Chapter 154: Cover-up

Chapter 154: Cover-up

Zhang Yuelu wanted to subtly change Qi Xuansu and turn him into a like-minded, good person. Qi Xuansu also welcomed this change because he wanted to get back on the right track.

Therefore, they had a tacit understanding. Zhang Yuelu would not probe into Qi Xuansu’s past, and Qi Xuansu would try to get rid of his bad habits, including lying.

Qi Xuansu did not want to deceive Zhang Yuelu, but when push came to shove, he had no choice but to go against his will.

He had to think carefully about how to cover up the past because Zhang Yuelu was not a silly girl who would believe whatever he told her. She was cautious and clever. If he did not come up with a good excuse, he would not be able to help cover up Li Qingnu’s identity and would even get himself into trouble.

Qi Xuansu could not imagine what Zhang Yuelu would do to him if she ever discovered his true identity. She would certainly be furious, and she might even kill him in a fit of anger.

Based on Qi Xuansu’s past experience, the best way to deceive Zhang Yuelu was to tell her some truths with a lie thrown in the mix.

In this situation, the truths were:

The secrets that needed to stay hidden were:

However, these truths alone were not enough, because Zhang Yuelu was already aware of them. Thus, he needed to muddle the situation with some other information to cover up their identities as members of the Qingping Society.

Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of the news that Madam Qi had passed on to him as well as the politics going on in the Daoist Order that Zhang Yuelu told him about. A bold idea gradually took shape in his mind. R/ê/Ad lateSt ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only

He asked Li Qingnu. “Does your cultivation come from the Li family or the Qingping Society?”

“Both, but mainly the Li family,” Li Qingnu replied.

Qi Xuansu inquired, “What’s the Li family’s reaction regarding your presence in Shangqing Prefecture?”

“Nothing, because the Li family doesn’t restrict my freedom. They only care about how much money I make for them. After all, no one can escape from the clutches of the Li family.”

Li Qingnu added, “That’s why I hate people who only care about money.”

Qi Xuansu ignored Li Qingnu’s snub, stood up, and walked to the door.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was standing outside with her arms folded across her chest. When she saw Qi Xuansu, she asked, “What did you find out?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer her question. “Are we just going to let her go?”

“Yeah. What else can we do? Make a big fuss here in Jiaqing Villa, then take her to the Dazhen Mansion?” Zhang Yuelu quipped.

Zhang Yuelu murmured, “He has an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests accompanying him, which indicates this isn’t an ordinary visit to the Imperial Capital. It’s a formal meeting with the Emperor. This matter will definitely cause an uproar within the Daoist Order. That’s why the Taiping Sect is sending out their people to gather information and observe the reactions of the other sects. If the other sects had strong reactions, they would take a step back. But if the other sects did not have much of a reaction, the Taiping Sect would take it a step further.”

Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, Li Qingnu, who was still inside the room, held her round fan over her agape mouth. She looked at Qi Xuansu with a complicated gaze.

Li Qingnu was not surprised by Zhang Yuelu’s analysis. Instead, she was startled by how close the nonsense Qi Xuansu came up with was to the truth.

The Taiping Sect had the intention to test the reactions of other sects, but that was not her task. Her only job was to make money. The Li family thought it would be too wasteful for their cash cow to become a spy. In fact, the Taiping Sect, which was led by the Li family, did not need to deliberately send out manpower to gather information. They only needed to contact their spies and secret agents who had been lying in wait for a long time.

Of course, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were not completely ignorant. They would also respond accordingly.

When Zhang Yuelu returned to her senses, Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, “What about Li Qingnu?”

“Don’t worry about her. If the Li family really wants to gather information, they won’t just send one person.” Zhang Yuelu said, “Let’s go to Shangqing County now.”

Qi Xuansu was startled. “Didn’t you say that we should stay in Shangqing Prefecture for a few days? We’ve already paid for the room at the Taiping Inn.”

“Forget it. I want to report this matter to the Dazhen Mansion immediately,” Zhang Yuelu said with urgency.

Qi Xuansu knew that most of what he said was made up based on his speculation, so he suddenly felt guilty. “The Dazhen Mansion probably knows about it already, so we don’t need to report it.”

Zhang Yuelu was serious about matters relating to the Daoist Order. She did not leave room for negotiation as she stated, “Whether the Dazhen Mansion knows about it is irrelevant, but it’s my business whether to report it or not.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered Madam Qi’s warning that a group of Qingping Society members were eyeing him because of the Xuan Jade incident in Yulan Temple.

He and Zhang Yuelu were too big of a target. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was unaware of the existence of this group of people, so she would not deliberately conceal her whereabouts, making it hard for him to avoid this group of people.

Qi Xuansu could not explain to Zhang Yuelu how he got to know about this group of people to avoid arousing her suspicion. He also could not tell her the truth about the Xuan Jade, let alone persuade Zhang Yuelu to act with caution.

Remembering this, Qi Xuansu thought that it was a good choice to go to Shangqing County immediately.

Shangqing County was the center of Shangqing Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of the Zhengyi Sect. Zhang Yuelu mentioned before that Xie Qiuniang was from the Confucian School, so it would be difficult for that group of people to sneak into Shangqing County.

Although Qi Xuansu would have to face Madam Tantai ahead of schedule, he could avoid Xie Qiuniang’s group.

After the New Year, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu would not have to go back the same way. They could take a flying ship from Shangqing Palace back to Jade Capital. That way, they could completely escape from the pursuit of this group of people.

Qi Xuansu suggested, “In that case, let’s go to Shangqing County now. But let’s get a refund on the room first. Anyway, you’ll need to change out of this getup.”