Liu Ruyan hurried to the front of the hall and said to the waiter who was busy in the hall: "Second brother, do you still remember me?"
The two waiters were startled when they heard the sound. They quickly raised their heads and saw that it was the young man who had just been eating at the big table.
He looked him up and down and asked doubtfully: "Who are you?" He suddenly realized, "Oh, I remembered, aren't you the guest at the table just now?"
Liu Ruyan smiled and said, "A few days ago, I brought a white horse here, do you still remember?"
The waiter frowned and tilted his head in thought: "White horse? What white horse?"
Liu Ruyan sighed and said: "At noon a few days ago, I passed by here on horseback. I was about to go up the mountain after riding, so I fostered a white horse in the inn. Brother, you will not forget it. Alright?"
The waiter was confused, his brows were furrowed, and he thought hard. After thinking for a long time, he shook his head at Liu Ruyan, but he couldn't think of a reason, and looked at him blankly. .
Liu Ruyan frowned, sighed again, and said somewhat helplessly: "What? You still can't remember?" His eyes flashed, and he said, "Why don't I bother you to take me to the stables?" Look, can’t you see my white horse?”
The waiter turned to look at the waiter next to him and said, "Brother Lei, have you ever seen that white horse?"
The guy thought for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, and he said nonchalantly: "Oh, I remembered it. A few days ago, a young man brought a white horse and said he wanted to keep it in the store. Here, the guest officer was very generous. Not only did he pay for a few more days of food and feed, but he also rewarded me with several pennies!"
Another waiter said with some annoyance: "Oh! Brother Lei, why didn't you tell me earlier? Are you afraid that I will share your reward?"
The guy rolled his eyes at him, his face turned red, and he said nonchalantly: "Oh, Xiaowen, what are you talking about? Are you, Brother Lei, such a stingy person?"
Another waiter joked: "Hey, hey, don't dare let the shopkeeper know about this, otherwise I'll have to deduct your wages again!"
Liu Ruyan was anxious to take out the horse, but the two waiters were lucky. Instead of going to the stable to take the horse out for him, they started chatting here as if nothing had happened.
Liu Ruyan watched from the side and couldn't laugh or cry, and said hurriedly: "You two little brothers, can you take me to the stables to have a look? I have to be on my way in a hurry."
The two people just reacted and nodded hurriedly. The short and fat waiter smiled and said: "Yes, I will take you there right now!"
After that, as he was about to leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "May I ask your guest's name?"
Liu Ruyan smiled and said, "My surname is Liu."
The waiter said "Oh" and then said: "Please wait a moment, sir, let me go check at the counter!"
After that, he turned around and walked quickly to the counter. At this time, the shopkeeper was not there, and the waiter was rummaging around the counter, taking out a small ledger and looking through it carefully.
After a while, he ran over and said with a smile: "I have checked, and on March 29th, there was indeed a guest named Liu who fostered a white horse in the store! I believe that guest is you ”
Liu Ruyan smiled at him, thinking: This waiter is really a bit verbose. Is it possible that besides me, there are other guests named Liu who have fostered Baima?
The waiter nodded to Liu Ruyan and said, "Sir, please come with me!"
The waiter led the way, and Liu Ruyan followed him around the front yard and turned into a secluded path that led directly to the woods in the backyard of the inn.
After walking a few steps, I saw a large circular stable hidden under Lin Meng. Before they even got close, they could hear a faint sound of horses neighing.
The woods in the backyard are extremely quiet, and there is a small stream flowing not far away, with gurgling and tinkling sounds. Birds are chirping all around and wild flowers are everywhere, but it is a good place with excellent feng shui.
The waiter looked around, turned to Liu Ruyan and said with a smile: "Sir, the stables are in front of you. Please wait here while I go to get the horse."
Liu Ruyan paused and said doubtfully: "Can't I go and take a look?"
The waiter laughed and said with a smile: "My lord, I don't know. In addition to your horses, there are some other people's horses in the stable. Those horses will be disturbed when strangers come forward." , jumping up and down in the stable. If that’s the case, it won’t be easy to appease!”
Liu Ruyan nodded and said with a smile: "If that's the case, then I'll help you."
The waiter hurried to the stable and walked to the wooden gate. Suddenly his steps slowed down. Judging from the situation, he was afraid of disturbing the foal. He gently opened the wooden door, pushed it open and slowly walked in, but he faintly heard the sound of horses neighing from inside.
In less than a moment, the waiter slowly walked out with a tall white horse.
The horse walked slowly, wagging its tail and neighing slightly, looking somewhat reluctant.
Liu Ruyan suddenly saw the white horse she had been separated from for several days, and a smile suddenly appeared on her lips.
He recognized at a glance that the white horse was his white dragon horse. He then walked forward quickly. The white horse seemed to recognize its owner. When he saw Liu Ruyan approaching, he suddenly raised his head and hissed, broke free from the reins in the waiter's hands, and ran briskly towards Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan held the reins, stroked the horse's mane, and said with a smile: "Bai Ju'er, you haven't seen me for a few days, do you miss me? Let me see, but you are fatter and thinner?"
He touched the horse's cheeks, eyes and nose, and patted the horse's back and belly. After not seeing each other for a few days, the horse had gained a lot of fat. It was obvious that the store kept the animals well and had not been mistreated. The white horse seemed to understand human nature, and kept nuzzling its owner's chest.
Liu Ruyan thanked the waiter, then climbed on the saddle and got on the horse, pulled the reins and shouted, the white horse started running briskly towards the front yard.
Xu Feng and others were waiting by the avenue in front of the hall, looking anxiously here from time to time.
Liu Ruyan galloped over on horseback and stopped in front of everyone. He grabbed the reins, turned over and dismounted, and said to everyone: "I've kept you waiting for a long time. Hehe, I almost got left behind by this white horse."
When Chu Menghua saw the white horse, her eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward and gently stroked the horse's mane, and then touched the fat horse's belly, looking very excited. The horse seemed to recognize her and allowed her to stroke it for a while without showing any anger.
Xu Feng looked up at the sky and muttered: "It's getting late. It looks like we won't be able to travel for long before it's going to be dark. Ten miles ahead is Qingfengji, and we can go there tonight to get some tips. Let’s settle down. In everyone’s opinion, should we catch up on the journey to Qingfengji, or stay here for the night?” He stroked his beard and looked around at everyone, asking for their opinions.
Shangguan Hongqin looked at the injury on her husband's shoulder and said with worry: "Master, you are injured now. In my opinion, it is better for us to stay here tonight, and I will change the dressing and take care of your wound." , it won’t be too late to start our journey tomorrow morning!”
Xu Lengyue looked at her father with a sad face and said, "Yeah, mother is right. It will get dark soon. Dad, let's stay in this inn for the night first, right?"
Chu Menghua also nodded and said: "Yes, yes, I think it might be dark before we arrive at Qingfengji. It will be difficult to deal with people who have no access to the village or shop by then. I I agree with my aunt and sister's opinion. Brother Liu, what do you think?" After saying that, he looked at Liu Ruyan eagerly.
Liu Ruyan thought about it, hugged Xu Feng's fists, and said: "Uncle Xu, my nephew also thinks what everyone said is reasonable. Look at the sky, it will be dark soon, why don't we stay here for the night first?" , let’s go on our way again tomorrow morning!”
Everyone looked at Xu Feng, waiting for him to make the final decision.
Xu Feng stopped and said thoughtfully: "Since everyone has the same idea, let's stay overnight for now! It rained in the mountains today, and everyone has been walking very hard, so let's take a good rest."
Dusk is approaching, the setting sun has sunk under the Western Mountain, the night is slowly opening, and the world is suddenly filled with a sense of desolation and desolation.
Lights have been lit inside and outside the Yuelai Inn, adding a bit of human smoke to this deserted mountain place.
Xu Feng looked back at the inn lobby and said to everyone: "Let's go back!"
Shangguan Hongqin wanted to reach out to help her husband, but Xu Feng stopped and said, "There's no need to help me, my little injury won't bother me."
His expression showed a hint of loneliness and melancholy, and his eyebrows were solemn, as if he was still brooding over what had just happened.
Shangguan Hongqin noticed her husband's uneasiness and comforted her softly: "Master, please stop thinking about those things. I believe that one day he will understand your difficulties! When I saw that child, he was not an unreasonable person. He was just a temporary person. I can’t figure it out for a while, I just can’t fully accept you in my heart.”
Xu Feng smiled faintly and murmured: "After all, I am sorry for their mother and son! It's all my fault. I hurt them. Now, I'm just worried that he won't be able to pass the hurdle in his heart. I don't want him to sink like this. , living with hatred.”
Shangguan Hongqin looked calm and said quietly: "I really didn't expect that you have such a bizarre past!"
Xu Feng's face tightened, he sighed, and said slowly: "The matter is now over, it's too late to say anything. Madam, you won't blame me, right?"
There was a trace of sadness on Shangguan Hongqin's face, and he said in a seemingly reproachful tone: "Master, you should stop blaming yourself. You had no choice but to do so under the circumstances at that time, so I can't blame you entirely."
After saying that, she turned to Xu Feng and smiled faintly: "Okay, it's getting dark, let's go in!"
Everyone followed Xu Feng and slowly walked towards the inn lobby.
Chu Menghua approached Xu Lengyue and whispered in her ear. She didn't know what she said. The two met and smiled, as if they were telling some little secret that they didn't want others to know.
The two of them were young and innocent at first, but they didn't seem to pay much attention to the shocking scene that just happened in the lobby. In the blink of an eye, they became happy and happy again.
Shangguan Hongqin looked back at the two sisters, shook her head, and sighed softly.
Xu Feng's face was still gloomy and his heart was heavy. Thinking of the scene that had just happened, Li Ruoxuan's heart-wrenching words and fierce and hateful eyes, and thinking that his mother Li Bilian was no longer alive... Thinking of these, he felt regretful. He was as worried as a knife, the person he wished to die was himself.
Unexpectedly, twenty years later, God would arrange for their father and son to meet again.
What he didn't even expect was that since he left that year, he would once encounter a trap set by his enemies. He has been living in the world since then, with a home he cannot return to and a wife he cannot see... He couldn't help but complain in his heart about God's ruthless teasing to him, alas. , maybe all this is destined!
If Li Ruoxuan hadn't found him here today and told him about the past, he might never have known that his own flesh and blood had grown up.
It was only his fault that his departure caused irreparable damage to their mother and son, which made him most distressed. Not to mention that young man Li Ruoxuan would not forgive him, even he himself could not forgive himself.
Although his relatives who had been separated for many years were able to meet each other, he had already made a big mistake. Meeting him in such a situation was destined to bring him regret and pain that could not be erased in his life. In this situation, it would be better to kill him with a sword. He came in good time.
The most painful things in life are regret and guilt, but he felt both at the same time.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered many things in the past, the things he experienced when he was young and wandering around the world: those endless battles and vendettas, those bleak days where blood was sharpened on the edge of a knife, those joys and sorrows... Now he is old. Oh, I’m already tired of that kind of life!
Therefore, when he looked down upon all these grievances and grievances, he decided to retire from the world and live an ordinary life. Perhaps, this kind of life is what he really desires.
As night fell, the dark night suddenly enveloped the earth. There are stars and moon rising in the sky, the stars and moon are like dreams, and the night is as cool as water.
The Yuelai Inn was brightly lit, and a row of lanterns hung in front of the lobby door fluttered in the night wind.
At this time, it was already dinner time, but the business in the store seemed extremely light.
This place is located in a remote place and is sparsely populated. Although it is close to the official road, there are not many merchants and travelers coming and going. Therefore, the business of this inn has not been very good. How can this inn be maintained for so many years in such a bleak situation? It can be considered a miracle.
Except for a somewhat stout middle-aged shopkeeper and two waiters, there was no one else in the lobby.
The shopkeeper was flipping through the account books in front of the counter and fiddling with the abacus with his hands, calculating the day's business flow. Although he calculated carefully, his brows were furrowed with a grimace on his face. He shook his head and sighed from time to time. It was obviously because of Business is not satisfactory today.
The two waiters, covered in oil, were standing in front of the door to welcome guests. Their faces were expressionless, looking like they were in a daze.
Xu Feng led everyone forward. When the two waiters saw the guests coming, they greeted them enthusiastically.
When I came closer, I took a closer look, and my eyes suddenly widened: Isn't this the big family member who was working in the store earlier? Why are you back now? Although he was surprised in his heart, he immediately smiled and welcomed the group in with a warm greeting.
Seeing that there was no one in the hall, Xu Feng asked the two waiters: "Excuse me, is the young man who was sitting in the hall drinking alone just now gone?"
The tall and thin waiter paused and said with a smile: "You mean the young man who stabbed you this afternoon?"
Xu Feng nodded, his eyes full of anxiety.
The waiter frowned and said, "Oh, that young man paid the bill and left after you left!"
Xu Feng was very puzzled and asked doubtfully: "I was just on the roadside, why didn't I see him come out?"
The waiter smiled and said, "I don't know much about this. He put the money on the table and left. However, it seems that he was a little drunk and fell down while walking."
Xu Feng said "Oh", frowned, and stopped asking any more questions. He looked at everyone and sighed, unable to help but worry about Li Ruoxuan.
He came here alone, unfamiliar with the place, and he had just drank so much wine. The waiter said that he looked drunk when he saw him. What if something bad happened to him when he went out?
Although he hates himself deeply and does not want to pay attention to me, he is his child after all, how can I ignore him? The waiter said that he had just walked out not long ago, so he must not have gone far, so Nephew Liu and I should go look for him!
With this in mind, he explained to everyone, and then asked the two waiters: "Have you ever seen which direction he went?"
At this time, his short and chubby waiter thought for a moment, frowned and said, "Oh, I remembered, he was going in that direction. When he left, he was still mumbling something!" He pointed towards the door. North direction.
Xu Feng's eyes lit up and he asked anxiously: "Did he explain anything?"
The waiter shook his head: "That's not true."
Xu Feng turned to Liu Ruyan and said, "My dear nephew, please come with me to look for him. He is drunk and must not have gone far." He sighed, "No matter how much he hates me, But he is my child after all, and I am just worried about his safety. If he leaves drunkenly like this, if something happens, how can I be worthy of his miserable mother!"
His brows were furrowed, and there seemed to be deep meaning in his eyes. He said slowly: "Even if he doesn't recognize me, I can't ignore him." His eyes were suddenly filled with smiles, filled with a kind of endless longing for love. smile.
No matter who suddenly has a biological child, they will be very happy. This was originally a great blessing in life!
Shangguan Hongqin looked at Xu Feng with a solemn expression and said with concern: "Master, I understand your feelings, but you are injured now and it is not appropriate to run around. I think it is better for the servants to go with Nephew Liu to look for him? "
Xu Feng looked at the direction where Li Ruoxuan left and sighed deeply, with worry on his face: "Now he is full of resentment. What if he does something extreme? Where will he go? Ruoxuan, You must be safe and sound, and nothing will happen to you! Alas, I owe you mother and son so much!"
His heart was filled with guilt and regret like a knife cutting through him. The deep pain and depression weighed him down so much that he could hardly breathe, and it seemed that he could not resolve it no matter what.
The most painful thing in life is regret. Just like many things, once you miss it, you can never do it again.
Liu Ruyan said thoughtfully: "What my aunt said is absolutely true. Uncle, you can rest assured and recover here, and let your nephew go search for it."
Chu Menghua rolled her eyes and suddenly said, "Uncle, I want to go with Brother Liu?" Her eyes shone and she looked at Xu Feng eagerly.
Xu Feng pondered and said: "Brother Liu is going to do something, why are you going to do it? It's getting late now, in the barren mountains and wild mountains here, what if we get separated?" He suddenly comforted him with a gentle tone, "You and me Leng Yue, just stay in the inn, don’t run around! We’ll be waiting here for your brother Liu to come back.”
Menghua pouted, with a trace of disappointment on her face. Although she felt unhappy, she did not dare to say anything more.
Liu Ruyan smiled at Menghua and said, "Sister Hua, be good, just listen to uncle and stay here, I will be back soon."
After saying that, he bowed to Xu Feng, handed the reins of the horse to the butler, and asked him to lead the horse back to the stable. Then he led the two servants and turned around and hurried in the direction where Li Ruoxuan left.
The rest of the people watched them go away.
A waiter led everyone up to the guest room on the second floor.
Xu Feng immediately booked four guest rooms. He and Shangguan Hongqin lived in one room, Menghua and Lengyue lived in one room, Liu Ruyan lived in one room, and the two servants lived in one room. Everyone went back to their rooms to tidy up. After a day's journey, everyone felt exhausted.
The inn's bathhouse is open, providing steaming baths around the clock, and guests are queuing up to take a bath.
At this time, some top-notch accommodation guests were already arriving in the lobby. These guests, speaking dialects from all over the world, include shrewd traders, honest farmers, sneaky ruffians, and of course some wanderers in strange costumes... People of all colors from the three religions and nine streams all have their own unique characteristics. Gathered here for purpose.
At this moment, there were seven or eight tables of guests sitting in the lobby of the inn. It was full of people and gradually became lively.
Everyone finished washing and stayed in their rooms waiting for Liu Ruyan and the two servants to come back.
A waiter was already knocking on the door, saying that the kitchen had prepared wine and food, and asked for instructions when he could go downstairs for dinner.
When Xu Feng saw that Liu Ruyan and others had not returned yet, he signaled to the waiter not to rush to start the meal, saying that he would wait for a while and he would go down by then.
Shangguan Hongqin changed Xu Feng's gold medicine and bandaged the wound again.
Xu Feng was still frowning and worried.
Li Ruoxuan's words were like sharp knives piercing his heart. Thinking that over the years, he has carved a world in the world with his intelligence and hard work. In the eyes of others, he is a respected knight, a winner of both fame and fortune, and has an enviable and happy family. In Li Ruoxuan's eyes, he was just a heartless man who abandoned his wife and children, a hypocrite who deceived the world and stole his reputation.
He only hoped that one day, Li Ruoxuan would truly understand that what he did back then was all out of necessity, and that he could forget his resentment, abandon his past grudges, and accept him as his biological father.
It was already dark, the mountain wind was howling outside the window, the stars and moon were gentle on the spring night, and the faint moonlight shone in the mountains and forests, giving off a thin, cool glow.
Liu Ruyan and the two servants searched northward along the mountain road covered with grass. They walked very fast and unknowingly searched a radius of three or four miles.
The night was dark and windy, and the mountains and fields were densely covered with jungle. They broke dead branches and lit them, holding them in their hands as torches and holding them high to illuminate the way. Finding people at night is an extremely difficult task, and coupled with the unfamiliarity of the mountainous terrain, the search was extremely difficult.
Under the pale moonlight, they raised their torches and looked around. While searching, they shouted the name of the young man in green: "Li Ruoxuan, where are you? Are you there? Li Ruoxuan, if you hear this, please respond! ... "
The mountains are empty, and there is not even a ghost around the dark and silent mountain road. There is no shadow of Li Ruoxuan anywhere!
The crowd searched along both sides of the road, searching carefully in the grass in the dense forest. They searched for about an hour. Suddenly, not far ahead, they saw an old man in commoner clothes who had returned from the night, walking towards them with a hoe. .
The old man looked like a local farmer, rushing home through the night after a hard day's work.
Liu Ruyan greeted the old man and asked him politely: "Old man, have you seen a tall and slim young man in Tsing Yi with a black gauze hat on his head and a long black sheath in his hand? sword?"
When the old man saw several people appearing in front of him, he was immediately shocked, with fear on his face, and he didn't say a word.
In this barren mountain, he suddenly saw several people holding torches appearing. The old man was immediately frightened, thinking that he had encountered bandits. He turned pale and trembled with fear.
He suddenly threw the hoe on his shoulder, turned around and ran away.
Liu Ruyan was startled and shouted loudly: "Old man, don't be afraid, we are looking for someone, old man..."
The old man seemed to have encountered a ghost. He just ran like crazy and was far away in the blink of an eye.
Liu Ruyan felt helpless when he saw this. He was about to catch up, but suddenly he thought: "Oh, it's all our fault for being too reckless and frightening the old man. It would be even more inappropriate to chase him rashly." He He had no choice but to shout repeatedly behind him, and the two servants couldn't help being disappointed, stamping their feet and sighing.
The torches in the hands of the three people were blown by the mountain wind. The torches, which were lit with tree branches, were not resistant to burning and were about to burn out.
They searched in the wilderness for almost two hours but found nothing. Liu Ruyan said in his heart: "It is already dark now and there are dense forests everywhere. If we continue searching like this, it will be difficult to find them. It is better to go back and report to uncle first, and then do something." Intend!"
At this time, the group of them had searched a three-mile radius, and there was no other sound except the chirping of birds.
Liu Ruyan said to the two servants: "Well, searching like this is not an option. Let's go back first!"
The group of people couldn't help but sigh, turned around and walked quickly towards the inn.
