Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

"No, she's still alive." Ye Tingxiu reached out and subconsciously touched the red bean he wore close to his body, his belief unwavering and unmoved by words.

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng reached out and patted Ye Tingxiu's hand, saying earnestly, "Come home with me, okay? Stop fooling around."

Ye Tingxiu gently shook his head: "I'm not making a fuss. I just want to find her, even if it's just to see her one more time."

Xiao Hongyun advised her at the right moment: "Xiao Yezi, she is already dead. You need to face reality. What's the point of dwelling on the past? Can't you see that Lan Yue doesn't want to live anymore? No one can save her."

"That farewell letter about the seven-year promise was just to let you slowly accept her passing. She hoped that seven years would alleviate your grief, soothe your wounded heart, and allow you to gradually let go and start a new life."

At this point, Xiao Hongyun softened his tone and placed a hand on Ye Tingxiu's shoulder: "The past cannot be undone, but the future can be changed. Little Ye, let it go. In this life, you and Lan Yue are destined to be together but not to stay together. You can't force it."

"You should think positively. Maybe fate has already arranged things for you. Perhaps Jiang Qing'er is your true love, and Lan Yue is just a tribulation in your life. Get over it, and everything will be alright."

Zhou Qingfeng also advised, "Xiao Yezi, cherish the people in front of you, don't wait until you lose them to regret it."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu shook his head firmly: "Alright, all of you stop talking. I know you mean well, but my mind is made up. I will find Lan Yue, whether she is alive or dead. I will not give up until I find her in this lifetime."

Zhou Qingfeng and Xiao Hongyun exchanged a glance, sighed inwardly, and felt helpless.

Ye Tingxiu's stubbornness is also a source of worry.

They won't listen to reason, whether it's good or bad, and sometimes their stubbornness leaves people helpless.

But leaving him alone and letting him go down this path to the bitter end is not an option either.

After all, it concerns Ye Tingxiu's bright future and life prospects.

As brothers, we should lend a hand in times of crisis.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Qingfeng said, "Alright, I respect your decision. If you want to find Lan Yue, we will not stop you. But you have to be careful about how you do it and consider the consequences. As an official of the Sixth Division of the Sword Tower Censorate, you have been out of the country for so long without a word, deliberately cutting off contact and intentionally disappearing. What will the Sword Tower think? Will they think you have defected? And how will your master face the consequences?"

"Finding someone is not something that can be done in a day. Why don't we put it aside for now? You come back to the Sword Tower with me first to clear up any unnecessary misunderstandings. I'll find a reason to get you an official document. Then you can come out and search for people openly and no one will hold you responsible."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongyun, holding a folding fan, quickly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Great idea! Little Yezi, look how wonderful Old Zhou's arrangement is! It perfectly solves your worries, allowing you to focus on finding Lan Yue. It's the best of both worlds!"

Ye Tingxiu stroked his chin: "That makes sense, but you're not trying to fool me, are you?"

Zhou Qingfeng reached out and hooked his arm around Ye Tingxiu's shoulder, saying earnestly, "Old Ye, we're brothers. We've been brothers for so many years, and that's what it's all about. Anyone could lie to you, but how could I lie to you, right? Where's the most basic trust between us? Where did it go? Ask yourself honestly, have I ever lied to you? If you insist that I'm lying to you, then you've hurt me."

Ye Tingxiu scratched the back of his head, looking ashamed like a greenhorn: "Alright then, we'll do as you say."

Zhou Qingfeng patted Ye Tingxiu on the shoulder with a smile: "That's right, you should listen to advice."

Ye Tingxiu said, "Could you wait for me? I heard that a blue-eyed, black-haired woman in white had appeared here before. I think she looks a bit like Lan Yue. Although I didn't have high hopes, I did find this place after all, and I want to confirm."

Zhou Qingfeng readily agreed: "Okay, no problem."

In fact, as long as Ye Tingxiu can return to the Sword Tower with us and prevent the situation from deteriorating further, everything else is a minor matter.

To put it bluntly, Zhou Qingfeng couldn't directly interfere with Ye Tingxiu's personal feelings; at most, he could only offer some advice.

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, so how can outsiders have the right to meddle in other people's emotional entanglements?

If handled well, then needless to say, everyone will be happy.

If not handled properly, the problem will become serious.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qingfeng and his group stayed at Lanruo Temple.

Every day at fixed times in the morning, noon and evening, one can hear the sound of magic washing the ground from afar.

Located in the wilderness and forests, near the war fortress of Burial Immortal Valley, this place is likely to be home to many demons and monsters, which means there will be no shortage of meat. As long as you hunt carefully, you can always maintain the nutrition you need for daily life.

The blue-eyed, black-haired woman Ye Tingxiu mentioned has never appeared, so it's impossible to verify whether she is Lan Yue.

Zhou Qingfeng and Ye Tingxiu sat on the temple roof, with a small table in front of them, on which were several plates of meat and vegetables and a pot of wine.

The two drank and ate meat, chatted idly while waiting, and admired the afterglow of the setting sun.

Zhou Qingfeng lay on his back on the roof, his head resting on his arm, a piece of dried dragonfish gnawed on his lips: "Old Ye."

Ye Tingxiu sat down beside him, his knees naturally wrapped around his knees: "Hmm?"

Zhou Qingfeng: "If after verification it turns out it's not Lan Yue, where are you going to look for her?"

Ye Tingxiu: "Winter City, I want to go back to the place where we parted ways, maybe I can find her there."

Zhou Qingfeng: "Let's assume that you actually found her. Have you ever thought that after all these years, if she were alive, she would definitely come looking for you or send someone to the Sword Tower to deliver a message? But there has been no news so far. Maybe she didn't want you to find her."

Ye Tingxiu asked in bewilderment, "Why? With my current abilities, I can give her the best life. Status, position, wealth, treasures, and glory are no longer issues. What could I possibly lack?"

Zhou Qingfeng shrugged: "Who knows?"

As the two chatted on the rooftop, they keenly sensed a sudden drop in temperature and a strange, extremely cold aura swept over them. They both looked in the direction from which the cold air was coming and saw a group of indistinct figures appearing on the path in the distant mountains.

The extreme cold startled everyone in Lanruo Temple. Zhou Qingfeng and Ye Tingxiu leaped outside the temple gate and stood in the middle of the road, trying to get a clearer view to determine if the newcomer was a woman with blue eyes, black hair, and white clothes. The others also ran out one after another.

Soon after, a group of more than ten people came into view.

The leader of the group was a woman wearing a pure white mask. She was dressed in a pure white outfit with a black cloak with red trim. Her blue eyes were particularly striking. Behind her were more than a dozen ragged young men, half of whom were male and half female.

Seeing this, Ye Tingxiu couldn't wait any longer and took the first step, reaching out to stop him: "Stop!"