However, judging from the few words I heard tonight, it seems that Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Zhaohai do not have a close relationship.

Ning Zhishui was worried, but not too much, because even if someone really noticed something, they would only suspect Zuifenglou and Taoran, but there would be no direct evidence.

As long as there is no evidence and Zhang Zhaohai is dead again, then his death is a case of no remedy.

At worst, when I find out something is wrong, I can just have someone send Tao Ran away.

Ning Zhishui was lost in thought when he heard the sound of a search coming from Zhang's residence, as if someone was questioning people on the roadside.

Ning Zhishui frowned. She was from Zuifenglou, so if possible it would be best if she didn't get involved in tonight's events, otherwise it might seem like too much of a coincidence when she looked into it later.

Find a place to hide first.

Ning Zhishui looked around, trying to see if there were any taverns.

"Ning Zhishui?"

A surprised voice suddenly sounded. Ning Zhishui looked up in confusion and saw a person in a small building in front of the left.

He was standing by the window on the second floor, looking out with the window half-open. When he saw me, he raised the cup in his hand. Although the sound was a little far away, it was clear enough.

That’s... Zhong Qiaonan!

Ning Zhishui was shocked.

When did this person see himself?

But then she thought again, after leaving Zhang's house, she turned several corners before getting to this street. Even if he saw her, he would not associate her with the affairs of Zhang's house.

As long as he didn't catch him in the act, Ning Zhishui felt relieved after thinking about it.

"Fellow Daoist Zhong." Ning Zhishui raised his head and clasped his fists.

"I'm having a small gathering with some good friends. Why don't you come up and sit down?" Zhong Qiaonan asked.

"Okay."

Ning Zhishui agreed with a smile.

When he went upstairs, he saw Zhong Qiaonan sitting at the same table with two male cultivators drinking tea. The two men were a little older than him and looked quite wealthy judging by their attire.

"Let me introduce you. This is Fellow Daoist Ning Zhishui, the one who saved my sister Qiao Xi. Zhishui, these two are Brother Chang Qing and Brother Li Kuang, both of whom have been my friends for many years." Zhong Qiaonan said.

Ning Zhishui felt a subtle sense of strangeness in her heart, because they used to be fellow Taoists, but today he suddenly acted familiarly, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

But it was only for that moment. I guess I just said it casually to make it easier to introduce it to my friends.

She didn't show it, but greeted the two people as usual.

"So this is Fellow Daoist Ning. I didn't expect him to be younger than we thought." Chang Qing said.

"Yes, Qiao Nan, you must thank Brother Ning for your sister's matter." Li Kuang also said.

Ning Zhishui smiled and said, "It's just a small favor. I didn't do anything. I just reminded them. They bought the medicine themselves."

"You can't say that. If it weren't for you, my little sister would be in trouble, so I should thank you very much." Zhong Qiaonan raised his glass with a serious expression, "How about we use tea instead of wine to thank you formally."

Ning Zhishui laughed. Seeing him raise his glass, he poured himself a glass. "Okay, then you can't raise it again after this..."

She paused and her expression suddenly changed.

Zhong Qiaonan was about to drink his tea when suddenly a slender white hand blocked the rim of his cup, then snatched the cup away and put it to his nose to smell it.

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhishui's face darkened.

She slammed the two cups of tea on the table and said, "You can't drink the tea. It contains medicine."

Zhong Qiaonan was stunned, shocked and confused.

Ning Zhishui looked at the expressions of the two people opposite him and indeed noticed the panic in their faces. "Fellow Daoists, would you like to explain?"

Zhong Qiaonan realized what had happened, grabbed her arm and shielded her behind him, then asked in a deep voice, "Brother Chang, Brother Li, what do you mean by this?"

The two men looked at each other with very ugly expressions. They probably didn't expect such a turn of events to happen.

"Well, we don't understand what you're talking about." Chang Qing frowned. "Is there something wrong with this tea? I didn't expect this teahouse to fool its customers like this! I have to call them over to get to the bottom of this!"

While speaking, his hand was on his teacup, as if he wanted to secretly pour out the tea.

Li Kuang next to him was even more direct. He stretched out his sleeve and wanted to overturn the cup, but Zhong Qiaonan was one step faster than him and took his cup and handed it to Ning Zhishui.

Ning Zhishui sniffed it and said, "His myrrh."

Zhong Qiaonan couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder you insisted on calling me out tonight. So that's what happened. Why, I didn't even team up with you, so you want to harm me?"

His expression was already dark, filled with suppressed anger.

Ning Zhishui's heart moved, and he suddenly remembered an old story.

In his previous life, Zhong Qiaonan had also mentioned that he had been backstabbed, and said that the first time he suffered a loss was at the hands of two brothers he trusted very much. Those two people had been friends with him for seven or eight years, and it could be said that they had known each other since they were teenagers.

But for the sake of profit, they attacked him.

Although he discovered it early and found a way to escape, it still dealt him a heavy blow.

At that time, Zhong Qiaonan was not as mature and insightful as she is now. At least when it came to people she knew, she still had a naive heart. It was only after that that she learned her lesson and stopped trusting others so easily.

Could it be... this time today?

Zhong Qiaonan didn't explain this matter in detail and just mentioned it briefly, so Ning Zhishui was just suspicious and not sure if it was this time.

"No, Qiao Nan, please listen to our explanation..."

"But you're overthinking it. I've already sold that secret order to someone else. Let alone drugging me, even if you pointed a knife at me, I still wouldn't agree, let alone agree," Zhong Qiaonan said.

When they heard what he said, the two men's faces became extremely ugly.

"How could that be! Who did you give the secret order to?" Li Kuang asked quickly.

This was the meaning of admission. Zhong Qiaonan couldn't help but laugh sarcastically, "Du Lichao."

"You actually sold it to him! Zhong Qiaonan and Du Lichao have always been at odds with us, how could you sell it to him!" The two people opposite were furious.

"What else could they do? They're at least willing to clearly calculate the payment with me. They're willing to pay exactly what I want, and they're even willing to pay more. They're showing their sincerity." Zhong Qiaonan crossed her arms. "What about you? You just want to negotiate a friendship with me, and you want me to hand over the secret order with both hands. Do you think I, Zhong Qiaonan, am a fool?"

Both of them looked unhappy. "We've been friends for so many years, and you don't know how to side with us when you have such a close relationship. You actually side with Du Lichao! Qiao Nan, you forced us to do this!"

"That's right, we didn't plan to do anything to you..."

They still want to quibble.