Chapter 1098 Today is Yesterday (Part )

"what?"

As soon as Xiao Zhirou said this, Tang Afu, who was full of suspicion, suddenly changed his expression and looked as pale as death.

"Afu, your teacher..."

"Master!"

Before Xiao Zhirou could explain the reason, Tang Afu knelt on the ground with a plop. He looked at Xiao Zhirou with sorrowful eyes and asked anxiously, "Did my disciple do something wrong? Did my disciple say something he shouldn't have said? Did he..."

At this point, Tang Afu suddenly had an idea and realized, "I understand! It must be because Liu Xunyi promised to avenge my family's extermination, and this made Master unhappy, so he wanted to expel me from the sect..."

"Nonsense! Ah Fu, do you think your master is so selfish? He only cares about his son's safety and ignores your blood feud?" Seeing Tang Ah Fu's wild guesses and getting more and more agitated, Xiao Zhirou frowned and stopped him in a deep voice, "I can tell you clearly that this matter has nothing to do with you or Xun Yi. It was my own idea. In fact, my master asked you to leave Jueqing Valley not to expel you from the sect, but... I have other plans for you."

"There are other arrangements?" Tang Afu was startled, half believing and half doubting, "Master, are you really not going to expel me from the sect?"

"When has your master ever lied to you?"

"Then...what plans does Master have for me?"

"Stand up first..."

"No!" Tang Afu resolutely pushed Xiao Zhirou's hand away and said stubbornly, "Master, if you don't explain clearly, I would rather kneel and die here!"

"This……"

Knowing Tang Afu's stubborn character, Xiao Zhirou sighed helplessly and changed the subject: "Let me ask you, Xunyi tried her best to mediate in the inner court just now to help us and Xie Xuan resolve the conflict. What do you think about this?"

"What does this have to do with my disciple leaving the Valley of Unrequited Love?" Tang Afu looked confused, as if he didn't understand Xiao Zhirou's intention.

"Answer my question first!"

"Yes..." As if he could hear the impatience in Xiao Zhirou's tone, Tang Afu dared not quibble anymore. After thinking for a moment, he answered directly, "My disciple thinks... this matter is both unexpected and reasonable. After all, from Liu Xunyi's point of view... the palm of his hand is flesh, and the back of his hand is also flesh. He certainly doesn't want the Jueqing Valley and the Xianwang Mansion to be at odds with each other, putting him in a dilemma."

"It is precisely because I don't want to embarrass him that I agreed to restore peace with the Xianwang Mansion." Xiao Zhirou nodded vaguely, "Go on."

"Master loves Liu Xunyi deeply, and has repeatedly tolerated Xie Xuan to take care of his feelings. This... is understandable. However, Xie Xuan's sincerity seems to be far less than Master's. Not only does he hide his selfish motives and flatter others, but he also seems to be pushing his luck."

"You're pushing it too far?" Xiao Zhirou stared at Tang Afu who was talking freely, "Why do you think so?"

"Just because he didn't discuss it with anyone, and didn't get anyone's consent, he took the initiative to call Liu Xunyi...'Young Sage King'. Although it's just a title, it's enough to get a glimpse of it." Tang Afu said contemptuously, "What is 'Young Sage King'? Where did such a title come from? No one has ever mentioned it before, but Xie Xuan put it on Liu Xunyi's head as if everything was natural. His intention... is obvious." Xiao Zhirou's eyes flashed with brilliance, and she asked in a concentrated voice: "What is his intention?"

"Young Sage King, as the name implies, is a descendant of the Northern Sage King. Xie Xuan gave Liu Xunyi the name 'Young Sage King', so naturally people in the world regarded him as the descendant of the Northern Sage King and the Sage King's Mansion as his true root. In this way, although Liu Xunyi did not personally promise to inherit Luo Tianjin's mansion, in fact... he, Luo Tianjin, and the Sage King's Mansion have merged into one and are inseparable. In other words, from now on, Liu Xunyi is the Sage King's Mansion, and the Sage King's Mansion is Liu Xunyi. Whether he admits it or not, the two will prosper together and suffer together. And this... is exactly what Xie Xuan had planned. He has done everything he can to achieve his goal. As for Jueqing Valley and Xiangxi Teng Clan... Excuse me, I'm afraid that in Xie Xuan's heart, he has already regarded our two families... Maybe not only us, but also Longxiang Mountain, Sanyi Gang, Hexi Qin Clan and other sects and families that have inextricable ties with Liu Xunyi, all of which are regarded as the pawns and meals of the Xianwang Mansion. No matter how deep our background is, how strong our strength is, how complicated our connections are, and how complicated our forces are, as long as we don't draw a clear line with Liu Xunyi and are restrained by him, sooner or later we will become the "vassal" of the Xianwang Mansion. "

"Well said!" Xiao Zhirou praised Tang Afu without reservation, "You are so young but you can see the big picture and the whole situation. You can see through Xie Xuan's true intentions. Your teacher is very pleased."

"I think... this is also the reason why Xie Xuan compromised with us, not only forgiving the past grudges, but also showing weakness." Tang Afu continued, "It is precisely because of this that Xie Xuan dared to turn a blind eye to the attempts of Lu Tingxiang, Zuo Hongxuan and Miao An to make friends with them, and put on airs with them without any hesitation. In the final analysis, it is because he has enough confidence and a group of absolutely reliable "relatives" to support the Xianwang Mansion. He does not need to take the risk of getting close to Lu Tingxiang and the other two, and he does not need to be hypocritical to Jin Fuyu. He knows very well that with Jin Fuyu's temperament and ambition, he will never yield to anyone. As long as the Xianwang Mansion and Jinjianwu grow stronger, the two cannot coexist. In this world, it is only a matter of time before they fall out. Instead of waiting for Jin Fuyu to grow stronger, it is better to take advantage of Liu Xunyi's momentum to uncover the veil between the two families and fight them face to face. As for Lu Tingxiang, Zuo Hongxuan and Miao An, Xie Xuan no longer takes them seriously. Not to mention that they may not fully support Jin Fuyu, even if they do, Xie Xuan is not afraid. The root cause is that there are too many, too many powerful and powerful backers behind the "Young Sage Prince" Liu Xunyi, which makes Xie Xuan fearless and reckless. Otherwise, with the Xianwang Mansion today... it would be difficult to even resist a small Qingfeng, so how dare he be so arrogant?"

"Then... how about Xilu Wuzong?" Xiao Zhirou looked at Tang Afu, who was clear-headed, with deep meaning, and asked calmly, "How about Xunzhen? How about Shao Qin Wang?"

"In my opinion, the intentions of Shao Qin Wang and Xun Zhen are probably similar to those of Xie Xuan. They all want to use Liu Xun Yi's special identity to contain the Jianghu forces that are closely related to him, so as to achieve some unspeakable secrets." Tang Afu frowned slightly, his face thoughtful, "Just now in the inner court, Xie Xuan said, 'Shao Qin Wang thinks highly of Liu Xun Yi.' It seems to be a casual remark, but it actually has a lot of mystery."

"Oh?" Xiao Zhirou raised her eyebrows and asked curiously, "What's the secret?"

"I have a vague feeling that Xie Xuan is speaking for the Young Prince of Qin and Xunzhen, intentionally or unintentionally. The relationship between them doesn't seem as... strange as it appeared at the 'Eradication of Traitors' meeting yesterday."

"Not surprising!" Xiao Zhirou said indifferently, "Who is Shao Qin Wang? If Xie Xuan hadn't promised him great benefits, why would he bother to save Xun Yi from danger? In fact, it is not difficult to guess the secret between Xie Xuan and Shao Qin Wang. Shao Qin Wang wants to use Xun Yi's power to control the Central Plains martial arts world, and then use the power of the Central Plains martial arts world to gradually erode the Song Dynasty. In fact, Shao Qin Wang is not the same as us. He and Jin Fuyu are the same through and through."

"Master, you are wise! In fact, I have reminded Liu Xunyi more than once to be careful with Xunzhen and beware of becoming a puppet of the Young King of Qin."

"It's not just Young Qin Wang who intends to cultivate Xunyi as his puppet. I am also unsure of Xie Xuan's true intentions. In fact, I don't care whether Xunyi is the 'Young Sage King', nor whether he can inherit Luo Tianjin's legacy, or even whether Jueqing Valley will become a vassal of Sage King's Mansion. What I care about is whether Xunyi has been deceived or used by others." Having said this, Xiao Zhirou looked at Tang Afu with a hint of guilt in her eyes, "Afu, when you hear me say this, do you think I am very selfish? Do you think I only care about my own flesh and blood and ignore you disciples?"

"Absolutely not!" Tang Afu was shocked and said solemnly, "Master feels guilty towards his children, and it is only natural for him to do his best to make up for it. We have been deeply grateful to Master for raising us since we were young, and we have no way to repay him. How dare we compete with Master's own flesh and blood for his favor and love? If so, wouldn't we be as heartless as wolves and dogs, worse than beasts?"

"In my heart, you disciples are no different from Xunyi and Ping'er, and you are all my children." Xiao Zhirou said bitterly, "However, Xunyi's current situation is just as you said, he is surrounded by tigers and wolves, and is in danger. How can I not worry? Xie Xuan, Xunzhen. Whether it is the young Qin King far away in the Western Regions, or Jin Fuyu in Jiangnan, which one of them is not harboring evil intentions? Which one of them is not cunning? Which one of them is not hiding his cleverness? Which one of them is not eyeing him covetously? Right now, they all regard my son as a piece of 'fat meat', and they all want to pounce on him and take a bite. Xunyi, no matter how cautious and reckless he is, No matter how smart or powerful you are... after all, you are alone, how can you fight ten people alone? How can you distinguish good from evil among a group of "relatives and close friends" who are sweet-mouthed and treacherous? Ah Fu, I will not hide the truth from you now. In fact, I have never trusted the people around Xunyi, whether it is the Xianwang Mansion or Xilu Wuzong, I don't trust them. Even Qin Ku and Su He... I don't trust them. In my opinion, they all came prepared and approached Xunyi with ulterior motives. That's why I summoned you to guard the inner court overnight. The current situation is unclear, and I dare not trust anyone except you."

"I think... I understand what Master means." Looking at Xiao Zhirou's sincere words, Tang Afu nodded slowly and thoughtfully, "Master asked me to leave Jueqing Valley, is it because... he wants me to protect Liu Xunyi?"

"That's right! I, the master, hope that Xunyi can have a real 'one of his own' by his side, who can share the same heart and mind, live and die with him at any time and in any place. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me when I say this, but in fact I have always hoped that this person is myself, but Xunyi... there has always been a gap between me and him, and 'a son avoids his mother when he grows up', so..."

"I do!" Before Xiao Zhirou finished speaking, Tang Afu, who had weighed the pros and cons again and again, had already made up his mind and promised solemnly, "Since Liu Xunyi is the most important person to Master, I am willing to protect his safety for you and be his closest friend."

"The master not only hopes that you can be his friend, but also that you can be his brother, his confidant, and even... his 'shadow'!" At this moment, Xiao Zhirou's resolute attitude, solemn eyes, and earnest tone were unprecedented, "For the rest of my life... I will be with him in my heart and follow him everywhere!"

……

(End of this chapter)