Chapter 385: Returning to Xia

Ansili Airport.

On the second day after resolving everything, Chen Che and Xie Wanning finally decided to return to Xia.

On this day, Queen Fatima and Princess Laila led all the officials of Ansili to see the two off together.

Princess Laila stood at the very front of the crowd, looking as if she were on the verge of tears, gazing at Chen Che with reluctance, and pleaded, "Chen, can you not go? Even if you must go, please stay for a few more days, okay?"

Chen Che smiled and said, "Princess, I have things to do back in Xia, so I must return as soon as possible."

Laila sniffled, and tears slid down her cheeks.

Chen Che gently wiped the tears from her face and said, "Your Highness, it is a pity I cannot attend your coronation ceremony, but I believe you will surely become an outstanding queen."

"Then if I become an outstanding queen, will you come back to see me?"

Princess Laila looked at Chen Che with a face full of hope.

Chen Che nodded: "I definitely will."

"Good, then it's a deal. The day I become an outstanding queen, you will come back to see me."

Laila said with a serious expression.

Chen Che smiled: "It's a deal."

Xie Wanning stepped forward and said, "Princess Laila, we all believe you can certainly do it. Looking forward to seeing you again."

Laila nodded vigorously and said to Xie Wanning, "When I become an outstanding queen, I will snatch Chen back!"

Xie Wanning laughed in spite of herself: "Alright, I'll wait for you to snatch him back."

Chen Che and Xie Wanning said goodbye to the Queen once more, then boarded the plane.

The private jet soared over the horizon until it disappeared into the sky, yet Princess Laila still stood in the same spot, silently gazing into the distance.

After a day of flying, the plane finally arrived at Beijing Airport at eight o'clock in the evening, Beijing time.

When Chen Che and Xie Wanning stepped off the plane, Li Qingyan, Song Jinhe, and Cheng Kexin had already been waiting for a long time.

"Master Senior Sister, Junior Brother, over here!"

Li Qingyan stood at the exit, waving happily at the two.

Chen Che walked over quickly and gave Li Qingyan a big hug: "Senior Sister, I'm back!"

"Welcome back!" Li Qingyan patted his back, her face full of joy.

Chen Che released Li Qingyan and looked at Song Jinhe, asking, "Senior Sister, is your leg better?"

"It's been better for a long time."

Song Jinhe opened her arms, "Welcome back!"

Chen Che hugged her: "I missed you all so much!"

"Ahem!"

Cheng Kexin coughed from the side and said ungraciously, "Only missing them and not me, right? As expected, Junior Brother, you still prefer older women!"

Chen Che said with a grin: "Sixth Senior Sister, don't be impatient. I don't have three heads and six arms, so of course I have to hug you one by one... besides, you are all my senior sisters, I like you all!"

Chen Che released Song Jinhe and pulled Cheng Kexin into his arms: "Oh, Senior Sister, you've gained weight; you're more comfortable to hug than before!"

"Tch, you rascal!"

Cheng Kexin scolded with a smile, letting Chen Che hold her.

Xie Wanning watched Chen Che acting roguishly toward the three junior sisters with a gloomy expression.

Li Qingyan noticed Xie Wanning's expression, leaned over, and whispered, "Senior Sister, that book I gave you... have you read it?"

Xie Wanning's face turned red, and she turned her face away: "No."

"Really or not?" Li Qingyan didn't believe her, squinting as she scrutinized Xie Wanning.

Xie Wanning continued to be stubborn: "I said no means no, who would read that kind of thing."

"Oh, then forget it. Since you didn't read the book, I suppose you didn't wear the clothes either. Give them back to me when we get home."

Li Qingyan looked at Xie Wanning and said.

Xie Wanning's expression changed; she could return the book, but the clothes had long since been torn to shreds by Chen Che, so how could she return them?

But if she couldn't produce them, the secret would be out!

"Senior Sister, you..."

Li Qingyan observed Xie Wanning's expression, her smile becoming increasingly cunning.

Xie Wanning hurriedly changed the subject: "Alright, let's go back quickly, Master's Wife must be waiting anxiously."

Chen Che finally released Cheng Kexin at this moment, looked around, and asked, "Oh right, didn't Second Senior Sister come?"

"Second Senior Sister has a mission and has left Beijing," Cheng Kexin said, smoothing out her wrinkled clothes.

"Oh, I see," Chen Che said with a look of regret.

Li Qingyan walked over and patted him: "Enough! Isn't it enough that the few of us came to pick you up? You brat, let's go, Master's Wife has been waiting for you."

"Alright, let's go. I also happen to have something to ask Master's Wife."

………

At nine o'clock sharp, Chen Che and the others returned to the Forbidden City and met Master's Wife Wu Qingkui, who was still reviewing official documents.

"Master's Wife, we are back."

Chen Che and the others said in unison, then each chose a chair to sit down.

Wu Qingkui also stopped her work, looked at Chen Che, and examined him carefully for a long while before smiling and saying, "I've heard everything about Ansili from Wanning. You brat are truly incredible now, Heavenly Master Great Perfection plus half a volume of the Heavenly Book... even your master, until the very last moment, wasn't as impressive as you are now."

"Master's Wife overpraises me, it was just good luck," Chen Che said with a grin.

Wu Qingkui's smile was gratified, and Xie Wanning, Li Qingyan, Song Jinhe, and Cheng Kexin all looked at Chen Che with doting smiles.

Wu Qingkui restrained her smile and said, "Alright, enough idle talk, let's get down to business."

Chen Che sat up straight immediately and said, "Master's Wife, please speak."

"I imagine your Master Senior Sister has already conveyed this to you; Zanpu Dunzhu has indeed not come to Xia, or at the very least, he certainly did not come here directly from Ansili."

Wu Qingkui looked at Chen Che, "However, the half of the Heavenly Book Stele beneath the Gu Family has truly been lost."

Chen Che narrowed his eyes and asked, "Master's Wife, how exactly was the Heavenly Book Stele lost?"

"After you all headed to Ansili, I dispatched the Patrol Bureau to secretly transport the stele to Beijing, but just two days ago, as it was about to arrive in Beijing, it was intercepted and stolen."

Wu Qingkui said.

"Stolen?!" Chen Che could not believe it, "Who has the audacity to rob the Patrol Bureau?"

Chen Che was stunned again, then suddenly looked up: "Only those three families could have the nerve and the capability to do this."

"I thought the same, but there is no evidence. Furthermore, ever since those three families were caught in the act last time, they have been very well-behaved up until today, unconditionally obeying any order of mine, so I have not sought trouble with them over this matter for the time being."

Wu Qingkui sighed, "The main thing is, I don't know how to investigate. The people who hijacked the transport are either dead or missing; there isn't a single clue."

Chen Che's brows locked in a frown: "Zanpu Dunzhu didn't come to Xia, but the Heavenly Book was stolen at the exact same time he left Ansili; isn't that a bit too coincidental?"

Xie Wanning said: "If that is truly the case, then the Heavenly Book Stele has very likely already fallen into Zanpu Dunzhu's hands; we must prepare early!"

Chen Che shook his head: "I think that is unlikely."

"How so?"

"I know Zanpu Dunzhu's current physical condition better than anyone; it is fundamentally impossible for him to fully accept the Heavenly Book in a short period of time, so even if he obtained it, he would need time."

Chen Che paused and continued: "Moreover, I believe the Heavenly Book is definitely still in Xia, and it is even very likely in Beijing. As for Zanpu Dunzhu... I am more inclined to believe he has not yet come to Xia."

"You mean to say that while those three families claim to have long since severed ties with the Six Harmonies Divine Sect and Zanpu Dunzhu, they have actually been in contact behind the scenes the whole time?"

Wu Qingkui narrowed her sharp phoenix eyes and said.

"That is hard to say." Chen Che recalled the scenes of his several confrontations with Zanpu Dunzhu, "Zanpu Dunzhu knows too many bizarre Artisan Techniques, and he is also adept at magnifying the desires of the human heart... As long as the people of those three families have unfulfilled cravings, they will be exploited by Zanpu Dunzhu."

"Looking at it this way, we still cannot let our guard down against those three families."

Wu Qingkui said: "However, on the whole, things are still good. Luo Lin has been dismantling the Martial Artists privately raised by those three families during this time, and all sorts of personnel are also undergoing investigation. The scale of these three families is slowly shrinking; for now, it seems the progress is going smoothly."

"That is good."

Chen Che sighed, "It is just that the two matters of the Heavenly Book being stolen and Zanpu Dunzhu going missing... it feels too passive."

"There is actually one clue."

Wu Qingkui took a document bag out of a drawer and placed it on the table: "Although it is somewhat far-fetched, it might allow us to find a breakthrough and turn from passive to active."

………