She truly didn't know what to do now, because in her previous lives, she hadn't even reached this point, nor had she traveled this far, so she had absolutely no idea what the future held! The unpredictable future always triggers a sense of panic, and You Shuyao was no exception. Moreover, she couldn't even imagine what kind of terrifying death she would experience if he really captured her and took her back—a death far more horrific than in her previous nine lives.
As Huo Jingsha walked closer and closer to her, Shu Yao's heart couldn't help but rise inch by inch. If she hadn't kept her mouth shut, she really suspected that her heart would have jumped out of her throat.
You Shuyao, you really should learn from Qi's composure and calmness. We're both assassins, so why is there such a big difference between us? So you must not lose your composure. Besides, you've disguised yourself now, so Huo Jingsha won't recognize you at all. If you really reveal any clues and he notices your flaws, he might tie you to a horse and drag you back to the capital.
She didn't want to! Thinking of this, Shu Yao quietly took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
Finally, Huo Jingsha came to her. When his sharp eyes swept across her face, she felt as if her breath had stopped and her heart was pounding, as if she was in danger of fainting at any moment.
He stood in front of her, scrutinizing her more closely than he had with anyone before. Yet, You Shuyao felt time stretching on endlessly. Had he seen enough? Why wasn't he leaving? Every time his scrutinizing gaze swept over her, her skin felt as if it were being burned. She had an urge to flee, but she had to endure it and not let him notice anything unusual.
"Where...are you from? What's your name? How old are you?" Huo Jingsha actually questioned, her imposing aura always exuding a sense of oppression.
"Your Honor, my young brother cannot speak, for he is mute," the clerk beside him answered on his behalf.
"Oh? Dumb?" Huo Jingsha raised an eyebrow and glanced at Qi beside her.
"Yes, sir."
"Why are you mute?"
"When I was little, I had a high fever for several days in a row, which damaged my voice."
At this moment, Qi was dressed as a scholar, his refined and handsome face making him look exactly like an honest scholar. Even his voice was different from before, and he was quite different from the medicine merchant he had been before.
Huo Jingsha glanced at the two of them a few more times, then turned and rushed towards the next person.
You Shuyao kept her head down and eyes lowered the entire time. As she watched his toes turn around, she finally let out a long sigh of relief. She couldn't help but look at Qi's quick thinking and composure in the face of danger with even greater admiration.
She stood right in front of Huo Jingsha, but Huo Jingsha didn't recognize her. He only asked her a few simple questions before turning around and walking away. It felt really good.
For the first time, I felt I had the upper hand over him and had him completely outmaneuvered.
Huo Jingsha was unusually patient and meticulous this time, interrogating each person one by one. His subordinates were not idle either, thoroughly searching every room and every corner. They then returned and reported back to Huo Jingsha. Without exception, they found no suspicious persons at all. They even checked the cellar and courtyard in the backyard.
After the investigation was completed, Huo Jingsha turned and walked out of the inn without looking back. As he left, the Imperial Guards stationed throughout the inn lined up again and followed him out.
The thunderous, awe-inspiring sound of horses' hooves rang out again, but this time it gradually faded into the distance, and soon only a cloud of dust remained. It truly came and went quickly.
As soon as those menacing figures left, the once silent and lifeless inn lobby instantly returned to its noisy state. Everyone had thought they were about to experience a catastrophe, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Relieved smiles appeared on their faces, and they began whispering among themselves, exchanging bits and pieces of hearsay. But what everyone was most curious about was who the Imperial Guards were after. Why would they go to such lengths to chase them here in the middle of the night, and with such a large entourage?
You Shuyao was also smiling. Sigh! Although she knew the answer, she couldn't say it; this feeling was truly bittersweet. She couldn't help but glance at Qi, and he seemed to sense her gaze, turning back to look at her.
Sensing that something was amiss, she quickly looked away and went back to her guest room upstairs. Once inside, she heard footsteps behind her and knew that Qi had followed.
After closing the door behind him, she immediately pointed to her throat.
He gazed at her; her beautiful eyes, as bright as stars, had been transformed into single eyelids under his disguise, yet the lively brilliance in her pupils remained undiminished.
He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and released her speech impediment, and then there was no further action.
You Shuyao felt a relief in her throat. The stiffness in her tongue and the feeling of her vocal cords being suppressed disappeared. However, her throat was still a little dry and sore when she recovered.
She used the act of pouring water to soothe her throat to conceal the look of confusion on her face. Qi had only released her speech acupoint, but he had still sealed her internal energy. This clearly showed that he didn't trust her! If she had sealed it herself, it would be easier to break through, but if he had sealed it, it wouldn't be so easy to break through.
After finishing her water and clearing her throat a few times, she finally spoke. "When shall we set off?"
She was still shaken by Huo Jingsha's sudden appearance and thought it best to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, lest he notice something was wrong and launch a surprise attack.
Qi noticed her desire to leave as soon as possible and said calmly, "I'll leave right away."
“Okay.” She raised both hands in agreement and couldn’t help but give him a heartfelt and sincere smile.
Qi took in her pleasure, but his expression remained unchanged, only a subtle scrutiny lurking in his eyes.
"Pack your things, get ready to go."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left the room, leaving her alone to tidy up.
In fact, You Shuyao didn't have much to pack. All her food, drink, clothing and other necessities for the journey were prepared for her by Qi. She didn't have to worry about anything herself. She just sat in the carriage with him.
She walked out of the room with a small bundle slung over her shoulder. Qi was already waiting at the door. When he saw her come out, he turned around and went down the stairs first.
She pursed her lips, followed closely behind, and asked in a low voice, "Could you release my internal energy? I feel very insecure because I can't use my martial arts."
Qi paused for a moment, then continued walking forward without giving her any reply.
You Shuyao was furious, but still followed behind, pleading, "If we encounter danger on the road again, I can protect myself. If they had discovered us just now, it would have been so dangerous. I couldn't help them or escape; I would have had to surrender." This was really disadvantageous for her. It seemed they could all use their lightness skills to run away.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, she mustered all her strength and tried to persuade him again.
"What are you afraid of? With your high level of martial arts and so many subordinates to assist you, there is no need to worry about me running away."
Yi finally stopped, turned around, and stared intently at her.
"You...want...to...escape?!"
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