Catching the scent of a woman on Lu Li, the relaxed expression on Gong Shangyu’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a hound-like alertness.
She took a step forward, her gaze burning as she stared at Lu Li.
Her pink eyes flickered with a scrutinizing light, and her tone carried a deliberately suppressed calmness as she pressed him, “Master, you were here alone just now. Did something happen? Looking at your expression, you seem… lost in thought?”
Lu Li, still troubled by that inexplicable sense of familiarity, snapped back to his senses.
Seeing both disciples looking concerned, he waved his hand and explained casually, “It is nothing, do not worry. I simply encountered a fellow cultivator who had sprained her ankle. She had difficulty moving, so I gave her a hand, escorted her here to reunite with her sect members, and briefly treated her injury. It was just a small favor, not worth mentioning.”
He spoke as if it were a trivial matter, entirely unaware of anything being amiss.
However, to Gong Shangyu’s ears, those words were like a thunderclap!
‘A fellow cultivator with a sprained ankle? Hmph! You make it sound so simple!’
This lingering cold plum fragrance was crisp and unique, definitely not belonging to a man!
‘What fellow cultivator? It was clearly a female cultivator!’
‘How long had we been gone? Was it such a coincidence that a “sprained” female cultivator needed Master to “personally” support her and “personally” treat her? This plot is too cliché and pathetic! It must be Zhou Ruoxi or Mo Qingyou. They must have tried to steal Master away while we were gone!’
Even if it was not one of them, it was definitely some vixen coveting her Master.
Gong Shangyu sneered inwardly, but she kept her face expressionless.
She even forced a smile of realization and “admiration.”
“I see. Master is truly chivalrous. To help those in need… this disciple is full of admiration.”
Though she spoke of admiration, her sharp eyes scanned Lu Li’s body, as if trying to find more traces left by that “female cultivator.”
Gu Qingying did not immediately smell the unusual fragrance like Gong Shangyu did, but she keenly sensed the sudden emotional shift in her Second Senior Sister and that overly “obedient” response.
Her purple eyes flickered as she looked at Gong Shangyu and then at her Master, who appeared normal.
A hint of suspicion rose in her heart as well, but she did not point it out immediately, only making a mental note of it.
“Alright, it was just a small interlude.”
Lu Li did not wish to dwell on the matter.
The strange sense of familiarity had faded quite a bit thanks to his disciples’ interruption.
He looked at the distant, brilliant lights and smiled.
“The Lantern Festival in Jinyang City is a rare sight. Since we are here, we should not let it go to waste. Come, I will take you around some more to see if there are any other novelties.”
Having said that, he took the lead and walked toward the market where the lights were most magnificent.
Gu Qingying immediately responded and followed quickly, staying close to Lu Li’s side as if to make up for the “lost” time, chattering about the interesting things she had just seen.
Gong Shangyu trailed half a step behind.
Looking at her Master’s back, she took another deep breath of the lingering, bothersome cold plum fragrance, a cold light flickering in her pink eyes.
‘Strolling? Hmph, I want to see which blind fool dares to set their sights on Master!’
The rest of the outing seemed harmonious on the surface.
Lu Li patiently accompanied his two disciples to admire various lanterns, taste street food, and even bought each of them a small Magic Weapon as a souvenir.
Gu Qingying remained high-spirited throughout, trying hard to attract Lu Li’s attention.
Meanwhile, Gong Shangyu was somewhat distracted.
Her gaze involuntarily scanned the surrounding crowd, trying to find that “suspicious woman” who might be carrying the scent of cold plum fragrance.
At the same time, she cast subtle, wary looks at any unfamiliar female cultivator who tried to get close to Lu Li.
It was not until late at night, when the crowds in the streets thinned and the lights were extinguished one by one, that Lu Li led the still-excited Gu Qingying and the preoccupied Gong Shangyu back to the courier station where they were staying in the Imperial Capital of the Jin Kingdom.
Back in their respective rooms, Lu Li instructed the two to rest early, as they still had to practice their cultivation the next morning.
Gu Qingying had enjoyed herself today and was indeed a bit exhausted.
Not long after returning to her room, her breathing became steady.
Gong Shangyu, however, lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Her mind was filled with the image of that “fellow cultivator” Master had mentioned.
Just as she was about to force herself to meditate and calm her mind, a very slight sound suddenly came from the neighboring room.
Rustle…
Gong Shangyu instantly held her breath and pricked up her ears.
‘Master isn’t asleep?’
It was the sound of clothes rubbing together, followed by extremely slow, deliberately light footsteps.
‘He’s going out?’
That thought made her heart tighten!
‘Could it be… is Master going to a private meeting with that female cultivator?’
‘No… wait! Master is not that kind of frivolous person!’
‘That’s right! I remember now! Master must have discovered something very important when he went out alone earlier to investigate the demonic cultivator intelligence! He is going to the Imperial Palace to report to the Jin Emperor!’
Thinking of this, she immediately flipped out of bed without a sound, pressed herself against the wall, and carefully sensed the movement next door.
Sure enough, a moment later, she heard the door to Lu Li’s room being gently pulled open and then closed with extreme care.
The light footsteps moved down the hallway, getting further and further away.
‘I can’t wait anymore!’
A look of determination flashed in Gong Shangyu’s eyes.
She immediately turned and rushed to Gu Qingying’s bed, shaking her vigorously.
“Wake up! Gu Qingying! Wake up quickly!”
Gu Qingying was in a deep sleep.
Suddenly shaken awake, she opened her eyes dizzily and grumbled with heavy sleepiness, “Gong Shangyu? What kind of madness is this… in the middle of the night…”
“Stop sleeping! Master sneaked out!”
Gong Shangyu lowered her voice, her tone urgent.
“He went out?”
Gu Qingying’s sleepiness instantly vanished.
She sat up abruptly.
“Master went out? Where did he go?”
Gong Shangyu said irritably, “He must have found some important intelligence earlier and went to the Imperial Palace to find the Emperor of Jin! Get up quickly, let’s follow him and see!”
“Let’s go!”
Gu Qingying said nothing else, immediately getting up and dressing herself with quick and efficient movements.
The two of them packed up with lightning speed and slipped out of the room silently, like two shadows blending into the night, cautiously tracking Lu Li in the direction he had left.
Gong Shangyu, relying on her keen sense of scent and the almost imperceptible traces on the ground, tracked him all the way.
Gu Qingying followed closely behind, her purple eyes glowing in the dark.
They passed through the quiet Garden of the courier station, bypassed the patrolling Station Master, and finally arrived at the back door of the station.
The back door was left ajar; clearly, Lu Li had left through here.
The two looked at each other, both seeing the same determination in the other’s eyes.
Gong Shangyu gently pushed the back door open.
Outside were the sleeping streets and alleys of Jinyang City, with the cold moonlight spilling onto the bluestone road.
All was silent.
“Follow him, be careful not to be discovered,” Gong Shangyu whispered, flashing out first.
Gu Qingying followed closely behind.
The two little ones followed Lu Li like this, quietly vanishing into the deep night.