Chapter 480: Struck ???

“Gu Qingcheng” thought for a moment, then rummaged through her bag of holding and finally found a mask, which she put on. Qiao Ni didn’t understand Ye Wenxin’s intentions but still expressed her thanks. She took Ye Wenxin’s hand, and led her out of the darkness.

Immediately, they attracted the attention of those around them.

Same place, different identity. However, when facing the crowd, Ye Wenxin could only appear as a stranger. Madam Yu, overwhelmed with emotion, wanted to rush forward to check on Qiao Ni.

Due to her overeagerness, her body swayed slightly.

Seeing her mother on the verge of fainting, Qiao Ni hurried over in worry. “Gu Qingcheng” hesitated to assist, not wanting to expose her identity through too much contact, but Qiao Ni tripped. With a resigned smile, “Gu Qingcheng” had no choice but to wrap one arm around Qiao Ni and use the other to support Madam Yu.

Madam Yu’s body was frail, yet still retained a certain plumpness. As “Gu Qingcheng” reached out, she could feel the softness and smoothness of her skin. Madam Yu’s face showed panic again, as if she were afraid of someone touching her. However, when she saw that “Gu Qingcheng” was dressed as a woman, she relaxed, and offered a quick word of thanks before anxiously turning to check on Qiao Ni.

Qiao Ni, feeling guilty, berated herself for running off and causing her mother so much worry. While the mother and daughter shared a moment, Jin Xiaoqin also stepped out, hurriedly asking for news about Ye Wenxin’s whereabouts.

The inn was small—so small that it could be taken in with just a glance. “Gu Qingcheng” was standing there, but couldn’t reveal that she was actually Ye Wenxin, and it was frustrating. Yet, because Qiao Ni had appeared, half of the search party left, while the remaining group continued to look for Ye Wenxin.

“Gu Qingcheng” stood silently beside them until the tender moment between the mother and daughter passed. When Madam Yu finally turned her gaze toward her, there was no gratitude in her eyes—only wariness.

“May I ask, how did you happen upon Ni Ni, miss?” Madam Yu, being naturally cautious, couldn’t possibly believe “Gu Qingcheng” had rescued Qiao Ni.

“Gu Qingcheng” had expected this question. She slowly opened her mouth and replied, “I was just passing by and happened to see this little one looking for someone.”

Madam Yu glanced at Qiao Ni suspiciously, and Qiao Ni sheepishly explained, “Mother, you were gone for a long time, so I got worried, and went looking for you nearby. That’s when I met this kind-hearted sister who brought me back.”

Madam Yu remained suspicious, clearly not believing Qiao Ni’s explanation. However, with “Gu Qingcheng” present, she couldn’t say much, so she pulled Qiao Ni aside to discuss the matter further.

But Madam Yu noticed that “Gu Qingcheng” was following them.

Unable to help herself, Madam Yu took another long look at “Gu Qingcheng”. This time, as their gazes met, Madam Yu felt like she had seen those eyes somewhere before.

“Xin’er?”

Madam Yu recalled the familiar person she had recently seen and instinctively reached out to touch “Gu Qingcheng’s” cheek. Startled, “Gu Qingcheng” quickly took a step back, afraid that Madam Yu might remove her mask, only to see someone entirely different underneath.

“Mother, she’s not Sister Wenxin. I’ve seen her face—she’s just a little less beautiful than you,” Qiao Ni said with a smile, trying to ease the tension between the two. Since “Gu Qingcheng” hadn’t mentioned anything about what happened that night, Qiao Ni naturally wanted to help her get through this delicate situation.

“Oh, is that so? I apologize for mistaking you for my other daughter,” Madam Yu said, though her eyes remained fixed on “Gu Qingcheng”, as if staring hard enough would peel off the mask. “By the way, since you were wandering outside, did you happen to see a neatly-dressed girl?”

 “Gu Qingcheng” shook her head, aware that Madam Yu had sensed something. She stepped back slightly, putting more distance between them, and replied in a cold tone, “Haven’t seen her.”

Madam Yu showed a hint of worry. “I really don’t know how Xin’er is doing. No, I must go and look for her with the others.”

Madam Yu seemed a bit anxious. It wasn’t clear if something else had happened with Liu Churan, or if she was simply concerned for Ye Wenxin’s safety. Either way, “Gu Qingcheng” had no intention of revealing her true identity. Qiao Ni was worried that her mother’s health wouldn’t be able to handle the strain, so she tried to persuade Madam Yu to go back and rest.

But Madam Yu wasn’t willing to listen, and was even more perplexed why “Gu Qingcheng” was still present.

She subtly asked her to leave. “Miss, while I appreciate you bringing Ni Ni back, this inn only accepts cultivators. If you wish to stay, you’ll need to inform the innkeeper.”

Qiao Ni looked at “Gu Qingcheng”, who in turn was looking at Qiao Ni. “Gu Qingcheng” wanted to explain that they were bound together, but the situation was so bizarre, that she didn’t know how to start.

Qiao Ni was even more worried, so she asked Madam Yu to let “Gu Qingcheng” stay.

“Mother, this sister is very skilled. Many of our guards went out with the search group and haven’t returned yet. This sister happens to be looking for work.  Why not have her stay with us and give her a chance?” Qiao Ni shared her thoughts, but Madam Yu found it even harder to understand.

However, perhaps this way, Qiao Ni might not cling so much to Ye Wenxin, she nodded and said, “That’s fine. The ones accompanying us this time are all male disciples, which makes certain matters inconvenient. What about you, miss? How do you feel about this?”

“Gu Qingcheng” naturally had no objections, so she nodded and began discussing her salary with Madam Yu. This would also give her a legitimate role by Madam Yu’s side. However, she didn’t know how to resolve the pull between the Yin-Yang Pearls.

Fortunately, Madam Yu had a large room, and with Qiao Ni’s help, “Gu Qingcheng” was reluctantly able to enter. Madam Yu had a reserved personality, and she especially found it strange that “Gu Qingcheng” wore a mask.

Qiao Ni had quickly fallen asleep, while Madam Yu couldn’t sleep no matter what. She wanted to drive “Gu Qingcheng” out of the room, but “Gu Qingcheng” simply couldn’t leave.

She couldn’t be more than three meters away from Qiao Ni, and there couldn’t be any obstacles between them, as an invisible force constantly pulled them together.

Ye Wenxin could only smile wryly and bluff her way through Madam Yu’s questioning. Eventually, Madam Yu gave up and fell asleep, exhausted.

Quiet returned to the room. “Gu Qingcheng” glanced at the two sleeping figures and sat by the bedside, holding a decorative long sword in her hand.

There were bright lights outside, and Ye Wenxin’s hearing was sharp enough that she could even make out Jin Xiaoqin cursing in the distance.