Shui Xia patiently explained the matter, "You all know that the people here and the people who built this place have problems, so do you think the food sent in from outside is completely clean? Are you sure there isn't anything else added to it? And this 'something else' doesn't just mean poison."

Shui Xia wasn't a taciturn person, but when working for Qi Guze, one had to do more and say less. If he said something he shouldn't have, it would be fatal for him. Most of the time, he chose to say things indirectly rather than directly. But looking at how these people didn't seem very bright...

Shui Xia felt that if he beat around the bush, they might not understand what he meant, so he decided to just say what he wanted to say directly.

Xuan Chi was stunned for a moment. They had never thought about this before. They only saw what was in front of them and never thought about what had happened before. They also assumed that since everyone else had no problems eating it, there would be no problems for them either.

But they overlooked how many other risks were involved.

Xuan Chi felt the bowl was burning hot in his hands and instinctively wanted to find the owner's seat.

The shop owner left after handing the items to Xuan Chi, without standing nearby, which inexplicably relieved Xuan Chi.

He didn't know why he always felt that the boss was a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. At least for now, the boss seemed to be a kind person and didn't seem to have any intention of harming them. But who knows what a person is really thinking?

He seemed much more indifferent to the enthusiasm others showed towards the boss, and no one suspected anything. That's just how he is, so his lack of enthusiasm was perfectly understandable.

When Cheng Chi returned, he saw two people blocking the doorway, followed by others who were also curiously examining the person in front of them. Cheng Chi turned his gaze to Xuan Chi and asked, "Who is this brother? I've never seen him here before. Are you someone who was tricked into coming here again?"

Cheng Chi considered it for a moment, but looking at the clothes the man was wearing, he felt that he couldn't possibly be the kind of person who would do something so dangerous for a little money, so he spoke with some hesitation.

Xuan Chi didn't know how to introduce Shui Xia, since he himself didn't know Shui Xia's background. The only information he knew was that Shui Xia was just a subordinate, nothing more. As for anything else, he really knew nothing.

“You can think of it that way,” Xuan Chi gave a vague answer, which surprised Cheng Chi.

The third brother behind him frowned and directly voiced his dissatisfaction, "What do you mean by 'it can be thought that way'? It's either yes or no. Is it yes or no?"

This passage was like a tongue twister. Shui Xia found the group too noisy, so she left without giving them a friendly look.

After leaving through the door, he switched from providing overt protection to protecting people in the shadows.

Cheng Chi was surprised by his strength; after leaving the inn, he couldn't sense where the man had gone at all.

On these two levels, there are very few people who could do such a thing right under his nose.

For a long time, he stared in the direction Shui Xia had just left, unable to look away.

Xuan Chi had already left when Shui Xia left, but everyone's attention was on Shui Xia who had left first, and no one paid any attention to him.

When everyone came to their senses, they realized that the two people who had been there just moments before had vanished. Several people looked rather displeased, their eyes filled with annoyance and anger. "Those two are so disrespectful! They're utterly arrogant! I wonder which team will take them in in the future!"

The speaker was Lao Liu. He didn't know the identity of the group in front of him. A few days ago, he went out to investigate the situation in other locations in the south of the city and hadn't returned for a long time. So, there were only seven people who surrounded Xu Yuehuai and the others that day. Now, with him added, Cheng Chi's group had a total of eight people.

No one said much, since the two weren't very familiar with each other, and asking others to do so much would seem like deliberately making things difficult.

When Xuan Chi returned upstairs, he bumped into Baili Xiuwen, who was just as taciturn as him. Baili Xiuwen was leaning against the door, and from his angle, he could see the spot where Xuan Chi and Shui Xia had just been standing. It was unclear how long Baili Xiuwen had been standing there. The man's eyes held an ambiguous look, and his gaze towards Xuan Chi also carried some unusual emotions that he had never shown before.

"What are you doing here?" Xuan Chi stopped in front of the man, his eyes showing a hint of doubt and unease.

Baili Xiuwen shifted his gaze to his face, still remaining silent, as if waiting for him to explain something. Xuan Chi was not to be outdone, and the two stared at each other at the door, neither giving the other a chance.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the air froze. When Shi Mu walked out of the room to get some hot water, he bumped into the two of them. He stopped in his tracks, startled by their movement. He stood there blankly, looking at them with a hint of confusion in his eyes. The next second, he said, "Are you two... having a contest to see who's more handsome or who's fiercer?"

As for how to ruin an atmosphere with a single sentence, you should ask Shi Mu for advice, as he has the most experience in this area.

Upon hearing this, the two hostile men were somewhat disarmed, and both looked at Shi Mu with speechless expressions.

When Shi Mu met their gazes, she didn't feel that she had done anything wrong. She simply took her things and slipped through the gap between the two people to go downstairs to get water.

"Judging from your expression, you've heard pretty much everything. What do you want to see? Don't look at me like that." After saying that, Xuan Chi turned around and went back to his room, not caring what the person behind him thought.

The innkeepers had known each other for at least six or seven days, but they had only known Shui Xia for less than an hour.

Because of Qi Guze, I trust him a little more, but only a little more than my boss. Their trust levels are roughly equal.

Therefore, it is up to the individual to decide which of the two should be believed and which should not.

When the sixth man downstairs saw a bowl of untouched rice on the table, his stomach rumbled with hunger. He picked up the rice and started eating, saying, "It's been a long time since I've had a hot meal. Whoever put this here really doesn't know how to be frugal. It's a waste not to eat such good food."