Ouyang Qinglin shielded Gu Qianying behind him as someone came to help.
This trip to Nanyi Kingdom had left her repeatedly injured, and she was certainly unable to use martial arts at the moment.
Since Murong Feng had revealed his power, he would surely not let these people touch Gu Qianying.
Without the constraints of his identity, Murong Feng's long sword was no longer weak and unsteady. His true martial prowess was not low, and today, he no longer needed to pretend. He moved without hesitation.
There were not many black-clothed assailants, and they likely hadn't expected such a powerful savior by Gu Qianying's side.
While Ouyang Qinglin was distracted, he asked Gu Qianying for her thoughts.
"Although this young man's affairs are a bit confusing, he doesn't seem like a bad person. What are your plans next?"
To hear him speak in defense of that person, Gu Qianying tilted her head, her expression full of confusion.
"Are you speaking up for him? This person has endured humiliation and remained hidden in Nanyi Kingdom for so many years; we don't know his true intentions. Didn't you always dislike him? Why do you approve of him now?"
Gu Qianying's sudden question caught Ouyang Qinglin off guard.
Thinking that this Murong Feng was Nangong Mo, he harbored many concerns.
If it truly was Nangong Mo, and he were to lose his life one day, Gu Qianying would surely regret it for the rest of her life upon learning of it.
If she were to spend her future years weeping, it would be better to protect this person well and wait for them to reunite.
Thus, after dealing with the black-clothed assailants before him, Ouyang Qinglin explained to Gu Qianying.
"Given the current situation in Nanyi Kingdom, it's impossible for you and me to completely change and overthrow it. Since he is a prince of Beiling Kingdom, we will undoubtedly need his help in the future. Wouldn't parting ways like this mean losing a potential ally?"
Although his sudden plan was somewhat hasty, it seemed to have some merit.
Gu Qianying looked at Nangong Mo, who was charging into the fray, her suspicion already piqued, but she couldn't simply abandon him.
With the help of Beiling Kingdom's forces, Gu Qianying managed to escape the clutches of Grand Tutor Su and the Empress.
Looking at the bodies on the ground, Murong Feng spoke after some thought.
"You two, the Empress and Grand Tutor Su are now furious. If you remain here, you might face more danger. Why not return to Beiling Kingdom with me to take refuge?"
The mission to stay here had not yet been completed, but thinking of the dangers Gu Qianying had faced repeatedly during this time, he still felt a pang of unease.
Ouyang Qinglin felt the same way; he wanted to help uncover all the matters within the imperial court, and there was no immediate rush.
Gu Qianying was still very weak, so spending a few days recuperating in Beiling Kingdom wouldn't be a bad idea.
Seeing his wavering resolve, Gu Qianying frowned.
"It's not that I'm stubborn, Murong Feng. You still have the蛊毒 (gu poison) within you, and even leaving the city of Nanyi is difficult. How can you possibly return to Beiling?"
She hadn't expected herself to think about this man's health at such a moment.
Ouyang Qinglin and Murong Feng were both stunned.
All their experiences in the past few days had been focused on finding Gu Qianying, and they had even forgotten their original purpose for returning.
"Oh, don't misunderstand. I still have some matters to attend to at the Su family, it's not solely because of your health."
Seeing their stunned expressions, Gu Qianying finally realized that her words had indeed caused a misunderstanding.
She then comforted herself, telling herself that her true reason for wanting to go to the Su family was not for Murong Feng's health, but because of the forbidden arts.
Although her explanation was somewhat evasive, it was true that for Murong Feng to travel smoothly between the two countries in the future, curing the poison was of utmost importance.
Given this, after some discussion, the three decided to return to the Su family first.
Murong Feng's subordinates quickly brought the carriage.
"You all remain hidden. Do not reveal yourselves without my command," Murong Feng instructed his hidden guards before he, Gu Qianying, and Ouyang Qinglin boarded the carriage.
On the way back, Murong Feng's gaze was constantly on Gu Qianying.
He understood that if it weren't for his identity forcing him to conceal everything, Gu Qianying wouldn't have been so severely injured saving him.
Thinking of this, he suddenly cupped his hands and apologized to Gu Qianying.
"Miss Gu, Grand Tutor Su holds a very high position in Nanyi Kingdom, and there are many mysterious aspects to her. To get close to her, I had to pretend to be from a weaker faction of the Su family, causing you to suffer disaster unjustly. It was my fault."
He was truly remorseful, and Gu Qianying had no intention of pursuing the matter at this time.
"Do you know that Grand Tutor Su is actually a man? Ouyang Qinglin should have seen the girl in the palace; she is the child of them both."
Ouyang Qinglin knew this, but Gu Qianying had not mentioned it to Su Cheng at the time.
Upon hearing this now, Murong Feng's face was filled with astonishment.
"She's a man? To hold such a high position in the palace while hiding such an identity, I never expected that under Nanyi Kingdom's system, it could be concealed so flawlessly."
He truly found it hard to believe, but Gu Qianying knew much more.
"When you two rescued me from the bamboo forest outside the palace, you must have seen the bodies of men in plain clothes with dismembered limbs on the ground, right?"
He looked at Murong Feng and the other, and then recounted the events in the cold palace.
"There's such a thing? I've been lurking in the Su family for many years, and I've truly never heard of the Su family's forbidden arts."
Murong Feng remained completely unaware of this matter.
Since he had been lurking in Nanyi Kingdom for many years and his target was Grand Tutor Su, how could he know nothing?
Gu Qianying did not fully believe his words. He was no longer the Su Cheng of the past, and Murong Feng's intentions were certainly not simple. Gu Qianying remained guarded, and she wouldn't take his casual remarks to heart.
However, perhaps due to their long association, even if his words weren't entirely trustworthy, she felt that this Murong Feng was not a bad person, so she voiced her request.
"Whether you know or not, I don't particularly care. However, I want you to promise me one thing: no matter who the final culprit is behind all these events, you must not harm the people of the Su family."
Thinking of the kind-hearted individuals within the Su clan, such as Su Yuxi, she certainly wouldn't allow the Su clan to be drenched in blood.
Although she held no status within the Su family, after ten years of interaction, some feelings had developed in her heart.
Murong Feng had no intention of targeting the Su family members anyway, so he readily agreed to Gu Qianying's request.
"Alright. From now on, no matter what happens or who the mastermind is, I will only punish the villain and will not harm the Su family members."
With his assurance, Gu Qianying finally felt at ease.
The carriage was already heading towards the city, but it had to pass through a section of rocky road.
Despite sitting inside the carriage, Gu Qianying nearly fell due to the violent jolting.
"Ah."
She tried to grab the handrail beside her, but it was too far away, and she leaned forward.
"Be careful."
Two voices spoke at the same time.