252: Chapter 252 The Tea Servant? A Hidden Spy?

Su Changge stood there with his hands behind his back, not responding.

The woman outside the courtyard gate waited for a moment. Seeing no movement, her voice softened a bit further, carrying a hint of a sob.

"Senior? This Servant Girl was truly sent by the Pavilion Master; I wouldn't dare deceive you."

"The Pavilion Master said Senior will be staying for half a month, so you cannot be without someone to serve you."

Su Changge lowered his eyes, suppressing the panic in his heart.

He spoke indifferently. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached outside the courtyard gate.

"Come in."

The sound of a lock being opened came from outside the gate.

The heavy Black Iron Lock opened with a "click."

The courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside, leaving a gap.

A young female Disciple wearing a pink cloth dress, carrying a red-lacquered food box, walked in with her head lowered and small steps.

After entering the courtyard, she immediately closed the gate and relocked it.

She placed the food box on the stone table and knelt before Su Changge with a "thud."

Her head was buried very low; she didn't even have the courage to look up at Su Changge.

"This Servant Girl, Willow, greets Senior."

"The Pavilion Master sent this Servant Girl to attend to Senior's daily life. If Senior has any orders, this Servant Girl will surely carry them out."

Su Changge walked to the stone table and sat down.

His gaze fell upon Willow.

Willow looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing the cloth robes of an Outer Sect Disciple, with a cultivation level at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

The Spiritual Qi around her was unstable, clearly having just achieved a Breakthrough into Foundation Establishment not long ago.

Su Changge tapped his fingertips on the stone table.

He spoke indifferently.

"Rise."

Willow hurriedly scrambled up from the ground.

Still keeping her head lowered, she stood by the stone table, her hands twisting the corner of her clothes, her whole body trembling.

It was obvious she was truly afraid of Su Changge.

Su Changge glanced at the food box on the stone table.

"What is inside?"

Willow quickly opened the lid of the food box.

She took out the dishes one by one.

Four plates of Spiritual Vegetables, a bowl of Spiritual Rice Porridge, and a plate of soft steamed Spiritual Rice Cakes.

They were all soft foods suitable for a Mortal to eat.

Willow set the bowls and chopsticks and said with her head lowered.

"The Pavilion Master said Senior does not like heavy, oily flavors, so he specifically had the Small Kitchen prepare something light."

"Please try them, Senior, and see if they suit your taste. If not, this Servant Girl will immediately have the Small Kitchen change them."

Su Changge was indeed hungry.

He wasn't ceremonious.

He picked up the chopsticks and began to eat slowly and methodically.

Willow stood to the side with her hands down, not even daring to breathe loudly.

As Su Changge ate, his mind was racing.

Li Changfeng sending such a young girl over was certainly not just to serve him.

It was clearly to monitor him.

To see if he had any unusual movements or if he had discovered anything about the Formation.

Su Changge swallowed a mouthful of Spiritual Rice Porridge.

He looked up at Willow.

He spoke indifferently.

"How many years have you been in the Jade Cauldron Pavilion?"

Willow hadn't expected Su Changge to take the initiative to speak to her.

She was startled.

She hurriedly said.

"In response to Senior, this Servant Girl has been in the Pavilion for six years."

"Oh?"

Su Changge raised an eyebrow.

"Reaching the Early Foundation Establishment Stage in six years, your talent is not bad."

Willow's face instantly turned red.

She buried her head even lower.

"Senior overpraises me. This Servant Girl has dull Aptitude; it is only because the resources in the Pavilion are good that I managed to achieve a Breakthrough by chance."

Su Changge gave an "oh."

He took another sip of the porridge.

He spoke seemingly at random.

"Your Pavilion Master said that several Auxiliary Materials for the Teleportation Array are still missing. How is the search going?"

Willow's body instantly froze.

Her hands hanging at her sides suddenly clenched the corners of her clothes.

Her fingertips turned pale from the exertion.

She opened her mouth, but for a long time, no words came out.

Su Changge put down his chopsticks.

He looked up at Willow.

"What? You don't know?"

Willow's legs went weak.

She nearly knelt on the ground.

She shook her head hurriedly.

Her voice was trembling.

"Th-this Servant Girl is only an Outer Sect Disciple and does not know about the Pavilion's major affairs."

"Only the Pavilion Master and the Elders know about the Teleportation Array; this Servant Girl really isn't clear."

Su Changge looked at Willow's trembling form.

The coldness in his eyes deepened.

The suspicion in his heart grew heavier.

If it were truly just about repairing the Teleportation Array, what was there that couldn't be said?

It would be one thing for an Outer Sect Disciple not to know, but why be scared like this?

Su Changge tapped his fingertips on the table.

He spoke again, seemingly casually.

"I see the Disciples in the Pavilion have been flustered lately. Has something happened?"

Willow's face turned even paler.

Her lips were trembling.

She shook her head even more vigorously.

"N-nothing has happened; everything in the Pavilion is fine."

"It is just that the Disciples themselves are not composed and have disturbed Senior's peace. This Servant Girl apologizes to Senior on their behalf."

As she spoke, she was about to kneel again.

Her hand wavered, knocking over the teacup on the stone table.

The warm tea splashed onto the bluestone floor, making a soft "splash" sound.

Shards of porcelain were scattered everywhere.

Willow was so frightened that she burst out crying.

"I am sorry, Senior! This Servant Girl didn't do it on purpose! This Servant Girl deserves to die!"

She squatted on the ground, crying while picking up the porcelain shards.

Her fingertips were cut by the shards, and bright red blood flowed out, but she didn't even notice.

Su Changge watched Willow crying until she was out of breath.

He was now certain in his heart that the Jade Cauldron Pavilion was definitely hiding something major from him.

And it was a life-threateningly major matter.

He spoke indifferently.

"Enough, stop picking them up. Clean it up and leave."

Willow looked up, crying.

Her face was covered in tear stains.

She looked at Su Changge and said timidly.

"Senior doesn't blame this Servant Girl?"

"Mhm."

Su Changge nodded.

"Just bring a new one tomorrow."

Willow hurriedly scrambled up.

She cleaned up the porcelain shards and packed the leftover dishes into the food box.

She curtsied to Su Changge.

"Then this Servant Girl will take her leave. If Senior needs anything, just tap on the courtyard gate and call for me; I will be guarding outside the courtyard."

Su Changge waved his hand.

Willow carried the food box, her head lowered, and ran in small steps to the courtyard gate.

She opened the lock and fled outside.

The courtyard gate closed once more.

The sound of the Black Iron Lock clicking shut reached Su Changge's ears clearly.

Su Changge walked to the gate.

He raised his hand and gently touched the cold courtyard gate.

The vigilance in his heart had reached its peak.

[Even a young girl in her teens is scared like this; what on earth is Li Changfeng hiding?]

Su Changge was just pondering.

The sound of Willow speaking softly to someone came from outside the gate.

"He didn't notice anything; he just asked a couple of questions about the Teleportation Array."

A cold male voice sounded.

"The Pavilion Master said to keep a close eye on him. There are still three days; don't let anything go wrong."

Su Changge's heart skipped a beat.

Three days?

What is in three days?

He raised his hand and pressed it against the cold courtyard gate.

Trying to hear the voices outside clearly.

But the voices outside grew quieter and quieter until they disappeared completely.

Su Changge's hand at his side suddenly clenched.

He looked up at the sun setting in the west.

The panic in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

[Three days? What exactly are they planning to do?]