This matter was somewhat strange, but Yu Qingwu couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly was odd.

On the surface, it was perfectly reasonable for her master to release a female disciple in order not to offend the royal family and to protect his own reputation, interests, and ambitions.

However, while it made sense, it didn't quite align with Xiao Rongqi's usual style.

Thinking of this, Yu Qingwu frowned slightly and nodded, responding softly to Xie Jin Yan, "Your Highness is right. I also find this matter strange, but I can't quite pinpoint what it is. Although it seems like a move to sacrifice a pawn to protect the king, it doesn't quite fit his usual way of doing things."

"There's also something else, and I don't know if it's just my imagination."

A hint of uncertainty flashed in Yu Qingwu's eyes, and then she looked at Xie Jin Yan, lowering her voice and hesitatingly saying, "I always feel that the way Master looked at me this time was filled with hatred."

"Perhaps he was insincere before, trying to control me with a fatherly facade. But even if it was fake, his eyes were always full of affection. Even if I made a mistake, he would only be stern, but never hateful... and never murderous."

In the end, Yu Qingwu's voice trailed off.

The expression on her face became increasingly complex, heavy, and puzzled.

She couldn't understand why her master would suddenly harbor such great hatred towards her.

It couldn't be just because she and Xie Jin Yan had brought up the matter of Xiao Fengyun and Qu Shanshan, leading to the ruin of Xiao Fengyun's reputation, could it?

"Now that you mention it, I've noticed it too."

While Yu Qingwu was pondering, Xie Jin Yan spoke. He reached out and took her hand, quickening their pace until they returned to their guest room. Only then did he lower his voice, looking at her with a very serious expression, and said, "Actually, I had this feeling when I first saw Master, but I didn't want to say anything out of respect for him."

"Besides, Master has always treated you the most favorably, so I thought maybe I was just overthinking it."

"But looking at it today, it's not just you or me being overly concerned. Master seems... indeed to have murderous intentions towards you."

As Xie Jin Yan spoke, he sat down on the soft couch beside him, twirling the jade tablet in his hand and said, "If I'm not mistaken, if you and I had agreed to take Xiao's clan niece today, Master would have ordered her to eliminate you and take your place."

"Unfortunately, he underestimated the depth of our affection and overestimated your obedience to him."

"But why would Master have such thoughts? If he had planned from the beginning to use you as a stepping stone for the women of the Xiao clan, then why would he give you the dagger that could command the martial world?"

"Also, if he intended to use you as cannon fodder from the start, why would he teach you beast taming and insect rearing after you lost your inner strength? He only needed to teach you palace rules, etiquette, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing for entertainment. But Master taught you many things that were enough for you to protect yourself."

"So, I think that Master probably... developed this idea sometime during the past six months you've been in the capital. Something must have happened during this time that you and I don't know about."

Xie Jin Yan often dealt with official matters and had solved more than one or two unsolved cases, so his mind worked quickly and he quickly deduced a clue.

Yu Qingwu was a little confused at first, but after listening to Xie Jin Yan's analysis, the thoughts in her mind instantly became clear.

Yes, even if her master was pretending before, he would never have revealed such murderous eyes.

And as Xie Jin Yan said, if her master intended to use her as a stepping stone for the Xiao clan women, then he wouldn't have needed to teach her those self-defense skills, let alone give her the dagger that could command the martial world.

So, her master must have developed murderous intentions in the past six months since she left.

What exactly happened in these six months?

Yu Qingwu frowned, her heart becoming heavier.

Sighing softly, she reached out and pulled Xie Jin Yan, "Forget it, let's not talk about this for now. We'll investigate this matter later. Let's release Qingqing from the woodshed first. We're going down the mountain tomorrow. If Qingqing wants to leave with us, she needs to pack her luggage as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Xie Jin Yan also stood up and slapped his forehead, "If you hadn't said anything, I would have almost forgotten. Ordinary knives can't cut the iron chain that's locking Senior Sister Yan. We have to ask Master for the key."

After saying that, he immediately got up and hurried back to Ziyun Pavilion.

Yu Qingwu also quickly got up and followed Xie Jin Yan, saying, "Your Highness, then I'll wait for you at the woodshed."

"Okay, be careful." Xie Jin Yan replied and disappeared at the fork in the road.

Yu Qingwu also quickly headed towards the woodshed.

After about fifteen minutes, Xie Jin Yan retrieved the key.

With uneasy hearts, the two stepped into the woodshed, already prepared to teach Qu Shanshan another lesson to vent their anger for Yan Qingqing.

However, after pushing the door open, Yu Qingwu and Xie Jin Yan were stunned.

Inside the cramped and narrow woodshed, Yan Qingqing, who was usually bullied, was sitting leisurely on a pile of straw, while Qu Shanshan, who had been arrogant and tyrannical before, was cowering in a corner like a mouse, occasionally peeking at Yan Qingqing with vigilance and fear in her eyes.

What happened?

Yu Qingwu was suspicious in her heart...

She stepped forward, taking out the key to unlock Yan Qingqing's chains, while glancing at Qu Shanshan next to her and asked, "Qingqing, after we left just now, did Qu Shanshan bully you again?"

"No, she doesn't dare anymore." Yan Qingqing said, while giving Qu Shanshan a cold glare.

With just that one glance, Qu Shanshan instantly trembled, saying in horror, "Don't... don't... don't hit me."

What's going on?

Looking at Qu Shanshan's terrified face, who even seemed to be a little dazed with fear, Yu Qingwu fell into confusion again.

But soon, Yan Qingqing solved her confusion.

"Second Senior Sister, I've tormented her so much that she's afraid."

"Just now, I loosened all the bones in her body, dislocated her limbs and mandible, and then restored them, over and over again countless times, and she became like this."

"Second Senior Sister, I think you're right, it's better to rely on yourself than to rely on others. No one can protect anyone for a lifetime. I used to think that I didn't have a backer and didn't dare to cause trouble easily, but now that I think about it, Senior Sister, you didn't have any relatives before, you didn't have anything, and you didn't even have internal strength, but Qu Shanshan didn't dare to bully you, why is that?"

"It's because you don't indulge her."

"So, just now, she wanted to take her anger out on me again, and I thought, my martial arts aren't below her, and I know how to set bones and break bones, and she's just alone, so why should I be afraid of her?"

Yan Qingqing spoke calmly, feeling refreshed after venting her anger, and also feeling a sense of relief.

After listening to her words, Yu Qingwu and Xie Jin Yan were stunned again.

But soon, the shock in their eyes was replaced by relief.