I went out to pay New Year calls in the morning and didn't get back until dark, so today there will only be two chapters. I have to go out again tomorrow, but the updates won't stop.
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The name Shan Qingluo was not one to be mentioned lightly.
Seeing their young master so bold and unrestrained, the two blood guards couldn't help but glance at each other, their expressions a mix of astonishment and amusement.
Qiu Yimeng! The eldest miss of the Qiu family, a prominent figure in Zhongdu, the target of admiration for young masters from every great family, and no one had ever dared to treat her like this.
Yet, after being treated this way, she didn't attack. Instead, she just struggled like an ordinary woman.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing excitement in the other's eyes.
Something was off here! Tu Feng and Tang Yuxian thought to themselves.
"Let go!" Qiu Yimeng couldn't break free and shouted, her voice muffled.
Yang Kai gave her a threatening look, then slowly released his grip and stepped back.
Frowning, Yang Kai said in a detached tone, "I don't owe you anything. What happened to you was your own doing, and it has nothing to do with me."
"Heartless and ungrateful!" Qiu Yimeng bit her lip.
"Don't say things that could be easily misunderstood. We were just strangers who happened to meet, so there's no friendship or loyalty between us!" Yang Kai snorted coldly.
Qiu Yimeng was instantly frustrated. She realized that all the techniques she had used successfully in the past were completely ineffective against Yang Kai. If she had used them on any other young master in Zhongdu, they would have been happy to comply, wagging their tails like dogs. Why was he so cold towards her?
"I have many things to ask you. Is there somewhere convenient to talk?" Yang Kai looked around.
Qiu Yimeng pouted, but after a moment's thought, she nodded. "Follow me."
The surrounding disciples of Lingxiao Pavilion were all looking bewildered, feeling that the situation was baffling.
They hadn't heard the conversation between Yang Kai and Qiu Yimeng, only seeing the ambiguous scene.
They knew Qiu Yimeng as well. It seemed like Yang Kai was an old acquaintance of hers, and their relationship was not shallow.
What capabilities did he have to befriend such an important figure as the eldest miss of the Qiu family?
Not long after the group left, Xie Hongchen finally descended from the sky, looking disheveled. After chasing for so long, he hadn't even managed to grab a single feather from the Golden Feather Eagle, and he had almost been injured by it.
Upon landing, he was surprised to find that Yang Kai had already disappeared.
"Where is Yang Kai?" Xie Hongchen asked coldly around him.
"He was invited by Miss Qiu," a junior brother nearby answered.
"Invited?" Xie Hongchen raised an eyebrow, his face full of disbelief. "Are you sure he was invited?"
The junior brother, observing his expression, didn't dare be so certain, and stammered, "It seems he was called over by Miss Qiu."
Xie Hongchen then nodded with satisfaction. But then he became suspicious. Why did Qiu Yimeng call him over? This place should be under his control now. What right did he have to be summoned?
Puzzled, he hurried towards the temporary lodging of Qiu Yimeng and Luo Xiaoman.
In a simple house, Qiu Yimeng, Luo Xiaoman, and Yang Kai sat on one side of a table.
The house was spartan, with few furnishings, and it was clearly newly built, probably to provide lodging for Qiu Yimeng and Luo Xiaoman.
Outside the house, Tu Feng and Tang Yuxian stood like door gods, motionless and with stern expressions.
Miss Qiu personally poured tea before sitting back down. She brushed aside a stray lock of hair by her ear and looked at Yang Kai. "If you have anything to ask, go ahead!"
"When did she let you go?" Yang Kai picked up his tea cup and asked casually.
"About a month ago," Qiu Yimeng said with a bitter smile. She naturally knew that "she" referred to the bewitching queen, Shan Qingluo. "She didn't really make things difficult for us. She just took us on a tour of the battlefield, and before the decisive battle began, she let us leave."
"What did you gain?"
"My views have changed quite a bit, hehe." Qiu Yimeng pondered for a moment and then said earnestly, "I used to think that everyone in the Cangyun Evil Lands deserved to die. But now I don't dare think that way anymore. I saw many innocent people brutally killed by those who called themselves righteous. I also saw many outside forces committing evil deeds within the Cangyun Evil Lands. She was right: this world isn't just black and white. There's a demon in everyone's heart, and everyone could become a demon, depending on whether they can hold onto their true selves."
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded faintly. It was indeed rare for Qiu Yimeng to have such a change of heart.
Shan Qingluo was right to take her to the battlefield.
Perhaps Shan Qingluo hoped that, with the power of the Qiu family, she could change people's perceptions of the Cangyun Evil Lands, which was why she had gone to such great lengths.
"After returning, I came here," Qiu Yimeng said with a smile.
"Does your Qiu family know you're safe?" Yang Kai frowned.