Chapter 3 of Book 5 (Part 1) Delight and Worry for Me

  The firecracker sounds shook my ears, I rode a white horse with long wings, wearing a big red robe, flying on the sea. Suddenly, a colorful palace floated out of the sea, and Hai Nu, Gan Ningzhen, and Ji Danyi stood at the gate of the palace, each wearing bright red auspicious clothes. The three beauties lifted their veils together and smiled at me. On the side, many monsters were making noise: "The groom is here, hurry up to worship heaven and earth!", "Hurry up to worship heaven and earth, hurry into the bridal chamber!"

  I stared blankly at them, then the palace began to slowly sink, and the monsters' voices grew more urgent: "The groom must hurry up and dismount to worship heaven and earth, it's too late!"

  "It's too late if you don't come and pay your respects now!"

  "It's too late!"

  Could I be the groom? Three beauties want to marry me together? I was both shocked and delighted, wanting to jump off the horse, but who would have thought that my butt was firmly stuck to the horseback, unable to move, making me sweat profusely.

  The palace slowly sank into the sea, and the three beauties also disappeared together. The white horse suddenly let out a loud neigh, turned into a black wild boar, knocked me over, and then I woke up from the dream suddenly.

  I opened my eyes, and the sky was still dark. I got up in a daze, remembering the dream I had just now. My face flushed with heat, feeling absurd yet secretly delighted. The sound of the waves was like a dream, not far from the riverbank, Gan Ningzhen and Gongzi Ying stood shoulder to shoulder, whispering softly. The starlight reflected off the scattered petals of the osmanthus flowers, casting a flickering glow on their silhouettes.

  It's already daytime, and these two people still haven't slept, chatting idly until now! For some reason, I feel a suffocating sensation in my chest, as if I've been struck by a large hammer. Looking around, Haiji is standing behind me over ten meters away, eyes closed and motionless. Diagonally opposite, Lei Meng is lying on the ground in a "big" character shape, sleeping soundly, his snores sounding like thunder.

  I quietly got up and tiptoed towards the riverbank, wanting to eavesdrop on what Gan Ningzhen and Gongziying were saying. A few meters away from them, I quietly crouched down, knowing that with Gongziying's magical powers, if I got too close, I would definitely be discovered.

  I activated the Wind Ear Secret Passage Technique, and my heart started racing wildly.

  "Ning Zhen, how did you and this friend Lin Fei get to know each other?" I heard Gongzi Sakura ask. Sneaking around behind my back to investigate me, not a good guy.

  Gan Ning hesitated for a moment, then said: "This involves a secret bet from many years ago. Please forgive me, Master Uncle, but I cannot say any more. However, Lin Fei is a good person. Although he appears to be a bit of a rogue, it's not really like that."

  Young Master Sakura was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "When I was young, no matter what I asked you, you would always tell me, Master Uncle. Alas, you used to call me Sakura Gege."

  "In my heart, you are still my sakura brother, teaching me to play the piano, teaching me to compose poetry, and playing house with me. Our fellow disciples all said you were like an older brother to me. But I'm not a little girl anymore. And now that you're the head of the sect, I certainly can't be as casual as before."

  The young master Sakura said nothing. He lowered his head, and under the pale white starlight, his purple long hair seemed to be covered with a thin layer of frost, beautiful to the point of being melancholic. Young Master Sakura gently plucked the strings, the pipa sound like lonely white dew, dripping drop by drop.

  I rolled my eyes at him, playing the pipa in front of a beauty at midnight, obviously showing off.

  "Green plums are sour. Embroidered horses neigh. Seeing old friends, why not be delighted?" Accompanying the melody, Gan Zhen sang in a soft and gentle voice, looking at Master Sakura with her head tilted: "Master Uncle's zither is playing the Green Plum Bamboo Horse tune you composed in the past, I still remember it. Seeing old friends, why not be delighted? Master Uncle, aren't you happy to see me?"

  The young master gazed at the inverted reflection of Gan Ning in the water, smiled slightly, and his smile carried a hint of melancholy: "How could it be? Gan Ning, tomorrow I plan to return to Bi Luo Manor. The matter of Mo Zhu and Luo Sheng Tian colluding is no trivial matter. I must discuss countermeasures with Qing Xu Tian and other sects. You... will you go back with me?"

  Gan Ning shook his head: "I'm afraid I have to be with Lin Fei and Hai Ji."

  I immediately felt more at ease, but then I thought again. Lin Fei, who do you think you are? Even if Gan Ning really is with you, it's because of the oath between her and Long Die. Thinking of this, my heart felt a pang of loss.

  Gongzi Sakura fell silent, and after a while, he said: "The brothers of the Bi Luo Manor miss you very much. You haven't returned for a long time, could it be that you still want to go back to the past? After Shixiong went missing, the position of the leader of the Bi Luo Manor should have been succeeded by you."

  "Don't say any more." Gan Zhen suddenly said in a cold voice, his face revealing a stern expression. The two people fell silent, and after a moment, Gan Ning said: "Master Shifu, have you composed any new pieces recently? You haven't taught me to play the piano for a long time."

  The young master smiled slightly, sat down, hugged the pipa, and lightly lifted his five fingers. The clear and elegant music floated on the river surface with the wind, like rain hitting banana leaves, pattering and dripping.

  The sky grew brighter, and the river's surface was dyed with a layer of rose-colored dawn light. The morning breeze blew open ripples in circles. Gan Zhen leaned against her cheek, sitting beside Gongzi Sakura, quietly listening.

  They were also bathed in soft rose color. Looking at their backs, I don't know what taste is in my heart.

  "Hey, what are you little brat doing?" A low growl suddenly came from behind, I turned my head to see Lei Meng staring at me with his eyes wide open like a leopard's, looking ferocious and sinister, with yellowish-white eye discharge in the corners of his eyes.

  I couldn't help but panic and immediately said sternly: "What are you sneaking up behind me for? Are you eavesdropping?"

  His face turned fierce, with smoke coming out of his seven orifices. He grabbed my collar and lowered his voice: "It's you little brat who's been peeking, right? Let me tell you, when you were still in diapers, the master had already started taking care of the young lady. Don't even think about having any wicked ideas."

  I pushed Lei Meng away with a guilty conscience: "What's wrong with you? I don't understand what you're saying." Then, I stretched and shouted loudly: "It's dawn! Get up!"

  "We didn't sleep," said Gan Ning calmly.

  Haiji walked over and winked at me: "You guys aren't sleeping, and someone else didn't sleep well either."

  My face turned red as I pointed at Lei Meng and said, "This Lei Hu Fa is old, probably he didn't sleep well."

  Gan Ning walked up to me and said coldly, "If you dare eavesdrop on me again, be careful with your ears."

  I awkwardly turned my head, speaking to her in a roundabout way. Gan Ning's mouth corner revealed a hint of a smile, when suddenly Lei Meng pointed at the distance and shouted: "That monster is back!"

  Yun Dalang wore a black robe, his head hung low as he walked straight along the riverbank. Hai Ji sneered: "What's he doing here? Can't accept yesterday's loss and now he's looking for trouble again?"

  Under a camphor tree, Yundalang stopped. I hesitated and said, "It shouldn't be, otherwise he would have brought a group of monsters with him." After hesitating for a moment, I took big strides towards him, Haiji and Ganning didn't feel at ease either, so they followed along.

  "Lin Fei hasn't left yet." Yun Dalang said calmly.

  I smiled and said: "Brother Yun, what brings you here? Are you inviting me for dim sum?"

  "I have come to sincerely thank Brother Lin for sparing my life yesterday." Cloud Big Lang bowed deeply and said, "Brother Lin, may I speak with you in private for a few words?"

  Hai Ji slightly shook her head, thought for a moment, and said: "Yun brother is not a despicable person, you all leave. He won't secretly plot against me."

  Yun Dalang's hand trembled slightly, and after Hai Ji and Gan Ningzhen walked far away, he said in a hoarse voice: "Brother Lin, do you really believe me like this?"

  I secretly sneered, you can't beat me anyway, what are you afraid of? I said with my mouth: "We cherish heroes." My eyes glanced at the black bundle in his hand, and as soon as something was off, I would immediately recite the thousand curses.

  Yun Dalang's voice trembled as he said, "Brother Lin is truly my confidant! This time I came to tell you a piece of news. Is the Jiuxiao Yao from Moduo Heaven your good friend? Half a month ago, she was captured by Ye Liu Bing, one of the four great demon kings under the Demon Master's seat in Moduo Heaven, and is now imprisoned in the Mausoleum of Flowers in Moduo Heaven."

  I was shocked and amazed, no wonder I couldn't see Ji Danmei, it turned out that she had been caught by the demon lord's subordinates! Yun Dalang sighed: "I shouldn't have leaked this matter. But last night I tossed and turned, thinking of your kindness in sparing my life, and having no way to repay you. So I'd rather be punished by the demon lord than not tell you."

  "Brother Yun!" I'm really moved this time. Brother Yun is indeed a true gentleman, an unadulterated monster gentleman. But I didn't have the slightest sincerity towards him, thinking of which fills me with remorse.

  "I should go. Lin brother, if you go to Mo Yue Tian to rescue Jiu Yan Yao, be careful. The one in charge of guarding Jiu Dan Mei is Ye Liu Bing, he has been famous for many years and his magical powers are far beyond mine. As for the Demon Lord, there's no need to worry, the Demon Lord may not return to Mo Yue Tian recently." Yun Da Lang said, his tone full of sincerity.

  My heart warmed up, I didn't expect him to be so friendly. I hastily asked: "Where is the Burial Mound of Flowers exactly? How many mechanisms and traps are there? What kind of demon is the Night Flowing Ice?"

  Yun Dalang didn't answer, I knew he was embarrassed and it wasn't good to ask again. Watching Yun Dalang's departing figure, I suddenly called out: "Brother Yun, why did you really surrender to the Demon Master? I think Chudu isn't a good person!"

  Yun Dalang stopped in his tracks, fell silent for a moment, turned around, slowly lifted his head, and the long hair that covered his face spread out to both sides. The dazzling sunlight was on the dark collar, and all I saw was a dense white cloud, no face, no facial features, nothing at all.

  "I'm a cloud-dwelling demon, born without a face. How I yearn to be like you, with a face of my own." Cloud Big Brother's voice was low and husky: "Legend has it that in the Realm of Freedom, all dreams can come true. If I find the Realm of Freedom, perhaps...I'll have a face too."

  He lowered his head, holding the bundle, and slowly walked away. The sound of his voice faintly came: "I believe that the demon master chosen by Saro Tetsu will definitely lead us to find the Self-Heaven."