Ning Buwei looked up at the moon, only to find the moonlight somewhat dazzling.
Ning Xiu stirred in his clothes, whimpering as if he had been woken up. Wen Zaiye turned his head to look at his rustling clothes, his originally listless eyes showing a bit of curiosity.
Ning Buwei pulled Ning Xiu out, asking in a somewhat stiff tone, “Do you want to hold him?”
Wen Zaiye saw him pull out a fair and tender child as if by magic. He raised his hand in response, then hesitated and put it down, “I…..have never held a child.”
Ning Buwei said against his conscience, “It’s okay, he’s very well-behaved.”
At most, he would kick someone three feet away when he got angry.
Ning Xiu looked at the strange big brother in front of him, even more curious than the other party, and shouted with full momentum, “Ah~ Ah~”
My father~ My ah~
Wen Zaiye gave a faint smile and reached out his hand again.
However, before he could touch the swaddling clothes, nearly a hundred rays of light suddenly rushed to his eyes.
Ning Buwei waved his wide sleeve, and an invisible barrier spread from his palm, blocking the fierce wind outside the barrier. Unconsciously, there was a killing intent in his eyes, but when he saw the person coming, he withdrew the barrier and extinguished the killing intent.
His actions were extremely fast in a single breath, and the crowd didn’t notice at all.
And the only person who could notice was not paying attention to him.
The one leading was wearing a dark blue robe, his expression cold. Upon seeing the young man in the green shirt, he raised his hand to signal the disciples behind him to stop.
Wen Heshen stared intently at Wen Zaiye on the stone platform, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and shouted in a deep voice, “Elder brother.”
As soon as these words came out, the disciples suspended in the air by their swords all looked surprised.
They had never heard that their master had an elder brother, and this young man looked at most sixteen or seventeen years old!
The disciples were filled with uncertainty, especially Chen Feng and Wu Liang, who had caused trouble. They suddenly felt a sense of despair.
Jiang Yizheng and the young man were both alive, and the young man was their master’s elder brother!
If the other party identified them, they would undoubtedly die this time!
Sun Zhi was directly scared and fainted.
Regardless of how Wu Liang and others were frightened, Wen Zaiye on the stone platform was very calm. He bowed to Wen Heshen and said, “I’m afraid this elder has mistaken me for someone else.”
This elder–Wen Heshen’s gaze faltered, and the corner of his mouth pressed down.
“Elder brother, come back with me first, I will explain to you later.” He seemed to be afraid of scaring the other party, deliberately slowing down his tone.
Where had the disciples of the Thirteenth Peak seen their decisive master so gentle? Even the always steady Han Ziyang looked at Wen Heshen with surprise.
Ning Buwei lowered his eyes and stood silently on the side, so quiet that he almost turned into a cliff wall.
Jiang Yizheng was stunned by this grand scene. It took her a long time to slowly move behind Ning Buwei. She immediately felt relieved and had confidence in her heart.
Her father could escape from the dangerous situation in Linjiang City, so this small scene was not to be feared at all.
“Master, what should we do with this father and daughter who are miscellaneous workers?” The second disciple, Chen Zichu, received the pleading gaze from his younger brother Chen Feng, and took advantage of the fact that everyone had not reacted yet, “Should we take them down first?”
Jiang Yizheng’s face changed instantly. Relying on Ning Buwei being there, she boldly said, “Why should you take us down? It’s clear that Wu Liang and Chen Feng pushed me and this senior down the cliff, my father——”
Her father, why would her father appear here?
She stuttered for a moment, turned her head to look at Ning Buwei for help, but her father obviously didn’t care and kept silent, not intending to help her at all.
“I didn’t go back for a long time, my father was worried and came to find me!” Jiang Yizheng, in a moment of desperation, pointed at Wu Liang, Chen Feng, and Sun Zhi, and said angrily, “They conspired to kill me and my father. Senior Wen Zaiye saw injustice on the road and helped, but they stabbed him through the shoulder with a sword. He lost too much blood and passed out!”
Hearing that Wen Zaiye was injured, Wen Heshen’s face immediately became very ugly.
“If you don’t believe me, look, the wound is still there——” Jiang Yizheng turned her head and pointed at Wen Zaiye’s shoulder. Her indignation instantly turned into disbelief.
Wen Zaiye’s shoulder, which had been pierced before, was intact. Only the clothes were broken, and there was not even any blood… It was simply unconvincing.
At the critical moment of the confrontation, Jiang Yizheng anxiously said to Wen Zaiye, “Senior, you say something!”
As a result, Wen Zaiye frowned and said, “I…..don’t remember.”
As soon as these words came out, Jiang Yizheng was dumbfounded, and Wu Liang and Chen Feng immediately as if pardoned.
“Master! This disciple dared to swear to the heavens, it was definitely her and this senior who were fighting on the cliff that caused the senior to fall off. We originally wanted to dissuade them but were a step too late! Master, please discern!” Chen Feng shouted loudly, “Now that it has come to this, she still doesn’t know to repent and wants to confuse the issue. This kind of person absolutely cannot stay in the Thirteenth Peak!”
“Fellow cultivator Jiang is definitely not that kind of person!” Feng Zizhang suddenly spoke up, “Master, I can vouch for Jiang Yizheng, she would never harm someone’s life without reason!”
“So you mean that the master’s elder brother wants to harm her life?” The second senior brother, Chen Zichu, caught the loophole in his words and glared at him coldly.
“I didn’t mean that, there must be some misunderstanding in the middle…” Feng Zizhang’s momentum immediately diminished.
“You are clearly biased towards them! This father and daughter are suspicious and their origins are unknown. Now that it has come to this, you are still standing on their side?” Wu Zichen looked at him with disappointment and coldness.
Feng Zizhang’s eyes reddened, and he stammered, “No, I——”
“Enough!” Wen Heshen shouted sternly.
The originally noisy disciples immediately quieted down, and for a moment, only the howling wind remained.
“This matter will be discussed later, first take the people involved back to the Punishment Hall for custody.” Wen Heshen said coldly.
As soon as these words came out, Han Ziyang knew that the master had not believed anyone’s words, and for some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief for his junior brother Zizhang.
Ning Buwei, holding Ning Xiu, unusually did not resist, and together with Jiang Yizheng, they were imprisoned in the dungeon of the Punishment Hall by the inner disciples of Yunzhong Sect.
The surroundings of the dungeon were filled with defensive formations, and the railings were engraved with dense spells to prevent the people inside from escaping. After locking it, the formation in the cell was immediately activated, and Jiang Yizheng felt the spiritual power in her sea of consciousness disappear instantly, and she was stunned for a long time.
In contrast, Ning Buwei, this father, was like the head of the sect coming to inspect the dungeon. Holding Ning Xiu, he leisurely strolled around the cell, lifted his clothes, and sat cross-legged on the straw.
Seeing this, Jiang Yizheng picked a place not too far or too close, squatted down against the wall, took a deep breath, and after a long time, she whispered.
“Senior, everything I said is true, I didn’t lie. Wu Liang and Chen Feng had troubled me before. On my way back to the Meal Residence, I heard them plotting to harm you. I was accidentally discovered, and it was Senior Wen Zaiye who saved me. He really was stabbed with a sword…”
Jiang Yizheng became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, unable to understand why things had turned out this way.
Ning Xiu lay in his father’s arms, looking at the big sister with red eyes, and kindly comforted her, “Ah~”
Don’t cry~
Ning Buwei lifted his eyelids and glanced at her indifferently.
Jiang Yizheng thought he was going to speak and give some advice, and looked at him expectantly.
Ning Buwei looked down at Ning Xiu drooling, poked him with his hand, and was very calm, not uttering a word.
Jiang Yizheng: “…”
What a cold and heartless father.
The dungeon was damp and cold, with only a dim candle on the wall. The ancient stone slab was full of cracks that extended in all directions, cut off by a few scattered straws.
Jiang Yizheng looked at the thick brown bloodstains on the stone slab, thinking to herself, this dungeon must have been built hundreds or thousands of years ago, and the number of people who died inside must be countless.
One more wrongful death wouldn’t make a difference.
As she thought this, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a petal on the ground out of the corner of her eye. She reached out and picked it up, looking puzzled.
When did Yunzhong Sect start planting peach blossoms?
****
Qingfeng Pavilion, Thirteenth Peak
Han Ziyang placed a set of new robes by the bed, and the young man sitting by the table said, “Senior martial uncle, these are the change of clothes that the Master ordered for you.”
The young man’s reaction was a bit slow, and it took him a while to respond, “Thank you.”
“This disciple will take leave.” Han Ziyang bowed to him in a disciple’s salute, and was about to leave.
“Wait.” Wen Zaiye called him, slowly asking, “Those people from Changsheng Cliff…”
Han Ziyang was taken aback, “Senior martial uncle, do you mean Duanhuan Cliff?”
Wen Zaiye said, “Hasn’t it always been called Changsheng Cliff?”
Just as Han Ziyang was about to answer, the door was pushed open from the outside. He quickly bowed, “Master.”
“Leave.” Wen Heshen said.
“Yes.”
Han Ziyang withdrew and closed the door, leaving only the brothers Wen Heshen and Wen Zaiye in the room.
Wen Heshen walked to the table, poured a cup of tea for him, placed it in front of him, and said in a deep voice, “Elder brother, have some tea.”
Wen Zaiye looked at the rising tea mist for a long time, sizing him up with unfamiliar eyes, “My younger brother Xiao He…is only ten years old this year, elder, I’m afraid you… really got the wrong person.”
His speech was not very fluent, always with unnatural pauses, but when he mentioned his younger brother, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Wen Heshen’s hand hidden in his sleeve clenched into a fist, his fingernails dug deeply into the flesh of his palm, but he didn’t feel any pain.
“I am Xiao He.” Wen Heshen tried to give him a smile, but could only pull at the corner of his mouth stiffly, looking like he was crying and laughing, extremely awkward.
Wen Zaiye looked puzzled, and said with doubt, “How come…you are so old?”
“I am five hundred and ten years old this year, which is very old.” Wen Heshen said.
Wen Zaiye was confused, “But I am only sixteen this year, why are you… nearly five hundred years older than me?”
“I also want to ask you why.” Wen Heshen raised his head, bloodshot eyes spreading, “You clearly said you would be back soon.”
Wen Zaiye was stunned for a moment, “What?”
Wen Heshen pulled at the corner of his mouth, “You really don’t remember.”
Wen Zaiye frowned, “I indeed have forgotten many things.”
“Do you still remember Ning Chengfeng?” Wen Heshen asked again.
“Of course I remember.” Wen Zaiye said, “Chengfeng is my good friend.”
“What about Wen Heshen?”
Wen Zaiye laughed, “Xiao He is my younger brother, he is my only relative in this world.”
“But you don’t want him anymore.” Wen Heshen’s voice carried a biting chill in the autumn and winter air.
“You abandoned him, letting him live alone in this world for five hundred years.”
