In Xue Horan's room, Yongzheng was sitting at the table. Xue Horan closed the door behind him. Yongzheng knew that Xue Horan just wanted to use his name to provoke Rao Zhengsheng.
Xue Horan sat down on the table opposite Yongzheng. Through the candlelight, he realized that in the past, he had never really take a good look at Yongzheng. To be honest, Yongzheng is very handsome. Xue Horan chuckled lightly.
Yongzheng asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"
Xue Horan said, "Yes, your face is too handsome." He smiled at Yongzheng. "Yongzheng, I was not very optimistic about you before. Now after you bathed, shaved, changed your clothes, and have your hair done. You are very good looking. Why do people like you decide to become Taoist priest? I believe many women are willing to be your wife."
Yongzheng, "I'm not a real Taoist yet."
Xue Horan, "Really?"
Yongzheng, "My shifu refused to let me go through the ceremony. He said that when I can let go of all my attachments, he will reconsider again."
Xue Horan, "You dress like one, act like one, but not one?"
Yongzheng, "Yes." He looked at Xue Horan. "Horan…"
Xue Horan said, "What?"
Yongzheng, "If you are not happy with benefactor Rao, you two should sit down and have an open heart talk. It is wrong to regard me as your escape sheep. This is not conducive to the situation, but will escalate the situation to the worst."
Xue Horan frowned, "I know…I'm sorry."
Yongzheng looked at Xue Horan, "You can treat me as your escape sheep as many times as you want, because I am willing, but other people may not be like me."
Xue Horan murmured, "If you are Zhen ge, how wonderful would it be."
Although Xue Horan was just talking to himself in a low voice, Yongzheng heard clearly. Yongzheng said, "I'm sorry. I am not him."
Xue Horan said, "Is just that... I am confused now. I don't know if two people of the same sex can be together. After thinking about it carefully, I realized that I am not a good match for Zhen ge. Zhen ge, is the last offspring of the Rao family. He have a big responsibility to continue the Rao family line, which I can't give him that. I don't know if he loves me or not, or whether he wants to marry me or he strongly wants to marry me because of the promise he made to me." His eyes moistened. "I really like him... No, I only like him, and I hope he only likes me. I may not be as smart as other people, but love is important to me."
Yongzheng, "How do you know that he like the other person more than you?"
Xue Horan, "He said it himself. He likes Yuan Xiurong as much as he likes me. There were things that he did which showed me that he really likes Xiurong. My mother always said I was naive, and she told me that the world of martial arts is not like what I imagine. I refused to accept and insist of going to Central Plains to look for him." He frowned. "Yongzheng, your words also opened my eyes."
Yongzheng said, "I don't remember which word you are referring to."
Xue Horan smiled, "I'm covered with scars, but I chose to stand up instead of being defeated by something beyond my reach." Yongzheng gave Xue Horan a quickly smiled. "I came to the conclusion that even if Zhen ge chooses to marry someone instead of me in the future. I will still bless them. I will slowly withdraw from him. I believe that if I take a step back every day. One day, I will stand far enough from him, and I will no longer recognize his face."
Yongzheng smiled, "That is a good start. My shifu once said 'Take a step back doesn't mean you lose the fight, but it simply mean you understand the meaning of forgiveness'."
Xue Horan said, "I really want to meet your shifu." He frowned. "But, your shifu will never come down here to meet me."
Yongzheng then said, "You can visit him in Li Village."
Xue Horan said, "Yongzheng…come with me." He stood up, walked to Yongzheng's side, and took Yongzheng's hand. "Let's go to sleep on the roof of my bedroom."
Yongzheng, "What?"
Xue Horan, "Come with me quickly."
Xue Horan and Yongzheng stood in front of Xue Horan's room. Xue Horan flew onto the roof. He peak out and said, "Hurry up."
Only then did Yongzheng flew up and stood beside Xue Horan. He asked, "What exactly are we doing up here?"
Xue Horan sat down and pulled Yongzheng's hand. He said, "Sit down." Yongzheng sat beside Xue Horan. "Look." He pointed to the sea. "Those distant lights are seventy-two islands."
Yongzheng, "The people that tried to drown us?"
Xue Horan, "We have been living in harmony here. I don't think it was aimed at us. It's just that we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Yongzheng, "You are not angry with them?"
Xue Horan, "No, if I stay here and don't run away, I won't be in that situation."
Yongzheng pointed and said, "What about those light?"
Xue Horan looked at hundreds of lit torches heading their way. It looks like the water in front of their house was lit on fire. He stood up and take a closer look at the hundreds of torches approaching. It turned out to be fifty ships with hundreds of people holding torches.
Yongzheng stood beside Xue Horan, "Who are they?"
Xue Horan said, "I don't know?" His face darken. "How do they get inside?"
Yongzheng asked, "What do you mean?"
Xue Horan said, "My father set up traps on the island. If those people travel without permission, the traps will activate."
Yongzheng said, "You mean, someone opened a trap for them." He looked at Xue Huoran. "Who?"
Xue Horan, "I don't know. The only two new people here are you and Yuan Xiurong."
Xue Huoran jumped off the roof and rushed directly into Dong Lanying's room. He pushed the door open and found Yuan Xiurong and Dong Lanying still talking at the table. He looked at Yuan Xiurong and asked, "Who are those people that are at our front door?"
Yuan Xiurong, "What are you talking about? What people?"
Dong Lanying, "Horan what's wrong?"
Xue Horan, "Shijie, she…" He pointed his finger at Yuan Xiurong. "She opened the trap switch. There a hundreds of people in front of our front door."
Yuan Xiurong claimed her innocent, "I don't know anything about trap switch."
Rao Zhengsheng walked out of his room. He asked, "Hao'er, what's the matter? Why are you shouting?"
Xue Horan asked, "Da shixiong, have you ever told her." He pointed his finger at Yuan Xiurong. "About our Island traps?"
Rao Zhengsheng said sternly, "Horan! I don't like the tone of your voice when you speak to Xiurong. Xiurong respects you, and you should also respect her."
Xue Horan said, "I don't need your lecture. Just answer the questions."
Rao Zhengsheng sighed deeply, "No…" Then he looked at Yongzheng. "You only have doubts about Xiurong, what about him. The man standing next to you."
Xue Horan said madly, "I believe him."
Rao Zhengsheng was also angry with Xue Horan, because since they were young, Xue Horan has never questioned his decision. He shook his head, and saw a wave of fireflies flying towards them in the dark sky.
Rao Zhengsheng's heart began to pound. Suddenly, he heard the screams of servants and maids burning in the flames. Immediately afterwards, he heard Dong Lanyin calling his name. He came back abruptly.
The front door of their house was knocked open. The two door panels flew to the burning wall. What emerged from the flames was Cao Fengge walking towards them with his hands behind his back. Following behind Cao Fengge are Cao Wenyan, Red Mice, and Blue Mice along with one hundred Beixing disciples.