Chapter 479: Hindered Tiger

Qiao Ni told her she was a petty thief from a single-parent family, forced to steal because of poverty and her mother’s critical illness. “Gu Qingcheng” thought Qiao Ni was being a bit bold, but if Qiao Ni had claimed she was sneaking out in the middle of the night to have an affair, that would have been harder for anyone to believe.

Perhaps it was the amiable expression on Gu Qingcheng’s face that made Qiao Ni spill even more of her story, to the point where it felt like she might as well have the words “I am very pitiful” written across her forehead. “Gu Qingcheng” listened in silence for a while, feeling that Qiao Ni’s tale was getting longer and longer. Since she still needed to meet with Fairy Fengya, she finally said, “Sorry, I have other things to attend to. I’ll listen to the rest of your story if I see you next time.”

Gu Qingcheng waved the mask in her hand, hinting that she, too, wasn’t exactly a good person. Qiao Ni’s eyes sparkled, and she gaped. “So you’re in the same line of work?”

Gu Qingcheng inwardly sighed, thinking it would be too boring to reveal her real name and identity, so she simply glossed over the topic. Qiao Ni still didn’t want to leave, looking aggrieved as she said, “How about you take me around for a bit, sister? My mother isn’t in a good mood today and went out in the middle of the night.”

This surprised “Gu Qingcheng”. So much had happened tonight, yet Madam Yu still chose to go out. After thinking for a moment, she figured that Madam Yu probably knew something about Liu Churan’s actions. She likely went out this late to meet Liu Churan for a discussion.

“Gu Qingcheng” suddenly felt reluctant to meet Liu Churan. However, since Fairy Fengya had already agreed, it would be wasteful not to use such a ready pawn.

“Gu Qingcheng” hesitated a little.

“Sister, take me out to have some fun.”

Qiao Ni continued tugging at “Gu Qingcheng’s” sleeve. For some reason, the more she looked at Ye Wenxin, the closer she felt to her. Normally, no matter how beautiful a woman might be, Qiao Ni would never act so out of character. But this time, something was different. The feeling of familiarity reminded her of Ye Wenxin.

Even if she went to find Ye Wenxin tonight, there would be no progress. So Qiao Ni decided she would rather hang out with this beautiful woman in front of her. Let Madam Yu and Ye Wenxin worry for a while.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you off?”

“Gu Qingcheng” couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a bit worried about Qiao Ni’s future. With the girl’s welcoming nature, bad men would easily deceive her in the future.

“Hehehe, if you really wanted to harm me, would you need to waste so many words? I’m just a mere mortal, but you are clearly a cultivator, sister.”

Qiao Ni’s confidence wasn’t baseless. “Gu Qingcheng” smiled again. Qiao Ni thought she would agree, but in the blink of an eye, “Gu Qingcheng” had already disappeared without a trace.

Stunned and a little angry, Qiao Ni stood there, unwilling to give up so easily. She cautiously climbed back out the window and saw two figures in the distance, one in black and one in white. Rubbing her eyes, Qiao Ni tried to shout in a threatening tone, hoping to force “Gu Qingcheng” to take her along for some mischief, no matter what.

“Gu Qingcheng” noticed Qiao Ni’s little scheme and helplessly reappeared in front of her, intending to knock her out. Startled, Qiao Ni immediately adopted a defensive stance. It seemed that this movement triggered some sort of protection, as a golden light suddenly enveloped Qiao Ni’s body. “Gu Qingcheng” thought the blinding light would soon attract attention. Left with no choice, she quickly grabbed Qiao Ni and fled.

Fairy Fengya, who was still waiting, seemed somewhat confused. She paused for a moment, then simply sat back down, waiting for “Gu Qingcheng” to come back and call for them to head out.

However, “Gu Qingcheng” couldn’t free herself. As they tried to leave, Ye Wenxin discovered something troubling—there was a powerful force pulling her and Qiao Ni together, constantly drawing them toward each other.

Whenever “Gu Qingcheng” tried to put a few meters between her and Qiao Ni, the mysterious force would pull them right back together. She tried many times, but the result was always the same. Qiao Ni, on the other hand, appeared relaxed, finding it rather amusing.

“Gu Qingcheng” was frustrated. She guessed that when she had tried to deal with Qiao Ni earlier, it must have triggered a seal that Madam Yu had placed on Qiao Ni. However, if it were truly a seal, it should be protecting Qiao Ni, not binding the two of them together. This strange situation made Ye Wenxin consider another possibility.

The Yin-Yang Pearls came as a pair. If Madam Yu used the Yin Pearl to conceive Qiao Ni, then could it be possible that she gave the Yang Pearl to Qiao Ni to counteract the condition their shared bloodline would cause?

This idea prompted “Gu Qingcheng” to take another careful look at Qiao Ni. Qiao Ni still appeared relaxed and carefree, showing no sign of noticing anything unusual about her body. She curiously glanced around, clearly doubting there was anything worth stealing in this remote area.

“Are we going to rob someone here?” Qiao Ni asked, confused. From the looks of it, the place didn’t seem like a location where anyone would pass through. But “Gu Qingcheng” couldn’t tell Qiao Ni that she was going to hassle Liu Churan. The girl had a good relationship with her aunt, and if “Gu Qingcheng” made a move, it would likely scare Qiao Ni half to death.

The best course of action, it seemed, was to do nothing and wait until this strange situation resolved itself. When “Gu Qingcheng” turned to check their surroundings, she saw Qiao Ni naturally being pulled back toward her again.

Qiao Ni, who was only 1.4 meters tall, seemed so small. Seeing that it was hopeless to separate from her, “Gu Qingcheng” decided to carry Qiao Ni and keep moving. She planned to meet up with Fairy Fengya first, and see if she could knock Qiao Ni unconscious.

The two continued walking along the road and soon reached the inn. What had been a quiet place earlier was now brightly lit, as Madam Yu anxiously led people to search everywhere for Qiao Ni. Fairy Fengya still sat there, completely unconcerned, while “Gu Qingcheng” revealed an even more bitter expression.

Qiao Ni wanted to rush out and tell Madam Yu that she was fine, but “Gu Qingcheng’s” identity made things too awkward. Not only was she the Demon Lord, but she also had a romantic past with Madam Yu. If she appeared now, it would be disastrous no matter how things unfolded.

Seeing that Qiao Ni was about to call out to her mother, “Gu Qingcheng” instinctively pulled her back and said, “Little brat, didn’t you want to hang out? How about this: let’s play a game with your mother.”

“Gu Qingcheng” tried to lure Qiao Ni into mischief, hoping to buy more time to deal with their troublesome situation, but Qiao Ni wasn’t falling for it.

“Sister, I must go to my mother. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal your identity. I’ll just tell her I’m fine.”

Even though “Gu Qingcheng” was the elder, Qiao Ni was the one persuading her. Her eyes were filled with impatience. She was evidently worried that Madam Yu might faint from anxiety.