The author said: Let's support each other! O(∩_∩)O Hahaha~
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After hearing this, Gu Er Niang seemed to be prepared and smiled calmly, "If you don't believe me, nothing I say will be of any use. But since you asked, I can guarantee that Wang Zhonghai did not die from taking my medicine." After that, she left the room.
Qiu Yizi saw that Gu Erniang disappeared in the blink of an eye, and knew that even if she kept asking her, she would not get any results, so she simply calmed down and poured herself a glass of water, sitting on the chair and gradually felt sleepy. Less than a cup of tea had passed since she took a nap, and the maid in Nuanxiang Pavilion followed Gu Erniang's instructions and brought up some delicate snacks and side dishes.
Qiu Yizhi had something on her mind, so she asked the turtle man, "Did Mama Gu say when she would come and talk to me again?"
The old man thought Qiu Yizi had come specially to take care of Gu Erniang's business, and smiled with his hands covering his mouth, "Mother Gu only asked me to bring a few dishes to you, and asked me not to disturb you. As for when Mother Gu will come to serve you... I don't dare to ask. Please be patient, it will come eventually."
After hearing this, Qiu Yizi realized that not all the servant girls in Nuanxiang Pavilion were followers of Tianzun Sect, and they might not really know the whereabouts of Mama Gu, so she waved her hand and asked them to leave.
Qiu Yizhi had been running around in the capital for seven or eight hours, and he missed dinner. His stomach had already started to sing the empty city plan, and he quickly swallowed two plates of snacks and a few side dishes. After Qiu Yizhi had eaten and drunk his fill, he felt an irresistible sleepiness again. The embroidered bed beside him exuded an incomparable charm in his eyes. But he remembered that he was still in the tiger's den after all, and he didn't dare to sleep soundly, so he put on his coat, held the sword, curled up on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.
After sleeping for an unknown period of time, Qiu Yizhi suddenly heard someone say in his ear, "Young Master, please wake up."
Although the voice was not loud, it woke Qiu Yizhi from his deep sleep, and he subconsciously sat up from the bed and shouted, "Who is it?" The sword in his hand was already unsheathed, with the blade facing outward across his chest. When he looked carefully, it was Gu Erniang standing in front of the window. He quickly put on his shoes and got out of bed, saying "Excuse me".
Seeing this, Gu Erniang smiled and said, "Young Master, you are really alert. You really have some of the manners of us Jianghu people! The weapon in your hand is also a rare sword. The blade has cut my finger!"
After hearing this, Qiu Yizhi saw a few drops of blood slowly coming out of Gu Erniang's right thumb, and hurriedly said, "I made a mistake, please don't blame me, Madam Gu."
However, Gu Er Niang seemed to take it not to heart at all: "Young Master is the distinguished guest of the Saint Lady. I would not dare to blame you even if you cut my finger, let alone cut me! You see, as soon as the Saint Lady heard that Young Master was coming, she rushed to meet him without asking any questions! It is said that the hero Yuchi has returned to his hometown, and I have also sent people to look for him. As for whether we can find him, it depends on fate." As she said that, she stepped aside half a step.
Qiu Yizi's gaze passed by Gu Erniang, and he saw Wen Lingjiao wearing a light blue long skirt and a pink padded jacket. She was standing in front of him and said with a blushing face, "Mother Gu is talking nonsense here again. I'm just... just..." She couldn't say any more.
Seeing Wen Lingjiao's coy look, Qiu Yizi's heart was moved again, but she remembered that her adoptive father was in danger, so she hurriedly said, "It was presumptuous to invite Miss Wen to meet me so late at night, and I apologize now. However, the situation is urgent now, and I have to ask Miss for help. I have no choice but to do so, and I hope Miss will forgive me."
Wen Lingjiao listened to Qiu Yizi's serious talk, and the blush on her face faded slightly, so she said, "Young Master, you saved me twice, and now I'm in trouble. It's only right for me to do my best to help you. It's not like I'm begging you."
When Qiu Yizi heard that Wen Lingjiao agreed without even asking what she wanted, she was happy but also felt a little surprised. After thinking for a while, she said, "Then I would like to thank you in advance, young lady. However, this matter is of great importance and is extremely confidential. There are so many people in Nuanxiang Pavilion and they are all gossipy. I'm afraid this is not the place to talk. Could you please go to the secret room for our detailed discussion?" The so-called secret room is the very hidden courtyard that can be reached from Nuanxiang Pavilion through a tunnel.
Wen Lingjiao nodded and said, "Well, it's quieter there." She turned to He'er and said, "Since Mr. Qiu wants to go there, then you can lead the way and take us there!"
He'er hadn't said a word since she entered the room. When she heard the young lady's order, she quickly responded and turned around to open the door. But she saw a tortoise waiting at the door. He glanced at He'er and said loudly, "Is Mr. Qiu here? There's a man named Zhao at the door looking for you."
Qiu Yizi knew that Zhao Chengxiao had gathered more than twenty brothers scattered in the city to meet here, so he said to Gu Er Niang, "These are my friends. Please treat them carefully, Madam Gu." After that, he took out a few strings of beads made of pearls, agates or corals from the package and handed them to Gu Er Niang.
Gu Er Niang took the beads and took a quick glance at them, she knew that these things were indeed of illegal value, and she couldn't help but put on a flattering smile on her face: "Young Master's friends are my friends, of course I have to treat them well." After saying that, she stuffed the beads into her sleeves and walked downstairs.
Wen Lingjiao, however, whispered a few words in his ear. Although her voice was soft, Qiu Yizhi, who was beside her, heard it clearly. She only heard her say, "This guy doesn't know the rules and dares to eavesdrop. Mother Gu should deal with him when she has time!"
But Gu Er Niang nodded seriously, then instantly put on a smiling face, shouted, "Okay," and went downstairs.
Qiu Yizhi was terrified, thinking: This Tianzun Sect is a cult after all. They killed a life with just a few words. I'm afraid this unlucky old man doesn't even know why he died! However, Qiu Yizhi needed help from others, so he didn't dare to say it clearly. He lowered his head and followed He'er and Wen Lingjiao downstairs.
As expected, business at Nuanxiang Pavilion declined during the national mourning period. In the simply decorated lobby, there were only a few customers, all of whom were whispering with the pimps and prostitutes they were familiar with.
He'er led the two of them to a familiar hidden corner in the pavilion. She looked around and saw that there was no one watching or snooping. She activated the mechanism, opened the door to the secret passage, and ducked down to go in.
Although this secret passage is neither very long nor very short, it still takes a meal's time to reach the end.
After walking for a while, Qiu Yizi saw that only he, Wen Lingjiao and He'er were walking in the tunnel, which was a very secret place, so he asked Wen Lingjiao, "Miss Wen, do you know what I want?"
"I'd love to learn from you." Wen Lingjiao replied in a very calm tone.
"I want to borrow the power of your sect to go deep into the prison of the Ministry of Justice and rescue my adoptive father, Prince Youyan!"
"Oh. Madam Gu has just told me that this matter is very difficult to handle. I wonder if you, with your wisdom, have come up with a solution?"
Qiu Yizi followed behind Wen Lingjiao and couldn't see her expression clearly, but listening to her voice which was as calm as dead water, it was not difficult to guess that Wen Lingjiao's pretty face was expressionless.
Qiu Yizi swallowed his saliva, and the "gulp" sound from his throat echoed in the long and narrow tunnel. He said hurriedly: "I am very confused now, and I haven't come up with any ideas. I want to brainstorm and come up with a perfect plan! However, if this is successful, it will also be of great benefit to your church-"
Qiu Yizi deliberately dragged out the words, waiting for Wen Lingjiao to speak, but unexpectedly, the cult saint did not speak, but just walked forward with her head down in silence. The tunnel suddenly became quiet, and only the sound of three people's six feet walking in the mud could be heard.
Qiu Yizhi felt the atmosphere was very awkward, and he quickly told himself how he fought with the imperial court after rescuing Zheng Rong, how the world was in chaos, and how the Tianzun Sect took advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters. But he was thinking: A few days ago, he was chatting with Wen Lingjiao very well, why is she treating him like a stranger today and refusing to say a word
Qiu Yizhi was full of things on his mind. Although he kept talking, he couldn't help but speak incoherently. In the end, even he himself didn't know what he was talking about. Qiu Yizhi was like a storyteller without an audience. He finished his words as a routine. Wen Lingjiao only said "oh" and didn't answer. The tunnel was quiet again, and only the footsteps of a few people could be heard.
Seeing the three people quiet down again, Qiu Yizi flattered them by saying, "Your sect's tunnel digging technology is indeed very sophisticated and patient. I wonder how long it will take to complete this tunnel."
Wen Lingjiao heard this and replied coldly: "Shi Dajian, who dug the tunnel, is in Luoyang. You might as well ask him instead of asking me."
Qiu Yizi heard these words, whether spoken intentionally or unintentionally, and was immediately delighted. He was about to continue asking when he suddenly felt a breeze blowing in front of him, and then he realized that he had walked out of the tunnel.
But then Wen Lingjiao said, "He'er, go back and get some valuables first. I'm going to rest here today." He'er glanced at Qiu Yi with her big eyes, then nodded, pushed open the main gate of the yard and went out to do some business.
Wen Lingjiao watched He'er leave and asked Qiu Yizhi softly, "I just want to talk to you about something, sir. Would you be willing to do me the honor?"
Qiu Yizhi also felt that Wen Lingjiao's every move today was very strange. It seemed that she was also full of worries like Zi Yi, so she quickly agreed: "Miss, please speak."
Wen Lingjiao seemed to let out a faint sigh after hearing this, but she didn't say anything, just looked up at the starry sky. It was the beginning of August, and the slender moon hung high in the dark sky, emitting a weak light. In the Milky Way that runs through the sky, there are countless stars, blinking silently, watching the fickleness of the world.
"Young Master, if I have done anything to let you down, could you please forgive me?" Wen Lingjiao seemed to have been thinking for a long time before she whispered.
After hearing this, Qiu Yizhi also sighed and said, "Although you and I are of the same mind, we each serve our own masters after all. There is no question of apologizing, let alone forgiving or holding a grudge."
"Then...then...what if my dearest one did something to offend your dearest one?" (To be continued)