The night was getting late, the fire was shining brightly in the house, and the pine waves were blowing outside the window. The two people were sitting opposite each other, and the atmosphere was dull and depressing.
Xu Feng eloquently told Liu Ruyan's life experience. While Gu Zhi was shocked, his cloudy eyes became brighter, and his face with grooves showed a look of joy.
He stood up suddenly, looked at Xu Feng in surprise, and said eagerly: "I didn't expect that my cousin's descendants are still alive. It's really great. The sky has eyes, Xiaowan, sister, do you know? You The child is still alive!" He was so excited that tears filled his eyes. He suddenly picked up one of Xu Feng's hands and said eagerly, "Brother, tell me quickly, where is my nephew Ruyan? I really want to see him, um , I must meet him!"
Xu Feng nodded slightly, held his hand tightly, and said, "Brother, don't be anxious, I will arrange for you to meet. However, their master and apprentice are returning to Zhongnan Mountain, and now you are in poor health. If you come with me to Zhongnan Mountain, it will be a long journey, can your body withstand it?"
Gu Zhi sighed quietly and said firmly: "We are a hundred miles away from Zhongnan Mountain. I have only a few days to live due to my illness. If I can see my nieces and nephews before I die, I will die without regrets." Come on!" He stood up, frowned and asked, "Shall we hit the road tomorrow?"
Xu Feng hesitated and said slowly: "This is very inappropriate. Are you sick? I'm still worried. Otherwise, let Xu Ziyi go to Zhongnan Mountain Wolong Valley to inform Liu Ruyan. It's better to let Yan'er come to see you!" Early tomorrow morning, I will go back to Zhongnan Mountain with Xu Ziyi, and you will wait at the hut!" He also stood up, holding Gu Zhi's hand tightly, with a determined look in his eyes.
Gu Zhi nodded solemnly, his eyes full of trust and gratitude. He smiled sadly and said with tears in his eyes: "That's good, then Brother Laoxu will be here! If Xiaowan is a spirit under the spring, he will definitely be grateful to him. He wiped away his tears and suddenly said, "Brother Xu must be hungry, right? How about I ask Ziyi to hunt a pheasant for you to drink with? You see, I am really an old fool. I only care about talking and not serving well." Brother, please don't go outside!" His silver hair was fluttering in the evening breeze, and his hair was messy, covering his eyes and forehead, making him look miserable and haggard.
Gu Zhi saw the red box on the table and suddenly said: "Brother, please put this box away so that Ziyi doesn't see it. I don't want him to know too much!" The expression on his face was serious and complicated, as if he had a deep meaning.
Xu Feng stood up and looked out the window. In the darkness, Xu Ziyi was standing in the yard, his clothes and long hair flying in the wind, looking lonely and lonely.
Xu Feng couldn't help but be startled when he heard this. Although he felt strange, he didn't ask any more questions. There must be some hidden secret between the master and the disciple that is inconvenient to tell others.
Gu Zhi walked outside the door and came to the courtyard. The courtyard was not very spacious. The thatched house was surrounded by a dense row of bamboo fences. Various flowers and plants were planted along the fence. In the flower season, the flowers were in full bloom. Douyan, the whole courtyard hut is filled with the fragrance of flowers.
At this moment, Xu Ziyi was admiring the flowers and plants by the fence. Even in the dark night, he could clearly see the outlines of the flowers and plants at a close distance. The flowers and plants were especially fragrant and refreshing.
Xu Ziyi seemed a little crazy looking at the flowers and grass branches swaying in the wind. Even when Gu Zhi approached behind him, he didn't notice at all. Gu Zhi stood ten meters away from him, watching quietly. Looking at his young and upright back, he seemed to be sighing, and after a while, he let out a long sigh.
"Master, why did you come out?" Hearing Gu Zhi's sigh, he was suddenly startled and turned around to look at Gu Zhi.
Gu Zhi smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice: "Ziyi, you have been my teacher for ten years, right?"
Xu Ziyi was quite surprised, looked at Gu Zhi and said, "Yes, master, it has been ten years and five months. Master, what's wrong with you?" He stroked his hand on the fence and realized the strangeness in Gu Zhi's words. , feeling a little uneasy.
Gu Zhi looked at the mountain peaks in the distance. In the dark night, the towering cliffs were like giant beasts, as if they were about to collapse at any time, making people dare not look up.
Gu Zhi coughed in the wind and panted heavily. When the wheezing gradually subsided, he said: "More than ten years have passed in a flash, and now you have achieved something in your studies. I hope you can achieve great success in the world." Good career. Tomorrow morning, you can go down the mountain with Hero Xu!" He let out a long sigh and slowly closed his eyes.
Xu Ziyi was startled and his face turned pale.
He changed and asked in surprise: "Master, what do you mean?"
Gu Zhidao: "Follow Hero Xu to Wolong Valley in Zhongnan Mountain to find a person. Write a letter for your teacher. If you find him, you must hand it over to him personally." There was a look of pain on his face, "My teacher's illness has already There is not much time left. Before dying, there is one thing that must be settled, otherwise, I will die for my master." He suddenly coughed violently again, his breath was short, and he hurriedly reached out to cover his chest, as if his lungs were about to explode. .
Xu Ziyi hurriedly stepped forward to support Gu Zhi and comforted him: "Master, don't be anxious. What is the name of the person you are looking for?"
"His name is Liu Ruyan. He is my nephew. I heard from Master Xu that he lives in Wolong Valley in Zhongnan Mountain. I must meet him." A very complicated expression suddenly appeared on Gu Zhi's face. Is it joy or sadness. His eyes were moist, but it was difficult to detect in the darkness.
"Liu Ruyan? You said your nephew's name is Liu Ruyan? Is it really him?" His eyes widened, looking surprised. He suddenly remembered the scene when he met Xu Feng and his group that day in the mountains of Hanzhong. That handsome and melancholy young man, he heard Xu Feng once call him Ruyan. Could it be that he is the person the master is looking for? He is actually the master's nephew?
Gu Zhi nodded and said in surprise: "Why, do you recognize him?" His eyes flashed with excitement again.
Xu Ziyi thought slowly and said: "On April 12th, I arrived at Hongqin Residence in Cuihua Mountain. The servants at Hongqin Residence said that Mr. Xu had gone down the mountain for something. I asked where Mr. Xu had gone, but the servants didn't know, so I had to After going down the mountain, I was ready to look around again. I didn't want to encounter a group of rogues making trouble while dining at an inn in the mountains of Hanzhong. I was worried about where to go to find Xu Daxia. I was very tired from walking that day, so I drank I had some wine, and when I saw those gangsters bullying the waiter in the store, I took action to teach them a lesson. Later, those people left cursing, and I saw a group of people dressed in Guanzhong eating at the table next to me, so I told them I asked if I knew Daxia Xu, but to my surprise, Daxia Xu happened to be among this group of people. I heard Daxia Xu calling one of the young men Ruyan, oh, it must be him!" He recalled meeting Daxia Xu at the mountain inn that day. The situation of others.
Gu Zhi pondered and said, "Oh, you mean, Liu Ruyan is with him?"
"Yes, there were two other old men and a young girl." Xu Ziyi recalled.
Gu Zhi suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly: "By the way, there is no more pork in the room. Master Xu came all the way to visit me. What's the point of having wine but no food? Go and have a look in the woods behind and around the Phoenix Cave." There is a pheasant nest up there, let’s see if we can catch some pheasants back?”
Xu Ziyi agreed, returned to the eaves, grabbed a bamboo basket, and walked towards the mountain path outside the yard with a long sword in hand.
Gu Zhi looked at his retreating figure in the wind, couldn't help but slowly closed his eyes and let out a long sigh!
At this time, Xu Feng had come to the yard and looked at Gu Zhi's thin and slender figure in the darkness. His gray robe rustled in the mountain wind, making him look indescribably desolate!
Xu Feng came to Gu Zhi and asked, "Brother, it's so windy, it's better to go back to the house!" He glanced at the direction Xu Ziyi left and asked doubtfully, "Where did you let Ziyi go?"
Gu Zhi smiled lightly and said: "You and I have not seen each other for ten years. Our house is shabby and simple, and there is no good wine or food to entertain my brother. I asked Ziyi to go to the pine forest to catch some pheasants and come back. I will have a few drinks with him tonight." !」
Xu Feng smiled and said, "Brother Gu, why are you so polite? You have been living in seclusion in Huashan these years. I should have come to visit you long ago. It's just that the affairs of Hongqinju are complicated and there are often problems to deal with in the world. You won't blame me." Bar?"
Gu Zhi held Xu Feng's hand tightly and said hurriedly: "Brother, what are you talking about? I'm really happy to see you today. Let's stay here for two more days! Let's catch up on old times!"
