Clenching the jade pendant tightly in his hand, with the wind rushing against his face, Zhu Mingyang ran up the mountain path, with dirt and dust trailing behind him. His heart was pounding, but not from the exhaustion of his run, but from the thought that Gu Yingjie knew where he was yet still refused to show himself.
The thought of Gu Yingjie leaving his betrothed gift behind meant that Gu Yingjie had decided to sever all ties with him, and this, Zhu Mingyang could not accept. If Gu Yingjie wanted to sever ties, he must say it face to face—a silent departure was unacceptable.
Only when he reached the front gate of the temple did he realize how heavily he was breathing. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before entering the old temple. He slowly walked inside and saw a boy Taoist sweeping the floor.
Zhu Mingyang asked the sweeping boy, "Little daoshi, is there a person named Yingjie here?"
The little boy scratched his head. "Yingjie?" Then he looked at Zhu Mingyang. "There is no one by this name here." He continued to sweep the floor.
Zhu Mingyang continued to insist, "He must be here... did he ask you not to tell anyone that he is here?"
The little boy, unwavering, said, "Benefactor, there is no one with this name living here."
Zhu Mingyang pushed the door and attempted to rush in, but Yan Zhanjin quickly held his hand. Yan Zhanjin pulled Zhu Mingyang back. He said, "Mingyang, stop. We are not sure if this person is here."
Bao Zhi rushed toward the little boy. Bao Zhi asked, "Xiongdi, what is going on?"
The little boy pointed at Zhu Mingyang. "He is here to find someone called Yingjie."
Bao Zhi repeated the denial. "Benefactor, there is no one with this name here."
Zhu Mingyang was infuriated by their calm lies. "I know he is here. Where did you hide him? Did he tell you not to disclose that he is here?"
Bao Zhi remained steady. "Benefactor, I have told you many times. There is no one with this name in our temple. We are taught not to lie."
Zhu Mingyang, having reached his limit, said angrily, "Then don't mind if I look around."
Bao Zhi stepped aside, granting permission but setting a boundary. "You are welcome to look around, but please don't destroy anything and don't enter the backyard. My master is doing his morning meditation."
Zhu Mingyang looked inside and outside the ancient temple twice, but Gu Yingjie was nowhere to be seen. Zhu Mingyang and Yan Zhanjin walked towards the main entrance and met Bao Zhi again.
Bao Zhi asked, "Did you find the person you were looking for?"
Zhu Mingyang said, "No." He walked away slowly in disappointment, believing his final attempt had failed.
Yan Zhanjin, however, was still thinking logically. "Daoshi, I saw four of you go to the town asking for donation a few days ago. Who is the fourth person?"
Bao Zhi, with casual honesty, replied, "Oh, do you mean Benefactor Gu?"
Zhu Mingyang instantly rushed back and grabbed Bao Zhi's hand, his despair replaced by frantic urgency. "Where is he?"
Bao Zhi said, "He meditates in the back mountain."
Yan Zhanjin, relieved that the search was finally over, asked, "Can you take us to see him?"
Bao Zhi smiled. "Sure, I'm going there too."
Gu Yingjie listened to the gurgling stream, the sounds of birds and trees, and the combination of natural melody calmed his heart and made his chi flow smooth and rhythmic. He sat peacefully on a rock, using his inner energy to guide his airflow throughout his body.
A single drop of water fell from a leaf onto Gu Yingjie. He kept his eyes closed and used his inner energy, circling the drop of water to the tip of his fingers. When the inner energy settled at his fingertips, he released the drop of water into a big rock on the other side of the small stream. He opened his eyes just as the rock slowly creaked and split into ten pieces.
He smiled faintly. Thanks to Liang Daoshi, he had finally figured out the secret of the Silver Leaf manual. Moreover, being blind for two years had also given him a great advantage, allowing him to refocus his internal energy through sound and perception.
In the distance, Bao Zhi pointed toward Gu Yingjie, who was still sitting peacefully on the rock. He said, "He's over there."
The back of the person that Zhu Mingyang saw was a man wearing a gray robe with his hair tied up like a Taoist. He walked toward the figure slowly, and as soon as Zhu Mingyang saw the side of the person's face, he knew immediately that this person was Gu Yingjie. Seeing Gu Yingjie dressed up as a Taoist, he felt a surge of conflicting emotions: he was a little happy and a little angry.
Zhu Mingyang stood directly in front of Gu Yingjie and spoke his name, his voice tight. "Yingjie."
Gu Yingjie opened his eyes and saw Zhu Mingyang standing there. He offered a gentle smile. "Why are you here?"
Zhu Mingyang grabbed Gu Yingjie's right wrist and said sharply, demanding an answer to the larger question: "Why are you here?"
Gu Yingjie looked at the furious man before him and said calmly, "Emancipate the mind." He smiled faintly at Zhu Mingyang. "Mingyang, I finally understand."
Zhu Mingyang squeezed his grip tighter and asked, "What do you understand?"
Gu Yingjie explained, "Perseverance and worries prevented me from going up to the next level. Letting go of everything, and I finally reached it." He easily pulled himself away from Zhu Mingyang's grip. He climbed down from the rock and saw Yan Zhanjin standing aside, waiting patiently. He nodded at Yan Zhanjin, acknowledged his presence, and continued to walk away from both Zhu Mingyang and Yan Zhanjin.
Zhu Mingyang, realizing Gu Yingjie was truly trying to leave him again, grabbed Gu Yingjie's right wrist with desperate force. He angrily shouted, "Yingjie!"
Gu Yingjie firmly pulled his hand away. "Mingyang, you have left the Gu family. Your freedom is earned by you, and you must cherish it." He began to walk away, making his final effort to sever the tie. He turned to Yan Zhanjin and smiled, offering a silent acknowledgment of the life Zhu Mingyang now had. "Go enjoy your life."
Zhu Mingyang shouted wildly, his voice desperate. "Yingjie stop!"
Yan Zhanjin looked at Zhu Mingyang, his face unreadable. "You know the way home." He quickly walked away, leaving the two alone for their confrontation.
Gu Yingjie turned around and faced Zhu Mingyang just as Zhu Mingyang reached him and hugged him tightly in his arms.
Gu Yingjie tried to maintain his resolve. "What else do you want? With a new life, a new beginning, and a new lover, you don't have to cling to the past." He knew in his heart that he missed the feeling of being in Zhu Mingyang's arms. "Mingyang, you should be kind to the person who loves you."
Zhu Mingyang held the back of Gu Yingjie's head and said, "Do you know that the worst feeling is not being alone, but being forgotten by someone you will never forget."
Gu Yingjie tried one last time to push him away. "Mingyang, let me go and start your life again."
Zhu Mingyang tightened his hold, his voice a declaration. "You know I won't let you go. You should know by now that your carefully planned plan has failed." He bowed his head and kissed Gu Yingjie. "Yingjie, do you remember that I Zhu Mingyang belong to you both body and soul." He held Gu Yingjie tightly inside his arms, refusing to release him.
Immediately afterwards, a leather whip flew toward Gu Yingjie's back. Zhu Mingyang quickly moved him to the front, and the whip fell heavily on Zhu Mingyang's back.
The two turned around and saw Gu Tingfang, Gu Xiaowen, and Gu Gouliang staring at them.
Gu Tingfang, enraged, demanded, "Yingjie! What are you doing?"
Gu Yingjie looked at his father. "Why are you three here?"
Gu Xiaowen answered, "We are looking for you."
Gu Gouliang sneered. "But we didn't know that you came here to enjoy life with him."
Gu Yingjie tried to protect Zhu Mingyang's narrative. "He just came." He looked down and saw blood dripping on the ground from the whip mark on Zhu Mingyang's back.
Gu Tingfang was unrelenting. "Let's go home."
Gu Yingjie looked at Zhu Mingyang and gave a final order, trying to save him from further trouble. "Don't follow me back."
Zhu Mingyang grabbed Gu Yingjie's hand. He took out the green round pendant and tied it around Gu Yingjie's neck. He said, "Yingjie, don't throw it away again. My heart belongs to the person with this on his neck."
Gu Yingjie's voice was barely a whisper. "Mingyang... am I worthy?"
Zhu Mingyang looked at him with absolute certainty. "You are more than worthy."
Zhu Mingyang watched Gu Yingjie leave with Gu Tingfang, Gu Xiaowen, and Gu Gouliang. His heart ached. He wanted to stop Gu Yingjie, but he knew that Gu Yingjie still had a mission to find his mother's killer, so he could only watch his heart walk away.
In the evening, Zhu Mingyang walked into the back of the house. He saw Yan Zhanjin cooking dinner in the kitchen. He walked to the table and sat down.
Yan Zhanjin turned to him. "You're back? Is he coming back with you?"
Zhu Mingyang looked at Yan Zhanjin and said, "He went home."
Yan Zhanjin sat beside Zhu Mingyang and asked gently, "Mingyang, is it possible for you to like another person?"
Zhu Mingyang replied simply, "No."
"Have you tried it?" Yan Zhanjin asked.
"No," Zhu Mingyang said.
Yan Zhanjin offered a hopeful thought. "I wish Ma ge would fall in love with another person and forget about Mu Dishi."
Zhu Mingyang shook his head, stating the painful truth he had just lived. "When you truly love someone and they love you at the same level. It is impossible for you to forget them."