Chapter 293: Young Master Jingchuan, who exactly are you?

Li Qingluo slept on a floor mat with Hudie at night, and during the day she practiced punches and moves in the room to strengthen her body.

Deng Mama several times realized she was sleeping on the ground, but Li Qingluo pressed her down each time.

Li Qingluo even got angry: "If you don't obediently lie down, when we go back I won't let you return to Free Abode!"

Deng Mama: "But I am a servant, a lowly person—how could I lie down in front of the young lady and let her sleep on the ground? My heart feels uneasy..."

Li Qingluo: "Normally it would be fine, but your injury hasn't healed; if you lie on the ground I would feel uneasy. So, now which is more important—your unease or mine?"

Deng Mama naturally could not argue with Li Qingluo's reasoning.

The three of them were locked in this room, and they stayed locked for seven or eight days.

Although five meals were sent in each day, each a feast of fish and meat, Zheng Lingzhou never expected that because there was an edible Hudie in the room, every plate he ordered sent in would come back empty.

Hudie ate her fill every day.

Li Qingluo saw Deng Mama improving day by day, and she herself also got much better.

However, Zheng Lingzhou kept her confined like this with no further action, leaving Li Qingluo somewhat puzzled.

Besides keeping her healthy, could he have some other motive?

Otherwise, he wouldn't have disappeared for several days in a row without showing any sign of intent.

It seems he wants to do something, but it's not going as he wishes.

Zheng Lingzhou's side indeed had a complication.

Besides not hearing any news from the Master of Yun Valley for several days in a row, Jingchuan also disappeared.

Zheng Lingzhou and Zheng Wanxiu sent out countless people to search, but found no trace of him.

Zheng Wanxiu anxiously paced: "Brother Zhou, do you think Xiao Chuan might be desperate? Could his actions just be to force us to release Qu Shi's daughter? What if he really did something foolish?"

Zheng Lingzhou also anxiously clenched his fists, his whole body tense.

"Elder sister, don't panic yet. This time he abandoned his attendants and everyone we sent to protect him—he clearly intends to avoid us."

"I know his nature."

"He really wants to force us to release Luo'er; otherwise he probably wouldn't show up again on his own."

Zheng Wanxiu: "But with his frail constitution, how could he look after himself alone outside? Since childhood he couldn't even withstand a breeze, let alone if he encountered some bad people—what would we do?"

Whenever it came to her son, even the usually spry Zheng Wanxiu turned into a fussy mother.

Her tears fell incessantly, and Zheng Lingzhou felt unable to bear seeing it.

"Elder sister, I will think of a way."

Zheng Lingzhou personally opened Li Qingluo's room door.

He wore a grim face, looked up at the spirited Li Qingluo, and thinking of Jingchuan's frail body since childhood, a flash of hatred crossed his heart.

But he knew none of this was Luo'er's fault.

Even Li Qingluo had already suffered enough because of her birth mother's sins.

Yet Zheng Lingzhou could not regard her as completely innocent...

At least she could still turn over a splendid, bright future.

What about Jingchuan then?

If it weren't for him and his sister repeatedly saving his life by force, he would already be a rotting bone in the yellow earth!

But now Jingchuan actually is willing to sacrifice his life for this sister—what then of all the painstaking efforts he and his sister have made?

Zheng Lingzhou even discarded the tiny bit of feeling deep in his heart.

"Come out, I'll let you leave."

He said this with a solemn, cold face.

Li Qingluo was very surprised: "You want to release me?"

Is he sick?

Just luring her in, then locking her up for these few days?

No, something must have happened on his side, forcing him to release her.

Li Qingluo narrowed her eyes, turned and sat down: "I'm not leaving."

Zheng Lingzhou: "You're not leaving? Luo'er, do you think I'm joking?"

Li Qingluo: "Then what do you mean? Let me come if you want, let me go if you want? Zheng Lingzhou, you've always said you wanted to talk things through clearly with me and let me leave with you... but now that I've come, you just locked me in this room."

"Do you really think I, Li Qingluo, am a fool to be toyed with?"

Her gaze was sharp and icy, fixed on him, piercing straight into his heart.

Li Qingluo's voice grew colder: "If you don't make things clear, next time you try to repeat today's mistake, you simply won't be able to."

Zheng Lingzhou: "He is your half-brother."

"I originally wanted to bring you to see him, so you siblings could reunite, but he hates your Jiangjun Fu even more than I thought."

"So he left."

"Keeping you locked up would then be pointless."

"I'm letting you leave safe and sound—aren't you happy? If you upset my elder sister again, be careful you'll never be able to walk out of Jingyun Shan Zhuang!"

Since things had come to this, Li Qingluo could only regretfully take Deng Mama and Hudie and be sent out of Jingyun Shan Zhuang.

Zheng Lingzhou stood on the steps, far away watching her board the carriage, his gaze growing colder.

He naturally would not really let her leave.

It was merely a show put on for Jingchuan to see.

Next time he captures her, he will surely be more careful in locking up Li Qingluo, so that Xiao Chuan will never know they have seized his sister...

Zheng Lingzhou curled his lip and ordered those nearby: "Follow her."

"Twenty li from here, seize her again for me."

After thinking, he added: "Send more people."

At this moment, watching Jingyun Shan Zhuang recede behind them, Li Qingluo did not fully relax.

In front of the carriage was an old coachman personally arranged by Zheng Lingzhou to drive her and escort her away; he was clearly a highly skilled martial practitioner.

Even Zheng Mama, whose injuries had basically healed, shook her head at Li Qingluo; she was no match for that old man.

Beside her, Hudie let out a few "wu-wu" sounds, and only then did Li Qingluo remove the cloth from her mouth.

When they came out, Hudie was allowed to be taken away only after her mouth was stuffed and her hands bound.

But now that her mouth was free, Hudie began to bare her teeth and growl low, once again appearing ready to strike.

You are not his match.

Be honest.

Li Qingluo glared at Hudie, knowing she was frenzied and uneasy, but she would not let Hudie go out to seek death.

Don't rush, it'll be soon.

Li Qingluo gave Deng Mama a look; she knew Zheng Lingzhou would certainly not let her truly leave easily, so she had Deng Mama stand ready to provide support at any moment.

Indeed, after only a few li, the carriage suddenly shuddered lightly.

Li Qingluo immediately lifted a gap in the carriage curtain and looked out.

She saw the old coachman in front leap up and fly out, already entangled with a black shadow.

Seeing the old coachman's skill, he was indeed a martial arts master.

However, the people who came to meet Li Qingluo were also no ordinary foes; after dozens of rounds, the old man was slammed heavily to the ground.

Deng Mama seized the opportunity to rush out and with one strike finished off the old coachman.

"Miss, please forgive me, Po Feng has arrived late."

The black shadow lowered its mask to reveal its true face—it was indeed Po Feng, who had come to meet them.

These past few days, Po Feng has been hiding inside Jingyun Shan Zhuang.

Moreover, not only Po Feng, but several assassins of the Night Slaughter Sect whom Li Qingluo had never seen masked before.

Originally, their plan was to wait for Zheng Lingzhou to reveal his true face, then strike once to expose his conspiracy, after which the entire Jingyun Shan Zhuang would be taken over in the ensuing momentum.

However, plans changed unexpectedly, and Zheng Lingzhou would suddenly drive the three of them—master and servants—out of the mountain villa.

So now, Po Feng leads a group to meet Li Qingluo; regardless of whether Zheng Lingzhou truly intends to let her go today or merely pretends to let her leave temporarily, Li Qingluo will not return to Jingyun Shan Zhuang today.

Li Qingluo looked toward the rustling woods and said, "Not late, just right. Po Feng, let us continue onward."

As her words fell, the carriage gave a "clang".

Po Feng immediately drew his sword and shouted low, "Who? Come out!"

Someone had thrown a stone at the carriage, so this person had just seen them commit the murder of the old coachman?

Li Qingluo also changed expression, but since this person was nearby, how had Po Feng not noticed him at first?

Moreover, why would he deliberately provoke them, exposing his own presence?

"Cough, cough cough cough cough..."

"I did not mean to…… but you killed someone…… if we do not first dispose of this corpse, we will surely be discovered by them soon."

Li Qingluo heard this voice and looked again; only then did she see the person emerging wrapped tightly in heavy fur and cotton clothing, moving with great difficulty.

Was it him?

"Young Master Jingchuan, how are you here?"

"Just now you……"

Seeing Li Qingluo, Jingchuan smiled slightly, clasped his hands, and said, "Miss Li, I never expected…… we would meet again so soon."

Po Feng saw that they knew each other, yet he did not fully lower his guard.

All this seemed far too coincidental.

"Miss?"

Po Feng's meaning was to kill and silence, to eliminate future trouble.

Li Qingluo shook her head.

She felt an inexplicable sense of closeness and fondness toward Young Master Jingchuan, so she did not want to kill him.

Moreover, she thought perhaps he truly had no ill intent; this encounter might truly be an accident.

Po Feng could only follow Li Qingluo's wishes.

"Who exactly are you? Having just stepped forward to say this, what do you intend?"

Facing Po Feng's aura, Jingchuan's expression remained calm: "I am merely offering a kind reminder."

"Since you have already killed the coachman, to leave Jingyun Shan Zhuang completely, it would be better to change direction and depart."

"Cough, cough cough..."

However, Po Feng had already swept a broadsword across.

"I cannot let you leave. Get on the carriage!"

Li Qingluo also knew Po Feng was being cautious; before their plan succeeded, this person could not be allowed to run around.

Otherwise, they would ruin their major undertaking; even if they had prior friendship, Li Qingluo could not guarantee his safety.

Li Qingluo could only wrong Hudie, binding her hands again and gagging her mouth.

Even so, Hudie's gaze still made Jingchuan somewhat fearful.

"She……"

Li Qingluo explained: "She suffers from an innate illness; she cannot bear to see men."

At such close range, Hudie's whole body felt uncomfortable, writhing wildly in the corner.

Jingchuan could only strive to move toward the doorway……

Po Feng quickly buried the old coachman's corpse, then put on the coachman's bamboo hat, flicked the whip, and continued driving the carriage.

He naturally wouldn't listen to Jingchuan's suggestion; instead, with the people in the carriage, he continued forward along the old coachman's route at high speed.

Li Qingluo looked at Li Jingchuan, feeling somewhat curious.

"How do you know I just left Jingyun Shan Zhuang?"

"Given Young Master Jingchuan's status, you certainly wouldn't be following me all the way out, would you?"

"So, who exactly are you?"