Gu Long's World: Starting with the Legend of Chu Liuxiang

Li Xunhuan finally saw the person he had been longing for again.

Lin Shiyin's face was pale, her body was thin, and although her eyes were bright, they were too cold.

"Check-in!"

"Sign in successfully with Lin Shiyin and obtain the martial arts manual 'Lianhua Baojian'."

Jiang Fengyue was secretly delighted. The Lianhua Treasure Mirror was the ultimate skill left behind by Wang Lianhua, and its technique of disguise was unparalleled.

Li Xunhuan stared at the face he had dreamed of countless times. This person, who was once so unattainable, was now only a step away from him. He could reach out and touch the person in front of him, but how could he possibly reach out?

He said sadly, "Sister-in-law, it's all my fault..."

Hearing "sister-in-law" like that gave Jiang Fengyue goosebumps.

Lin Shiyin slowly approached Li Xunhuan, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as she murmured, "Fine, it's all your fault, isn't it? It's all your fault..."

She suddenly slapped him across the face.

Li Xunhuan didn't dodge, and didn't even blink.

The slap didn't land on Li Xunhuan's face; Jiang Fengyue had already firmly grasped Lin Shiyin's hand.

He said coldly, "Madam Long, please don't misunderstand. It was I who killed Long Xiaoyun, not Li Xunhuan."

Lin Shiyin was stunned; clearly, she had never seen anyone rush to admit to killing someone.

Lin Shiyin sneered, "Do you really think I'm blind? The wound on Yun'er's throat is clearly from being hit by Little Li's Flying Dagger."

She glared at Li Xunhuan again, then said, "In the whole world, is there another person who can use Little Li's Flying Dagger?"

Li Xunhuan remained silent.

Jiang Fengyue said, "Believe it or not, your son is already dead anyway, why bother arguing about who killed him?"

Lin Shiyin said sternly, "If you killed him, and you had no grudge against Yun'er, why did you kill him?"

Jiang Fengyue shook her head, her gaze fixed on Long Xiaoyun, and said coldly, "If he wants to kill us, we can't just stand there and wait to die. Or were you and your husband standing behind him, supporting him when he killed innocent people?"

Lin Shiyin said, "I don't believe it..."

Long Xiaoyun could no longer contain his anger and shouted, interrupting Lin Shiyin, "Enough!"

He rushed over and raised his hand as if to slap Lin Shiyin's face, but the slap did not land.

He pointed at Long Xiaoyun's corpse and roared, "Lin Shiyin, look what kind of son you raised! Now he has finally died at someone else's hands for committing a heinous crime. Are you satisfied now?"

She first looked at Long Xiaoyun, then her gaze swept over everyone else, her pale face flushed with anger.

She said sternly, "Since you're all so capable, why don't we kill me too?"

Li Xunhuan said sadly, "Shiyin, don't be like this."

Lin Shiyin sneered, "What else can I do? Killing a child is as easy as turning your hand, so what difference does killing one more woman make?"

Long Xiaoyun roared to the sky, stamping his foot and saying, "Shiyin, when did you become so unreasonable?"

Lin Shiyin ignored everyone else, picked up Long Xiaoyun and walked into the inner hall, as if she were carrying not a corpse, but a sleeping child.

Her steps were light and slow, but with each step, she shattered Li Xunhuan's heart.

Long Xiaoyun sighed, "I hope you won't blame her. She was originally a rational woman, but once a woman becomes a mother, it's very difficult for others to reason with her."

Li Xunhuan said sadly, "I understand, I understand everything. It's understandable that a mother would do anything if she lost her son."

Jiang Fengyue's head was buzzing; she was almost dizzy from the shock of this tragic drama.

He stared at Long Xiaoyun with his deep gaze and said coldly, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I came here only to let Fourth Master Long recognize my face. If you want revenge in the future, you'd better come after me."

Jiang Fengyue disliked people like Long Xiaoyun the most for their hypocrisy and pretense.

Long Xiaoyun's eyes darted around, as if he had thought of some wicked idea. He forced a smile and said, "Not only will I not seek revenge, but I will also invite you to drink. I hope you will do me the honor of staying."

Jiang Fengyue frowned and said, "Why should I drink your wine?"

Long Xiaoyun said in a deep voice, "Have you ever heard of the Plum Blossom Thief?"

……

Drinking to drown one's sorrows only makes them worse.

Li Xunhuan drank desperately, trying to get drunk but failing, because the more one tries to get drunk, the harder it is to get drunk in the end.

A dozen or so wandering swordsmen were drinking together, and when the night was deep and quiet, not a single one of them had gotten drunk. This was truly an unusual thing.

If we're talking about who drinks the most, no one can compare to Jiang Fengyue. When it comes to drinking capacity, he's never been afraid of anyone.

As the night deepened, the expressions on the faces of the people at the table grew increasingly solemn, and they would occasionally peek outside, as if waiting for someone.

The drumbeat sounded, signaling the third watch of the night.

The faces of the江湖客 (jianghu ke, a term referring to people from the martial arts world) at the table changed drastically. One of them exclaimed, "It's already past midnight! Why hasn't Master Zhao returned yet?"

Jiang Fengyue laughed and said, "Who is this Uncle Zhao? You wouldn't even drink if he didn't come."

The other person replied, "Master Zhao is none other than the 'Iron-Faced and Impartial' Master Zhao, also known in the martial arts world. He's also our Fourth Master Long's sworn brother. Young Master Jiang, don't you know?"

Jiang Fengyue laughed loudly, "So that's how it is. I've long heard that Master Long recognizes everyone he meets as his elder brother. In the martial arts world, you can run into one of Master Long's brothers every three steps. It seems that Master Long is truly remarkable."

He recalled Long Xiaoyun, a man who, in order to curry favor with the powerful, would seek out anyone with even a little reputation in the martial arts world to become his sworn brother. Over time, almost every "righteous" figure in the martial arts world became Long Xiaoyun's brother.

It's because most of those who are willing to become sworn brothers with Long Xiaoyun are just as hypocritical as he is.

Long Xiaoyun gritted his teeth and laughed, "I dare not accept such praise. I only benefited from the fame of those heroic figures."

Li Xunhuan raised his wine cup and said, "I never expected that after ten years, you would have made so many distinguished brothers. Please allow me to toast you first."

Long Xiaoyun forced a smile and said, "My brother is also your brother, so I'll toast you too."

Li Xunhuan drank his wine quietly, without replying, because he had too many sad memories, and even if he didn't drink for a moment, he would recall them.

After a long silence, Long Xiaoyun suddenly said in a deep voice, "To get back to the point, you have all come here for the Plum Blossom Thief."

Jiang Fengyue smiled and said, "I am indeed very interested in this Plum Blossom Thief."

Long Xiaoyun asked, "But does Young Master Jiang know where the Plum Blossom Bandit might be right now?"

Jiang Fengyue laughed and said, "The Plum Blossom Thief may have been staying at Master Long's house for some time now, but Master Long may not have noticed yet."

He thought about it carefully. Long Xiaoyun might not know who the Plum Blossom Thief was, and was just used by the Plum Blossom Thief unintentionally. But in the same way, Long Xiaoyun also used the Plum Blossom Thief to achieve his goal.

Long Xiaoyun's expression changed slightly, and he said, "I know that Young Master Jiang must be joking, but the Plum Blossom Bandit is indeed in Baoding City, and may already be near our home."