Chapter 666: Riverside Worship
The new year begins, and everything is renewed. In March, the earth warms up, and everything in the world is thriving.

Time flies, no matter how glorious their lives were, they will eventually be buried by time and forgotten by the world.

In the end, the world is still the same.

On the seventh day of March, the weather was sunny and the sky was clear.

Early in the morning, Xiao Zhirou, Teng Sanshi and Yun Jianping took a small boat down the river and went straight to Liushang Ferry.

Half a month ago, Teng Sanshi rushed from Luoyang City to Jueqing Valley and told Xiao Zhirou everything that happened in Prince Xian's Mansion and the news of Luo Tianjin's death.

After hearing this, Xiao Zhirou had a blank expression on her face and said nothing. She completely ignored Teng Sanshi's attempts to comfort her and turned away.

I thought Xiao Zhirou had completely given up on Luo Tianjin. But unexpectedly, from that day on, Xiao Zhirou locked herself in the thatched cottage at Liushangdu and did not show up for half a month.

Teng Sanshi, Chang Wuhui, Yun Jianping and others were full of worry and tried to persuade her in turn, but they were all turned away and didn't even get to see Xiao Zhirou.

They didn't know what Xiao Zhirou was doing or thinking when she locked herself in the thatched cottage, but they could occasionally hear bursts of piano music, melodious and meaningful, like resentment, longing, crying and complaining, which was the "Spring River Moon Night" she and Luo Tianjin had created together.

There is no dust in the sky, and a lone moon wheel in the sky.

Who first saw the moon by the river? When does Jiang Yue shine at the beginning of the year?
This morning, Xiao Zhirou suddenly appeared. She did not explain too much to everyone. She just asked Chang Wuhui to prepare incense and candles as offerings, and then led Teng Sanshi and Yun Jianping to Liushang Ferry.

The vast expanse of blue water, the river and the sky blend into one, the gentle breeze and the swaying willows make one feel relaxed and happy.

"Master, why are we here?"

"For worship."

"Who are you worshipping?"

"A person who is very important to you and me." After saying this, before Yun Jianping could ask any more questions, Xiao Zhirou straightened her expression and ordered, "Ping'er, place the incense and candles by the river."

"Yes."

Although she was not clear about Xiao Zhirou's intention, Yun Jianping still nodded obediently and carefully displayed the ingot candles and other offerings that she had prepared in advance by the river.

Teng Sanshi saw this scene and felt pain in his heart. He was not distressed by this sudden worship, but by the torment his precious daughter suffered.

While Yun Jianping was displaying the offerings, Xiao Zhirou walked back to the thatched cottage and piled all the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the house to the riverside.

"Master, these are..."

"They are all useless things." Xiao Zhirou said nonchalantly, "Ping'er, burn them all!"

Xiao Zhirou's tone sounded neither happy nor sad, but her voice couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"This……"

Looking at the yellowed calligraphy and paintings pieced together from fragments, Yun Jianping couldn't help but feel hesitant, and turned her hesitant gaze to Teng Sanshi who was standing beside her.

Teng Sanshi looked at Xiao Zhirou, who was heartbroken, with eyes full of pity and sighed, "Rou'er, why do you have to do this?"

"The people are already dead, what's the point of me keeping these...?" Xiao Zhirou spoke very slowly and intermittently, trying hard to hide her sobs.

"Rou'er, do you regret not going to Luoyang City that day?" Teng Sanshi asked, "If we had not returned home from Xuzhou, but had gone straight to Luoyang City... maybe everything would have been different. At least, you could have seen him one last time."

"Everything is God's will." Xiao Zhirou raised her head slightly, as if she didn't want the tears in her eyes to fall.

The sun was shining brightly, making her charming eyes sparkle and clear.

"Alas!" Teng Sanshi said helplessly, "He treated you so well, but you still can't forget him. What a silly girl."

"Dad, stop talking."

"father?"

Hearing Xiao Zhirou calling Teng Sanshi "Dad", Yun Jianping was immediately shocked. She looked at Xiao Zhirou, who had a sad expression, and Teng Sanshi, who had a worried look, with surprise. She was stunned and at a loss, and was so surprised that she couldn't recover for a long time.

"That's right!" Facing Yun Jianping's surprise, Xiao Zhirou remained calm and said calmly, "I am from the Teng clan, the daughter of Teng Sanshi. In fact, this matter is not a secret, but I have always avoided talking about it."

Seeing Xiao Zhirou take the initiative to admit her relationship with him, Teng Sanshi was surprised and delighted. He was filled with emotion and excited tears. He nodded repeatedly and agreed: "Yes, yes, my good daughter, you are finally back..."

"This..." Yun Jianping stared at Teng Sanshi and his daughter in a daze, not knowing how to start.

"Ping'er, Yun Zhuiyue is actually from the Teng clan."

"what?"

Xiao Zhirou's "honesty" once again shocked Yun Jianping, and she said in disbelief: "My father... is he also from the Teng clan?"

"That's right!" Teng Sanshi continued, "In fact, Yun Zhuiyue's real name is Du Xiang, and he is my adopted son who was raised by me."

"How... is this possible?" Yun Jianping was confused and uneasy, "Dad never told me..."

"The grievances of the previous generation have nothing to do with you." Xiao Zhirou comforted her, "Yun Zhuiyue didn't tell you the truth because she didn't want you to worry more."

"No wonder Dad treats Master like this... Strange, it turns out you two have known each other for a long time." Yun Jianping seemed to be thinking about something, and said ignorantly, "But why..."

"Dad and Valley Master Xiao don't just know each other. They are childhood sweethearts."

Before Yun Jianping could finish her words, a hoarse laugh suddenly came from a distance. Then, a small boat came slowly from the river. The one driving the boat was Chang Wuhui, the second disciple of Jueqing Valley, and the person standing at the bow was the Holy Lord of Longxiang Mountain, Yun Zhuiyue.

After a while, the boat landed on the shore. Chang Wuhui rushed to Xiao Zhirou and apologized, "Valley Master, Yun Zhuiyue led his men to break into Jueqing Valley and threatened the lives of the disciples in the valley. I had no choice but to bring him to Liushang Ferry..."

However, in the face of Chang Wuhui's apology, Xiao Zhirou turned a deaf ear and just looked into Yun Zhuiyue's eyes. Both of them had very complicated expressions.

"If it weren't for our eldest brother going to Yangzhou to gather information and not being in the valley, we would never let them succeed so easily."

The "senior brother" that Chang Wuhui mentioned refers to Tang Afu.

Not long ago, Tang Afu heard the news that there was a group of horse thieves who massacred the Tang family in Yangzhou, so he asked for leave from Xiao Zhirou at the beginning of the month. Now he is far away in Yangzhou and knows nothing about what happened in Jueqing Valley.

"It's not your fault! Yun Zhuiyue... was invited by me."

"what?"

Faced with Chang Wuhui's shock, Xiao Zhirou said no more.

Seeing this, Teng Sanshi couldn't help but frown, and a hint of thought flashed in his old eyes.

"father!"

Accompanied by an excited shout, Yun Jianping trotted forward, as if she was very surprised by Yun Zhuiyue's sudden appearance.

"Good boy!" Yun Zhuiyue replied with a smile, and then bowed respectfully to Teng Sanshi, "Greetings, foster father!"

"Did you know that something happened to the leader of the martial arts world?" Teng Sanshi had a stern face, as if he was going to bring an army to hold him accountable.

"I heard a little on the way here." Yun Zhuiyue evaded the question, "Luo Tianjin has done many evil things. I'm not surprised at all that he has ended up like this."

"Since you know this, why don't you go to Luoyang City to pay your respects?" Teng Sanshi said unhappily, "Longxiang Mountain is now a well-known and upright sect, and you are not a heretic demon, so how can you be so ignorant of the rules?"

Back then, during the Huashan Martial Arts Conference, Teng Sanshi, in order to save Yun Zhuiyue's life, had used the Xiangxi Teng tribe as a guarantor and publicly promised to teach Longxiang Mountain to return to the right path, so he asked this question today.

"Foster father knows that I hate Luo Tianjin to the core and wish he would die without a burial place, so why would he go to his funeral?"

"Asshole!" Teng Sanshi said angrily, "I hate Luo Tianjin, but feelings are feelings and rules are rules. He deserves to die, but he is the leader of the martial arts world after all. Even if you don't respect him as a person, you should respect his position. Do I need to teach you such a simple truth?"

"Godfather, please calm down. I am too proud." Yun Zhuiyue seemed to be worried that Teng Sanshi would not give up, so she quickly changed the subject and asked Yun Jianping, "What are you doing..."

"Master asked me to place these offerings by the river..."

"Are you worshipping Luo Tianjin?" Yun Zhuiyue suddenly realized, looked at Xiao Zhirou with anger, and asked, "Rou'er, Luo Tianjin hurt you so badly, why are you worshipping him?"

"First, whether or not to offer sacrifices is my business and has nothing to do with you." Xiao Zhirou said coldly, "Second, even if I don't offer sacrifices, there are always people here who should offer sacrifices, isn't it?"

After hearing these words, Yun Zhuiyue was stunned, and the look he gave Yun Jianping became more and more conflicted.

"Ping'er, burn it quickly!"

"Yes."

Under Xiao Zhirou's urging, Yun Jianping did not dare to delay. She stuck out her tongue at Yun Zhuiyue, and then took the calligraphy and paintings to the candlelight and lit them.

"Are these... Luo Tianjin's calligraphy and paintings?" Yun Zhuiyue recognized the owner of these calligraphy and paintings at a glance and laughed, "Good job! I should have burned them all up earlier, so I wouldn't be upset looking at them."

Under the gazes of several people, the raging fire burned the calligraphy and paintings to ashes, and pieces of ashes rose into the sky like catkins, drifting on the rivers with the wind.

Xiao Zhirou looked at the flying ashes in the sky, and suddenly felt sad and overwhelmed.

"Master, it's finished..."

"Ping'er, kneel down and bow to the north!"

"what?"

Xiao Zhirou's words not only stunned Yun Jianping, but also made Teng Sanshi and Yun Zhuiyue's faces change. Even Chang Wuhui who was waiting on the side couldn't help but feel shocked.

"Master, you asked... 'me' to bow to the north?" Yun Jianping looked confused, "Why? Alliance Leader Luo and I have never met before..."

"Your Majesty!"

Xiao Zhirou's harsh words frightened Yun Jianping so much that his body trembled. At the same time, his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground subconsciously.

From the first day Yun Jianping met Xiao Zhirou, Xiao Zhirou had always treated her kindly and lovingly, and had never been so harsh. Today's "scolding" was unprecedented.

As if realizing that she was too harsh, Xiao Zhirou's eyes could not help but flash a trace of pity, and then her tone softened, and she said softly: "Ping'er, if you don't worship him today, I'm afraid you will regret it for the rest of your life."

"Rou'er, what do you mean by that?" Teng Sanshi was confused. He looked at Xiao Zhirou, who was worried, and said hesitantly, "Although Luo Tianjin is the leader of the martial arts world and can bear the kneeling of these juniors, you seem a little abnormal today. What's going on?"

"Yun Zhuiyue!"

Xiao Zhirou turned a deaf ear to Teng Sanshi's confusion, but cast a solemn and deep gaze on Yun Zhuiyue, who had a tangled expression and mixed emotions. She said word by word in an unquestionable tone: "I invited you here because I hope you can fulfill your promise in the past. Now that Luo Tianjin is dead, you...it's time to tell the truth!"

……

(End of this chapter)