Saving the White Moonlight Chapter 45

Qiu Qiao opened his mouth. He seemed about to say something, but instead he coughed up a large mouthful of blood, staining the clothes before him red.
He met Su Qian’er’s gaze. His eyes seemed to hold a thousand words he wanted to say to her.
“You do not need to argue anymore. I do not want to hear it.” Su Qian’er turned her head away and covered her ears. She said to Qiao Zhenbang, “Grandfather, I do not want to see them anymore.”
Spiritual energy churned around Qiao Zhenbang, making him look rather frightening. He had been glaring at Qiu Qiao, waiting to see what excuse he could give. After hearing Su Qian’er, he immediately said, “All right, all right. Grandfather will make sure he never appears before you again.”
“Good Qian’er, in the future, Grandfather will find you another good husband.”
Qiao Zhenbang comforted Su Qian’er while raising his palm high, about to strike Qiu Qiao and the manager.
Qiu Qiao’s face changed with terror. A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he glanced at Yan Zhuguang from the corner of his eye. “Wait, Family Head Qiao. I have something important to say!”
Qiao Zhenbang snorted coldly. “Qian’er does not want to hear you say more, and do not think you can argue your way out with me. Since you dared attack Qian’er, you should have thought of today’s result.”
“I…”
Power gathered in Qiao Zhenbang’s palm. Qiu Qiao’s face turned deathly pale. “Do not kill me! I know…”
He opened his mouth wide. His lips moved several times, but he suddenly realized his throat had gone mute. He could not make a sound.
What was going on? Why could he not speak?
Qiu Qiao wanted to reveal the hidden realm and the drawing in exchange for a way to live.
He knew that the drawing had been secretly left to Su Qian’er by her grandfather. Su Qian’er had not told Qiao Zhenbang, so Qiao Zhenbang did not know about it. That was also the reason he had attacked Su Qian’er to seize the drawing.
Now Su Qian’er had already handed the drawing to that woman. If Qiao Zhenbang killed him with one palm, the treasures of the hidden realm would fall completely into Yan Zhuguang’s hands.
Qiu Qiao was unwilling. He had schemed so hard and had not hesitated to kill his fiancee Su Qian’er, all for that drawing. Who would have thought he would fail to steal the chicken and lose the rice instead? Not only had he failed to obtain the drawing, he had been caught.
Su Qian’er had not died, yet he was about to die. How could he accept that?
Yan Zhuguang had obtained without effort what he could not get even after exhausting his schemes. Why?
If he could not obtain it, others should not think of obtaining it easily either. As long as he spoke of the hidden realm, what if Yan Zhuguang had a Nascent Soul expert backing her? The Qiao family behind Qiao Zhenbang would not let her monopolize the drawing so easily.
But why? He clearly wanted to tell Qiao Zhenbang about the hidden realm, so why could he suddenly not speak?
If he could not bring out a worthy bargaining chip, he would die. He was certain Qiao Zhenbang would never be soft toward him.
Qiu Qiao had never imagined he would reach this point. He had thought about the possibility of his attack on Su Qian’er being discovered, but he had never expected to have no way out at all. He had never expected today to be a dead end.
In the end, it was still because of Su Qian’er.
Qiu Qiao felt she had become very strange, very unfamiliar.
When he had met her eyes earlier, he felt as if she had become another person. Even though her eyes were full of hatred when she looked at him, it was as if she were looking through him at someone else.
Someone else? Who else could she see?
If this were the old Su Qian’er, Qiu Qiao was confident he could make her forgive him and plead for him. But with this one, he understood that no matter what he did, it would be useless.
So in the short instant while Qiao Zhenbang prepared to attack him, Qiu Qiao’s mind turned quickly. He completely gave up on Su Qian’er’s path and could only consider other ways to escape.
Right, Yan Zhuguang. He did not know why he could no longer speak, and because his body had been badly injured, his spiritual sense could not be released. But even if he could not use the hidden realm’s secret to stop Qiao Zhenbang from attacking, was Yan Zhuguang not still here?
He had not told her the exact location of the hidden realm yet. Yan Zhuguang definitely would not let someone kill him so easily.
Thinking of this, Qiu Qiao turned with hope and looked at Yan Zhuguang, who stood near the doorway. He hoped she would speak up to save him.
Unexpectedly, Yan Zhuguang looked at him with eyes full of deep meaning. This woman was only watching the show from the side. She had no intention of stopping it at all.
For some reason, a possibility suddenly flashed through Qiu Qiao’s mind. Could it be that the reason he could not reveal the hidden realm was because this woman had done something to him?
At that very moment, Yan Zhuguang curled her lips, as if telling him: Yes, it was indeed her doing.
Qiu Qiao’s eyes widened. His finger trembled as he tried to point at Yan Zhuguang. He wanted to expose this sinister woman to everyone. In the next breath, Qiao Zhenbang’s palm rose and fell.
With a boom, blood flowed from Qiu Qiao’s seven openings. Still holding his finger out, he fell backward and died with his eyes open.
His manager soon followed him.
Yan Zhuguang felt a little regretful watching it. She had deliberately controlled the illusion earlier to make Qiu Qiao’s subordinates resent him, hoping to see a good show of master and servants turning on each other. She had not expected Su Qian’er to be so ruthless and Qiao Zhenbang to be so direct. He did not even ask questions before killing all four of them.
Yan Zhuguang’s gaze landed subtly on Su Qian’er. Qiu Qiao, the fiance she both loved and hated, was dead, yet now she looked relieved. How interesting.
After killing all four people, Qiao Zhenbang turned back to comfort Su Qian’er. Su Qian’er only lowered her eyes and did not speak anymore.
Yun Mixue withdrew her gaze from elsewhere, looked past the four corpses, and turned to Qiao Zhenbang. “Family Head Qiao, this matter should now be settled.”
Qiao Zhenbang came back to himself and remembered the Nascent Soul expert he had left to the side. “This junior was rude just now. May I ask whether Senior is Lianji Immortal Yun of Fenghua Immortal Sect?”
Rip.
The sound of cloth tearing suddenly rang through the small Pill Hall. It was only a small sound, but everyone in the hall was a sharp-eared cultivator. Naturally, it could not escape their ears.
Yan Zhuguang’s eyes had never left Su Qian’er. When the sound entered her ears, she lowered her gaze and saw that Su Qian’er had actually torn her own sleeve.
Su Qian’er wore fine fabric. Even after being hunted, her clothes had only been messy, not torn. Yet now, she, a person with no cultivation and no strength to bind a chicken, had ripped it. It showed how much force she had used.
Yan Zhuguang narrowed her eyes.
After tearing her sleeve, Su Qian’er suddenly raised her head and quickly glanced toward Yun Mixue. Yet she seemed to see something terrifying. Her body shook, and she abruptly lowered her head again.
Yan Zhuguang was right beside Yun Mixue. She knew Su Qian’er had not been looking at her. She checked the surroundings from the corner of her eye, but sensed nothing unusual.
What was wrong with her? Could she have been frightened by something they could not see?
Yan Zhuguang secretly noted this too.
No one else thought much of Su Qian’er accidentally tearing her sleeve. Their attention was not on a weak ordinary person who could not cultivate. They only assumed that the matter with her fiance had tangled her heart and made her emotions surge for a moment.
Facing Qiao Zhenbang’s question, Yun Mixue nodded in confirmation. She said to Qiao Zhenbang, “After all she has suffered, with Family Head Qiao by Miss Su’s side, I can feel at ease.”
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Yun. If not for you, my granddaughter…” Qiao Zhenbang shook his head and sighed. “This junior failed to judge people properly and caused Qian’er to fall into a tiger’s den. I have made Senior witness a disgrace.”
Yun Mixue shook her head. “No one could have expected this.” She explained, “However, Family Head Qiao should not thank me. The one who saved Miss Su was my junior sister, Yan Zhuguang. She was the one who found Miss Su.”
Qiao Zhenbang looked at Yan Zhuguang behind Yun Mixue. “It was this young lady?”
Yan Zhuguang said, “I met Miss Su on her way to Qiuming Pill Hall and was hired to escort her here. After bringing Miss Su to the Pill Hall, I had already left. Later, I happened to meet Senior Sister on the road. She also happened to be heading to Qiuming Pill Hall, so I became her guide.”
Yan Zhuguang roughly explained how she had saved Su Qian’er, but she glossed over the method she had used to find her and did not describe it in detail.
Qiao Zhenbang’s gaze toward Yan Zhuguang went from suspicious to half-believing, but he did not say much. “Thank you, Miss Yan, for your righteous help. I wonder if Miss Yan needs anything. If Qiao can do it, I will not refuse.”
Yan Zhuguang shook her head. “I saved Miss Su out of righteousness. I do not seek any reward. Family Head Qiao truly does not need to do this.”
Qiao Zhenbang wanted to say more, but Yan Zhuguang added, “If Family Head Qiao insists that I ask for something, why not ask Senior Sister?”
Yan Zhuguang turned to Yun Mixue. “Senior Sister, is there anything you need Family Head Qiao to help with?”
Yun Mixue shook her head. “There is not. Family Head Qiao need not take it to heart.”
“You two are noble, but Qiao cannot accept kindness for nothing.” Qiao Zhenbang paused and looked between Chu Ningyan and Yun Changyue. “Did your sect not want to ask Qian’er about her grandfather?”
Qiao Zhenbang looked at Su Qian’er, whose chin was almost tucked against her collarbone, hiding her face. Who knew what she was thinking? “Qian’er?”
Su Qian’er trembled, then lifted her head with a somewhat blank expression. Qiao Zhenbang repeated the question gently. Su Qian’er shook her head. “I do not understand Grandfather very well. Grandfather has never told me anything about himself.”
Qiao Zhenbang nodded, then apologetically said to Yun Mixue, “I am sorry, Senior Yun. Qian’er’s grandfather is indeed like that. He usually travels everywhere and rarely returns. Even when he often came to visit Qian’er, he would only sit for a short while before leaving. Although he cared about Qian’er very much, he would not reveal much about himself to her.”
Yun Mixue nodded. “Thank you for telling us, Miss Su. Since that is the case, we should not disturb Family Head Qiao any longer.”
Since they could not ask for any news, and Su Qian’er now had family to rely on, there was no need for them to stay. The matter of Qiuming Pill Hall was, in the end, a Qiao family matter. As outsiders, they should not linger.
Yun Mixue led Yan Zhuguang and the others in farewell to Qiao Zhenbang.
Qiao Zhenbang had not managed to repay their favor, but Yun Mixue and Yan Zhuguang declined it. He could not force them to ask for something. After Qiu Qiao and the others died, there were still many matters to handle, including the ownership of Qiuming Pill Hall. Qiao Zhenbang could not urge them to stay.
Yun Mixue led Yan Zhuguang and the others out of Qiuming Pill Hall.
“Come with Senior Sister to Tianyu City,” Yun Mixue said to Yan Zhuguang. “Senior Sister still has some things to ask you.”
Yan Zhuguang quickly nodded. “All right. I was afraid that once Qiuming Pill Hall’s matter ended, Senior Sister would not let me follow anymore.”
It would be best if Qiuming Pill Hall’s matter ended here. That strange and suspicious Su Qian’er had better not come looking for them again.
Yun Mixue was helpless. “How could I? Did Senior Sister not promise to let you help?”
“Senior Sister?” Chu Ningyan looked at the two of them, a little puzzled.
Yun Mixue said, “We will discuss it in Tianyu City.”
The four left Danye City and headed for Tianyu City.