Chapter 25: Frankly Speaking, Xue Qinghe's Trouble (Seeking Member Follow-up Reads)

Regarding the matters to be discussed next, Xue Qinghe did not bring Qiangu Changkong along, but instead left him alone outside the room.

Wu Qi patted his arm lightly, "You, you should read more books and use your brain more for everything; don't just think about brute force."

Watching the two enter the study and close the heavy doors, Qiangu Changkong wanted to speak but held back.

Right now, he had no heart to argue; he had to think about how to prevent Ning Rongrong's retaliation.

Inside the study, Xue Qinghe picked up a stick of incense from the incense table, lit it, and placed it into the incense burner.

"From here on, this is an absolutely safe place; you may speak freely."

Xue Qinghe had two Title Douluo guarding by his side, and the lighting of the incense seemed to signal something.

At this moment, the two Title Douluo would certainly be keeping a close watch on everything outside the study.

"I hear that, based on those two sentences from back then, you guessed this palace's identity?" As he spoke, Xue Qinghe made a gesture of invitation.

The two sat opposite each other, and Wu Qi sat in the chair with a relaxed demeanor.

"I heard that the Grand Elder has a granddaughter who is currently about the same age as Xue Qinghe. When Master informed the Grand Elder of my guess, for a brief moment, the Grand Elder's aura was in disarray."

"So I guessed that you must be that true Young Master of the Spirit Hall."

Xue Qinghe's brows furrowed slightly.

Fortunately, Wu Qi was a member of the Elder Palace; if he were an outsider, he likely wouldn't have been able to walk out of the Taizi Fu today.

A moment later, he suddenly smiled and personally poured a cup of tea for the other party, "To be able to string together such subtle clues—Grandfather said you were exceptionally intelligent, and it seems he did not lie."

Such a statement was an admission of his identity.

Both were people of the Spirit Hall, and Wu Qi had never intended to play dumb from the very beginning.

They were all on the same side; they should exert their strength in one direction rather than wasting it on meaningless infighting.

Changing the subject, Xue Qinghe asked, "Since you are so clever, tell me, what did you discover when you entered the city?"

Wu Qi stated the matters of Suotuo City clearly, causing Qian Renxue to click her tongue in wonder, "Truly an enviable power of observation. Your guess is correct; the source of the rumors is indeed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and there is a high probability that it was spread by my teacher herself."

Wu Qi did not feel surprised.

For Ning Rongrong to find Shrek Academy thousands of miles away and enter it to study, the possibility of it being an impromptu decision was low; she must have been guided by something.

Although Wu Qi did not think much of Shrek Academy, to a certain extent, their background was quite clean; entering it to study would not involve one in the struggles of major powers.

Ning Rongrong had already become rebellious, and Ning Fengzhi had guessed she would run away from home.

In order to grind down Ning Rongrong's wild temperament, Ning Fengzhi might have guided her to Suotuo City, eventually joining Shrek Academy.

Putting away his thoughts and noticing the look of worry on Xue Qinghe's face, Wu Qi asked in return:

"If one must say, this is a private matter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; why does it cause the Crown Prince such worry? Could it be that there is a hidden story within this?"

"The matter that worries this palace is a long story, and I am afraid you will have to make a trip to Suotuo City."

Xue Qinghe stated the truth.

"Recently, a large batch of grain has inexplicably disappeared from Suotuo City, a quantity sufficient for a thousand people to eat for a year with some to spare."

"The rumors spread by the Ning Sect Master have caused a large number of people to flock to Suotuo City, and there is too much interference for this palace to investigate the whereabouts of this grain."

He did not know if this was a coincidence or if Ning Fengzhi had done it intentionally.

With so much grain disappearing, it was clear that there was a thousand-man troop in the shadows whose allegiance was unknown.

Qian Renxue wanted to know if this troop was a private army hidden by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Wu Qi was puzzled, pondered for a moment, and asked in return, "It is just one instance of missing grain; there is no need to generate so many guesses, right? Could it be that nearby bandits robbed it, and they acted in coordination?"

Banditry had always been an existence ignored by the continent.

Among the Spirit Masters who turned to banditry, some were criminals to begin with who had no other way to survive and took up the trade of robbery.

Most, however, were Spirit Masters who could not obtain cultivation resources and, while not wanting to join major powers, only wanted to make quick money.

To expect bandits to work hard at farming and become self-sufficient in food—how could that be possible?

Xue Qinghe shook his head, denying the other's guess.

Pulling open a desk drawer, he spread a document out on the desktop.

"Strictly speaking, the grain was not robbed."

The document clearly noted that this portion of grain was purchased by a large buyer, but once the grain was transported out of Suotuo City, it simply vanished and did not circulate on the market.

Xue Qinghe had only recently discovered this, and immediately afterward, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect spread rumors about Suotuo City, making it the focus of attention in a short time.

Xue Qinghe could not help but suspect that Ning Fengzhi was trying to cover up the truth.

Wu Qi asked again, "So what if it is a private army secretly raised by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? As long as your identity is not exposed, these forces will eventually be your aid."

Xue Qinghe looked hesitant, and after a moment, he said seriously: "The Elder Palace and the Pope Palace have a secret plan. For the smooth implementation of this plan, this palace needs to clarify all the deployments of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect truly has a hidden army of a thousand, the plan will face significant variables, so this matter cannot be taken lightly."

Xue Qinghe did not say what the specific situation of the plan was, but Wu Qi could guess it.

The current Qian Renxue was single-mindedly focused on gaining Bibi Dong's approval.

Infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire was part of Bibi Dong's plan, and Qian Renxue's active entry into the game was due to this mindset.

Wu Qi did not know many details of the Spirit Hunting Plan, but he was very clear about the outcome.

Regarding this disappearance of grain, he actually felt it had little to do with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was closely linked to the Imperial Family; even if they raised private soldiers, they would not leave behind such obvious traces.

I am afraid this involves other forces.

Going to Suotuo City to investigate was more of a pretext, the purpose being to let them leave the power vortex of Tiandou City.

The arrival of Wu Qi and Qiangu Changkong was too sudden, and Xue Qinghe likely had not thought of a strategy to settle them.

At the very least, before their backgrounds were forged, staying in Tiandou City for too long and being noticed by major powers would be a troublesome matter.

Thinking of this, Wu Qi did not decline and took the initiative to accept the task.

Before leaving, Xue Qinghe reminded him: "Remember to prioritize your own safety; the results of the investigation are only secondary."

……

After leaving the Taizi Fu, Qiangu Changkong digested the news brought by Wu Qi.

A moment later, he asked, "Brother Wu, do you have any leads on the direction of the investigation?"

Wu Qi spread his hands, "None, and I don't intend to start an investigation either."

Qiangu Changkong widened his eyes, "If the Crown Prince finds out about your thoughts, I'm afraid we'll be in big trouble!"

Wu Qi did not care at all.

Having them investigate was a ruse; avoiding the limelight was the truth.

Furthermore, even if Xue Qinghe truly wanted to investigate, with the two of them providing cover in the open, the real investigators could conduct the investigation in the shadows without encountering resistance.

Therefore, they need not worry too much; they just needed to do their own jobs well.

(End of this chapter)