The accompanying Nan and Mu also stopped, somewhat puzzled.
Seeing Yu Qing still had the mind to talk about this, Liu Piaopiao grew anxious and tugged at him. “You really are not worried. Do you think it is safe for you to run around now? The reason they are not arresting you is because of your identity. Without proof that you did anything harmful, it is not easy to move against you. Once they discover that the person secretly connected to you is me, they will not even need evidence. Arresting the three of you would become the most urgent matter, especially you. Do you understand?”
Yu Qing ignored her. “Answer my question first.”
Liu Piaopiao was extremely anxious. “What difference is there between this and me being exposed? Once stopped, a single sniff can confirm it. I am not joking with you. Time is pressing. The other party’s sense of smell is no small matter. They could block us at any moment.”
Yu Qing patted the back of her hand that was tugging at him, signalling her not to worry. “I am not joking. Tell me, is it only your scent that has been exposed, and not you yourself?”
Liu Piaopiao faintly sensed he had some scheme, but still said anxiously, “For now, that is the case.”
Yu Qing said, “If they cannot identify your scent, will you be fine returning to the Sea Suppressing Office?”
Liu Piaopiao fell silent. She seemed to grasp his train of thought. After frowning slightly and thinking, relying on her understanding of the internal situation at the Sea Suppressing Office, she slowly replied, “There should not be any problems. The people who currently knew the scent was connected to me have already been silenced by me. Judging from the current arrest situation, it is not a targeted pursuit. Otherwise, the three of you, who are obvious targets, would have found it hard to escape and would probably have been apprehended already.
So it can be confirmed that they have not discovered me.
Of course, even if they cannot confirm the scent is connected to me, returning to the Sea Suppressing Office cannot be said to be completely without trouble. Those who were not present will all be listed as suspects. However, given what happened between us at Little Cloud Room in the past, outsiders would see it as impossible for us to be connected. Added to that, I am from the Third Cave, so it is not easy to suspect me.
Given the current situation of the Third Cave, without solid evidence they will not move against me. Otherwise it would mean targeting the Third Cave Master.”
“Good!” Yu Qing lightly struck his palm with his fist. “How many people can sniff out your scent?”
Nan and Mu exchanged a glance.
Liu Piaopiao raised her eyes and stared into Yu Qing’s eyes. “What are you planning?”
In fact, she had already guessed what Yu Qing was planning.
Yu Qing asked again, “How many?”
Liu Piaopiao was silent for a moment, then replied, “Based on my observations, there should be only one person, a big-nosed man I have never seen. But he definitely has quite a few guards with him.” The fact that she could mention guards proved she had indeed guessed Yu Qing’s idea.
A fierce look appeared in Yu Qing’s eyes. “Then it is even easier to handle!”
Liu Piaopiao grew anxious again. “What kind of joke are you making? Neither of us knows the other party’s strength. If he is an extraordinary expert, added to the many people around him, with our strength trying to move against him under the Sea Suppressing Office’s nose, what difference is there from seeking death? It would be better to flee quickly.”
Yu Qing looked at the drainage ditches on either side, fearing information leakage. He signalled Liu Piaopiao to lean in close, and whispered in her ear for a while.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie also pressed their ears close to listen. It was fine before they listened, but after listening they looked rather speechless.
Liu Piaopiao was greatly shocked after hearing. “Where would I find it in such a short time? Even in normal times when nothing is happening it might not be easy to find, let alone now when movement is restricted. It would be even more impossible to find.”
Yu Qing said, “You cannot find it, but perhaps someone can. You do not need to worry about this matter. I will find a way to resolve it.”
Liu Piaopiao tugged at him again. “What way are you thinking of resolving it? Are you more familiar with Haishi than I am? Even I cannot find it, where would you go to find it? Stop fussing and leave.”
Yu Qing still would not cooperate. “You and I cannot find it, but that does not mean others cannot. Does Haishi not have a local snake among local snakes? He might be more familiar with those nooks and crannies than even the Sea Suppressing Office. Matters in the gutter, he should be more capable of handling them than anyone, right?”
“Qingya?” Liu Piaopiao and Nan Zhu blurted out in unison. Mu Aotie’s lips also moved, but no sound came out.
Yu Qing nodded.
Liu Piaopiao suddenly said in a deep voice, “Are you joking? Once this matter passes through Qingya’s hands, even if it succeeds, Qingya will immediately know who did it. How big a handle would you be placing in the other party’s hands?”
Yu Qing retorted, “Could any handle be worse than the consequences of us fleeing? Compared to Thousand Streams Mountain, Sinan Manor, and the Great Enterprise Office, Qingya is nothing. With a handle falling into Qingya’s hands, I can still go anywhere. Offending those three families would mean being unable to move an inch and living in constant fear. Is it easier to deal with Qingya, or easier to deal with those three families?”
This logic was clear at a hearing, but Liu Piaopiao reminded him, “It is not as simple as you think. What if Qingya reports you?”
Yu Qing said, “I will find a way to handle it.”
Liu Piaopiao asked, “What way could there be to handle it?”
Yu Qing suddenly raised his voice a few degrees. “The most important thing right now is to protect you. As long as you are protected, as long as the matter at Little Cloud Room is not exposed, there is still room to salvage the situation. Then the three of us, even if we have to flee to the ends of the earth, would be much more at ease. Do you understand? Time really is running out. If you keep babbling and tangling things up, that would truly be wasting time.”
Liu Piaopiao fell still. Her bright eyes stared blankly into his. The rims of her eyes on her cold and beautiful face actually turned wet and red.
Mu Aotie suddenly spoke up, “Qingya, I will go find him.”
Yu Qing turned his head and stared at him. “You are tongue-tied. You cannot persuade him.”
Mu Aotie immediately fell silent and lowered his head, tantamount to admitting he was tongue-tied. He also realised that at this time, not being articulate could indeed mean failing to handle matters properly.
Nan Zhu also spoke up, “Then I will go.”
The reason both were willing to do this was because they knew that if it were exposed and reported, they could take the blame themselves.
Yu Qing directly said with contempt, “Without my Tanhualang identity, what do you think the three of us amount to? You go? On what basis would he help you, on the basis that you have more flesh?”
Regarding the Tanhualang identity, although he had always been reluctant about it, he had to admit that sometimes it was indeed quite useful.
Just as Liu Piaopiao said, if not for concern about his identity, would the Sea Suppressing Office still need to talk about evidence? They would have arrested him directly. What would happen afterwards could naturally be imagined. Torture and interrogation would probably be unavoidable.
After finishing speaking, he added, “Only me going is most suitable.”
Regarding this, Nan Zhu, Mu Aotie, and Liu Piaopiao all had to admit that this was indeed the case.
But Liu Piaopiao still said with red-rimmed eyes, “You going may not necessarily succeed either.”
Yu Qing said, “Try first. If it does not work, fleeing will not be too late. In any case, we must try first no matter what. First strive to turn a big matter into a small one, then consider turning a small matter into nothing.”
At this point, the other three could say nothing more. As long as they thought rationally, this was indeed the best choice currently.
Yu Qing briefly discussed the next meeting method with the three, then urgently left.
There really was no time for further chatter. A black cloak disappeared alone into the dim water channel where sparse light penetrated.
“If it were the current Old Fifteen going to the capital to take the imperial examination, he probably would not have carelessly run away causing chaos and abandoning everything.”
Nan Zhu suddenly muttered with emotion. Mu Aotie nodded slightly.
At this moment, the two fellow disciples suddenly both felt the change in Yu Qing. Compared to his behaviour when he first left the mountain, he seemed to handle matters with more style, or rather, more maturity.
The two could also understand. Constantly running into these deadly matters, not finding ways to deal with them was impossible.
Actually, all three fellow disciples had changes in them, but they could not see it themselves.
“Go!” Liu Piaopiao called out, leading the two to quickly depart.
They had to leave. With that person with the sensitive sense of smell tracking them, they could not stay in one place for long.
Before Yu Qing left, he had essentially entrusted his two senior brothers to her guidance, also knowing she was more familiar with Haishi’s terrain. That she could run to the destination to meet under various searches and arrests was imaginable.
At Jinghong Hall, in a pavilion, a maid brought a box of peanuts, placed it on the table, and withdrew.
Qingya stood up and replenished the peanuts from the box into his pocket.
Just then, his trusted subordinate Pang Chengqiu arrived quickly and said in a low voice beside him, “Master Qing, I have found out. The reason outside is chaotic is because a traitor appeared within the Sea Suppressing Office, killing two Sea Suppressing Office personnel.”
“Oh!” Qingya put down the box, clearly becoming interested. “Who is the traitor?”
Pang Chengqiu said, “Do not know. The person who revealed the news does not know either. This turmoil seems to be for the purpose of rooting out the traitor. Our informants revealed that the Sea Suppressing Office personnel watching that Tanhualang have all been urgently recalled. Even Sea Suppressing Office personnel who were at home on leave have also been urgently recalled.”
Qingya peeled a peanut, tossed the kernel into his mouth, and said puzzled, “Why would a traitor kill their own people for no reason? Did something happen within the Sea Suppressing Office?”
Pang Chengqiu said, “Asked several people within the Sea Suppressing Office. None know exactly what is going on. This matter probably needs someone of higher rank to be clear. It seems to be something led by Zhu Xuan’s faction. Presumably Qi Duolai definitely knows. Should you ask him?”
Qingya thought for a moment and shook his head slightly. “Issuing orders to reach the Sea Clan, directly sealing off the entire Haishi, this is something only the Commander authority in Zhu Xuan’s hands can accomplish. The Sea Suppressing Office is in an uproar now. It is not appropriate for me to run and find Qi Duolai now. He probably does not have the free time either. Forget it, wait and see. Anyway, it does not concern us.”
“That is true too.” Pang Chengqiu nodded in agreement.
Footsteps came from the corridor. A male servant hurried over and reported, “Master Qing, there is someone outside claiming to be ‘Yu Qing’ looking for you. It is that guest who was entertained when Young Master Wang had the incident.”
“Yu Qing?” Qingya was slightly startled. Was that not A Shiheng? He was somewhat doubtful. “Are you sure it is him?”
The male servant said, “No mistake. When the incident happened, this small one was also watching the excitement from the side and saw clearly. That little moustache plus ponytail, there is no mistake. It is definitely him.”
Qingya immediately found it strange. “Did he say what he wants me for?”
The male servant said, “He did not say. He came and did not ask whether you were here. He directly called your name and said he was looking for you.”
Qingya looked at Pang Chengqiu and could not help muttering, “Unable to swallow that anger, came to settle accounts with me?”
Pang Chengqiu was disdainful. Added to that, he did not know Yu Qing’s true identity. “What is there to fear? In Haishi, as long as it is not Thousand Streams Mountain, we fear no one.”
Qingya peeled another peanut and chewed. “It is not fear. When the incident happened before, you also saw. This kind of person likes to play dirty. He nearly caused us to fall into a pit together. Who knows what he wants to do by coming here.”
Pang Chengqiu was somewhat speechless. He really wanted to say, with you being so careful, what is it if not fear?
However, he could not say it outright, so he could only ask the male servant, “How many people came?”