CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: SNEAK ATTACK

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

The Zhuo Family, as one of the five great families, has been entrenched in Shangyang City for thousands of years. The main residence is very large, and as guests valued by Zhuo Tingqiu and Zhuo Zhen Song, Gu Qingqing and the others live in a courtyard among the guest accommodations of the Zhuo Family, which is considered top-notch.

"Anping Garden is very close to the Qiufeng Garden where I live. The reason I arranged for you to stay here is because there’s a peach tree in this courtyard. It’s very beautiful, and I think, Geng Geng, you are sure to like it." Zhuo Tingqiu said to Gu Qingqing with a smile as he walked forward.

Hearing this, Gu Qingqing’s eyes lit up. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw the peach tree. Although it shouldn’t have been the season for peach blossoms to be in full bloom, this tree was covered with them, looking extremely beautiful.

Gu Qingqing hurried over and stood under the peach blossom tree. Just then, a breeze blew by, and petals fell from the tree onto her head. She caught a peach blossom, turned around with joy, and her face beamed with a brilliant smile.

Seeing this, Nan Hua and the others all showed a smile on their faces.

The same Nan Hua brothers and Jun Wu, who were initially displeased with Zhuo Tingqiu monopolizing Gu Qingqing’s attention, finally gave Zhuo Tingqiu a somewhat approving look, which left Zhuo Tingqiu feeling both flattered and astonished.

Having been one of the few who had witnessed the battle strength of Nan Hua and the others, Zhuo Tingqiu deeply admired Si Lin, Nan Hua, Mu Chen, and Rong Ye. However, due to Gu Qingqing, Nan Hua and the others were quite cold towards Zhuo Tingqiu, leaving him a bit disappointed. But at this moment, he felt fulfilled.

Zhuo Tingqiu proceeded to show Gu Qingqing around her room. Its arrangement was indeed in line with Gu Qingqing’s preferences, as he had promised, which made Nan Hua and the others even more pleased with Zhuo Tingqiu.

Although Zhuo Tingqiu wanted to stay with Gu Qingqing and the others longer, as the host of this banquet, he had many guests to entertain personally. He stayed for just a while before leaving in a hurry.

"Little Qingqing, you should freshen up and rest a bit first. In the afternoon, we’ll go out and properly explore Shangyang City." This time, Nan Hua was entirely focused on bringing Gu Qingqing out for fun, worried she might be tired. As soon as Zhuo Tingqiu left, he quickly told Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing, hearing they could go out to play, was naturally delighted and nodded immediately.

After helping Gu Qingqing tidy up her room a bit, Nan Hua and the others left her room and went back to their own rooms to organize themselves.

They arrived at the Zhuo Family in the afternoon. After resting for an hour, Gu Qingqing and the others left the Zhuo Family.

Shangyang City may not be as prosperous as Qingfeng City, but it’s comparable to Chasing Cloud City. There are many cultivators and regular people traveling back and forth on the streets, and since it’s near the sea, many sea products can be seen, which Gu Qingqing, having never seen before, found very intriguing.

Nan Hua and the other three had traveled far and wide over the years, seeking to improve their cultivation or find opportunities, and had seen countless things. At this moment, introducing things to Gu Qingqing was effortless, and even Jun Wu, due to his extensive reading, knew quite a bit.

With the four of them as guides, Gu Qingqing enjoyed shopping immensely and even bought some flowers, plants, and trinkets to bring back for Wen Guiyun and Si Lin.

...

In a private room on the second floor of a restaurant in Shangyang City, a woman sat by the window, propping her face with one hand, looking bored at the pedestrians below. Suddenly, she seemed to notice something, her eyes brightened, and then, as if in disbelief, she stood up, rubbed her eyes, and looked downstairs again. After realizing she hadn’t been mistaken, her face was full of surprise.

"Junior Sister, what did you see? Why so excited?" Zhao Yu’er, sitting inside, saw her junior sister’s strange actions, couldn’t help but walk over to her, look down curiously, and ask.

The woman, Zhou Qing, turned her head excitedly upon hearing this, "Senior Sister, I just saw the gentleman and little girl who saved me and Second Uncle in the Ten Thousand Miles Mountains last time."

Having only seen Rong Ye and Gu Qingqing once, that experience left a profound impression on Zhou Qing. If it weren’t for Rong Ye and Gu Qingqing saving them, she and her Second Uncle would have perished under the Lightning Silver Tiger’s claws. She had always wanted to repay Rong Ye and the others, but knowing how vast the Xuantian Continent was, finding them was unlikely, so she merely kept the gratitude in her heart.

When she first caught sight of Rong Ye, she couldn’t quite believe it. It wasn’t until she saw Gu Qingqing beside him that she confirmed it was indeed them, and naturally, she was elated!

Hearing this, Zhao Yu’er was also a bit surprised.

The whole Shangyang Sect knew about Zhou Qing and Zhao Yuan nearly losing their lives to the Lightning Silver Tiger during their training trip in the Ten Thousand Miles Mountains, and that they were saved by a young gentleman and a little girl. Zhao Yuan had speculated that they might be from a Hidden Sect, and everyone was regretful about not being able to meet them. Unexpectedly, they encountered them here in Shangyang City.

"Where are they?" Zhao Yu’er stretched her neck, her eyes quickly scanning the area below.

"They just passed by downstairs and should be exploring elsewhere by now," Zhou Qing said, glancing downstairs and feeling a bit disappointed. Then, something struck her, and her spirit soared, "I must go back to tell Second Uncle and Senior Brother Zhang Qi. Since our benefactor is here, we can surely find them!"

Saying this, Zhou Qing didn’t wait for Zhao Yu’er’s response and started running outside.

"Wait for me, I’ll go with you," Zhao Yu’er shouted as she followed Zhou Qing.

Gu Qingqing and the others were unaware of this incident. After wandering for a while, Nan Hua learned about a restaurant with special features and took Gu Qingqing there for a meal.

The most famous restaurant in Shangyang City was the Spring Crane Building. The chef at Spring Crane Building was a cultivator who pursued the path of culinary arts; the dishes he prepared contained Spiritual Energy, making them very suitable for cultivators. Additionally, the signature dish at Spring Crane Building was a type of fish from the sea called Silver Dragon Fish, which was a fourth-tier demon beast, delicious with tender meat, and no bones, containing rich Spiritual Power; it wasn’t commonly found in the sea, hence highly valuable.

Nan Hua chose to go to Spring Crane Building after learning about this dish.

Due to recent significant events at the Zhuo Family, Shangyang City had seen an increase in visitors. Many sects and families came to Shangyang City, resulting in bustling business for restaurants and inns. Fortunately, due to the high expenses at Spring Crane Building, it wasn’t overly crowded.

As Nan Hua and his group entered Spring Crane Building, they drew attention due to their striking appearances. However, they were accustomed to being observed and remained composed. To allow Gu Qingqing to enjoy the scenery, they chose the second floor of Spring Crane Building, where the space was divided by screens, providing a quiet environment.

After ordering the dishes, Gu Qingqing leaned by the window, watching the people and streets below.

At this moment, footsteps approached from the side, followed by a palm wind suddenly attacking Nan Hua.