On the dim Tieguan Mountain, a figure faced the bottom of the mountain, sitting on a protruding rock on the mountain, exuding the aura of death like a dead tree.
Duan Gang has been sitting here since he ran all the way back to Tieguan Mountain to inform senior sister Lin Qingyan.
Duan Gang has never hated himself as much as he does now.
"Coward, coward, coward..."
A voice roared in his heart, and Duan Gang punched the rugged rocks one after another. Without using any blood energy, he punched them one after another, until the flesh and blood were blurred and blood flowed out.
It cannot alleviate the pain and self-blame in my heart.
The moment he was caught by Zhao Hua, Duan Gang wished he could die just like that, rather than living in pain like this.
But Duan Gang knew that he couldn't. If he didn't make it alive, both of them would have died in vain. But the self-blame and guilt in his heart did not diminish at all.
If it weren't for him, Yang Ji wouldn't be in danger.
If it weren't for him, Yang Ji wouldn't have died!
Duan Gang never thought that Yang Ji would give up his life to save himself! Duan Gang thought of that time in the Martial Palace again. At the critical moment, if Yang Ji and Bai Yuanyuan hadn't stepped forward, the chaos would have been fatal.
how many people.
Among them, you may include yourself.
"Yang Ji, I, Duan Gang, owe you my life. No matter what, you must come back alive!"
In the darkness, Duan Gang looked down the mountain, and a bright light flashed in his eyes. Everyone thought that Yang Ji was dead, but he was the only one who still firmly believed that Yang Ji would definitely come back, just like in the Martial Palace.
Time passed slowly. I don’t know how long it took, but a dark shadow gradually appeared in the direction of the mountain. He was walking alone, heading up the mountain.
Duan Gang didn't pay attention at first, but when the distance between the two became close enough that he could vaguely see their faces, Duan Gang's heart shook violently and he stood up suddenly.
"Yang Ji!——"
Duan Gang stood up suddenly with an excited expression. He looked at the figure in disbelief.
"Duan Gang?"
Yang Ji was also surprised when he saw Duan Gang sitting on the protruding rock. After reconciling with Zhao Hua, Yang Ji wasted a lot of time, so he returned late. But looking at Duan Gang's appearance, he seemed to be waiting here.
Not a short time.
"Duan Gang, why are you here?"
Yang Ji was overjoyed and strode forward.
However, what he received in response was a big bear hug from Duan Gang. The two thick arms were like steel bars, almost strangling Yang Ji's body. Yang Ji could even feel the trembling of his body through his arms.
"You're back. You're finally back. I knew you wouldn't die..."
Duan Gang cried with joy, and two lines of tiger tears flowed out.
There was a time when Duan Gang thought that Yang Ji would never come back, but unexpectedly, Yang Ji magically appeared in front of him again.
Yang Ji was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. He stretched out an arm and patted Duan Gang's back gently. He smiled and said:
"Don't worry, I'm back now, haven't you? You've been with me for so long. Don't you know that I don't do things you're not sure about?"
After meeting each other for a long time, Duan Gang's mood finally stabilized.
"Yang Ji, how did you escape?"
Duan Gang couldn't help but ask.
Zhao Hua's skill was far more powerful than that of Yang Ji, and he was at the same level as senior sister Lin Qingyan. Under the circumstances at that time, Duan Gang almost thought that Yang Ji was dead.
"Hahaha. I didn't escape at all...but I walked out step by step."
Yang Ji laughed.
"You came out step by step?"
Duan Gang was stunned for a moment, then he realized what was happening, his eyes widened, and he looked at Yang Ji in disbelief:
"You mean, they didn't kill you at all, but let you out themselves?"
"Haha. You guessed it right. Zhao Hua and I reached a settlement, and they let me go on their own."
Yang Jidao.
"How can it be?"
Duan Gang exclaimed, as if he heard the most incredible thing in the world.
"Nothing is impossible in this world."
Yang Ji said calmly:
"Do you still remember what I said to you on the way here? 'Every bustle in the world is for benefit, and all the hustle and bustle in the world is for benefit.'"
There was silence in the darkness. Duan Gang looked at Yang Ji and vaguely understood something.
"Okay. Let's talk about anything tomorrow."
Yang Ji patted Duan Gang on the shoulder and stood up:
"I'm going back to take a nap first."
Yang Ji said and turned around to leave with a calm and calm expression, as if nothing happened today.
Yang Ji quickly walked away and disappeared into the dark night. Duan Gang was the only one looking at Yang Ji's back, with rays of light flashing in his eyes.
"I, Duan Gang, repay kindness and revenge. Yang Ji, I escaped once, and I will never escape a second time!..."
In the darkness, Yang Ji didn't know that it was at this time that he truly gained Duan Gang's loyalty.
…
Early the next morning, Yang Ji rushed to the Patriarch's Hall.
In a splendid hall, a three-foot-tall, brightly colored and lifelike statue of the Patriarch stood on top of the shrine.
The statue has five willows and a long beard, and is as black as ink. Its two dragon eyes are calm and powerful, and its glare is so soul-stirring that it seems as if it is about to jump off the shrine at any time.
The "ancestral hall" is the place where incense is offered. The first thing all registered disciples have to do in the morning is to offer incense to the ancestor. This is a necessary daily homework.
After Yang Ji went up the mountain, he could only count the number of times he went to the Patriarch Hall to offer incense. The reason is simple. Although "named disciples" are required to go to the Patriarch Hall to offer incense piously, otherwise they will be severely punished and may even be expelled from the sect.
However, this kind of rule is far less stringent for "disciples who teach the practice", and it is even more so for "senior brothers" and "senior sisters".
However, despite this, it should not be overdone. Some efforts to save face still need to be done.
Yang Ji picked up a stick of incense, lit it, got rid of distracting thoughts, bowed and saluted, and then respectfully placed the incense on the shrine. For a moment, the hall was filled with green smoke, and Yang Ji also felt the spiritual power in his mind.
The moment the incense was put on, it disappeared.
"As expected!"
Yang Ji looked up at the majestic statue of his ancestor and thought to himself.
This feeling was no stranger to him. When he visited the shrine twice during the Civil and Military Examinations, Yang Ji also felt a trace of spiritual power mysteriously disappear, as if it had been taken away.
"After the imperial court canonized gods, they built temples for the common people to visit and make offerings. I'm afraid this is related to the disappearance of this spiritual power."
Yang Ji secretly thought in his heart.
"Yesterday you narrowly escaped death, and now your conscience has made a discovery. Do you still want to come to the Patriarch?"
A woman's voice came from behind with a smile.
"Sister."
Yang Ji turned around and saw Lin Qingyan walking in with a group of female disciples. After Lin Qingyan learned about Duan Gang's disappearance yesterday, she sent people out to search for him all night. Yang Ji was not surprised that she would come looking for him early this morning.
Lin Qingyan and Zhao Hua have always been at odds with each other. Lin Qingyan was not surprised that she was able to escape from Zhao Hua this time. It would be strange if she came to ask in person.
"Sister!"
Seeing Lin Qingyan come in, other disciples in the Patriarch's Hall respectfully retreated. Lin Qingyan didn't say anything. She silently weighed a stick of incense and respectfully placed it on the shrine.
Yang Ji said nothing, silently watching her finish offering the incense, then went up to thank her:
"Thank you for your hard work yesterday, senior sister."
"You boy, if Duan Gang hadn't brought your sword, and I knew to some extent that he wasn't the kind of person who could lie, I would have really thought that last night was a prank you played to tease me on purpose.
"
Lin Qingyan glared at Yang Ji and walked side by side outside the hall with Yang Ji.
"Tell me, how did you escape? Zhao Hua is not the kind of soft-hearted person?"
As soon as she left the Patriarch's Hall, Lin Qingyan's expression immediately changed and she said seriously.
"Nothing, I just made a deal with Zhao Hua."
Yang Ji smiled bitterly. He didn't hide anything and simply told what happened between him and Zhao Hua yesterday.
"You guy, you can even persuade people like Zhao Hua. I really don't know whether you are brave or bold..."
After hearing this, Lin Qingyan was filled with admiration.
People like Zhao Hua are extremely dangerous. Even she has to be on special guard against him. Not only did Yang Ji escape death from him, she actually persuaded him to cooperate with her.
This kind of thing was unimaginable even to her, let alone others. Not to mention the female disciples who followed her. They looked at Yang Ji as if they were looking at a "monster", and were both shocked and admired.
"So, your cooperation with Zhao Hua has been confirmed?"
Lin Qingyan said.
"Well. One more enemy is not as good as one more friend. If there are no accidents, this cooperation should be inevitable."
Yang Jidao. A gentleman's words are hard to follow. On this matter, Yang Ji didn't want to break his promise.
"The people from the Iron Sword Sect are coming, and Zhao Hua wants something from you now. So he can let you escape, or he can tolerate you in every possible way, and he can even try his best to make friends with you. But I have dealt with him before
More than once. People like Zhao Hua are by no means soft-hearted. It’s okay to cooperate with him once, but long-term cooperation... From my point of view, this kind of person is too unreliable. I still hope you can be more cautious.
consider."
Lin Qingyan said with a worried look.
Dancing with the enemy is like seeking skin from a tiger. Although Lin Qingyan admired Yang Ji's courage and was able to come up with such a strategy to escape in that environment, she did not agree with Yang Ji's decision.
"Senior Sister Lin, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. - I won't give him such a chance."
Yang Ji said calmly, but what echoed in his mind was the sentence he had read in the scriptures:
"Everything in the world is bustling for profit; everything in the world is bustling for profit." From the beginning, Yang Ji never thought that Zhao Hua would be a loyal ally.
It was just a pure cooperation between the two. Zhao Hua got Yang Ji's help to improve his martial arts and at the same time gave up the pursuit of Yang Ji. And Yang Ji got a glimpse of Zhao Hua's advanced martial arts, and both sides had their own benefits.
.
As long as Yang Ji can still have the strength to help Zhao Hua continuously improve his martial arts, this cooperation will never break down.
In some cases, this cooperation in interests is even more loyal than the loyalty between allies.
As for the possible betrayal when Yang Ji can no longer help Zhao Hua... Yang Ji will not give him such a chance at all.
The current Yang Jiyuan is not Zhao Hua's opponent, but it does not mean that Yang Ji will never be his opponent. (To be continued...)