Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 185 is his mask, and also his armor.

So this is the location of the Wind and Cloud Sect that Master mentioned! It's also where Master studied under a master in his youth!

"Why did you bring me here?" Gu Qingyue asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The sect leader personally instructed me before he left, saying that if you need to hide your troops for training and to expand your power in the future, and you can't find a suitable place, this place is a very suitable hiding place," Liu Feng said leisurely.

Gu Qingyue suddenly didn't know what to feel.

To be honest, she will always remember the kindness of her master in teaching and guiding her.

However, the time they spent together was too short, and his master initially didn't think much of his small-scale business of opening a restaurant in Lizhou City.

Even after he left, he still thought so much about her and gave her such a big surprise. She felt like crying, really.

"Master, you are really... too good to me," Gu Qingyue murmured, looking down.

"Actually, the sect leader has another purpose, which is to hope that you can make this place lively again. The kindness of Fengyun Sect in passing on knowledge and teaching us is something we should remember," Liu Feng said, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse at the end.

Yes, whether it's the two of them or the hundreds of people in Moon Shadow Pavilion now, all of them who are currently practicing martial arts have their internal energy inherited from the Wuxuan Order. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are the successors and outer disciples of the Wind and Cloud Sect.

Gu Qingyue gently lifted her foot and walked towards the tallest main hall opposite.

After climbing eighty-one steps, Gu Qingyue and Liu Feng stood steadily at the entrance of the main hall.

The main hall is about fifty or sixty meters high. The carved doors are mottled and faded, and even show signs of slight tilting and collapse.

The two men, their expressions solemn, reached out and pushed open the door in front of them.

The first thing that catches the eye is a row of square armchairs arranged in a semicircle. They are probably made of huanghuali wood. Although they are worn, the carvings are intricate, the curves are graceful, and the grain is soft, showing a luxurious and grand atmosphere and an extraordinary and noble character.

This should be a council hall.

Behind the main hall, a tall screen with twenty-four panels is in such bad condition that the patterns on it are almost unrecognizable, with only the complete skeleton remaining.

On either side stood twelve tall bronze lamps with cranes singing in unison, covered in dust. Behind them, the curtains hanging from the wide ceiling of the main hall were tattered into strips of cloth, their colors indistinguishable.

Thirty years have passed, and the world has changed dramatically.

Dilapidated, old, and desolate, yet Gu Qingyue could see glimpses of its former prosperity and domineering grandeur.

“A good place,” Gu Qingyue said softly as she came out of the main hall.

"Let's find someone to repair it. The first thing to do is to build a barrier around it so that outsiders can't find it."

"Also, find reliable people to do the repairs, and remember not to let the word get out," Gu Qingyue instructed as she walked.

"Don't worry, you saw the villa of Willow Leaf Manor when we arrived, right? The sect leader said that the villa was built in this area to guard this place."

Liu Feng lowered his voice.

"Yes, also, have people carefully walk through this mountain forest to make sure there are no more than three paths leading in here."

Gu Qingyue had just made a decision: she would not only turn this place into her secret base, but also make it a sanctuary and a paradise.

If she really doesn't want to stay in the hustle and bustle of the outside world anymore, she will live in seclusion here.

Liu Feng silently remembered everything, then thought for a moment and asked, "Should we restore it to its original state? Or should we redesign it?"

Gu Qingyue paused in her steps.

"Find someone to survey all the areas, make a record, and a redesign is definitely necessary. I'll give you the blueprints," Gu Qingyue said, taking a few steps before stopping.

"When we get back to the Gu residence, you come to me to collect the money," Gu Qingyue thought of the most important thing.

"Not for now. We've been doing very well lately, accomplishing several major tasks with good returns," Liu Feng said with a mysterious smile.

Gu Qingyue wasn't worried about anything right now; she knew what the man in front of her was capable of.

This was something Master instructed me to do before he passed away.

Liu Feng may seem impulsive, outspoken, and guileless, but in reality, his insight and shrewdness are unmatched by most people.

In particular, he had already established a considerable network of connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds at a young age, which was related to his background.

According to his master, Liu Feng was born into a branch of the Yang family in the capital, located in Huaizhou. His original name was Yang Yuezu.

He followed his father in business from a young age, and before the age of eleven, he had traveled all over the Great Chu, Nanzhao and several surrounding countries. In fact, due to his exceptional talent in business, he once managed a well-known escort agency and shipping dock in Huaizhou on behalf of his father at a young age.

Until he was thirteen, a change occurred.

The Yang family in the capital committed a crime and was executed along with the entire family; the Yang family in Huaizhou was also implicated.

The vast family fortune was divided up by several powerful families in the capital who had long coveted it.

That would have been fine, but when the 23 members of the Yang family from Huaizhou returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors, they were robbed by river bandits on the Huai River. The bandits killed them, stole their goods, and hid their bodies in the sunken ship.

This incident became a sensational unsolved case in Jiangnan at the time, and it remains unresolved to this day. So many people died unjustly.

Yang Yuezu was rescued by his master in the reeds when he passed by the Huai River. The wind was strong and the waves were high that day, so his master named him Liu Feng (Willow Wind).

After arriving at Willow Leaf Manor, he didn't utter a single word for six whole months.

Later, it was his fellow disciples who gave him care and comfort, and he gradually returned to his former personality, becoming carefree, outspoken, and unrestrained, as if the past had nothing to do with him.

This is his mask, and also his armor.

When Gu Qingyue heard what her master said, she couldn't help but sigh.

The sudden tragedy that befell a thirteen-year-old boy's family, with more than twenty members dying on the same day, must have been an unimaginable blow to his mental health.

The fact that he can still grow up to be so open-minded and carefree is probably because he is naturally kind and magnanimous.

This is a good thing; it's much better than gloomy and lifeless.

Therefore, she naturally understood her master's good intentions in leaving Liu Feng to help her before he left.

"Alright, if you need anything, just let me know," Gu Qingyue instructed, and the two of them hurried back to Mingyue Manor.

He didn't return to the Gu residence in Lizhou until the afternoon of the next day.

After returning to the Gu residence and washing up, Gu Qingyue went to the front hall to see Manager Xie.

Since learning a few days ago that Gu Qingyue had returned to Lizhou, Manager Xie had come several times, but all his attempts had been unsuccessful.

I finally managed to squeeze in some time to come over today, but I still missed it.

Rong Qingqing told her to wait, saying she would definitely be back today, so she patiently waited from morning until evening.

She paced restlessly back and forth in the hall, anxiously seeking her master's advice on a mountain of matters.

"Manager Xie is really impatient; he can't even sit still for a moment?"

As soon as Gu Qingyue entered the front courtyard through the moon gate and went up to the veranda, she saw a figure in rose red moving back and forth without stopping for a moment.

"Master," the woman exclaimed excitedly, looking up to see a slender, bluish-gray figure in the distance. Her voice trembled with excitement.

Gu Qingyue looked at her, amused, and stepped into the hall.

"Sit down, we've finally met," Gu Qingyue gestured for her to sit down.