The first ray of dawn had just appeared when the north gate of Heng City rumbled open. A large group of vegetable farmers and hawkers lined up and walked in with heavy burdens.
Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan mingled in the bustling crowd and followed into the city.
Yesterday evening, they parted ways with Master Buyi and the others in the Perching Phoenix Valley. Mo Jing first returned to Sandplain Island on her own. She was inevitably required to explain the misunderstanding between Sheng Nian and Sandplain Island.
The old Taoist priest returned to the Emerald Cloud Mountain alone, while the two cranes stayed in the Perched Phoenix Valley.
It was just that Blizzard Cliff was a little depressed. He had tried his best to find his mistress for many years, but he had not been able to see her. Moreover, he had a sworn brother like Ding Yuan for no reason. He really did not know how to settle this score so that he would not suffer a loss.
To everyone's surprise, before they parted, Snow Cliff actually gave the Dark Wind Throat Needles that he had practiced for two sixty-year cycles to Ding Yuan, more or less putting on the posture of a big brother.
Perhaps he was worried that Ding Yuan's cultivation was not enough. If he was unlucky enough to be defeated, he would not be able to shine as a big brother. For the sake of his face, he had generously donated this time.
However, Master Buyi had finally admitted that the "Mistress" was in the valley. Although he had not seen her once, he could be considered to have an explanation.
No one knew what Master Buyi had said to him in the end that caused the Snow Cliff to reveal a rare smile.
Ding Yuan had also curiously asked Grandmaster Buyi, but this eminent monk who had put down his butcher knife only smiled and shook his head.""I can't say, I can't say. Patron, you will know in the future.”
Su Zhiyu also bid farewell to everyone. She was going back to the Gathering Cloud Peak. After leaving home for a few days, if there was no news, Su Zhen would probably tear the world apart to find his precious daughter.
However, her expression revealed a faint sense of loneliness and desolation, as if she had a lot of difficult things on her mind.
She did not dare to look at Ding Yuan again, afraid that she would change her hard-won decision before she left.
She knew very well that it might be very difficult for her to see Brother Ding again in the future. The competition in two years would no longer have any meaning to her.
So what if he won? There was already another girl in Brother Ding's heart, and he could no longer tolerate the existence of others. However, these three days were enough for her to look back and treasure.
However, in private, she also hoped that time could stop in front of her eyes, or return to that dark and windy night, listening to the insects whispering outside the window while listening to Brother Ding tell her a story.
Why must everything have a result? It was a blessing to be separated with such beautiful memories.
Su Zhiyu thought to herself, but her tears couldn't help but flow into her eyes. She just wanted to find a place where no one was around to cry, then pretend that nothing had happened and return to her parents 'side alone.
She also wanted to stay and accompany Ding Yuan to Sandplain. However, they would have to be separated sooner or later. Instead of leaving sadly, she would rather leave quietly now.
This farewell would be forever, right? From then on, Su Zhiyu suddenly felt sad. She stared at Ding Yuan's figure and couldn't help but wonder if her Brother Ding would still remember this little girl who loved to cry in twenty or fifty years.
When he held the hand of Miss Xue 'er and grew old together, would he know that there was another person who was sadly worried about him in the lonely peak thousands of miles away?
However, Ding Yuan knew nothing about this. He didn't even notice that Su Zhiyu had looked at him strangely when she left. His only thought now was to meet up with Ah Niu as soon as possible and wait for him to recover from his injuries before going to Sandplain with Sheng Nian.
But in his heart, he always felt that there was something fishy about the incident in the Phoenix Perch Valley. It was as if there was some secret between the old Taoist priest, Master Buyi, and Sheng Nian, and even involved the demonic sect that was rumored to have disappeared. The Snow Cliff had laid out the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array to coerce Master Buyi to hand over the "Mistress". Who was this Mistress? Why did Grandmaster Buyi hide her? The old Taoist priest and the others kept it a secret.
What made him even more curious was how the old Taoist priest and Sheng Nian got involved with the Demon Cult. Why did Master Buyi, who had shocked the Heavenly Continent back then, suddenly lose all his cultivation?
Along the way, Ding Yuan had asked Sheng Nian about it, but Sheng Nian refused to explain. The more it was like this, the more Ding Yuan felt that this matter was extraordinary. No wonder Sheng Nian had hidden his tracks all these years.
Ding Yuan felt bored and snorted to himself,"If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. What's the big deal? I can't be bothered to care about the messy matters of the Demonic Sect.”
Sheng Nian saw Ding Yuan's unhappy expression and smiled slightly.""Junior Brother Ding, there's another reason why Master and I didn't want to tell you about this. You'll understand one day.”
"As for now, this secret is a heavy burden for everyone who knows about it. Master and I don't want to involve you again.”
" I just don't understand," said Ding Yuan." Senior Brother Sheng has been living in seclusion with Great Master Buyi in the Perching Phoenix Valley for so many years. What are you doing?" Can't you tell me that?" The two of them used secret sound transmission to speak. Although there were people coming and going on the street, they were not afraid of being heard by outsiders.
" You won't believe it," Sheng Nian said with a bitter smile." Master Buyi and I have been buried in the Phoenix Perching Valley for more than eight years just to try to help a very important person come back to life." It was a pity that she was severely injured and her internal organs were shattered. Now, she was frozen under a thousand feet of ice by Master Buyi's Great Art of No Return. If not for that, he would have died long ago.”
"Is this the Matriarch that Snow Cliff is looking for?" Ding Yuan asked in surprise.”
Sheng Nian nodded heavily and said," That's right. She's the wife of the Demon Cult Master, Helian Xuan. She's also the 'matriarch' mentioned by the Snow Cliff." Eight years ago, she was hunted down by her enemies and was saved by my master. She even used a Nine Transformation Golden Pill to protect a trace of vitality in her heart. Master and I escorted her to the Phoenix Perching Valley to ask Master Buyi to treat her. From then on, I stayed and never returned to Emerald Cloud Mountain.”
"So the old Taoist priest took that golden pill back then to save Madam Helian." Ding Yuan said in realization.”
Sheng Nian nodded and continued," That's right. Unfortunately, a single Nine Transformations Golden Pill still couldn't cure Lady Helian. Master Buyi had to temporarily freeze her with the method of 'No Return of Breath' to ensure that a trace of vitality wouldn't be extinguished. All these years, I've been roaming the Heavenly Continent to find 16 kinds of miraculous medicines to cure Lady Helian. But now, with the Pearl Immortal Grass, I'm still missing three kinds.”
" Why didn't Master Buyi allow the Snow Cliff to meet Helian Xuan?" Ding Yuan asked in confusion." Could it be that he's afraid that he'll harm the Hierarch Madame?"”
Sheng Nian smiled and said," Not entirely. It's just that the destruction of the Demonic Sect was too strange. At present, Madam Helian is unable to wake up, so it's not appropriate for the Snow Cliff to see her for the time being."”
Ding Yuan was about to speak when he suddenly smelled a strange burnt smell from the morning breeze, as if something unclean had been burned. He and Sheng Nian looked at each other and saw the alertness and surprise in each other's eyes, so they both quickened their pace and rushed to the Bodyguard Agency.
Along the way, the burnt smell became stronger and stronger, and the ominous feeling in their hearts became more and more obvious.
As soon as he turned the corner, he saw thousands of people gathered outside the main entrance of the Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency. Dozens of officials were pushing and shoving to maintain order, and a few teams of soldiers were setting up checkpoints at the intersection.
Wisps of thick black smoke rose from the Bodyguard Agency's courtyard. The cool morning breeze was mixed with a wave of heat. The walls of the agency were covered in black smoke marks, and the two doors were incomplete. Only the two stone lions could be seen in their original appearance.
"Oh no, something really happened to the escort agency!" Ding Yuan whispered.”
Sheng Nian's eyes flashed with a bright light. He nodded slightly and took a big step forward to squeeze into the crowd. The person beside him did not notice anything, but felt a gentle force surge over. He inexplicably moved to the side and made way for him.
The two of them rushed to the front row without leaving a trace. A bailiff guarding the main door held a knife in his hand and shouted,"Retreat, retreat! Why are you here?”
Ding Yuan snorted and was about to flare up when Sheng Nian pressed on his shoulder and pulled him back half a step. He said in a low voice,"The situation is unknown. Don't cause trouble."
Seeing the two of them retreat, the bailiff muttered a few words before leaving to teach the others a lesson.
At this moment, he heard a middle-aged woman beside him muttering,"What a sin, what a sin! How come not a single one of them managed to escape? They were all burned alive by the heavenly fire. Why didn't the heavens have eyes? Old Master Qin was such a good person, but he ended up like this. It was really unreasonable!”
Ding Yuan sized up the woman and saw that she was wearing a cotton apron and had a strong figure. She seemed to be a neighbor of the Bodyguard Agency. "Auntie, what happened to Old Master Qin's family?" she asked.”
The woman clapped her hands when she heard someone ask her, and she started to talk,""Little brother, you don't know. That Old Master Qin is a well-known good person in Heng City. There are hundreds of people in the escort agency who didn't offend anyone. I don't know how he offended the heavens, but he was burned to death by the heavenly fire last night. Strangely enough, the heavenly fire had only burned down the bodyguard agency. The houses next to it were still intact. Even the firewood shed in the neighboring courtyard had not been burned.”
Ding Yuan naturally wouldn't believe such a foolish story. It would be a joke to say that Iron Hero Qin and the others were burned alive by the fire of the " sky ", not to mention that Ah Niu was also in the escort agency at that time!
The first thing he thought of was the Thunder Mountain Villa. Lei Yuan and the others were capable of doing such a thing.
Sheng Nian clenched his fists and tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest. He asked in a deep voice,"Auntie, did no one escape from this agency?”
"Who can escape?"
The woman sighed again." It's not even dawn yet, and I'm standing here watching the officials drag dead people out in carts. Some of them have been burned to black charcoal. I can't recognize who they are." Otherwise, why would it be called heavenly fire? If it was an ordinary fire, how could it burn people to this extent?”
Ding Yuan felt a surge of hot blood in his chest. He wanted to rush into the bodyguard agency to see what was going on.
He absolutely didn't believe that Ah Niu, Iron Hero Qin, and the others would be finished so easily.
If that was the case, it would be useless even if the Heavenly Thunder Mountain Villa had the backing of the heavens.
Suddenly, he heard someone call out in a low voice behind him,""Uncle Sheng, Young Master Ding!"
Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan both turned around and saw a dark-skinned boy dressed like a manservant poking half his head out of the crowd, looking at them with a gaze that was filled with joy and sorrow.
Ding Yuan immediately recognized that this was Qin Rou. Beside her was a young man who looked like a vegetable farmer. However, his right sleeve was empty, and his dirty clothes had faint traces of blood. Who else could this be but Big Hong?
Sheng Nian looked around and saw that the people around him did not notice anything, so he secretly signaled the two people with his eyes and took the lead to leave the crowd.
The four of them walked into a quiet alley opposite the Bodyguard Agency. Sheng Nian stopped and turned around quickly."Miss Qin, what exactly happened? Where are your father and my Junior Brother Luo now?”
Qin Rou opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, her tears fell like broken beads. In an instant, she had already cried until she was a tearful person. However, she could only suppress them in her throat. She bit her lips with her thin teeth to prevent herself from crying out loud. She couldn't breathe, and her body actually started to sway. How could she still say anything?
Big Hong's face turned red when he saw this." They were all captured by the Heavenly Thunder Manor. The others, except for me and Miss, were all killed by Lei Yuan and his men. Even Deputy Chief Escort Shang was pierced through the heart by Master Shen Ya's poisonous claws!" Young masters, please think of a way!”
Sheng Nian's tiger eyes were burning with anger as he slowly shouted in a low voice,"Thunder Mountain Villa!"
When he thought of the massacre of the entire Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency, he felt even more guilty. He couldn't help but regret asking Iron Hero Qin to help save them.
He had also expected that the Thunder Villa would find the Guanluo Bodyguard Agency sooner or later, so he had advised Iron Hero Qin to take over the agency and hide for the time being. Unfortunately, Iron Hero Qin could not give up the inheritance of his ancestors and did not listen to his advice.
The methods of Lei Yuan and the others were actually so vicious. They actually slaughtered the entire escort agency. It could be said to be extremely cruel.
At this point, it was useless to regret. Sheng Nian comforted Qin Rou,""Miss Qin, you have to be strong. No matter what, I will save your father and avenge Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency!”
Heart-wrenching grief and indignation blocked Qin Rou's throat. However, looking at Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan was like lighting up a lamp in the dark night. A trace of hope slowly rose in her heart.
Ding Yuan had been standing at the side without saying a word. He took a deep breath and hid his surging killing intent. He glanced at the crowd on the street and the officials who passed by from time to time and said,"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's find a place to sit down first.”
" We have one already," Big Hong said." Last night, Miss and I escaped. To avoid being chased by the people of Thunder Mountain Villa, we hid in a nearby inn. It was not until dawn that there were more people on the street that they dared to put on makeup and come out to ask for information. They did not expect to meet the two of them. Why don't we go to that inn first?”。
The four of them chose a secluded alley and entered the inn where Big Flood and Qin Rou had stayed previously.
After everyone entered the house, Big Flood closed the doors and windows and said,""The owner of this inn is the cousin of Vice Chief Escort Shang. It's all thanks to him that he dared to take us in. Otherwise, Miss and I wouldn't even be able to find a place to stay and hide.”
Perhaps this sudden calamity had tempered Big Hong, he was much calmer than before. If he hadn't been by Qin Rou's side, she would have been even more lost.
Speaking of which, Qin Rou was not the kind of pampered young lady. She had followed Iron Hero Qin for many years and had gained a lot of experience.
However, the escort agency was destroyed overnight. Not only was her entire family slaughtered, but her father was also captured by her enemies. It was difficult for anyone to bear such an experience, let alone a young girl.
Sheng Nian looked at Qin Rou's grief-stricken appearance and sighed. He reached out and poured a glass of water for Qin Rou."Miss Qin, calm down first and slowly tell me and Junior Brother Ding what happened.”
Qin Rou took the cup and took a sip. She calmed herself down a little. Her cold fingers covered the warm cup, and there was some warmth.
When she looked up and met Sheng Nian's spirited gaze, her heart instantly felt much more at ease. She slightly sorted out her messy thoughts, held back her tears, and told Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan what had happened last night.
It turned out that after Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu left, Iron Hero Qin, Shang Zhi, Qin Rou, and the others began to prepare to close the Escort Agency. However, Iron Hero Qin and Ah Niu had not fully recovered from their injuries and needed to be recuperated. Secondly, the Escort Agency was a big business, and it was not a matter of time before they all withdrew.
Moreover, everyone thought that it would take at least ten days for Lei Yuan to return to the Thunder Villa and find trouble with the Bodyguard Agency. Therefore, Iron Knight Qin only sent some of the old, weak, women and children out of the city to avoid them temporarily, but most of them stayed.
Who knew that Lei Yuan and Master Shen Ya would lead the crowd to make a comeback in the middle of the night last night. Master Shen Ya even invited Heavenly Venerable Red Beard, who was one of the nine demons of the Heaven Continent. The Red Beard Heavenly Venerate had a grudge against the Emerald Cloud Sect, so he immediately agreed to Master Shen Ya's invitation. Although Iron Knight Qin and Ah Niu's cultivation was not much inferior to Lei Yuan and the others, they were helpless and could not help because of their poison injuries.
The fierce battle lasted less than an hour before Master Shen Ya summoned the Forest Fire Crows to lock down the surroundings of the escort agency and set up a barrier to isolate the agency from the outside world. Heavenly Venerate Red Beard also showed his power. Shang Zhi and the others tried their best to resist, but the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. In addition, they were caught off guard by a sneak attack in the middle of the night. In the end, almost everyone in the escort agency died.
Ah Niu was poisoned by fire, so he shouldn't have used his true qi to fight with others. However, in a moment of desperation, he also used his Heavy Gold Ancient Sword to escort Qin Rou and the others to escape. In the end, Qin Rou and Big Hong barely broke through the encirclement, while Ah Niu and Iron Hero Qin were captured alive by the Thunder Mountain Villa.
In the end, Lei Yuan still felt that it wasn't enough to appease his anger, so he simply set the Escort Agency on fire, but he didn't know if Big Black had escaped this calamity.
When Qin Rou said this, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't help but cry out,"Uncle Sheng, Young Master Ding, please think of a way to save my father and Young Master Luo and avenge Uncle Shang and the others!”
She thought about how much her father would suffer if he fell into the enemy's hands. With Ah Niu's cultivation, it would not be difficult for him to break out of the encirclement alone. However, in order to escort him out of the escort agency, he was finally caught by the fire poison. Now, his life and death were unknown. Thinking of this, he did not feel sad and let tears wash over his face.
Sheng Nian listened silently and patted Qin Rou's shoulder to comfort her,""Miss Qin, don't worry. Lei Yuan and the others only captured Big Brother Qin and Ah Niu to force me to step forward. There won't be any danger for the time being. Uncle Sheng will save them in one piece no matter what. You have to be strong too!”
When Ding Yuan found out that Ah Niu had only been captured, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He didn't know when it started, but he had already treated the honest and kind Ah Niu as his own family. If anyone dared to bully him, he would not hesitate to protect them.
In fact, during the five years he had spent at the Emerald Cloud Mountain, Ding Yuan had spent almost every day with Ah Niu. Unknowingly, Ding Yuan had long regarded Ah Niu as his brother. It was just that he had not noticed it.
He had been lonely since he was young. After losing his mother, he had wandered around and suffered from the coldness of the world. That was why he had developed an unruly personality.
If he hadn't met the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu, perhaps Ding Yuan would have been a cynical and cynical youth. However, Ah Niu's simple-minded smile and concern for him from the bottom of his heart made Ding Yuan feel the warmth of family for the first time since his mother passed away.
Although his personality was very different from Ding Yuan's, to Ding Yuan, he was undoubtedly a brother that he could not lose in his life.
In fact, no one liked to be alone. The more aloof and unapproachable a person looked, the more they yearned to be cared for in the depths of their hearts. It was only because they were afraid of being hypocritical and hurt again that they used indifference to protect themselves. Ding Yuan was such a person.
However, once he accepted the love and concern of others, he would definitely repay it without any regrets, even if he still looked indifferent on the surface. It was the same for Su Zhen and Su Zhiyu, as well as the old Taoist priest and Ah Niu.
At this moment, killing intent surged in his chest, but his expression was surprisingly calm. After hearing Sheng Nian's words, he nodded and said,"Senior Brother Sheng is right. Old Master Qin and Ah Niu must have been captured by Lei Yuan and brought back to the Heavenly Thunder Manor as bait to lure us. If Senior Brother Sheng and I hadn't appeared, they wouldn't have attacked so easily.”
There was another reason that Ding Yuan did not mention. No matter what, Ah Niu was still a direct disciple of Emerald Cloud Sect. No matter how arrogant Brother Lei Yuan was, he had to consider if he really killed Ah Niu. It was not an easy matter to form a blood feud with Emerald Cloud Sect.
When Qin Rou and Big Flood heard what Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan said, they felt a little more at ease.
Qin Rou slowly stopped crying and took out a scarf from her sleeve to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. This dark-colored scarf was given to her by Ah Niu that day. Now that she saw it, her heart ached.
Although they had only known each other for a few days, Qin Rou's heart had long been moved by Ah Niu's simple kindness. Last night, in order to save her, Ah Niu did not hesitate to circulate his true qi to deal with the strong enemy. In the end, he was captured. Qin Rou felt even more grateful and worried.
Unfortunately, now was not the time to be sentimental. She could only pray silently for her father and Ah Niu in her heart, hoping that they would be safe. If any one of them were to meet with an accident, it would be too cruel for her.
As for whether she was more worried about her father or Ah Niu, Qin Rou couldn't tell.
"There's no time to lose," said Sheng Nian."We'll set off to save them now. It would be best if they could stop Lei Wei on the way, or they would go straight to Thunder Villa and ask Lei Wei for him!”
Big Hong stood up and shouted,""Master Sheng, I'll go with you!”
Sheng Nian reached out to hold Big Hong down and said gently,""Brother Hong, I admire your loyalty and fearlessness, but the Bodyguard Agency has suffered a calamity, and there are many things that need to be taken care of, so I'll have to trouble you and Miss Qin to stay behind and take care of them. Junior Brother Ding and I will definitely save Old Master Qin safely.”
Although Big Hong was one of the best workers in the agency, he couldn't fight anymore after losing his right arm. Besides, his cultivation base was far weaker than Rayen and the others. He couldn't make up for it with courage alone.
Thus, Sheng Nian gently advised him and Qin Rou to stay, so that they could preserve the last bit of blood and fire for the Bodyguard Agency.
Qin Rou wiped away the tears in her eyes and said firmly,"Uncle Sheng, let Big Hong stay. I must go with you. I know that my cultivation is low, but having more people means having more strength. Perhaps I can be of some help.”
Sheng Nian pondered for a moment and nodded."Alright, it's settled then."
Qin Rou's lips curled into a grateful smile as she said,""Thank you, Uncle Sheng!"
Sheng Nian looked at Qin Rou, only to see that her jade face was a mix of black ash and tears. Her beautiful eyes were red and swollen with blood vessels, and tears filled her eyes.
The joints of his fingers on the edge of the table had turned white, and his body could not help but tremble slightly. Where was the gentleness that was not lost when they first met?
Sheng Nian had already made up his mind. Even if he had to risk his life, he would save Iron Hero Qin and Ah Niu so that the girl in front of him could get rid of her sadness and return to her former self. Moreover, all of this bad luck was actually caused by him. Qin Rou and Big Hong didn't have any resentment towards him. Instead, they were filled with gratitude, which made him even more determined to get back this blood debt for the Guanluo Bodyguard Agency.
Ding Yuan also stood up. His gaze inadvertently swept across the chair behind Sheng Nian and he could not help but be stunned.
It turned out that the four wooden legs of the chair had actually been silently pressed down by Sheng Nian's body by more than two inches, deeply sinking into the black brick!
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The first ray of dawn had just appeared when the north gate of Heng City rumbled open. A large group of vegetable farmers and hawkers lined up and walked in with heavy burdens.
Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan mingled in the bustling crowd and followed into the city.
Yesterday evening, they parted ways with Master Buyi and the others in the Perching Phoenix Valley. Mo Jing first returned to Sandplain Island on her own. She was inevitably required to explain the misunderstanding between Sheng Nian and Sandplain Island.
The old Taoist priest returned to the Emerald Cloud Mountain alone, while the two cranes stayed in the Perched Phoenix Valley.
It was just that Blizzard Cliff was a little depressed. He had tried his best to find his mistress for many years, but he had not been able to see her. Moreover, he had a sworn brother like Ding Yuan for no reason. He really did not know how to settle this score so that he would not suffer a loss.
To everyone's surprise, before they parted, Snow Cliff actually gave the Dark Wind Throat Needles that he had practiced for two sixty-year cycles to Ding Yuan, more or less putting on the posture of a big brother.
Perhaps he was worried that Ding Yuan's cultivation was not enough. If he was unlucky enough to be defeated, he would not be able to shine as a big brother. For the sake of his face, he had generously donated this time.
However, Master Buyi had finally admitted that the "Mistress" was in the valley. Although he had not seen her once, he could be considered to have an explanation.
No one knew what Master Buyi had said to him in the end that caused the Snow Cliff to reveal a rare smile.
Ding Yuan had also curiously asked Grandmaster Buyi, but this eminent monk who had put down his butcher knife only smiled and shook his head.""I can't say, I can't say. Patron, you will know in the future.”
Su Zhiyu also bid farewell to everyone. She was going back to the Gathering Cloud Peak. After leaving home for a few days, if there was no news, Su Zhen would probably tear the world apart to find his precious daughter.
However, her expression revealed a faint sense of loneliness and desolation, as if she had a lot of difficult things on her mind.
She did not dare to look at Ding Yuan again, afraid that she would change her hard-won decision before she left.
She knew very well that it might be very difficult for her to see Brother Ding again in the future. The competition in two years would no longer have any meaning to her.
So what if he won? There was already another girl in Brother Ding's heart, and he could no longer tolerate the existence of others. However, these three days were enough for her to look back and treasure.
However, in private, she also hoped that time could stop in front of her eyes, or return to that dark and windy night, listening to the insects whispering outside the window while listening to Brother Ding tell her a story.
Why must everything have a result? It was a blessing to be separated with such beautiful memories.
Su Zhiyu thought to herself, but her tears couldn't help but flow into her eyes. She just wanted to find a place where no one was around to cry, then pretend that nothing had happened and return to her parents 'side alone.
She also wanted to stay and accompany Ding Yuan to Sandplain. However, they would have to be separated sooner or later. Instead of leaving sadly, she would rather leave quietly now.
This farewell would be forever, right? From then on, Su Zhiyu suddenly felt sad. She stared at Ding Yuan's figure and couldn't help but wonder if her Brother Ding would still remember this little girl who loved to cry in twenty or fifty years.
When he held the hand of Miss Xue 'er and grew old together, would he know that there was another person who was sadly worried about him in the lonely peak thousands of miles away?
However, Ding Yuan knew nothing about this. He didn't even notice that Su Zhiyu had looked at him strangely when she left. His only thought now was to meet up with Ah Niu as soon as possible and wait for him to recover from his injuries before going to Sandplain with Sheng Nian.
But in his heart, he always felt that there was something fishy about the incident in the Phoenix Perch Valley. It was as if there was some secret between the old Taoist priest, Master Buyi, and Sheng Nian, and even involved the demonic sect that was rumored to have disappeared. The Snow Cliff had laid out the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array to coerce Master Buyi to hand over the "Mistress". Who was this Mistress? Why did Grandmaster Buyi hide her? The old Taoist priest and the others kept it a secret.
What made him even more curious was how the old Taoist priest and Sheng Nian got involved with the Demon Cult. Why did Master Buyi, who had shocked the Heavenly Continent back then, suddenly lose all his cultivation?
Along the way, Ding Yuan had asked Sheng Nian about it, but Sheng Nian refused to explain. The more it was like this, the more Ding Yuan felt that this matter was extraordinary. No wonder Sheng Nian had hidden his tracks all these years.
Ding Yuan felt bored and snorted to himself,"If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. What's the big deal? I can't be bothered to care about the messy matters of the Demonic Sect.”
Sheng Nian saw Ding Yuan's unhappy expression and smiled slightly.""Junior Brother Ding, there's another reason why Master and I didn't want to tell you about this. You'll understand one day.”
"As for now, this secret is a heavy burden for everyone who knows about it. Master and I don't want to involve you again.”
" I just don't understand," said Ding Yuan." Senior Brother Sheng has been living in seclusion with Great Master Buyi in the Perching Phoenix Valley for so many years. What are you doing?" Can't you tell me that?" The two of them used secret sound transmission to speak. Although there were people coming and going on the street, they were not afraid of being heard by outsiders.
" You won't believe it," Sheng Nian said with a bitter smile." Master Buyi and I have been buried in the Phoenix Perching Valley for more than eight years just to try to help a very important person come back to life." It was a pity that she was severely injured and her internal organs were shattered. Now, she was frozen under a thousand feet of ice by Master Buyi's Great Art of No Return. If not for that, he would have died long ago.”
"Is this the Matriarch that Snow Cliff is looking for?" Ding Yuan asked in surprise.”
Sheng Nian nodded heavily and said," That's right. She's the wife of the Demon Cult Master, Helian Xuan. She's also the 'matriarch' mentioned by the Snow Cliff." Eight years ago, she was hunted down by her enemies and was saved by my master. She even used a Nine Transformation Golden Pill to protect a trace of vitality in her heart. Master and I escorted her to the Phoenix Perching Valley to ask Master Buyi to treat her. From then on, I stayed and never returned to Emerald Cloud Mountain.”
"So the old Taoist priest took that golden pill back then to save Madam Helian." Ding Yuan said in realization.”
Sheng Nian nodded and continued," That's right. Unfortunately, a single Nine Transformations Golden Pill still couldn't cure Lady Helian. Master Buyi had to temporarily freeze her with the method of 'No Return of Breath' to ensure that a trace of vitality wouldn't be extinguished. All these years, I've been roaming the Heavenly Continent to find 16 kinds of miraculous medicines to cure Lady Helian. But now, with the Pearl Immortal Grass, I'm still missing three kinds.”
" Why didn't Master Buyi allow the Snow Cliff to meet Helian Xuan?" Ding Yuan asked in confusion." Could it be that he's afraid that he'll harm the Hierarch Madame?"”
Sheng Nian smiled and said," Not entirely. It's just that the destruction of the Demonic Sect was too strange. At present, Madam Helian is unable to wake up, so it's not appropriate for the Snow Cliff to see her for the time being."”
Ding Yuan was about to speak when he suddenly smelled a strange burnt smell from the morning breeze, as if something unclean had been burned. He and Sheng Nian looked at each other and saw the alertness and surprise in each other's eyes, so they both quickened their pace and rushed to the Bodyguard Agency.
Along the way, the burnt smell became stronger and stronger, and the ominous feeling in their hearts became more and more obvious.
As soon as he turned the corner, he saw thousands of people gathered outside the main entrance of the Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency. Dozens of officials were pushing and shoving to maintain order, and a few teams of soldiers were setting up checkpoints at the intersection.
Wisps of thick black smoke rose from the Bodyguard Agency's courtyard. The cool morning breeze was mixed with a wave of heat. The walls of the agency were covered in black smoke marks, and the two doors were incomplete. Only the two stone lions could be seen in their original appearance.
"Oh no, something really happened to the escort agency!" Ding Yuan whispered.”
Sheng Nian's eyes flashed with a bright light. He nodded slightly and took a big step forward to squeeze into the crowd. The person beside him did not notice anything, but felt a gentle force surge over. He inexplicably moved to the side and made way for him.
The two of them rushed to the front row without leaving a trace. A bailiff guarding the main door held a knife in his hand and shouted,"Retreat, retreat! Why are you here?”
Ding Yuan snorted and was about to flare up when Sheng Nian pressed on his shoulder and pulled him back half a step. He said in a low voice,"The situation is unknown. Don't cause trouble."
Seeing the two of them retreat, the bailiff muttered a few words before leaving to teach the others a lesson.
At this moment, he heard a middle-aged woman beside him muttering,"What a sin, what a sin! How come not a single one of them managed to escape? They were all burned alive by the heavenly fire. Why didn't the heavens have eyes? Old Master Qin was such a good person, but he ended up like this. It was really unreasonable!”
Ding Yuan sized up the woman and saw that she was wearing a cotton apron and had a strong figure. She seemed to be a neighbor of the Bodyguard Agency. "Auntie, what happened to Old Master Qin's family?" she asked.”
The woman clapped her hands when she heard someone ask her, and she started to talk,""Little brother, you don't know. That Old Master Qin is a well-known good person in Heng City. There are hundreds of people in the escort agency who didn't offend anyone. I don't know how he offended the heavens, but he was burned to death by the heavenly fire last night. Strangely enough, the heavenly fire had only burned down the bodyguard agency. The houses next to it were still intact. Even the firewood shed in the neighboring courtyard had not been burned.”
Ding Yuan naturally wouldn't believe such a foolish story. It would be a joke to say that Iron Hero Qin and the others were burned alive by the fire of the " sky ", not to mention that Ah Niu was also in the escort agency at that time!
The first thing he thought of was the Thunder Mountain Villa. Lei Yuan and the others were capable of doing such a thing.
Sheng Nian clenched his fists and tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest. He asked in a deep voice,"Auntie, did no one escape from this agency?”
"Who can escape?"
The woman sighed again." It's not even dawn yet, and I'm standing here watching the officials drag dead people out in carts. Some of them have been burned to black charcoal. I can't recognize who they are." Otherwise, why would it be called heavenly fire? If it was an ordinary fire, how could it burn people to this extent?”
Ding Yuan felt a surge of hot blood in his chest. He wanted to rush into the bodyguard agency to see what was going on.
He absolutely didn't believe that Ah Niu, Iron Hero Qin, and the others would be finished so easily.
If that was the case, it would be useless even if the Heavenly Thunder Mountain Villa had the backing of the heavens.
Suddenly, he heard someone call out in a low voice behind him,""Uncle Sheng, Young Master Ding!"
Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan both turned around and saw a dark-skinned boy dressed like a manservant poking half his head out of the crowd, looking at them with a gaze that was filled with joy and sorrow.
Ding Yuan immediately recognized that this was Qin Rou. Beside her was a young man who looked like a vegetable farmer. However, his right sleeve was empty, and his dirty clothes had faint traces of blood. Who else could this be but Big Hong?
Sheng Nian looked around and saw that the people around him did not notice anything, so he secretly signaled the two people with his eyes and took the lead to leave the crowd.
The four of them walked into a quiet alley opposite the Bodyguard Agency. Sheng Nian stopped and turned around quickly."Miss Qin, what exactly happened? Where are your father and my Junior Brother Luo now?”
Qin Rou opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, her tears fell like broken beads. In an instant, she had already cried until she was a tearful person. However, she could only suppress them in her throat. She bit her lips with her thin teeth to prevent herself from crying out loud. She couldn't breathe, and her body actually started to sway. How could she still say anything?
Big Hong's face turned red when he saw this." They were all captured by the Heavenly Thunder Manor. The others, except for me and Miss, were all killed by Lei Yuan and his men. Even Deputy Chief Escort Shang was pierced through the heart by Master Shen Ya's poisonous claws!" Young masters, please think of a way!”
Sheng Nian's tiger eyes were burning with anger as he slowly shouted in a low voice,"Thunder Mountain Villa!"
When he thought of the massacre of the entire Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency, he felt even more guilty. He couldn't help but regret asking Iron Hero Qin to help save them.
He had also expected that the Thunder Villa would find the Guanluo Bodyguard Agency sooner or later, so he had advised Iron Hero Qin to take over the agency and hide for the time being. Unfortunately, Iron Hero Qin could not give up the inheritance of his ancestors and did not listen to his advice.
The methods of Lei Yuan and the others were actually so vicious. They actually slaughtered the entire escort agency. It could be said to be extremely cruel.
At this point, it was useless to regret. Sheng Nian comforted Qin Rou,""Miss Qin, you have to be strong. No matter what, I will save your father and avenge Guan Luo Bodyguard Agency!”
Heart-wrenching grief and indignation blocked Qin Rou's throat. However, looking at Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan was like lighting up a lamp in the dark night. A trace of hope slowly rose in her heart.
Ding Yuan had been standing at the side without saying a word. He took a deep breath and hid his surging killing intent. He glanced at the crowd on the street and the officials who passed by from time to time and said,"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's find a place to sit down first.”
" We have one already," Big Hong said." Last night, Miss and I escaped. To avoid being chased by the people of Thunder Mountain Villa, we hid in a nearby inn. It was not until dawn that there were more people on the street that they dared to put on makeup and come out to ask for information. They did not expect to meet the two of them. Why don't we go to that inn first?”。
The four of them chose a secluded alley and entered the inn where Big Flood and Qin Rou had stayed previously.
After everyone entered the house, Big Flood closed the doors and windows and said,""The owner of this inn is the cousin of Vice Chief Escort Shang. It's all thanks to him that he dared to take us in. Otherwise, Miss and I wouldn't even be able to find a place to stay and hide.”
Perhaps this sudden calamity had tempered Big Hong, he was much calmer than before. If he hadn't been by Qin Rou's side, she would have been even more lost.
Speaking of which, Qin Rou was not the kind of pampered young lady. She had followed Iron Hero Qin for many years and had gained a lot of experience.
However, the escort agency was destroyed overnight. Not only was her entire family slaughtered, but her father was also captured by her enemies. It was difficult for anyone to bear such an experience, let alone a young girl.
Sheng Nian looked at Qin Rou's grief-stricken appearance and sighed. He reached out and poured a glass of water for Qin Rou."Miss Qin, calm down first and slowly tell me and Junior Brother Ding what happened.”
Qin Rou took the cup and took a sip. She calmed herself down a little. Her cold fingers covered the warm cup, and there was some warmth.
When she looked up and met Sheng Nian's spirited gaze, her heart instantly felt much more at ease. She slightly sorted out her messy thoughts, held back her tears, and told Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan what had happened last night.
It turned out that after Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu left, Iron Hero Qin, Shang Zhi, Qin Rou, and the others began to prepare to close the Escort Agency. However, Iron Hero Qin and Ah Niu had not fully recovered from their injuries and needed to be recuperated. Secondly, the Escort Agency was a big business, and it was not a matter of time before they all withdrew.
Moreover, everyone thought that it would take at least ten days for Lei Yuan to return to the Thunder Villa and find trouble with the Bodyguard Agency. Therefore, Iron Knight Qin only sent some of the old, weak, women and children out of the city to avoid them temporarily, but most of them stayed.
Who knew that Lei Yuan and Master Shen Ya would lead the crowd to make a comeback in the middle of the night last night. Master Shen Ya even invited Heavenly Venerable Red Beard, who was one of the nine demons of the Heaven Continent. The Red Beard Heavenly Venerate had a grudge against the Emerald Cloud Sect, so he immediately agreed to Master Shen Ya's invitation. Although Iron Knight Qin and Ah Niu's cultivation was not much inferior to Lei Yuan and the others, they were helpless and could not help because of their poison injuries.
The fierce battle lasted less than an hour before Master Shen Ya summoned the Forest Fire Crows to lock down the surroundings of the escort agency and set up a barrier to isolate the agency from the outside world. Heavenly Venerate Red Beard also showed his power. Shang Zhi and the others tried their best to resist, but the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. In addition, they were caught off guard by a sneak attack in the middle of the night. In the end, almost everyone in the escort agency died.
Ah Niu was poisoned by fire, so he shouldn't have used his true qi to fight with others. However, in a moment of desperation, he also used his Heavy Gold Ancient Sword to escort Qin Rou and the others to escape. In the end, Qin Rou and Big Hong barely broke through the encirclement, while Ah Niu and Iron Hero Qin were captured alive by the Thunder Mountain Villa.
In the end, Lei Yuan still felt that it wasn't enough to appease his anger, so he simply set the Escort Agency on fire, but he didn't know if Big Black had escaped this calamity.
When Qin Rou said this, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't help but cry out,"Uncle Sheng, Young Master Ding, please think of a way to save my father and Young Master Luo and avenge Uncle Shang and the others!”
She thought about how much her father would suffer if he fell into the enemy's hands. With Ah Niu's cultivation, it would not be difficult for him to break out of the encirclement alone. However, in order to escort him out of the escort agency, he was finally caught by the fire poison. Now, his life and death were unknown. Thinking of this, he did not feel sad and let tears wash over his face.
Sheng Nian listened silently and patted Qin Rou's shoulder to comfort her,""Miss Qin, don't worry. Lei Yuan and the others only captured Big Brother Qin and Ah Niu to force me to step forward. There won't be any danger for the time being. Uncle Sheng will save them in one piece no matter what. You have to be strong too!”
When Ding Yuan found out that Ah Niu had only been captured, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He didn't know when it started, but he had already treated the honest and kind Ah Niu as his own family. If anyone dared to bully him, he would not hesitate to protect them.
In fact, during the five years he had spent at the Emerald Cloud Mountain, Ding Yuan had spent almost every day with Ah Niu. Unknowingly, Ding Yuan had long regarded Ah Niu as his brother. It was just that he had not noticed it.
He had been lonely since he was young. After losing his mother, he had wandered around and suffered from the coldness of the world. That was why he had developed an unruly personality.
If he hadn't met the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu, perhaps Ding Yuan would have been a cynical and cynical youth. However, Ah Niu's simple-minded smile and concern for him from the bottom of his heart made Ding Yuan feel the warmth of family for the first time since his mother passed away.
Although his personality was very different from Ding Yuan's, to Ding Yuan, he was undoubtedly a brother that he could not lose in his life.
In fact, no one liked to be alone. The more aloof and unapproachable a person looked, the more they yearned to be cared for in the depths of their hearts. It was only because they were afraid of being hypocritical and hurt again that they used indifference to protect themselves. Ding Yuan was such a person.
However, once he accepted the love and concern of others, he would definitely repay it without any regrets, even if he still looked indifferent on the surface. It was the same for Su Zhen and Su Zhiyu, as well as the old Taoist priest and Ah Niu.
At this moment, killing intent surged in his chest, but his expression was surprisingly calm. After hearing Sheng Nian's words, he nodded and said,"Senior Brother Sheng is right. Old Master Qin and Ah Niu must have been captured by Lei Yuan and brought back to the Heavenly Thunder Manor as bait to lure us. If Senior Brother Sheng and I hadn't appeared, they wouldn't have attacked so easily.”
There was another reason that Ding Yuan did not mention. No matter what, Ah Niu was still a direct disciple of Emerald Cloud Sect. No matter how arrogant Brother Lei Yuan was, he had to consider if he really killed Ah Niu. It was not an easy matter to form a blood feud with Emerald Cloud Sect.
When Qin Rou and Big Flood heard what Sheng Nian and Ding Yuan said, they felt a little more at ease.
Qin Rou slowly stopped crying and took out a scarf from her sleeve to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. This dark-colored scarf was given to her by Ah Niu that day. Now that she saw it, her heart ached.
Although they had only known each other for a few days, Qin Rou's heart had long been moved by Ah Niu's simple kindness. Last night, in order to save her, Ah Niu did not hesitate to circulate his true qi to deal with the strong enemy. In the end, he was captured. Qin Rou felt even more grateful and worried.
Unfortunately, now was not the time to be sentimental. She could only pray silently for her father and Ah Niu in her heart, hoping that they would be safe. If any one of them were to meet with an accident, it would be too cruel for her.
As for whether she was more worried about her father or Ah Niu, Qin Rou couldn't tell.
"There's no time to lose," said Sheng Nian."We'll set off to save them now. It would be best if they could stop Lei Wei on the way, or they would go straight to Thunder Villa and ask Lei Wei for him!”
Big Hong stood up and shouted,""Master Sheng, I'll go with you!”
Sheng Nian reached out to hold Big Hong down and said gently,""Brother Hong, I admire your loyalty and fearlessness, but the Bodyguard Agency has suffered a calamity, and there are many things that need to be taken care of, so I'll have to trouble you and Miss Qin to stay behind and take care of them. Junior Brother Ding and I will definitely save Old Master Qin safely.”
Although Big Hong was one of the best workers in the agency, he couldn't fight anymore after losing his right arm. Besides, his cultivation base was far weaker than Rayen and the others. He couldn't make up for it with courage alone.
Thus, Sheng Nian gently advised him and Qin Rou to stay, so that they could preserve the last bit of blood and fire for the Bodyguard Agency.
Qin Rou wiped away the tears in her eyes and said firmly,"Uncle Sheng, let Big Hong stay. I must go with you. I know that my cultivation is low, but having more people means having more strength. Perhaps I can be of some help.”
Sheng Nian pondered for a moment and nodded."Alright, it's settled then."
Qin Rou's lips curled into a grateful smile as she said,""Thank you, Uncle Sheng!"
Sheng Nian looked at Qin Rou, only to see that her jade face was a mix of black ash and tears. Her beautiful eyes were red and swollen with blood vessels, and tears filled her eyes.
The joints of his fingers on the edge of the table had turned white, and his body could not help but tremble slightly. Where was the gentleness that was not lost when they first met?
Sheng Nian had already made up his mind. Even if he had to risk his life, he would save Iron Hero Qin and Ah Niu so that the girl in front of him could get rid of her sadness and return to her former self. Moreover, all of this bad luck was actually caused by him. Qin Rou and Big Hong didn't have any resentment towards him. Instead, they were filled with gratitude, which made him even more determined to get back this blood debt for the Guanluo Bodyguard Agency.
Ding Yuan also stood up. His gaze inadvertently swept across the chair behind Sheng Nian and he could not help but be stunned.
It turned out that the four wooden legs of the chair had actually been silently pressed down by Sheng Nian's body by more than two inches, deeply sinking into the black brick!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。