Chapter 164: Chapter 145: I’m Not a Passerby, But a Person Returning to Gui

Chapter 164: Chapter 145: I’m Not a Passerby, But a Person Returning to Gui

At the foot of You Mountain.

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It had regained its tranquility and spaciousness of the past.

As the first mountain within Du You City, You Mountain was known for its flora-covered landscapes, a scenic view unique to Du You.

The private residence situated on the mountain was one of the most prestigious and mysterious dwellings within the city.

If it hadn’t been for Xian Ran Sect borrowing this place for a couple’s ceremony, today wouldn’t have been so lively.

Now that the ceremony had ended, and the guests dispersed, the daytime bustle was over, and the chaos of a short while ago had ceased, once again leaving it in quietude.

The sun was gradually setting.

In the slanting rays of the sun.

On the distant streets, a few carriages intermittently stopped, with beasts of unusual bloodlines snorting listlessly as they pulled them.

A short-haired girl was just standing up from a carriage, frowning and looking around.

At this moment.

Not far from where the bustle had taken place at the base of You Mountain, a tavern.

A dissatisfied, sword-carrying man was walking out.

Murmuring to himself.

“What a lousy tavern, Sword Immortal Residence? No wonder the drinks are so expensive, they sure have nerve. Had I known, I would have chosen another place.”

The sword-carrying man retracted his gaze from the tavern sign and heaved a slight sigh, “The pocket money Qian’er sent is gone again, and I have no idea when that girl will return… Sigh, I got happy for nothing; that troublesome broken Lotus Pond still hasn’t been destroyed…”

A man named Li Bai, having a name Zhao Rong found quite interesting, tightened his grip on his sword and glanced in the direction where Zhao Rong was leading his young mistress away, feeling like an old father whose daughter had been swindled away.

“You little bastard had decided to leave, hadn’t you? And now you’re back, causing trouble for the young mistress?”

“But well, heh, at least you seem to have some sense of responsibility, like a true man of the Zhao family.”

Li Bai withdrew his gaze, looked up at Wangque Platform on You Mountain, and, as if something had crossed his mind, gently shook his head. Today, he could have handed over the sword he was cradling, but instead, he turned and left.

——————

Zhao Rong didn’t know where he was going.

He simply kept walking in one direction without stopping for a moment.

However.

This was different from when he had left in dismay after witnessing Lingfei receiving her sword just a short while ago.

Because.

He was now pulling her along with him.

At this moment, Zhao Rong, with his head held high and chest out, stepped firmly, gazing straight ahead, not looking back at Lingfei, but his lips couldn’t help curving up into a smile.

In the face of the various passersby on the road, curious, envious, and even disdainful, Zhao Rong responded with a smile.

He carefully felt the soft, boneless hand in his grasp.

The warmth was transmitted through their palms.

Her hand was not as cold as before, warm and cozy, and, ah, also a bit sweaty. I’m not sure if it’s hers or mine.

But, this feeling gave Zhao Rong a sense of security.

He could feel the presence of the woman keeping pace behind him.

Her warmth, her softness, her weight, and her fragrance…

This wasn’t a dream; he had found her for real.

“Gui, her Sword Heart is okay, right?”

“It has stabilized. You arrived just in time; the Lifebound Flying Sword is also safe. Although the state of Heart Lake will definitely have suffered compared to before, it’s not too troublesome. After all, you’ve already destroyed a large part of it, this little bit…”

Zhao Rong let out a soft sigh of relief.

When he had come to a sudden realization, he had rushed back all the way and, from afar, heard the deafening sound of cicadas, foreboding something wrong.

Upon his arrival, he saw Qing Jun surrounded by a bizarre silvery-white Sword Qi, encircled by a crowd. Gui urgently informed him that her Sword Heart was at risk of shattering completely, potentially ruining the foundation of her Sword Dao, so he had rushed forward without a moment’s delay.

Thankfully, he had managed to stop Qing Jun from doing something foolish in time.

He was baffled; how could practicing swordplay be so dangerous, with that damn Sword Heart shattering at the slightest provocation…

The two of them continued on their journey, side by side.

Without a single pause in their steps.

Not knowing for how long they walked.

They had left the entire East City of Wangque behind, arriving at a stretch of seashore.

They were met with the briny scent of the sea breeze and the sound of waves lapping against the beach, producing white foam.

Looking out.

The sun was setting in the west, alighting the sky in fiery gold, on the verge of sinking into the vast expanse of the North Sea.

The golden afterglow, just like the countless years that had passed, clung to the fine grains of sand, covering the entire elongated coastline.

And it stretched the shadows of the two people very long.

There was no road ahead.

Zhao Rong’s pace gradually slowed.

Both of them stopped in the wind.

Zhao Rong turned his back to Qing Jun, gazing at the setting sun on the sea’s horizon.

His eyes flitted restlessly, and he licked his lips.

At a certain moment, Zhao Rong took a deep breath and suddenly turned around.

Instantly.

He was met with her complex gaze.

Lingfei, like a little deer caught stealthily nibbling on grass, turned her head in a fluster.

But then, as if realizing something, she quickly recovered.

She turned her head sharply back around, holding herself like a proud swan lifting its head high.

Lingfei’s soft hair, fastened neatly by a simple wooden hairpin, was bathed in the radiant gold of the setting sun.

Her neck, tinted red by the brilliant sunset, was long and graceful.

Her fine, arched eyebrows, like distant hills draped in mist, were tightly furrowed toward the center.

Her bright, expressive eyes, deep like autumn waters, with pupils as dark as drops of ink, were now glaring widely.

Her pretty face showed faint anger as she glowered at Zhao Rong.

Why should I fear you? Who are you to me?

The words “Why have you come looking for me again?” were on the verge of spilling out.

But upon seeing Zhao Rong’s face clearly, Lingfei’s pupils contracted slightly, and she swallowed the harsh question.

She still stared at his weathered and gaunt face with an unchanged expression of annoyance.

“Let go.”

Zhao Rong blinked.

His large hand loosened slightly.

The small hand opened lightly, ready to retract.

But.

The next second.

Zhao Rong’s large hand slipped into her tender palm.

In an instant, their fingers interlocked.

The space between their hands was filled entirely with each other’s touch.

Lingfei promptly tried to withdraw her hand.

“You – let go of me quickly!”

But.

Her slender hand was continuously entangled by Zhao Rong.

Lingfei bit her silver teeth and reached out with the other hand to push his away.

At that moment.

Zhao Rong’s free left hand suddenly lifted, reached forward, and encircled the waist of his wife, who was very close to him.

He pulled her over with a domineering tug.

In an instant.

Warm Fragrance and Soft Jade crashed into his arms.

Seeing that Zhao Rong not only pinned her hand, but was now outrageously embracing her, stepping beyond bounds.

Lingfei suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief, looking at the shameless scoundrel before her.

How had he become so bad?

She bit her red lips, her fragrant shoulders twisting as she struggled to free herself from his embrace.

“Scoundrel, let me go at once!”

“I won’t – not even if I die. You are my wife, and I am your husband, be good… my wife, obey…”

For a moment.

The two were entwined closely with each other on the fine, water-like sand, under the warm glow of the setting sun.

If someone were to pass by the beach at this time, they’d glance from afar, smile knowingly, thinking it was just another couple quarreling…

Before long.

The two on the beach calmed down, motionless, standing as quietly as the setting sun at dusk.

Lingfei, on the verge of the Heavenly Will Realm, still hadn’t broken free from the embrace of Zhao Rong, who was in the Ascending Realm…

Zhao Rong held Lingfei tenderly, one hand around her supple waist and the other stroking her slender back.

He buried his head in her hair, his cheek resting against her blushing little ear, warm and soft, making him want to take a light bite, yet he didn’t dare to.

Zhao Rong inhaled deeply.

What filled his nostrils was the virginal scent of his wife, clear and tranquil, fragrant and sweet.

He couldn’t help but hold her tighter.

Unwilling to lose her again.

Lingfei’s head rested on his shoulder, her hands, however, dangled weakly, not embracing him back, as she let him hold her.

Zhao Rong’s nose tickled with strands of her somewhat disheveled hair, and her pointy little chin was a bit uncomfortable against him.

But Zhao Rong didn’t mind; instead, he squinted at the sun far in the distance, soon disappearing completely below the horizon into the sea.

He gently swayed Lingfei’s delicate body, and beside her translucent, blushing earlobes, he whispered softly:

“Qing Jun, your husband was wrong.”

“I am indeed a scoundrel. After you left, it was only then that I belatedly recognized your past goodness…”

“That night in the bridal chamber, in fact… I genuinely forgot about the White Jade Token. I did not intentionally forget it. If you’re willing to listen, I will explain in detail…”

Zhao Rong paused, but the expressionless Lingfei on his shoulder did not speak.

Zhao Rong said with a bitter smile:

“Qing Jun, I had lost my memory at the time. Truly, it wasn’t one of those clichéd excuses. I found the White Jade Token at my mother’s grave, buried there by the former me… Upon seeing the White Jade Token, I recalled our love pledge, but at that time my memories weren’t complete. I simply felt sorry, and decided to go north to return the token to you. But afterwards, on the road, there were so many, many things…”

Zhao Rong took a deep breath and continued softly:

“After experiencing so much, I finally assimilated my past memories. Only then did I understand that you truly existed by my side, that those memories were indeed lived through with you.”

“I can’t forget, someone embroidered for me, someone wove garments for me, someone daydreamed for me, someone waited for me, someone cried for me.”

“Perhaps, the me from the past didn’t like you, even despised you. But now, I feel differently about every moment I spent with you, and unlike before, I am certain… I care for you.”

Zhao Rong gently swayed the quiet Qing Jun in his arms.

The setting sun on the sea cast its last gleam into his eyes, tinting them red amidst the bright glow.

His eyes were radiant, full of splendid golden brightness.

But his heart was not on the gorgeous view; it was in a dream where she was present.

Gui had said to face one’s true heart squarely.

Zhao Rong closed his eyes, his entire face buried in her silky locks, his lips lightly touching a small, round, reddened earlobe.

Lingfei’s body shivered.

The corner of his mouth curved slightly as he eagerly whispered into her ear, his breath unable to wait for her to hear all his heartfelt words.

“So this time I come to return the token, not as a passing guest, but as one returning home.”

“Qing Jun.”

He said softly:

“I, Zhao Rong, Zhao Ziyu, am immeasurably greedy.

I want both your heart and your body.

I wish to hold your hand by day,

To embrace you at dusk,

To caress you in the night,

To awaken you with a kiss at dawn.”

Zhao Rong was amidst her hair, his eyes tightly shut.

“Little Qing Jun, please give your husband another chance, will you accept it?”