Qiu Zhiheng followed Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying to the He Family Old House.
Standing at the entrance to the courtyard, Qiu Zhiheng immediately stopped and shielded Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying behind him.
He silently observed the mansion, noticing something amiss.
Li Banfeng hid in the distance, took out a pair of Silk-pulling Earrings, and gently tapped them twice.
A voice came from the earrings, "Master, awaiting your instructions."
"Listen to their voices."
The Magical Treasure had a Spirit Attribute, and the Silk-pulling Earrings trembled slightly. Li Banfeng clearly heard Monkey Qiu’s conversation with Xiao Yeci.
Monkey Qiu said, "There’s a House Spirit in this house. Its cultivation level isn’t too high, but since this is its home, it’s not easy to deal with."
Xiao Yeci exclaimed in surprise, "Butler Qiu, so Miss Xiao Lan is a Home Cultivation practitioner?"
Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "She isn’t a Home Cultivation practitioner. This isn’t her House Spirit; she’s trapped in this house."
Xiao Yeci quickly protected Lu Chunying and retreated swiftly. "Oh my, it’s an unowned House Spirit! Isn’t that the same as an Evil Spirit?"
Li Banfeng wondered.
Qiu Zhiheng stood at the entrance to the courtyard, motionless for a long time.
His eyes swept over every corner of the yard.
Two cats began to roll around under his gaze.
A group of cats paired off and began playing with each other.
A mouse emerged from a corner and hugged one of the cats.
Another cat, left on its own, clung to a nearby tree and started rubbing against it.
The tree reached out its branches and entangled with another tree.
The other tree reached out its branches and wound around the vines on the western-style house.
The vines intertwined with one another.
At that moment, the emaciated Lu Xiaolan managed to wrench open the French windows forcefully.
"Uncle Qiu, save me!" Lu Xiaolan stuck her head out, saw Monkey Qiu, and called out with all her might.
Qiu Zhiheng looked towards the French windows and peered inside through the less than ten-centimeter opening.
In Xiao Yeci’s eyes, it was pitch black inside the window, and nothing could be seen.
Qiu Zhiheng’s pupils sharply contracted as if he had spotted the House Spirit.
The whole western-style house began to shake slightly. Lu Xiaolan exerted all her strength to pry open the French window and, using the less than twenty-centimeter gap, squeezed her entire body through it.
The vines hanging on the wall attempted to stop her, but they were so tightly entwined with each other that they couldn’t break free.
Having left the western-style house, Lu Xiaolan, no longer concerned with maintaining the decorum of a well-bred lady, ran wildly out of the courtyard and threw herself into Qiu Zhiheng’s arms.
She knew it was inappropriate for her status, but she couldn’t care less at that moment; she just wanted someone to hold her.
But Qiu Zhiheng had no intention of holding her, not just because of Lu Xiaolan’s status, but also because of her predicament.
Even though the lady herself still had no idea what her predicament was.
Qiu Zhiheng politely stepped aside, avoiding Lu Xiaolan’s embrace. Confused, she remembered the propriety between men and women and embarrassingly hugged Xiao Yeci instead.
Although she didn’t know them, since they were here, they must be her saviors.
"Ah..." Xiao Yeci was taken aback by the hug. "Miss Xiao Lan, what’s going on? Please don’t cry, don’t be afraid. You’re out now, right? It’s alright, isn’t it?"
Lu Xiaolan cried for a while, then turned to Qiu Zhiheng and asked, "Uncle Qiu, how did you know I was here? Did my father send you?"
Qiu Zhiheng shook his head, glancing at Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying. "Madam Yeci and Miss Chunying asked me to come. They said you wrote them a letter asking them to come to the He Family Old House to find you."
Madam Yeci?
Miss Chunying?
Who are these people?
Lu Xiaolan was dumbfounded. Looking at Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying, she said, "I didn’t write a letter to you. I don’t know you."
Xiao Yeci frowned upon hearing this. "Miss Xiao Lan, that’s not quite right. We came all this way after receiving your letter asking us to find you. We suffered a lot to find you, and now that we’ve rescued you, you deny knowing us. This behavior isn’t appropriate!"
Lu Chunying tugged at Xiao Yeci’s hand, signaling her to watch her words, as her current manner didn’t quite resemble that of a noble lady.
Lu Xiaolan, still baffled, took the handwritten letter Xiao Yeci offered and examined it. It indeed was her handwriting!
The gist of the letter was that Lu Xiaolan had been searching for her long-lost sister and had finally found a clue. In it, she expressed her hope that Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying would come to the He Family Old House to meet her immediately.
Lu Xiaolan shook her head, letter in hand. "This isn’t a letter I wrote. I truly don’t know you."
Xiao Yeci’s eyes widened. She wanted to curse but couldn’t bring herself to, as it wouldn’t suit her scholarly demeanor. "You, you, you... this really isn’t right! What’s the meaning of this?!"
Lu Xiaolan ignored Xiao Yeci and turned to Qiu Zhiheng. "Uncle Qiu, I need to find someone. His name is Li Banfeng. He’s still in Medicine King Valley, and without a Guide Token, he definitely can’t get out. We must find this person."
Qiu Zhiheng was silent for a moment, then said, "Miss, come with me to Greenwater Bay first. We’ll talk after we return to the residence."
Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "I can’t go back to the residence. My work isn’t finished; I have to find Li Banfeng. Uncle Qiu, please help me."
Qiu Zhiheng didn’t reply.
Lu Xiaolan sighed. "If you won’t help me, I’ll find a way myself."
She had to find Li Banfeng. She had to find the Mysterious Red Life Lotus. She had to give her family an explanation.
This was crucial to her ability to establish herself in the Lu Family in the future!
She turned to leave but was blocked by Monkey Qiu.
Lu Xiaolan was startled. "Uncle Qiu, what do you mean by this?"
Monkey Qiu said expressionlessly, "Miss, you must come back with me to the residence. I can’t control what happens after you return, but I can ensure your safety on this journey."
"Uncle Qiu, what exactly happened?" Lu Xiaolan was somewhat scared. She had thought that after leaving the He Family Old House, there was nothing in this world that could scare her anymore.
But now she was truly afraid. Qiu Zhiheng’s attitude frightened her.
Qiu Zhiheng pulled out a pair of shackles from his robes. "Miss, come back with me. If you don’t heed my advice, I’m afraid you will suffer."
Lu Xiaolan was stunned for a long time and didn’t argue any further.
She knew she was no match for Qiu Zhiheng.
Qiu Zhiheng walked ahead, Lu Xiaolan followed in the middle, with Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying at the very end.
Passing the corner of the alley, Qiu Zhiheng glanced towards the wall; he sensed someone might be there.
Home Cultivation practitioners possessed an innate ability to go unnoticed, but Qiu Zhiheng’s cultivation level was too high, and he detected the faint traces left behind.
After a careful inspection yielded no sign of the person, Qiu Zhiheng continued forward. Lu Xiaolan followed silently, countless questions swirling in her mind.
Li Banfeng stepped out of the Portable Residence and lit a cigarette.
The narrow Threadneedle Alley seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, so oppressive that Li Banfeng could hardly breathe.
Lu Xiaolan was out.
She would reveal everything.
If the Lu Family wanted to obtain the Copper Lotus Flower, they would not let Li Banfeng go.
Fight if he could win, run if he couldn’t.
Could Li Banfeng defeat the Lu Family?
Most likely not.
The Lu Family was the most formidable of the Four Great Families in Puluo State.
Then, he’d run.
But where to?
Without a Guide Token, Li Banfeng couldn’t even get out of Medicine King Valley.
If he stayed in Medicine King Valley, the Lu Family would find him even if they had to dig three feet into the ground.
Jiang Xiang Gang wouldn’t dare. They haven’t posted notices or offered a reward. From start to finish, they haven’t dared to publicize this matter.
The Copper Lotus Flower belonged to He Jiaqing. Jiang Xiang Gang wouldn’t dare to offend the He Family, so they wouldn’t dare to openly snatch the Copper Lotus Flower.
Was the Lu Family afraid of offending the He Family?
Perhaps not, but they also might not wish to publicize it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hired a private detective to deal with him.
If they didn’t want to publicize it, he might still be able to continue hiding in Medicine King Valley.
Reaching Paifang Street, Li Banfeng glanced at Shopkeeper Feng’s Grocery.
Now, all he could hope for was that Shopkeeper Feng would get the Guide Token soon. Twenty million or thirty million, it didn’t matter. Before getting the Guide Token, he needed to find a way to save up more money. Once he had it, he would leave Puluo State immediately.
But another question loomed before Li Banfeng.
Who exactly brought Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying here?
It definitely wasn’t Lu Xiaolan. Other than Li Banfeng, Lu Xiaolan couldn’t contact anyone else. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had to endure being trapped here for so long!
Apart from Lu Xiaolan, who else could it be?
In Yuezhou Second Hospital, Room 302, He Jiaqing, lying on the hospital bed, displayed a slight smile.
He Haisheng, dozing beside the bed, suddenly woke up. He looked at He Jiaqing but noticed nothing abnormal.
Yet, he felt as if He Jiaqing had just moved.