Chapter 484: Zhu Xiaoqi's Question

As he spoke, Wu Shidao had already walked in with slow steps.

Zhu Zhengfu was so startled that he immediately left his seat and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "This subordinate pays respects to Lord Wu!"

Duan Rong also stood up, cupped his hands, and smiled, "I have troubled you, Senior Brother Wu! To have traveled such a long way for my sake."

Wu Shidao did not even look at the prostrate Zhu Zhengfu, but with a forced smile, he cupped his hands in return to Duan Rong and said, "Disciple Duan, there is no need for such formalities!"

At this moment, Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi finally walked out from behind Wu Shidao, dragging their feet with worried expressions.

Both of them were covered in dust, their hair disheveled. As they stepped through the door, they caught sight of Duan Rong standing there. The heavy expression on Zhu Xiaoqi's face instantly blossomed into a radiant smile.

Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi had been filled with anxiety the entire journey; they did not know Wu Shidao at all. Although Wu Shidao kept saying he was bringing them to Shenyun Prefecture to see Duan Rong, he had kept a gloomy face the whole way, and Zhu Xiaoqi simply did not trust him, but since she could not escape, she had no choice but to follow him.

Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi had tried to escape once midway, but given Wu Shidao's methods, how could they have possibly succeeded?

Unexpectedly, upon arriving here, they actually saw Duan Rong, and the fear and anxiety they had felt throughout the journey vanished in an instant.

Zhu Xiaoqi immediately rushed to Duan Rong's side and cried, "Why did you find someone we don't know to pick us up in Xiangu County? You didn't even send a token. And you treated us like prisoners, escorting us here?!"

Yang Zhen stood behind Zhu Xiaoqi with a calm expression. Although he was also covered in dust, he saw the person in silk robes sitting nearby still prostrate on the ground, and the man who had escorted them here possessed a cultivation level that was unfathomable; he naturally knew this was not a place to be reckless.

Duan Rong looked at Zhu Xiaoqi with a somewhat awkward expression. Yang Zhen immediately understood, walked over, pulled Zhu Xiaoqi to one side, and said, "Xiao Qi, don't make a scene!"

Zhu Xiaoqi struggled slightly, but she also saw something in Duan Rong's expression, so she let Yang Zhen pull her to the side.

Wu Shidao's expression suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant; what Zhu Xiaoqi said about being escorted like prisoners—wasn't that just scolding him for mistreating them?

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Senior Brother Wu, I appreciate you looking after them along the way. Thank you for your hard work!"

Wu Shidao said, "Disciple, these two old friends of yours are quite difficult to handle; they even tried to run away once on the road."

As Wu Shidao spoke, he shook his head slightly and sighed.

"Is that so?" Duan Rong glanced at Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi standing by the door and said, "Then I have really caused you trouble, Senior Brother!"

"As long as they are delivered, it is fine," Wu Shidao said. "The people have been handed over to you safely, so my task is considered complete. I shall return to the mountain now to report back to the Master."

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he said, "Are you returning already, Senior Brother?"

"Yes," Wu Shidao said. "I have already been delayed for many days, and there are still many matters at the Inner History Department. Disciple Duan, I bid you farewell!"

After Wu Shidao finished speaking, he cupped his hands slightly and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment, Senior Brother!" Duan Rong immediately spoke up to stop him.

Wu Shidao turned his head, a flash of doubt in his eyes, and said, "Disciple, is there something else?"

Duan Rong said, "I have one more matter, and I would like to ask for your assistance, Senior Brother."

Wu Shidao looked at Duan Rong and said, "Please speak freely, Disciple Duan. As long as I can help, I will certainly not refuse."

"Senior Brother, please come with me!" Duan Rong said, and he prepared to lead Wu Shidao out the door.

He walked to the entrance and, seeing Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi looking at him longingly, said to the steward Zhu Yu, "Steward Zhu, please take care of these two family members of mine. Get them something to eat and settle them in the Separate Courtyard first."

"Yes, Lord Duan!" Zhu Yu, who had originally been prostrate on the ground with his master, stood up upon hearing this and replied.

Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi felt a warmth in their hearts when they heard Duan Rong call them family; Zhu Xiaoqi, in particular, stared at Duan Rong blankly, not knowing why.

Duan Rong then led Wu Shidao out of the reception hall, and in the night air where the lanterns had just been lit, the two of them used their movement techniques to leave the residence.

Seeing Duan Rong and Wu Shidao leave, Zhu Zhengfu finally climbed up from the ground. From the moment Wu Shidao entered until he left, he had not even glanced at him once.

Zhu Zhengfu stood up, sighed, looked at Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi, and said, "Honored guests, you must be exhausted from the long journey. Please take your seats, and I will have the kitchen add a few more good dishes."

Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi were already so hungry their stomachs were growling. Looking at the table full of food and wine, Zhu Xiaoqi pursed her lips and turned her head to look at Yang Zhen, asking with her eyes.

Yang Zhen cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, my lord!"

Yang Zhen saw that the person before him was dressed in silk robes and carried himself with a certain nobility; just now, he had been sitting at the same table as Duan Rong, which showed this person was also someone of status. Coupled with the fact that this was Shenyun Prefecture, Yang Zhen had basically guessed that the person before him was a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

Zhu Zhengfu smiled and said, "Since you two are family of Lord Duan, you are honored guests of mine; how could I possibly neglect you?"

Zhu Zhengfu gestured, inviting Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi to the table, while the steward Zhu Yu had already gone to the kitchen to order more dishes.

The two of them moved through the shadows of the night, passing through alleys and streets. Wu Shidao looked at Duan Rong's movement technique, feeling slightly surprised in his heart.

After a while, Wu Shidao asked, "Disciple Duan, where are we going?"

Duan Rong said, "You will know when we arrive, Senior Brother."

Wu Shidao's gaze flickered, and his Divine Sense instantly locked onto Duan Rong.

When a touch of Divine Sense enveloped him, Duan Rong frowned slightly; he knew Wu Shidao was truly on guard against him.

The two of them leaped over a high wall in the night. As soon as they landed, Wu Shidao glanced around and said, "This is the Back Courtyard of Zhu Cheng's house."

Duan Rong smiled slightly and said, "Exactly!"

Before Duan Rong became a personal disciple, Wu Shidao often moved about within Shenyun Prefecture, and he had dealt with Zhu Cheng on many occasions.

Duan Rong and Wu Shidao arrived in front of the Rockery.

Zhu Cheng's subordinates, who were guarding there, immediately cupped their hands upon seeing the two, saying, "Lord Duan! Lord Wu!"

This person clearly also knew Wu Shidao, yet he had addressed Duan Rong even before Wu Shidao.

Wu Shidao's brow twitched, and he walked slowly into the secret chamber with Duan Rong.

Wu Shidao suddenly withdrew the Divine Sense he had locked onto Duan Rong; Duan Rong bringing him into Zhu Cheng's secret chamber clearly meant he truly had something to ask of him.

The two walked into the secret chamber, and Duan Rong looked at the person guarding the entrance of the Corridor and said, "Go call Zhu Cheng out."

"Yes, my lord." The man's gaze swept over Duan Rong and Wu Shidao, and he ran hurriedly into the depths of the Corridor.

A few breaths later, Zhu Cheng walked out from the depths of the dark Corridor.

As soon as Duan Rong saw him, he said, "Zhu Cheng, bring over the chest I left here."

Zhu Cheng's gaze flickered; he cupped his hands slightly and turned back into the Corridor. After a while, when Zhu Cheng walked out of the Corridor again, he was already carrying a chest on his shoulder.

Zhu Cheng placed the chest on the Stone Table and stood to the side, bowing, waiting for Duan Rong and Wu Shidao to speak.

Duan Rong said, "Zhu Cheng, go back to your business. There is nothing more for you here."

"Yes, my lord!" Zhu Cheng cupped his hands to Duan Rong, then bowed to Wu Shidao as well, before turning and leaving.

Duan Rong looked at Wu Shidao and said, "Senior Brother, I must trouble you to take this chest back to the mountain and hand it to the Master."

Wu Shidao's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Disciple, what is inside this box?"

Duan Rong then briefly recounted the events at Taihe Tower, and then said, "Inside this box are the records of officials of the third rank and above."

Wu Shidao's eyes swept over the box in astonishment. When he had left, he had not yet known about the Taihe Tower incident.

Previously, when he heard about the mysterious death of Li Shensi, he had felt quite unhappy in his heart, thinking that if this matter had been handed to him, he could have done it just as well.

At that time, he had even felt that Duan Rong had snatched his assignment.

At this moment, hearing Duan Rong's brief summary of the Taihe Tower incident, and hearing about the Office of Transmission monitoring all officials and keeping the imperial court in check, Wu Shidao's heart surged for a moment.

It seemed that in the two or three days he had been away, he had clearly missed many major events.

Wu Shidao now looked at Duan Rong with new eyes. Initially, when Zhu He had chosen Duan Rong for the task, he had felt quite displeased. In fact, he had secretly hoped that Duan Rong would botch the job so that he could come out and clean up the situation.

Regarding the mysterious death of Li Shensi, Duan Rong had actually already demonstrated his precise planning and imaginative ingenuity, but at that time Wu Shidao had not been convinced, because he felt that he could have done it too.

But this Taihe Tower incident was clearly a strike at the very heart of Ge Rusong; he asked himself if he had the ability to do that.

Wu Shidao stood there, unable to help but let out a long sigh, thinking to himself: The Master truly has his own deep meaning in how he employs people.

The look in Wu Shidao's eyes as he looked at Duan Rong now had changed, and he smiled: "Disciple, rest assured. This item is of the utmost importance; I will certainly deliver it to the Master personally."

Duan Rong cupped his hands and said, "If it were not urgent, I would not dare to trouble you, Senior Brother!"

Wu Shidao said, "Disciple, we are both personal disciples of Yunfu Peak, branches of the same tree! Since the task requires it, there is no need for you to be so formal!"

Duan Rong smiled honestly, "Senior Brother is right!"

Wu Shidao said, "Then there is no time to lose, I shall return to the mountain now!"

"Good!"

Wu Shidao lifted the box with one hand and strode outward; Duan Rong also followed behind Wu Shidao out of the secret chamber.

The two arrived at an open space in the Back Courtyard, and Wu Shidao, holding the box with one hand, said, "Disciple, farewell!"

"Senior Brother, take care, we shall meet at Yunfu Peak!"

Wu Shidao suddenly stepped into the void and rose into the air; with every step he took, his figure leaped several yards, and after a few steps, before Duan Rong's eyes, he had already become an ethereal dot in the night sky.

Wu Shidao held the box with one hand as if it had no weight, stepping through the air toward the distance; after a few breaths, he had already left Shenyun Prefecture and headed in the direction of Changliu Mountain.

Duan Rong stood there, looking up, feeling quite yearning.

"Is this the realm of the Qi Cyclone Realm?"

Although the Dongming Realm was miraculous, it was still very distant for him, but he had already achieved Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm, so the Qi Cyclone Realm was right before his eyes.

A cultivator of the Qi Cyclone Realm, as the Qi Cyclone within their dantian rotates, can mobilize the heaven and earth Qi for dozens of miles around to be used for their own purposes. This was also why Wu Shidao could walk by stepping on the void.

And when Duan Rong performed his movement techniques at this time, he still had to have a landing point to borrow force.

Duan Rong stood there watching for a while, and only when he could no longer see that ethereal moving black dot in the night sky did he leap over the high wall not far away and out of Zhu Cheng's Back Courtyard.

When Duan Rong slowly walked into the Separate Courtyard, Chou Luan was still sitting on the large bluestone drinking; the lights were on in the room, and Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi were sitting there waiting for him.

Duan Rong walked into the room, and the two immediately stood up.

Zhu Xiaoqi smiled, her smile charming, her red lips and white teeth bright; Yang Zhen also looked at Duan Rong with joy in his eyes.

Duan Rong looked at his two old friends, and a feeling of intimacy surged in his heart, saying, "I ran into some trouble over at Shenyun Prefecture and implicated you both."

"Come, let's sit down and talk." Seeing them standing, Duan Rong signaled for them to sit.

After the three sat down, Duan Rong asked, "When did you meet my Senior Brother, Wu Shidao?"

Zhu Xiaoqi curled her lips and said, "That person is your Senior Brother?"

Duan Rong said, "That's right."

Zhu Xiaoqi said with dissatisfaction, "He didn't say much along the way, just that he was bringing us to Shenyun Prefecture to see you. I didn't believe it no matter how I heard it, so I discussed running away with Yang Zhen."

Yang Zhen gave an awkward smile and said, "We ran once. That person's cultivation is unfathomable, and later, when Xiao Qi wanted to run again, I stopped her."

Duan Rong looked at Yang Zhen with appreciation.

He could guess why Wu Shidao hadn't said much on the road; he was likely feeling depressed. The task of killing Li Shensi had originally been his, but the old man had chosen him instead. He was naturally dissatisfied in his heart. Now that he had been given another thankless task of cleaning up after him, it was understandable that he would have resentment.

Yang Zhen said, "Just a few days ago, I was practicing in the courtyard when suddenly a figure darted in from outside and knocked me unconscious with one blow. When I woke up, I was already in the wild fields on the outskirts of the county. A while later, Xiao Qi was also abducted by another person."

Zhu Xiaoqi chimed in, "It was the same for me. I was in the courtyard tidying up the dried beans when I was suddenly knocked unconscious."

The two spoke one after another, having already told the story mostly.

Yang Zhen continued, "We were tied up by those two, laid across horses, and galloped along the Official Road. On the morning of the second day, your Senior Brother descended from the sky, killed those two, and brought us all the way to Shenyun Prefecture."

Duan Rong smiled, "You've worked hard." Although the two had already washed up, they still could not hide the fatigue on their faces.

Zhu Xiaoqi asked, "Are you the only one in Shenyun Prefecture? Where is my Young Miss?"

Duan Rong's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "She is in the Sect."

Duan Rong was afraid that Zhu Xiaoqi would continue to ask about Xiao Yu, and he could not tell Zhu Xiaoqi that Xiao Yu was still trapped in the Tower Forest, perhaps destined to sit trapped until she died and turned into white bones.

Duan Rong immediately changed the subject, "You must be tired, you should rest early."

Yang Zhen and Zhu Xiaoqi were indeed very sleepy; they had been on edge the whole way and had hardly slept at all. Just now, they had been sitting here, forcing themselves to stay awake to wait for Duan Rong.

"Yang Zhen, you go sleep in the side room. It's cleaner there and there are more quilts; Xiao Qi, you can make a floor bed here."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen stood up, cupped his hands slightly, and left the room, heading toward the side room.

Zhu Xiaoqi sat there, her face flushing; for some reason, her heart was pounding like a startled deer.

Duan Rong had already stood up, and seeing Zhu Xiaoqi still sitting there, he said, "What are you still sitting there for?"

Only then did Zhu Xiaoqi stand up with a red face. Duan Rong stood by the screen and pointed to the cabinet by the wall, saying, "There are quilts inside; take one and lay it out here to sleep."

As Duan Rong spoke, he pointed to the place where Ruyi had originally made a floor bed.

After finishing, Duan Rong took off his shoes and socks and slipped into the gauze curtains hanging from the bed.

Zhu Xiaoqi took a quilt, laid it out, and crawled in.

After the light was extinguished, the room was pitch black. Zhu Xiaoqi lay there and asked, "Is what you are doing in Shenyun Prefecture dangerous? What kind of work is it?"

Zhu Xiaoqi thought that if what Duan Rong was doing wasn't dangerous, he likely wouldn't have implicated her and Yang Zhen in being abducted.

Duan Rong said, "It's fine now. It's already over. I am doing this for my master."

"Your master?"

"Yes!"

Zhu Xiaoqi asked, "Who is your master?"

Duan Rong said, "My master is an old man."

Zhu Xiaoqi giggled and said, "Are my young lady and you from the same master?"

Seeing that Zhu Xiaoqi had brought the topic back to Xiao Yu, Duan Rong immediately began to feign sleep, letting out a faint snoring sound.

Seeing that a faint snoring sound had started from where Duan Rong was, and thinking that Duan Rong had already fallen asleep, she tucked in the quilt and drifted off to sleep as well; having traveled all the way from Xiangu County, she had long since been exhausted...

(End of this chapter)