Chapter 170 Old Acquaintance

Cui Zhongcheng stood on the layers of fallen leaves, gazing at the long, narrow mountain path in the distance. He reached out and knocked on the car window beside him.

There was still someone sitting inside the car.

"Mr. Cui..."

Zhao Qi was on pins and needles. He didn't dare get out of the car. He looked through the car window in the direction Lu Nanzhi was coming from. He knew better than anyone what this conversation meant... his father was going to confess what he had done at the Freedom Auditorium.

None of Lu Nanzhi's people were good news!

However… there seemed to be some good news.

It seemed that Lu Nanzhi hadn't brought many people with her this time.

At least, he hadn't seen the disaster he feared most…

"Where's Crow? Did he come?" Zhao Qi shrank into the back seat, carefully observing his surroundings, afraid of being discovered by the other side. But after looking for a long time, he realized that Lu Nanzhi seemed to have only brought two people.

He had met one of them at the Freedom Ball.

Wasn't he from the Tribunal?

The other one… was dressed strangely, wearing a round-shouldered cloak. He didn't seem like an extraordinary from the East Continent. Judging by his attire, he didn't look like a master.

Zhao Qi's eyesight was limited, and he was afraid he was mistaken.

"Song Ci didn't come," Cui Zhongcheng said lightly, "What, afraid of getting beaten up by him?"

"It's not that..."

Zhao Qi swallowed, his voice soft, correcting with little confidence, "...It's afraid of getting beaten to death by him."

Song Ci was a well-known madman.

He had been caught red-handed at the ball, and almost had his skin peeled off.

If he were here today, there was no way he would dare to get out of the car.

Cui Zhongcheng adjusted his glasses and said softly, "I might as well tell you the truth. Song Ci was injured in the battle against the Apostle and is currently healing."

Hearing this, Zhao Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

"But… can you escape for a day, or a year?" Little Cui continued, "After the Apostle battle, Song Ci's status is completely different from before. Now he is an important figure in the East Continent Council, the absolute core, the Apostle bearing the will of the God Seat. After his injury heals, if he wants to catch you, no matter where you hide in the capital, it will be useless."

Hearing this, Zhao Qi was stunned.

He was a little dazed, and subconsciously said, "But my dad..."

He stopped halfway through.

He saw Lu Nanzhi pushing a wheelchair, crushing fallen leaves, entering the desolate mountain in the evening.

His father, the one who used to be as towering and unattainable as a mountain…

Now he could only be confined to a chair, aging, withering, like a withered leaf.

"Think about it carefully… you can disobey the old man's previous arrangement, but if you insist on staying in the capital, no one can guarantee what your tomorrow will be like. Perhaps one day, Song Ci, in a fit of rage, might smash your head with a punch, that's not impossible." Cui Zhongcheng said calmly, "Of course… this is on the premise that Madam forgives you. If she chooses not to forgive you today, even going to the Northern Continent… is a luxury."

Zhao Qi opened his mouth, hesitating.

He wanted to ask Little Cui to save him… but he remembered that a long time ago, this council assistant who managed the keys for the "Zhao Family" had refused his request.

He thought he could be a pile of mud without any restraint and be very happy in his life.

Who could refuse his request?

Who would dare refuse his request?

It wasn't until the mountain he hated most was about to collapse… that Zhao Qi realized his stupidity.

Mud can lean against a wall, it has nothing to do with the mud, it has to do with the wall.

After the wall falls… the mud can only live in a pit.

…

…

Zhao Qi lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought… but in reality, his mind was blank, and his future choices were now a jumbled mess.

On the day of the alternate councilor ceremony, Lu Nanzhi jumped out to vote against him, standing against his father, against Hua Zhi… At that time, he thought this woman would lose miserably.

But now it seems, he was wrong.

The fact that his father chose to talk to Lu Nanzhi here today was already a compromise.

When had his father ever compromised?

The legal battle in the capital… I'm afraid it won't be long before it comes to an end.

So, what should he choose?

Really… go to the Northern Continent?

"Knock knock knock."

Just as Zhao Qi was thinking wildly, there was a light knock on the car window. The young master Zhao raised his head in confusion and saw a familiar face.

This young man… was the security guard who was responsible for checking the attendees at the Freedom Ball.

In the past, he was a minor character that he would never have given a second glance to.

But now it was different… This was Lu Nanzhi's attendant, and he might have to deal with him next.

Zhao Qi rolled down the car window, forcing a smile.

"Gu Shen, from the Tribunal." Cui Zhongcheng simply introduced Gu Shen, "Mr. Shu's closed-door disciple, the newly appointed S-level."

"Nice to meet you…" Zhao Qi didn't want to move while sitting in the car, or rather, he didn't dare to move.

He was hiding in this corner, and they still came to him, what good could it be?

"You're too kind… Young Master Zhao, we're old acquaintances." Gu Shen asked with a smile, "Mr. Cui, can I have a private chat with him?"

Since when… were Gu Shen and Zhao Qi old acquaintances?

Cui Zhongcheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

He saw Zhao Qi's shrinking posture in the car, and the look of resistance on his face… it was as if he was writing "We're not familiar" all over his face.

Zhao Qi cast a look of help to Cui Zhongcheng.

Was he hoping that he would refuse on his behalf?

Mr. Cui said very softly, "Since you're old acquaintances, I won't disturb your reunion."

He didn't speak for Zhao Qi, but chose to leave.

The whole world seemed to quiet down.

Gu Shen gently pressed his hand on the rolled-down car window glass. The hand didn't exert much force, but the car's deep-sea control system malfunctioned. No matter how hard Zhao Qi, who was trying to maintain his composure, pressed the remote control button, he couldn't roll the window up.

"Young Master Zhao?"

Gu Shen frowned slightly and smiled, "You don't seem to welcome me?"

"Of course not…" Zhao Qi smiled palely, "It's just that we've only met once, so it doesn't seem like we're old acquaintances… and there shouldn't be anything to talk about… right?"

"Oh… really?"

Gu Shen said softly, "Think carefully, have we only met once?"

Zhao Qi was stunned.

A wisp of flame flashed from Gu Shen's brow, carrying a wisp of memory from a late night in the old city, and crashed into Zhao Qi's mind.

Night wind. Street lights. Motorcycle. Alcohol.

And… a heavy punch.

Countless fragments flashed back, and finally, like a firing pin igniting the gunpowder, Zhao Qi instantly woke up from his memories, gasping for breath, looking at the young man outside the car window in shock.

"That night, it was you?!"

Gu Shen smiled softly, "So… we are old acquaintances."

He pointed to the inside of the car and asked, "I want to have a chat with you… are you coming out, or am I going in?"