"Do you think they'll fall for it?"
"Whether they fall for it or not, they must go on this trip. We cannot be soft-hearted."
"Yes, you're right, we cannot be soft-hearted."
Three dark figures hidden beneath the shade of the trees watched Gu Qianying, Su Cheng, and Xiao Yihao disappear into the distance.
They also stood up.
One of them pushed aside the branches and walked out.
"Being soft-hearted towards enemies is cruelty to oneself. Moreover, you all know what that person has of ours."
"Even if we don't want to, what can we do?"
After one person finished speaking, another also emerged from the shade.
"You're right, if one doesn't look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them. Besides, we've all experienced that person's power. If our abilities are insufficient, how can we contend with them?"
At this moment, the third person also stepped out from under the shade: "You're both right. As long as we take care of the people we care about, others are none of our concern."
The three firmly believed one thing.
Only after completing the task would that person let them go.
As the three whispered, one of them looked again towards Gu Qianying and the other two who were walking away. At this sight, he was truly stunned.
"You, Gu Qianying and the other two... they've disappeared."
The other two quickly looked in the direction indicated by their companion.
Upon seeing this, the other two also became anxious.
"They've really disappeared! Quickly, let's follow them."
The three figures in black robes immediately took action.
However... just as the three were walking forward quickly.
Two dark figures descended from the sky, flying towards them.
"Are you looking for us?"
Gu Qianying and Su Cheng landed gracefully, their feet treading on the wind.
Su Cheng held the sleeping Xiao Yihao in his arms.
Xiao Yihao was awakened by the commotion nearby.
At this moment, Gu Qianying recognized the three figures not as strangers, but as Wu Xiaomei, Wu Lei, and Wu Ming.
Seeing Gu Qianying and Su Cheng land steadily, the three of them realized that Gu Qianying and the others had seen through their deception.
"Kill them!"
Wu Lei pulled a dagger from his sleeve.
He chose to burn his bridges, determined not to be captured by Gu Qianying and the others.
Wu Lei, dagger in hand, lunged first at Su Cheng, who was holding Xiao Yihao.
"Su Cheng, be careful!"
Gu Qianying's cold eyes narrowed.
She instinctively wanted to move to Su Cheng's side to protect her son Xiao Yihao and Su Cheng.
But as she flicked her sleeve, Wu Xiaolan and Wu Ming, one wielding a long sword and the other a sleeve dart, attacked Gu Qianying.
A strong wind arose.
Sharp sword tips and sleeve darts lunged towards her face.
Gu Qianying retreated, raising her hand to grasp a Scarlet Blood Saber.
"Since you've seen through our plan, there's no need for you to live. Die!"
A cold glint flashed in Wu Xiaomei's eyes.
Wu Ming and Wu Xiaomei cooperated seamlessly.
They circled Gu Qianying, their intent to kill evident.
"Hmph!"
Gu Qianying swung the Scarlet Blood Saber furiously, "You overestimate yourselves."
A powerful force surged from her saber tip.
Trees and houses around them collapsed.
The saber tip grazed Wu Xiaolan's hair, loosening her bun and causing her hairpin to fall.
Looking up, she saw the saber tip pressed against her neck.
Wu Xiaolan's face turned ashen.
The long sword in her hand dropped to the ground.
Just as Wu Ming charged forward, Gu Qianying kicked his sleeve dart flying.
Wu Ming fell to the ground. As he scrambled to his feet, attempting to lunge again, Gu Qianying raised her palm.
Under the incantation of dark arts, several black threads shot towards Wu Ming.
Witnessing this unprecedented sight, Wu Ming's eyes widened in shock. He turned to evade, trying to escape.
However... the black threads coiled around his entire body, binding him tightly.
"Let me go!"
No matter how Wu Ming shouted, he couldn't move.
Recalling the threads, Gu Qianying turned her gaze towards Su Cheng.
At this moment, Su Cheng and Wu Lei were locked in a fierce battle.
Finding it inconvenient to hold Xiao Yihao, Su Cheng placed him in a safe spot.
He then faced Wu Lei alone.
After subduing Wu Ming with demonic power and binding Wu Xiaolan, Gu Qianying quickly walked towards Xiao Yihao.
She scooped Xiao Yihao into her arms.
Seeing his mother come and hold him, Xiao Yihao felt warmth in his heart, and the situation no longer seemed as terrifying.
"Mother, Uncle Su Cheng is so amazing."
Held in Gu Qianying's arms, Xiao Yihao turned his head to look at Su Cheng.
Gu Qianying also followed Xiao Yihao's gaze towards Su Cheng in the distance.
"Mm."
Gu Qianying responded with a single word, saying no more.
"Mother, I think Uncle Su Cheng looks a lot like Father. Could he be Father?"
Xiao Yihao was full of curiosity.
Through their interactions over the past few days, Xiao Yihao increasingly felt that Su Cheng and his father, Nangong Mo, were alike in many ways.
His father preferred using his left hand to hold chopsticks, and so did Uncle Su Cheng.
His father's favorite food was asparagus, and Uncle Su Cheng's was the same.
Furthermore, he recalled his mother mentioning that his father also liked eating vegetables, and Uncle Su Cheng did too.
Besides these, there were many other similarities.
He also remembered his mother saying that his father was undergoing a reincarnation tribulation.
Each life was like a rebirth or a tribulation.
Although he didn't understand what reincarnation tribulation was,
From the people he had encountered before who shared his father's preferences,
He surmised that these must be his father's new identities in each life.
"Mm... that's a secret. Mother won't tell you."
Gu Qianying did not reveal Su Cheng's true identity to Xiao Yihao.
Through Nangong Mo's experiences in his previous lives, and the painful separations at the end of each one,
She had slowly come to understand.
Each parting was agony.
And this agony was hers alone to bear.
She didn't want her son to experience the disappointment of finding his father only to be separated again.
Her thoughts drifting back.
Gu Qianying gently put Xiao Yihao down.
Having slept enough, Xiao Yihao asked his mother to let him down.
Gu Qianying complied, standing up and taking Xiao Yihao's small hand.
Thump...
At this moment, Wu Lei, defeated by Su Cheng, was kicked to the ground by Su Cheng.
He rolled to Gu Qianying's feet.
Thus, Wu Xiaolan, Wu Ming, and Wu Lei were captured by Gu Qianying and Su Cheng.
The three were tied to a tree.
Gu Qianying, Su Cheng, and Xiao Yihao sat on stone stools around them.
After a long while, Xiao Yihao became hungry.
Gu Qianying did not let him eat wild fruits but instead gave him the mung bean cakes she had prepared earlier.
She also gave him the water she had brought, allowing him to eat and drink.
"Wu Xiaolan, Wu Ming, Wu Lei, your acting was a bit lacking..."
At this moment, the bound Wu Xiaolan, Wu Ming, and Wu Lei all looked towards Gu Qianying.
"How did you discover our flaws?"
Wu Xiaolan, Wu Ming, and Wu Lei were all confused, filled with curiosity and unwillingness to accept defeat.