The night was as dark as ink, with countless shimmering stars scattered across the sky, resembling a resplendent, breathtaking tapestry of the cosmos.
Beneath the starry expanse, Jiang Wuming and Su Shiyun sat close together, able to clearly feel Su Shiyun’s warmth and even catch the alluring fragrance emanating from her.
When Su Shiyun turned her head to ask Jiang Wuming a question, her lips were less than ten centimeters from his face, and the warm, fragrant air she exhaled tickled his cheeks.
“That day, when you and Mom went to find Liu Shoucheng, I secretly followed behind you and overheard Mom’s conversation with Liu Shoucheng, learning that I wasn’t born to Mom.”
Jiang Wuming gazed at the distant horizon and said softly, “At that moment, I was completely stunned and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Later, I didn’t even hear what you said. I left the hall in a daze, walked out of the Liu family compound, and then, as if I’d lost my soul, I ran all the way down the street.”
“You must have been very sad then.”
Su Shiyun’s face was filled with heartache. Jiang Wuming was only twelve years old at the time; how could he have endured such a shock?
“I was so sad that I cried. I ran and cried until my tears ran dry and my strength was depleted, only then did I stop,” Jiang Wuming said with a bitter smile.
“Because you were too sad, you left without a word?” Su Shiyun asked.
“No. At that time, I ran to the pier of a large bridge and sat there for the entire afternoon. After my emotions stabilized, I decided to go home to ask Mom what was going on, but then I met an old man.” Jiang Wuming shook his head slightly.
“An old man? Who was he?” Su Shiyun asked, full of curiosity.
“He is my master, known as Daoist Tianlong.”
The image of an old man flashed through Jiang Wuming’s mind, and he said with a wry smile, “I once asked him for his real name, but he didn’t tell me.”
“How could you go with a stranger?” Su Shiyun asked, puzzled.
“That wasn’t the first time I met him. Before that, I had met him. When we were still at the Su family, I encountered him. It was when I was six years old. One time, while playing in the courtyard, I ran into him. He said he was a friend of Grandpa’s and played a game with me, asking me to breathe according to his method.
I found it very interesting at the time, so I did as he said.
When he left, he made a deal with me: if I still remembered his breathing method a month later, he would buy me ice cream. I agreed.”
Su Shiyun’s heart stirred.
Jiang Wuming had suffered from severe internal coldness since childhood. Even with daily medication, there was no improvement, and Liu Guifang forbade him from eating cold foods.
Because of this, Jiang Wuming had always longed to eat ice cream.
“A month later, I met him again. He saw that I had kept my promise and bought me ice cream. He also told me to practice that breathing method for an hour every day, preferably right after waking up.”
Jiang Wuming, completely immersed in his memories, continued, “I agreed again and followed his instructions, diligently practicing that special breathing method every day.”
“Was that breathing method a martial arts technique? I remember that after you turned six, your health started to improve slowly.”
Su Shiyun’s heart stirred. She vaguely suspected that Jiang Wuming’s improving health might be related to the special breathing method he learned from Daoist Tianlong.
“Yes, it was an extremely profound inner cultivation technique, but it was only the introductory part, meant for building a foundation, mainly focusing on breathing and qi circulation. I only began practicing the latter parts of that inner cultivation technique after I left Guishan with him.”
Jiang Wuming nodded, then added, “Later, after I started practicing martial arts with my master, he told me that on the night we first met, he had secretly sneaked into my room and helped me unblock my meridians. He guided me to breathe according to that inner cultivation technique, which then formed my memory.
After that day, not only did I learn the breathing and qi circulation methods of that inner cultivation technique, but every night when I fell asleep, I would naturally enter that breathing state, and my body gradually improved.”
“So that’s how it was. But Wuming, even if you had met him before, you shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye to me and Mom. You don’t know how frantic Mom was when she couldn’t find you everywhere.”
Su Shiyun thought of Liu Guifang’s tear-soaked days and sighed softly.
“I’m sorry, Sis.”
Hearing Su Shiyun’s words, guilt washed over Jiang Wuming again. He could imagine how distressed Liu Guifang and Su Shiyun must have been after he left without a word.
Overwhelmed by guilt, Jiang Wuming spoke before Su Shiyun could ask further questions, “The reason I didn’t say goodbye to you was that my master told me at the time: I am not Mom’s biological son, and I have no blood relation to the Liu family. The Liu family would not go to war with the Zheng family for me. If I returned to the Liu family, it would only lead to my death.”
“No wonder you looked so surprised today when you learned that the Liu family wanted to protect you back then,” Su Shiyun said with a wry smile.
“At the time, I thought my master’s words made sense, so I left with him directly. I went with him to Longhu Mountain, became his disciple, and practiced martial arts for four years. Then I went out to forge my own path and met a group of brothers and sisters like Xing Tian.”
Jiang Wuming paused, deciding not to tell Su Shiyun about how he had infiltrated the underworld, established the War Dragon Hall, and eliminated underground forces like the Blood Purgatory to avenge his birth mother, Ye Jinmei.
The underworld was too dark and bloody, like a Yin-Yang divide from the world of ordinary people. Su Shiyun would not consider such matters to be good.
“When you went out to forge your own path, you didn’t even come back to see Mom and me,” Su Shiyun said with a hint of resentment. “You don’t know how much I missed you.”
“I originally wanted to come back to see you much earlier, but I was delayed by some matters.”
Jiang Wuming touched his nose awkwardly and then asked, “Sis, what about you? How have you been for these past eight years?”
“After you left, I was heartbroken and took a year off school before I recovered and resumed my studies. After graduation, I wanted to stay in Donghai to work, but Grandpa disagreed and wanted me to return to participate in the family business. I thought that by returning, I could stay with Mom, so I came back…”
Leaning on Jiang Wuming’s shoulder, Su Shiyun recounted everything she had experienced over the past eight years.
Although Jiang Wuming was well aware of Su Shiyun’s experiences over the past eight years, he did not interrupt her, instead listening intently.
“Wuming, what is the world of martial artists like?”
After an unknown period, Su Shiyun finished speaking and murmured the question again.
Jiang Wuming heard her and, unlike before, did not answer immediately. He pondered whether to tell Su Shiyun things that ordinary people didn’t know.
However—
Before Jiang Wuming could figure out how to answer, he heard Su Shiyun’s steady breathing.
Su Shiyun had fallen asleep, leaning on Jiang Wuming’s shoulder.
Ever since the Zheng family began their retaliation against the Liu family, Su Shiyun had not had a good night’s sleep.
From the initial commercial retaliation to the forced marriage proposals, Su Shiyun had gritted her teeth and persevered, but she was already emotionally exhausted.
Now that the crisis had passed, the taut string within her finally relaxed. Leaning on Jiang Wuming’s shoulder, her mind was more at ease than ever before, and fatigue washed over her like a tide.
“Sis, this world is not as peaceful as people imagine. Longguo, and even the world, faces immense crises. The global prosperity of martial arts is also a result of this.”
Jiang Wuming bent down, picked up Su Shiyun, and looked at her face, which still bore traces of tears, saying softly.
“Before, no matter what happened, you would protect me. In the future, no matter what changes occur, I will guard you.”