Entering the Spirit Realm: Chapter 119 – After the Great Battle

After Meng Biyu was injured, Gao Yunxiang had no time to attend to her. Once the situation had calmed down, he went over to greet her, smiling as he said, "Big Sister, this battle was truly a stroke of good fortune. If Miss Yang hadn't exposed Luo Mingyuan's secret, we surely would have been wiped out tonight!"

Meng Biyu smiled faintly. "That we turned danger into safety is thanks to the blessings of heaven, which brought us such a miraculous encounter. Furthermore, it was you, Second Brother, and Miss Yang who shouldered all the peril, allowing the rest of us to escape after being wounded. My injuries were quite severe at the time, but after taking medicine and regulating my breath, I have fully recovered."

Gao Yunxiang laughed. "I am relieved to hear that your injuries are of no concern, Big Sister."

Meng Biyu stood up straight, gave Gao Yunxiang a knowing look, and said, "That we were able to leave here unscathed tonight is entirely thanks to Miss Yang. She is a kind-hearted sister who, in order to avenge her father, submitted herself to the thieves and suffered great grievances. She has saved us from disaster; you should go and comfort her well." With that, she walked slowly away.

Gao Yunxiang nodded. Looking down, he saw Miss Yang sitting on the ground with her head lowered, using a withered branch to draw on the earth. He sat down opposite her and asked with a smile, "Miss Yang, now that your great vengeance is fulfilled, is there anything else weighing on your heart?"

Miss Yang said indifferently, "I am a person of flesh and blood, possessing wisdom, inspiration, and desire. How could I not have worries?"

Gao Yunxiang nodded and smiled. "Miss Yang, I sincerely hope you will treat me as a confidant and share your troubles. I may be able to offer you some advice for your consideration."

Miss Yang replied, "I do not know where to go or what to do."

Gao Yunxiang said, "Do you not have a home, a mother, and a brother?"

Yang Yifei replied, "My mother and brother are people I often miss, but that home was my home when I was small; now that I am grown, it is no longer my home."

Gao Yunxiang thought to himself, the old saying "a daughter's heart turns outward" is certainly true. Once grown, she marries a husband.

Changing his train of thought, he said, "Miss Yang, you have endured the unendurable to avenge your father's murder. You should return home to tell your mother, so that she may know your heart's desire has been fulfilled, and that you have returned safely. It would be a joy for family to reunite, and a celebration that the great vengeance is complete."

Yang Yifei said, "My mother did not support my plan for revenge. She said my father’s tragic death was self-inflicted—who could he blame? It was just that my brother paid with his life, which was too unjust."

"I left home quietly, and Mother has long since assumed I was dead. As time fades the memories, Mother will no longer miss me. I only wish to do what my heart desires; I do not seek praise from others, so I have no urge to rush home to claim credit before my mother."

Gao Yunxiang said, "Miss Yang, if you do not wish to return home, why not travel with us? There is still much need for your help in eliminating the sects that plague the world."

Before he could finish, Yang Yifei stood up abruptly and darted away without looking back.

Seeing her sudden anger, Gao Yunxiang wondered what he had said wrong. He stared at her slender back in a daze for a moment before lunging in pursuit, calling out, "Miss Yang! Miss Yang!"

Yang Yifei ignored his calls and raced toward the edge of the forest.

Gao Yunxiang’s lightness skills were superior. Just as he was about to catch her, he performed the "Swallow Soaring Through the Beams" technique, leaping over twenty feet into the air. With a swoosh, he flew over her head and landed lightly in front of her.

He spread his arms to block her path and smiled. "Miss Yang, you are so angry—I don't understand what I said to offend you. It would grieve me my whole life. You must tell me why you are offended."

Yang Yifei remained silent, then suddenly sprang into the air, launching a lightning-fast series of chain kicks at Gao Yunxiang’s chest.

Gao Yunxiang sidestepped the assault, calculated where she would land, and stepped forward. He reached his left arm around her waist from behind and circled it across her chest, looking down into her beautiful, flower-like face with a smile. "You cannot run."

Yang Yifei pouted her cherry lips and said, "Shameless! Let me go, I want to..."

Gao Yunxiang chuckled. "Want to what? Why don't you finish?" As he spoke, he leaned his lips toward hers.

Yang Yifei’s pulse quickened. She gritted her teeth and said, "I want you dead!"

Gao Yunxiang gazed at her delicate face and laughed. "I have offended you, and if you want me dead, I will close my eyes and let you do as you please."

He closed his eyes and added, "If you didn't strike before, I fear you lack the heart to do so now."

A blush spread across Yang Yifei’s radiant face like a peach blossom blooming in the morning, appearing stunningly beautiful. With her eyes half-closed, she asked, "How do you know I lack the heart?"

Gao Yunxiang smiled and replied, "We have no grudge between us; you were only angry because my words were ill-suited. That anger has already faded. Your limbs are weak and soft—how could you have the heart to kill me?"

Yang Yifei, with eyes still half-closed, said, "Do not be arrogant just because you have the upper hand. Just wait and see; one day I will bury you!"

Gao Yunxiang leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I trust that in the future, you will bury me in your embrace."

Yang Yifei suddenly struggled to her feet, raised her two fair fists, and pounded them against Gao Yunxiang’s chest, scolding, "You are terrible! I'll beat you to death, I'll beat you to death!"

Gao Yunxiang puffed out his chest and let her strike for a while, then said, "Don't hurt your fists. Let's talk about something serious."

Yang Yifei withdrew her fists, turned her body away, and hung her head. "You only care about making a name for yourself in the Jianghu, wanting others to die for you. You are tall and handsome, like a horse dropping—shiny on the outside, but nothing but chaff on the inside. You don't understand the first thing about love."

Gao Yunxiang laughed. "Consider me a block of wood. But a block of wood has its benefits—you can hold it in your hand and play with it, doing as you please. Isn't that nice? What else is wrong with me? Please, tell me."

Yang Yifei said, "You are heartless and ungrateful; you burn the bridge after crossing it."

Gao Yunxiang frowned. "How so? Am I such a person?"

Yang Yifei said, "You wanted me to face life and death with you, carrying me on your back to fight enemies. I did not resist; I listened to you in everything. If you had been killed by a palm strike, would I have been able to live?"

Gao Yunxiang smiled and placed a hand on her fragrant shoulder. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes!" Yang Yifei continued. "You asked me to cooperate with you against a powerful enemy. I exhausted my thoughts and cooperated with you faithfully, blinding the strongest figure in the current Wulin. Was that not sincere cooperation? Was it fake?"

Gao Yunxiang said, "When did I ever say you were insincere?"

Yang Yifei said, "You clearly know that a woman's heart turns outward, yet you repeatedly urged me to go home. If I go home, I will inevitably have to find a husband. People in the countryside are narrow-minded. If they knew I had spent years in a den of thieves and bandits, who would believe I remained untainted by the mud?"

"Not only would no one take me as a wife, but the gossip alone would curse me to death. You show no sympathy and instead force me away. Does such behavior not clearly demonstrate that you are heartless and ungrateful?"

She paused, then added, "A real man's word is worth its weight in gold!"

Gao Yunxiang had spoken without thinking, but she had taken it to heart. Hearing her clear and logical accusations, peppered with insults, he couldn't help but blush. He stared at her for a long time, not knowing what to say.

Yang Yifei looked at Gao Yunxiang, wearing a look of triumph, and asked with a smile, "Was I wrong?"

Gao Yunxiang shook his head and said, "A gentleman's word is final."

Yang Yifei sneered, "Don't flatter yourself!"

Gao Yunxiang said, "While the saying about a gentleman's word refers to an Emperor, an Emperor's every move and word serve as an example for the people. It is not inappropriate for me to use this phrase."

Yang Yifei smiled softly. "So, you won't force me to leave?"

Gao Yunxiang nodded. "Yifei, you are so beautiful and charming that everyone loves you. I am also a man, and Heaven has bestowed upon me a heart that loves beauty!"

Yang Yifei said, "Listening to you put it so delicately, you like me because of your human appreciation of beauty, but are there great obstacles? Are you already betrothed or do you have another confidante?"

Gao Yunxiang replied, "I am not betrothed, nor do I have a secret girlfriend. I am a son, and if I were to pledge my love to someone, I must first inform my parents."

Yang Yifei said, "As a son, you should do so. If your honored father does not agree to our marriage in the future, I will not complain. I will only blame my own poor fate and lack of virtue."

Gao Yunxiang opened his arms and embraced her, pressing his cheek against hers. "Yifei, I sincerely admire your open-mindedness. From now on, we shall never part."

Yang Yifei said, "I have a terrible temper. You are so certain today, but you will regret it later."

Gao Yunxiang released her and laughed. "I am not afraid of your beatings, so feel free to be as difficult as you like."

Yang Yifei giggled. "Very well. If we fight once or twice a day, we can create many strange new moves. From youth until old age, even the seventy-two martial arts of the Shaolin Temple won't be as formidable as ours."

Gao Yunxiang said, "There is one thing I must clarify with you beforehand."

Yang Yifei said, "Speak! I am a person who distinguishes right from wrong; as long as you are reasonable, I will follow you."

Gao Yunxiang smiled. "Our nation's tradition has always held men in high esteem; naturally, you must listen to me."

Yang Yifei scoffed, "You want to ride on my head and act the master? Keep dreaming."

Gao Yunxiang straightened his expression. "Those two masked people—hidden beneath their masks is immense pain. They are my sworn siblings. Please be careful with your words and do not wound them. They are pitiful, suffering people who need the understanding and comfort of others."

Yang Yifei nodded. "Big Sister hinted at their unfortunate experiences earlier. In this regard, I understand more than you do."

"A person with flaws in their features or a guilty conscience fears being stared at most. I have felt this myself. When I was living in the thieves' den, if I went to buy something and someone glanced at me, I would suspect they were calling me a thief-girl or a young bandit-wench in their hearts. I truly wanted to stab them with a sword."

Gao Yunxiang looked up at the sky. "It will be dawn soon. Let us return to finish our remaining business before leaving this place."

Hand in hand, they returned to the site, skipping and jumping. Meng Biyu was standing there waiting, looking out for them. Seeing them return with smiles, she greeted them: "You were gone for so long without returning; you had me worried to death."

"Big Sister, I apologize." Gao Yunxiang whispered to Meng Biyu, "It seems Jiezhenzi and Fourth Sister have reconciled. Did you play matchmaker?"

Meng Biyu shook her head. "I was not the mediator. It was Miss Jie who relayed what you told her to Jiezhenzi, and I also advised Fourth Sister, which is how they began to converse."