Gu Congshan walked out of Jiang Yuan's study with unsteady steps, his expression somewhat dazed.
He believed it?
He actually believed it?!
Although he had spent years mingling in the streets and had encountered people of all sorts, Gu Congshan was not really good at lying. Especially when facing someone like Jiang Yuan—a scion of an established clan, raised in luxury and comfort—he felt even more lacking in confidence.
To be honest, in all these years, he had never had the qualification to sit and speak before someone of this caliber.
Earlier in the study, Jiang Yuan did not seem to mind that Ming Zhu had not come. He only smiled and invited Gu Congshan to sit.
He ordered a maidservant to serve tea and exchanged many pleasantries, listening until Gu Congshan's gaze grew increasingly bewildered before finally getting to the point—probing subtly about Ming Zhu's origins.
As Jiang Yuan's words left his mouth, Gu Congshan became alert almost immediately.
Even if his own background was humble, he knew that given Ming Zhu's performance at the Spring Banquet, if she had no formidable background to rely on, these aristocratic clans would not be so courteous as they were now.
The talent she had displayed in the art of formations was already enough to draw some measure of attention from these clans who prided themselves on their status.
No matter how gifted Ming Zhu was, at least for now, before these powerful clans that dominated their regions, she still appeared frail and vulnerable.
Gu Congshan strained every bit of his limited wits to think desperately—at the very least, he should not answer "rogue cultivator." Jiang Yuan was waiting for his answer. His mind went blank, and the words tumbled out: "…Yugu Mountain."
Where was that?
Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment, certain he had never heard of such a place before. He looked at Gu Congshan. Under Jiang Yuan's suspicious gaze, Gu Congshan forced himself not to show any weakness. What should he say now?
Without realizing it, his back was already soaked in cold sweat.
"Might I ask, is this a Secluded Immortal Sect somewhere?" After a moment, Jiang Yuan spoke again, his tone probing.
Huh?
Gu Congshan's body stiffened slightly. He met Jiang Yuan's gaze and gave a vague grunt of acknowledgment.
He hadn't said it himself—Jiang Yuan had guessed it on his own.
He simply hadn't told him it wasn't true. His grunt of acknowledgment didn't mean it was so either.
Jiang Yuan could not discern anything unusual from Gu Congshan's expression at the moment, and took that grunt as confirmation.
As for their earlier claim of being rogue cultivators—since they had no prior connection with the Jiang Clan, it was understandable that they would be reluctant to reveal their origins.
Recalling Ming Zhu's performance today, she truly did not seem like some rogue cultivator.
How could a rogue cultivator be so nonchalant before members of an aristocratic clan?
Her cultivation base was so low, yet she had managed to break Zhangsun Heng's chess game. It seemed she was not particularly gifted in cultivation, but had been instructed by a great master, and thus possessed considerable skill in the art of formations.
But why had she come to Pingxiang Town?
"She's going to Qianqiu Academy." Gu Congshan forced himself to say, steeling his nerve.
To conceal the trembling of his legs, he could not help shifting his weight from his left foot to his right, and then from his right back to his left.
He had only said she was going there—he hadn't said she could get in.
When Jiang Yuan heard this, however, a look of sudden realization crossed his face: "So she was sent by her sect's elders to undergo worldly training?"
In recent years, it had not been uncommon for major immortal sects both within and beyond the State of Jin to send their disciples to Qianqiu Academy for a period of cultivation to deepen their understanding. Having the qualification to enter Qianqiu Academy was enough to prove that although he had never heard of this Yugu Mountain, its power could not be underestimated.
Jiang Yuan increasingly felt that Ming Zhu’s identity was not simple. Given her current cultivation base, it was unlikely that she had entered an immortal sect for instruction due to outstanding aptitude—her elders were probably of no ordinary standing…
Wait—if she had such a background…
"Why would she be traveling alone?"
According to Gu Congshan, they had met by chance and decided to travel together.
"Training… training, you know…" Gu Congshan said dryly. "She probably wanted to prove that she could reach Qianqiu Academy on her own…"
So this was a sulking departure from home? Using Gu Congshan's words, Jiang Yuan had already thought of a reason for her.
It did seem like something a young person would do.
Jiang Yuan's attitude toward Gu Congshan was still quite courteous at this point. Even if he didn't know what kind of place Yugu Mountain was, it was always good to establish friendly relations first.
He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Gu Congshan, saying that if he needed anything, he could simply instruct the household servants, and only then had someone escort him out.
Even after leaving the study, Gu Congshan still couldn't quite collect himself. Jiang Yuan had actually believed him?
—Then he should leave quickly before they discovered the truth!
Half relieved, Gu Congshan hurried back to the outer courtyard of the Jiang residence, intending to pack his belongings and take his leave from the Jiang Clan.
When they heard that Ming Zhu wanted to reach Qianqiu Academy as soon as possible, the Jiang Clan expressed understanding of their departure and even offered to send a squad of guards to escort them.
For the Jiang Clan, this was merely a trivial gesture.
But Gu Congshan declined anyway. If someone followed them the whole way, wouldn't the chances greatly increase of Yugu Mountain being exposed as not some Secluded Immortal Sect, and Ming Zhu's talent being revealed as not so simple?
Declining the Jiang Clan's kindness, Gu Congshan pulled Ming Zhu along, brought the two mules they had acquired from Zhuxi, and set off without pause.
"When it comes to traveling, mules have better stamina than horses," Gu Congshan said to Ming Zhu. The Jiang Clan had offered fine horses and a decorated carriage, but he hadn't accepted them.
Well, to be honest, he was still feeling guilty.
Accept their food and favors, and it becomes harder to say no. Who knew what he might be asked to do in return if he accepted the Jiang Clan’s generosity? So Gu Congshan could only put on the attitude that Ming Zhu came from a Secluded Immortal Sect and looked down on all ordinary worldly things, trying to bluff his way through.
Ming Zhu indeed didn't care much. She really did look like a disciple from a Secluded Immortal Sect, both in appearance and bearing.
So she must be a disciple of a Secluded Immortal Sect—that was the conclusion reached by the Jiang Clan members.
It wasn't until they had left the bounds of Pingxiang Town that Gu Congshan, who had been hanging his heart in suspense the whole way, afraid of being seen through and having something unexpected happen, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness—he really couldn't keep up the act much longer.
Earlier, when he heard Ming Zhu say she wanted to go to Qianqiu Academy, he had been hesitating about where would be appropriate to escort her to. Gu Congshan was born in a small village east of Pingxiang Town. Though he had traveled to quite a few places in recent years, they were all around Pingxiang Town. The capital where Qianqiu Academy was located was truly too far for him.
But he was also worried about Ming Zhu. Not only did she not know the way, she lacked even the common sense most children had. Wouldn't she definitely be tricked?
Now he didn't have to agonize over it anymore. He would escort her a bit further—all the way to Qianqiu Academy first.
Gu Congshan thought of Chu Wujiu again: "Who exactly is he?"
He had already learned Chu Wujiu's explanation from Ming Zhu's mouth, and his suspicion of ill intent had lessened somewhat. But he knew so much, and his cultivation base was of unknown depth—what kind of identity did he really have?
Ming Zhu didn't know, nor did she feel the need to guess. If he said he was Chu Wujiu, then she would simply take him as Chu Wujiu.
That made sense. After the Spring Banquet, he had vanished without a trace, and they might not cross paths again anyway. Gu Congshan set the matter aside for now and studied the map he had purchased not long ago.
Though he roughly knew the direction toward the capital, he had never actually been there, so he still needed the map to guide his way.
"Once we pass through the forest ahead, it won't be far to Yangchu Ferry. Boarding a boat there and taking the water route will get us to the capital several days faster than traveling by land…"
Gu Congshan had never tried crossing the vast thousand-li lake by boat, and of course Ming Zhu hadn't either. She was still reading the Formation Essentials—over the past two days, her attention had been wholly absorbed in that Jade Slip.
She appeared completely immersed in the Jade Slip, but just before the whistling sound of something cutting through the air rang out, Ming Zhu suddenly tightened her grip and pulled back on the reins of the two mules, which had not been walking particularly fast.
Gu Congshan, who had been studying the map, swayed and lurched forward.
He hastily hugged the mule and looked up at Ming Zhu with some bewilderment, only to see an arrow tip graze dangerously past her cheek before burying itself in the locust tree behind them—a tree so thick it would take two people to wrap their arms around it.
The arrow had sunk several inches into the wood, its fletching at the end trembling incessantly with a dull, muffled vibration.
Gu Congshan's pupils dilated; he couldn't quite process what was happening before him.
Ming Zhu looked up. Above the forest, a dark speck slowly grew larger against the fading glow of dusk.
Qu Pingsheng, who had been gravely wounded and unconscious at the Spring Banquet two days ago after breaking the formation, now stood atop a Black Eagle. His injuries had improved, but his complexion still held a hint of pallor.
He lowered the longbow in his hand and met Ming Zhu's gaze, his eyes carrying an indescribable coldness.
It was he who had loosed that arrow!
Gu Congshan quickly realized what was going on and looked at Ming Zhu with concern—this must be about what happened at the Spring Banquet!
Ming Zhu, however, asked with some puzzlement: "You want to kill me?"
She didn't recall having any grudge with Qu Pingsheng that would warrant life and death.
Having only just come down from the mountain, Ming Zhu naturally didn't know that for some people in this world, their own pride mattered more than another person's life.