of the Jade Drop Nine Springs Sword Formation, but what about Yu 'er?”
" Although the Taoist priests of Azure Mountain are shameless, they wouldn't bully a little girl," Su Zhen said." I'm afraid that someone else will interfere when we fight. That would be troublesome."”
Shui Qingying smiled bitterly and said," I don't know how many people are secretly jealous of the things we have hidden on us. If they didn't know where the Gathering Cloud Peak is, they would have come to kill us long ago." On the surface, these Taoist priests seem to be punishing you, a demon, but in the end, aren't they after that thing?”
"If I don't want to give it to you, who can take it away?" Su Zhen chuckled.”
"Then what about Yu 'Er?" Shui Qing asked.”
Su Zhen turned around and bowed. His parents had gone to meet a few old friends and would be back soon.”
"Yu 'er wants to go too. The Azure Mountain must be very fun." Su Zhiyu asked innocently.”
Shui Qingling looked at her daughter's innocent face and felt her heart ache. She forced a smile and said,""Yu 'Er, be good. Father and Mother have something to do. Children can't go.”
Su Zhiyu nodded and said,"Yu 'Er, listen to your parents. Come back quickly." Yu 'Er wants Mother to coax her to sleep."
"Kid, aren't you leaving? Why are you still standing here?" Su Zhen looked at Ding Yuan.”
"I'm not leaving. You guys go ahead. I'll stay behind to protect this little sister.”Ding Yuan said.
"You'll protect him?" "Do you know what you're capable of?" Su Zhen laughed.”
Ding Yuan looked at Su Zhen indifferently until the laughter stopped before he replied,"There's nothing to laugh about. Since I've agreed to repay you, I'll at most give up my cheap life.”
The contemptuous look on Su Zhen's face gradually disappeared. He nodded and said,"Okay, stay here and help me take care of Yu 'Er.”
"Don't worry, as long as I don't die, this little sister won't lose a single strand of hair!" Ding Yuan said.”
He was only as tall as Su Zhen's chest and did not have any cultivation, but his words were extremely firm, making people almost forget his age.
Su Zhen waved his hand, and a faint red light lit up in the room. The color was very strange.
Ding Yuan was surprised. He looked carefully and saw that Su Zhen was holding a bronze lamp the size of a palm. On the lamp holder was a ferocious and terrifying beast. The wick of the lamp was as thin as a golden needle, and it was spitting out dark red flames.
"Rise!"
Su Zhen shouted softly, and the bronze lamp left his hand and floated in the air. The faint red light sprinkled down like a waterfall, forming a circular cover that shone on Su Zhiyu and Ding Yuan.
"This is an ancient divine item, the Heavenheart Lamp. It can ward off evil spirits and ghosts. Stay inside and don't move around, and don't touch the lamp holder. There was no need to panic if a stranger came with ill intentions. With the protection of the Skyheart Lamp, there were only a handful of people in the world who could crack it.”Su Zhen instructed.
"Hero Su, Water Fairy, if you don't say anything, we'll come in ourselves!”Daoist Master Tingxin's voice urged him again.
" There's a slope twenty miles east of the city. Countless graves are strewn all over the place. If you're not afraid, follow me!" Su Zhen replied with a long howl.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a dazzling red light shone behind him. It turned out that the demonic sword Red Blood, which was hidden in its sheath, roared and shot into the night sky like a bolt of lightning.
Su Zhen's figure flashed, and he merged with the red light and disappeared outside the window.
"Father!" Su Zhiyu shouted.
Shui Qingling nodded at Ding Yuan and said,"Little friend Ding, I'll leave Yu 'er to you."”
She flipped her wrist, and a green sword light shot up into the sky. She disappeared in an instant.
Ding Yuan looked at the night sky outside the window and thought to himself,"Is this the legendary sword immortal? If I had such ability, why would I be afraid of those bastards?”
Su Zhiyu tugged at the corner of his shirt and asked softly,"Brother Ding, when do you think my parents will come back?”
Ding Yuan didn't know either. He was naturally more sensible than Su Zhiyu. He knew that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming must have gone to the open space outside the city to fight with the Seven of the Azure Skies. As for why the Seven Sons of the Azure Skies came to look for Su Shui and his wife, it seemed to involve other secrets.
Ding Yuan had more or less heard about the Azure Mountain. Two hundred miles to the west of the city, there was a huge mountain with green vegetation all year round. It was called Bi Luo. Many people said that there were immortals living in the deepest part of the Azure Mountain. Hunters in the mountains could occasionally see seven-colored lights in the middle of the night, which meant that immortals had descended to the mortal world.
Unfortunately, the mountain road was rugged and the dangerous peaks were difficult to climb. Even monkeys couldn't climb the seven highest peaks of the Azure Mountain, so no one could see what the immortals looked like with their own eyes.
"Brother Ding, does your wound still hurt?" Su Zhiyu asked again.”
Ding Yuan was thinking about something, but he was always interrupted by the little girl. He said impatiently,"It doesn't hurt. If there's nothing else, go to sleep first.”
"Oh," Su Zhiyu replied and obediently walked towards the bed. Strangely enough, the light shield from the Skyheart Lamp gradually spread out as Su Zhiyu moved, still enveloping them.
Ding Yuan raised his head and looked at the Heavenheart Lamp, wondering what kind of immortal treasure this was. But what use did that faint red light have?
"Brother Ding, I can't sleep." Su Zhiyu sat on the bed and called out.
"If you can't sleep, you'll count sheep. You'll fall asleep when you count to a hundred.”Ding Yuan said casually.
"But in the past, when I slept at night, Mother would tell me stories about immortals before I could fall asleep.”
"I don't know how to tell stories!" Ding Yuan thought that this little girl was really spoiled by her parents. Why was she so troublesome?
"You can tell me stories from your childhood.”Su Zhiyu said.
"I didn't have much to say when I was young.”
Su Zhiyu did not give up. She smiled sweetly and said,"You can tell me what you played when you were young, what books your parents taught you, and did they force you to practice the sword?”
Ding Yuan thought of his childhood and felt bitter."Go to sleep!"
Su Zhiyu had been treated like a pearl by her parents since she was young. She was obedient and did not meet a third stranger on the Gathering Cloud Peak. When had she ever been scolded in such a foul voice? She immediately pouted and began to cry.
Ding Yuan was annoyed by her. He wasn't afraid of others beating him up, but he couldn't stand the little girl crying. She could only try her best to speak in a gentle voice,"Don't cry. Go to sleep, okay? When I wake up, my parents will be back."
"You're bullying me!" Su Zhiyu choked.
Ding Yuan couldn't help but laugh bitterly in his heart. If this was considered bullying, then what about the grievances he had suffered in the past? If he hadn't promised Su Zhen and his wife, he would have turned around and left. The further he went, the better. But now, she could only say,"Don't cry. I'll tell you a story."”
"Really?" Su Zhiyu said she wouldn't cry. It seemed that this was one of her usual tricks in front of her parents.
" Let me tell you a story from my childhood," Ding Yuan said after some thought.
Su Zhiyu's tears were still there, but she sat quietly on the bed and listened to Ding Yuan's story.
"When I was young, I lived with my mother in a remote town. My mother made clothes and accessories for others to earn money. When I was eight years old, I began to sell the jewelry my mother made the night before at the market. I could exchange it for a few copper coins every day.”
"What about your father?" Su Zhiyu interrupted curiously.
"I don't have a father!" Ding Yuan's eyes suddenly shot out a wave of hatred."My father didn't want us when my mother was pregnant with me. I never thought that I would have such a father!”
Su Zhiyu apologized softly,""You can continue."
"When I was ten years old, my birthday was coming, so my mother told me to sell my things and go home early so that I could spend my birthday. I went to the market early in the morning to set up a stall. The business that day was not bad. By noon, I had earned a day's worth of money. Just after noon, the town's tyrant, Old Third Ba, took a group of lackeys to the streets to collect protection fees. He relied on the fact that his two older brothers were local officials, so he was lawless. The people in the town were afraid of him and called him 'Ba Yanluo' behind his back.”
Ding Yuan was immersed in his memories and said slowly,"He came to my stall to collect money, and I handed it over to him as usual. Little did he know that Old Third Ba had told him that his brother was going to celebrate his 40th birthday and that he would have to double the protection fee today. How could I have so much money on me? I could only argue with him. Third Brother Ba smiled and said that it was fine if he didn't want to pay. He wanted my mother to be his mother for a year. It was a low debt. I bit his hand in anger. Old Third Ba and his men immediately rushed over and beat me up. They took all my money and trampled all my accessories. There were hundreds of people gathered at the side, but no one dared to say a word as they watched these four to five ruffians make a scene!”
" Brother Ding," Su Zhiyu said angrily," Third Brother Ba is too much. When my parents come back, I will tell them and let my father avenge you."”
"I dragged my injured body until it was dark before I got home." Ding Yuan shook his head and continued. Mother waited for me to get anxious and went outside to look for me. Naturally, she heard about this matter. I hugged my mother and cried. She told me,'Don't cry, child. There was no justice in this world. Justice only belonged to the strong.'After hearing what Mother said, I stopped crying and only thought about how to take revenge on Old Third Ba. It was my birthday that night. Because all the money I saved in the market was taken away by Third Brother Ba, I had to make do with eating the corn cakes made by my two mothers. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. In the middle of the night, I couldn't sleep. I got up from the stove and took a kitchen knife. I stuck it at my waist and went out.”
"Brother Ding, are you going to seek revenge on Old Third Ba?" Su Zhiyu asked.”
"I just wanted to teach Old Third Ba a lesson." Ding Yuan nodded. When I walked to the entrance of the Ba Residence, there was actually a lot of traffic. It turned out that Boss Ba was living his life. I stood in the corner and smelled the fragrance of wine and meat. My heart felt extremely uncomfortable. Boss Ba has wine and meat on his birthday, but I only have two tortillas to share with my mother. Why is that?”
"The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. So, I climbed into the Ba Mansion with the help of a small tree. It was bustling with people coming and going inside." I pretended to be a handyman and found a broom to carry on my shoulder. No one suspected a child like me even when it was dark. I walked to the entrance of the main hall of the Ba Mansion and bumped into Third Brother Ba who was going out to see the guests off. He was drunk and could not walk steadily. I followed him. After he finished sending off the guests, he didn't return to the main hall. Instead, he walked towards the courtyard next door. It turned out that he needed to pee. He deserved his bad luck. There was no one in the courtyard except for a servant girl who served him. I quietly walked behind Old Third Ba, pulled out the kitchen knife and whispered,"" Ba Yanluo, I'm going to kill you tonight!'The knife stabbed into his waist and blood spurted out.”
"You killed him?" Su Zhiyu was shocked.”
Ding Yuan snorted." He was lucky. I was too small and could only stab him in the waist. I was inexperienced and panicked, so I gave him a rotten life." However, I only found out about this later. At that time, I also thought that I had killed him. When that servant girl called out to me, I panicked and hurriedly threw away the kitchen knife to find a way to escape from the Ba residence. I didn't dare to go home directly. I hid outside until dawn before quietly returning home. But the moment I entered, I found that the house had been turned upside down and Mother was gone.”
"Did Old Third Ba's men come for revenge?”Su Zhiyu asked.
"I don't know. I only know that mother is missing, but I can't find her. I asked the people nearby, but no one could tell me clearly. I was afraid that Old Third Ba's men would come for revenge, so I had to leave quickly. After that, I went back a few times but couldn't find my mother. I think she was killed by Old Third Ba.”
"Maybe your mother left on her own?”
Ding Yuan shook his head and said,""Even if my mother wanted to leave, she would definitely bring me along. Moreover, she wouldn't leave in the middle of the night, right?”
Su Zhiyu felt that Old Third Ba was the worst person in the world, so she said,"Brother Ding, when Father and Mother come back, I will ask them to help you beat up Old Third Ba.”
" No need." Ding Yuan said," I will kill him with my own hands in the future, but I hope he will live long enough."”
Just as Su Zhiyu was about to say,"I'll help you when the time comes," the Skyheart Lamp above her head trembled a few times and let out a low hum.
Ding Yuan was alarmed. He walked to the bedside and said,"Don't say anything. It seems that an evil person is here!"”
"Why is this little brother talking like this? How does sister look like a bad person?”The closed door opened without any wind, and a beautiful and enchanting young woman in purple stood at the door with a smile.
Ding Yuan knew that the people who had come must be Su Zhen and his wife, so he said coldly,"You didn't knock on the door, nor did you ask if the owner inside was willing to see you before barging in. If you're not a villain, then what are you?”
The young woman smiled charmingly, like a blooming peony flower that dazzled the eyes, and said,"Who are you, child?”
"Who are you looking for?"
The young woman raised her head to look at the Skyheart Lamp and replied,"I'm Water Fairy's old friend. I haven't seen her for 60 years, so I naturally want to pay her a visit. Why, are they not here?"
Ding Yuan knew that this young woman was asking the obvious. He thought to himself that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming seemed to be at the level of sword immortals. No matter what intentions the person who came to find them had, they were definitely not to be trifled with. Since I promised to protect Yu 'Er, I naturally can't go back on my word. No matter what, I have to hold on until they return.”
"You're my mother's old friend. Why haven't I heard of you?"”
The young woman was startled and giggled,"Don't lie to me, do you think I don't know that Su Zhen and Shui Qingming only have one daughter?”
Su Zhiyu glared at the young woman, then turned her head and asked in a low voice,"Brother Ding, why is she looking for my parents?”
" Don't speak," Ding Yuan said to the young woman,""Uncle Su and Auntie Shui will be back soon. You can stand there and wait.”
" You're lying to me again." The young woman smiled."Little brother, don't you know that you can't pay with your life for lying to a dead person? Su Zhen and Shui Qingying were probably fighting with the Taoist priests of the Azure Mountain. How could they come back so soon?”
Ding Yuan could tell from her words that this young woman wasn't from the Azure Mountain, but he didn't know where she came from.
The young woman looked at Su Zhiyu affectionately and asked,"Little girl, you must be Su Zhen and Shui Qingming's daughter, right?”
"My name is Su Zhiyu. Who is your sister?”Su Zhiyu didn't understand that danger lurked everywhere. Seeing the amiable young woman, she couldn't help but feel close to her.
"Big sister's name is Yan Shu. Those who know big sister call me Fairy Zi Lian. Big sister will take you to find your parents, okay?”
Yan Shu's nickname had the two words " Zi Lian " because she was good at using the Demon Sect's treasure, the Purple Spirit Whip. However, the " fairy " was given by herself, and most people still called her " demoness."
Looking at her appearance, she was less than thirty years old and was in her twenties. In fact, she was already a hundred years old and was almost a figure of the same era as Su Zhen and his wife. She came from the Great Snow Mountain's Valley of Valleys 'Granny Heartless's sect. She relied on her sect's prestige and the Purple Spirit Whip in her hand to roam the Heaven Continent. Although she was willful and unruly, she never did anything bad, so the people of the righteous path did not make things difficult for her.
"Don't listen to her nonsense." Ding Yuan used his body to block Su Zhiyu and stared at Yan Shu vigilantly."Since you claim to be Auntie Shui's old friend, you should be a famous person. How can you be so despicable as to have designs on a ten-year-old child?”
Yan Shu's expression did not change as he said,""I'm only bringing her to find her parents. What's wrong with that? If you don't believe me, I can swear to you that I will never hurt this little sister.”
She didn't know how true her words were, but she couldn't fool Ding Yuan.
Ding Yuan stood in front of the bed and was only certain of one thing. No matter who it was, they could forget about taking Su Zhiyu away!
"It's useless even if you swear a hundred oaths. Anyways, I won't let you take Sister Su away."”
Yan Shu thought to himself, I don't know where Su Zhenshui found this little brat. He's not even that old, but he's so difficult to deal with. If he didn't think of a way to trick Su Zhiyu, he wouldn't have another chance when Su Zhen came back. He had waited for such a good opportunity with great difficulty. As long as he held Su Zhen's precious daughter hostage, he was not afraid that the couple would not bow their heads, but they were stopped by a little brat.
Speaking of which, if it wasn't for the Skyheart Lamp above the two children's heads, why would she waste her breath here?
Just as he was thinking, a small snake silently crawled under the windowsill. Its golden body was only three feet long, and it quickly slid toward the bed.
However, the moment the snake head touched the red light from the Heavenheart Lamp, a buzzing sound could be heard. The light from the Heavenheart Lamp exploded, and the trembling became even more intense.
The golden snake seemed to have been electrocuted as it bounced back several feet and crashed into the wall. It struggled for a few times before it breathed its last.
Shocked, Su Zhiyu threw herself into Ding Yuan's arms and shouted,"Snake!"
Yan Shu giggled." Little sister, don't be afraid. It's just that old poison outside. He can't be arrogant with sister around."”
In the quiet courtyard, a hoarse voice slowly said,""The Purple Tempering Demoness even deceived a ten-year-old child.”
Ding Yuan sighed in his heart. He knew that another troublesome person had arrived.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]