Embrace the blade

At night, there were few customers in the wilderness shop, Xue Le finished his meal and went upstairs early, intending to go back to his room to rest.

He closed the door, and suddenly realized that there was another aura hidden in the room. With one hand already on the sword, his eyes searched the dark room: "Your Excellency, why did you come here uninvited?"

The other party knocked on the table and lit up the lamp: "It's me."

The familiar voice and face appeared together, Xue Le let go of the sword, looked him up and down in amazement: "You...how are you here?"

"It seems that the two of us have a good relationship." Qi Zhaoxi leaned on the table, "Why did you also come to Prajna?"

"Prajna religion?" Xue Le showed confusion, and then remembered that this place is not far from Jiuyuan Mountain, and explained, "I heard some rumors and planned to go to Qiancheng, and I was anxious to take a shortcut, but I forgot about Prajna. The teacher is nearby."

Qi Zhaoxi nodded and didn't answer for a moment.It was rare for Xue Le to see him look depressed, so he couldn't help asking: "Why, what happened to Prajna Teaching, did you fail to leave smoothly?"

Qi Zhaoxi looked up at him and said, "Jiang Li is gone."

"...Jiang Li?"

"After you left that day, I was really worried about him after thinking about it, so I planned to take another look. He had just left the Dongting at that time, so it was not difficult to find, but I kept following him from a distance to avoid being noticed by him. Behind." Qi Zhaoxi shook his head, "By the time I realized that this little thing was going to Jiuyuan Mountain, it was already too late."

Xue Le hesitated: "Then you..."

"I didn't follow at that time." Qi Zhaoxi said in a low voice, "After all, it is Prajna teaching, how could I not hesitate. Besides, I think Jiang Li's martial arts are unpredictable, and he is smart enough, so he won't go to die, just wait At the foot of the mountain. Unexpectedly, he actually provoked Ibuzhi, causing the whole sect to search and arrest. I couldn't help sneaking back to the Prajna sect to find out. Yin Huaishu was dismissed from patrol duties, Jiang Li must have escaped , but now a whole day has passed, but I can no longer find any trace of him."

"Perhaps you happened to miss him. He has already left Jiuyuan Mountain?"

"That's why I'm here." Qi Zhaoxi said, "He has injuries, this place is the limit, he can't go any farther."

Xue Le looked at him seriously: "You panic."

"..." Qi Zhaoxi raised her hand and touched her face, "Is it so obvious?"

"Obviously." Xue Le said, "Then you think Jiang Li is still trapped in Jiuyuan Mountain? I'll go find it with you."

Qi Zhaoxi didn't move at all, his face was half-lit by the candlelight, like a silent statue, after waiting for a long time, he said: "I plan to send patrols on the mountain to look for them, there are more of them, and they are more familiar with the terrain of the mountain. "

"But how can you mobilize them?" As soon as the words came out, Xue Le reacted, and grabbed his arm in shock, "Qi Zhaoxi, this matter must not be impulsive! You have finally escaped from the Prajna Sect. , if you go back as Zuo Dharma at this time, wouldn't all previous efforts be wasted?"

"You're right." Qi Zhaoxi finally smiled wryly, "...I'm also thinking, is he worth it?"

Xue Le couldn't answer, and slowly let go of his hand.He could not disregard Jiang Li's life and death, but he really couldn't bear to see Qi Zhaoxi's painstaking efforts ruined in one go, not to mention if he returned to Prajna Sect this time, he didn't know when he would be able to get out of it.

There was silence for a while, the hatchback was silent.

In the end, it was Qi Zhaoxi who spoke first, with some hesitation: "Was Jiang Li angry with me when I left?"

Xue Le thought about it carefully, but only the thin figure kneeling beside the corpse appeared in his eyes, so he shook his head: "I can't see it."

After a while, Qi Zhaoxi said again: "If I leave him alone this time, and he just died like this, will Huangquan Road blame me for my ruthless self-preservation and my indifference?"

This question is really inexplicable.Jiang Li didn't know that he didn't leave, he didn't know that he had followed behind silently, and he didn't know that he was entangled in every possible way at this moment, so how could he blame him?

But Xue Le didn't remind this point, just thought about it, and answered truthfully: "With Jiang Li's personality, even if he knew about it, he probably wouldn't blame you."

Qi Zhaoxi nodded slowly.

When he asked, he already had the answer in his heart.How could Jiang Li blame him?

When we first met, I didn't want to say my name, I only hid when I got hurt, I didn't listen to storytelling, let alone drink, I was taciturn, I walked alone, I didn't bother others, and I didn't know how to please people.

He lives alone as if he is invulnerable, and never counts on others.

Qi Zhaoxi laughed abruptly, gnashing his teeth in his words: "I really owe him." He turned around and walked out, opened the window with one hand, and stopped Xue Le who was about to follow with the other, "You Stay here and wait for the news, it is inconvenient to have people around the Demon Sect Zuo Guardian."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Xue Le stopped persuading him: "Okay, I'll wait for you to bring him back." After a pause, he smiled again, "Since you can't let Jiang Li go in your heart, after this reunion, it's better to be true Take him as an apprentice."

Qi Zhaoxi had already jumped out of the window, the words passed by his ears with the wind, he looked back subconsciously, the light from the window gradually went away, the answer was pressed back to the bottom of his heart, but lingered on.

But I never took him as an apprentice.

As soon as this idea popped up, even I was confused immediately.

...so what does that mean for him?

At the foot of Jiuyuan Mountain, a sound of footsteps came from the darkness.The patrols gathered with torches in their hands, and a figure in a black robe with a drooping hood was seen. The leader hurriedly separated from the crowd and went forward, bowing and saluting: "Welcome to the guardian left."

After the salute, the leader raised his head, still standing in front of him and not getting out of the way.

Qi Zhaoxi raised his hand and pulled open his collar. In the light of the fire, a double-petal flower scar bloomed under his left collarbone, and the tattoo was as red as blood.

The Prajna Sect divides people into thirteen grades, with flower scars as the distinguishing mark. The higher the status, the more complicated and colorful the flower scars. The materials used for each grade are also different. There are gold, silver, copper, iron and glass, and the left and right protectors, Being below the leader is the highest rank, a brand engraved on flesh and blood.

The leader verified the tattoo, bowed and saluted, and retreated to the sides with the patrolling congregation to make way.

But seeing Guardian Zuo standing there, he ordered: "I want you to find someone."

The leader bowed his head in response, and when he got a specific order, he assigned people to search, turned around and turned to the left to protect the dharma, promising that if he found it, he would send him to the church, but the other party had no intention of leaving.He seemed to look up for a while, then walked into the mountain forest himself, the leader was full of surprise but didn't dare to ask more questions, so he quickly held up a torch and put it on.

The search process was not smooth.The torches were scattered in the mountains and forests, like fireflies flying, wandering around all night without thinking, until they were extinguished after dawn, and finally someone rushed to report back.

"I found it, outside the cave on the edge of the cliff!"

He walked over with the people.

He had never seen Jiang Li in such a mess.

The congregation in black surrounded him in the middle, he fell to the ground, his face was pale, his hands were covered with maroon blood, his expression was exhausted, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were distracted. He was clearly on the verge of collapse. On the edge, without the strength to stand up, but still holding on to the dagger tightly.

There was a smear of fresh blood on the dagger, and some congregants were seriously injured by him. The others did not dare to venture close, and only surrounded him, as if hunting a trapped animal.

Qi Zhaoxi heard her own voice call out coldly: "You all stand down."

Everyone retreated a few feet away, and he walked forward alone, restraining his emotions and steps, so as not to be caught by anyone.

The moment he approached, a cold light flickered on the dagger, but he was too weak, Qi Zhaoxi easily grabbed his wrist, as if holding a piece of cold ice without temperature.

Xu felt that the enemy was strong, Jiang Li struggled to resist with all his might, Qi Zhaoxi half-kneeled in front of him, tried to hold him in his arms, but couldn't hold him back, and was almost cut by a dagger.

In desperation, Qi Zhaoxi had no choice but to twist his wrist behind his back. At that moment, Jiang Li resisted violently. He gasped chaotically, the pain seemed to be dying, even mixed with a brittle fragility.Qi Zhaoxi struggled to hold him in his arms forcibly, and was also disturbed. Knowing that he could no longer tell the difference, she lowered her voice and called him: "Jiang Li? Jiang Li! It's me, Master is here to pick you up." Now, don't be afraid..."

The dagger fell swiftly into the grass.

Jiang Li suddenly struggled harder, and he didn't know where the strength came from. Qi Zhaoxi could hardly hold him down, but he broke free from his wrist and forced himself up from his arms.Qi Zhaoxi wanted to grab him, but he struggled desperately to free his hand, pulled off his hood, and his black hair fell loose.

Qi Zhaoxi was taken aback.He still has a black scarf to cover his face, even if he took off the hood, only a pair of eyes are exposed, and he is not worried about being seen by the congregation.

What made him stunned was Jiang Li's eyes.

He stared fixedly at Qi Zhaoxi's face, his eyes seemed to hide all the words he hadn't said, and he seemed to have nothing, just staring at him quietly and without blinking, even though the hands supporting his figure were still there I couldn't stop shaking.

Qi Zhaoxi's mind went blank and he couldn't say anything.

Jiang Li looked at him for a while, the corners of his mouth moved, as if he was smiling, as if he was saying:

"Qi Zhaoxi..."

His voice was as soft as a needle falling to the ground, and the needle pierced his heart, and suddenly the pain was severe, as if the heart had finally regained consciousness after many years of decay, and bright red hot blood flowed out.

Jiang Li completely lost consciousness and fell headlong into his arms.

Qi Zhaoxi hugged him and tightened his arms little by little. The world was silent, only the sound of his own heartbeat could be heard.

His heart beat against his chest, dispelling the lingering confusion, and he found the answer.