Chapter 91 Going their separate ways
After bidding farewell to Xunzhen, Liu Xunyi did not dare to hesitate for a moment and fled from Huodu overnight, heading east all the way to Yumen Pass.

After running for a whole day and night in the vast wilderness, Liu Xunyi finally entered the territory of "Bancheng".

Bancheng is the first town east of Huodu. In the vast western desert, cities are far apart. For example, Bancheng and Huodu are only a day and a night away, which is considered very close.

After entering Bancheng, Liu Xunyi did not look for an inn to stay in, as he was afraid that there might be spies from the Yulong Palace here, which would expose his whereabouts. Although Xunzhen saved him from Ding San, Liu Xunyi always had an inexplicable worry, feeling that the disaster of death was imminent and he could not afford to slack off.

As the sun was setting, Liu Xunyi chose a desert horse from the Western Regions at Bancheng Horse Farm. Desert horses have similar characteristics to Ferghana horses, and although they cannot travel a thousand miles a day and eight hundred miles a night, they can still run six or seven hundred miles in a day and a night.

Desert horses are quite common in the Western Regions, and their price is less than one percent of that of Ferghana horses. Therefore, if you want to travel thousands of miles in the Gobi Desert, the Desert Horse is undoubtedly the favorite horse of most people because of its amazing endurance and low price.

In the setting sun, Liu Xunyi, wearing a bamboo hat, holding a sword in one hand and leading a desert horse in the other, walked on the streets of Bancheng with his head lowered, looking like a gangster who had been hanging around in the Western Regions for many years.

When Liu Xunyi followed Lao Xu's caravan through Bancheng, he learned that the night market was thriving. Therefore, he was not in a hurry to leave the city, but wandered around the city until the night market opened, and then went to buy some dry food and wine to fill his stomach on the road. Liu Xunyi planned to leave at night, and then find a secluded valley in the wilderness to rest for a few hours, and then rush to Yumen Pass in one go. As long as he could enter the pass, he would completely escape the influence of Yulong Palace.

Bancheng was silent until the moon rose above the stars, and Liu Xunyi finally left the city from the east. Tonight the moon was bright and the breeze was gentle, a rare good day for traveling.

He walked slowly to the main road, and before Liu Xunyi could spur his horse to gallop, he suddenly heard a burst of brisk horse hooves sounds behind him. When he turned around to look, he saw two people on two horses slowly coming towards him.

The person in front was holding the reins for the person behind, and the horse behind was swaying, and the person on the horse was swaying left and right as well. It looked very awkward and it was obvious that the person was not a good rider.

"You are indeed capable. You were captured by the Jade Dragon Palace and yet you were able to escape safely."

A familiar voice came from the horse in front. Liu Xunyi was startled when he heard it and slightly lifted the hat in front of him. At this moment, the two people had come closer. Liu Xunyi exclaimed in surprise: "Tang Afu?" His eyes turned and he saw that the person sitting on the horse behind was Bai Shuang with her face covered by a veil.

After they parted at Ye Zilin yesterday morning, Liu Xunyi thought that Tang Afu would definitely travel day and night with Bai Shuang and the "Map of the Wind and Rain", but he did not expect to meet them outside Bancheng.

"Why are you here?" Liu Xunyi quickly regained his composure and asked curiously, "Did the people from Yulong Palace chase you?"

"Since you entrusted me with this, I wanted to take her all the way back to the Central Plains, and then go our separate ways." Tang Afu said calmly, "But after arriving at Bancheng, I suddenly changed my mind and decided to wait for you here for a day. If you don't come, it won't be too late to leave. But I didn't expect that you actually came."

"Wait for me?" Liu Xunyi was confused and asked, "Why are you waiting for me?"

"First, I want to return this burden to you." Tang Afu gently pulled the reins of Bai Shuang's horse, and the horse carried Bai Shuang swaying on its back towards Liu Xunyi. At this moment, Bai Shuang's face was pale and tired. It was obvious that she had not had an easy time during the time she followed Tang Afu.

Tang Afu said: "Her riding skills are the worst I have ever seen. If not for this, I might not have waited for you in Bancheng for a whole day."

Liu Xunyi knew that these were just Tang Afu's excuses. If there were no other reasons, how could the ruthless swordsman really delay his journey because of a woman who didn't know how to ride?
"No matter what, I should thank you for saving her from danger yesterday!" Liu Xunyi bowed and said with a smile.

"In Ye Zilin, it wasn't me who helped you, but you who helped me." Tang Afu said, "You first saved my life from Su He's knife, and then helped me hold back the people from Yulong Palace so that I could escape. You saved me twice yesterday, and I only helped you once by saving her. So, I still owe you a favor."

"So you stayed in Bancheng and waited for me?" Liu Xunyi had already experienced Tang Afu's obsession, and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Just to thank me in person?"

Tang Afu was silent for a moment, and when Liu Xunyi was about to speak again, he suddenly said, "More than that. My idea is to wait for you in Bancheng for a day. If I don't see you, then we owe each other nothing, and I will take her back to Zhongyuan, which is considered to be my utmost kindness to you. But if I see you, I will return her to you, and at the same time... return this thing to you."

After saying that, Tang Afu quickly pulled out a black bamboo tube from the saddle and threw it to Liu Xunyi without hesitation.

In stark contrast to Liu Xunyi's surprised reaction, when Bai Shuang saw the bamboo tube, a hint of greed clearly flashed in her tired beautiful eyes.

"What does this mean?" Liu Xunyi held the black bamboo tube and looked at the expressionless Tang Afu in confusion, "Don't you want it?"

"I will take what I want myself. I don't need your charity." Tang Afu said coldly, "Although I have used you, I can never do such a thing as taking advantage of someone in distress. Rather than holding it with a guilty conscience, I might as well return it to you and put an end to it. It can also be regarded as repaying your kindness in saving my life."

Liu Xunyi looked Tang Afu up and down with a suspicious look in his eyes and asked, "Give me the map. How will you explain it when you go back?"

"I can handle my own affairs, so you don't need to worry about it." Tang Afu said, "I was waiting for you here out of compassion, but I didn't expect you to escape from Yulong Palace. It seems that all this is God's will. Some things are destined to be yours, no matter how many twists and turns they go through, they are always yours." After saying this, Tang Afu's mouth corners raised a rare smile, but it was just a bitter smile. After this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but have a better impression of Tang Afu. Although he knew that the Jingfenghuayutu in the bamboo tube was a fake, Tang Afu was completely unaware of it. Without knowing the premise, he could still give away the things he got. With this kind of mind and courage alone, it is definitely not something that ordinary people can do.

"Is that Brother Liu in front?"

Just as Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu were chatting, Su He's voice suddenly came from a distance, and then a carriage slowly drove over. The two people driving were Su He and Bater. In the carriage was lying a seriously injured Mogan. As for Zhuoya who died tragically from a hail of arrows, she had already been buried in Ye Zilin.

"Brother Su?" Liu Xunyi's face lit up, and he and Su He asked each other almost at the same time: "Are you okay?"

Hearing this, they were both stunned at the same time, and then they looked at each other and laughed.

"It's really commendable that Yulong Palace didn't make things difficult for you. At first, Ding Ao said that a friend wanted to see you, and I thought it was an excuse, but now it seems to be true." After that, Su He turned to look at the wounded Bater and the dying Mogan, and apologized to Liu Xunyi with a guilty look, "If I hadn't been concerned about their safety that day in Yulong Palace, Su would have asked for a favor for you in front of Palace Master Ren. Afterwards, I have been brooding over this matter, and I felt guilty all the way, but fortunately, brother Liu, you are fine, Su can rest assured."

"Brother Su, you don't have to be polite. You and I have no relationship in any way, but you still care about me so much. I am already very grateful. How dare I let you go to provoke Yulong Palace for me?" Liu Xunyi smiled in return. He has always sincerely admired Su He, a real man who stands tall and upright.

Liu Xunyi and Su He hit it off right away, and there was a subtle feeling of heroes admiring each other.

Su He smiled heartily, then turned to look at Tang Afu, a hint of caution suddenly flashed across his eyes, and he asked in a serious tone, "Excuse me, sir, do you want to cause trouble for Brother Liu again today?"

"Brother Su misunderstood!"

Without waiting for Tang Afu to speak, Liu Xunyi hurriedly explained: "Brother Tang and I have always had some friendship. He is not here to cause trouble today, but to repay my favor." As he said that, Liu Xunyi slightly raised the black bamboo tube in his hand towards Su He.

Facing this thing, Su He was calm, but Bater's face suddenly became excited. But before he could make any move, Su He had already pressed his shoulder tightly and said sternly: "Bateer, don't forget how Zhuo Ya died? As the saying goes, greed is insatiable, the snake swallows the elephant, this thing does not belong to us, if you insist on forcing it, do you want to follow in Zhuo Ya's footsteps?"

"But I..."

"Shut up." Su He shouted softly, then turned to Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu, bowed his hands one after another, and said loudly, "Brother Liu, Brother Tang, we still have to rush back to Chifengling to treat Chagan. His injuries cannot be delayed, so we say goodbye now!"

"Brother Su, take care on your journey." Liu Xunyi straightened his face, and bowed reluctantly in return, "I hope we can meet again in the future!"

"Haha..." Su He laughed a few times and said frankly, "I believe we will meet again one day. Then I will have a good drink with Brother Liu! Take care, both of you. Su is leaving!"

"It's a deal!" Liu Xunyi said, "Take care, Brother Su! Goodbye!"

After a brief greeting, Su He whipped his horse and rode off towards the northeast.

"I'm leaving too!" Tang Afu said lightly, pulled the reins and was about to ride away, but was suddenly stopped by Liu Xunyi.

"Take this back!"

After saying that, Liu Xunyi took the initiative to hand the bamboo tube in his hand to Tang Afu.

In response, Tang Afu just glanced at it nonchalantly and said lightly: "You should keep it for yourself! This thing is not mine. Even if I accept it today, it will be snatched away by others sooner or later, and I might even suffer an unexpected disaster because of it."

At this moment, Liu Xunyi was sincere, Tang Afu was calm and composed, but Bai Shuang was the only one who stared with a pair of worried eyes, staring at the bamboo tube nervously, her slender hands tightly grasping the reins, looking as if she was extremely nervous.

Tang Afu glanced at Bai Shuang, who had a strange look on his face, and pulled the reins to Liu Xunyi's side, saying lightly: "Liu Xunyi, in the martial arts world, you can't always exchange your heart for your heart. Sometimes, what you exchange for your sincerity may be... ulterior motives. That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself. Goodbye!"

After that, Tang Afu shouted softly, and the horse suddenly galloped out, leaving a trail of dust. Only Bai Shuang, who was feeling mixed emotions, and Liu Xunyi, who looked hesitant and thoughtful, were left there.

……

(End of this chapter)