Chapter 497: The State Preceptor Was Attacked 2

The guests of the inn could not stop staring at the tiger guards, each of them feeling their scalps tingling. There were no other inns nearby, so they did not dare leave either. They could only murmur in their hearts, wondering what kind of group could warrant such a group of guards.

It was normal for people to stay in the inn at night. There would always be guests chatting over food and drinks in the large hall. Tonight, however, at two o’clock, the entire hall was completely devoid of people…the guests had all returned to their rooms, “sleeping” quietly like chickens.

When Qi Qingyao woke up, it was already daybreak, and the three little children had slept their fill. Erniu said she wanted to get up and pee so Qi Qingyao had her relieve herself in the chamber pot. The children could not sleep anymore and they all woke up noisily.

After putting on her clothes, QI Qingyao opened the window and took a look at the sky outside. The rising sun gave people a very pleasant feeling indeed.

“Nothing happened so far, we might be able to reach the capital safely.”

Li Ruoxuan called for breakfast to be served in his room. After eating, Qi Qingyao asked Dong Jing to look over the children. She went downstairs to the toilet in the backyard. However, as soon as she came downstairs, she noticed Li Ruoxuan following her like a persistent yes man.

“What are you doing?” Qi Qingyao suddenly turned back and looked at him warily.

“I’m not doing anything,” Li Ruoxuan answered seriously.

“Then, you’re following me because…” Qi Qingyao asked suspiciously.

“You think I’d want to follow you?” asked Li Ruoxuan.

Expression dark, Qi Qingyao said, “Following a lady even when she goes to the toilet, are you a pervert?”

Li Ruoxuan pointed to the cultivators who had just woken up and were out and about. “Idiot! Don’t you see so many cultivators around? You think I’d willingly follow you if there weren’t so many people lying in wait?”

“…” Could it be that he was following her to protect her? “In that case, you can send other people to follow me,” she whispered. Was it necessary to follow her to the toilet?

Li Ruoxuan said expressionlessly, “There are rank-nine powerhouses tracking us nearby. They didn’t make a move last night, who knows when they will.”

“…”

Rank nines?

Was he not talking about Gongsun She? He was a grand master. Why would another rank nine appear? That said, there were no villages or shops around here. Could it be that the cultivators were sleeping in the wilderness?

Although Qi Qingyao was suspicious, she did not say anything.

When she got to the backyard, she went straight to the toilet. She felt refreshed after she was done. However, the second she came back out, she saw a man waiting at the door of the toilet, which was a little too strange…

Qi Qingyao glanced at the tiger guards around the walls of the inn and thought, ‘If a rank nine could still break in with so many tiger guards around, this is a complete joke!

Qi Qingyao shook her head and was about to move forward when suddenly, her heart thumped wildly. It was as if a cage of invisible palpitations wrapped her entire body, making her feel dizzy. She instinctively arched her back and squatted down.

At the same time.

She was pushed away by someone, which sent her rolling onto the ground.

Qi Qingyao crashed into a wall on one side and the tiger guards quickly reacted…

Qi Qingyao felt somewhat dizzy after the collision. When she blearily came to, she said, “What’s going on?”

The moment she said this, she saw that an arrow was deeply lodged into Li Ruoxuan’s shoulder.

The tiger guards roared.

“Assassins!!”

Zhu Shen was already rushing out of the hall while shouting, “Protect Lady Qi!!”

Li Ruoxuan covered his left shoulder and glanced somewhere in the distance. He said to Zhu Shen and Qi Qingyao, “Both of you head into the building first.”

“Your Excellency!!” Zhu Shen exclaimed.

Li Ruoxuan motioned for him to go in first.

Zhu Shen could only grit his teeth and bark an order, “Protect his Excellency!!”

Several tiger guards surrounded Li Ruoxuan. Only then did Li Ruoxuan recall that he had pushed Qi Qingyuan aside, causing her to tumble to the ground. He looked at the injury on his shoulder and asked Zhu Shen across the group of tiger guards, “How is she? Is she alright?”

Qi Qingyao walked toward the hall and called out to Li Ruoxuan angrily.

“Take care of yourself first.”

The tiger guards and Li Ruoxuan waited for a while, but before the assassin revealed themselves, Li Ruoxuan instructed the tiger guards to disperse. He covered his shoulder and walked to the lobby.

Jiang Yeqian looked at the injured Li Ruoxuan and frowned. If he was a grand master, he should be able to stop an arrow… Did he injure himself to trick everyone?

Zhu Shen roared after Li Ruoxuan came into the hall.

“The State Preceptor is injured! Go look for a doctor quickly!”

The other guests in the hall, “…”

What!!

The man in the eye patch was the State Preceptor!!

S-s-so the group was the State Preceptor and other important figures returning to the capital?

As poor people and common cultivators, they had of course heard rumors about Northern Liang’s ruthless State Preceptor. Who would have expected that someone would try to assassinate the State Preceptor today!

Who the hell was it?!

Have they gone mad?

If they were caught, their entire family would be cut into pieces.

No…

Wait a minute.

As guests at the inn, would they be suspected of having something to do with the assassin?

The guests suddenly thought that they should leave as soon as possible!

Otherwise, they might even get killed by the guards.

Lu Yan frowned as he looked at the injured Li Ruoxuan. Thinking of Qi Qingyao’s words from the other day, he thought with a frown, ‘A grand master couldn’t stop an arrow? Is he messing with us?!’ Not to mention, if Li Ruoxuan really was a great master, he must have been able to sense the assassin nearby.

So there was no point for someone to attempt an assassination!

Could it be a self-orchestrated ruse?

After Zhu Shen shouted, Qi Qingyao said helplessly, “I’m a doctor.” These were entirely different matters. If she did not save him now, she would get her revenge, but the fact was that even if she did not help him, he would not die. It was just an arrow to the shoulder…

However, how could he have gotten hurt? This guy should be a grand master. Did he set this up himself? Based on her and Lu Yan’s analysis from the other day, he should be on guard against Gongsun She’s sneak attack! This arrow was likely shot by that rank nine he was talking about.

Rank nine… Arrow? Was it the same rank-nine archer who tried to assassinate her last time?!

The assailant had aimed at her and Li Ruoxuan pushed her aside, resulting in his injury…

Zhu Shen hurriedly supported the pale-lipped Li Ruoxuan to Qi Qingyao and said seriously, “His Excellency protected you from injury. Please do your best to save him.”

Qi Qingyao said, “Bring him back to his room first, then get everyone to remain where they are on standby. We will not be departing this morning in the meantime.”

She seemed to be giving orders. After that, she even ignored the captain of the tiger guards…

The captain blinked, a little confused, and instinctively looked at Jiang Yeqian, who was still on crutches.

Jiang Yeqian was, after all, the former Head Grand Secretariat. He gave a small nod.

The tiger guard expressed his understanding and strengthened the patrol around the inn.

Zhe Shen supported Li Ruoxuan into the room. Qi Qingyao looked at Li Ruoxuan who was lying on the bed, his complexion and lips pale, his forehead covered in fine sweat.

She said coldly.

“Don’t pretend to be dead!”

Li Ruoxuan opened his eyes and licked his chapped lips. He covered his shoulder and said, “At any rate, I saved you. Why aren’t you pulling out the arrow yet? Do you want me to die from the pain?”

“…” Was it really an attempt on her life?

Qi Qingyao was conflicted for a while, then she said, “This is for saving me.” She still needed this man when they returned to Northern Liang, otherwise she would not be able to do anything when Gongsun She came to take Erniu away.

Qi Qingyao weighed the situation.

Then she had Zhu Shen bring the medicine box from the carriage.

“The arrowhead is very deep, you’ll have to endure a little.” Before Qi QIngyao pulled the arrow out, she first prised open the robes covering his shoulder and checked how deep the wound was. Qi Qingyao was silent for a moment before she shouted at the room door, “Jiang…Head Grand Secretariat! Come here for a bit.”

Jiang Yeqian took his sweet time walking in.

Qi Qingyao offered him a seat and motioned for Jiang Yeqian to sit down. “You, pull out the arrow for him.”

Jiang Yeqian glanced coldly at the guy on the bed who orchestrated this whole scene. “Why should I help him?” Na Lanjie tried to assassinate him but now, he took credit for saving her… F*ck it, he was really meticulous!

“I owe him my life.” Qi QIngyao scratched her head and said, “When the archer tried to assassinate me the last time, Lu Yan was there to cover me. They came trying to assassinate me again this time and the State Preceptor saved this life of mine. Actually, you also owe me quite a bit. So, please pull the arrow out.”

Jiang Yeqian said sulkily, “Don’t you have hands?”

Qi Qingyao answered calmly, “I’m not strong enough. I’m afraid I won’t be able to pull it out and will instead cause massive bleeding.”

“…” Jiang Yeqian took a deep breath. Putting his crutch aside, he clenched his teeth and shouted, “Li Ruoxuan!!”

Then he pulled the arrow out.

“Hngh!!”

Li Ruoxuan spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

Jiang Yeqian ignored the blood flowing from the man’s shoulder. He threw the arrow aside and wiped his hand with a white handkerchief.

After that, he got up slowly and left.

Qi Qingyao noted that there was something wrong with Li Ruoxuan’s wound. She checked the arrow and said heavily, “The arrow has been pulled out but the head is poisoned. The toxin is colorless and tasteless. It’s a poison similar to Tendon Weakening Powder, and there’s no antidote. You had better not use your strength in the meantime. I’ll wrap the wound for you, so get some good sleep today.”

With that, she immediately applied the medicine and wrapped up his shoulder neatly.

After that, Li Ruoxuan stood up while cradling his shoulder. He said, “Tell Zhu Shen to organize the convoy, we will depart in a quarter of an hour.”

Qi Qingyao said, “Your wound is very deep. You have to rest for at least half a day.”

Li Ruoxuan’s complexion was ashen as he said, “I’m already injured and I can’t use my strength with this injury. If we stay put, the assailants will conclude that I’m in bad shape. They might even sneak into your room to assassinate you.”

Qi Qingyao, “…”

Li Ruoxuan glanced at the arrow and said, “If it’s Na Lanjie both the last time and this time, then it must be the ghost organization who gave the order to assassinate you. If you stay where you are, and you’re indeed their target…

“If we depart sooner, you’d be a moving quarry and the tiger guards would be following you all the way. You even have extra protection from the carriage. That should prevent anything from happening. Besides, you could make a show of strength…”

…

Qi Qingyao was quiet for a moment before she said, “Since we can’t let you die, we’ll depart later.”

Although Li Ruoxuan made a very good point, Qi QIngyao still felt that there was something wrong. A while later, after they were done packing up, Qi Qingyao said to Lu Yan, “Little Yan, ride the carriage with me.”

“…” Lu Yan’s eyes lit up unconsciously for a second before he pretended to be calm. He replied simply, “Oh.”

“You’re not allowed to,” Jiang Yeqian said firmly.

“Why does the Head Grand Secretariat not allow it?” Lu Yan did not take Jiang Yeqian seriously at all. He added jokingly, “Oh, that’s not right, former… Head Grand Secretariat.”

Jiang Yeqian took a deep breath. He smiled along and said, “Since someone from the ghost organization tried to assassinate Lady Qi today, it would be better if I get into the carriage to accompany Lady Qi.”

Qi Qingyao said loudly, “No need for that!”

Then, she looked at Li Ruoxuan who was being supported into the carriage and said with a smile, “Although the Head Grand Secretariat is crippled, he is at still a rank nine. What you have to do now is to get into the carriage with the State Preceptor so that you can protect him!”

Jiang Yeqian, “…”

Li Ruoxuan was preparing to get on the carriage when he heard this. He was about to refuse, but then he saw that Jiang Yeqian had already agreed with a strange smile before walking toward him!

Jiang Yeqian had wanted to refuse at first, but he also wanted to observe Li Ruoxuan’s condition, so he made use of this opportunity and agreed.

After getting into the carriage, Li Ruoxuan was laying down while Jiang Yeqian was sitting at the side. The two looked at each other warily for a while, the atmosphere in the carriage unprecedentedly awkward.

Li Ruoxuan felt somewhat troubled so he was the first to speak up.

“She doesn’t like you, yet you still try so hard for someone who gives you a cold shoulder. The Head Grand Secretariat is really interesting.”

“You’re half-dead but you still have the time to come at me?” said Jiang Yeqian with a fake smile.

Li Ruoxuan, “Hmph!”

In another carriage.

The triplets knew that someone had just tried to assassinate their mother. They were ridden with anxiety and shook with fear. Erniu kept crying and only stopped after being comforted by Qi Qingyao for a long time.

She was still a little tired after she was done crying and quickly fell asleep while wrapped around Qi Qingyao’s arms.

Dabao and Xiaobao were soon also lulled to sleep by the rocking of the carriage.

Qi Qingyao watched the triplets fall asleep before saying to Lu Yan, “I feel like there was something weird about what happened just now.”

“Tell me more.” Lu Yan sat down opposite her.

Qi Qingyao shook her head thoughtfully for a while before speaking.

“I can’t put my finger on it, but it felt weird. That arrow was more or less the same as the one from the previous attempt on my life. You took that shot and ended up injured for a long time…”

“The arrow today is the same, that means there is only one person—Na Lanjie,” said Lu Yan.

Qi Qingyao frowned and said slowly, “But…the last arrow was not poisonous. There was a special poison on this arrow. It’s a poison that obstructs one from directing their strength!”

“…” The corners of Lu Yan’s eyes were raised and his expression was sharp.

“If it were aimed at me like before, there wouldn’t be any need to poison the arrow,” Qi Qingyao said.

Lu Yan had a guess in his mind but did not want to go there. “Is it possible that it has something to do with Li Ruoxuan and Jiang Yeqian being around you? Maybe the assailant considered that with two rank nines protecting you, they had to poison the arrow as an additional measure, then strike down those two first before dealing with you…”

“…” Qi Qingyao did not say anything but her eyelashes trembled. Her pale hand gently patted Erniu’s back, who was soundly asleep. “Li Ruoxuan was injured on his shoulder. If he really is a grand master, are you sure that a grand master would not be able to stop an arrow from a rank nine archer, even if it was a surprise attack?” She did not believe it.

Lu Yan whispered, “He was injured on the shoulder, which indicates that the target of the arrow would probably be your head if it had hit you. Li Ruoxuan might have just entered the realm of grand master, but catching the arrow of a rank-nine archer should definitely not be a problem.”

“…” Qi Qingyao’s eyebrows drooped.

Lu Yan suddenly thought of something and said, “Didn’t you suspect last time that Si Jin was one of the ghost organization’s? If that’s the case, then the ghost organization wouldn’t be trying to assassinate you!”

“That means that Si Jin is not…” He was not one of the ghost organization’s. The outsiders have misunderstood, including those in Eastern Ling…

“If he has nothing to do with the ghost organization, the last assassination attempt and this one…” Were completely different events. “Is it possible that the ghost organization is not trying to assassinate you this time?” Lu Yan said.

When the ghost organization tried killing Qi Qingyao the first time, they did not know of Si Jin’s existence. As for the second time…they could not possibly do something as stupid as to attempt an assassination when they clearly knew that Qi Qingyao had Si Jin backing her. After all, Si Jin’s strength was that above a grand master! The ghost organization consisted of smart people who sought advantages and avoided any disadvantageous situations.

Qi Qingyao asked, “What do you mean?”

Lu Yan’s eyes were dark as he said, “What if the objective of that arrow was to assassinate Li Ruoxuan?”

Qi Qingyao was slightly stunned. “Why does the ghost organization want to assassinate the State Preceptor all of a sudden?”

Lu Yan frowned and said, “He has just stepped into grand mastership. Didn’t you sell this news to the Head Grand Secretariat? I suspect he became a second dealer and sold the news again. Suppose the ghost organization also knows that Li Ruoxuan might be the new grand master. In that case, they would certainly send some elites to check it out. But knowing that Old Man Gongsun is nearby, they would not dare try a close-range assassination, They must have assigned an archer to test Li Ruoxuan from a distance, and the best archer in the ghost organization is Na Lanjie…”

Qi Qingyao’s eyes twinkled. She said, “If that’s the case, that would explain why the arrow was aimed at his shoulder and was coated with a medicine that obstructs strength redirection. If they were after his life, the arrow would have been coated with toxic poison!”

The ghost organization might have found out that Li Ruoxuan ascended from a second-hand merchant, so they sent someone to gauge his strength. However, Li Ruoxuan might also have realized this and gambled that no one else knew about him, so he figured he should put on a facade and take on the arrow directly…

They considered this possibility.

Qi Qingyao and Lu Yan looked at each other.

They both sighed.

If it really was Li Ruoxuan’s ruse…then he had played a big one.

…

…

Night.

After everyone else had settled in an inn to rest, Jiang Yeqian quietly snuck out of the city where they were staying.

He went to a small grove outside the city.

Looking at the young man sitting in the middle of the tree, Jiang Yeqian said, “You are really a failure.”

“I hit the grand master. How is that a failure?” Na Lanjie smiled, very pleased with himself.

“That’s his ruse, you fool!” Jiang Yeqian said angrily.

Na Lanjie said, “The State Preceptor letting himself get hurt cannot be some premeditated decision.”

Jiang Yeqian, “…”

Na Lanjie said disapprovingly, “There is also a grand master following behind me who wants to kill him. The poison I applied on my arrow will stop him from being able to direct his strength for these few days. Now Li Ruoxuan is just like an ordinary person… Weak! Anyone could kill him now! Do you think Li Ruoxuan would be so stupid that he would allow himself to get into this situation? He just became a grand master and his strength was insufficient, that’s why he couldn’t stop my arrow!”

Jiang Yeqian, “…” Was it really not a self orchestrated ruse? Was he simply too weak?

…

…

…

Lying on the bed inside the inn, Li Ruoxuan slept soundly that night. He even had a dream. In the dream…he saw Qi Qingyao, she was speaking to him in the dream.

“You saved my life, so I’ll write off the fact that you killed my sister and her entire family.”

Li Ruoxuan was shocked awake by this straightforward dream and woke up in a cold sweat.. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and convinced himself that he had deliberately allowed himself to be injured, yes… However, Qi Qingyao did not seem to be easily fooled!