Clouds and Moon Shadow

Three months later, all preparations for the store were completed, and it was scheduled to open in ten days.

After arranging everything, Gu Qingyue found her master, Liu Yuan.

Because Gu Qingyue was busy from morning till night for the past three months, she only saw her master once. Her master told her that there was something very important and asked her to talk about it in detail when she had time. So, after dinner, she hurriedly went to the courtyard where her master lived.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw my senior brother Liu Feng running out excitedly.

"Qingyue, hurry, the sect leader has been waiting for you for a while," she said, and then ran towards the backyard.

Gu Qingyue: "..."

Gu Qingyue was left in the courtyard, dumbfounded, before she could even say a word.

It seems that Senior Brother Liu Feng's composed and expert image in front of the young people these past few months has been an act; he'll reveal his true colors in front of Master at any moment.

Gu Qingyue chuckled, and when she looked up, she saw her master's attendant, Liu Qian, walking out of the main hall.

"Young master, the sect leader requests your presence."

Gu Qingyue nodded and smiled, which was her way of greeting her.

Upon entering the main hall, one sees Liu Yuan frowning as he stares at the chessboard, holding a black piece in his hand, deep in thought.

Gu Qingyue coughed, covering her lips with her hand, and Liu Yuan looked over.

"Master, the Plum Blossom Formation hasn't been broken yet?" Gu Qingyue said, lifting her leg to walk towards Liu Yuan.

"Whoosh------", a black chess piece suddenly shot towards Gu Qingyue's face with tremendous force.

Gu Qingyue slowly leaned back to the side, reached out her right hand, and scooped up the black piece, firmly holding it between her two fingers.

Look relaxed.

Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"How is it, Master? Have you improved?" Gu Qingyue raised her eyebrows, put the black pieces into the chess box with a smug look on her face, and sat down cross-legged in front of Liu Yuan.

"Hmph, I thought the little girl was only focused on making money through small businesses. It seems she hasn't wasted her skills yet," Liu Yuan said with disdain for her apprentice's shamelessness. She then picked up a black stone and frowned as she pondered.

"How about I play a game with Master?" Gu Qingyue smiled, picked up a white piece, and with a flick of her wrist, haphazardly moved the chessboard in front of her, putting the black and white pieces back into the chess box, earning a big eye roll from Liu Yuan.

Gu Qingyue knew that once her master started studying this Plum Blossom Chess game, it would take at least half a day to finish, and she didn't want to watch her master, this terrible chess player, racking his brains without finding a solution.

Gu Qingyue composed herself. She was determined to find a way to help her master win today, otherwise, the middle-aged man's low spirits would probably only get lower and lower.

With a forced smile, Gu Qingyue placed a white piece on the chessboard, while Liu Yuan frowned and placed a piece as well.

The bright moon shines outside the window, and the newly sprouted willows in the courtyard stand quietly in the moonlight. A breeze blows, casting a winding shadow on the ground. The room is filled with the lingering fragrance of spring. On the windowsill, a bunch of forsythia drips dewdrops in a porcelain vase. In this early spring, when the weather is still chilly, everything seems tranquil and full of subtle vitality.

Finally, Gu Qingyue placed a white piece, mission accomplished!

"A draw!" Gu Qingyue breathed a long sigh of relief, her forehead covered in sweat.

Master is such a terrible chess player. Gu Qingyue had to exert all her strength to make the game a draw. Even though it was a draw, it was not an easy thing to do it so smoothly and without leaving a trace.

This result was achieved after the middle-aged, handsome man in front of me ruined the game three times, and it took an hour to get the final score.

Gu Qingyue expressed her satisfaction.

Liu Yuan tossed aside the chess piece, picked up her teacup, took a sip, got up from the low couch, and walked towards the armchair next to her.

Gu Qingyue quickly got up and followed behind.

Extremely sycophantic.

Don't misunderstand, Gu Qingyue is mainly powerless against beautiful people.

"Master, are you tired? Let me massage your shoulders?" Gu Qingyue was about to start when Liu Yuan brushed her arm away.

"Sit down and tell your teacher your thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue immediately sat up straight on the armchair below.

A pair of large, bright phoenix eyes stared intently at the handsome man before her, softening Liu Yuan's heart and easing most of her resentment from the past few days.

As the head of Willow Leaf Manor, even though the manor was gone, he still didn't quite approve of Gu Qingyue opening a shop and doing business.

Although Gu Qingyue explained the reason, he still could not accept such impure practices by a martial artist. In his eyes, a martial artist should practice martial arts on time every day, go down the mountain to experience the world and fight for justice. Can someone who does small business be called a knight-errant?

Gu Qingyue knew what her master was thinking. She wanted to say: "Wherever there are people, there is a world of martial arts. Master, you are too narrow-minded."

Of course, she wouldn't dare say that the ancients' way of thinking was different from hers; she was just an ordinary person.

Looking at her master's increasingly profound gaze, Gu Qingyue sighed, picked up a teacup, and poured a cup of tea for each of them.

Only then did he slowly begin to lay out all his thoughts and plans at once, and Liu Yuan remained silent for a long time after listening.

In fact, he knew that the girl in front of him did not want to be a pure江湖人 (jianghu person) at heart. She had her own goals and ideas. She wanted to build her own power in the chaotic world, did not want to be controlled by others, and wanted to live a free life with something to rely on.

"Alright, I understand your plans. We'll return to Nanchong Mountain after your Wenxiang Tower opens," Liu Yuan said slowly, looking at Gu Qingyue with affection.

"So urgent? Master--------", seeing the middle-aged handsome man opposite her looking down with a somewhat disappointed expression, Gu Qingyue quickly spoke up, and twisted the word "master" twice, only to hear Liu Yuan look up and glance sideways.

"Master, could you and your fellow disciples stay here? There's food and clothing here, and I'll take care of you. Plus, you can help me keep an eye on the children's martial arts practice. Wouldn't that be great?" Gu Qingyue continued to persuade Liu Yuan, who remained unmoved.

"Little girl, your master has something to tell you," Liu Yuan said solemnly, looking at the girl in front of him who was trying her best to act obedient.

"Master, please speak," Gu Qingyue said, immediately adopting a serious and solemn expression as she watched her master's changing expression.

Liu Yuan put down her teacup, stood up, and slowly walked towards the window with her hands behind her back.

On the windowsill next to me, the forsythia was blooming brilliantly.

Liu Yuan frowned. This young disciple's taste was really... With a spring breeze on his face, orchids were naturally more appropriate.

Gu Qingyue was unaware of her master's inner thoughts. If she had known, she would still have insisted on planting forsythia; it was simply cheaper and looked more vibrant.

Gu Qingyue looked up at her master's back and felt a strange sense of loneliness. A sense of unease crept into Gu Qingyue's heart.

Liu Yuan stood by the window with his hands in his sleeves. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Master wants to find someone. She is in a very far place." He turned his head and looked at Gu Qingyue with gentle eyes. "She is a very important person. So, I don't know how long I will be away. In the future, I may not have time to take care of you." After saying that, he smiled slightly.

Gu Qingyue's heart sank. She had a bad feeling. She stood up and ran to Liu Yuan's side.

"Master, where are you going? I can help you find it..." Looking at Liu Yuan's distant, longing yet lonely gaze, Gu Qingyue tentatively asked, "Or, where are you going? When I have time, I will definitely come to see you."

Liu Yuan raised her hand and gently ruffled the little girl's hair, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

"If fate allows, perhaps we will meet again," he said, then turned his gaze to the horizon, where a bright moon hung alone, his eyes deep and distant.

Gu Qingyue lowered her head, feeling a little sad. This was the first time she had experienced the feeling of parting from loved ones since she came here, and it was a little...unpleasant.

She vaguely heard her senior brother Liu Feng, who had a big mouth, say that their master had been searching for someone for many years, but there had been no news of him for a long time. Could it be... the person he loved?

Gu Qingyue was a little curious, but more than that, she was saddened to be separated from her master.

Still feeling down, Gu Qingyue suddenly found herself holding a carved sandalwood box.

"This is the most important thing in Willow Leaf Manor. I'm entrusting it to you now. Remember to take good care of it."

After Liu Yuan finished speaking, he took out an ancient key, shaped somewhat like a slender leaf, and solemnly said again, "This is the key to the Boundless Cave in the back mountain of Willow Leaf Manor. The Boundless Cave is a forbidden area of ​​Willow Leaf Manor. You can enter when your Wuxuan Token reaches its Great Perfection."