After they entered.
Gu Shanshan wanted to follow them upstairs but was obstructed by Gu Cheng.
Zhu Shen thought about it for a bit and did not go along either. After all, the more people there were, the more they would get in the way.
He thought for a while and called for someone to inform the State Preceptor about this.
Qi Qingyao followed Gongsun She up the building alone…
When Gongsun She opened the door, Pang Juan’s gaze swept over and the pressure in the room suddenly dropped marginally. The tit-for-tat confrontation between the two powerhouses made the air thicker and Erniu was completely overwhelmed by the pressure that she coughed. Pang Juan noticed Erniu was affected and quickly retracted his breath.
Gongsun She also noticed the little girl, then smiled and greeted Pang Juan, “Old friend.”
“Gongsun She.”
Pang Juan purposely caressed Erniu’s head as he spoke.
Erniu widened her eyes. She looked toward the outside of the door and at a glance, saw the person in the corridor behind the old man. Erniu jumped down the chair and went running toward the door, rushing like a little bullet into Qi Qingyao’s arms. “Mommy!”
“Erniuniu!~~~~” Qi Qingyao’s tightly-clenched heart finally calmed down.
Gongsun She was very pleased with this outcome and said a little triumphantly, “I’ve already helped you rescue your daughter.”
“Then our bet is considered to be fulfilled.”
Qi Qingyao carried Erniu and prepared to head downstairs. She said shortly, “See you again, never.”
Pang Juan was stunned by this series of events. When he returned to his senses, he shouted lightly.
“Stand there.”
Qi Qingyao’s lifted feet paused in mid-motion. She could not even move—all she could feel was genuine killing intent from behind her. Locked to the spot, it felt as if her head would get sliced off if she took another step.
Pang Juan picked up the tea bowl, an odd smile on his face as he said, “Did I allow you to leave?”
When Gongsun She felt Pang Juan’s killing intent had condensed, he patted Qi Qingyao’s shoulder casually. Qi Qingyao instantly felt relieved from the pressure suffocating her body. She hugged her Erniu and hid behind Gongsun She, arrogantly saying, “Old man, you promised to save my daughter. Now this old pervert is refusing to let my daughter go, so you are responsible for killing him.”
“Old…pervert…” Pang Juan, who had been called an old pervert out of nowhere, almost choked on his spit. He had some idea of where the little girl got her intelligence from, not to mention her wit. He made an inviting gesture to signal Qi Qingyao to come in and talk. Naturally, Qi Qingyao refused.
The group stood outside in the corridor across the threshold of the door, leading many of the guests out in the corridor to look at them curiously. They all seemed to be wondering, ‘What are these old men doing?’
Pang Juan sighed. “Forget it, let me introduce myself formally. I’m Pang Juan from Daliang City.”
Across the pillar next to Gongsun She, Qi Qingyao said sarcastically, “An old man rushed into my room in the middle of the night to kidnap my daughter, and this is the so-called grand master! How embarrassing.”
“I just…” Pang Juan wanted to explain.
Qi Qingyao asked forcingly, “You what?”
Erniu grabbed Qi Qingyao’s sleeve and said in a small voice, “Mommy, he said I have a lot of talent and wants to take me as his disciple.”
Qi Qingyao caressed Erniu’s head and said soothingly, “Don’t listen to this old pervert’s nonsense. This old pervert must have developed malicious intent after he saw how cute and pretty my daughter is!”
With “old pervert” being her every other referral, Pang Juan’s dignity was taking a beating and it made him feel as if he had lost his face. He said with a dark expression, “So you’re the recently reputable Qi Qingyao of Qingzhou City.”
Qi Qing’s eyebrows rose, her voice cold as she said, “You are Mr. Pang Juan, the reputable grand master of Daliang City back in the day.”
Pang Juan, “…”
He breathed in deeply, trying to restrain his fierce expression, and then squeezed out a trace of an awkward smile.
Pang Juan explained, “I earnestly want to take her as my disciple.”
Here this old man went again!
Qi Qingyao rolled her eyes.
Gongsun She, however, glanced at the little girl in Qi Qingyao’s arms after Pang Juan had piqued his curiosity.
“Does she really have the innate skill?”
Gongsun She instinctively wanted to pull Erniu’s little hand. “Come, let me touch your hand.”
Before he could feel anything, Qi Qingyao drew her hand and smacked him.
Qi Qingyao cursed, “You’re all perverts.”
“I just want to see if her pressure points are open,” Gongsun She said, aggrieved.
Qi Qingyao did not dare believe this.
Gongsun She swore he was not a pervert, then took the chance to grab Erniu’s little hand. Gongsun She closed his eyes, pinching the little girl’s arms. Before long, Gongsun She’s expression had changed into one of disbelief as he opened his eyes. “It really is true, all seventeen of her pressure points are open! This level of innate talent…”
This was really unbelievable.
He had only opened fifteen points back in the day.
It was said that those who had seventeen points opened were a rarity.
This child truly had unparalleled innate talent.
Gongsun She immediately tried to grab this disciple for himself. “Lady, you met me first. I also helped you save your daughter. Let’s talk this over, you let me take her as a disciple. What do you think?”
Qi Qing rolled her eyes at the old man, “…”
First he said she was some fated person and now he was saying that her daughter had incredible innate talent.
Gu Shanshan had, at some time, dragged Gu Cheng up the stairs to watch from there. They heard the commotion and she murmured, “Why are they all accepting disciples now?”
Qi Qingyao said to herself, “Let me think about the current situation.”
Gu Shanshan shouted at Qi Qingyao, “The situation is that we should eat first!! We’ve been up and about since early in the morning. I haven’t eaten a bite and I’m almost starving to death.”
Qi Qingyao took the opportunity and said, “Then let’s head down to eat first.”
Without giving Gongsun She nor Pang Juan the chance to refuse, she carried Erniu and ran to Gu Shanshan’s side. The moment they walked to the crowd, the two old men had to watch their image.
They did not dare do anything recklessly.
When she was going downstairs, Qi Qingyao’s legs turned into jelly as she threw Erniu into Gu Cheng’s arms. She held Gu Shanshan’s arm, and the two supported each other as they made their way downstairs. They sat in the hall, picking the centremost seats to settle down.
They needed to be conspicuous and it was best for them to attract other people’s attention.
Then, they would be able to escape easier.
Sure enough, just as the group sat down and ordered their food.
Someone had already recognized Qi Qingyao, the woman who was said to be living in “seclusion”.
“That person looks to be that Qi Qingyao.”
Qi Qingyao felt a click on her heart for a bit.
“I recognize the little fattie beside you, she fought with people the other day at Zuixian Restaurant!!”
Gu Shanshan pursed her lips.
Since Zhu Shen was already standing behind Qi Qingyao, he was also recognized by the interested people who came over.
Those interested individuals were spies of the Zhaixing Administration… They left quietly and quickly passed on information.
When Gongsun She and Pang Juan came down, the dishes were already being served one by one.
Not taking themselves as outsiders, the two old men sat down together with Qi Qingyao.
This incited a lot of intrigued whispers.
“Who are those two oldies, and why do they look like transcendent beings?”
“…”
