"Master," Nangong Mo hadn't expected his master to appear at this moment, but it also meant it was time for him to leave again.
"Disciple, this life's cycle has ended, and it's time to depart," the old man stroked his beard and nodded at Nangong Mo.
Every time he thought he could finally relax and enjoy the warmth with his wife and children, his master would appear. It seemed he couldn't escape this time either.
He nodded.
"Master, it'll be the same as always. Wait for me for a while." Nangong Mo erased Qianying's memories, and his next life would also lose all memories of this place.
He looked at Xiao Yihao's confused eyes and walked up to his son, whispering gently in his ear.
"Daddy is going with Master to handle a very important matter. Once this matter is accomplished, I can be with you and Mommy forever. But this is a top-secret matter, so you must keep it a secret."
Xiao Yihao actually understood what his father and the old man with the white beard had just said. He tilted his little head and nodded vigorously.
"Daddy, will Mommy and I be able to see you again soon?" He hadn't expected his son to understand so quickly.
Nangong Mo paused for a moment, then pulled his son into his arms.
"Yes, you'll see Daddy very soon. Remember, I will always protect you and Mommy." His words were etched into Xiao Yihao's heart, and everything that happened that night became a secret between them.
As with his previous experiences, Nangong Mo wrote letters to Du Chun and Meng Qinghua, entrusting them to take good care of Gu Qianying and her son.
Looking at the sleeping woman, Nangong Mo felt immense reluctance. He bent down and kissed her cheek.
Undergoing tribulation was his destiny. This departure was something he didn't want, but there was nothing he could do.
"I hope in my next life, we can meet sooner." After saying this, Nangong Mo walked to his master's side, and together they vanished into the sky.
Bathed in the moonlight's reflection, Gu Qianying appeared like a sleeping beauty, pure and serene, her tenderness like rippling waves.
Two years later, in a bustling wine house in the border town of Nan Yi, a man and a woman were listening intently to a storyteller with a little boy.
"Today is your birthday. I said I'd accompany you doing things you like, but you chose such a dull place," the woman said, rubbing her teacup and idly playing rock-paper-scissors with the little boy beside her. The man, meanwhile, smiled as he sipped his tea and listened to the story.
"It's not that this place lacks novel amusements. We've had enough of wine houses and brothels elsewhere, so we can only come here to listen to storytellers and see if there's any exciting gossip in Nan Yi."
The speaker was Duan Xifeng, and sitting opposite him was Gu Qianying.
"By the way, why did you think of coming to such a remote place?" Ouyang Qinglin had specifically instructed her before leaving to take good care of Susu.
Duan Xifeng was displeased. He was merely an adopted brother, while he was her biological brother. Taking care of his sister was naturally his responsibility, so why did Ouyang Qinglin need to give such detailed instructions?
"These years, I've been searching for Xiao Gu Nian and Ke Ke, but no matter how hard I try, I can't get any news about them. Recently, a message came from Yi Jing Ge, saying that Old Man Bai was seen with the two of them in this area, so I thought I'd try my luck here."
Gu Qianying put down her teacup and looked at the stage as she answered.
Xiao Gu Nian, as her younger brother, had been used and abducted by her master, and even Hu Keke hadn't been spared.
If it weren't for her, her master, with his black heart, wouldn't have used such tactics against the two of them.
Those two were also her kin, and Gu Qianying had to find them.
Duan Xifeng sighed.
"So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. He hides you, and you chase. I truly hope we can find Old Man Bai quickly and rescue my younger brother and Ke Ke."
As they were talking, they heard a commotion. Looking towards the source, they saw three women beating a man who was kneeling on the ground.
Seeing the man's attire, he didn't look like an ordinary servant, but more like a young master from a prominent family. Why was he being so abused by women?
Duan Xifeng was puzzled, and Gu Qianying naturally couldn't figure out the situation either.
"Beat him hard! My dress just got dirty, how dare he!" the woman speaking was extremely arrogant, verbally abusing and beating the man kneeling on the ground like an animal.
"Why aren't those two brothers fighting back?" Xiao Yihao's voice rang out softly, and his words were also heard by the man listening to the story nearby.
"This little娃娃 is truly naive. The three young ladies of the Su family are notoriously fiery. Let alone beating their own brother, they'll scold even their father if he doesn't meet their expectations."
Could such a family exist in the world? Gu Qianying frowned but paid no further attention. Duan Xifeng, however, became interested.
"Oh? Is that so? Are they siblings?" He couldn't understand it either, but since he hadn't experienced it, he shouldn't pry. Perhaps there was some estrangement between them that led to this situation.
Seeing that the official didn't know, the man eagerly began to explain.
"Of course, they are family, and they are all from a prominent family in the city – the young ladies and masters of the Su family."
The three women who were fighting were precisely the three young ladies of the Su family. Su Yuxi, as the eldest daughter, had the most fiery temper, and the man she was beating was her sixth brother, Su Cheng.
Just now, as Su Cheng passed by, he accidentally brushed against Su Yuxi's sleeve. It was because of this minor accident that the eldest daughter of the Su family began to beat him without mercy.
The fourth young master, Su Jie, and the fifth young master, Su Ming, pleaded for their brother, but not only did they fail, they were also kicked around by their second sister, Su Zirong, and third sister, Su Xiuer.
"Tsk tsk, they really can do it. Women are indeed like tigers."
After hearing the whole story, Duan Xifeng couldn't help but sigh. It seemed coming here to listen to stories today was the right choice. Not only could he hear his favorite anecdotes, but he was also witnessing interesting excitement.
The eldest young lady of the Su family, tired from beating, stopped.
She sat arrogantly on a chair and pointed at the hot tea that the waiter had just brought.
"Su Cheng, I'll give you a chance to apologize. Crawl over here now, hold this teacup on your head, and kneel on the ground to apologize, and I won't beat you anymore."
The tea had just been brewed and was steaming hot. If he held it, his skin would instantly be scalded through the purple clay cup.
Su Cheng looked up at the woman in front of him and turned his head away, unwilling to do so.
Seeing that he dared to defy her orders, Su Yuxi drew her long whip and swung it towards the person on the ground.
The sound of whipping echoed through the book house, but the person on the ground made no move to dodge, allowing her to whip him.
Seeing his continued defiance, Su Yuxi raised her whip and struck his side heavily.
Intense pain surged through him, and Su Cheng couldn't hold on, falling to the side...