"Who are you..."
"I am Lu Qing, and this is my sister, Lu Yue."
The man was very polite.
The woman named Lu Yue, standing beside him, was unyielding.
"Speak, you crashed into us, what are you going to do about it?"
"Don't think you can bully us just because we're outsiders. This young lady tells you, you crashed our carriage today and injured our servants, you should take some responsibility!"
Lu Yue's voice was loud. She blocked Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan from leaving.
Lu Qing, standing beside her, kept trying to persuade Lu Yue not to bother with such trivial matters, but Lu Yue refused.
"Miss Lu, just say how much money you want."
Blocked by Lu Yue, Song Wuji had to compromise.
At the same time, he also felt that since they had hit someone, compensation was only right.
"Money? Heh, you think we want money from you? Heh! You insult people like this and still claim to be educated? How ridiculous."
Lu Yue sneered.
Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan found the insistent woman troublesome. Moreover, they had important matters to attend to and could not afford to be delayed.
"Miss Lu, if you don't want monetary compensation, then tell us what you want us to do, and we will comply."
Song Wuji's attitude was sincere, but his demeanor angered Lu Yue greatly. "What do you want us to do? Can't you apologize? Can't you express your regret? You hit someone and you're still being unreasonable?"
Hearing this, Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan exchanged glances.
They saw shock in each other's eyes.
Indeed, they had not properly apologized.
Baili Jingxuan also walked over. Together with Song Wuji, they cupped their hands in greeting towards Lu Yue. "I am Song Wuji, and I am Baili Jingxuan. We apologize for startling you."
As soon as the two finished speaking, Lu Qing, standing beside Lu Yue, saw blackness before her eyes and swayed precariously, about to fall.
"Brother!"
Lu Yue cried out in alarm and quickly supported Lu Qing.
Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan were shocked by Lu Qing's sudden faint.
"My brother... he has hemophilia. He is quite weak and cannot stand for long periods."
As she spoke, Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan saw some blood at the tip of Lu Qing's nose.
Lu Yue quickly used a handkerchief to wipe her brother's nose.
Through their conversation with Lu Yue, Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan learned that the siblings had come to the Western Regions to seek a renowned physician.
On their way, their travel expenses were stolen by a thief. With no money to stay in an inn, the siblings decided to seek refuge at a temple. However, they were bumped into by Baili Jingxuan on the road.
Upon hearing this, Song Wuji immediately decided, "If Miss Lu and Young Master Gu do not mind, please return to my residence. My mansion has a highly skilled female physician. Why don't you let her examine your brother? What do you say?"
After a moment of hesitation, the Gu Qing siblings nodded in agreement.
Song Wuji helped Gu Qing into the carriage and let him lie down to rest.
Lu Yue also came in to take care of her brother.
Their servants followed behind.
On their way back, Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan brought back a pair of siblings.
Meanwhile, Gu Qianying and Baili Su had also brought back a woman named Meng Ting.
Before they encountered this woman, Meng Ting was surrounded by several ruffians.
Gu Qianying had saved this woman. As Gu Qianying was about to leave, Meng Ting knelt before her, blocking her path.
"Benefactor, please save me. I don't want to be captured again. If I am captured again this time, I will surely die."
Meng Ting cried profusely, her body appearing frail.
From her words, Gu Qianying and Baili Su learned that Meng Ting's father had lost money gambling and, unable to repay his debts, had sold his own daughter.
He had sold Meng Ting to a brothel.
When she refused to entertain guests, she was beaten and whipped.
Covered in wounds, she had escaped once more. On her escape route, she encountered three drunk men who surrounded her.
Gu Qianying saw the wound on her arm and believed her story.
Originally, Gu Qianying had intended to pay for Meng Ting to be sent to an inn. However, with the primary goal of finding her son, Xiao Yihao, she decided to bring Meng Ting back first.
Song Wuji arranged for Meng Ting, Lu Yue, and Lu Qing in a side chamber, and then he, Gu Qianying, Baili Su, and Baili Jingxuan hurried to the Song family ancestral hall.
Xuan Ling Nu and Bai Ze, using their respective special methods, both confirmed that Xiao Yihao was indeed inside the Song family ancestral hall.
By this time, a night had passed, and the sky was beginning to lighten.
Song Wuji, Baili Jingxuan, Baili Su, and Gu Qianying entered the ancestral hall.
In the ancestral hall, Song Wuji reached into the area where the ancestral tablets were kept and took a key from a hidden compartment.
He then used the key in his hand to open a hidden lock beneath a section of the wall.
With a crisp sound that echoed in everyone's ears,
the entrance to a secret chamber appeared before them.
This secret chamber was the Song family's greatest secret.
Song Wuji explained to Gu Qianying and Baili Su the origin of the Song family's secret chamber and its intricate construction.
Before he could finish speaking, he turned to see Gu Qianying and the others had already descended into the secret chamber.
Song Wuji wanted to say something, but Gu Qianying and the others had already gone down.
"Sect Master, the young heir is inside."
The further they went, the stronger the reaction from the spiritual paper crane in Xuan Ling Nu's hand became.
"Then let's go faster!"
Gu Qianying commanded coldly.
"Yes! Sect Master."
The entrance to the secret chamber required a long walk, and the passage was narrow, allowing only one person to walk at a time.
Baili Su had initially decided to lead the way, but Gu Qianying refused.
Baili Su's body was frail, and it would be inappropriate for him to bear the brunt of any danger.
The group decided to let Xuan Ling Nu lead the way.
The paper crane in Xuan Ling Nu's hand had a strong sense, and she also possessed spiritual abilities.
Uncertain of the dangers ahead, Gu Qianying asked Baili Su to walk in front of her. This way, she could protect Baili Su more conveniently and effectively.
After walking for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Gu Qianying and the others saw a luxurious palace.
As they approached, they sensed that the atmosphere around the palace was somewhat different.
"Everyone, be careful. There's something strange here."
The deserted, luxurious palace was filled with a chilling aura. It was empty, yet a strange presence surrounded Gu Qianying and the others.
Just as Gu Qianying and the others were about to enter, several arrows suddenly shot out from in front of them, flying towards Gu Qianying and the others.
"Be careful!"
Gu Qianying immediately grabbed Baili Su and pulled him back.
Among the others, Song Wuji and Baili Jingxuan leaped lightly and dodged.
Xuan Ling Nu raised her arm, and spiritual energy erupted, causing the arrows aimed at her to fall before her, unable to harm her in the slightest.