Chapter 80: Chapter 80: The Distinguished Guest
 

“Not curious.” Qi Yue halted her steps, her icy eyes carrying a hint of warning.

“Whatever you do is none of my business, just don’t interfere with what I intend to do.”

Qu Wei, however, responded with a faint smile.

“Miss Qi, no need to be so fierce. Have you forgotten who I am? Aren’t you afraid I’ll have someone take care of Zhao Xiyan?”

The refined and dignified man gently shook his folding fan, a trace of a smile lingering on his lips. Though he appeared serene, he was concealing a threaten.

Qi Yue’s pupils contracted slightly.

Take care of Zhao Xiyan… He wouldn’t dare!

For a moment, Qi Yue even thought of pulling out her special firewood chopping knife.

But something within her told her that it wasn’t a good idea.

She immediately said with a cold expression, “Supervisor, you should already know that I have no relation with Zhao Xiyan anymore. Using him to threaten me, don’t you think that’s a bit underwhelming?”

“Heh.”

Qu Wei chuckled lightly, swiftly opened his folding fan, and sauntered to the window, shaking his head.

After a while, he finally turned around, his meaning unclear. “Miss Qi, being a supervisor is not only about overseeing that useless body.”

Qi Yue’s heart sank abruptly.

His words were clear enough.

He was telling her that on this land, no one’s thoughts could be hidden from him.

The schemes she had been up to, he was aware of them all, and understood them by heart.

He knew her divorce was to seek out the White Rhino at Longnan Ridge in the Western Regions, and that enlisting Hu Chengxuan’s men was to have them take orders from her.

That was why he had not exposed her identity in front of Hu Chengxuan just moments ago.

Once Hu Chengxuan learned of her identity, he would surely investigate thoroughly, and thus would come to understand her intentions.

Qi Yue took a deep breath.

It had been months since she arrived here, and this was the first time someone had her so firmly in their grip.

“What do you want?”

A confident smile flitted across Qu Wei’s face, “When the time comes, Miss Qi will naturally know.”

Having said that, he snapped his folding fan shut and left the private room with a hearty laugh.

Listening to that brazen laughter fading away, Qi Yue’s heart contracted slightly.

This man was not at all like what he portrayed on the surface—hedonistic and amorous but a different kind of mysterious and dark.

The day was already late. Soon after, Zhang Fang arrived, suggesting they set out early the next morning. Per the Prefectural Magistrate’s arrangement, he came to escort her to the Hu Residence to rest. Qi Yue politely refused and settled down in an inn within the city.

During her stay, she overheard the inn’s guests gossiping about the recent influx of strangers; it seemed as if, overnight, Longnan County Government had been populated with many unfamiliar faces.

Indeed, while eating breakfast on the ground floor of the inn, she noticed quite a few sullen individuals huddled together talking. She even overheard them mention something about a treasure.

“Is there really a National Treasure?”

“It must be real; the top brass mentioned it, right? That the treasure is buried in the Yan Yun sixteen states occupied by the Western Chu…”

“Could it be true, or has it already been excavated by the Western Chu?”

“If it were that easy to dig up, it wouldn’t be the National Treasure.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue was taken aback.

She had no idea how her nominal master had publicized it, but in just a few days, so many people knew about the National Treasure. Moreover, their words seemed credible, not at all like groundless rumors.

What exactly was her nominal master’s connection to the National Treasure, and why did he know so much?

On the other hand, she felt a bit relieved.

With such a grand commotion, surely some would go treasure-hunting, and she believed that the attention of those with ill intentions would be entirely captivated, leaving Zhao Xiyan alone.

They set out early in the morning, and, as expected, Qu Wei appeared within Zhang Fang’s group, though he had brought his own men as well.

No sooner had they left the city gate than Qu Wei drew near to Qi Yue, returning to his usual prodigal and carefree demeanor.

“Doctor Qi, you look very charming in today’s attire.”

Qi Yue did not pay attention to his compliment, instead, she pulled her horse’s reins and walked to one side.

However, Qu Wei did not mind at all and followed along, still talking to himself.

“Doctor Qi’s stature is taller than ordinary women, and she has a masculine and valiant aura. These men’s clothes indeed suit you very well.”

As he spoke, his eyes, full of deep meaning, continuously swept over Qi Yue’s body.

Suddenly, he leaned his head close to Qi Yue, lowered his voice, and chuckled.

“However, no matter how you look at it, Miss Qi Yue is incomparably graceful and peerless. I really don’t know how Zhao Xiyan could bear to write the divorce paper… It’s no wonder he’s called the young War God, even his thoughts are so ruthless. For the sake of standing up on his own, he actually watched you go to your death…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Qi Yue fiercely pulled out a firewood chopping knife from her bosom and chopped towards Qu Wei, but he blocked it with his folding fan.

“Say one more word, and believe it or not, I’ll kill you!”

Qi Yue’s expression was cold and fierce, but she met Qu Wei’s warm, elegant, and yet mockingly playful smile.

“Miss Qi surely can take a joke!”

At that moment, the two men who had been following Qu Wei drew the knives at their waists and pointed them at Qi Yue.

Qu Wei immediately scolded the two men and told them to back off.

“Are you blind as dogs? Doctor Qi is just teasing with me!”

As he said this, he gently pushed with the folding fan in his hand, deflecting Qi Yue’s firewood chopping knife to one side.

Zhang Fang, who was walking ahead, turned back to check, and Qi Yue glared fiercely at Qu Wei before putting away the firewood chopping knife.

Indeed, she had not intended to kill Qu Wei just now, but merely to test him.

She wasn’t that foolish to strike in front of a crowd.

If she were to kill, she would do it without leaving a trace.

“Supervisor Qu, Doctor Qi is an honored guest invited by our master, so I hope you won’t make things difficult for me,” Zhang Fang said, touching the handle of his knife in a very unkind manner.

Qu Wei laughed heartily.

“Of course, on this journey, I still need Doctor Qi’s divine medical skills to relieve me of this headache.”

Although he said that, his tone carried a mocking undertone, clearly not really believing that Qi Yue could cure his headache.

Qi Yue was truly puzzled. Before, when she had exposed Qu Wei’s headache problem, she thought he would turn to her for treatment, but unexpectedly, this guy would rather take the useless relief medicine from Huang Zai’an than come to her.

But if that was the case, why would he follow her all this way?

Could it be simply because he was smitten by her looks?

She didn’t believe it.

After the brief interlude, the group quickened their pace, and it wasn’t long before they left Longnan County Government far behind.

It was early spring, and in the fields along the official road, many farmers had already started to tend to their lands, preparing to plant crops.

As they galloped past, many farmers cast curious glances at them.

Indeed, their group was somewhat conspicuous.

Qu Wei was still dressed in white, leisurely waving a fan, looking every bit the elegant gentleman, whereas his two followers and the fifty men including Zhang Fang, all wore uniform black night clothes with each man on a black warhorse, clearly not ordinary people.

Similarly, Qi Yue was dressed in black men’s clothing, and the horse she had bought from the Military Horse Farm had been changed by Zhang Fang for a very spirited warhorse.

After she fed the horse a bit of Spiritual Spring Water, it became very obedient, ready to charge to the forefront at her slightest command.

Half a day later, they finally arrived at a town, neither too large nor too small. Zhang Fang called for everyone to dismount and rest; the group entered the largest inn in the area, and immediately the Shopkeeper began to stutter out of fear.

“Guest, guests, are you here to stay or to eat?”

Zhang Fang was about to speak when a group of people came in from outside.

These people exuded a strong aura of killing intent and the stench of blood, clearly not to be trifled with.

Although it was still a bit chilly, these men already had both of their arms exposed, creating an unnerving sight.

As soon as they entered, they rudely occupied the other half of the hall’s tables.

The tall leader of the group pulled out the knife at his waist and slammed it onto the table with a “clang,” and bellowed, “What’s with staying at this time of day? Bring all the food, we’re in a hurry to hit the road.”