Watching Daozun Feiyan kneel before Gu Qingfeng in panic and fear, both Han Dong and Ouyang Ye were wondering the same thing: had Daozun Feiyan lost her mind? Otherwise, why would she not only make them kneel, but also kneel herself...
"Master, you... what's wrong with you!"
Han Dong tried once more to help Daozun Feiyan up, but it was useless again. Not only did she fail to lift Daozun Feiyan, but she herself was forcibly pulled down to kneel by the elder.
Watching this scene, Gu Qingfeng on the opposite side felt a mix of helplessness, head-shaking, and sighs. He disliked others kneeling to him as much as he disliked kneeling to others, especially when this person had once saved his life. However, he did not go over to help her up. Instead, he drank his wine and said,
"Speaking of which, you have shown me kindness and are my senior. Kneeling like this—are you trying to shorten my lifespan, or are you trying to humiliate me?"
Daozun Feiyan shuddered all over and immediately shook her head. "This old woman... this old woman did not... that's not what I meant... Young Lord... please... please don't misunderstand... This old woman just..." In truth, Daozun Feiyan herself didn't know why she was kneeling.
She wasn't even sure who the person before her was.
Yes.
She wasn't sure.
Because her lifelong experience and cultivation common sense told her that this person could not possibly be Monarch Chixiao. Yet, intuitively, she felt that this person might just be Monarch Chixiao. Aside from Monarch Chixiao himself, no one else could know that she had treated his injuries back then. Aside from Monarch Chixiao himself, no one else could possibly know the poem Lady Zhuoyue had composed all those years ago.
Even though she couldn't confirm if he was the true Monarch Chixiao, Daozun Feiyan still chose to kneel.
Perhaps it was because of the guilt from those bygone years.
Or perhaps it was out of gratitude for him unraveling the knot in her heart that had been tied for so long.
Or perhaps it was an innate fear born from the very name 'Monarch Chixiao'.
She herself wasn't clear on the exact reason.
"Alright, enough. Your body is weak to begin with. After all this commotion, I'm afraid you can't take much more," Gu Qingfeng said. "Go back and rest first."
Seeing Gu Qingfeng stand up, Daozun Feiyan asked in panic and urgency, "Young Lord, are you... leaving?"
"Leaving? When did I say I was leaving?" Gu Qingfeng stood up. "I plan to stay in the Star-Moon Great Domain for a while. Another day, when you've recovered your health, we'll have a proper chat. There are some things I still want to ask you."
As he spoke, he stretched and twisted his neck. "Go and rest. As for the matters of Yaoyue Palace, just set your heart at ease. Leave everything to me. Besides..." He turned and smiled. "Besides, right now I'm still Han Dong's Dao companion. Even if not for you, nor for Feng Zhuyue, for Han Dong's sake alone, I won't let Yaoyue Palace fall into anyone else's hands."
"This old woman... this old woman... kowtows in thanks to the Young Lord!"
*Thump!*
Daozun Feiyan knelt on the ground once more and began kowtowing.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and waved his hand. "Han Dong, help your master back to rest. I'm going out for a stroll."
With that, he left without looking back.
He left behind Daozun Feiyan, still kneeling on the ground, and Han Dong and Ouyang Ye, whose minds were in complete disarray. At this moment, the two of them stood there dumbfounded like fools, glancing at Daozun Feiyan, then at Gu Qingfeng's departing back, blinking, opening their mouths, wanting to say something but unable to utter a single word.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Only then did Han Dong and Ouyang Ye gradually snap out of their extreme shock and utter bewilderment. They helped Daozun Feiyan to her feet. Daozun Feiyan, whether from excitement or something else, stared at the direction Gu Qingfeng had left, just staring, her body trembling violently uncontrollably, her heart screaming wildly within.
*Lady! Where are you now! Please come back! Come back and see! The person you've been waiting for all this time... might have returned!*
She closed her eyes, two lines of tears streaming uncontrollably down the corners of her eyes.
"Master... you... what exactly is wrong with you!"
"Grandmother Feiyan, are you... are you alright?"
Han Dong and Ouyang Ye stammered out their astonished inquiries.
"This old woman... is fine, perfectly fine..." Han Dong and Ouyang Ye exchanged a glance. Just moments ago, they had suspected that Lao Jiu might have spilled the truth, that Daozun Feiyan knew they had deceived her and was so heartbroken she had lost her mind. But now, no matter how they looked, Daozun Feiyan didn't seem to be out of her mind.
"Master, then why... were you crying so...?"
"Your master was crying... from happiness!" Daozun Feiyan murmured. "Happiness... truly happy! Happy for you, happy for Lady Zhuoyue, happy for Yaoyue Palace..."
Happiness?
Han Dong and Ouyang Ye were even more confused, their minds in greater turmoil.
Han Dong cautiously probed, "Master... why did you make me kneel to... to Young Lord Chiyan earlier?"
"My disciple, did you not hear? Young Lord Chiyan said he would help us... help Yaoyue Palace. Shouldn't we... be grateful to him?"
Just because of that?
Did Master not suspect Lao Jiu's impersonation of Young Lord Chiyan at all?
Suddenly, Han Dong remembered her earlier doubt and asked, "Master, Young Lord Chiyan said... you once treated Monarch Chixiao's injuries. Is that really true?"
Daozun Feiyan nodded in response. "It is true."
"Heavens! It's really true?" Han Dong exclaimed in disbelief. "But... why have I never heard you mention it?"
"That was a very long time ago... Your master had long forgotten. If Young Lord Chiyan hadn't mentioned it today, I'm afraid I still wouldn't have remembered it happened."
"But... Young Lord Chiyan... how would he know?"
Daozun Feiyan was still gazing in the direction Gu Qingfeng had left, murmuring, "Since Young Lord Chiyan is the successor of Monarch Chixiao... of course he would know."
Dumbfounded!
Completely dumbfounded.
Ouyang Ye was. Han Dong even more so.
Both of them knew perfectly well that Lao Jiu was someone they had found to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan. He was not the real Young Lord Chiyan. He... how could he... know the detailed process of how Master treated Monarch Chixiao's injuries back then?
Of course, to avoid arousing Daozun Feiyan's suspicion, they could only keep these words bottled up inside, not daring to voice them.
"Dong'er, Ye Ye, there is one thing the two of you must remember well," Daozun Feiyan said, looking at them both with serious solemnity. "From now on, you must never, ever be disrespectful to Young Lord Chiyan again. You must treat him with reverence in your hearts, without the slightest neglect. During this time, you must serve him well... you must! Remember this! Remember! Remember! Remember!"
"Wh-why?" Han Dong asked in astonishment. Ouyang Ye also opened her mouth and asked, "Yes! Grandmother Feiyan, why?"
Daozun Feiyan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a grave voice, "Because his surname is Gu, and it begins with 'Chi'!"