Cheng Yi stood at the entrance of Medicine King Valley, watching Lu Qing Wan and her entourage gradually disappear into the distance. She sighed deeply.
"The Saintess is skilled, intelligent, and her medical arts are decent, but her temperament is just too cold. If this continues, when will Master ever hear her call him Grandfather!"
Thinking of her pitiable Master, Cheng Yi's cherubic face creased like a steamed bun.
Qing Yi suddenly appeared from nowhere, her expression calm. "Whether she calls him Grandfather or not isn't important. What matters is that after this incident, she has acknowledged herself as the Saintess of the Samsara Hall. This point should be enough to comfort Master."
Cheng Yi: …
It was like playing a lute to a cow, trying to express her feelings to this blockhead.
"You heard what the Saintess said, right? Figure out how to make those people outside believe that Master and the Saintess are not on good terms. I'm not going to be the villain here."
With that, she huffed and left.
Who didn't know that the Saintess accepting the Samsara Hall would bring Master comfort? Who said Master was comforted? She was only comforted that accepting the Samsara Hall was no big deal?
She dared to bet a hundred percent that if the Saintess were willing to call Master Grandfather, that would be true joy for Master!
Her short legs padded along quickly. Cheng Yi vowed in her heart that she would find a way to make Lu Qing Wan call Liu Xun Ran Grandfather!
...
Down the mountain.
By the time they returned, night had already fallen.
After descending the mountain, Lu Qing Wan openly checked into the small courtyard she had stayed in the last time she visited Cang Wu City.
As soon as they entered, Ru Yue could not hide her disgust. "Mistress, you were right. This courtyard is surrounded by spies from all factions, practically trying to burrow into our rooms."
Li Su was also furious. "These people are getting more and more outrageous. They don't even bother to be subtle when they follow us now. Wang Fei, allow me to teach them a lesson. It will save you the annoyance of having them constantly in your sight."
Lu Qing Wan valued freedom the most. Initially, she was unhappy even with the king's secret guards following her. Today, despite being followed by so many unrelated people, she showed no signs of displeasure. She lounged leisurely on the couch, sipping fragrant tea and enjoying the pastries prepared by the servants, and said softly, "Do you know who they are?"
"The secret guards of the Southern Qi royal family, people from Wu An Palace, the royal families of Northern Wei and Western Liang, and some so stupid they're painful to watch – probably secret guards from a ducal mansion in Great Gan."
After listing them with disdain, Li Su turned serious. "There's another group, we don't know their origins. They're following from a slight distance and don't seem to have malicious intent. Their tracking methods are a bit like our own people."
"A bit like our own people?"
Lu Qing Wan thought of something, her eyes flashing slightly. "Li Su, find a way to separate this group you mentioned. Ru Yue, take Teng She and patrol Cang Wu City. Lead those tails to the royal family of Gu Nan Zhao. Let them fight amongst themselves. If any slip through, there's no need to eliminate them completely. Let the lucky ones go."
Lu Qing Wan's safety didn't need to be threatened, and she could vent some frustration by making trouble. Li Su and Ru Yue couldn't have been happier. They responded and rushed out without delay. Teng She, afraid that Lu Qing Wan would dislike him again, followed without needing to be told.
The small courtyard was not as spacious as the rooms in the king's mansion. With only herself left in the room, the silence made her feel a little uneasy. Lu Qing Wan put down her teacup and pastries and brought out Da Bai. Although Da Bai was the guardian spirit of the spatial laboratory, having taken the form of a cat, it had acquired some feline habits. In the biting cold of winter, Da Bai, like a cat, was hibernating. When Lu Qing Wan pulled it out, it was still dazed. It meowed, its emerald eyes looking innocent and smoky.
Lu Qing Wan habitually stroked the innocent cat's head and then asked, "Last time, when you were in the northwest leading the beast army to search for Nie Wu Ming's private stash, did you sense any unusual aura?"
With no outsiders present, Da Bai spoke directly in human tongue. "Are you referring to that strange beast Teng She mentioned?"
Lu Qing Wan's hand paused as she stroked the cat. "You sensed it?"
"No." Da Bai licked its pink paw pads, its eyes darting around. "Lord Meow isn't a real beast, so how could it feel any bloodline suppression? However, the magnetic field of that place was indeed strange. Lord Meow always felt that place was peculiar. If you don't mind, we can go again."
Da Bai's intuition had saved Lu Qing Wan countless times. Lu Qing Wan would rather doubt her own vision than Da Bai's intuition being wrong. Upon hearing this, she agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, I'll listen to you. We'll go again after we return. For now, go to sleep. If I don't sleep soon, that girl Li Su might knock me out."
After consecutive days of travel, Lu Qing Wan was somewhat tired, but with the space's enhancement, she hadn't reached the point of collapse. However, Li Su, remembering her mission to take good care of the Wang Fei when the Wang Ye was away, nagged her like a little nun about eating, resting, and drinking. Lu Qing Wan had stubbornly resisted Li Su's nagging, but seeing the girl's resentful gaze, she realized that if she continued, either she would be knocked out, or Li Su would go mad. For Li Su's sake, as she still needed her to do things, she decided to get some sleep.
After a good night's sleep, all the tails would be cleared, and she could quietly return to the northwest. Perhaps by the time she arrived, Si Feng Wu and the Xuan Jia Army would have already returned victorious. The thought alone made her feel wonderful!
Lu Qing Wan had it all planned out, but she never expected that her planned short sleep would feel like a coma. The moment she opened her eyes, the bright winter sun nearly blinded her. With a flip of her body, Da Bai, who had been sleeping soundly on her chest, tumbled to the floor. Lu Qing Wan sprang up, changing her clothes as she called out, "Someone!"
With a creak, the door opened, and Ru Yue and Li Su rushed in together. "Wang Fei, what happened?"
Having slept for too long, Lu Qing Wan felt groggy rather than refreshed. She covered her eyes and asked, "What time is it now?"
Li Su was quite something. For some reason, she answered perfectly, "Reporting to Wang Fei, it is currently past noon on the seventeenth day of the second month, year two."
Ru Yue stared at Li Su in horror, as if she had encountered a new species. She almost blurted out, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Lu Qing Wan, likely still groggy from sleep, said nothing more than "I need to wash up" and then sat down at the dressing table, squinting her eyes and waiting for someone to do her hair. Li Su quickly stepped forward to help her tie her hair, and Ru Yue had no choice but to fetch hot water and cotton cloths.
After a quick wash and freshen up, Lu Qing Wan finally found her voice. "How was last night's operation?"
"As you instructed, we led those tails to the stronghold of the remaining Gu Nan Zhao royal remnants. The remaining Gu Nan Zhao royal remnants were not many, and they fought to a draw with those tails."