webnovelvip Chapter 96 I Came for Jiang Qingxue
Chapter 96 I Came for Jiang Qingxue
The warm afternoon sun shines obliquely into the windows of "Bamboo Retreat," and the light and shadow move slowly on the rosewood floor.
Cao Wei put the last few yellowed ancient books into his cloth bag, and as his fingers ran along the spines of the books, he suddenly paused.
The sudden attack from a few days ago flashed through his mind.
At the time, he thought it was just a routine pursuit by enemies from the martial arts world or henchmen of the imperial court, but now, after learning that Qingxue had entered the palace, he thought about it...
The timing is too coincidental.
Not long after Jiang Qingxue entered the palace, she was attacked.
A chilling thought crept up my spine like a venomous snake:
—Could these two things be part of the same game?
If the people who attacked him were specifically after his identity as a "remnant of the Moonlit Kingdom"...
Wasn't Qingxue already being watched by someone while she was in the palace?
Is her current so-called "favor" a blessing or a curse?
Or was it... a carefully crafted trap?
"hiss……"
Cao Wei gasped, his aged fingers trembling slightly.
He forced himself to calm down and repeatedly considered the matter:
Qingxue's identity is extremely secretive; apart from a few core members of the Xu family, no one in the world should know it.
Even he himself only finally confirmed it by relying on a "crescent-shaped jade pendant" that the late emperor had entrusted to him when he was young.
But what if something goes wrong within the Xu family?
Or... that ambitious young man, Xu Longxiang, deliberately revealed Qingxue's identity to the emperor for some "great cause" in exchange for some benefit?
Thinking of this, Cao Wei felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He could no longer sit still. He quickly tied the cloth bag tightly, slung it over his shoulder, and turned to push open the door and leave.
—We must go to the capital immediately!
Even if it's just to confirm Qingxue's safety, even if it means venturing into a den of dragons and tigers!
But just as his fingertips touched the door—
"Are you leaving already, sir?"
A clear and calm voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
Cao Wei trembled violently!
He had cultivated for decades, and his true energy had long since reached a state of perfection. His five senses were as sharp as an eagle's, and he could sense even the falling leaves and flying flowers within a radius of ten feet.
But when did this person enter the room? He hadn't noticed at all!
A bead of cold sweat silently slid down Cao Wei's forehead.
He slowly turned around.
Beside the rosewood tea table by the window, someone was already sitting there.
The man wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved robe, the silver-embroidered cloud patterns on the robe shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
His long hair was loosely tied up with only an ebony hairpin, with the rest falling over his shoulders. He had a handsome face and a lazy, casual air about him.
He held a celadon teacup in his hand, steam rising from its rim.
Half a step behind him stood a woman in black.
The woman was tall and slender, with her long hair tied in a neat ponytail. She had a cold and stern face, and her eyebrows and eyes were sharp as knives.
It was the silver-armored woman who led the attack on him a few days ago!
At this moment, she was not wearing silver armor, but only a black outfit, but her eyes...
Cold, sharp, like a deep, icy pool.
Cao Wei would never admit his mistake.
"It's you..."
Cao Wei's pupils contracted sharply, and his internal energy surged like a river, causing his robes to flutter even without wind.
He stared intently at the woman in black, his eyes surging with murderous intent, yet he forced himself to suppress it.
Because he can sense it.
The real danger is that young man sitting and drinking tea.
The man sat there casually, without exuding any aura, without circulating his inner energy, and without even glancing at him.
However, Cao Wei felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.
That wasn't a matter of overwhelming strength.
Rather, it is a kind of awe that comes from the level of life itself, like facing an ancient mountain or an unreachable sky.
"And you are...?"
Cao Wei's voice was hoarse, and he spoke each word with great difficulty.
The young man then slowly raised his eyes.
Those were extremely deep eyes, their pupils as black as ink. At this moment, reflecting the sunlight outside the window, they seemed to absorb all the light.
He smiled slightly, gently placed the teacup on the table, and it made a soft "ding" sound.
"Mr. Cao, there's no need to be nervous."
His voice was gentle, even with a hint of amusement, "How about sitting down and having a cup of tea? The Cloud Mist Spring at Tingyu Villa is quite good."
Cao Wei did not move.
His gaze swept back and forth between the young man and the woman in black, his mind racing:
The fact that the other party could infiltrate Tingyu Manor silently and enter "Bamboo Seclusion" without him noticing shows that their strength is absolutely unfathomable.
If you wanted to kill him, the best opportunity was when he had his back to the door.
But the other party did not make a move.
Instead... invite him for tea?
Cao Wei suddenly laughed.
That smile contained a hint of self-mockery, a touch of relief, and above all, a carefree acceptance of life and death.
He closed the door behind him, walked to the opposite side of the tea table, lifted his robe, and sat down calmly.
"Since you have treated me with such courtesy, how could I possibly refuse to reciprocate?"
After saying that, he reached for another cup of tea that had already been poured on the table, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The tea was warm and fragrant, truly a fine "Yunwu Spring" tea.
A hint of appreciation flashed in the young man's eyes.
"Mr. Cao is indeed an outstanding person."
He clapped his hands gently, "Calm and composed in the face of danger. No wonder you are Cao Wei, a veteran of three dynasties in Yuehua Kingdom and once served as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Cao Wei's fingers, which were holding the teacup, paused slightly.
The other party did indeed know his identity.
And...he knows so much detail.
He slowly set down his teacup, his gaze sharp and direct as he looked at the other person.
"You know my background very well, but I still don't know your name, where you come from, or what your intentions are."
He paused, his voice turning cold: "Surely you're not really here to have tea with this old man, are you?"
The young man smiled, but instead of answering directly, he turned his head to look at the woman in black behind him.
"Does Mr. Cao recognize her?"
Cao Wei glanced at the woman in black and snorted coldly:
"A few days ago, they led a group to attack me. Their martial arts style was ruthless and fierce, almost causing me to capsize in a ditch. How could I forget such a person?"
His words were barbed, and his eyes were even colder.
The young man seemed completely oblivious, and simply said:
"Her name is Yunluan, and she is my bodyguard."
Cao Wei frowned: "The Emperor?"
This self-proclaimed...
He suddenly realized something, his eyes widened, and he stared intently at the young man's face.
He was so focused on being vigilant that he didn't look closely.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that this face... seemed familiar.
Is it in the portrait? Or...?
An absurd idea struck my mind like a thunderbolt!
"You...you are...Qin..."
Cao Wei's voice stopped abruptly, as if an invisible hand had choked him.
He looked the person in front of him up and down in disbelief—
A moon-white robe, flowing sleeves, a languid posture, and an air of refined elegance...
How could this be the young emperor who was rumored to be indulging in wine and women, and being muddle-headed and incompetent?
But that face clearly bore a striking resemblance to the outlines he had seen in some blurry court portraits—seven or eight points similar!
However, Qin Mu in the portrait always had a hint of superficiality and weariness from excessive indulgence between his brows.
The person before him had clear, mirror-like eyes and an unfathomable aura. When sitting still, he was as imposing as a mountain, and when talking and laughing, he seemed as calm and collected as a breeze.
These are two completely different people!
"impossible……"
Cao Wei muttered to himself, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.
Even if Qin Mu concealed his strength, even if he wasn't a tyrant...
But such an unfathomable aura and such a composed demeanor cannot be faked overnight!
unless……
An even more terrifying thought flashed through his mind:
—Unless the person in front of you isn't Qin Mu at all!
Is it a disguise? A double? Or... some kind of possession technique?
Qin Mu, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, smiled slightly:
"Mr. Cao need not doubt. I am Qin Mu, without a doubt."
His voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority:
"As for why I am different from the rumors..."
Qin Mu picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then slowly said:
"In this world, there are always some people who like to live with masks on. Some people wear masks to deceive others, while others wear masks... to see clearly those who don't wear masks."
Cao Wei was startled.
He understood the deeper meaning of those words.
Qin Mu was telling him.
The so-called "tyrant" is nothing but a mask.
A mask used to deceive the government and the public, and to see people's true intentions.
But if that's really the case...
Just how deep must the emperor's cunning and methods be?
Cao Wei took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Regardless of whether the person in front of him is the real Qin Mu, or what his purpose is.
Now that the other party has revealed their true colors and brought up the Yunluan attack, it means that today's meeting is by no means accidental.
"His Majesty."
Cao Wei changed his form of address, his voice becoming solemn:
"I am foolish and do not know why Your Majesty has come to this humble abode in Jiangnan. If it is only for the misunderstanding a few days ago, I can apologize. I also greatly admire Miss Yunluan's martial arts skills."
He spoke in a way that was neither humble nor arrogant, giving the other party face while also pointing out the word "misunderstanding," attempting to characterize the attack.
Qin Mu shook his head.
"It's not a misunderstanding."
He put down his teacup and looked directly at Cao Wei, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate his appearance and reach his very heart.
"I sent Yunluan here to invite you to a certain place. However, Yunluan is always decisive in her actions, and her methods may have been a bit too extreme, which has startled you."
He paused, then said sincerely, "This was an oversight on my part, and I apologize to you, sir."
After saying that, he actually nodded slightly to show his apology.
Cao Wei was stunned.
The emperor apologized to him?
What kind of approach is this?
Alarm bells rang in his mind, and instead of relaxing his vigilance, he became even more cautious.
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.
The more polite Qin Mu is, the bigger his ambitions are probably.
"Your Majesty is too kind."
Cao Wei lowered his eyes, concealing the expression in them:
"But I don't understand, Your Majesty, where do you want to take me? I am just a commoner, living in anonymity for over twenty years, and I have never offended the court, much less committed any crimes. Why...why is Your Majesty so concerned about me?"
His question was clever; it both distanced him from any connection with the imperial court and redirected the question back to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu looked at him quietly for a long time before slowly speaking:
"Mr. Cao, do you really not know why I have come?"
Cao Wei's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive:
"I am unaware of this; please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
Qin Mu suddenly smiled.
That smile held a hint of amusement and a touch of understanding, as if it had already seen through everything.
"Then I will speak frankly."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered, but every word was clear:
"I have come for—Jiang Qingxue."