At the inn where Gu Qianying and others were staying, everyone gathered.
Wang Hu, the imposter of Ouyang Qinglin, was already cold and beyond help, his body placed to the side.
Gu Qianying, holding the flute belonging to her brother Gu Yi, which she had found on Wang Hu, gently caressed it as she pondered.
Meanwhile, Xuanling Nu, Bai Ze, and Su Cheng were discussing softly by the window about their experiences with Wang Hu and their discoveries.
Xuanling Nu recalled what she had seen and heard while Gu Qianying had assigned her to watch Ouyang Qinglin.
"This Wang Hu was a very convincing impersonator. He made very few mistakes during our interactions and was gentle and doting towards Xiao Yihhao."
Normally, seeing his attentiveness towards Xiao Yihhao, Xuanling Nu and Bai Ze had no idea he was an imposter.
Jiaolong A Mu added a comment at this moment.
"Wang Hu was no simple man."
Hearing Xuanling Nu's words, Su Cheng knew that she and Bai Ze had likely not obtained any useful information from Wang Hu.
"This is truly troublesome. It would have been great if we could have gotten information from his secretive movements."
Su Cheng's words stirred thoughts and emotions within Bai Ze, making him feel helpless and regretful that he and Xuanling Nu had discovered nothing.
"Indeed, it's a pity. He was too dedicated to his role and never contacted the mastermind during his time with us."
"Someone like that is indeed meticulous. It's also fortunate, Qianying, that we are familiar with each other, otherwise, we would have been deceived by Wang Hu as well."
Ouyang Qinglin, listening to everyone's discussion, chimed in. He slowly shifted his gaze to Gu Qianying, who was sitting by the wooden table, and suddenly recalled a piece of information that might be related to the day's events.
He quickly walked over to Gu Qianying and told her, "I once heard that your brother Gu Yi is currently with the Evil King."
Gu Qianying's eyebrows twitched upon hearing her brother's name mentioned alongside the Evil King by Ouyang Qinglin. She looked up sharply.
"My brother has always been upright. How could he possibly be with that scoundrel, the Evil King?!"
Her voice was filled with disbelief, and she tightened her grip on the bamboo flute. Gu Qianying looked at Ouyang Qinglin, trying to discern the truth in his words.
Ouyang Qinglin knew Gu Qianying was unwilling to believe him, but he nodded nonetheless, affirming the truth of his statement. He continued, "This should be true. Moreover, if Gu Yi is indeed with that Evil King, it will give us a direction for our subsequent deductions."
Convinced by Ouyang Qinglin's words, Gu Qianying understood that he would not fabricate lies at such a critical juncture to amuse her. She extended her slender fingers and gently massaged her temples, quickly accepting the fact in her heart.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Hearing the sound, Gu Qianying replied in a deep voice, "Enter."
Upon receiving her permission, the knocker pushed the door open and entered.
The person was dressed in black, practical clothing, with a token hanging from his waist and a sword in hand. His appearance was unremarkable. After entering the room, he closed the inn door and quickly walked to Gu Qianying, kneeling on one knee to pay his respects. "Master."
This person was one of the subordinates Gu Qianying had dispatched to investigate Lu Zhu's whereabouts.
Gu Qianying nodded slightly at him, signaling him to continue his report. "How fares it? Is Lu Zhu still in our clan?"
The subordinate lowered his head and reported his findings. "Master, I have found no trace of the Saintess Lu Zhu in our clan."
Gu Qianying's brows furrowed upon hearing this, sensing that something was amiss.
She was well aware of the capabilities of the people around her.
If her subordinates could not find Lu Zhu, it seemed that things were not as simple as they appeared.
Gu Qianying fell into thought.
Ouyang Qinglin, Xuanling Nu, Bai Ze, and Su Cheng, upon hearing of Lu Zhu's disappearance, were also inwardly surprised and troubled.
"Understood. You may withdraw now." Gu Qianying waved for her subordinate to leave, intending to consider the next course of action.
"Yes, your subordinate obeys." Gu Qianying's subordinate immediately turned and left the room upon receiving the order.
A brief silence fell upon the room. Everyone was lost in thought about their current predicament.
"Qianying, what do you think?" Ouyang Qinglin was the first to break the silence in the room. The situation was difficult, and they needed to work together, pooling their efforts, and not allow negative emotions to fester through silence. At this moment, they needed a central figure, and among them, Gu Qianying was that figure. Therefore, Ouyang Qinglin spoke to ask for Gu Qianying's thoughts, so that once she made arrangements, everyone could immediately act.
In fact, having spent so many years with Gu Qianying, their close friends trusted her decisions implicitly.
At the same time, they also trusted Gu Qianying's vision and judgment.
Xuanling Nu, Bai Ze, and Su Cheng also turned their gaze towards Gu Qianying, following Ouyang Qinglin's words, awaiting her thoughts.
Upon hearing Ouyang Qinglin's question, Gu Qianying slightly pursed her lips and spoke with a solemn expression, revealing her current considerations.
"I plan to go to our tribal village to find Lu Zhu's trace. We must not let her come to harm."
Lu Zhu was also her most cherished close friend. She had heard of Lu Zhu's plight from Wu Cheng that day.
She refused to believe it, and even with only a one-in-a-thousand chance, she had to try.
Everyone nodded, indicating their willingness to follow Gu Qianying's arrangements.
However, Su Cheng, remembering Duan Xifeng and Meng Qinghua, who were still in danger in the imperial palace, raised another problem. "If we set off now to rescue the Saintess Lu Zhu of our tribal village, what about Duan Xifeng and Meng Qinghua in the imperial palace? Their situations are also still perilous. We cannot delay our actions on this front."
Reminded by Su Cheng, Gu Qianying also realized the predicament.
"You are right. There are still people in the imperial palace waiting for us to rescue them."
Gu Qianying looked gratefully at Su Cheng. Fortunately, he was there, preventing the action plan from becoming a disorganized mess of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Seeing Gu Qianying's gaze, Su Cheng returned a slight smile, comforting Gu Qianying's somewhat agitated mood.
During their time together, he had also gradually come to understand Gu Qianying and the people around her.
Ouyang Qinglin, Meng Qinghua, Sixth Prince Nangong Li, and another person named Du Chun were all close friends of Gu Qianying.
Xuanling Nu, Bai Ze, and Jiaolong A Mu, the three of them, were subordinates who obeyed Gu Qianying.
Currently, he knew that Ouyang Qinglin was here, and Meng Qinghua and Gu Qianying's brother, Duan Xifeng, had been captured.
As for Sixth Prince Nangong Li and Du Chun, they had left Yijing Pavilion early due to prior commitments.
It was this departure that prevented them from being captured by the Empress and the Grand Tutor and taken to the imperial palace.
And a woman named Lu Zhu was a former maidservant of Gu Qianying, and someone Gu Qianying trusted greatly.
This time, it was Gu Qianying's former maidservant, now a good friend, Lu Zhu, who was in danger.
At the time, after understanding the people around Gu Qianying, Su Cheng felt a sense of familiarity with them.
It was as if they had known each other before.
Ouyang Qinglin lightly stroked his left palm with his right hand, understanding the current need to shuttle between two fronts for rescue.
Gu Qianying connected the various matters in her mind, recalling what she had been considering before her subordinate entered the room to report the disappearance of Lu Zhu, who should have been in their tribal village.
"Also, my brother Gu Yi is currently with the Evil King. Until I confirm it with him personally, his safety is also fraught with uncertainty."
Ouyang Qinglin nodded in agreement with Gu Qianying's statement and said, "Indeed, your consideration is correct. The Evil King is capricious and always acts strangely. Gu Yi being with him now is likely to be an uneasy situation."
Xuanling Nu and Bai Ze looked at Gu Qianying, who was deep in thought, with knitted brows, worried that their mistress might suffer health problems due to excessive thinking and arduous effort.
Su Cheng reached out and patted Ouyang Qinglin's shoulder, signaling him to come aside with him.
Ouyang Qinglin felt Su Cheng's signal and moved aside, asking with his eyes what he meant.
Su Cheng pointed at the pensive Gu Qianying and said softly, "Let her think quietly for a while. Don't put too much pressure on her."
Ouyang Qinglin understood that Su Cheng was concerned about Gu Qianying's current state. He nodded, indicating that he would say no more, leaving Gu Qianying ample time to think.
Silence fell upon the inn room once more. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, considering how to achieve a balance in their next course of action.