Furthermore, An Ziyun's room for brewing medicine was right next to the kitchen, and the soundproofing was quite good, achieving absolute secrecy without even realizing it! Even the man in black who had been hiding in the tree for a long time didn't realize that Wang Yan had returned to normal.

After all, given Wang Yan's martial arts skills, he was worried that he might get too close and be discovered... but he didn't expect to be seen through anyway!

Wang Yan didn't react much to this. Instead of answering the man in black, he said something unrelated and confidential.

"There are twelve top-secret bodyguards, each codenamed after one of the twelve zodiac animals. Your lightness skill is quite good, so you should be 'Rooster', right?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the man in black instantly tensed up as if facing a formidable enemy! This was not for any other reason than that Wang Yan had actually answered everything correctly, and their existence and identities were known only to His Majesty. No one else could possibly know so clearly!

He didn't speak, but his tense body and terrified eyes said it all. Although Wang Yan couldn't see him, the solidified aura made it clear to him immediately.

He then slowly stood up, his eyes blindfolded with a white cloth, and precisely "saw" the location of the man in black...

This terrifying perception startled the man in black so much that his palms sweated!

“I am already blind, but given His Majesty’s suspicious nature, how could he possibly believe it so easily? Sending out secret guards to investigate is perfectly normal…”

Throughout the entire ordeal, the man in black never revealed his identity, but Wang Yan had already begun to answer definitively.

"You may leave. His Majesty is so eager to know the answer; your response should put his mind at ease..."

Upon hearing this, "Chicken" was momentarily stunned. He had clearly spotted him, meaning this person's martial arts were superior to his own. Even being blind wouldn't matter much, yet this person was willing to let him go!?

"His Majesty did not truly intend to exterminate the general. Now that it has been confirmed that the general poses no threat, given the general's past merits, His Majesty will surely allow you to enjoy your later years in peace! I admire the general's prowess! Farewell!"

After saying that, the man in black turned and quickly left.

Wang Yan, sitting on the recliner, only slightly moved his fingers; he actually didn't kill him...

After the man in black left, he gently touched his rapidly beating heart. His face, hidden beneath the black mask, was deathly pale. Just moments ago, he had thought Wang Yan was trying to lower his guard so he could kill him in one fell swoop! He never expected that Wang Yan would actually let him go!

Yet the murderous aura emanating from him was so real! It was as if he would be beheaded if he said the wrong thing! He had never felt this kind of fear from anyone else, except... their leader.

Little did he know that if he had said just those last two sentences less, Wang Yan would have killed him the moment he turned to leave!

When he said "You can leave," he was mostly testing the waters, trying to see if the guard really hadn't heard anything! If he had heard something, he certainly wouldn't leave any evidence, even if it would cause unnecessary trouble.

The courtyard returned to its usual quiet, as if nothing had happened, except for a teacup on the table that was missing a coin…

Meanwhile, Qin Qing finally arrived at Huang Zhong's residence. At this time, Huang Zhong should be training troops in the military camp, and only Shaoyao was at home.

The two large characters "Huang Mansion" appeared before her eyes, and she felt a little gratified. She waited for the doorman to open the door before going inside.

By the time everything was finished, it was already afternoon, and the sky was gradually darkening. Qin Qing didn't linger and quickly returned home.

But the man at the gate, whose eyes were covered by a white cloth and who seemed to be waiting for something, made her feel warm.

Seemingly having heard a sound, the man turned his head without hesitation, a smile playing on his lips.

"You're back? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Qin Qing couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this.

Why aren't you sitting inside? What are you doing out here? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?

A subconscious word of comfort left Wang Yan feeling both amused and exasperated, utterly helpless.

"I'm just blind, not physically weak. If I were so prone to illness, why would I bother learning martial arts?"

Qin Qing knew that her words were unreasonable, so she simply ignored his rebuttal and pulled him towards the gate.

The few passersby nearby who saw this couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"What a perfect couple! It's a pity the man is blind!"

Two days later, Qin Qing sent a letter to the academy, entrusting Qin Zifeng with the task of supplying goods to Manyuelou, and leaving the rice shop to Shaoyao. He then drove a carriage with Wang Yan and left the capital...

When the old emperor learned of this, it was already a month later…

After Qin Qing and his companion traveled more than ten kilometers outside the capital, Wang Yan took over driving from the car. Since they were just taking a break, they didn't have a specific destination in mind.

After traveling for five days, the two finally stopped to rest in a small town. This place seemed completely unaffected by the drought, possessing a large lake, and the villagers were very kind and simple.

That day, a woman dressed in coarse cloth was buying steamed buns. She looked to be about thirty years old and had a delicate and beautiful face. Beside her stood a tall man with sharp eyebrows and a cold, serious expression. He stood silently to the side, watching the woman stare at the steamed buns with great excitement.

"Ah Yan, you have to try this! This bun tastes amazing! It's absolutely delicious!"

The woman picked up her chopsticks, took out a small steamed bun, and handed it to the man beside her with a delighted smile on her face. She never expected to find steamed buns in ancient times that tasted exactly like those from the shop downstairs from her house!

The man calmly glanced at the steamed bun she was holding, obediently opened his mouth and took a bite. The aroma of pork filled his mouth, along with a savory and salty taste. The steaming bun was still emitting white smoke, but it wasn't too hot.

"Hmm, not bad."

The woman's face lit up with excitement upon hearing the man's affirmation.

"Boss! Give me another basket!"

The shop owner was a thin old man. Upon hearing this, he immediately called out and brought over another basket, speaking in a very distinctive local accent.

"You two aren't locals, are you? You're both really good-looking, and you have great taste. My steamed buns are famous throughout the village, I guarantee they'll be delicious!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan didn't understand what he meant at all, but Qin Qing smiled and responded.

"You noticed that? But boss, your steamed buns are really delicious!"

The two chatted casually, while Wang Yan remained silent. He was quite knowledgeable, but he couldn't understand the old man's words. On the other hand, Qin Qing had no communication problems at all.

The old man only reluctantly left when he was called away by other guests.

Wang Yan: "..."

Finally, Qin Qing left satisfied with the steamed buns, and the two walked down the street without attracting anyone's attention.

At noon, Qin Qing took out the self-heating hot pot from her space again. Considering that Wang Yan was a big man and the self-heating hot pot was not enough, she specially prepared four!