Lu Yaoyang’s brow furrowed. He had been monitoring the situation from the control room and had no idea when the surveillance equipment had been tampered with.
Now, all he could do was rely on his memory to guide Xia Qingyu in hiding.
Meanwhile, Xia Qingyu was carefully concealing herself in a blind spot.
Lu Yaoyang had already warned her that the opponent was armed and, judging by their build, a trained fighter. Xia Qingyu knew she couldn’t confront them directly and had to hide first, while Lu Yaoyang found reinforcements.
Five paces away, firearms are fast, steady, and fierce.
Within five paces, firearms are fast, steady, fierce, and accurate.
No matter how skilled Xia Qingyu was, she understood she absolutely couldn’t stand her ground against them.
Fortunately, this wasn’t her first time on this ship. Coupled with the previous spirit-exorcism convention, she and Shi Xingwu had done thorough research. The moment Lu Yaoyang mentioned the location, she immediately recalled the route and took cover as quickly as possible.
Footsteps approached, light and steady.
Shadows, elongated by the lights, drew closer.
When the shadow fell upon Xia Qingyu’s feet, even she couldn’t help but tremble.
The footsteps continued to draw nearer, and Xia Qingyu felt her heart pound.
Gaia surveyed the area before her gaze settled on the piano where Xia Qingyu was hiding, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She had been tracking the “Tang Family Hidden Master” all along.
She had to admit, the “Tang Family Hidden Master” was highly vigilant and skilled, and it was rare for someone she pursued to survive for so long.
Tightening her grip on the handgun, Gaia advanced step by step, her eyes still scanning for Xia Qingyu’s hiding spot.
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded. Gaia’s brow furrowed, and she immediately melted into the nearby shadows, raising her pistol. Gaia’s gaze intensified.
This person must be an accomplice of the “Tang Family Hidden Master”; killing them both would be efficient.
Sensing Gaia’s movements from the shadows, Xia Qingyu’s heart skipped a beat. She turned towards the direction of the approaching person and, without a second thought, shouted, “Nie Qingkong! Don’t come over here!”
The next instant, a bullet sliced through the air, grazing Xia Qingyu’s shoulder as she dodged. It severed a strand of her long hair and tore her clothes, causing blood to spatter. The bullet embedded itself deep in the floor.
Having confirmed the target’s position, Gaia raised her gun to fire again, but her wrist ached. As her finger pulled the trigger, the silenced pistol emitted only a muffled thud, and the bullet struck a hanging painting on the wall, which then fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Before Gaia could react, she sensed an imminent threat. She raised her arms to cross them in front of her to block, taking the heavy blow. She stumbled back several steps before regaining her balance. As she turned to attack, she recognized the person before her and whispered in alarm, “Young Master…”
As soon as the words left her lips, a heavy punch landed on her cheekbone, making stars burst before her eyes. Gaia cried out in pain but dared not retaliate.
Disordered footsteps drew closer. Knowing her identity couldn’t be revealed, Gaia bit her lip and fled in haste. However, at the foot of the stairs, she collided head-on with Xia Qingtian, who was preparing to encircle her with her gun.
Xia Qingtian had not expected Gaia to rush at her like this. As she raised her pistol, about to fire at Gaia, she saw Gaia’s face.
In that momentary lapse, Gaia dodged, knocking the gun from Xia Qingtian’s hand, and then vanished from Xia Qingtian’s sight with the utmost speed.
“Did I… misjudge?” Xia Qingtian murmured to herself, clutching her aching wrist as she watched Gaia’s retreating figure.
Meanwhile, after seeing Gaia escape, Nie Qingkong’s brow furrowed, and he immediately rushed to Xia Qingyu’s hiding spot. He reached out and pulled her from beneath the piano. Seeing the crimson blood seeping through the gaps between Xia Qingyu’s fingers as she clutched her wound, Nie Qingkong felt as if that shot had hit him.
It hurt.
“Did the person escape? Are you alright?” Xia Qingyu asked, pressing her hand against her wound while glancing at Nie Qingkong. Just as she was about to ask if he was injured, Lu Yaoyang’s voice crackled through the internal communication device.
“Qingyu, how are things on your end?” Lu Yaoyang asked anxiously. “The Wen family will be here shortly.”
Xia Qingyu was about to reply that she was fine when Lu Yaoyang continued, “Nie Qingkong’s target tonight has been identified. It’s Er Ya.”
This was something Si Fu had said herself when urging “Nie Qingkong.”
The Tang Family Hidden Master was Nie Qingkong’s target for the night.
He had to kill her; it was a fight to the death.
Xia Qingyu’s eyes widened, and she pictured Er Ya’s innocent face, unable to hide her emotions, her big, clear black and white eyes, her sweet and bright smile.
“Your injury…” Nie Qingkong looked at Xia Qingyu, his throat feeling constricted. He wanted to ask if she was in pain, but Xia Qingyu interrupted him before he could even speak.
“Nie Qingkong, are you going to kill Er Ya?” Xia Qingyu looked at Nie Qingkong, still holding onto a sliver of hope for the person before her.
What if the information was wrong?
What if there was some misunderstanding?
What if…
Seeing Nie Qingkong’s startled, evasive gaze, Xia Qingyu’s small hope completely extinguished.
Nie Qingkong’s expression at that moment was the best answer.
“Qingyu, how are you!” Xia Qingtian and the Wen family had arrived. Seeing the wound on Xia Qingyu’s arm, Xia Qingtian’s heart leaped into her throat. “Does it hurt? I’ll call the ship’s doctor right away!”
For the first time, Xia Qingyu did not respond to Xia Qingtian, nor did she look at her sister.
“Nie Qingkong, you were right,” she said, her gaze fixed on Nie Qingkong as she spoke deliberately. “Next time we meet, we will be enemies.”
This one sentence struck Nie Qingkong’s heart like a knife, making him forget to even breathe.
He could only watch helplessly as Xia Qingyu was accompanied away by the crowd.
The next time they met, they would be enemies.
Enemies…
…
Xia Qingtian took Xia Qingyu back to her room, and Bai Yuqi had also contacted the ship’s doctor for treatment.
Fortunately, it was a graze. After stopping the bleeding and applying medication, as long as she didn’t develop a fever tonight, she would be fine.
“Qingyu, you shouldn’t go out again later,” Xia Qingtian said gently, cupping Xia Qingyu’s face.
“No,” Xia Qingyu shook her head. “His target is Er Ya. I need to go protect Er Ya.”
“There’s a decoy for Er Ya outside, creating confusion,” Xia Qingtian whispered. “Er Ya is currently being tutored by her third brother, and the Wen family has people in ambush nearby. Don’t worry, no one will be able to harm her.”
Hearing Xia Qingtian’s words, Xia Qingyu finally felt a slight sense of relief, but her heart couldn’t help but feel sad.
She truly couldn’t understand how the innocent, cute, and charming Er Ya could have offended them so much that they had to try and kill her!
That person was truly wicked!