Amidst all the gazes of "this kid is really skillful", only Ah Zhu's gaze on Xue Yao was positive and appreciative.
"In that case, there's no time to lose." Xue Yao turned his head to meet Azhu's gaze and smiled, "Miss hurry and ask these two little brothers why they pretended to be the master's attendants last night, and you should be able to find out the master's whereabouts by following the clues."
As a result, the severe torture that was originally intended to be awarded to Xue Yao was transferred to the two boy attendants.
Xue Yao hadn't been able to see the interrogation process with his own eyes, but judging from the efficiency, he guessed that it would be rather grueling.
In less than an hour and a half, the two attendants confessed.
The man who pretended to be the master last night is an elder of the Xuan Night Sect, surnamed Liu.
Ever since the vice master was detained by Gu Qingyuan, the Xuan Night Sect was short of a senior administrator, and this Elder Liu and a few other Elders thus began the competition for the position of the new vice master.
Unfortunately, although Elder Liu has more than enough seniority, he is not strong enough, so the master of the gang gave him a few words of advice in private and asked him to withdraw from the election.
Like countless small-minded and cunning people, Elder Liu chose to smile on the surface and stab in the back.
He's been looking for a chance to screw up the Xuan Night Sect, so that he can become the vice-chief of the rival sect on his own merit.
Yesterday evening, when we were drinking and talking with the gang leader, Elder Liu took the opportunity to make a move, and knocked the gang leader unconscious.
Elder Liu has not yet killed the gang leader, because the Xuan Night Sect's sect kung fu, in addition to the study of human body acupuncture points, also involves the knowledge related to the coroner's forensic medicine, and therefore can find out the real time of death of the corpse, so Elder Liu does not dare to kill the gang leader ahead of time, so as not to reveal the cloven foot, and must be the first to the scapegoat about the scene of the crime before doing it.
The scapegoats arranged by Elder Liu were Xue Yao and Lu Qian - disciples of the Sword Saint.
Elder Liu was very thoughtful: first, he would kill the gang leader in Xue Yao's name and let Xue Yao leave, then he would meet Xue Yao through a secret deal, and after obtaining the Sword Saint's Taiji Heart Technique, he would kill Xue Yao in the name of the Xuan Nights Sect, and then he would ultimately be able to destroy the Xuan Nights Sect by using the Sword Saint's hand to avenge for his protégé.
I didn't expect the beginning of the plan to be intercepted by Lu Qian, and the back was in disarray before he could get out.
The two boys confessed to their master's plan and the whereabouts of the gang leader, and led the way for Ah Chu to find him.
With a few elders in tow, Azhu found the still unconscious gang leader in an abandoned and broken temple.
Azhu wrapped her arms around her father and dropped a few tears, ordering her men to carry the gang master back to the carriage to cure the poison, and was about to go to the other carriage to thank Xue Yao when she heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching not far away.
A man jumped off his horse and stumbled over to report to Ah Zhu: ''Eldest Miss! The general meeting is surrounded by the imperial court's forbidden army! Some of the gang members have already moved and escaped, and all the men guarding the general meeting have been detained by the forbidden army!"
"Royal forbidden army?" Azhu was astonished, although the Xuan Night Sect has offended many people, but most of them are jianghu people, no one will report to the government for help, the few that disturb the people are just some thieves and robbers, occasionally attracting the local government to send a few warnings, come to a few arresting officers to verbally criticize them, and in any case, they won't alarm the emperor.
"That's right, Missy, you should take shelter for a while and wait for the officials to retreat."
Azhu wondered, "What do they want? Who has angered the royal family?"
"Haven't inquired clearly yet, at present the General Assembly will be surrounded by more than 10,000 forbidden troops, and there are also officials and soldiers looking for this place!"
Aju had to take the men and horses to take refuge in the chapter first.
*
Xue Yao had thought that he would be able to regain his freedom when he found the gang leader, and when he got off the carriage, he realized that he had been taken to an unfamiliar place.
Azhu and several elders were busy treating and detoxifying the gang master, so it was inconvenient for him to say more, so he could only wait patiently.
This time, Xue Yao did not say that he got ten percent of the credit for rescuing the gang leader, but at least seventy percent of the credit. The elders of the gang naturally changed their attitude towards Xue Yao, as if the common people were treating the Eighth Route Army, and wanted to shake Xue Yao's hand when they met.
The next morning, after the gang leader sobered up and heard his daughter tell him what happened, he immediately called for a table of food and invited Xue Yao to eat and chat, thanking him again and again.
After three rounds of wine, the master asked Xue Yao if he had a wife at home.
Xue Yao said that he had not yet taken a wife, and the master of the gang looked meaningfully sideways at his daughter who was serving the dishes.
Azhu immediately nodded her head and smiled shyly, glancing at her father with an angry look.
This scene of father-daughter mime, see Xue Yao scalp numb, always feel that there is something wrong ......
Probably because Azhu had told the gang leader about Xue Yao's financial status as a "wealthy man in the capital", the gang leader did not use money to thank Xue Yao for saving his life, but instead, he gave Xue Yao the secret book of the sect that he had retrieved from the two boys and said that he was willing to personally teach him his unique martial arts skills.
Xue Yao felt more and more out of place.
These are words that the gang leader should go and say to Lu Qian.
Xue Yao politely refused these benefits belonging to Long Ao Tian again and again, but the gang leader was too kind to refuse and kept him in the gang for a few more days to facilitate teaching him some introductory basics.
Xue Yao didn't dare to forcefully push back, after all, this wasn't a prestigious sect, and with his identity as a disciple of the Sword Saint, if he was too disrespectful, he might have to offend the master of the gang, so he could only accept the goodwill with a stiff upper hand.
However, it was fine to learn martial arts for Lu Qian, but why did Ah Zhu come to hand him tea and wipe his sweat after every martial arts practice?
The shy smile on the young girl's face made Xue Yao feel like he was in a mess!
"System System Tell me, who is the only man in this world who can get Ah Zhu?" Xue Yao inquired in his mind.
The system faithfully answered him: [Lu Qian's sense of security -3]
It's not right.
It's so wrong!
I'm afraid I'm going to lose my little life if I don't get it right.
"I have to return to the capital, otherwise my mother should be worried." As the cool breeze gusted by the lake, Xue Yao said with a resolute attitude.
"Will I ever see the Prince again in the future?" Azhu asked.
When you marry Lu Qian later, I should be able to chat with you, sister-in-law, when I go to breastfeed.
Xue Yao thought to himself, but on his lips, he said, "We will meet again if we are destined to."
"Is the Prince still angry about the previous misunderstanding?"
"Exasperated? Of course not." Xue Yao had a nonchalant look on his face, "No fight, no misunderstanding, and I don't have the luck to befriend the gang master and the girl."
"Then why does the gentleman ...... always treat me so vigilantly detached." Azhu lost her head.
"How come?" Xue Yao took a deep breath and joked to Ah Zhu, "I'm just a bit more serious by nature, don't misunderstand me, girl."
Ah Zhu raised her head and opened her flirtatious eyes wide to meet Xue Yao's gaze.
Xue Yao nervously forced himself not to avert his eyes and openly met her gaze.
After a moment of silence, Pearl lowered her eyes in loss.
Xue Yao asked blankly, "What's wrong with the girl?"
"I have learned to recognize people since I was young, following my father's elders." Azhu said, "When I first met the Prince, his eyes were clear that could be seen at a glance, but now they are always separated by wariness and call out to be seen through."
Inexplicably, Xue Yao raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, lowered his head closer to Ah Zhu and asked, "How about this? Can you see clearly? It might be that Little Sheng didn't wipe his eye dirt when he got up in the morning."
Aju laughed at his amusement and blushed slightly as she looked up to meet his gaze.
The calm surface of the lake was rippled by the breeze, and a flower petal crossed the tip of the young girl's nose, alerting Xue Yao to the fact that the atmosphere was not right.
He panicked and straightened up to avert his face, smiling awkwardly, "I have to go say goodbye to the gang master, Miss Azhu, thank you for trusting me before, without your cooperation, I wouldn't have been able to prove my innocence at all."
Azhu opened her mouth to say something to stay, but noticed Xue Yao's deliberately avoided line of sight, so she had no choice but to hold her words and nodded, "Go."
*
After leaving the Xuan Night Sect chapter, Xue Yao thought about Ah Zhu's words all the way.
What was so different about him in Aju's eyes when they first met?
And why is it different?
Xue Yao vaguely sensed that when accompanying Lu Qian, she seemed to become unguarded, so she would be seen through by Ah Zhu at a glance at that time.
Why is that?
He had grown up to be a man with a rather deep heart, not treacherous and cunning, but just afraid to let his guard down with those around him.
Most children without loving parents are not secure enough to bare their sincerity to everyone.
His miserable childhood had prevented Xue Yao from getting over it for two lifetimes, and even though his mother in this life had treated him with all her heart, she couldn't help him heal the hole in his heart.
He was polite and distant to everyone, and his former classmates, who were on better terms, said that he was too good-natured to be a real person.
He never dared to lose his temper with others and expose his true nature.
Most kids who are not even loved by mom and dad will have an ingrained idea - no one will like the real him, the real him is a total mistake.
That's why Pearl said he was wary of detachment, right?
Then why, when he was around Lu Qian, did he dare to shed all the pretense of maturity and vigilance?
That feeling, isn't it, the fabled feeling of security?
It's that sense of trust that if the sky falls, there's someone in the world who will take the fall for you.
Will Lu Qian stand up for him?
Might trick Fifth Brother into helping cover for him, but no matter what, will definitely protect him.
A kind of enlightened lucidity reminded Xue Yao of the moment she hid in the wigwam and heard Lu Qian call out her name.
It turns out that the refusal to let the rebel pup go was not due to fear for his safety, but ......
He can't get away from His Highness at all.
It took a lot of courage to admit this, but it also made Xue Yao feel doubly relieved.
Suddenly realized, has been paying, not without return, he desperately protects Lu Qian heart that point of communication with the outside world of the small flame, Lu Qian also likewise healed his heart to fill the empty hole.
Being able to be by someone's side, not knowing the world, and not having to worry about being disliked even if you're occasionally being unruly, turns out to be such a soft and happy thing.
Xue Yao, who was sinking into self-motion, was suddenly awakened by the sound of hissing outside the carriage.
"What man!" The coachman shouted in alarm.
Xue Yao sniffed and hurriedly lifted the curtain to look out of the car.
The carriage was passing through a wood, and the birds of prey around it were startled into flying away.
The fallen leaves on the ground suddenly began to swirl, and Xue Yao heard a cynical, unfamiliar man's voice coming from above his head -
"You're my little brother?"
Xue Yao looked up at the sound, and saw a man in a willow-green tunic slowly descending from the sky, as light as a falling flower, stepping on top of the swirling fallen leaves.
The longsword in his hand spun around and was slung over the man's shoulder as he stared at Xue Yao's face with his chin raised and commented with a smile, "Looking quite well-behaved, huh?"
Xue Yao looked confused, "What are you?"
The man in green leapt and instantly landed in front of Xue Yao, frightening him so much that he shrank back into the car, only to be yanked by the man's front lapel and have his entire upper body ripped out of the car.
The man had one foot on the car, his elbow on his knee, his hand tugging on Xue Yao's front flap, narrowing his eyes and whispering threateningly, "I'll teach the bad kids a lesson for Master."
Xue Yao suspected that the visitor was up to no good and, out of a desire to survive, denied in horror, "Which child? Did you recognize the wrong person? I'm just well-maintained, I'm actually forty years old."