The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Like the others, Qi Yuan was not interested in Luo Yifei's pieces of iron.

Luo Yifei followed Qi Yuan into the cabin and saw the other three chatting.

"What did you talk about?" Luo Yifei noticed that Qingwei and Huaxi were unusually free of their worries, so he was curious about what they had been talking about.

“The young lady Qingwei is telling us interesting stories about the Eastern Wu Kingdom,” Bili replied.

"What other interesting things are there about Eastern Wu?" Luo Yifei was rarely curious.

"It was just that I happened to witness the scene of the Ding family's young master marrying into the family three years ago, before I went to Liberty City," Qingwei said to Luo Yifei.

"Oh," Luo Yifei hadn't expected that there was such a thing as marrying into another family in this world, and was about to ask what exactly happened.

Qi Yuan spoke first: "Last night I received a secret report from Ji Mi's side. They caused quite a commotion in the main urban area and repelled many enemies. However, they also encountered someone on the way."

Qi Yuan stopped speaking at this point.

"Who?" Bili asked.

When Qi Yuan said "Dugu Xin," he glanced at Qingwei.

……

This brings up another story from the past.

Three years ago, a wealthy salt merchant in Liberty City had his men bring his daughter, Qingwei, from his branch in the Eastern Continent to Liberty City.

However, it was not Qingwei's mother who came with her, but Dugu Xin, whom Qingwei considered her childhood sweetheart.

Dugu Xin was born into a fallen general's family in the state of Yan. The Dugu family was once the pride of Yan, but unfortunately, Dugu Xin's father, Dugu Yun, was deceived and surrendered to the enemy. After the war, some members of the family secretly gathered strength in the former territory of Yan, while others fled to other countries.

Ten years ago, Dugu Xin's aunt took him to the Eastern Wu Kingdom. It was in Eastern Wu that eight-year-old Dugu Xin met six-year-old Ji Qingwei. Dugu Xin's aunt and Ji Qingwei's mother became neighbors, and after getting to know each other, the two children often played together.

Free City was originally directly governed by the Yan Kingdom. A thousand years ago, when the Yan Kingdom enfeoffed its vassals, it left a city at the junction of the eastern and western continents and entrusted it to trusted confidants for management. Because the area was too small, it was not enfeoffed as a vassal state, but was directly governed by the Yan royal family.

In Liberty City, Ji Liang, known as "Bi Mo of the South and Ji Liang of the North," regretted not keeping his daughter in Liberty City from a young age after learning that she was with a descendant of the Dugu family.

When Dugu and Qingwei arrived in Freedom City, Ji Liang was furious and placed Dugu under house arrest. However, his daughter saw Dugu every day for three years until someone came to the Ji family to propose marriage. Only then did Ji Liang realize the gravity of the situation, and six months ago, he imprisoned Dugu on a fabricated charge.

Four months ago, on one of those nights when Liberty City was gripped by fear, the following conversation took place in the prison.

"Dugu, come back with me. Chu Jun has already obtained the deciphered prophecy." The prison's only three guards collapsed to the ground. The speaker was a swordsman dressed in black, the kind of swordsman who knew ninjutsu.

"Shadow, you can leave, I won't leave." Dugu said, glancing at Qingwei, who had secretly come to visit him in prison.

"Since that's the case, you can't blame me." A wisp of black smoke drifted out. Only Qingwei lay on the ground; Shadow picked her up and ran away.

Dugu grabbed the railing in front of him, bent it, and chased after the shadow, running towards the east of the city.

The surroundings were silent, a gentle breeze rustling through the air. The hermit known as Shadow lowered the green mastiff and looked at the person blocking the road—it was Qi Yuan. Behind him, Dugu followed. The three stood facing each other in silence. The green mastiff remained unconscious, leaning against the courtyard wall by the roadside.

"Dugu Xin, I was entrusted by Master Ji to take Miss Ji out of the city to avoid disaster." Qi Yuan spoke to Dugu Xin behind the hermit in black, as if he didn't even look at the hermit in black.

“I really never imagined that this tragedy would happen to our generation. The path to immortality is too illusory; it’s just an excuse for all sides to fight.” Dugu Xin looked at Ji Qingwei as he spoke. “I can give up everything, and I can even forgo avenging the destruction of my country and my clan. I only wish that my beloved can live a peaceful life.”

Qi Yuan looked at him, then turned slightly, glanced at the hermit named Shadow beside him, and then looked at Dugu Xin and said, "The world is about to descend into chaos, and there is one place that will be the last to fall. I will take Miss Ji there."

“Okay,” Dugu Xin said to Qi Yuan, “Take good care of him for me.”

After saying that, Qi Yuan picked up Qingwei and left.

Dugu Xin picked up a bamboo pole from the roadside, while An Ying drew his sword.

……

Time returns to the present.

Qi Yuan said to everyone, "Dugu Xin is working for the Chu King for some reason. Ji Mi learned that he is pursuing a Nanzhao Kingdom diplomatic envoy named Li Hongbo."

While the others waited for Qi Yuan to say something more, Luo Yifei asked, "Do you know this Li Hongbo? And why is Gu Du chasing after him?"

Seeing Luo Yifei's somewhat excited expression, Qi Yuan said in surprise, "I haven't met Li Hongbo, but I've heard of him. He's a famous diplomatic envoy from the Nanzhao Kingdom. I met Gudu when I was traveling in Dongwu. Later, he went to Ziyou City and we often sparred together. As for why he pursued Li Hongbo, I don't know. Perhaps it was at the request of the Chu King. That's all Ji Mi said in his letter."

Luo Yifei hesitated for a moment, but decided to recount his first experience in this world. Of course, he omitted the fact that Shen Lixi had taken the legendary sword from the Red-Clothed Sect of Mount Emei.

As the fishing boat rocked, Luo Yifei recounted the past: "Four years ago, Shen Lixi and I traveled to the Eastern Continent and met two people near Mount Emei."