Murong Che saw that Gong Yu was visibly moved and he knew that both his and Murong Yunxi"s words had had an effect, so he continued to persist in his efforts to advise and console. "Third Brother, regardless of anything, you should provide accountability to everyone. Back then, you left quietly without a word. Now that you have returned after all the trouble, you should at least provide everyone with an explanation. Ultimately, everyone waited for you, and searched for you, for years. Did you intend to make everyone continue with the search? To continue with the endless wait?"
Murong Yunxi, too, chimed in. Tugging on Gong Yu"s shirt sleeve, she said, "That"s right, we could just return quietly to take a look. Furthermore, we have no baggage. Currently, we also do not have anything to eat. No matter what, we should first get a big meal out of them!"
Gong Yu finally nodded his head. Looking at Murong Che, he said, "Let"s go then!"
Murong Che"s face instantly lit up into a smile. Turning around, he ran over to lead his horse filled with happiness.
Murong Yunxi"s eyes were not well so she sat astride the horse while Gong Yu led the horse and walked next to her. Murong Che walked beside Gong Yu.
The paddock of the western suburbs was considered a very important place in Jin Lin City because the royal family would visit it every year to hunt. Hence, many members of the royalty or famous aristocrats had a villa nearby. Murong Che"s family was no exception. In fact, Gong Yu also had a villa there. Just, he could not go back there.
Murong Che"s villa was not considered far away. The trio exited from the paddock and reached without walking for too long.
As now was not the hunting season, the surrounding area was very desolate and there were hardly any traces of a human presence. This was also the reason why Gongyu chose this place — the close proximity and that there were few people around.
Murong Che sent someone to invite Ouyang Fangzheng, Sikong Shu, Huangfu Jianan, and to pa.s.s on a verbal message to Dong Fangying.
As he was worried that their secret might be leaked, Murong Che did not state why he called them over and merely mentioned that there was a great matter to be discussed. However, since Murong Che had always been quite childish, most people did not take his so-called "great matter" to be of any great importance. By the time they arrived, it was already afternoon.
The first to reach was actually Dong Fangying"s group. Dong Fangying had always treated the search for Duanmu Gongyu as a matter of great importance. When Murong Che said that he had invited them over for a great matter, Dong Fangying brought some men over without further thought. Even if it was only a shred of hope, they did not wish to miss it.
The four men, Dong Fangying, Xi Fangchi, Nan Fangjing and Bei Fangye, were Duanmu Gongyu"s secret guards. Xing Ye and Lan Yun were his personal bodyguards. The six of them had grown up together with Gong Yu as youths. They had come to serve Gong Yu from a very young age and had accompanied him to learn martial arts and to study. They accompanied him day and night and almost never left his side. They had become akin to a shadow of Gong Yu, until Gong Yu"s sudden disappearance. They were like kites that had broken away from their strings. The string that they were holding onto had broken and they no longer had a focus in their lives. It was as if they have lost their souls. Finding Gong Yu had become the only hope that drove them to continue to live.
Dong Fangying was the first to walk to the backyard. At the pavilion right in front of him, there were three people seated around in a circle. Gong Yu"s back faced them and when Dong Fangying first saw the view of his back, his heart stopped momentarily. The back view was just too similar.
Dumbfounded, Dong Fangying stood rooted to the spot and did not dare to take another step until Xi Fangchi and the others walked in. Xi Fangchi was slightly puzzled when he saw Dong Fangying s.p.a.ced out, so he tapped Dong Fangying"s shoulders lightly. "Ying, why are you in a daze?"
Dong Fangying pointed toward Gong Yu"s back in a daze. "Look, does it look similar?"
Xi Fangchi and the others looked in the direction Dong Fangying pointed, and they were all stunned. Xing Ye was the first to rush forward and yell out, "Master? It"s Duke Yu! It"s Duke Yu!"
The others at the back followed suit and ran over. Gong Yu turned his gaze slightly and when he saw the oncoming people, his pupils widened and a glimmer of joy flashed in his eyes. Although he already knew that they were coming back, but at that moment when he saw them, his heart still felt slightly excited.
Gong Yu got up slowly and faced the six people who were running toward him. A wave of emotions rippled across his heart. Within his sleeves, away from everyone"s sight, Gong Yu"s hands trembled lightly.
Xing Ye quickly ran up to Gong Yu. He was the first to kneel down on one knee and ball up his fists. "Master, Xing Ye has come to report."
Immediately after, Dong Fangying and the others, too, knelt down on the ground. "Your subordinates have come to report."
It was hard to calm down the emotions in Gong Yu"s heart and a hint of emotion was actually mixed into his usually cold voice so that it became less cold. "Get up. Get up, all of you."
The six people rose and their eyes could not leave Gong Yu"s countenance. Although they knew that they had stepped over the line with such a gaze, but they were not able to shift their eyes away. It was as if they wanted to make up for what they had not seen over the past few years.
Gong Yu coughed lightly and spoke in a faint, casual voice, "From now on, Duke Yu and Duanmu Gongyu does not exist."
Right after Gong Yu said this, everyone was slightly taken aback. They thought that Gong Yu did not want them anymore and had the intention to drive them away. The six of them were so shocked that they instantly panicked and knelt down on the ground once again.
"Duke, your subordinates have neglected their duties for the past few years and have lost the Duke. A thousand deaths will not atone for our crimes. However, we plead with the Duke to allow your subordinates to stay by your side to serve and protect you to redeem themselves. Your subordinates are already inseparable from the Duke. Please do not chase us away."
Gong Yu was momentarily stunned when he heard this. He knew that they had misunderstood him, so he continued to say, "Get up first, all of you."
"If the Duke does not agree, your subordinates will continue to remain on our knees." Their sonorous and strong voices made one feel deeply moved.
"Get up first before you speak. I am not chasing you away. I am only saying that I do not want the news of my return to be leaked. Thus, from today onwards, Duanmu Gongyu does not exist and neither does Duke Yu. I am Gong Yu, a mere commoner."
When the six people heard Gong Yu"s words, their jangling hearts were finally put to rest and they proceeded to stand up.
"This time, I returned mainly to treat Xiao Xi"s illness. I do not want to alert too many people, so you must all keep my affairs confidential."
"Yes, your subordinates accede to your orders."
Although there were many things that Dong Fangying and the others wanted to say and also many questions that they wanted to ask, after seeing Gong Yu, their ident.i.ty does not give them the right to question their master"s affairs. Thus, they could only bury all their doubts and words at the bottom of their hearts.
However, they were already very satisfied to be able to see Gong Yu again. The words and questions did not seem to be as important anymore.
While they could not ask, but it did not mean that Murong Che could not ask. As a Problem Baby, he was already filled with pent up queries.
"Third Brother, where have you and Third Sister-in-law been all this time? Why couldn"t we find you even after turning the entire country of Muxia upside down? Did you run off to another country?"
"No, I simply went to a place none of you could find."
"In that case, where was this place we could not find?"
"Since it was a place you could not find, none of you would not know it even if I told you."
Murong Che secretly complained in his heart, "Well, this answer was as good as none."
"Then have you all been well during this time?"
"Very well!"
"Then what happened to Third Sister-in-law"s eyes?"
"She was poisoned!"
"Did you offend someone?"
"No, it was an accident!"
Subsequently, Murong Che asked a lot of questions again. However, it was hopeless as Gong Yu revealed very little information. Even his replies could not be simpler than what they already were and this made Murong Che feel quite defeated.
Murong Yunxi merely sat aside and simply had no intention of keeping up with the conversation.
At that moment, Ouyang Fangzheng"s group, too, arrived.
They already entered the backyard and Huangfu Jianan was the first to ask, "Little Five, what were you so secretive about? You better have some truly big matter if you called the three of us over from such a far place. If not, do not blame us for not going easy on you."
After he said this, they looked up and saw six people, including Dong Fangying, standing in a row at the pavilion. This stunned them for a moment. Even Little Three was called over. It seemed that some big matter really had happened. Immediately, their faces became serious and solemn and they strode over to the pavilion quickly.
As Dong Fangying and the others were standing in a row and they were all tall and strong, the situation in the pavilion was not visible to them. Hence, they did not see Gong Yu and Murong Yunxi"s figures.
However, the moment they stepped into the pavilion, they could no longer remain calm.
"Little Three?" Ouyang Fangzheng was the first to call out.
Gong Yu stood up and looked at the trio, Ouyang Fangzheng, Huangfu Jianan and Sikong Shu. He nodded his head slightly and the corner of his lips curled up into a slight arc.
The trio came forward and Ouyang Fangzheng was the first to stand before Gong Yu. Patting Gong Yu"s shoulders lightly, he sized Gong Yu up. "Punk, where did you go for the past few years? You made us search all over the place."
Following that, Huangfu Jianan also punched Gong Yu in the chest and said with a smile, "That"s right. Punk, you truly are something. You did not even give us a head up and simply disappeared without a word."
Sikong Shu was relatively more decorous and did not get physical with Gong Yu. However, he also looked at Gong Yu with gleaming eyes. "Little Three, have you been well for the past few years?"
Gong Yu nodded his head and was also slightly overwhelmed. "Quite well."
Murong Che stood up and began to attend to them, "Take a seat. Don"t remain standing."
The few of them then proceeded to settle down. Murong Yunxi, who sat in a corner and was forgotten, smiled and greeted them, "Ouyang big brother, Sikong big brother, and Huangfu big brother, it has been a long time since we"ve met."
When Murong Yunxi spoke in her clear, sweet voice, the few of them finally noticed the presence of her small stature. They then looked towards her but after merely one look, they were all shocked.
They saw Murong Yunxi"s pupils look straight ahead without a focal point and their hearts instantly turned cold.
Murong Yunxi once left a good impression on their hearts, so they naturally considered her to be one of them. Upon seeing Murong Yunxi"s current state, it was difficult for them to accept.
"Little Three, Xiao Xi"s eyes...?" Ouyang Fangzheng"s deep, cold voice was full of shock and it certainly represented the sentiments of the others.
"It was like what you could see." Gong Yu took one look at Murong Yunxi and his heart felt awful again.
Ouyang Fangzheng persisted in questioning once again, "How did she become like this? What happened?"
Gong Yu was especially reluctant to answer this question. Every time he answered this question, his heart would feel awful. "Poisoning! We"ve actually returned this time because of Xiao Xi"s eyes. I wanted to take her to find my master and treat her eyes."
Ouyang Fangzheng"s heart turned cold and he verbally confirmed, "Senior Kuang?"
Gong Yu nodded his head. "Yes!"
Ouyang Fangzheng shook his head lightly and his face was full of regrets. "In that case, for the time being, you will probably not be able to find Senior Kuang within a short period of time!"