Chapter 155

Thick snow covered the area around the pavilion, while the evergreen spruce trees displayed a striking contrast of vibrant new green against the pristine white. No snow fell on the dome, and a thin ray of dawn gradually appeared above the distant mountains. The observatory stood open to the free and continuous morning breeze—a truly magnificent sight, yet no one seemed inclined to appreciate it.

After a night of hard work, everyone's clothes were covered in mud and sweat. Xie Yijun, who had been standing all night, was sore and her knees ached, and she couldn't even sit down. She paced back and forth, trying her best to suppress her anger, and said, "This is outrageous... utterly outrageous! Nangong Min has once again used a treacherous scheme to trick us. I knew it! How could the Holy Sword of her Ziwei Sect be in our Yunhua Palace!"

Yin Qiu wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and said breathlessly, "But her expression that day didn't seem fake. Could it be that Xiao Qi lied to her? Perhaps even Nangong Min himself isn't sure if the Holy Sword is actually at the Observatory."

“The results are in: there’s no Holy Sword here at all,” Xie Yijun said. “This means she won’t reveal who Xiao Qi is. If she does, Xiao Qi will definitely not give her the Holy Sword. Nangong Min is being manipulated, and we’re wasting our time because of her!”

Wen Chaoyu took off her outer robe and stood in the corner of the pavilion to cool off. She said, "That's not necessarily true. Nangong Min might tolerate Xiao Qi dragging her along, but she will never tolerate Xiao Qi deceiving her. As long as we tell Nangong Min about this, she will know that she has been played all along. Knowing her as I do, she will definitely abandon Xiao Qi as a pawn and turn around to deal with her."

Xie Yijun pondered for a moment and said, "So, is it possible that even Xiao Qi doesn't know where the Holy Sword is, and she's just using this to deceive Nangong Min?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "Impossible. She must know. Nangong Min isn't that easy to fool. We can now confirm that Xiao Qi comes from beyond the Great Wall. If she hadn't really seen the Holy Sword, why would Nangong Min trust her so easily? You know, although Nangong Min was willing to reveal the whereabouts of the Holy Sword this time, she also made a request to Yin Qiu, asking Yin Qiu to draw the shape of the Holy Sword. So Xiao Qi definitely knows where the Holy Sword is."

“But there’s still a problem,” Yin Qiu said. “Cang County is heading south. Even if we send a letter now, Nangong Min won’t receive it for several days. By the time she replies, it will be several more days, at least half a month. During this half month, if Xiao Qi notices our movements, she will have plenty of time to escape. If she runs away before Nangong Min receives the letter, it won’t be so easy for us to catch her again.”

Especially since the Star Gazing Platform had been razed to the ground by them, even if no one saw it last night, this matter could not be kept secret for long. The cenotaphs of the ancestors were completely destroyed overnight. Once this news spread, it would surely cause quite a stir in the palace, and it was only a matter of time before it reached Xiao Qi's ears.

Once Xiao Qi hears about the Star Gazing Platform, she will definitely be able to guess that Nangong Min made a deal with Yunhua Palace. Before the letter even reaches Cang County, she will definitely run away in secret. She would never be stupid enough to wait for Nangong Min to expose her.

If the Holy Sword truly existed here, Yunhua Palace wouldn't be at too much of a loss. With the Holy Sword, they could easily suppress the Ziwei Sect and force Nangong Min into a disadvantageous position. But who would have thought that Xiao Qi would be so bold? She actually dared to deceive even Nangong Min.

In this way, Yin Qiu and Nangong Min's cooperation was almost useless. Whether the Holy Sword was there or not, Xiao Qi could always find a way to escape. Even though she was really too cunning and treacherous, it had to be admitted that her plan was really ingenious, ensuring both the Holy Sword and her own safety.

In other words, it is impossible to find Xiao Qi in Yunhua Palace. Even if everyone finds out who she is after she escapes, it is not so easy to catch her again once she has run away.

Xie Yijun had been exposed to the cold wind all night, and seeing the situation once again reach a stalemate, she naturally felt a headache, fever, and general discomfort.

"So what should we do next? We haven't found the Holy Sword, and the spies are about to escape. Aren't we still in a passive position?"

A moment of silence fell over the pavilion.

After a short while, Man Jiangxue spoke up, "Senior Sister, please calm down. Things are not at a standstill yet; there is still room for maneuver."

Hearing this, Xie Yijun's face lit up with joy: "What brilliant idea do you have?"

Seeing that the fine sweat on Yin Qiu's forehead had almost dried, Man Jiangxue draped her outer robe over her shoulders and replied, "We can't hide the fact that we've already searched for the Holy Sword, so let's just not hide it anymore. Let's spread the word immediately and pin the whole thing on Nangong Min."

Xie Yijun asked, "How do you push it?"

Man Jiangxue looked at Yin Qiu and asked, "Tell me what you think?"

Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she replied, “We can say that… Nangong Min took the initiative to offer Xiao Qi’s identity to us in exchange for the Holy Sword, but we got nothing last night, so we concluded that Nangong Min was deliberately playing a trick on us. In this way, it would appear that Nangong Min unilaterally distrusts Xiao Qi and wants to make other plans. Xiao Qi is currently trapped in the palace and cannot confront Nangong Min face to face. Therefore, the information she receives is that Nangong Min is about to deal with her, and we only blame Nangong Min. In this way, Xiao Qi will think that she is still safe, and she will not be in a hurry to run away.”

Man Jiangxue showed his approval: "Not bad."

"Great idea!" Wen Chaoyu clapped her hands, her eyes filled with praise as she looked at Yin Qiu. "You're quite clever."

Yin Qiu smiled modestly: "It's because my martial uncle is so clever. I just said what my martial uncle wanted to say."

Xie Yijun's expression softened somewhat after hearing this, and she sighed, "That is indeed a good plan... but it's ultimately just theory on paper. What if Xiao Qi doesn't believe it?"

Man Jiangxue said, "Then we need to do something else that can reassure her and make her believe in us without a doubt."

Upon hearing this, the people in the pavilion all turned to look at Yin Qiu in unison.

Facing the expectant gazes fixed on her, Yin Qiu did not appear reserved. After a moment of contemplation, she said slowly, "If we want to keep her calm, there are only two options: either we pretend to stop investigating the spy, or... we simply find a 'spy'."

Man Jiangxue said, "Then who do you think is the most suitable to play this 'spy'?"

Yin Qiu paused, then looked up and said, "Senior Sister Lu!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present, except for Man Jiangxue, showed the same bright and cheerful expression.

“That’s right, Huaiwei is the best candidate,” Man Jiangxue continued, picking up where Yin Qiu left off. “By the time it takes to get through the night, news of her suicide during her trial must have spread. Since Xiaoqi has already chosen her and wants Huaiwei to be her scapegoat, let’s go with the flow and turn the tables on her.”

Yin Qiu was overjoyed and said happily, "As long as we confirm Senior Sister Lu's crime as a spy and push all the blame for opening the grave and searching for the sword onto Nangong Min, Xiao Qi won't be in a hurry to run away. Even if she has some suspicions about the Star Gazing Platform, the fact that we have identified Senior Sister Lu as a spy is enough to keep her calm."

“But Elder Xu and Meng Jing both know that Huaiwei is innocent,” Ji Wanshu said upon hearing this. “And the other disciples in the Medical Pavilion may also know about this matter, and it may have spread throughout the place last night.”

"You can rest assured, Senior Sister. Elder Xu and Meng Jing will not tell anyone else," Yin Qiu said. "Bai Ling had already instructed them yesterday to keep it completely secret until the matter is made public, regardless of whether Senior Sister Lu is innocent or not, so as to prevent rumors from spreading in the palace. Elder Xu and Meng Jing are both people who know their limits. Without the orders of the Sect Leader and Uncle Master, they will definitely not easily leak it out."

Originally, it was thought that the situation had reached an irreversible point, but unexpectedly, after this discussion, the dark clouds were parted and the light returned. Xie Yijun was naturally in a great mood and immediately ordered, "Excellent! Wanshu, you should get to work on it now. Immediately spread the word about why the cenotaph was dug up and why Huaiwei was convicted. Make sure everyone in the palace knows!"

Ji Wanshu quickly stood up and, without saying a word, used her lightness skill to head towards Mingguang Hall, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Yin Qiu breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but say with emotion, "It's just that Senior Sister Lu has suffered. But I believe that if she knew the truth, she would not blame us. Now that I think about it, the fact that she and Senior Sister Ji were intercepted by assassins on their way back to the palace must have been Xiao Qi's doing. Her purpose was to make us more suspicious of Senior Sister Lu."

Xie Yijun said angrily, "This person is so vicious. If I ever find her out, I will make her wish she were dead!"

"Let me remind you," Wen Chaoyu said suddenly as she sat down at the stone table, "Even if you can keep Xiao Qi under control now, it is still unknown whether Nangong Min will expose her. After all, her personality is too unpredictable and cannot be measured by ordinary thinking. If Nangong Min doesn't tell you, you will still have to find Xiao Qi on your own. So what are you planning to do next?"

Her words made sense. Yin Qiu paused for a moment and asked, "So, does Uncle Wen have any good ideas on how to lure her out?"

Wen Chaoyu smiled and said, "There is a way, but I don't know if you're willing." She then looked at Man Jiangxue beside her. "The key point is whether you're willing."

Man Jiangxue looked back at Wen Chaoyu and said, "Tell me about it first."

Wen Chaoyu then said, "Now we all know that Xiao Qi is after you, but she doesn't want to kill you. She just wants to torture you by targeting those close to you, which is why she targeted Yin Qiu. In that case, if something happens to Yin Qiu, do you think she would be more anxious than you?"

Hearing her words, the three people opposite her were slightly surprised. Even Xue Tan, who had been standing silently to the side all morning, couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "What does the Protector mean...?"

“She came to me before this trip to Weicheng, asking me to protect you secretly, because she didn’t want you to die at someone else’s hands,” Wen Chaoyu said to Yin Qiu. “To Xiao Qi, you are her only weakness right now. As long as something happens to you, preferably if you are on the verge of death, she will definitely not remain inactive.”

Yin Qiu frowned: "You want me to put on a show?" She paused, "But what if she not only doesn't save me this time, but also takes the opportunity to stab me in the back?"

"Isn't this perfect?" Wen Chaoyu said. "If she's killing you to torture Man Jiangxue, then she definitely won't let anyone else do it for her. She'll definitely do it herself in front of Man Jiangxue to achieve her goal. And as long as she's willing to show herself, with Man Jiangxue around, are you still afraid of not being able to take her down?"

Yin Qiu said, "What if she doesn't show up?"

“There’s only one possibility for her not showing up: she knows you won’t die, and Man Jiangxue will definitely stay by your side and do everything she can to save your life. She won’t have a chance to do it, so naturally she won’t show up,” Wen Chaoyu said. “So you have to act convincingly. Either let her know that you’re beyond saving, and she has to make Man Jiangxue watch her kill you before you die, or only she can save you, because only if you survive can she continue to use you against Man Jiangxue, just like she asked me to go to Weicheng to protect you.”

After saying this, Wen Chaoyu continued, "But the first method is too dangerous. If something goes wrong and she really stabs you to death, that would be terrible. So we can only choose to let her save you, and only she can save you."

Man Jiangxue listened quietly without interrupting, but Xie Yijun said impatiently, "Alright, stop rambling and just tell us what we should do."

Wen Chaoyu rolled her eyes at her, but deliberately kept her in suspense, asking Yin Qiu with great interest, "You were able to guess what Man Jiangxue wanted to say before, so now, can you guess what I want to say?"

Yin Qiu couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, saying, "You and my martial uncle have come here today specifically to give me a challenge." After saying that, she followed Wen Chaoyu's train of thought and began to ponder, "If it requires Xiao Qi to save me all by herself..."

Wen Chaoyu looked at her leisurely: "What do you mean?"

Yin Qiu fell into deep thought, then fell silent for a long while before suddenly raising her head and shouting, "Gu poison!"

Wen Chaoyu immediately snapped her fingers and praised, "That's right!"

Yin Qiu was initially pleased with herself for answering the question correctly, but quickly suppressed her smile and asked, "But none of us know how to use the flute to control the Gu poison. So how can we make the Gu worms in my body hurt me?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "Who said it was going to hurt you? Didn't we say we were just putting on an act?"

Yin Qiu expressed her confusion.

“It’s simple. Invite Elder Xu over and have him pretend to have found an antidote,” Wen Chaoyu said. “You just lie in the room and vomit a pool of blood. If anyone asks, say that Elder Xu made a mistake and failed to lure out the Gu worms, causing you to be poisoned instead. Once Xiao Qi finds out, she will definitely investigate what went wrong. At that time, whether she decides to save you or kill you, we can catch her like a turtle in a jar. Wouldn’t that be easy?”

Yin Qiu suddenly realized and asked, "But if something happens to me, not only my martial aunt, but even the other senior brothers and sisters will definitely come to see me. Will she take the risk to come forward?"

Wen Chaoyu said, "That's simple." As she spoke, she looked at the silent Man Jiangxue, her tone containing a hint of smugness. "Just think about it, Xiao Qi will definitely choose to show up in the middle of the night, and that's also the best time for me to escape."

Yin Qiu immediately realized: "If you pretend to be trying to escape back to the Ziwei Sect in the middle of the night, your martial uncle will definitely come to catch you. And since your martial uncle isn't here and it's late at night, Xiao Qi will definitely come!"

Wen Chaoyu tossed her hair and looked at Man Jiangxue with a smug expression: "How about it? Aren't I incredibly smart?"

Man Jiangxue glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Yin Qiu immediately chimed in, "Uncle Wen is truly amazing!"

Seeing this, Xue Tan quickly echoed Yin Qiu, saying, "The protector is brilliant!"

Wen Chaoyu laughed heartily, her eyebrows dancing with excitement, and said, "That's right, I was once a Grand Protector, after all."

Looking at the three people's spirited appearance, Man Jiangxue was not influenced in the slightest and did not express her opinion for a long time.

Wen Chaoyu raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and said, "What, you don't agree?"

Man Jiangxue glanced at Yin Qiu, her eyes filled with worry.

Knowing that she was worried about her, Yin Qiu said softly, "Uncle-Master, there's no need to worry too much. I think Uncle-Master Wen's plan is feasible. Besides, with you all keeping an eye on things in secret, nothing should go wrong. And there's also Senior Sister Ji. Her kung fu is so good. Do you think the few of you combined can't protect me?"

“Yes, this method is indeed good,” Xie Yijun thought it over and agreed with Wen Chaoyu, which was rare. “Jiang Xue, in my opinion, we should do as she says.”

Man Jiangxue hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I'm just afraid of what might happen."

“What could possibly happen?” Wen Chaoyu said. “As long as she shows herself, you don’t need to do anything yourself. Wan Shu alone can beat her to a pulp. What are you hesitating for? Besides, she has been drinking anti-aging drugs for so many years, and she is already weak inside and has an illness. She is not a threat at all.”

Man Jiangxue stared at Yin Qiu and said, "Under normal circumstances, I would not hesitate, but your injuries have not yet healed and you cannot use your true energy. If something goes wrong, you will have no way to protect yourself. It's not that I lack the confidence to take her down, but I'm worried about you getting into trouble."

Yin Qiu said, "But things have to be resolved. We can't let her hide among us any longer. And so far, there's no other way to lure her out. Uncle-Master, even though this matter is dangerous and there's a possibility of accidents, and it's not a foolproof plan, I'm not afraid. I'm willing to risk my life. As long as we can catch her, I'll do anything."

Seeing the unwavering expression on Yin Qiu's face, Man Jiangxue lowered her eyes slightly and fell silent again.

Xie Yijun comforted her, "Jiang Xue, I understand what you're thinking. Do you feel like you've dragged Yin Qiu into this and don't want her to be the bait?" She smiled as she said this, and her gaze towards Yin Qiu softened considerably. "You need to understand that this is no longer just a grudge between you and Xiao Qi. Besides, the child has grown up, she's courageous and intelligent. You can let her learn from her experiences. You can't protect her forever. You need to let go appropriately and let her spread her wings and fly on her own, to stand on her own."

Man Jiangxue listened to these words but still did not reply.

After a long while, she sighed, looked up at Yin Qiu, and said, "I'll think about it some more."