After the three of them finished their meal, Guo Jing wasted no more time and went straight to the ferry terminal.
There were still quite a few returning boats out on the sea.
Guo Jing picked a large boat and paid the fare.
The three boarded the boat, the boatman raised the sails and rigging, and the large vessel cleaved through layers of waves, heading straight into the depths of the East Sea.
Sitting in the cabin, Yang Guo felt quite energetic at first.
After all, in this life, he had never ridden a boat like this before.
But today had been far too exhausting, with so much happening in a single day.
Before the boat had been rocking long, his eyelids grew heavy as lead.
In the end, he leaned his head against the cabin wall and fell asleep.
Huang Rong took a look, fetched a cloak from nearby, and covered Yang Guo with it.
Then, she quietly gave Guo Jing a look:
“Jing-ge.”
“Come out for a moment.”
The two walked to the bow of the boat.
Huang Rong lowered her voice and said:
“Jing-ge, now that we’ve brought Guo'er back, do you have a plan in mind?”
“You know First Master’s temper better than anyone.”
“Back then, your five masters died tragically on Peach Blossom Island; that is a hatred First Master has spent more than half a lifetime unable to dissolve.”
“He hates Ouyang Feng to the core, and he hates Yang Kang just as fiercely.”
“How do you intend to bring this up with First Master?”
Guo Jing was silent for a moment, then said:
“I believe First Master can tell right from wrong.”
“His temper may be stubborn, but he has acted honorably and uprightly his whole life, valuing jianghu righteousness above all.”
“Brother Kang’s mistakes have nothing to do with Guo'er.”
“Guo'er is an innocent child who has suffered endless cold glares while begging on the streets all these years.”
“If First Master learns of his suffering, he will surely not vent his anger on him.”
Huang Rong rolled her eyes at him, sighing helplessly:
“Oh, you, always thinking everyone in the world is just like you.”
“Let us hope so.”
Guo Jing actually had a bit of a headache about it too.
He knew Ke Zhen'e’s temper better than anyone.
He was a good man, but his temper was truly stubborn.
Especially when it came to his five departed masters.
His temper would flare up at the slightest spark.
Guo Jing added:
“Suppose First Master really gets angry.”
“I will gently persuade him.”
“Guo'er has already suffered so much all these years.”
“We cannot let him suffer more for Brother Kang’s past.”
“He must not be made to feel wronged again.”
Huang Rong looked at her husband and gave a soft laugh:
“You certainly move fast to protect him.”
Guo Jing said earnestly:
“He is my nephew.”
“Of course I have to protect him.”
...
The next day.
The skies cleared, and at the horizon where sea met sky, a lush, emerald-green immortal island emerged.
Looking from afar, rocky peaks stretched inward from the shore.
Trees grew in layered dense thickets, with peach groves nestled among them.
Although the peach blossoms were not yet in bloom at this time, plenty of tender buds were already sprouting on the branches.
Stone paths wound inward from the shore, and dwellings lay hidden behind the shade of the trees.
White walls and blue tiles, impossibly clean and neat.
As the bow bumped into the sandy shoals, two mute servants waiting on shore saw Huang Rong and immediately bowed in greeting.
One of them turned and jogged into the depths of the peach grove to deliver the news.
Yang Guo jumped down, stepping onto the stone stairs, unable to resist looking left and right.
Seeing Yang Guo looking all around, Guo Jing thought the boy was mesmerized, and patted his shoulder with a smile:
“Guo'er, it’s not the season yet.”
“Wait another month, and when the peach blossoms across the island fully bloom, that will be true breathtaking beauty on earth.”
Yang Guo nodded:
“Mm.”
In truth, he was thinking: Setting aside whether it looks good or not, having a roof over my head where I live is already great.
As he was mulling it over...
From the end of the bluestone path in the peach grove, a crisp, jingling chime of jade ornaments approached from afar.
“Dad! Mom!!”
A fire-red figure, accompanied by a crisp, sweet voice, burst through the flower branches in a whirlwind.
It was none other than Guo Fu, dressed in a pomegranate-red dress.
She was holding a small wooden sword carved smooth and flat, hopping and skipping all the way.
Huang Rong waved from far away, scolding with fondness:
“Fu'er, slow down! A young girl acting so rash and reckless all day long!”
Guo Fu scampered up to the three of them, and just as she was about to throw herself into Guo Jing’s arms...
Unexpectedly, her eyes met the young boy standing beside Guo Jing.
Guo Fu ground to a sudden halt, freezing right on the spot.
Clad in a bamboo-green practice suit, Yang Guo looked tall and straight, with sword-shaped eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a high-bridged nose.
On his fair, handsome face hung a hint of casual nonchalance.
Compared to Da Wu and Xiao Wu, who liked to follow her around covered in dirt and grime...
...the Yang Guo before her looked practically like an immortal youth stepped right out of a scroll painting.
Guo Fu blinked her pair of bright, lively eyes, blurting out loudly:
“Dad, Mom, who is this handsome young master?”
Guo Jing’s face darkened:
“Fu'er.”
“Mind your manners when you speak.”
Guo Fu pouted:
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“He really is just handsome.”
Guo Jing pointed at Yang Guo:
“This is the senior brother of the Yang family Father often tells you about, Yang Guo.”
Guo Fu’s eyes instantly lit up. Hiding the wooden sword behind her back, she smiled till her eyes curved into crescents:
“So you’re Brother Yang!”
She had clearly heard this name many times.
After all, Guo Jing put things into that wooden box every year.
She had even stolen quite a few.
Among them was that “Demon-Slaying Sword.”
She was holding it right in her hand at this moment.
Seeing that small peach-wood sword swaying in Guo Fu’s hand, Yang Guo’s heart gave an unprompted twitch.
He instinctively hid his right arm behind his back.
Alarm bells instantly rang in his head.
Here she comes—this one is a prime high-risk character from the original work.
The primary party responsible for the arm-severing incident.
Though she’s only nine now and looks pretty cute...
...historical experience tells Yang Guo:
Some things must be nipped in the bud from childhood!
Since I’ve taken the initiative in this life, I absolutely must purge all of this girl’s spoiled and willful habits!
Severed arm?
Don’t even dream about it!
Showing nothing on his face, Yang Guo tugged his lips into a gentle, harmless smile and said:
“Sister Fu, nice to meet you for the first time.”
Made slightly flush by his courteous and polite manners, Guo Fu unexpectedly fidgeted in a rare display of shyness.
“You call me Sister Fu?”
“Then should I call you Brother Yang from now on?”
Yang Guo’s lip twitched—why did that sound a bit roundabout?
“Either is fine.”
Right at that moment.
From the other end of the peach grove’s stone path came the heavy yet crisp sound of an iron staff striking the ground.
Da Wu and Xiao Wu flanked Ke Zhen'e, supporting him as they walked over.
Calling it supporting was generous; it was more like being dragged along by Ke Zhen'e.
The old blind man walked extremely fast, his iron staff tapping the ground tap after tap.
Da Wu and Xiao Wu at his sides clearly struggled to keep pace.
Guo Jing pointed ahead and softly instructed Yang Guo beside him:
“Guo'er, that white-haired elder ahead is Uncle Guo’s First Master. You should respectfully address him as First Master.”
Guo Jing pointed to Da Wu and Xiao Wu again:
“The two next to him are the Wu brothers.”
“Wu Dunru.”
“Wu Xiuwen.”
“They’re a year or two younger than you; from now on, just call them your junior martial brothers.”
Before Ke Zhen'e even drew near, he spoke up:
“Jing'er!”
“Has the vengeance for your five masters been taken?”
“Has that old venomous dog Ouyang Feng been brought to justice?!”
Guo Jing sighed, cupping his hands, and replied:
“Replying to First Master, although Ouyang Feng is insane, he seemed to notice us tracking him, jumped into a large river, and lost us.”
A breath of foul air stuck in Ke Zhen'e’s chest, the copper rings on his iron staff clattering with a deafening noise:
“Curse the heavens for being blind! Letting that atrociously evil old dog slip away yet again!”
“That Old Poison’s life is tough indeed!”
Taking the opportunity, Guo Jing pulled Yang Guo along and whispered:
“Guo'er, quickly step forward and greet First Master.”
Before Yang Guo could utter a word...
...Ke Zhen'e’s pair of paled eyes accurately “stared” right at Yang Guo’s position.
He knit his brows and asked:
“Jing'er.”
“Who is this child?”
Guo Jing’s smile faded, and he bowed solemnly:
“First Master, he is Brother Kang’s flesh and blood.”
“Rong'er and I found him by chance while pursuing Ouyang Feng.”
“Sister Mu has already passed away.”
“Guo'er spent many years wandering alone and helpless in Jiaxing, and he was even injured, so I brought him back.”
Beside them, Huang Rong nudged Yang Guo:
“Guo'er, give your respects to First Master.”
Yang Guo dutifully cupped his hands and bowed:
“Junior Yang Guo pays respects to First Master.”
The moment his words fell...
...Ke Zhen'e’s weather-beaten, wrinkled old face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a burnt pot!
The old blind man’s brows knitted tightly, his pair of paled strange eyes rolling upward, and with a loud clang, the iron staff in his hand pointed diagonally at Yang Guo:
“Very good! So it’s you, you little brat!”
Seeing things turn sour, Guo Jing shifted his massive frame, stepping firmly to block Yang Guo:
“First Master! Brother Kang is Brother Kang, and Guo'er is Guo'er!”
“Brother Kang made grave mistakes back then, but the guilt does not extend to his offspring!”
Ke Zhen'e remembered that while fighting Li Mochou back at Lu Manor, he seemed to have vaguely heard a few children nearby mention the name Yang Guo.
The situation had been urgent then, so he hadn’t paid it any mind.
He snorted coldly:
“What Yang Kang did back then is something I will never forget in this lifetime.”
“But ‘the son pays the father’s debt’ is the absurd logic of gambling house debt collectors.”
“That is not Ke Zhen'e’s logic!”
“I am not so devoid of moral code that I would implicate the next generation!”
“That is not what I am talking about now.”
“Well, Yang Guo! I knew your mind had more schemes than a honeycomb!”
“Like father, like son!”
Guo Jing was completely mystified:
“First Master, today is the very first time you’ve met Guo'er. Where is this coming from?”
Ke Zhen'e’s mustache trembled with rage:
“Jing'er, you don’t know!”
“A few days ago at Lu Manor, while I was locked in a life-and-death struggle against the Scarlet Maiden Li Mochou...”
“...this kid actually used me as a human shield!”
“In all my half a lifetime roaming the jianghu...”
“...this is the very first time someone used me as a meat shield shoved to the front!”
Rate on N.U.
