Chapter 994 Uncharacteristically

In the morning, Gu Ri and Gu Yue, who had not slept all night, were invited by Yan Bugui to the inner courtyard to have dinner with Qing Feng and Ling Xiao Xiao. Four maids served them, one of whom was Huan Er, who secretly had feelings for Murong Bai.

During the meal, Gu Ri told everyone about the incident that happened in the dungeon last night and his own concerns.

"Is there anything wrong with Liu Xunyi?"

Qingfeng's reaction was indifferent, and it seemed that he had little interest in what happened last night.

"Dying. Looking... just like always."

"That's good..." Before he finished speaking, Qingfeng suddenly noticed that Ling Xiaoxiao, who was sitting next to him, had her brows furrowed and her mind was heavy. He couldn't help but feel curious and asked, "Xiaoxiao, what's wrong?"

"It's weird!"

Ling Xiaoxiao's reaction was completely different from Qingfeng's. She looked cautious as if she was facing a great enemy. She would be extremely cautious and consider twice about anything related to Xie Xuan, even if it was just a trivial matter.

"Bugui, call Lin Fangda, Xu Heng, Ling Qing, Liao Chuan, and Liao Hai. I want to ask them personally."

"Madam, Luo Qi just told me that he has chosen someone else to take care of the miscellaneous affairs in the palace. Because Xu Heng, Ling Qing, Liao Chuan, and Liao Hai were sent by the palace master to welcome the Three Righteous Gang, Lin Fangda was also on the team." Yan Bugui replied awkwardly, "It is said that they left the Xianwang Palace before dawn."

"What?" Yan Bugui's answer not only surprised Ling Xiaoxiao, but also made Gu Ri and Gu Yue look stunned.

Only Qingfeng was still holding the bowl and chopsticks calmly, eating with gusto.

"Why is Xie Xuan like this?"

"What the Palace Master meant was... the three leaders of the Sanyi Gang are the sworn brothers of the 'Former Palace Master'. Not only are their identities different from other guests, but they have repeatedly helped the Xianwang Mansion overcome difficulties without expecting anything in return. The Xianwang Mansion cannot write off such a great favor just because the 'Former Palace Master' passed away." Facing Ling Xiaoxiao's question, Yan Bugui answered truthfully, "Therefore, he sent Lin Fangda, Xu Heng and others who were familiar with Xue Huzi, Ma Rufeng and Yin Sandao to welcome them hundreds of miles away. One reason is to comply with the etiquette of seniority and the other is to show the Xianwang Mansion's gratitude and repaying kindness."

"Dad, did you hear that?" Ling Xiaoxiao cast an angry look at Qingfeng who was calm and composed, and said in a deep voice, "There must be something wrong when something is out of the ordinary. There must be something wrong with this matter!"

"What's the problem?" Qingfeng looked at the indignant Ling Xiaoxiao with a puzzled look, "What's wrong with Xie Xuan respecting Tianjin's three brothers? What's wrong with him sending people to welcome the Three Righteous Gang? After all, Tianjin is the 'old master' of the Xianwang Mansion. Xue Huzi, Ma Rufeng, and Yin Sandao are Tianjin's brothers. In terms of seniority... they are even higher than Xie Xuan. It is only natural that they receive such courtesy."

"My daughter wasn't talking about the Sanyi Gang, but... the whole thing is too coincidental." Seeing Qingfeng misinterpreting her meaning, Ling Xiaoxiao felt anxious and angry. "Lin Fangda and his men had a conflict with the Wudang disciples last night, and left the Xianwang Mansion in a hurry this morning. It's obvious that they were trying to escape. Don't you think it's suspicious, Dad?"

"You worry too much!" Qingfeng smiled nonchalantly, "In your opinion, Xie Xuan's move is to make big things small and small things disappear. The conflict between Wudang disciples and Xianwang Mansion disciples is getting more and more serious. If Lin Fangda and his men stay in the mansion, they will cause trouble sooner or later. Xie Xuan sent them out to avoid the embarrassment of disciples from both sides living under the same roof and seeing each other all day long. I think... it is also a concession. My daughter doesn't need to be too harsh."

"Really?" Ling Xiaoxiao seemed surprised by Qingfeng's answer, and asked doubtfully, "But I feel that this matter is not that simple. Xie Xuan let the person go without saying a word. Is he... worried that we will find out something?"

"What did you find out?" Qing Feng asked instead of answering, his tone was quite unhappy, "Xiao Xiao, what are you worried about? If Xie Xuan intended to protect Liu Xunyi, he would not have captured him personally. What's more, Liu Xunyi is still in the dungeon, and you can't produce any evidence to prove that Xie Xuan has ill intentions. How can you doubt him based on your own imagination and prejudice? Don't forget that you strongly recommended this 'house lord'. In just one year, do you want to go back on your word in front of the world and destroy yourself?"

"Dad, that's not what I meant. I just..."

"Father knows what you are thinking, and also knows why you are targeting Xie Xuan everywhere." Qingfeng waved his hand impatiently to interrupt Ling Xiaoxiao's explanation, and seeing her aggrieved face, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her, so his expression softened, and he taught her softly with a hint of meaning, "Xiaoxiao, if you want to learn from 'Wu Zetian' to rule the world, you must first learn her mind and foresight. Xie Xuan has never been your 'stumbling block'. On the contrary, he should be your 'stepping stone'. You regard him as your biggest opponent, which is actually a big mistake. This person is smart and capable, experienced and sophisticated, and is indeed a rare 'capable minister' in the Central Plains martial arts world. You must know how to cherish him. Tian Jin was able to rise from an unknown Wudang disciple to a world-renowned martial arts leader. In addition to his own talent and perseverance, Xie Xuan's loyal assistance was also crucial. Otherwise, he would have died in Xiangxi more than 20 years ago, and how could he have become the Northern Sage King who could call the wind and rain later? However, all those with outstanding talents are sharp and you cannot bear a grudge against Xie Xuan because of his sharpness, and you cannot retaliate. As you know, the result of a head-on confrontation will not only fail to achieve yourself, but will hurt both sides. Therefore, you must learn to overcome hardness with softness, try to contact him, tolerate him, and influence him, until he can be used by you. "

"Listening to Dad's words is better than reading for ten years, and it has benefited me a lot." Ling Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, "In fact, I don't hate Xie Xuan, nor do I bear a grudge against him. It's just... this man is hard to tell whether he is loyal or treacherous, and his mind is unpredictable. Sometimes he pretends to be humble, and sometimes he is stubborn and self-willed. It's really hard to control him. And... although he captured Liu Xunyi with his own hands, I don't know why? I still feel uneasy. I always feel... something is wrong."

Hearing this, Qingfeng's eyes flashed, and he asked calmly: "What's wrong?"

"I can't explain it clearly..." Ling Xiaoxiao stammered, "It's just a feeling. Xie Xuan's capture of Liu Xunyi... is like a mysterious dream, with strangeness everywhere. Especially everything that happened in Luzhou, it was so smooth... It's a bit unbelievable. I originally planned to get some information from the Gan family in Luzhou, but in the end I got nothing. This matter also makes me feel uneasy."

"Xiaoxiao, the process is not important, what is important is the result."

"This……"

"You should believe in Xie Xuan's loyalty, and not be suspicious based on your own guesses." Qingfeng advised seriously, "He has just made great contributions to the Xianwang Mansion. You should at least give him a chance to prove himself. If you kill a meritorious official with a 'false' charge, not only Xie Xuan will not be convinced, but heroes all over the world will not be convinced either."

"Why is father so fond of Xie Xuan today?" Ling Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "You were dissatisfied with him in the past..." "In the past, Xie Xuan pretended to obey my orders but actually disobeyed them, so I naturally didn't trust him. But now he has proved his loyalty with facts, what reason do I have to doubt him?" Qingfeng answered seriously, "Since he is the lord of the Xianwang Mansion, you can leave those messy social events to him, and you don't have to worry about everything yourself. Xiaoxiao, you have lost a lot of weight recently, and I am very distressed. Why don't you take this opportunity to recuperate for a while?"

"This……"

"full!"

Before the suspicious Ling Xiaoxiao could speak, Qingfeng had already put down his bowl and chopsticks, slowly stood up, stretched his waist lazily, and smiled nonchalantly: "It's a rare opportunity for all the martial arts sects to gather in Luoyang City. Dad has many old friends waiting to drink tea and reminisce. You can eat slowly while Dad goes to meet them. Remember, don't let your imagination run wild. Dad will support you in everything. You don't have to worry about anything."

After saying that, Qingfeng personally stuffed a bowl of rice porridge on the table into Ling Xiaoxiao's hands, glanced at the four maids with a smile, and then left the room leisurely accompanied by Gu Ri and Gu Yue.

"Dad, what's going on today?" Ling Xiaoxiao stared blankly at the empty doorway, muttering to herself, "Why do I feel... weird?"

"Maybe Leader Qingfeng doesn't want you to work too hard." Yan Bugui was also confused by Ling Xiaoxiao's doubts.

"Dad is so sure of Xie Xuan's loyalty, could it be... that my suspicion of him is really unnecessary?"

……

Leaving the inner courtyard, Gu Ri and Gu Yue, with heavy hearts, followed Qing Feng all the way out of Prince Xian's Mansion.

"Master, I actually think Xie Xuan..."

"There must be something wrong with Xie Xuan." Before the hesitant Gu Ri could express his thoughts, Qing Feng, who had been silent all the way, suddenly spoke, but his stance was completely different from before.

"This……"

Looking at Qingfeng, who seemed like two completely different people, Gu Ri and Gu Yue could not help but look at each other in bewilderment.

"If that's the case, why did the Sect Master just now in front of the young lady..."

"First, Luoyang City is full of undercurrents and dangers. I don't want Xiaoxiao to be too scared. Second, I suspect there is a 'traitor' around Xiaoxiao. Everything we said just now may reach Xie Xuan's ears."

"hiss!"

When Qingfeng said this, both the lonely sun and the lonely moon were shocked and took a deep breath.

"So, the headmaster just deliberately praised Xie Xuan..."

"That's right! I want to use the 'ghost' to make Xie Xuan relax his guard. Only in this way can we see through his true intentions and lure out all the enemies hiding in the dark."

"All...enemies?"

Gu Ri and Gu Yue looked at each other, their brows filled with deep shock.

"How does the master know that there must be a traitor around the young lady?"

"Right now, even I have a hidden traitor around me, not to mention Xiaoxiao?" At this point, Qingfeng's eyes flashed with coldness, and his tone became as gloomy as ice, "They thought I was Luo Tianjin, and they dared to use the same trick on me again. Do they really think I am old and confused? Humph!"

"The master said..."

"No need to ask! I will take you to see someone. When you see him, you will understand everything."

……

(End of this chapter)