Chapter 1016: All-out Care (I)

At night, in the south city of Luoyang, at Sixi Inn.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Come in."

"squeak!"

With a slight sound, the door opened to the left and right. Xiao Yang, Su Hu, and Xun Budao successively carried teapots, teacups, wine jars, wine bowls, and a basin of water into the guest room with dim candlelight.

"Miss..."

"Put your things down and take a rest!"

"Tomorrow is the 'Anti-Traitor Conference'. The eldest lady shoulders a heavy responsibility. One person is related to the success or failure of the overall situation, so she must get enough rest." Xiao Yang wet the handkerchief in clean water, handed it to Xunzhen respectfully, and said with concern, "These days, the eldest lady has been working day and night for Liu Xunyi's affairs, and has lost a lot of weight. In any case, you must rest early tonight. The three of us will guard outside the door, and no one is allowed to disturb..."

"No need!" Xunzhen wet his hands with a wet towel and interrupted absentmindedly, "I have to meet some friends tonight. Otherwise, they won't be able to sleep well, and neither will I."

"But……"

"Go down!"

"Yes……"

Seeing Xunzhen's firm attitude, Xiao Yang and the other two dared not disobey her orders even though they were unwilling. They looked at each other, shook their heads and sighed, and left the room in dismay.

"Bang bang bang!"

A moment later, there was a sudden rapid knock on the door, causing Xunzhen, who seemed to be dozing off, to slowly open his eyes, and the sleepiness on his face disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"who?"

"My name is Murong Bai." A low reply came from outside the door.

"Seventh Master, please come in..."

Before he finished speaking, the door was gently pushed open and Murong Bai walked in hurriedly.

"Miss Xunzhen, the Palace Master asked me to come..."

"Seventh Master, don't be anxious. I know why you're here." Xunzhen pushed a full bowl of wine in front of Murong Bai and said with a calm smile, "Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao's spies in the city have all been withdrawn this afternoon. If my guess is correct, the Xianwang Mansion will be very lively tonight."

"That's right!" Murong Bai raised his glass to drink, but when he heard Xunzhen's guess, he quickly put the glass down and whispered, "I thought Qingfeng would only bring dozens of people with him, but unexpectedly... three or four hundred people suddenly showed up tonight. The Palace Master speculated that these people may have sneaked into Luoyang City earlier than Qingfeng, but have been secretly monitoring the various factions in the martial arts world. Now that the "Eradication of Traitors Conference" is about to be held, Qingfeng has begun to gather people. The Palace Master is worried... he may have noticed some clues, otherwise, with Qingfeng's behavior, he would never be so rash as to expose his hidden strength."

"Palace Master Xie's worries are not without reason. Qingfeng is anxious to recall the Wudang disciples. He is probably worried that something might happen tomorrow and these scattered disciples won't be able to provide support in time." Xunzhen nodded slightly, not wanting to deny it. "I wonder...what does Palace Master Xie mean?"

"What the Palace Master means is... Qingfeng and I have already drawn our arrows and have no choice but to shoot."

"Yes! Tomorrow is the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference'. It is too late to redeploy. We can only fight against the enemy with our troops and block the water with earth." Xunzhen pondered, "Is there anything unusual in the Xianwang Mansion tonight?"

"Except for the fact that there are more people, everything else is the same as usual. On the surface... Qingfeng didn't suspect us."

"How is Liu Xunyi?"

"Don't worry! Xun Yi is protected by 'our own people', and any movement will not be hidden from our eyes and ears."

"After he knew his life experience..." Xunzhen seemed to be hesitant about what to say.

"After he found out about his past, he was very depressed, but he didn't do anything abnormal, and he didn't arouse the suspicion of Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao." Murong Bai couldn't help showing a bitter look on his face when he mentioned Liu Xunyi. "After all, he personally participated in the siege and killing of his own father. Although he didn't know about it at the time, it was against human ethics after all, and it was human nature that he couldn't accept it for a while."

"Alas!" Xunzhen sighed, his expression changed, and he said seriously, "Forget it! Please go back and tell Palace Master Xie that we have prepared everything. We just need to wait for him to raise his arm and call tomorrow, and all the troops will show up together."

"So good..."

Seeing that Murong Bai was somewhat uneasy, Xunzhen frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong! It's just... there's something I don't know whether I should ask..."

"We are all in the same boat, and the worst thing to do is to be suspicious of each other. Master Qi, there is no need to be hesitant, just speak frankly."

"I want to ask the Gan family in Luzhou..."

Before he could finish his words, Murong Bai suddenly remembered Xie Xuan's warning, so he felt abrupt and swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"What does Master Qi want to ask?"

"Forget it! It's done. There's no point in saying more. It will only make things more unhappy. I was just impulsive just now. I hope Miss Xunzhen won't blame me." Murong Bai's attitude suddenly changed without warning. He completely ignored Xunzhen's surprise and resolutely bowed and said goodbye, "The mansion master is waiting for my news. I'm leaving now!"

"Seventh Master, take care." Xunzhen couldn't help but laugh at the slightly flustered Murong Bai. However, she neither explained nor tried to persuade him to stay, but just watched him leave the room with a half-smile.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Not long after Murong Bai left, there was another knock on the door.

"Who?"

"Xiao Zhirou."

Hearing this, Xunzhen's expression changed quietly, and she personally opened the door to greet him: "I didn't know that Master Xiao was coming. I'm sorry that I didn't come to greet you from afar."

"Miss Xunzhen, you are welcome. I came here... to thank you."

"Thank me?" Xunzhen was stunned for a moment, and quickly let Xiao Zhirou into the room, "Why do you say that, Master Xiao?"

"You've helped Xunyi out of desperate situations time and time again. Shouldn't I thank you?"

After saying that, Xiao Zhirou smiled at Xunzhen who seemed to be deep in thought, and then looked around with interest. When she saw a full bowl of wine on the table, a faint gleam of light flashed in the depths of her eyes.

"It's Murong Bai." Xunzhen seemed to sense Xiao Zhirou's doubts. He took the initiative to explain while pouring tea and water, and then carefully brought it to Xiao Zhirou, "Valley Master Xiao, please have some tea."

"They all say that Miss Xunzhen is smart and clever. Today I see that she is indeed extraordinary. You have already prepared tea and wine before the guests arrive. Knowing who drinks tea and who drinks wine is quite similar to speaking to people in a different way and speaking to ghosts in a different way."

Just a few words of ridicule, but they are very meaningful.

Xunzhen's heart tightened, and her hands holding the teacup trembled slightly, causing ripples in the tea in the cup, just like her mood at the moment.

"Don't worry, girl. If you do a favor to Xunyi, you're doing me a favor. I won't hurt you no matter what."

Xiao Zhirou sat down gracefully and pointed lightly at the round stool next to her, indicating that Xunzhen didn't need to be so reserved.

"Xun Yi is my long-lost son. This matter... I believe Miss Xunzhen has already found out everything." Xiao Zhirou went straight to the point, her tone was calm but every word was heart-piercing, "As the saying goes, 'a drop of water should be repaid with a spring of water'. You have done us a favor, and we should do our best to repay you. However, before accepting your greater favor, I need to ask one thing clearly. At least let us know who has done us a favor? Who has done us a favor? Who has done us a favor? And... who do we owe a debt to?"

"In fact, I had expected that Valley Master Xiao would come to ask me." Seeing that Xiao Zhirou was reluctant to take the tea, Xunzhen put the teacup on the table, lowered his body and sat down with a self-deprecating smile, "However, compared to Valley Master Xiao's love for Liu Xunyi, no matter how smart I am, I am still one step behind. I thought that Valley Master Xiao would come to question me after the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference', but I didn't expect... you to come so quickly."

"No matter what the purpose is, you are always Xunyi's savior, and I will never 'raise an army to hold you accountable'." Xiao Zhirou said lightly, "I don't like to beat around the bush, and I guess you are the same. Just speak frankly! I know you are the Shao Qin Wang's man. What is your intention in nominating Xunyi as the deputy leader of the 'Xilu Wuzong'... I can guess a little. However, I am just an ordinary woman, a mother who cares about her children. I don't know anything about the rise and fall of the world, the great cause of the ages... and so on, and I don't know who is right or wrong. Tonight, I just want to ask you one question, have you... or the Shao Qin Wang ever thought of hurting Xunyi? No matter what happens, no matter what situation you encounter, have you ever thought of... even the slightest thought of hurting him?"

"In the past, he was lurking in the Xianwang Mansion as a secret agent of the imperial court, intending to destroy the cooperation between Shaoqin Wang and Beixian Wang... We did have the idea of ​​killing him." Perhaps he was deeply moved by Xiao Zhirou's love for her son, or was afraid of her status in the martial arts world and her unfathomable martial arts, Xunzhen actually changed his usual cunning in front of her and answered solemnly, "However, from the moment we knew his true background... at least until today, we have never thought of hurting him again."

"What if you have tried your best to help him through his difficulties, but Xunyi refuses to continue cooperating with you?" Xiao Zhirou stared at Xunzhen, who was in a serious mood, and asked aggressively, "What if he not only refuses to cooperate with you, but also turns against you on the grounds of 'national justice'?"

"I... don't know." Faced with Xiao Zhirou's soul-searching questioning, Xunzhen unexpectedly became embarrassed, "I... haven't thought about it..."

"You're lying!" Xiao Zhirou's eyes turned cold. Although her voice was not loud, her tone was unquestionable.

"I did not lie!"

Xunzhen was frightened at first, and then she steeled her heart. She looked back at the icy Xiao Zhirou without fear. She let her heart beat faster and her breathing become more rapid. She still had no intention of retreating, and defended herself righteously: "Master Xiao, we have been racking our brains to save your son, trying every possible way to restore your son's innocence, and helping your son succeed at all costs. You either believe me, or... kill me now!"

They looked at each other without saying a word. The eerie silence lasted for a whole stick of incense.

"Miss Xunzhen, I... believe you will never hurt him."

Finally, Xiao Zhirou's expression relaxed, and the bone-chilling coldness that had gathered around her gradually disappeared without a trace.

She picked up the teacup and took a sip, then once again gave Xunzhen, who was still in shock, an intriguing smile.

He suddenly stood up and walked towards the door without looking back.

Xunzhen, who was already sweating profusely without realizing it, took two steps forward as if possessed by a ghost, and blurted out subconsciously: "Master Xiao, I will definitely put on a 'good show' for you tomorrow!"

As soon as she said this, Xunzhen suddenly felt regretful, but it was too late to undo what had been done. She looked anxiously at Xiao Zhirou's slender and graceful back, and for a moment she was complaining and in a dilemma.

"You have worked so hard for several months, and it is really inhumane to take away your credit now. Miss Xunzhen, I am not here just to thank you or to distinguish between friends and foes. I also want to tell you that I have discussed with Chief Teng and Lord Yun that at tomorrow's 'Extermination of Traitors Conference', Jueqing Valley, Longxiang Mountain, and Xiangxi Teng Clan are willing to fully cooperate with your plan and obey your orders."

"Master Xiao, you guys..." Xunzhen was stunned, as if he couldn't believe it. "You guys... really believe me?"

"Tomorrow, no matter what you do, we won't object." Xiao Zhirou paused the moment she opened the door, her tone becoming complicated and bitter, "I only have one condition, that Xunyi... return to me safely."

After saying this, Xiao Zhirou no longer hesitated and left the Sixi Inn in big strides.

Xunzhen stood there blankly, wanting to say something but hesitant. Xiao Zhirou's almost pleading words echoed in his ears again and again. He suddenly felt a myriad of thoughts and a confused mind, deeply entangled and unable to extricate himself.

……

(End of this chapter)