Not finding any particularly useful information from her master, Miaomiao walked out of the martial arts school in a daze. She wandered aimlessly on the street, looking at the bright moon in the sky and the high - rise buildings, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.
Everything in front of her seemed to transform into the inns and taverns of the past. She seemed to see a bustling crowd of chivalrous men in straw hats, sword - wielding heroes in white robes, and a bright and valiant young girl in red, drinking and laughing heartily...
In the end, all these images merged into the unfamiliar world in front of her.
It seemed that everything around her had lost its sense of belonging...
The clues were broken. The art of witchcraft had been lost a thousand years ago, and the person pulling the strings in the dark had hidden themselves tightly.
Dad, how can I save you?
Miaomiao squatted confusedly beside the road, watching the ants marching in a line under her feet. Tears streamed down her face in big drops, but she was completely unaware.
"Miaomiao?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. Miaomiao turned her head blankly and saw Wei Ziqi standing behind her, looking extremely anxious. She quickly got up and threw herself into his arms.
"Wow! I can't find a way to save Dad! Master said that the art of witchcraft has been lost for a thousand years. Waaaa..."
Miaomiao cried heart - rendingly. Wei Ziqi felt extremely heart - broken. He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair, saying, "Be good. There's always a solution to every problem. There must be a way. Why don't you tell me the whole thing, and I'll help you figure it out."
"Okay... hic... At the hospital, I saw Dad's hand..."
Miaomiao choked with sobs as she told the whole story in detail. Wei Ziqi listened attentively. This time, Miaomiao expressed herself very clearly, even detailing the human - trafficking case from her childhood.
Wei Ziqi held Miaomiao tightly, his mind working at high speed as he calmly analyzed every step. At the end, he asked, "Did your master tell you what setbacks he had experienced?"
"No. Why do you ask?" Miaomiao shook her head and asked in return.
"Giving back something that was already won after a long time, just because of a sudden awakening? This doesn't seem right. And you said your master is very skilled in martial arts, but he's willing to spend his whole life in this small martial arts school. There must be something fishy going on. Most importantly, he didn't tell you who the original owner of the sword was. He's hiding something."
Wei Ziqi always stood unconditionally on Miaomiao's side. After thinking from her perspective, he didn't think anyone was a good person.
Miaomiao didn't want to suspect her master. Over the years, her master had truly loved her and taught her everything he knew...
Maybe her master had his own difficulties.
"Okay, I know what you're thinking. Instead of guessing here, why don't we go and ask your master? If we can't get an answer, we'll think about what to do next." Wei Ziqi knew he had spoken too harshly. Miaomiao was so innocent that she never thought ill of anyone. If they misunderstood her master, she would feel extremely guilty.
"Okay. I just left master's place not long ago. Going back shouldn't be a disturbance. If we've misunderstood him, I'll kowtow and apologize to him."
Miaomiao nodded firmly, grabbed Wei Ziqi's hand, and ran towards the martial arts school. Since they hadn't gone far, they soon turned back.
Sure enough, the lock on the martial arts school hadn't been put on yet, and the people inside hadn't gone to bed.
Seeing Miaomiao return, Xuan Yuanqi was slightly surprised. When he saw Wei Ziqi beside his apprentice, he smiled helplessly.
He knew she had realized something.
"I knew you'd come back. Do you want to ask why I've kept silent about that year's events and why I didn't tell you who the original owner of the sword was?"
"Yeah."
It seemed that her master had really been deliberately hiding something. But Miaomiao didn't want to let this ruin their more than a decade of master - apprentice relationship. She quietly waited for an explanation.
"That year's events left a serious psychological shadow on me. I wanted to bury them in my heart for the rest of my life. You're such an easy - to - deceive little fool. I originally wanted to solve this problem for you and didn't want you to get involved. But since we've come this far, I'll tell you everything in detail."
Xuan Yuanqi walked slowly to a chair and sat down. Just thinking about that year, his energy and spirit seemed to fade away.
Sixty years ago, when Xuan Yuanqi was ten years old, his family was extremely poor. They never knew where their next meal would come from. The whole family relied on his father's hunting to survive. Although life was tough, the family was harmonious and happy.
The beginning of everything should be traced back to the Chinese New Year when he was ten.
It was the Spring Festival, and it was snowing heavily outside. Every family was at home, having a reunion dinner. Xuan Yuanqi finally got to eat some rare fish and meat.
It was hard to hunt in winter. The last rabbit and fish his father caught before the New Year were kept at home for this special meal.
Just as the whole family was about to start eating, there was a sudden and urgent knock on the door. When they opened it, they saw a very unfamiliar man standing outside in a thin cotton - padded jacket.
In such cold weather, the man didn't seem affected at all. Xuan Yuanqi hid behind his mother, amazed in his heart.
The man just came to ask for a glass of water. The family was kind - hearted. Seeing that it was the New Year and this man was wandering alone outside, they thought he was a vagrant and invited him in to have the New Year's dinner with them.
After a few rounds of drinks, Xuan Yuanqi's father and this strange man hit it off. Somehow, either because of the alcohol or something else, the man wanted to adopt Xuan Yuanqi as his godson.
When they woke up the next morning, no one took this matter seriously, and no one mentioned it again. But three days later, the man showed up again. He brought a high - quality jade pendant and a lot of delicious food and drinks that the family had never seen before. He said he was here to fulfill his promise of adopting a godson.
At first, the family thought this man was a child - trafficker. They politely declined. But when the man showed them his Taiji skills in public, they knew they had met a noble person.
His graceful and elegant movements, calm and steady demeanor, and the huge boulder that seemed to shatter with just a gentle touch left an indelible mark in Xuan Yuanqi's heart.
His parents thought it over and wanted to give him a better future. Besides recognizing the man as his godfather, they also begged the man to take Xuan Yuanqi out of this mountainous area.
From then on, Xuan Yuanqi left home and traveled around with his master, who was also his godfather.
The more places he went, the more Xuan Yuanqi realized what a remarkable person his master was. Wherever they went, his master was always treated as an honored guest, surrounded by flatterers. Some things that he had never even dared to dream of were readily offered to his master, and he also benefited a lot.
Thinking of his father begging and bargaining for a piece of not - so - good leather just to earn a little more money, Xuan Yuanqi couldn't help feeling sad.
Gradually, he understood that this kind of status and popularity were due to his master's high - level martial arts skills and the respect he received.
From that moment on, he secretly swore that he would work hard to learn martial arts and become a person like his master.