What is urgent?
It means all other message delivery methods are already too late. Under unavoidable circumstances, direct delivery is adopted, and the message is sent directly.
The “selling flowers” tone shouted from downstairs was precisely the emergency signal listed on the paper Liu Piaopiao gave.
Ordinary people would only shout “selling flowers,” not “selling flower flowers.” This slight difference was the signal. To outsiders, it might merely sound like a cute selling method.
But that thought was still lingering in his mind. They had just parted not long ago. How could she immediately activate a new emergency delivery method? Was she not afraid he had not yet had time to check the contents of the paper?
Despite harbouring doubts, his movements did not stop, nor did he dare delay. After all, it was an emergency signal.
He quickly stood up, opened the door, walked onto the balcony to look down, and saw a flower-selling girl below carrying a flower basket and walking into a place invisible from downstairs. He immediately leaped down.
Inside the room, Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie looked at each other, not knowing what was wrong with their fifteenth brother.
Yu Qing, who had landed on the street below, turned around and shouted to the flower-selling girl who had her back to him, “Miss, I want to buy flowers.”
The flower-selling girl who had been shouting her wares immediately turned around as well. She then quickly walked back, pushing forward the flower basket hanging from her neck and shoulders, displaying all kinds of colourful flowers. “Fifty taels per stem. Very cheap. What kind does the young master want?”
Fifty taels for such a broken flower, and she calls it cheap? Yu Qing inwardly complained. Still, he took out a fifty-tael banknote and handed it over. “Give me the most beautiful one.”
When saying this, he was observing the other party’s reaction, because these words were the corresponding code.
The flower-selling girl’s bright eyes flickered. She could not help but size him up from head to toe. Then she took out the thinnest and smallest flower branch for him. In any case, it definitely could not be considered the most beautiful in the basket. After selling it to the customer, she did not say a single extra word, and walked around him and left.
Yu Qing turned back to watch her briefly, then sprang up and flew back onto the balcony.
Nan and Mu had already stretched their heads out on the balcony looking down. Seeing him come up with flowers, they already felt something was wrong.
For them, as people who came from the mountains, what wild flowers had they not seen? Added to that, their funds were already tight. Most likely, they would not do something like spending so much money on flowers. Poor people did not need this kind of romance. In any case, their fifteenth brother’s behaviour was abnormal.
“What are you buying flowers for?” Nan Zhu still could not help but ask.
Yu Qing ignored him and quickly entered the room.
Nan and Mu looked at each other again, glanced outside once more, then also returned inside and closed the door.
Inside the room, Yu Qing had already peeled open the paper wrapping the flower branch, and saw another folded paper wrapping the flower branch inside. There were clearly characters written on it.
Yu Qing casually threw the flower to Nan Zhu, then unfolded the folded paper to examine it.
Nan Zhu caught the flower, put it before his nose and sniffed. He did not feel any fragrance, but rather felt a real waste of silver. Still, he crowded around Yu Qing together with Mu Aotie to look at the contents of the paper.
This thing, it would have been better not to look at it. One look nearly made their eyeballs pop out. The three brothers’ expressions were instantly chaotic.
The general meaning of the paper’s contents was: the previous meeting had been targeted by the Zhenhai Division. She, Liu Piaopiao, was about to be exposed. She had truly already done her best, making a final effort for time. She had already fled, and told them to flee quickly as well. But she also dared not guarantee everyone could successfully escape. After all, this damned place Haishi was different from other places. If one did not escape the Nether Sea region, it did not count as escaping. If they truly could not escape, everyone should meet at the last location of the previous meeting method.
The contents had no heading, no signature, and no words that would expose identity. But those on this side could tell at a glance what was going on, and could tell at a glance that it was Liu Piaopiao’s urgent warning.
Yu Qing finally understood why Liu Piaopiao, who had just parted with them not long ago, had immediately activated a new emergency contact method.
In any case, the three brothers were all dumbfounded. They were very clear about the consequences of Liu Piaopiao’s exposure. That was not the consequence of an ordinary secret contact being discovered. The matter would trace back to Xiaoyunjian at that time, meaning the four people had joined forces to play tricks on and deceive Qianliu Mountain, Sinan Mansion, and the Daye Division. The consequences could be imagined.
Nan Zhu had already unconsciously crushed the flower in his hand, muttering to himself, “It is over. How could this happen? Can we smoothly hide in Youjiaobu? Can Youjiaobu protect us?”
Yu Qing took a deep breath. “She is also loyal, not forgetting to notify us while fleeing in an emergency. There is no time to waste. Let’s go!” He directly rubbed the paper into fine powder with both hands.
The three hurriedly packed their things. Extra items could not be brought, such as bundles. Carrying bundles would make it obvious to others that they wanted to run. They could only pick some important items to carry close to their bodies.
They did not have many things either. In a few moments, they were packed. They all also put on cloaks. But in the end, they all stopped in front of Xiao Hei. This boy was a problem.
Xiao Hei was still sleeping soundly, his sleeping posture sprawled with all four limbs, a carefree person. Beside him was that big stick which could shrink into a bug, accompanying him.
“Should we bring him to flee?” Mu Aotie asked in a low voice.
After a brief silence, Yu Qing said, “Bringing him is too conspicuous. It would be obvious at a glance that everyone is leaving. On the road of flight, we do not know what dangers we might encounter. Bringing him to flee would also harm him. Let him stay here. The relevant people on this side should already know his identity as someone from Youjiaobu. They will not easily do anything to him. No one will be serious with a child. Previously, through letter correspondence, Da Hei knows this place. Sooner or later, he will come looking for him. Later, we will find an opportunity to send another letter to Da Hei.”
Nan Zhu hmm-ed, “For now, it can only be like this.”
Yu Qing gestured towards the stairs. The three immediately went downstairs and knocked on Hu Youli’s door.
Hu Youli had not rested well these past few days either. Xiao Hei was arrested, the three tenants were imprisoned, and she had also been on tenterhooks for several days. Now she thought everything had passed, and she could finally rest well. But the night was not yet over, and she was awakened again.
She opened the door, a cloak wrapped around her body. The three’s blind sizing-up could not see what she wore inside.
Seeing all three dressed as if going out, she asked from inside the door, “What is it?”
Yu Qing said, “The three of us have matters to attend to and need to go out. Please help us look after Xiao Hei. That boy has a wild nature and likes to run around. Keep a closer eye on him. Whatever he wants to eat or drink, make it for him as you see fit. Later, we will settle accounts with you. We will not short you your money.”
Nan Zhu also nodded generously. In any case, when it came time to settle accounts, it would not be them. That fellow Da Hei still had quite a bit of money on him.
Hu Youli did not think much of it, nor did she think they would run away. After all, they had left a child behind. She only asked, “When will you return?”
Nan Zhu heh-heh-ed, “Not sure. As soon as possible. We will not forget our agreement…”
Yu Qing was afraid that his broken mouth would blabber about writing matters again. He directly waved his hand and pushed him, indicating they should leave.
The three thus quickly departed.
Hu Youli closed the door. When she came out again, she had changed her clothes. She carried a blanket, went upstairs, walked to Xiao Hei’s side, spread it out and sat down. Seeing Xiao Hei’s sleeping posture, she could not help but snicker.
That flower-selling girl, not long after leaving this place, was pulled into a corner by someone and questioned.
The three brothers who had left here shuttled through colourful lights, walking through streets and alleys. Along the way, they discovered that Zhenhai Division personnel were constantly arriving at street junctions to set up checkpoints and inspect. This forced them to try to walk in dark places as much as possible.
They drilled into underground hidden channels, but discovered that Zhenhai Division personnel had also arrived at the junctions of the underground hidden channels to set up checkpoints. This forced them to return to the surface to proceed.
Fortunately, the three of them were not major criminals, nor were they the people the checkpoints were set up to stop. After inspection, they could still pass smoothly.
An atmosphere of inconvenient circulation had already risen throughout Haishi. Complaints sprang up everywhere, but no one had the temper. They were all inquiring from each other what exactly had happened.
When the three brothers arrived at the seaside, they discovered that external passage had already been sealed off. All ferry boats had ceased operations. The seaside could no longer show any merpeople.
After clarifying the situation at the seaside, Yu Qing said nothing further and immediately turned around and left.
Nan and Mu looked at each other and could only follow. Following to a slightly secluded place, Nan Zhu suddenly reached out, grabbed Yu Qing’s arm, and directly pulled him into a secluded corner. He asked in a low voice, “Previously, when that merman was causing trouble, could you not still find the channel? Could it be that leaving now is impossible?”
Yu Qing grabbed his lapel and reminded in a low voice, “If we run, how can she run? Do you want to abandon her and ignore her? She cannot get away now. She has definitely already gone to the agreed meeting place to wait for us. She was implicated by us. If we had not sought her help with matters, she would not have been exposed. In such an emergency situation, she still did not forget to take time to make arrangements and notify us. How could we abandon her? Find her. If we flee, we flee together!”
He pushed Nan Zhu away again and continued striding forward.
Nan and Mu, having understood his intention, said nothing more. They also approved of his reasoning and honestly followed.
On the road ahead, not only were there checkpoints on the ground, but people were also posted on rooftops for vigilance. The underground hidden channels were also manned. Yu Qing could not reach the meeting place via hidden channels. He could only pass through checkpoints and inspections all the way.
After reaching the vicinity of the meeting place on the ground, he suddenly drilled into the underground hidden channel. Because the target location was already close, he soon arrived.
At the destination, there was indeed a person waiting, shrouded in a black cloak. There was no mistake upon meeting. It was indeed Liu Piaopiao.
Yu Qing immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Seeing the situation at the seaside, I knew you would be here.”
But Liu Piaopiao could not relax. There was obvious anxiety on her face. She said urgently in a low voice, “Haishi has been completely sealed off. Only entry is allowed, no exit. Without merpeople ferrying, we cannot escape. This time, we have truly reached the end.”
This place was sealed. She could not escape. Added to that, that big nose was tracking her by scent. She felt she was already doomed. Being caught was only a matter of time.
Yu Qing comforted her, “Do not worry. I have a way to cross the Nether Sea.”
Liu Piaopiao’s eyes instantly widened slightly. First, she was delighted. Then she froze, because she understood something. He had a way to cross the Nether Sea, had already reached the seaside, yet had turned around and come back here. How could she still not understand what it meant?
After a strange gleam flashed in her eyes looking at Yu Qing, she urgently urged again, “Since it is so, then quickly leave this place. The Zhenhai Division should already be about to chase here. Previously, they should have locked onto the scent of our meeting, thus discovering me.”
“This stinking place, they can still discover the scent of our meeting?”
“The Zhenhai Division invited tracking experts from Qianliu Mountain. They should be demon cultivators with extraordinary olfactory abilities.”
Yu Qing suddenly recalled the contents of the urgent message she had previously transmitted. While hurrying together, he suddenly stopped, also grabbing Liu Piaopiao’s arm and pulling her to a halt. “You mean, only your scent was exposed, and not that you yourself have already been exposed?”