581: Lu Xueqi (58)

He carefully observed Bi Yao again. This woman had a delicate and beautiful appearance, with lively eyes. Although her aura was somewhat strange, as if deliberately restrained, there was no obvious evil Qi. Could she be a Disciple of some small cultivation sect, who got along with Junior Sister Lu and traveled with her?

Thinking of this, although Qi Hao still had doubts in his heart, he maintained his composure and cupped his hands, saying, "Miss Bi Yao overpraises me. I, Qi, am undeserving."

The several Qingyun Disciples behind him also looked at each other, all curious about Lu Xueqi traveling with two "outsiders," especially the presence of Bi Yao.

Qi Hao suppressed the doubts in his heart and spoke gently to Lu Xueqi, "Junior Sister Lu, since we met here, why don't we return to the courtyard together? All the Senior Masters are also very concerned about your safety."

His words implied that he wanted Lu Xueqi to leave Su Han and Bi Yao and return to the Qingyun Sect's group.

Lu Xueqi naturally heard the hidden meaning in his words, but she shook her head, "Senior Brother Qi, I appreciate your kindness. I still have important matters to discuss with Fellow Daoist Su and am not convenient to go to the courtyard for now. I will go to pay my respects to the Senior Masters later."

Qi Hao's expression changed slightly. Lu Xueqi actually refused to return to the sect immediately for this Loose Cultivator Su Han?

He couldn't help but look at Su Han again, his gaze now containing more scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible hostility.

What was the origin of this person? How could he make Junior Sister Lu value him so much?

Su Han felt the change in Qi Hao's gaze and smiled bitterly, knowing that the other party had probably misunderstood something.

Bi Yao saw all of this, and the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened, seemingly finding it very interesting.

Qi Hao took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, and forced a smile, "Since that's the case, then I won't force you. Junior Sister Lu, if you need anything, feel free to come to the courtyard to find me."

He then looked at Su Han, his tone carrying a somewhat formal politeness, "Since Fellow Daoist Su has shown kindness to Junior Sister Lu, you are a friend of my Qingyun Sect. If you encounter trouble in Heyang City, you can also report my Qingyun Sect's name."

These words sounded polite, but in reality, they carried a condescending sense of distance, subtly drawing a line.

How could Su Han not hear it? He just smiled faintly, "Thank you, Senior Brother Qi."

Qi Hao nodded and then said to Lu Xueqi, "Junior Sister Lu, then I will return to the courtyard first. All the Senior Masters are still waiting for news."

"Senior Brother Qi, please do," Lu Xueqi nodded slightly.

Qi Hao said no more, and with a belly full of doubts and a hint of displeasure, he turned and led several Disciples away from the inn.

Walking out of the inn's main door, a Disciple couldn't help but whisper, "Senior Brother Qi, how could Senior Sister Lu be with those two people of unknown origin? Especially that woman named Bi Yao, she always feels a bit strange..."

Qi Hao's face was grim. He snorted, "Send someone to keep an eye on their movements, especially that Su Han. As for that Bi Yao... investigate her background."

"Yes!"

...Inside the inn, as Qi Hao and the others left, the atmosphere eased slightly.

Bi Yao sat down again, propping her chin on her hand, and looked at Lu Xueqi with a smile, "Sister Lu, your Senior Brother Qi seems to care about you a lot."

Lu Xueqi gave her a cold glance and didn't reply.

Su Han tried to smooth things over, "Let's eat first, the food will get cold."

The three ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

After Qi Hao's interruption, all three realized that Heyang City was already stirring with undercurrents.

Their combination of three was too conspicuous, and they would probably be targeted by various forces very soon.

After quickly finishing the simple vegetarian meal, Lu Xueqi stood up and said, "I need to go to the courtyard to report the general outline of this trip."

Su Han nodded, "Senior Sister Lu, be careful."

Lu Xueqi glanced at him and Bi Yao, and said, "You two be careful too." After speaking, she turned and left the inn.

Watching Lu Xueqi's departing back, Bi Yao leaned closer to Su Han and whispered, "Hey, your Sister Lu is gone, and it's just the two of us now. What are your plans next? You're not really just going to wait here in this inn, are you?"

Su Han pondered, "Of course not. Tomorrow morning, I plan to go to Shanhai Courtyard to consult ancient books."

Bi Yao was uninterested, "Reading books... how boring. There's a night market in Heyang City tonight, it's very lively. How about I take you to stroll around? Maybe we can hear some interesting news?"

Su Han originally wanted to refuse, but on second thought, what Bi Yao said was not without reason.

What they heard in the inn lobby was ultimately just rumors. The night market, where all sorts of people gathered, might indeed yield some unexpected gains.

Moreover, keeping Bi Yao by his side would prevent her from causing trouble by acting alone.

"Alright, then we'll go take a look," Su Han nodded.

Bi Yao immediately beamed, "That's more like it! Don't worry, follow me, and I guarantee you'll have fun!"

That night, as the streetlights came on.

Heyang City's night market was indeed bustling. All sorts of lanterns illuminated the streets as bright as day, with vendors gathered and tourists like a weaving shuttle.

Bi Yao, like a bird released from its cage, excitedly weaved through the crowd, looking at this, touching that, curious about everything.

Her beauty was already outstanding, coupled with her lively and spirited nature, attracting many passersby to look her way.

Su Han followed behind her, watching her laugh and play like an ordinary young girl, completely different from the usually mischievous Young Miss of the Ghost King Sect. A strange feeling arose in his heart.

"Su Han, come quickly! Is this sugar figure pretty?" Bi Yao held up a butterfly-shaped sugar figure and asked with a smile.

"It's pretty," Su Han smiled.

"Boss, I want this one!" Bi Yao paid the money, licked the sugar figure, and then ran to the next stall selling masks.

"Look at this fox mask, doesn't it look like me?" She picked up an exquisite white fox mask and put it on her face, revealing only a pair of sly eyes, looking at Su Han.

Su Han's heart stirred, and he nodded, "It has some of your charm."

"Then I'll buy this one!" Bi Yao bought the mask with a giggle, but she didn't wear it, instead holding it in her hand and playing with it.

The two walked and looked along the way.

Bi Yao seemed extremely familiar with the night market, leading Su Han through streets and alleys, not only buying some small trinkets but also tasting several authentic Heyang snacks.

Su Han also relaxed, enjoying the long-lost human touch.

As they passed a stall selling antiques and miscellaneous goods, Su Han's gaze was drawn to something in the corner.

It was a palm-sized, bronze-rusted compass, ancient in style, with some blurry runes carved on it, looking utterly unremarkable.

But Su Han felt an extremely faint, yet unusually ancient, fluctuation from it.

This fluctuation had a subtle similarity to the reincarnation mirror fragment he had encountered!

His heart trembled. He squatted down, picked up the compass, and examined it carefully.

The stall owner was a lean middle-aged man. Seeing a customer, he quickly greeted, "Customer, you have good taste! This compass is an ancient artifact from the previous dynasty. It's said to have been used by a certain Feng Shui Great Master, capable of determining Yin and Yang and discerning good and bad fortune!" (End of chapter)