Chapter 5 Standoff Suddenly, a young, golden face appeared before them...

The young man in brocade robes stopped at the temple entrance, and attendants immediately came forward to greet him. With a nimble movement, the young man dismounted, his arrogant gaze naturally landing on the crowd on the steps.

The richly dressed middle-aged man, addressed as Lord Liu, had already rushed down the steps to greet him, but seeing that the Li Yue people on the steps were not moving, he frowned and shook his head slightly. He turned to Qin Yuqi and whispered, "Young master, don't be angry. Barbarians are indeed barbarians. They don't even have the courtesy of coming down the steps to greet guests."

Qin Yuqi's gaze lingered for a moment. He saw the person standing on the steps, who was clearly the wild girl from the riverbank earlier. It wasn't just her unusual color, but also the "gift" she had given him that he would never forget.

"It's you." Qin Yuqi almost gritted his teeth. The anger that had just subsided quickly gathered in his chest again, and it looked like it was about to explode.

A hand suddenly tapped lightly on the back of his neck.

Surprisingly, the anger that had been building up suddenly dissipated.

A middle-aged man dressed in coarse linen clothes and leaning on a cane stepped down from the carriage, patted him on the shoulder reassuringly, and then slowly walked up the steps to greet him.

"My name is Jia Qianyang, a native of Cangwu. I am traveling with my young master and we are fortunate to have come to your esteemed place. I hope that the clan chief and the priest will not despise us." The middle-aged man in coarse clothes handed over some talismans and beckoned the young man in brocade robes to come over.

Qin Yuqi, like a puppet stripped of its emotions, bowed politely and said, "This humble one is Qin Yuqi of Cangwu, greetings to all of you."

He regained his calm and dignified demeanor, but his gaze lingered for a moment when he saw the girl beside the priest.

Xiao Jiang's attention was completely drawn to the middle-aged man with a cane. Although his hair and beard were as gray as an old man's, his face was without a single wrinkle, and his skin was smooth and delicate. However, his complexion was not good, with a sallow yellowish-gray hue and little vitality.

He doesn't look very healthy.

Xiao Jiang was still lost in thought when a question abruptly brought him back to reality.

"Yu'er, were these the people who hit you just now?"

Jiang Liuyun completely ignored the greetings from Jia Qianyang and his group, and only bent down to ask his daughter beside him.

The clan chief, who was exchanging pleasantries with someone nearby, coughed awkwardly a few times, trying to get him to come over and greet him quickly.

But Jiang Liuyun ignored her and instead bent down and squatted beside his daughter, encouraging her with gentle yet firm eyes, "Don't be afraid, tell Daddy."

Xiao Jiang suddenly felt a long-forgotten sense of grievance. She remembered a time when Wu Hu and his gang chased her into the mountains, where she wandered all night before finally emerging. When she finally returned home, she found the house empty. She silently tidied herself up, and by the time her father returned, she had returned to normal. No one knew that she had been missing for a night.

It turns out she has someone backing her up.

Xiao Jiang felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.

Jiang Liuyun wiped his daughter's eyes, looking at those eyes that so closely resembled his wife's, and felt a pang of guilt. He had devoted all his energy to the temple these past years, neglecting her in many ways.

“It’s him,” Xiao Jiang said, pointing at Qin Yuqi.

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of people who had been exchanging pleasantries fell silent.

Xiao Jiang continued to point out, "And him, he whipped my fish to pieces." The servant was standing in the crowd below the steps, his eyes darting around, not daring to meet her gaze, as if he could get away with it that way.

Qin Yuqi felt he should be furious, since she was clearly the one who was in the wrong. Yes, his guard had acted impulsively, but looking at what she had done, he would be disgusted by the sight of fish for the rest of his life. But his anger seemed to be sealed away, swirling within him, unable to find an outlet. Qin Yuqi felt utterly uncomfortable, but his face remained expressionless. Finally, he uttered only one sentence, "That's not how it is."

"that is."

"no."

"You hit someone and you're too ashamed to admit it!"

"I didn't hit him."

"It was your man who did it, and you didn't stop him, so he tacitly approved of it."

"no."

The two argued back and forth, neither able to win an argument. Xiao Jiang was already very angry. In the past, when she fought with the children in the village, even though she wasn't good with words, her opponents weren't sharp-tongued either. But this boy from outside could calmly spout lies, making her the one who was extremely agitated. She desperately suppressed the urge to rush up and beat him up, while inwardly thinking how shameless he was.

The angrier Xiao Jiang got, the redder her face became, and her body began to rise to an abnormally high temperature.

Seeing this, Jiang Liuyun immediately pulled her behind him to prevent her from losing control. His large robe completely concealed Xiao Jiang, and he greeted the guests outside with a gentle smile, saying, "I wonder what my daughter has done to offend you gentlemen, that you must whip a child?"

His attitude was gentle, but his tone was one of stern rebuke.

Just as Qin Yuqi was about to speak, Prefect Liu, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped forward, bowed to Jiang Liuyun and Xiao Jiang, and said apologetically, "Our servants were unruly and disrespectful, offending the young lady. It is our fault for not disciplining them properly, and we should reflect on our actions. As for the rude servant, let the young lady deal with him. What do you think?"

These words were spoken with such sincerity that even Xiao Jiang peeked out from behind Jiang Liuyun and asked, "Really?"

The middle-aged man surnamed Liu smiled at the little white-haired girl, his round face showing great kindness: "Of course, I only hope that the young lady and the priest will forgive us. It was a hasty day today, but I will definitely come to apologize another day."

We can deal with that another day later; getting through this hurdle first is the most important thing. If he lets the young master and this little girl continue bickering, he doesn't know if they'll even be able to get into the village. Then what will become of this mission? His career and his future can't be ruined by a little white-haired girl.

Seeing that a way out had been offered, the clan chief stepped in to smooth things over. He claimed that they were all just children, young and ignorant, and that it was merely a misunderstanding. Now that things were cleared up, they should be treated amicably, as guests from afar deserve to be well received.

This minor incident was quickly resolved with a flurry of compliments from both sides, and the two sides returned to a harmonious atmosphere, maintaining their smiles as they prepared to proceed to the council hall for a formal meeting.

"No need. My daughter is timid and easily frightened by the events of today. She cannot bear to be separated from her family, so I will not accompany her."

Jiang Liuyun declined the clan leader's invitation and led Xiao Jiang down the steps.

Before leaving, Qin Yuqi glanced at Xiao Jiang expressionlessly, only to be glared back fiercely by Xiao Jiang.

Everyone watched the little girl beside the priest, her back full of energy, her steps light and quick, her white hair tied in two buns swaying back and forth, as if she were searching for something. She didn't look timid or cowardly at all.

Only Jia Qianyang squinted slightly, his gaze fixed on the little girl's back, lost in thought.

When Seventeen heard that Lord Liu was going to hand him over to that barbarian woman, he felt like the sky was falling. He hoped that Lord Liu was just making a polite mention, giving everyone a way to save face, and that they would forget about him after reconciling. Therefore, he moved to the most inconspicuous position in the group. He wasn't tall, and his appearance was ordinary, so it wasn't difficult for him to hide his presence. They seemed to be chatting happily, and no one noticed him or mentioned his punishment again, which was good.

Suddenly, a youthful face appeared before him, its golden eyes gazing at him intently.

Where are you going to hide?

Clearly, some people are very serious and earnest, unable to understand polite words, and insist on taking every word to heart.

A note from the author:

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