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This performance was hardly any different from confessing outright.

Shi Qingruo raised her head and said, “But unless my memory fails me, all the dishes and pastries served at this wedding feast were prepared by imperial chefs who had retired from the palace and returned home. Even if not every dish is a celebrated palace delicacy like the Mandarin Duck Five-Treasure Sliced Feast, they are still several times better than what one finds elsewhere. If even these are unworthy of a young lady’s palate, then I fear there is nothing edible left in all Bianjing.”

The little beggar on the beam nodded in sudden understanding. “So that is how it is. No wonder they are so much better than those in the few restaurants I visited.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she had misspoken. She immediately met Shi Qingruo’s amused gaze, and a secret flush crept across the mud-smeared face. She hurriedly changed the subject. “It’s just that the guards here are truly inadequate. Even the finest things will be stolen if they are left unattended.”

Things were like that. People were like that too.

The little beggar cast her eyes over the guards who had rushed in half a beat too late and secretly shook her head.

Ever since she had arrived in Bianjing the previous day, she had heard that the new lady of the Mystifying Heaven Alliance was a beauty rarely seen in this age. Sadly, she possessed no martial arts, and after marrying Guan Qi, she would probably never venture out except under extraordinary circumstances.

The little beggar had previously lived on an island in the sea and had seen little of the novelties of the Central Plains. How could she possibly resist coming to pay a visit and join in the excitement?

But once she had seen the woman for herself, she realized that although some rumors circulating through the martial world were indeed unreliable, this particular one could not have been more truthful.

When she saw that the other woman’s raised eyes held no wariness, only a faint, tranquil smile, she found herself staring in a daze.

Shi Qingruo suddenly said, “The Mystifying Heaven Alliance’s guard arrangements may not compare with those of the other two powers, but they are not as weak as you claim. To arrive here without making a sound, you must have entered through the corner of the Five-Elements Formation. Since you possess such skill, the Mystifying Heaven Alliance would naturally welcome you with open arms. There is no need to play the gentleman thief.”

She beckoned. “Come down and speak. I dislike having to look up at people.”

The beggar disguised as a boy was shorter than Sikong Zhaixing and did not need to hang upside down from the beam like he had. Still, the space was cramped and no place to linger.

Shi Qingruo also waved her hand, ordering the guards with drawn swords to retreat a little.

It was not that she had no suspicion of this beggar who had appeared from nowhere. On the road to the wedding, Granny Bean of the Six-and-a-Half Hall had already proved through her actions that in this martial world, even an old woman could not be underestimated.

Rather, although she had never dealt with the other party, she could faintly guess her identity.

She was not truly a dangerous figure.

At the very least, she was far safer than Wang Xiaoshi and Bai Choufei, whom Shi Qingruo had encountered earlier.

The little beggar did not show the slightest timidity. She immediately flipped down from the beam and landed lightly on the floor, continuing to study Shi Qingruo’s actions with undisguised curiosity.

Shi Qingruo asked, “As it happens, I was just about to have lunch served. Shall I have another place setting brought for you?”

The little beggar’s eyes widened in surprise. Before she could reply, Shi Qingruo had already given the order, as though it had never been a mere courtesy.

When someone brought in a basin of water, she instinctively lowered her hands and washed them clean.

The mud still blurred the features of her face, but by the time she sat across from Shi Qingruo, the pair of hands resting before her were fair and delicate. Anyone could see that they belonged to a completely different person from the mud-darkened face above them.

If she still insisted on pretending to be an ordinary beggar, she would be treating everyone else as fools.

The little beggar’s gaze passed over her own hands. Her movements slowed for half a beat. When she raised her head again, she found herself looking straight into Shi Qingruo’s smiling eyes, and her heart gave a startled jolt.

Oh no! Could this be the legendary beauty trap of the martial world?

She immediately tried to regain the upper hand, commenting on the dishes as they were placed upon the table. “Since you have engaged imperial chefs, the appetizers should follow proper convention as well. Even if you do not serve the traditional four dried delicacies, four fresh ones, two savory dishes, and four sweet preserves, you should at least use seasonal fruits and candied produce. You cannot simply throw together whatever happens to be at hand. As for the main courses, spring’s chill has not yet departed. There ought to be hot dishes such as chicken-tongue soup and mandarin-duck fried beef tendons.”

“As for the wine…” She glanced at the clear liquor poured into the cup before her and spoke with an airy expression. “Triple-White Fen wine is common enough, but it does not pair well with meat. It ought to be changed too.”

She spoke with such easy fluency that although her tone was plainly meant to find fault, she somehow made it sound three parts endearing. No one could help wondering whether she had personally tasted every dish and wine she described.

Zhu Xiaoyao was about to step forward and reveal the girl’s identity when she saw Shi Qingruo make an almost imperceptible gesture. Shi Qingruo answered calmly, “But you used one word incorrectly.”

“Eh?”

“I told you that the cooks here were found, not invited, as you put it. In other words, a troublesome place like the Mystifying Heaven Alliance is not somewhere an ordinary chef would willingly risk entering. Since we did not reason with them when bringing them here, what dishes they prepare can only depend on their mood.”

The little beggar’s movements stopped at once.

Found? If matters were truly as Shi Qingruo described them, she might as well have said that the cooks had been abducted.

She blurted out, “And you still dare eat what they prepare?”

That was simply too reckless!

A chef controlled the food that entered everyone’s mouths. Tampering with it would be effortless.

She herself loved experimenting with food. How could she fail to understand such a principle?

Yet right before her, the woman who had stated the truth merely picked up her chopsticks, selected a morsel of shredded rabbit, and replied casually, “Why would I not dare? The Mystifying Heaven Alliance has countless experts in the use of medicines. Whether poison has been added is something we can determine more clearly than anyone. So you need not worry about poison in the food—”

“If you are truly hungry, fill your stomach first.”

The little beggar blinked. She honestly could not tell what medicine Shi Qingruo was hiding in her gourd.

On the surface, this lady of the Saint Lord, who lived in a heavily guarded stronghold protected by formations, appeared to be only seven or eight years older than herself. Yet she could not make out what sort of temperament the woman possessed.

Her father was a famous figure in the martial world, known by the sobriquet “East Heretic.” By rights, that should have made her accustomed to acting outside the bounds of convention. Yet ever since she had left home to roam the martial world, she had encountered nothing but people who refused to play by the rules. She no longer knew who among them was the more eccentric.

For some reason, however, she found Shi Qingruo increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps, if she had been Guan Qi, she too would have kept such a young woman at her side regardless of the cost.

Bah, bah, bah! How could she think such a thing?

“Being distracted while eating is not a good habit. What are you thinking about?”

The little beggar suddenly returned to herself. As she secretly mused that rabbit meat, which ought to be served with chrysanthemum petals, had been replaced with spring plum blossoms because of the season, giving it an entirely different flavor, she replied, “I was wondering why you would invite me to your table.”

Shi Qingruo answered, “What is there to explain? A young woman traveling the martial world disguised as a beggar may well have encountered some trouble. You have no murderous intent toward me, nor do you pose a threat. It is only natural to treat you as a guest.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “You need not ask how I realized you were a girl. I know someone highly skilled in disguise. When it comes to altering one’s appearance, your talent for smearing mud on your face is still far from sufficient.”

The little beggar tried to suppress the warmth that rose in her at the first half of those words and muttered, “…I never thought this outfit could fool everyone. Only a few dullards fail to see through it, calling me ‘Brother Huang’ at every turn. My father’s disguises have always been superb. I may not have mastered their essence, but this bit of concealment is not the full extent of my skill.”

Her voice was low, but the room was quiet, and Shi Qingruo’s hearing was keen enough to catch every word.

A flicker passed through Shi Qingruo’s eyes. Her guess concerning the visitor’s identity became even more certain.

Yet she did not expose her. She only asked, “Then may I ask who your honored father is?”

That question would have been easy enough for anyone else to answer, but it happened to leave the little beggar at a loss.

She puffed out her cheeks. “You need not concern yourself with who he is. I secretly ran away from home last night, and he has not even come looking for me. He must have decided he no longer wants me. You need only remember who I am. My surname is Huang, and my given name is Rong.”

Shi Qingruo let out a soft laugh. The first half of those words was filled with unmistakable childishness. But after considering the girl’s young age, and the fact that she had spent her early years living with her father on an island, Shi Qingruo found such a temperament unsurprising.

“So you are Miss Huang. Since you have put it that way, I will not pry into what conflict arose between you and your honored father.”

“Don’t call me Miss Huang. It sounds strange. Just call me Rong’er.” Having given her name and heard that Shi Qingruo would ask no further questions, Huang Rong felt much more at ease than before.

Perhaps because some of the tension had left her, she now began to examine Shi Qingruo’s features in earnest.

Only then did she notice the tiny mole beside the beauty’s nose. It did not detract from her appearance in the slightest; instead, against her smiling face, it lent her a vivid and lively charm.

When Huang Rong thought that such a beauty had apparently been carried off by that madman according to the rumors, and might perhaps be another victim like the chef who had prepared their meal, her heart tightened with discomfort.

At that very moment, Shi Qingruo pondered for a while before saying, “You said you ran away from home. Do you have somewhere to stay now? If not, the Mystifying Heaven Alliance can certainly find you a place to rest.”

When Huang Rong raised her eyes in surprise, Shi Qingruo replied frankly, “Do not blame me for speaking so directly. For one thing, I find your manners unusual and rather like you. For another, I recruited two new members for the alliance today, yet I still feel that is far from enough. You have some foundation in Five-Elements formations, and your lightness skills are superior to those of ordinary martial artists. I would also like to try recruiting you.”

She added, with a trace of anticipation, “What do you think?”

Shi Qingruo could hardly be blamed for hoping.

During the third playthrough of the game she had chosen to conquer, she had lived in seclusion overseas and maintained ties with Peach Blossom Island. That was how she had unlocked the characters Huang Rong and her father, the East Heretic Huang Yaoshi.

Huang Yaoshi’s identity could be set aside for the moment. Huang Rong was the one who interested Shi Qingruo more.

The girl was clever, mischievous, and exceptionally adaptable. She possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts and profound knowledge of the arcane arts of formations and divination. As a friend, she would surely be entertaining; if recruited under Shi Qingruo’s command, she would make an outstanding subordinate.

Shi Qingruo had not expected to meet her in such circumstances, merely because Huang Rong was curious about the wedding feast. That did not lessen her enthusiasm for recruiting the girl in the slightest.

Thus, after posing the question, Shi Qingruo appeared as composed as ever, but kept a close watch on every change in Huang Rong’s expression.

She immediately noticed that even the black ash on Huang Rong’s face could not conceal the sudden relief that crossed her features, as though a burden that had weighed upon her mind had finally been resolved.

Huang Rong considered the matter carefully. Those few words from Shi Qingruo were enough to prove that some of her earlier worries had been unnecessary.

A person with the authority to recruit members could never be mere prey beneath another’s knife.

But as for the recruitment itself…

She quickly replied, “I would very much like to accept your invitation, Sister, but I still have an important matter to attend to. I cannot remain here for long, so please forgive me for being unable to accept your kindness.”

“An important matter?” This time, it was Shi Qingruo’s turn to grow curious.

Huang Rong lowered her voice. “I took to you the moment we met, Sister, and this matter may have something to do with you as well. It would do no harm to tell you.”

“Traveling abroad in this outfit has spared me a great deal of trouble, though it has also earned me plenty of contemptuous looks. In all this time, only two people have treated me to a grand feast. One is you, Sister. The other is a simpleton from beyond the frontier.”

At that, she paused.

Indeed, if the people before her had not treated her with kindness, she would never have told so much to someone she had just met.

But Huang Rong had always been clear in her love and hatred. Shi Qingruo was not only a beautiful woman pleasing to the eye, but also a kindhearted person. How could Huang Rong not say a few more words?

“He does not know whom he is looking for. He first went south to Jiaxing, then came north to Bianjing, only to encounter several old enemies here and nearly fall into their trap. Fortunately, a Taoist priest intervened, so nothing truly happened to him. But yesterday, that very priest fell victim to the schemes of treacherous villains and was struck by a deadly poison. I intend to help him, so I am going to take that simpleton to steal the antidote.”

“That does sound like an important matter.” Shi Qingruo nodded. “But what does it have to do with me?”

Huang Rong answered solemnly, “You do not know this, Sister, but the people who bear a grudge against that simpleton and the Taoist priest are guest advisers summoned by the Divine Marquess Manor. I do not know why this Little Marquis Fang, whose father is known as the Great Hero, would associate with such strange people. But I do know one thing.”

She frowned as she spoke. “I was eavesdropping nearby and heard them mention the assassination attempt before your wedding feast. They said it had been organized by some minister, with the Six-and-a-Half Hall and the Divine Marquess Manor contributing men and resources. Unexpectedly, Ruthless Chief Constable intervened, and they lost many of their people.”

“I heard that Little Marquis Fang was furious over the failure. He thought those so-called Eight Great Blade Kings were merely empty names, always failing whenever serious business arose. Now that this new group of guest advisers has arrived one after another, they may be planning some fresh evil.”

“Tonight, I intend to break into the Divine Marquess Manor. It would be good if I could overhear something more, but if I cannot…”

She looked at Shi Qingruo’s face with faint concern.

“Please, Sister—”

“Be very careful yourself.”

…

Be very careful?

After lunch, Shi Qingruo watched Huang Rong’s departing figure disappear from sight. The sudden news had already undergone a swift assessment in her mind.

A letter marked urgent was soon delivered to an inn in Bianjing.

When Lu Xiaofeng saw Sikong Zhaixing open the letter with unusual solemnity, he immediately sensed trouble.

He did not even need to ask who had sent it. He only said, “What does it say?”

Sikong Zhaixing had no intention of hiding the contents from Lu Xiaofeng. “She says that someone will break into the Divine Marquess Manor to steal something tonight, and she wants to hire me to take advantage of the confusion and steal something else.”

Lu Xiaofeng had been leaning against the window with a wine jar in hand. At those words, he abruptly sat upright.

“…Hire you?”

What need was there to speak of hiring?

Knowing Sikong Zhaixing as he did, if that Miss Shi—no, he should say Madam Shi—asked him for help, Sikong Zhaixing would gladly do it even without payment.

Had he not previously gone to the Six Doors to ask Ruthless Chief Constable to intervene in the wedding for precisely that reason?

Moreover, even from his brief meeting with Shi Qingruo, Lu Xiaofeng could tell that although the unarmed woman appeared to have been dragged into the chaos against her will, she had in fact dissolved every approaching danger without leaving so much as a ripple.

Even after marrying someone else, she might not have closed the door entirely on Sikong Zhaixing.

That sliver of hope was enough to make a man fight until blood filled his eyes.

Just as Lu Xiaofeng thought this, Sikong Zhaixing replied, “Naturally, she means hire. Miss Shi said…”

His voice lowered slightly.

“What she did before was to use unintentional calculation against another’s sincere feelings, and she already feels she wronged me. It would be better to handle this as ordinary business now. Whether I accept the job is entirely up to me.”

Lu Xiaofeng’s heart gave a heavy thump.

This was bad.

Without that sentence, he might still have had a chance of persuading Sikong Zhaixing to stay out of it.

But once she had mentioned using unintentional calculation against sincere feelings, even if the Divine Marquess Manor were a mountain of blades and sea of flame, there would still be someone willing to venture inside.