Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

But Gu Lengyue wasn't foolish enough to reveal her true feelings directly.

In the small mountain village where she had lived with her mother, a neighbor, an older sister, had given her some careful advice:

When you need something from someone, never easily put that need on the table.

Especially when dealing with men.

Otherwise, once the other party realizes that they have your lifeline in their grasp, they will gradually become negligent and stop taking your affairs to heart. They may even use this to blackmail you.

So she hid her urgent need for help and her obsession deep in her heart, and followed him silently to a completely unfamiliar place.

In that unremarkable little town, he lived a mundane and uneventful life.

She had been living this mundane daily life for several years.

But that damned man had solemnly warned her not to fall in love with him on such ordinary days.

How ridiculous! He actually thought that a few occasional words of concern, a few perfunctory pointers on cultivation, and a meal that tasted passable would be enough to win her heart and make her fall in love.

She was just using him...

Use his power and his protection.

Once she achieves her goal, she will abandon him without hesitation and decisively, turning around to pursue her own path.

This should be the simplest thing in the world, shouldn't it?

But in the end, she showed such weakness and reluctance.

She herself couldn't explain why.

Perhaps, a person who has been immersed in cold and loneliness for a long time is just so vulnerable.

Even the slightest bit of warmth, however fleeting, would give her unrealistic fantasies, making her mistakenly believe she had grasped a lifeline.

Upon closer reflection, he wasn't actually anything special...

It was simply someone who happened to appear when she was desperate and needed help the most, someone who could meet all her needs, nothing more.

But she wasn't as ruthless or as strong as she imagined.

When he looked into her eyes, he said those words earnestly:

I will help you.

For a fleeting moment, all her pretense almost crumbled. A strong urge surged within her, wanting to collapse into his arms, to let down all her defenses and resilience, to tell him how weak she was, to tell him that now, he was the only one she could rely on.

In fact, that's exactly what she did.

But in the end, she still came to her senses and warned herself:

She couldn't be so selfish, taking advantage of his kindness while simultaneously indulging in his warmth, only to push him away in the end.

She still couldn't be that cruel, only using him as a tool to achieve her goals.

That would be unfair to him, and unfair to herself as well.

So, in the end, she still chose to embark on this path alone, on that predetermined path of destiny.

Even amidst the endless snowstorms and the perilous, unpredictable road ahead, she could only grit her teeth and persevere alone, without companionship, nor needing anyone to accompany her.

She took out the letter again, looking at the thing she had read countless times.

There were also densely packed explanations added by Gu Hanfeng, so detailed that it seemed as if he had foreseen this day and had prepared them especially for her.

Gu Hanfeng had been searching for the person who killed his mother for many years. The letter clearly stated that the person was now living in seclusion on Hanlin Peak in Shuobei, avoiding the world.

Hanlin Peak is located at the summit of the northern mountains, a truly treacherous place, rarely visited by humans, with only the biting cold wind and swirling snow accompanying this solitary peak year-round.

From a distance, it looks like a frozen sword, standing between heaven and earth.

How could someone live in such a location?

But there were other things that puzzled her even more, such as:

Gu Hanfeng clearly already knew where that person was hiding, so why hasn't he made a move yet?

Is it because there wasn't enough time, or are there other concerns, or is there some unknown secret being hidden?

She will probably never know this, after all... Gu Hanfeng is already a dead man.

Thinking of this, Gu Lengyue took a deep breath, gripped the long sword at her waist tightly, and looked firmly at the snow-capped mountains covered in white snow in the distance.

No matter how many doubts we had in the past, no matter how many difficulties we face on the road ahead, the goal is right in front of us.

Dwelling on those insignificant past events is pointless.

******

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Shen Weiyu wielded his longsword and chased after Gu Hanfeng all the way out of the Central Continent.

However, after several days of relentless pursuit, the thoughts that had been ignited by hatred in his heart gradually calmed down during the long and monotonous chase.

He thought about it carefully:

The two mysterious men and women had deliberately led him to the snowy forest before disappearing without a trace.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Hanfeng, who should have been dead long ago, appeared right in front of him.

All of this was too coincidental, so coincidental that it seemed deliberate, as if it were a carefully planned scheme.

Moreover, Gu Hanfeng had no intention of fighting from beginning to end. Even when he was severely injured, he only tried to escape, behaving strangely and clearly trying to lead him somewhere.

Shen Wei had already sensed a conspiracy and began to be wary.

As he pondered this, he slowly slowed down his sword-riding speed, deliberately testing Gu Hanfeng's reaction.

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Wei slowed down, Gu Hanfeng's face immediately showed displeasure, and he turned around and mocked:

"What's wrong, Young Master Lu? Have you grown tired of the pursuit and given up on revenge?"

Shen Wei did not respond, but continued to slow down slowly, his expression calm, and kept a close eye on Gu Hanfeng's every move.

Seeing that Shen Wei remained unmoved, Gu Hanfeng had no choice but to reluctantly slow down, maintaining a certain distance from him at all times.

His eyes were filled with impatience, yet he was also helpless.

Finally, Shen Wei came to a complete stop, his body swaying slightly before he landed steadily on the thick snow.

Gu Hanfeng's heart sank, and he secretly regretted it: he was indeed too hasty. Shen Wei's expression clearly showed that he had seen through his thoughts.

Gu Hanfeng felt a little annoyed, thinking that he had indeed been too impatient. Shen Wei's behavior clearly showed that he had figured him out.

But since things had come to this point, and Shen Wei had already landed, he had no other choice but to grit his teeth and descend as well, landing not far from Shen Wei.

"You're trying to lead me somewhere, aren't you?"

Shen Wei, carrying his sword, strolled casually in front of Gu Hanfeng.

Gu Hanfeng's eyes darkened as he stared intently at Shen Wei, deciding to abandon his pretense altogether.

"That's right, you guessed correctly. But do you think you can control me like this? Since you refuse to go willingly, I'll knock you out and take you there myself!"

He knew in his heart that what he was doing was somewhat presumptuous; Shen Wei's current strength was indeed extraordinary, especially with the monster's assistance...

It would indeed be quite difficult for him to subdue Shen Wei on his own.

But now, he really has no other way out.