"Exactly! Tell us about it," another portly man chimed in.
The man with his chest bare poured another cup of wine. As he did so, he said, "I'm not pulling your leg. I heard that the golden jade tree, a precious treasure from the Pingshan Assembly, was stolen!"
Everyone at the table let out gasps of surprise.
"Stolen? This is a big deal!" someone exclaimed.
"Have they found out who stole it?" another man craned his neck and asked.
The chest - bared man put down his wine cup and said, "I heard it was a rebel protector who fled with a lot of treasures."
Hearing this, Su Xiaoliu frowned. Why was Chang He being made a scapegoat?
Chu Weixin also listened quietly, not moving his chopsticks.
"I've heard an earth - shattering secret!" one of them said mysteriously.
"What secret? Hurry and tell us," the others urged.
The man cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I heard that one of the most beautiful women in the martial arts world at this Pingshan Assembly is a fake!"
Everyone was shocked and looked at each other in disbelief.
"This..."
Su Xiaoliu's chopsticks tilted and hit the plate, making a clear sound.
Zhong Fengyue glanced at her and said softly, "These are just fragmented rumors. They won't affect anything. Don't take them to heart."
Su Xiaoliu glanced at Zhong Fengyue, nodded, and then lowered her head again.
Chu Weixin looked at Su Xiaoliu, put down his chopsticks, picked up the wine cup and poured a glass of wine. "There are always such rumors after each Pingshan Assembly. For example, last time, some people rumored that Tang Yuyan and Wei Feng were already married, but they're still together."
Su Xiaoliu looked up. Although what Chu Weixin said couldn't be compared with the reason for her sadness, she still gave him a grateful look.
Another person at that table said, "I heard that the alliance leader has already ordered the pursuit of those who fled in fear of guilt..."
All of them froze at the same time.
"Moreover, there's a mystery about the golden jade tree. The alliance leader said that if they can't catch the protector who fled with the golden jade tree, he will make the mystery of the golden jade tree public..."
Mo Xin's hand trembled and her chopsticks fell on the table.
She quickly looked at Zhong Fengyue. Zhong Fengyue frowned tightly, and under the white gauze hat, her diamond - shaped lips pursed slightly.
Su Xiaoliu clenched her palm tightly. Chu Weixin lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
This alliance leader is really calculating...
Once the matter of the rebirth fruit is made public, none of them can escape!
In the carriage, Su Xiaoliu stared out of the window motionlessly.
The sky was getting dark, the sunset had already set, and the lush grass swayed gently in the wind.
"I heard that the alliance leader said that if they can't catch the protector who fled with the golden jade tree, he will make the mystery of the golden jade tree public..."
This sentence kept echoing in her mind. Su Xiaoliu frowned slightly, feeling uneasy.
"We'll probably reach Jiangnan Town early tomorrow morning. If you're sleepy, you can rest first," Zhong Fengyue looked up at Su Xiaoliu and said softly.
Su Xiaoliu withdrew her gaze and nodded.
"What if..." Su Xiaoliu just started to speak but suddenly stopped.
Zhong Fengyue looked at her and asked in a slightly puzzled tone, "What if?"
"Nothing," Su Xiaoliu shook her head and smiled.
Actually, what she wanted to say was, what if the alliance leader really made the matter of the rebirth fruit public? What would he do then?
Now the various sects and the alliance leader had already put a lot of pressure on them. If everyone in the martial arts world wanted to snatch the rebirth fruit, this wandering and fleeing life might continue indefinitely...
"Don't think too much. I'll take care of everything. Besides, I'm from the Tianci Sect. No one in the martial arts world dares to touch the Tianci Sect. You can rest assured. I'll definitely protect you," Zhong Fengyue put down the Tianci Sword in his hand and said with a soft smile.
These words warmed Su Xiaoliu's heart. She sat up straight and raised the corners of her lips. "I'm not afraid. It's okay." In fact, she was really scared. She had never encountered such a thing in the capital before. But compared to that time in the capital, she was much stronger now.
Zhong Fengyue smiled slightly. His long black hair hung on his waist. A gentle breeze blew in from the window, making his hair flutter in the air.
The crescent moon was sinking, the night sky was bright, the moonlight was cold, and their three shadows were cast on the ground.
Su Xiaoliu held her chin, feeling drowsy. Her body swayed with the bumping of the carriage.
With a "bang", her head hit the carriage board directly.
The tiredness instantly dissipated. Su Xiaoliu frowned and rubbed her head.
Zhong Fengyue glanced at her and pursed his lips. "You might as well lie down and sleep. I'll take out my clothes and make a bed for you."
Su Xiaoliu looked at him and quickly waved her hands, shaking her head. "No, no. Maybe it's because I've never slept in a carriage before. I'll get used to it..." Actually, she really didn't want to get used to sleeping in a carriage.
Seeing that she closed her eyes again, Zhong Fengyue didn't bother her anymore.
She was really too tired. As soon as Su Xiaoliu closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted away.
I don't know how long it had passed. The carriage jolted violently, and Su Xiaoliu was thrown forward.
Su Xiaoliu only felt her head spin. Then a faint fragrance lingered around her nose. She frowned slightly and slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, she found that she was lying in Zhong Fengyue's arms!
Su Xiaoliu was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She quickly sat up, her face flushing with heat. She didn't dare to look at Zhong Fengyue's face.
"I..."
"You..."
They spoke at the same time, and then there was a sudden silence.
Su Xiaoliu cautiously looked up at him. She saw that Zhong Fengyue was also looking at her awkwardly. With the white gauze hat blocking his face, Su Xiaoliu couldn't see his slightly blushing face.
Zhong Fengyue sighed softly and turned to the coachman outside the carriage. "Please stop the carriage."
As soon as they got off the carriage, a cold wind blew. Su Xiaoliu shrank her body.
Chu Weixin glanced at Su Xiaoliu. On his fair face, a pair of cold eyes sparkled. He smiled and said, "Why do you have so many problems sitting in a carriage?"
Su Xiaoliu glanced at him but didn't retort for once. In fact, she had secretly made up her mind not to argue with him anymore, so as not to cause any trouble.
Zhong Fengyue looked at Su Xiaoliu and then at Mo Xin. He said softly, "Madam Xiao, Xiaoliu will be in the same carriage with you. I'll have to trouble you to take care of her tonight."
Mo Xin nodded with a smile. She glanced at Su Xiaoliu and then turned to Zhong Fengyue. "You're welcome. We're all on the same journey."
They changed carriages. Su Xiaoliu got into the carriage, and then Mo Xin also sat in.
Mo Xin gave her a gentle smile and lowered the curtain.
Su Xiaoliu nodded shyly, leaned against one side, and closed her eyes.
Sure enough, it's easiest to avoid embarrassment when women are together. Even Young Master Zhong isn't omnipotent...