“What does this have to do with you?” Luo Wanqing cast a cold glance at him.
“We’re going to travel together,” Qin Jue smiled as he watched her, “shouldn’t I understand a bit?”
Without waiting for Luo Wanqing to speak, Qin Jue continued, “Your internal energy is profound, yet your meridians are severely damaged, and your martial skills are terrible. Logically, with such internal energy, you should have practiced martial arts for many years. How could you be like someone who’s never learned martial arts, fighting without any method? Moreover, with such internal energy, how could you only be a small helmsman in the Salt Syndicate? Helmsman Liu,” Qin Jue stared at her as if scrutinizing, smiling, “you’re too strange.”
Hearing Qin Jue’s words, Luo Wanqing knew that continuing to conceal would arouse more suspicion.
“This internal energy is mine.” Luo Wanqing used the explanation Liu Xiniang had prepared for her long ago, responding perfunctorily, “I’ve practiced since childhood, but had no guidance. Perhaps my talent was poor, or perhaps the cultivation method I practiced had flaws. After cultivating for many years, my true qi couldn’t circulate. When I forced it to circulate, not only did my meridians not widen, they were forcibly stretched into this state. Though my martial skills don’t look good, they’re sufficient for a place like the Salt Syndicate.”
“I see.”
Qin Jue pondered and sighed, “Then your talent isn’t good.”
Hearing this, Luo Wanqing cast him a cold glance, “If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all.”
“I didn’t mean you’re unsuited for martial arts.” Seeing her displeasure, Qin Jue smiled and said earnestly, “On the contrary, your comprehension is extremely good.”
Luo Wanqing ignored him. Seeing she wouldn’t speak, Qin Jue explained, “When I guided you in fighting the black bear, you grasped the techniques in just a few moves. Without a master, practicing on your own, you could still achieve such internal energy—that’s truly genius. It’s just that your natural bone structure is too poor, and your meridians are blocked. But this isn’t irreversible. Don’t worry, with me here, becoming a top martial artist is just a matter of time.”
“Oh.”
Listening to him use her situation to boast about himself, Luo Wanqing said flatly, “You’re tired. You should sleep.”
Seeing her forcefully change the topic, Qin Jue didn’t mind much and nodded, “Alright, I’ll sleep first. Tomorrow we’ll enter the city together and find an inn to rest properly.”
“Mm.”
Luo Wanqing responded. Qin Jue arranged the uneven ground beneath him, found a comfortable position, and lay down with his back to her.
Looking at his back, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but say, “Qin Jue.”
“Mm?”
“I said the internal energy was mine, and you just believed it?”
“Of course.” Qin Jue spoke with his back to her, “How many people in this world would give their life to another? Compared to someone else giving it to you, it’s more normal that you cultivated without proper guidance.”
Hearing this, Luo Wanqing was startled and couldn’t help asking, “Giving internal energy to another person means giving them your life?”
“Well, it’s not exactly giving your life,” Qin Jue answered casually with his eyes closed, “but once you give away your internal energy, you become an ordinary person. For a martial artist, having so many years of foundation gone—isn’t that worse than being killed?”
“Can’t you,” Luo Wanqing frowned, her thoughts somewhat confused, “can’t you give half and half?”
“It’s not like dividing a pancake,” Qin Jue’s voice carried laughter, “how can you decide how much to give? True qi is like one breath—once given, it’s given. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to give only half. If someone told you otherwise, don’t doubt it—”
Qin Jue spoke with certainty, “They’re lying to you.”
These words made Luo Wanqing’s heart skip a beat.
She wanted to confirm again, but felt that asking too much about this topic would expose too much.
But if internal energy wasn’t, as Liu Xiniang said, something that could be given half and half, then Liu Xiniang had given her everything?
Then how did she escape?
Moreover, Liu Xiniang had no relationship with her—giving her half her internal energy was for mutual benefit, to help her not expose herself too quickly in the Supervision Department exam.
But giving everything…
Why? For what reason?
Luo Wanqing couldn’t understand, but she quickly calmed down.
The person before her couldn’t be entirely trusted. Besides, Liu Xiniang was an assassin from Fengyu Pavilion, while Qin Jue was just a young master from an aristocratic family. He might know some secret techniques of these families, but he didn’t necessarily know everything under heaven.
Perhaps Liu Xiniang had simply used a method Qin Jue didn’t know about.
Liu Xiniang had no reason to give her everything. There must be methods in this world to give only half of one’s internal energy—Qin Jue simply didn’t know about them.
Having settled on this thought, Luo Wanqing didn’t think much more about it. She closed her eyes and meditated for a while. When dawn came, the two cleared traces of their fire, created false tracks, and left together.
Walking north for half an hour, they finally saw fields and farmland. The two looked at each other, noticed their prison clothes, and Luo Wanqing pressed her lips together before finally saying, “Do you have anything valuable on you?”
The prison clothes were too conspicuous. If seen by people, they would certainly cause panic. If they alerted the authorities, not only might they directly expose Qin Jue’s location, but most importantly, having missed the Supervision Department convoy, local officials certainly wouldn’t send them to the Eastern Capital. They wouldn’t let a criminal go either, and would most likely be trapped here awaiting autumn execution.
Qin Jue understood her meaning. He pulled out a small pouch from his clothes and shook it. “I hid a bag of gold beads.”
Hearing the words “gold beads,” Luo Wanqing’s eyes widened.
Not only did ordinary people rarely have so much gold, but he had managed to bring it out of prison?
“Don’t ask how I brought it out—immortals have their clever methods.”
Qin Jue tucked the gold beads back in his chest and turned around. “Though taking without asking is theft, someone should be willing to trade two sets of clothes for a gold bead, right?”
After discussing, relying on their martial skills, they quietly infiltrated a farmhouse. Qin Jue left a gold bead on the table while Luo Wanqing quickly took two sets of clothes and identity documents, and then they slipped out silently.
They found a haystack, changed clothes quickly on either side, disguised themselves as husband and wife, and entered the city.
After entering the city, they booked a room and then split up to shop.
Luo Wanqing quickly bought a pile of medicinal herbs and travel necessities, then returned to the room to prepare medicine while waiting for Qin Jue.
When night fell, Qin Jue finally returned, standing outside, knocking, “Xiniang, may I come in?”
Luo Wanqing was grinding medicine. Having spent the afternoon processing various herbs, she heard his voice and responded, “Come in.”
A young man in white clothes entered gracefully.