Chapter 225: Quick reaction, doesn't suffer any loss.

Shen Cong made a statement, not a question!

Nangong Qiang narrowed her eyes, looking Li Nanke up and down with a cold and murderous gaze.

Li Nanke felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively took two steps back.

With her head tilted back and her big, grape-like eyes blinking, she looked completely innocent.

"Your Highness knows I can perform divination, doesn't he?"

Shen Cong stood with his hands behind his back, his narrow eyes glancing at her, a soft snort escaping his lips.

Keep making things up.

Li Nanke chuckled, his gaze falling on Nangong Qiang, revealing his sweetest smile.

"This beautiful and uniquely elegant lady must be a bodyguard by the prince's side, right?"

The coldness in Nangong Qiang's eyes froze instantly, and a look of helplessness flashed across her face.

Feeling lost?

Would the highly skilled Nangong Qiang be at a loss?

Li Nanke was stunned for a moment, then ran over and enthusiastically grabbed Nangong Qiang's hand and shook it.

"The prince said he would help me find a martial arts master, it must be you, beautiful sister, right?"

Li Nanke clasped his hands together, tilted his head and thought for a moment, then felt it was not right and changed it to cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.

He clenched one hand into a small fist, and even placed the other palm diagonally over the fist, awkwardly imitating the manner of a martial arts practitioner to perform a salute.

"Greetings, Master! My name is Li Nanke, and I will be your disciple from now on!"

Before Nangong Qiang could react, he cheerfully grabbed her hand and continued to shake it.

"Master, feel my bones and muscles. Am I a martial arts prodigy?"

Shen Cong leaned against the pillar and chuckled upon hearing this.

"You seem to have some misunderstanding about the word 'prodigy'."

Li Nanke puffed out her cheeks defiantly, ignoring Shen Cong, and looked at Nangong Qiang with anticipation.

Under her intensely hopeful gaze, Nangong Qiang, as if possessed, touched her skeleton.

The voice was cold and direct: "The young lady has a slender frame and lacks strength; she is not a martial arts prodigy."

*Pfft*

Shen Cong let out a brief laugh.

Li Nanke was extremely disappointed, and upon hearing the mocking laughter, he immediately became furious.

She turned around and glared angrily at Chen Cong, then slumped her head in dejection, looking dejected.

Nangong Qiang changed the subject, her voice still cold, and she didn't waste any more words.

"If you can endure hardship, you can choose a light and agile whip as your main weapon, supplemented by small hidden weapons, which will be enough to protect yourself."

Li Nanke suddenly raised his head, his eyes instantly bright and alert.

Her original intention was to have the ability to protect herself so that she wouldn't die immediately in the face of sudden danger.

He nodded excitedly, "I can do it, I can endure hardship, I'm very good at enduring hardship!"

Nangong Qiang looked at Shen Cong.

Shen Cong nodded slightly.

"Her name is Nangong Qiang. She will stay by your side from now on and teach you martial arts."

Li Nanke smiled sweetly.

"Master Nangong, please guide me in the future!"

Nangong Qiang looked down at the little girl who only reached her waist. Her cold eyes flickered, and after a moment of stunned silence, she softly hummed in agreement.

Then he said to Shen Cong, "I will return to the inn to pack my belongings first, and then go..."

She turned to look at Li Nanke.

Li Nanke understood and said with a smile, "I will send someone to wait for Master Nangong at the entrance of the Marquis of Anping's residence."

Nangong Qiang nodded, turned around and left.

Li Nanke turned around and looked around the courtyard, asking Shen Cong curiously.

"Ninth Brother, where is this place?"

Upon hearing the word "Ninth Brother," Shen Cong paused for a moment before straightening up and walking down the steps.

"This place was originally the residence of a corrupt official from the Ministry of Revenue. The corrupt official was exiled after his property was confiscated a few days ago, and the house was vacant."

"Have it tidied up; it'll be perfect for building a school for the princesses to study in."

Li Nanke's heart stirred slightly.

"That corrupt official in the Ministry of Revenue that Ninth Brother mentioned, could his surname be Jiang?"

Shen Cong was slightly taken aback and looked at Er Feng.

The house was found by Erfeng's people.

Erfeng said, "Miss Ke'er guessed correctly, it really is surnamed Jiang. Does Miss Ke'er know him?"

Li Nanke shook his head.

“I don’t know him, but I know he took money from my father to sign in for him, and then framed my father for embezzlement.”

The Jiang family was also Tao's mother's former employer.

Unexpectedly, Shen Cong chose the Jiang family's residence as his academy.

However, this place is not far from the palace, and it is surrounded by the residences of court officials or nobles, so it is quite safe.

She recalled how she had used Shen Cong's name to tell the escorting officials not to bully Miss Jiang.

Judging by the time, the Jiang family should have arrived at their place of exile by now, right?

She told Shen Cong about it, "Ninth Brother, could you send someone to inquire about the Jiang family? If possible, could you ask someone to take care of Miss Jiang a little?"

Shen Cong gave her a deep look and snorted softly.

"At such a young age, you've already got quite a lot to do. You dare to interfere in the exile of prisoners, and you even dare to order me to do the same?"

Li Nanke stuck out his tongue and chuckled.

"I can't just take in Master Nangong for nothing, can I?"

Shen Cong narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Didn't you want to learn martial arts? Did I make a mistake in finding you a master?"

Li Nanke stood with her hands behind her back, tilting her head and smiling at him.

"The fact that Master Nangong's belongings were kept at the inn, rather than at the Prince's mansion, means that she cannot be the Prince's person, at least on the surface, just like Master Huang."

"I knew it! That's why Ninth Brother was so kind; it turns out we each had our own needs."

She wisely refrained from asking why Shen Cong couldn't use these people openly, and Shen Cong didn't answer either.

Shen Cong showed no sign of embarrassment at being exposed; instead, he sneered.

"Since we each have our own needs, I don't owe you anything, so why should I help you investigate the Jiang family? If you're unwilling, I can arrange for Nangong Qiang to do something else."

"No, I want it!"

Li Nanke quickly waved her hand and said with a smile, "Ninth Brother, don't be so heartless. We're all in the same boat now, so we should help each other out."

Shen Cong stood with his hands behind his back, then gently flicked her head.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Li Nanke rubbed his forehead and took a step back in dissatisfaction.

"If I keep getting hit, my wound will swell up even more, and I'll really be disfigured!"

Shen Cong brought his finger to his nose and smelled it, looking disdainful.

He then took something out of his pocket and tossed it to Li Nanke.

"With the ointment you're applying now, even if I don't flick it, it will scab over."

Li Nanke hurriedly caught what he threw at him; it was a small glass jar, about the size of a fist.

Upon opening, a refreshing fragrance wafts out.

It was the ointment that Shen Cong had applied to her yesterday.

Erfeng explained with a grin, "Miss Ke'er, this is a wound medicine prescribed by Mr. Guiliu. It's much better than other wound medicines on the market because it doesn't leave scars."

Li Nanke looked at Shen Cong.

Shen Cong snorted, turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Li Nanke put away the ointment, grinned, cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted loudly at his retreating figure:

"Thank you, Ninth Brother! I knew you were a good person! I'm entrusting the matter of the Jiang family's daughter to you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Cong paused noticeably for a moment, then quickened his pace.

Li Nanke took his leave, and Erfeng quickly caught up with Shen Cong.

Shen Cong had turned around at some point, looking out the door with a complicated expression. After a long while, he finally let out a soft hum.

"Quick reaction, unwilling to suffer any loss!"

It's amazing that they were able to deduce some clues from just one sentence from Nangong Qiang!