The bright moon sits on the ground

When Tian Wanyan said this, she stopped, picked up the cup of cold tea, and moistened her throat.

She changed to a more comfortable position, put a soft pillow behind her waist, leaned forward, and tapped her cheeks again and again with her nails painted with Kodan, as if she was considering her words, or as if It is to calm the emotions that are affected by the memories.

And Nie Qiu was also in deep thought.

The first time he saw the jade pendant on Tan Rongchong's waist, he felt familiar. The Nie family also often received invitations like this. Nie Chi occasionally asked him to go to a banquet. Maybe it was during those sporadic few times? He I accidentally caught a glimpse of Gu Huazhi who came to the banquet,? And that jade pendant.

However, Nie Qiu was still young at that time, so he couldn't remember Gu Huazhi's appearance clearly, nor did he know his last name.

The only impression he had left was that Gu Huazhi was sitting quietly in the corner of the banquet, as if there was a natural barrier to isolate him from the bustle of others.Nie Qiu remembered that he was wearing a stone-blue robe that night, with strange patterns, like spilled ink, deep black spread on the corners of his clothes, and gradually spread, and the color gradually became lighter Light, converging into a vivid landscape color.Apart from this, there is also the jade pendant with clear color and warm color around his waist, carved into the shape of a tiger holding a lotus in its mouth, it is lifelike.

Nie Qiu had also heard about this former major disciple of the Suifeng sect.

I heard that he seldom goes out, and every time there is a banquet and an invitation is handed out to the Suifeng faction, he slowly steps into the curious eyes of others. Jian, acting like a spoiled child to her parents in every possible way, just to get an invitation to meet Gu Hua, or because of curiosity, or because of admiration, and so on, there are countless.

He also finds it inconceivable that two people with completely different personalities and family backgrounds have their fates entangled together.

Tian Wanyan paused with her finger pointing her cheek, and reminded: "I'll continue."

Seeing Nie Qiu nod her head, she let out a deep breath and continued talking while recalling.

At that time, after Tian Wanyan urged, Tan Rongchong hesitated for a moment. In a short period of time, he probably recalled the past in his mind, and then, helplessly, he sighed and said: "After thinking about it, I think Well, since he has specially written the letter, if I don't accept it, wouldn't it be a disappointment to his good intentions. Xu Fengzi, you should give me the letter."

Xu Fengzi's complexion did not change, his eyes were obscure and complicated, and he took the letter out of his sleeve in silence.

Qin Rongchong raised his hand to catch it, and then he found that the letter was very thin, there should only be a piece of rice paper inside, and the only weight came from the long time flowing down, which coated it with an old light yellow, and the paper on the envelope The scent of lotus that was stained lasted for a long time, still lingering in his nostrils, light, soft, subtle, unlike any kind of incense he liked to use in the past.

To be honest, he didn't want to open the letter in full view and read it carefully in front of everyone.

However, maybe it was because of the turbulent fate, maybe it was because of the urgency deep in his heart, maybe it was because of Tian Wanyan's urging, maybe it was because of Xu Fengzi's eyes, maybe it was because the Suifeng peak melted into the night The silence... Tan Rongchong held the yellowed letter, and suddenly wanted to open it up and have a look.

Xu Fengzi said that Gu Huazhi left the Suifeng School a few years ago, and now he is probably living a leisurely life full of children and grandchildren.

He never thought about who could stand side by side with Gu Huazhi, never thought about who could get his love extravagantly.

After more than 20 years, it is not surprising that his temperament is not as clear and cold as before.

Qin Rongchong's Adam's apple slipped up and down slightly, and he felt a painful astringency, which stayed in his throat for a long time, and he didn't know when it would be gone, days, months, or years?Regarding Gu Huazhi's affairs, he will never be able to maintain his rationality.

All in all, it’s a good thing, he comforted himself so much, that someone could pull the Taoist priest back from the silence to the mundane world, and make him feel emotions and experience things he had never experienced before, could it be that Isn't it a good thing?

Even as a friend, he should give his blessing, shouldn't he?

He has thought about it a long time ago, and he is the only one who has been obsessed with it for so many years... He has thought about it a long time ago.

Immediately, Tan Rongchong twitched the corners of his mouth again, thinking, he probably couldn't say the words of blessing.

Holding the idea of ​​returning the letter to Xu Fengzi after reading it, Tan Rongchong's fingers slid across the corner of the envelope, moved to the seal, almost tore off the seal with despair, and opened it very slowly. This thin letter.

Then he was completely stunned, and suddenly took out the rice paper, unfolded it, flattened it, looked over and over, but there was nothing.

It is true that not a single word was written, and there was only a drop of old ink on one end of the letter.

It was obviously just ink, splashed on the paper, occupying a small area, but it made Tan Rongchong feel dazzling.

He looked at Xu Fengzi in front of him, his fingers holding the letter were trembling, even he didn't know it, his voice was also trembling, like a string that was stretched too tightly, it would soon break due to the unbearable weight In two, "Gu Huazhi, what does this mean?"

Xu Fengzi took a step back, and once again bowed to Tan Rongchong.

What is his mood at the moment?Is it more panic when the secret that has been concealed for a long time is exposed, or more relief?

Qin Rongchong didn't know, at that moment, the sound of insects chirping at Suifeng Peak, the sound of gurgling water, all the sounds bypassed him, and the only thing that could reach his cochlea was Xu Fengzi's next words, the tone was very gentle, But to tear him apart.

"Brother has been thinking about it for a long time, thinking about a lot of things I want to say to you." Xu Fengzi lowered his eyes and said, "When I started writing, I couldn't write a single word, and the tip of the pen stayed on the paper for a long time. Only a drop of ink remained."

When he said this, the face of the calm and self-retaining head of the Suifeng faction finally showed some other emotions, which were sadness, intolerance, and helplessness—Tan Rongchong suddenly had an ominous premonition, and he even He wanted to stop Xu Fengzi from saying what he wanted to say next, as if as long as he didn't listen, there was still room for change in everything.

But Xu Fengzi still said it.

"Young Master Tan," he called softly, and continued to speak, "Brother, he passed away a few years ago, so there is no need to look for it again."

It took Tan Rongchong a long time to digest this sentence. He disassembled each word, chewed it into pieces, and repeated it over and over again.

how could be?He thought slowly, how is it possible?A person like Gu Huazhi is supposed to live a hundred years and live the same life as the sky. How could a person like him die in the torrent of fate, sinking silently into the bottom of the water like a broken boat?

He didn't feel any emotion at first, Xu Fengzi's words were like a hammer, hitting him dizzily.

After that, there were strands of pain, spreading from the chest to the limbs.

He even felt that his steps were unsteady, his figure was shaky, and even his fingertips were numb almost painfully.

Like a stupid, ignorant child, Tan Rongchong's lips moved, her voice was hoarse, and she asked, "Why?"

"Senior brother has always been sick. When he was young, he sought out all the doctors in the world. His disease was a hidden disease brought from his mother's womb. There was no cure. The doctors just shook their heads and said that he would not survive 25 years. Let him live happily for the rest of his life, at least it is worthwhile to walk in this world." Xu Fengzi said slowly, "I don't know if Mr. Tan has noticed that senior brother never drinks alcohol or touches meat when he is out. Fishy, ​​most of the time he just drinks some clear water to fill his stomach? His illness is not from outside, but from inside. Although he looks like an ordinary person on weekdays, there are many things that need to be scrupled."

"There are many diseases, and there is no cure. He can only rely on medicine to survive, lying on the couch all day long, and he doesn't even have the strength to speak." Xu Fengzi looked at the letter in Tan Rongchong's hand and said , "I actually wrote that letter for him."

Xu Fengzi still remembers that night, Gu Huazhi's room was filled with the breathless and oppressive smell of medicine, which smelled bitter and fishy. Fengzi sat in front of the table, rolled up his sleeves, dipped the tip of his pen into the ink, picked up the pen, and waited quietly for Gu Huazhi to tell him what to write—but after he finished saying "write a letter for me", he didn't say anything again. Opening his mouth, he was so silent that even Xu Fengzi became frightened, and couldn't help turning his head to see if he was still awake.

Gu Huazhi was awake, he was still breathing heavily, but fell into deep thought for a long time.

It wasn't until the ink stained on the wolf hairs soaked the rice paper, leaving imperfect traces, that Gu Huazhi coughed a few times, coughing up blood clots from his throat, and then he reluctantly said, "No need to write, this way It's like... maybe he won't read it either."

In this way, Xu Fengzi put down his pen.

Tan Rongchong asked: "Did your senior brother say anything else?" Xu Fengzi thought for a moment, and said: "Senior brother said, if you come to ask for the jade pendant of Dabi Wanyan, let me say that I accidentally lost it, and you can find it." A few excuses to prevaricate, in short, since he has accepted it, he will not return it to you."

When he said this, his gaze naturally stayed on Tan Rongchong's waist, "So you still have your brother's jade pendant."

Then, Xu Fengzi heard a mournful cry, perhaps the only way to describe that sound was a mournful cry, mixed with pain, as if he couldn't bear his words, short and hasty, it came out accidentally from his throat, and was quickly swallowed again went back.

"He never mentioned a single word to me about these things." Tan Rongchong suppressed his grief and squeezed out a sentence through his teeth.

"Few of my fellow apprentices know about this." Xu Fengzi said, "He doesn't want to accept sympathy and pity from others intentionally or unintentionally. unspeakable thoughts."

Tan Rongchong felt as if his body didn't belong to him. The great pain tore him apart, stitched it up again, torn it up again, and stitched it up again. He never got tired of it. He realized that his emotions were on the verge of collapse, so he could barely hold his chest. , slowly, asked the last sentence: "Where is Gu Huazhi's grave? Can I go and see him?"

Xu Fengzi shook his head.

"He only wants to be the first ray of spring wind blowing the ice and snow."

He said: "According to his last words, the headmaster put his body into the fire, and the inexhaustible ones sank into the water, and the ashes flew away with the wind. Now he has traveled all over the mountains and rivers. Life is impermanent, life and death are unpredictable Master Tan, don't feel guilty."