Chapter Forty-One: Under the Same Sky

Upon seeing these two figures in the courtyard, even Liu Lei, who led the group, was momentarily stunned before reacting.

"Are you Dr. Mu and Master Zhuang? Is the young master inside?"

Zhuang Lin did not speak. His gaze returned to the chessboard, contemplating where to place his piece. Elder Mu also withdrew his gaze from the newcomers and looked back at the board, though given his Go skills, which far surpassed Zhuang Lin's at this moment, he should not have hesitated for so long to make a move.

"Teacher Tingwen, your heart is in turmoil!"

At Zhuang Lin's words, Elder Mu sighed and tossed his piece aside, conceding defeat.

Aside from Liu Lei's initial question, none of the outsiders dared to break the atmosphere established by the two men. It was a strange sensation; everyone knew nothing was wrong, yet no one wanted to be the first to speak.

"In that room over there. Don't worry about him waking up; he's been given medicine..."

As he spoke, Elder Mu pointed toward Liu Hongyu's sleeping quarters.

Liu Lei breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to step forward and shake hands with the two men, but felt for some inexplicable reason that it would be inappropriate. Besides, neither of them showed any intention of standing up, so after a moment of hesitation, he chose not to disturb them.

"Thank you! Leave the rest to us!"

Liu Lei then muttered a few words to the others, and the team carefully wheeled the stretcher past the two chess players with light, cautious steps. Someone had already prepared a hospital gown.

Normally, a day later, Liu Hongyu would wake up in the hospital wearing that gown, and everything in ancient times would prove to be nothing more than a long, sobering dream!

At that very moment, however, the door to Liu Hongyu's room was suddenly pushed open from the inside with a loud bang.

To the utter astonishment of nearly everyone present, Liu Hongyu walked out and stood right in the doorway. His gaze swept over the people in the courtyard and finally landed on Liu Lei, whose mouth was slightly agape.

To these outsiders, this was an extremely unfamiliar Young Master Liu.

He wore clean, well-fitted traditional garments with right-side lapels and wide, flowing sleeves. His long hair was slightly coiled and secured with a hair hairpin. Simply standing there, he exuded an ancient charm and an extraordinary demeanor, much like the two men in the courtyard.

"No need for the trouble. Put those things away; I've known all along!"

These were Liu Hongyu's first words. Everyone present except for Zhuang Lin froze, and even Elder Mu widened his eyes in surprise.

It took Liu Lei a long time to recover his senses.

"Then, Young Master, your illness..."

"If I were truly ill, would I have stayed here obediently living with you all? Tell me, did something happen to my father?"

Liu Lei's emotions were conflicted. Being a quick-witted man, he now roughly understood: the young master could actually have left the valley long ago and had even seen through this charade all along...

"Young Master, the boss has passed away..."

Liu Hongyu's expression, calm until a moment ago, suffered a sharp pang in his chest. Incredulity flashed across his face, and he instinctively looked toward his master, only to see him let out a soft sigh. At that instant, he knew the news was true.

"Young Master..."

Liu Hongyu's hands clenched tightly without his realizing it. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Zhuang Lin.

"Master, would you accompany me outside?"

Zhuang Lin glanced at Liu Hongyu and thought for a moment before standing up. He understood what was on Liu Hongyu's mind.

Even in ancient times, the boundary between life and death carried massive karma. Since Liu Shihao's fate was sealed, and this was the modern era where spiritual energy was exhausted, nothing could be done to save him. However, as Zhuang Lin had just recently taken him on as a disciple, he considered his pupil's state of mind and ultimately agreed.

"Very well, I will accompany you on this trip."

Liu Hongyu felt a slight sense of relief and bowed deeply to Zhuang Lin with clasped hands.

"Thank you, Master!"

Then, Liu Hongyu turned to face Liu Lei and the others.

"Brother Lei, I hope nothing in the valley will be disturbed for now, at least until the Master and I return!"

Return? A slight ripple stirred in Liu Lei's heart, but he responded respectfully nonetheless.

"Of course! We will do as the Young Master says!"

Whether due to lingering intentions of his own or simply because Liu Hongyu's demeanor commanded awe, Liu Lei displayed a high degree of obedience.

Liu Hongyu walked back into his room, retrieved a pre-packed bundle, strapped his sword case onto his back, and stepped outside once more. Approaching the table, he bowed deeply to Elder Mu.

"Grandpa Mu, thank you for taking care of me for so long. I must go now!"

"Young Master Liu... take care!"

Elder Mu, having finally recovered his composure, stood up and returned the bow before watching Liu Hongyu and the group walk away.

Zhuang Lin lagged a step behind, cupped his hands in farewell to Elder Mu, and then walked out of the clinic together with them.

Dawn was just breaking. As the group stepped outside, they realized that the quiet Hidden Immortality Valley was not entirely asleep; along both sides of the path leading out, many people had quietly gathered.

The valley residents had spent a restless night, and it was impossible for anyone to miss the commotion caused by a helicopter. Even when the group pushed the stretcher earlier, many had been watching from their windows.

When the people outside the clinic saw Liu Hongyu walking out fully conscious and in the company of those outsiders, quite a few were stunned.

"Shouldn't he be fast asleep?" "What's going on?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

Liu Hongyu, however, showed no surprise. Instead, he bowed toward the residents visible in the valley, facing several directions in turn.

"I am Liu Hongyu. Thank you all for your long-standing tolerance and care. Thank you very much!"

Fated to gather here for a time, not everyone would choose to remain forever, but let this gesture serve as a farewell of gratitude!

As Liu Hongyu raised his head, Zhuang Lin stepped forward as well, nodding to him before glancing at the bewildered faces around them.

"Do not worry, everyone. Everything remains unaffected."

With those words, Zhuang Lin followed the group as they strode briskly toward the helicopter waiting at the threshing ground.

People near and far in the valley watched silently from a distance. Some remained speechless, while others murmured quietly to one another. Though a complex mixture of emotions stirred within each of them, no one spoke a word to break the atmosphere...

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At the threshing ground, the pilot, having received orders via the walkie-talkie, had already started the engine.

The whirring sound of the spinning rotor blades grew increasingly distinct, and a fierce wind swept across the threshing ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

As the group approached, everyone instinctively bowed their heads and shielded their faces, partly to ward off the wind and dust, and partly due to an innate psychological apprehension of the spinning blades.

Only Liu Hongyu and Zhuang Lin stood straight amidst the gale.

Liu Lei stepped forward, offering to take Liu Hongyu's burdens.

"Young Master, let us carry your things for you."

Between the heavy sword case and the bundle containing the immortal scriptures, how could Liu Hongyu let anyone else touch them? He sidestepped slightly and shook his head.

"They're rather heavy; I'll carry them myself! Master, please this way!"

"Hmm."

Zhuang Lin nodded without further comment. Feeling rather conflicted himself, he boarded the helicopter alongside Liu Hongyu and took a seat.

The others raised no objections, quickly boarding the aircraft and securing themselves in their seats.

During the smooth ascent of the helicopter, Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu sat side by side. One closed his eyes in meditation, while the other seemed lost in thought.

Seated just across from them was Liu Lei. Both he and the others kept observing the two men in traditional attire; the aura they exuded could hardly be described as mere costume or acting.

Liu Lei glanced at the large lacquered wooden case resting by Liu Hongyu's feet, wondering just how heavy it could be, and cautiously nudged it with his foot.

There was no reaction.

Liu Lei applied a bit more force, but the wooden box remained completely motionless...

A moment later, the massive modern machine climbed steadily into the high altitude, roaring as it banked. Liu Hongyu reached out to adjust the leather strap of the sword case and pressed his hand firmly against it, prompting Liu Lei to abandon further attempts.

The helicopter carried Liu Hongyu and his companions out of the valley.

On the boulder near the eastern ridge above the valley, the large rooster had once again climbed to the summit.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo~~"

Amidst the crowing, the morning sun rose, illuminating the vast expanse of land within the nature reserve...

-----------------

At Liu Hongyu's request, the helicopter bypassed the outer observation stations and also skirted past Muling Primary School, where Zhuang Lin had once volunteered as a teacher.

Liu Lei explained some details of the "Breaking Illusion Plan" on the side, while Liu Hongyu, who basically already knew about these matters, listened quietly.

Later, Liu Lei brought up various internal and external issues concerning the Liu Group—matters that an heir needed to handle—even offering certain suggestions for resolution, yet Liu Hongyu offered no opinions of his own.

When the helicopter was finally about to fly out of the nature reserve, Liu Hongyu withdrew his gaze from the cabin window.

"If I go back and speak, will anyone listen?"

Liu Lei felt a weight lift from his heart and hurried to reply.

"Young Master, you are the boss's sole legal heir. The boss has already arranged everything. I and the others will help you sort out the rest; all you need to do is appear at the shareholders' meeting and, well, prove that you are an adult with full capacity for civil conduct!"

"Very well, I'll leave the arrangements to you!"

A smile bloomed on Liu Lei's face, and the surrounding entourage finally relaxed their expressions as well. Not only would this allow the deceased boss to rest in peace, but they would also no longer need to worry about their own futures.

"Right, starting today, all observation and station posts are to be dismantled. The reserve shouldn't bother with any economic experimental forests either. As for the Hidden Immortality Valley itself, I will make arrangements after I attend the shareholders' meeting!"

"Understood. The evacuation is already underway, and we guarantee the surrounding natural environment will be restored to its original state!"

Liu Hongyu nodded. Although he had spent several years locked away in a psychiatric hospital, he knew Liu Lei well enough to consider him trustworthy.

Even if Liu Lei truly harbored ulterior motives, to be frank, such worldly matters were mere fleeting clouds to the current Liu Hongyu.

Just then, however, Liu Hongyu frowned and instinctively looked toward Zhuang Lin, who slowly opened his eyes as well.

"Master..."

"This is the outside world, after all."

Zhuang Lin murmured softly.

The bystanders could not quite grasp the conversation between master and disciple, interpreting it instead as a manifestation of emotional reflection or sorrow.

Only Liu Hongyu and Zhuang Lin understood that they were now existing in an environment devoid of spiritual energy—an indescribable sense of discomfort, though fortunately, it caused no immediate physical harm.

When they transferred flights at the Jingzhou airport, Zhou Xianglin was already waiting aboard Liu Shihao's private jet.

Meeting the famous director once more, whether for Liu Hongyu as a junior or for Zhuang Lin who had previously discussed the script with him, evoked deep emotions within both of them.

Given the current juncture, however, neither party was in the mood for leisurely conversation.

The comfort of the private jet vastly surpassed that of the transport helicopter. Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu sat together once more, facing Liu Lei and Zhou Xianglin across the aisle.

"Hongyu, Master Zhuang, it's not as cool outside as the Hidden Immortality Valley, and these clothes aren't very convenient either. Shouldn't you change?"

Seeing the two still clad in valley attire, Zhou Xianglin instinctively suggested changing into casual wear, though he still habitually addressed Zhuang Lin as Master.

Zhuang Lin had no particular objection, but before he could speak, Liu Hongyu, harboring deep resistance, flatly refused.

"Unless necessary, there's no need. The Master and I are accustomed to these; by contrast, we'd feel uncomfortable wearing those skimpy clothes."

Zhou Xianglin smiled wryly and shook his head, then looked toward Zhuang Lin, only to find the latter's attention caught by some miscellaneous newspapers tucked into the mesh pocket on the side.

"These are replaced regularly—they're all the latest news!" Liu Lei offered.

Zhuang Lin nodded, pulled out a few newspapers and magazines, realizing that understanding current external affairs was necessary, especially since he still had several lingering doubts to clear up.

As he casually flipped through them, just as Zhuang Lin was about to pick up the *Shanghai Daily*, a pictorial catalog caught his eye, and he immediately pulled it out to examine it closely.

The moment he saw the cover, Zhuang Lin felt a jolt in his heart. Those around him noticed his movement and instinctively looked toward what was in his hands.

It was a promotional catalog for an upcoming auction, a publication typically mailed to high-profile clientele. The cover featured a piece of jewelry.

The instant Zhuang Lin laid eyes upon it, he couldn't look away. The jewelry was exquisitely crafted, but that wasn't the point.

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As the cover image, a brief description accompanied the text above:

*A gold-and-silver-inlaid filigree peacock hairpin. Authenticated as dating roughly to the early Tang dynasty, it stands as one of the hallmark masterpieces of ancient jewelry craftsmanship, possessing extremely high artistic, collectible, and archaeological value...*

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The moment he beheld the hairpin, despite its heavy coating of the marks of time, Zhuang Lin recognized it instantly: this was precisely the hairpin he had once used to purchase a boat!

"Master, what's wrong?"

Liu Hongyu had never seen his master display such uncharacteristic behavior. True, outsiders might not notice anything amiss, but Liu Hongyu could sense that his master's expression had momentarily bordered on being unsettled.

The two people across from them were equally puzzled. Aside from looking exceptionally pretty, was there anything truly special about the jewelry on the cover?

Zhuang Lin shook his head. Deep inside, a lingering doubt was finally put to rest: the ancient realm of Gujin and the modern world shared the very same sky...