The elder Tianji, regardless of his relationship with them, maintained a kind tone despite his helplessness, offering good counsel from the side.
Su Muqing had finally had enough. She spoke to the two with a distinctly unfriendly tone, "I say, the two of you, we don't seem to be acquainted, do we? So, no matter if what we are discussing is some earth-shattering secret or just idle chit-chat, what business is it of yours? If you insist on lingering here and not leaving, what do you want?"
Seeing that Su Muqing was giving them no face at all, even calling them persistent hangers-on, Huo Qixiao couldn't help but put on a displeased expression. "You country bumpkin, how utterly rude and wild you are! Have you no manners?"
Su Muqing looked at him with ice-cold eyes. "If I don't want unrelated people to hear my private affairs, I'm considered rude and wild? Then if you insist on prying into people's private matters, that's your so-called city folk's good upbringing! You're ungrateful! Before I lose my temper, leave on your own accord. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing you what true rudeness and wildness are!"
As Su Muqing spoke, she gathered lightning in her palm. If not for the fact that they were juniors whom Elder Tianji cared about, she would have already driven them out with a strike. Would she have bothered with so much nonsense?
Chu Ruo Qiao and Huo Qixiao were both immensely surprised after seeing Su Muqing display this skill. Who exactly was this person? Judging by her voice, she shouldn't be very old. When did such a figure appear in the martial world?
Seeing that Su Muqing was truly angry, Elder Tianji, thinking of her relationship with Chu Ruo Qiao, did not want the two sisters to fall out too badly and quickly stepped in to mediate.
Elder Tianji put on a serious face and his tone towards Chu Ruo Qiao and the others became slightly sterner. "Ruo Qiao, no fooling around. You two go down and rest for a while."
Seeing Elder Tianji's displeased expression, Chu Ruo Qiao changed her tune. "Alright! Grandpa Tianji, please don't be angry. It's Ruo Qiao who was ignorant. Ruo Qiao will apologize to elder sister now."
After speaking, Chu Ruo Qiao put on a pitiful expression, her face filled with grievance. She bowed gracefully towards Su Muqing, her affected demeanor as if Su Muqing had forced her to bow and admit fault.
Su Muqing rolled her eyes at her clearly fake act. Elder Tianji saw this and waved his hand at her. Only then did Chu Ruo Qiao cover her face with a handkerchief and run out.
"Hmph! Utterly incomprehensible. Sister Ruo Qiao, Sister Ruo Qiao, wait for me..." Huo Qixiao, seeing Chu Ruo Qiao leave in anger, gave Su Muqing and the others a heavy, cold snort. Then, flicking his sleeves, he strode out in pursuit.
Phew! The annoying people were finally gone. Su Muqing and the others then took off their masks.
Everyone then saw that there was an ice-blue mark near the corner of Su Muqing's eye. And whether it was their imagination or not, they felt that Su Muqing seemed to have become even more beautiful.
Su Cuiping circled her, observing her. "Muqing, why do I feel like you've become even more beautiful? Do you have some secret you're not telling us?"
Lin Rongrong also looked at her with admiration. "Yes! I feel the same way."
Su Muqing raised her hand and touched the Phoenix Feather mark near the corner of her eye. She guessed it was probably because of this.
Pushing away the two faces that were scrutinizing her, she spread out her palms. On them lay two pills. "These are for you! These are top-grade pills for beauty and complexion. After taking them, I guarantee you'll become even more beautiful!"
Su Cuiping and Lin Rongrong each took a pill. They then excitedly kissed her on both cheeks. "Thank you, Muqing / Thank you, Sister Mumu!" The third one just watched with a silly grin from the side.
After their playful banter, everyone started discussing business. Elder Tianji stared intently at Gongsun Zan, who sat as steady as a mountain.
"Old Tianji, I am an old friend of Qing'er and the others, and I know Lu boy's situation. The reason I rushed here when I heard about the Ice Ling Grass was also for Lu boy. So you don't need to think about driving me away, and I won't leave." Gongsun Zan looked at Elder Tianji with a proud expression, even gripping the back of the chair tightly as he spoke, starting to act shamelessly.
Elder Tianji pointed at Gongsun Zan. "You, you! You truly haven't changed in all these years. If it weren't for your superb medical skills, with your rogue nature, you'd probably have been beaten to death long ago... By the way! We've been chatting for so long, I still don't know the distinguished names of you young friends?"
"My name is Su Muqing, this is my cousin Su Cuiping, and my sworn sister Lin Rongrong." After introducing the women, Su Muqing looked towards Lu Yuzhi. She would leave the introduction of his people to him.
Lu Yuzhi bowed to Elder Tianji. Then he said, "Senior, greetings. I am Huo Qiyuan. These are my guards. Leng Ren, Leng Feng, Leng Kui, Leng Si, Leng Yan, Leng Jun, Leng Mie, Leng Xiao, Leng Xun, Leng Nuo."
"The Leng Army of the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion, I have also heard a little... Young friend Su, Young Master Huo, young friends. Please!" Elder Tianji bowed to Su Muqing and Huo Qiyuan, then invited them to take the main seats.
Su Muqing got straight to the point and asked, "Senior Tianji, what do you know?"
Elder Tianji sighed heavily, then said with a grave expression, "What I know all comes from Master Bujie. The Master told me when he was about to perish that the Dayu Dynasty would face many calamities in twenty years. If a protector could be found within twenty years, perhaps it could still be saved. Otherwise, once the time passes, the world will fall into chaos and the people will suffer. This is the peril!"
Su Muqing listened to his words, which were similar to what Feng Shen had said. It was indeed a script written by Bujie. "Then Senior Tianji, have you told this matter to anyone else?"
"Only the current abbot of Daguo Temple, Master Zhikong, and I know about this matter. Master Bujie had instructed the two of us. We were not to easily tell others about this matter before the protector appeared. Therefore, I have never spoken of it to anyone." Elder Tianji's answer was firm.
Su Muqing couldn't help but frown. "To be honest, a while ago, I heard a sentence from Chen Dahe, the magistrate of Shiqiao County. The legitimate daughter of the Chu family carries the destiny of a dragon. At that time, his entire family was killed by his master, and he only had a breath left. After those people left, I went up and asked who his master was. He told me this sentence."
Elder Tianji frowned after hearing Su Muqing's words.
"Twenty years ago, Master Bujie left me a poem. The content of the poem was:
The Chu family's daughter, her fate unknown,
A visitor from another world, with a phoenix soul.
Destined to a dragon, the empire aids,
The world bows, the Empress of Ten Thousand Phoenixes.
Hearing Elder Tianji recite the poem, Su Muqing couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. This Bujie was truly a scriptwriter. No novelist could write as well as he could!
Everyone else looked at Su Muqing in unison. The meaning was now very clear: Su Muqing was the protector. Then what did the Chu family daughter mean?
"Who knew that just over a decade ago, a saying suddenly circulated among the populace: The Chu family has a daughter, her destiny carries the dragon. Thus, the eyes of the world turned towards the Chu family of the Duke's Mansion. The old Duke, considering various factors, sent his two granddaughters away. Who knew that an accident occurred on the road. The elder granddaughter was injured, and the younger granddaughter was abducted, and her whereabouts remain unknown to this day." Elder Tianji finished speaking and looked at Su Muqing.
Su Muqing pointed at herself. "You mean, I am the younger granddaughter of the Chu family?"
Elder Tianji nodded. "Ten to one."
Su Muqing rubbed her chin, falling into thought. Whether she was the Chu family's granddaughter or not, she didn't care that much. All of this was fabricated by Bujie anyway.
However, Elder Tianji also said that it wasn't the two of them who leaked the information. Then who exactly spread that word back then?
Su Muqing re-evaluated the situation. Bujie had set two twenty-year periods. She didn't arrive in time the first time, so Bujie modified it again...
Could it be that in this small world, there was another reborn person? If that were the case, then everything would make sense.