Chapter 708: Were you just looking for me?

Several people walked into the courtyard, but they didn't see Xiao Feifei.

"Xiao Feifei," Tuan Tuan called softly: "Come out quickly! Let's go play somewhere else!"

A snowy-white little figure darted out from the flower bushes, ran quickly to her feet, and excitedly spun circles around her.

Tuan Tuan squatted down, scooped it up in one grab, brushed off the grass clippings on its body, and said: "You're so mischievous! Are you happy now?"

Xiao Feifei rubbed its head gently against her cheek, grinned, and laughed.

Tuan Tuan stood up and handed Xiao Feifei to Lu Qi.

Lu Qi carefully tucked it into his lapel, grabbed Xiao Ningyuan's collar, and leapt onto the roof.

Xiao Er squatted down, Tuan Tuan climbed onto his back, turned and waved at Chu Yuan: "I'm off, Master!"

Chu Yuan gave a slight nod, watching them disappear into the night.

They arrived at Lu Wu's dwelling; before they could even touch the roof where he lived, they heard a continuous stream of cursing from inside.

"Ah-choo! *^#…… Ah-choo!"

Besides the sneezes, not a single word was intelligible; obviously it wasn't Zhongyuan speech.

Tuan Tuan snorted: "The East Sea language is so ugly! Big brother, let's go find Master first."

"Okay."

They reached Mo Zhanggeng's roof; Lu Qi lifted a tile, inside a candle still burned, its light dim, and Mo Zhanggeng lay asleep on the bed.

Tuan Tuan looked at him: "Master sleeps so soundly! I can't bear to wake him."

She called softly: "Master! It's me! Tuan Tuan's here! Are you asleep? If you are, I'll leave!"

Mo Zhanggeng snapped his eyes open, looked up, and sat up with a grin: "Good disciple! I was just thinking you might come tonight, and you really did."

"Master!" Tuan Tuan smiled sweetly: "My father and the others will be here soon!"

"There will be fighting here! Master, you must hide well, don't let anyone hurt you."

Mo Zhanggeng was deeply moved: "Good disciple! Did you come just to tell me this?"

"Exactly! Of course I had to let you know! When fighting breaks out it's chaotic, I'm worried you'll get hurt."

"Don't worry!" Mo Zhanggeng said proudly: "I'm very clever! Let them run amok; I'll just stay inside—I won't go out."

Tuan Tuan gave a thumbs-up: "Master, you're really smart! By the way, Master, does that old man still have his head full of needles?"

"Of course!" Mo Zhanggeng brightened at the topic, eyebrows dancing: "Since I learned they dared to harm you, I've been jabbing them with needles every day."

"When their headaches become unbearable and they come to ask me, I say their illness has worsened and I can't do anything."

"If they're dissatisfied, they can go see whoever they want—I won't serve them anymore!"

Mo Zhanggeng recalled: "You haven't seen it, but their faces are awful—bitterer than bitter melon!"

The several adults heard this, exchanged glances, laughed and shook their heads: Tuan Tuan's two Divine Doctor masters truly dote on her.

"Wow! Thank you, Master! Master, you're so good!" Tuan Tuan praised quickly: "Then could you hold off on needling him for a bit? I want to go find him."

"What? You want to go find him? No way!" Mo Zhanggeng shook his head like a rattle-drum: "That old man is terrible—how could you go see him?"

"If you want to beat him up to vent, I'll help you—but you can't go!"

"I'm not going to hit him; I just want to ask him a few questions."

Tuan Tuan reached out and pulled Xiao Er and Lu Qi to the crack: "With Second Uncle and Seventh Uncle accompanying me, he wouldn't dare bully me!"

"But Master, you shouldn't go over there either—if they find out I'm your disciple, I'm afraid they'll bully you later."

"Bully me? They don't have the ability!" Mo Zhanggeng snorted.

But he also knew full well that the disciple was doing this for his own sake: "Alright, then you must be careful—if anything happens, call me, and I'll rush over to save you right away!"

"Got it! I'm leaving, Master!" Tuan Tuan waved her little hand, and Lu Qi moved the tile back to its original place.

They came to Lu Wu's roof, moved the tile aside, and looked down.

Lu Wu sat shirtless in a chair, his head full of silver needles.

His body was covered in crisscrossing scratches—old scabs just healed, new ones added on top—looking shocking to behold.

The silver needles on his head made him dare not move too much; he could only keep scratching his thighs with both hands, cursing through clenched teeth, and occasionally grabbing a paper from the table to wipe his nose.

Tuan Tuan was watching with great interest when a big hand reached over from the side and firmly covered her eyes.

"Don't look." Xiao Ningyuan frowned: "Why isn't this old man wearing clothes? It's utterly improper."

"Too ugly."

"Hmm," Tuan Tuan nodded: "Indeed, it's really ugly." She obediently let him keep her eyes covered, staying still.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths twitching.

A grand East Sea Dharma master, covered in blood-path techniques, sitting shirtless inside cursing the street—where is any trace of an exalted person's demeanor?

Lu Wu cursed a few more sentences, his voice gradually fading, but the sneezing and runny nose never ceased.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at him and said softly: "He seems tired, and he's caught a chill."

"How could he not be tired?" Lu Qi laughed: "It looks like he's been living like this these days—truly suffering."

"He must have been soaking in ice water a lot," Xiao Er also laughed: "Look at him like this."

"Bang—bang—"

The night-watch drum sounded faintly from the street.

"We need to hurry," Xiao Er said, "we can't wait any longer—once the palace gates open, crowds will come."

They looked toward the courtyard—pitch black, the servants apparently already asleep.

Xiao Ningyuan glanced at Lu Qi, and Xiao Feifei poked its little head out of his lapel.

Right, we're still bringing it along!

"Lu Qi, stay here and don't move; we're going down."

Lu Qi nodded, took out an iron lotus seed and held it in his hand: "Go ahead; if anything happens, I've got you."

Xiao Er, with Tuan Tuan on his back and Xiao Ningyuan in his arms, gently set them down on the ground.

Tuan Tuan walked to the doorway and, through the crack, called softly, "Hey! Old man! Put your clothes on quickly! How ugly!"

Lu Wu's body tensed, he sprang to his feet, and frantically searched the house as if gone mad.

That was the child's voice! She's here? Where?

Why would she come looking for me?

He searched for a long time without finding a single figure; could it be that I think she's gone mad?

Xiao Er frowned and said, "I don't have time to dally with you!"

He drew his side sword, pushed the door open, and the blade tip pointed straight at Lu Wu's face; in a low voice he shouted, "Put your clothes on!"

Lu Wu was startled: "A robber?"

Why would a robber here be concerned about whether someone is dressed?

But the blade tip flashed with cold light, pointing at his own nose; obviously he wouldn't listen otherwise.

He trembled and pointed at the bed; Xiao Er looked up and saw the clothes lying there in a tangled heap.

Xiao Er said without any politeness, "Go get it! Quickly!"

Lu Wu reluctantly walked to the bedside, scratching all over his body while unwillingly putting the clothes on, muttering continuously, "I have nothing here; what are you running here to snatch?"

Xiao Ningyuan, seeing him dressed neatly, carried his sister from the shadow under the eaves into the house.

Tuan Tuan smiled brightly at Lu Wu, "Were you looking for me just now?"