Chapter 65
Pei Chunzheng .
It was Pei Chunzheng .
How could he be here?
Qiao Wan turned her gaze backwards.
Behind the young man, she also saw several cultivators, both male and female.
Wearing a light blue robe and with a gentle smile, that was Mu Xiaoxiao .
Dressed in red with a handsome appearance and long black hair that reached his ankles, that was Feng Wangyan .
And then, there was a baby-faced young man with impatience written all over his face, that was Xiao Boyang .
Four people, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air from a thousand miles away in Kunshan, stood vividly in front of her.
Qiao Wan paused.
Pei Chunzheng held a wooden box in his hands, and he looked at her expressionlessly, his gaze coldly shifting away from her and onto the open box.
She had taken the Face Changing Pill, and he didn't recognize her.
As soon as his gaze touched the butterfly jade button inside the box, the young man shuddered all over, his eyes seeming as if they had been pricked.
He raised his head again, staring intensely at Qiao Wan .
For a split moment, he thought he saw, saw Qiao Wan .
But when his gaze fell upon the maid in front of him, he saw an ordinary face, and the young man's eyes displayed a momentary confusion.
The same.
The same attire and appearance.
But the face was different, the eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth, all plain and lacking resemblance.
On the other hand, Mu Xiaoxiao behind them, thinking that Qiao Wan had been scared, kindly asked, "Are you alright?"
Qiao Wan looked up, glanced at Mu Xiaoxiao , shook her head, and picked up the wooden box, turning to leave.
Leaving behind four people standing in place.
Mu Xiaoxiao watched Qiao Wan walk away, blinked her eyes, and called out, "Hey, wait..."
Qiao Wan didn't stop.
Mu Xiaoxiao involuntarily glanced at Pei Chunzheng .
The young man, wearing black boots and carrying a sword, silently watched the maid's departing figure.
His heart felt as if it had been stirred by a strong hand, his breath hitched, and when he finally reacted,
Qiao Wan was long gone.
Since the Lantern Festival, he hadn't had much contact with her, until... when Xiaoxiao came back.
And then she jumped down from Taixu Peak.
On Taixu Peak, he saw her for the last time.
The maid's departing figure resembled someone.
But it wasn't Qiao Wan .
Pei Chunzheng paused, sensing Mu Xiaoxiao's concerned gaze. After seeing the delicate figure wrapped in a blue dress, he suddenly understood.
The maid's departing figure just now looked a lot like Xiaoxiao .
Pei Chunzheng pursed his lips, his gaze heavy.
As for Qiao Wan .
He couldn't remember.
He couldn't remember what her true figure looked like. Like a blurry shadow, he couldn't distinguish or recognize her.
The young man's gaze slowly regained its clarity, and his whole body felt as cold as being enveloped in snow and wind.
Just now, the little maid hurried away and Mu Xiaoxiao blinked her eyes in surprise, "Is something urgent?"
Feng Wangyan, who was already impatient, glanced at the girl looking curiously at the maid's departing figure with a charming expression. He lightly smiled and reached out to stroke the girl's dark, soft hair. "If you're so curious, why don't you call her back and ask?"
Feeling the hot sensation on her head, Mu Xiaoxiao blushed and waved her hand, "Never mind, it's too much trouble."
*
After circling around, when Qiao Wan returned to Yunxiu Yard, even Ru Jing noticed the change in her expression.
"What's wrong? You seemed fine when you left earlier. Why does your face look so bad now?"
Ru Jing looked at Qiao Wan with confusion.
Didn't you have a blushing face just before?
"What happened? Did someone bully you?" Ru Jing asked, "If someone bullies you, just go find the master. You are from the master's yard, who can bully you?"
Qiao Wan replied, "No one bullied me."
Ru Jing pointed here and there, "Then what's going on?"
Just then, Cen Qingyou happened to return to Yunxiu Yard and immediately noticed the two people squatting on the porch.
"What's happening?"
Ru Jing straightened his clothes, bowed, and pointed at Qiao Wan, "Master, look at Xin Yi's face."
Cen Qingyou lowered his gaze, "Has something happened?"
Qiao Wan shook her head, "Nothing."
With a quick glance, her gaze casually fell on the hem of Cen Qingyou's robe.
Qiao Wan suddenly froze.
It was blood.
Cen Qingyou stood there, his white robe stained with a dark red color, which looked very striking.
Noticing Qiao Wan's gaze, Cen Qingyou also paused for a moment.
Ru Jing was the first to exclaim, "Master! You have blood on your sleeve!"
Cen Qingyou shook his sleeve, "This blood stained my sleeve when I was exterminating demons in the morning, it's nothing."
He then showed a hint of confusion on his face, "I don't know what's been happening recently, the demonic atmosphere has been rampant, with demons causing trouble in Qizawa Province every day."
"The demonic atmosphere is not a big deal, with Cen family protecting Qizawa Province, but as for the Lin family," Cen Qingyou said in a low voice, his expression not looking good, "I'm a bit worried."
Cen Qingyou went into the house to change his clothes, and Qiao Wan turned to ask Ru Jing, "The Lin family?"
After all, she was also a member of Yunxiu Yard. Ru Jing looked at Qiao Wan's bewildered expression and pulled her to sit down again in the corridor. He began to explain the history of the Cen family to Qiao Wan.
"You just arrived at the Cen family, so you're not familiar with it."
"The Lin family that the master mentioned is located north of Qizawa Province. They are our Cen family's archenemies."
It is said that the Cen and Lin families became enemies during a great battle between the demonic realm and the cultivation world.
The two families used to have a good relationship and fought side by side as allies in that battle, but they suddenly fell out during the "Fufeng Valley" incident.
The Cen family blamed the Lin family for being cowardly and not sending reinforcements, which led to the death of 36 Cen family members in Fufeng Valley. Only Cen Xiangnan remains from the Cen family, while the Lin family accuses the Cen family of colluding with the demonic realm.
The events of the past are unclear, but the two families hold a long-standing feud. Every few years, they always end up fighting each other.
Ru Jing sighed and said, "With the Cen family protecting us, the monsters in Qizawa Province wouldn't dare to cause trouble. But recently, they have started to harm people. Our Second Young Master has to go out every morning to eliminate the monsters and doesn't return until sunset."
Qiao Wan felt a pain in her knee and suddenly saw a face of a badger in front of her. She seemed to understand what was going on with these monsters...
Ru Jing replied, "That's not a problem, he can just make a few more trips. But I'm worried that the Lin family might not stay quiet."
Thinking back to Cen Qingyou's gentle appearance and the fierceness on his sleeve, Qiao Wan's mouth twitched and she asked, "Isn't the Second Young Master a monk?"
Ru Jing rolled his eyes and replied, "He is a disciple of Venerable One Miaofa, how can he be the same?"
"Compared to Venerable One, our young master already has a good temperament."
Qiao Wan silently sighed in her heart:... This is truly the ferocity passed down through generations of the sect.
While Qiao Wan and Ru Jing chatted, the young man changed into a clean robe and stepped out of the door.
Just as Cen Qingyou stepped out, he happened to see Xin Yi sitting with Ru Jing. Remembering Qiao Wan's dark expression just now, he thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Xin Yi, accompany me to Cold Mountain Yard."
The girl's eyes immediately brightened.
Cen Qingyou: ...
Although he had figured it out after being pointed out, he felt a bit defeated when he saw Qiao Wan's sudden change in expression. He wondered where this sudden affection for "Xin Yi" came from.
When Qiao Wan and Cen Qingyou arrived at Cold Mountain Yard, they saw Mu Fang waiting outside. Faint conversation could be heard coming from the main house.
Cen Qingyou stepped forward and asked, "Is mother entertaining guests?"
Mu Fang bowed and replied, "Distinguished guests from Kunshan have arrived."
Cen Qingyou kindly asked, "Did it disturb mother? If it did, Xin Yi and I can come another day."
Cen Qingyou's voice was not loud, but it was heard clearly by the people inside the house.
Soon, Mrs. Cen's gentle voice came, "Is it the Second Young Master? Come in and talk."
Cen Qingyou didn't forget the presence of Qiao Wan who was following him and turned back, "Xin Yi, come with me."
Qiao Wan remained silent for a while, then gathered her thoughts and followed behind.
Well, whatever.
The world is so big, and it's inevitable for foes to meet. Even if she encounters Pei Chunzheng and Mu Xiaoxiao, they shouldn't recognize her now that she has taken the Face Changing Pill.
As she entered the inner room, Qiao Wan looked up and glanced around. Xiao Boyang and the others were sitting in chairs. Mrs. Cen was sitting at the head, with beautiful hair and a gentle appearance.
Qiao Wan wore a light yellow robe today, with a dark green cloak draped over her arm. She wore a loose golden bracelet on her snow-white wrist, which caught everyone's attention.
Qiao Wan followed Cen Qingyou into the room and silently stood aside, like a decoration.
Pei Chunzheng glanced at her and looked away.
Xiao Boyang also glanced at her, clearly recognizing her as the disrespectful servant girl from before.
But they were guests at the Cen's house, seeking help from Mrs. Cen. It wasn't right to criticize someone else's servant girl as soon as they entered.
Therefore, when Mu Xiaoxiao and the others turned their heads and saw Cen Qingyou and Qiao Wan, they recognized her and didn't say anything.
Just a servant girl wasn't worth their attention.
Seeing that Xiao Boyang and the others indeed didn't care about her, Qiao Wan relaxed her body and listened calmly as Pei Chunzheng and the others, led by Mrs. Cen, negotiated.
According to what Pei Chunzheng said, they came to seek medical help and asked Mrs. Cen to cure Mu Xiaoxiao's illness.
Mu Xiaoxiao's illness, with the "chill and heat poison," was caused by Qiao Wan's actions.
Originally, Gao Lanzhi and Taoist Qingya had agreed to help cure Mu Xiaoxiao's illness, but when Pei Chunzheng and the others arrived, something went wrong.
Taoist Qingya left a letter and disappeared, leaving two young disciples to guard the cave.
When Mu Xiaoxiao and the others rushed over, they were dumbfounded.
In the letter, Taoist Qingya expressed deep apologies, stating that she had personal matters to attend to and couldn't come, but she pointed out a path for them to seek help from her friend, Mrs. Cen.
There was no other choice; since they had come, they could only follow what Taoist Qingya had written and present their letter of greeting to the Cen family.
"That's the situation."
After all, they were seeking help, so Pei Chunzheng stood up, lowered his gaze, and bowed, temporarily putting aside his arrogance. "I heard that Mrs. Cen's 'suspended silk spirit needle' can ward off evil and toxins. I humbly request your assistance."
After listening, Mrs. Cen looked at the patient present - Mu Xiaoxiao.
Mu Xiaoxiao also hurriedly stood up, slightly embarrassed, and tugged on her skirt. "Xiaoxiao humbly asks for your help."
"I see," smiled Mrs. Cen gently.
As she smiled, she suddenly sighed and coughed twice.
"But I haven't used the spirit needle in a long time."
"It's not that I don't want to use it, but I can't treat myself," her face pale, but her eyes still bright, Mrs. Cen explained softly, "My body can no longer handle using the spirit needle."
Pei Chunzheng and Mu Xiaoxiao were both stunned.
Hearing such important news unexpectedly, Qiao Wan was also frozen on the spot.
Unable to use... the spirit needle?
The handsome young man in red clothes frowned upon hearing this, his face turning cold. "What do you mean by that, Mrs. Cen?"
Mrs. Cen glanced at the fiery figure in front of her and wasn't angry. She calmly said, "In recent years, my health has deteriorated, and I can no longer use the spirit needle."
Later, Mrs. Cen smiled and said, "Miss Mu, stay here and let me take a look. Maybe we won't need the magical needle for this poison."
While Mrs. Cen was busy taking care of Mu Xiaoxiao's illness, there wasn't enough space in the room for so many people.
As a result, Qiao Wan was kicked out by Cen Qingyou and went to find Mu Fang.
Qiao Wan sat at the door, watching the distant courtyard, and she spoke to Mu Fang without much purpose.
Thinking about what Mrs. Cen had just said, Qiao Wan felt heavy-hearted and couldn't understand why the magical needle couldn't be used anymore.
After hesitating for a while, Qiao Wan decided to ask Mu Fang.
"I overheard Mrs. Cen saying earlier that she couldn't use the magical needle anymore. Mu Sister, do you know why?"
Mu Fang looked suspicious, "Why are you asking this?"
Qiao Wan shook her head, "I only heard that Mrs. Cen's 'Suspension Silk Needle' is unparalleled in the world."
Mu Fang turned her head and looked at the main house with concern, "Mrs. Cen has always had poor health. It all started when we were in a conflict with the Lin family. In the past few years, she was able to rely on the Nourishing Bead to sustain her health. But after the Nourishing Bead was lost a few years ago, her health started to decline."
"What is the Nourishing Bead?" Qiao Wan frowned.
"The Nourishing Bead is a treasure and it was given to Mrs. Cen as part of her dowry. When she carries it with her, it can nourish her energy and warm her body," Mu Fang explained.
Qiao Wan raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't a precious item like that be kept safe? How did it get lost?"
Mu Fang didn't hide anything, "Mrs. Cen always wore the Nourishing Bead with her, but one day it suddenly disappeared. We searched high and low the next day but couldn't find it. The family guards didn't react either, and there were no signs of intrusion."
No signs of intrusion, and the family's protective formation didn't respond...
"So, we suspected there might be a traitor among us," Qiao Wan said.
Mu Fang lowered her voice, "Indeed, we also thought so, but we have been investigating for a long time and found nothing."
"Most importantly, since the Nourishing Bead is gone, it's pointless to bring it up now."
Qiao Wan had something she wanted to say to Mrs. Cen.
Mu Fang understood Qiao Wan's unspoken words and said, "Without the Nourishing Bead, Mrs. Cen will at most be able to survive..."
Mu Fang hesitated for a moment, then gestured with her fingers.
Three to five years.
"That's why they didn't let you stay in Cold Mountain Yard to take care of her. They were afraid it would delay you."
In the room.
This was the umpteenth time he had looked outside.
Pei Chunzheng glanced sideways.
Clearly... Clearly, there were no similarities.
Mrs. Cen's voice echoed in his ears but remained blurry and incomprehensible.
Whenever he saw this maid, he felt restless and uneasy.
It was as if this maid was hiding something, and he had to find out.
But he couldn't find it.
This discomfort he felt was all because of Qiao Wan. Qiao Wan was like a thorn in his side, he couldn't shake her off or get rid of her. She was always there, but he could never find her. He wanted to get rid of her, but he didn't know how.
Pei Chunzheng clenched his fists and gritted his teeth tightly.
He couldn't find her.
Just like when they searched for Qiao Wan, they searched all around Taixu Peak with their eyes turning red, but couldn't find her.
"Pei Xiaolang?" Mrs. Cen's voice brought Pei Chunzheng's thoughts back.
Realizing he was lost in thought, Pei Chunzheng released his grip like waking from a dream, expressionless, and in a low voice he said, "Sorry."
*
"If we can find the Nourishing Bead..." Qiao Wan asked, "Will it be useful?"
Mu Fang replied, "It's a divine artifact, so of course it will be useful."
"What about the head of the family?" Qiao Wan pressed, "What does the head of the family say?"
Even though she had been at the Cen Estate for a long time, she had never seen Cen Xiangnan's figure.
Mu Fang also gazed towards the courtyard.
In the distance, a simple and elegant courtyard stood amidst a grove of black persimmon trees.
"The relationship between the head of the family and his wife is not very good," Mu Fang whispered, "In recent days, there has been an outbreak of evil spirits in Qizawa Province. The head of the family has been extremely busy, worried that the Lin family might take advantage of the situation."
Qiao Wan made a sound of understanding and was about to ask another question when she suddenly saw Cen Qingyou stepping out of the threshold and calling out towards the corridor below, "Xin Yi."
Qiao Wan patted off the dust on her body, thanked Mu Fang, and followed upstairs. She walked out of Cold Mountain Yard together with Cen Qingyou.
Unexpectedly, Cen Qingyou returned to fetch something and left again. Before leaving, he took Ru Jing along, leaving Qiao Wan all alone in Yunxiu Yard until evening.
At this moment, the whole Yunxiu Yard revealed the frustrating fact that it only had two servants.
As the only living person in Yunxiu Yard, Qiao Wan couldn't leave. She could only guard the main house and wait for Cen Qingyou and Ru Jing to return.
She waited for a long time until finally, there was some commotion outside the courtyard.
Qiao Wan quickly grabbed the lantern on the table and stepped on the stairs to greet them.
But halfway down, her footsteps abruptly stopped.
Qiao Wan, holding the lantern, looked ahead.
A pair of black boots stepped onto the stairs. The person raised their radiant face and looked at Qiao Wan holding the lantern on the stairs.
The person was indeed a young man.
However, he was a young man with a dark red sachet hanging from his waist and a slender yet powerful waist.
The young man's gaze was deep, and the lantern's glow fell into his eyes, reflecting a faint light.
