Chapter 360: Schemes Run Deep
The subordinate asked, “What about their luggage?”
How would Zhu Shen know where Qi Qingyao kept her luggage? So, he said, “No need for that. Carry them away first. If you don’t want to touch them, then carry the entire table away!”
While Zhu Shen was telling the others to deal with this matter mightily.
The spies of the Zhaixing Administration and the Yulong Gang along with the spies of other smaller factions had already carried their own fallen people away. Then, they quietly stared at the activities on the streets.
When they realized these men were the State Preceptor’s people.
Everyone knew things were bad.
The State Preceptor’s people had taken the lead this time and brought the people back to their residence. It was obvious that he was planning to use this little girl as bait to lure the mysterious young man named Si Jin out!
Especially Bai Mei. Bai Mei was recently in Qingzhou City.
She was just about to leave when she realized that Zhu Shen had also carried away the unconscious Zhao Xin.
Bai Mei’s expression turned green on the spot.
How did this guy get knocked out?
Bai Mei could not understand this, she held her throbbing head in her hand.
After Zhu Shen carried away the few important figures, he then got people to move the servants in the Qi Residence to the side hall, lest they drown if it ended up raining or snowing in the courtyard!
After settling everything, he got some people to keep guard at the Qi Residence.
Zhu Shen then brought the people away.
After Zhao Xin had been carried back to the residence, Zhu Shen requested for someone to immediately wake Zhao Xin up with a needle but there was no reaction. They poured cold water on him but he also did not wake up. Zhao Xin looked like he was dead, there was no response at all.
Zhu Shen, “???”
Just what kind of knockout smoke is this? The outcome was so potent!
Zhao Xin had even covered his nose and mouth, and likely did not inhale that much.
Who would take care of the Head Grand Secretariat these few days with Zhao Xin unconscious?
Just as Zhu Shen was fretting over this, a knock came from outside the door and a woman who was dressed rather similarly to Zhao Xin entered.
“I’m Bai Mei. I’m one of the Head Grand Secretariat’s personal guards,” Bai Mei introduced herself.
Zhu Shen nodded then allowed her to enter.
Familiar with the area, Bai Mei walked toward Jiang Yeqian’s room and reported to him the current situation.
Jiang Yeqian did not dare believe it. “He got people to bring both her and Lu Yan here?”
“Yes,” Bai Mei answered with shame.
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
The woman had been brought in by the idiot Li Ruoxuan and she definitely will be used as bait to lure out Si Jin.
Jiang Yeqian was so p.i.s.sed that he could not stand it. He called for Bai Mei to bring his crutches over. While he was still injured, ten days had pa.s.sed and he could already get off the bed and walk by himself.
Jiang Yeqian shuffled to Li Ruoxuan’s room. He sat in front of the bed and looked at Li Ruoxuan who was sitting cross-legged in meditation on the bed. Brows downturned and cold, he spoke.
“Why did you bring her here?”
Li Ruoxuan opened his eyes and looked at the pale, half-dead looking man and smiled. “Naturally because it’s closer.”
“Closer to what?” Closer for surveillance?
Li Ruoxuan’s eyelids covered half of his eyes, there was no emotion in them. “With the bait by my side, I will know at first notice when the grand master appears.”
Jiang Ye was getting mad. “And after you know? What then? Why don’t you look at yourself now? You’re crippled!”
“I’m just blind in one eye!” Li Ruoxuan’s att.i.tude was calm. He observed Jiang Yeqian’s expression quietly. His expression close to awe, he asked, “Jiang Yeqian, why are you so agitated that I caught her?”
Jiang Yeqian immediately schooled his expression. Lips dry, he whispered in a low voice, “I’m not agitated. I just don’t think it’s appropriate to have her at our side when the two of us are half-dead now. If Si Jin shows up, you and I… I’m afraid we will die martyrs.”
Li Ruoxuan said calmly, “I think it’s appropriate, you don’t have to be worried about it.”
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
He wanted to say something else but a part of him also felt that what Li Ruoxuan did was quite sensible because looking at it another way, she could be protected now that she was closer to them. If grand masters from the other nations were to come attacking, they had many powerhouses here and would be able to immediately know if there was danger.
At the same time, however, he was angry with this decision because she was too close to Li now!
Jiang Yeqian wanted to head over and see her immediately, but if he were to be seen doing that by Li, the man would likely suspect that he had some thoughts about her. Jiang Yeqian finally suppressed his thoughts.
He should wait for her to wake up, then go over…and greet her!
What he needed to do now was to quickly restore his fighting prowess. If not, when the grand masters arrived, he would for sure then die in combat!
He was not the same as Li Ruoxuan, though. He was injured in his legs which led to him not being able to meditate in a cross-legged position whereas Li Ruoxuan could.
Suddenly.
Jiang Yeqian was quite envious of Li Ruoxuan. He was just blind in one eye!
…
…
Hualian Hot Mountain Springs Villa.
Gu Cheng and Xiao Wuji who were playing chess were informed of Zhu Shen having carried the people away from Qi Residence.
Gu Cheng’s expression was as dark as a pot’s bottom
“Things have gone to sh*t.”
“Hm?” Xiao Wuji’s expression was also heavy. n.o.body in the entire Qi Residence knew who it was who had smoked them till they were all unconscious. The State Preceptor had sent people to bring her and her children, as well as Lu Yan, to his residence. “He took the opportunity to grab her as bait, it really is like him.” He was indeed the opportunistic State Preceptor of Northern Liang.
Gu Cheng sneered and said, “The State Preceptor of Northern Liang has always been scheming. This kind of action was very expected of his character.”
If he had not seized the opportunity to take the person away, then it would be a bit inconsistent with his style.
“So now what do we…” Xiao Wuji cradled his forehead. He did not even know what they should do now.
Gu Cheng looked at the chessboard in front of the two of them and the corners of his lips hooked into a very large smile. He slowly proceeded to move a chess piece and then said gradually.
“Didn’t Mo Yang send a pigeon saying that he was soon arriving? We’ll talk about it when he gets here!”
Xiao Wuji nodded.
Besides, Qingzhou City was soon becoming as chaotic as a pot of porridge.
It did not matter if it added slightly more to the chaos.
Since the State Preceptor had decided to join in.
Perhaps…he might die rather horrifically!
…
Everyone who was supposed to know of the news that Qi Qingyao had been brought to the State Preceptor’s residence had all very quickly been informed.
All these people were waiting for further activity from the residence.
That was because this was the Qi Qingyao who had caused no shortage of trouble in Qingzhou City.
To be able to offend Lu Yan but retreat unscathed, also being able to live to heather with Lu Yan in a mansion. She even chased the young lady of the Jiang family out of Qingzhou City… Now that the State Preceptor had carried Qi Qingyao away, would she really not rebel against him when she woke up? Would she really not cause anything trouble?
It was unlikely…
Everyone waited. They waited three days, waited till the point the spies at the State Preceptor’s residence were getting a little bored but still there was no news which inevitably made people wonder.
What was going on?
Qi Qingyao had not woken up.
Or it was more accurate to say, she had woken up…but she did not dare face the State Preceptor.
It could be that.
He was the lofty, powerful, and monstrous State Preceptor.
Who would dare offend him…
The spies who had not received any news could not wait to leave their post.
Qi Qingyao, who knew nothing, gradually woke up, contrary to the expectations of many.
It was thanks to her and Lu Yan being the closest to the pot of knockout smoke that she inhaled the most and ended up coming to the latest.
After she woke up, Qi Qingyao sat up while covering her head.
Her first reaction was, f*ck, she was about to die from starvation.
She felt herself being inexplicably hungry, so hungry she was going dizzy. She did not have much energy, so she turned over and got out of bed with impractical steps. Suddenly, she felt that although the furnis.h.i.+ngs in this room were similar, why did it feel like they were rather unfamiliar?
She sat on the bed and looked around for a bit, her expression dazed.
After she stood up, her body suddenly went soft and she fell directly to the ground. Having fallen to the ground, Qi Qingyao was confused but also shocked awake by the fall.
Qi Qingyao climbed back up and then rubbed her weak legs.
She was sure she was not poisoned.
She glanced at the pot and thought, just how many days was she out cold? That she had even starved till both her legs were weak!
Qi Qingyao got up and took a deep breath. Then, she stabilized herself and pushed herself to walk to the door. The moment she opened the door, beams of light shot in. When the broken, gold sunlight hit her eyes, Qi Qingyao could not help but close them. She lifted her hands and blocked the intense but warm sunlight.
After her eyes had adjusted to the piercing sunlight.
Qi Qingyao noticed a man standing in the middle of the yard. The man had a black eye patch, covering his right eye.
Li Ruoxuan had also noticed her. He turned and looked at Qi Qingyao who had slimmed down a lot and said, “You’re finally awake ”
Qi Qingyao, who was dizzy from hunger, took a moment before she realized that the man with the eye patch was the State Preceptor. “Li Ruoxuan.”
Li Ruoxuan’s eyebrows surged. “You can still recognize me. It seems that your mind hasn’t gone bad.”
Qi Qingyao narrowed her eyes slightly.
She then began looking around the yard.
“This is…”
Li Ruoxuan shrugged and answered, “This is my residence.”
“…” It seemed that Lu Yan had accidentally upturned the pot of potent knockout medicine into the smoke pot, and then caused an extremely bad outcome. The entire Qi Residence had probably been knocked out and so Li Ruoxuan came to hunt some easy prey and brought her here?
Li Ruoxuan could tell from the change in her gaze that she already understood her situation at present. He could not help but say, “Do you want to go pack your luggage?”
Qi Qingyao, “…”
Li Ruoxuan pointed at the room next to her and said, “The children are sleeping in the room next door, they haven’t woken up. If you don’t want anything to happen to them, pack up your luggage obediently and come back.”
Qi Qingyao, who was initially so hungry she had no energy, instantly rushed over in fury. “F*ck, you’re threatening me!!”
Li Ruoxuan looked at her with something like a smile; he neither admitted nor denied it.
Qi Qingyao narrowed her eyes. If her strength had permitted it, she would really like to kill this son of a b*tch right away!!
Seeing that she was not moving, Li Ruoxuan said, “Of course I was threatening you. You better go pack your luggage from the Qi Residence. You will be living with me for the time being.”
Qi Qingyao did not move. She tilted her head and schooled her angry expression. Eyes clear and dark, she looked at him expressionlessly for a bit and asked, “What’s the point of you capturing me here?”
Li Ruoxuan closed his eyes and said, “If Si Jin won’t show himself, I’ll kill you and lure him out.”
Qi Qingyao asked probingly, “You don’t plan on looking for Li Qinglian or Su Hexiao anymore?” She had thought she was still useful.
Li Ruoxuan gave her a devastating answer. “Luring Si Jin out is more important.”
Qi Qingyao did not really understand. “This high and mighty State Preceptor should know that if you kill me, Si Jin will definitely kill you. Or maybe he will aid Eastern Ling in eradicating Northern Liang!”
Li Ruoxuan just glanced at her and knew that Qi Qingyao was bluffing. He was also very calm and unperturbed as he said, “That’s why killing you is just the last resort. I think he’ll definitely show up before I’m prepared to kill you.”
Qi Qingyao, “…”
He really was such a scheming fox.
Qi Qingyao left the courtyard gates and cursed. The carriage was very quickly prepared.
Zhu Shen tagged along with her and brought a lot of people together as they went toward the Qi Residence to pack their simple luggage.
After Qi Qingyao left.
Li Ruoxuan went to her room and looked at that pile of medicine that had been brought over. There were even the herbs that were being ground and that pot…
He was silent for a long time.
Did it have something to do with Su Hexiao?
Ah.
Why did he feel like she was Su Hexiao herself?
Otherwise, how would they explain this pile of herbs, how would they also explain the various medicines that have been prepared?
That day, the smoke that knocked out half the street seemed to have come from this pot…
Or maybe, she was a disciple of Su Hexiao?
A disciple of Li Qinglian?
A pity… Regardless of whether the information was from the Zhaixing Administration or obtained from his own private investigation, they showed that she used to be a fool before. She had only regained her mental ability a few months ago.
Yet, how could someone who had just regained their mental ability know medical skills?
This…was completely impossible!
As for the rumors and hearsay spreading outside, he did not believe that the children were Si Jin’s! This news was only deliberately pa.s.sed out by Pei Fengtang in order to protect her.
Then…a young and mysterious grand master who followed her by her side.
What exactly was this about?
Who the h.e.l.l was this woman?
Li Ruoxuan spiraled into the myths.
He said he would kill her just now but it was only to scare her. That she was able to get involved with a young grand master, meant that she might still be that young grand master’s weakness.
A living Qi Qingyao was still the most useful version of Qi Qingyao!