Qingyao immediately closed her eyes as instructed. She trusted Wuqing unconditionally, for everything she had now was bestowed by him.
Without him, there would be no Mu Qingyao today. If he harbored even the slightest ill will towards her, she wouldn't be sitting here.
Qingyao couldn't help but wonder what Wuqing intended to give her. She pondered, but couldn't guess, until her palm suddenly felt cool.
Without opening her eyes, she gently felt it with her hand. It seemed to be cast iron, with a definite shape, but she couldn't discern what it was. She chuckled softly and asked,
"Can I open my eyes now?"
She had never known Wuqing to have such a mischievous side. This indicated he was in a truly good mood lately. Seeing him happy made Qingyao happy too.
Wuqing spoke softly, "It's done."
Qingyao's eyes snapped open. She gazed at the two items in her hand: a tiger-head shaped object cast in brass, and a diagram. She stared blankly for a long time before her heartbeat gradually quickened. After a while, she stammered,
"This is a tiger tally, and this… what is this?"
Qingyao opened the diagram. Though she couldn't fully comprehend it at first, she had a vague understanding that it was a schematic of a secret organization's structure. Why would he give this to her? He had said he had a gift for her – could this be it?
"Wuqing, where did you get these things, the tiger tally and the schematic?"
Qingyao was truly stunned, and a sense of unease crept into her mind. Why would Wuqing, a ghost doctor, possess such items? Who was he, and what did he intend to do? A series of questions flooded her mind.
However, such valuable items were not hers to accept. She immediately placed both items back into Wuqing's hand.
"Wuqing, I cannot accept these. You teaching me martial arts and taking me in at Wuqing Valley, I am truly moved from the bottom of my heart. But this must be something you greatly need. I cannot take it."
Wuqing's watery eyes gazed at her without blinking, his lips slowly curving into a spring-like smile.
"In times of chaos, to protect oneself, one must raise an army. Only by possessing great power can one ensure their own peace."
Wuqing's words echoed Qingyao's own thoughts, but she still couldn't accept the tiger tally and the schematic.
"Alright, you should keep what you cultivated through your own efforts. Haven't I begun my own preparations? Those children, given time, can be trained to form an intelligence organization. This can not only gather various information but also earn money."
Qingyao spoke of her own plans, forcefully placing the tiger tally and the schematic back into Wuqing's hands.
But Wuqing was persistent. He placed the tiger tally and the schematic back into Qingyao's hands again, his eyes as deep as an ancient pool, so dark that the bottom was entirely invisible. "Qingyao, this is my gift to you. Because I dislike seeing these, could you help me manage them?"
As Wuqing spoke, his tone carried a deep sense of loneliness, and his eyes held profound melancholy, as if he were trapped by something, unable to break free.
Qingyao's heart tightened. She slowly crouched down. She always felt that Wuqing kept many things from her.
"Wuqing, can you tell me what's bothering you? Tell me your sorrow and your unease. I have received so much help from you, and I truly wish to do something for you. Only then will I feel at ease."
Wuqing looked at Qingyao's earnest expression and actually smiled.
"You, you managing this for me will put my mind at ease. As for other matters, what could possibly stump the ghost doctor Wuqing? I doubt anything in this world could."
The last sentence was arrogant, fitting his cold and proud demeanor.
Qingyao couldn't help but laugh, but when her gaze fell upon the tiger tally, she still felt a weight in her heart. Did Wuqing really establish this organization solely for self-preservation? With his skills, even without this, ordinary people likely couldn't deal with him.
Looking at the schematic in her hand, it seemed to depict an underground training organization, complete with an exercise ground, dormitories, and various armories. It had everything. Such a vast undertaking must have required considerable effort. Was it truly for self-preservation?
She refused to accept this explanation, but since Wuqing didn't want to speak, she didn't press. Since he was so insistent, she would manage it for now and return it to him once she understood the truth of the matter.
Qingyao made up her mind, her expression softening considerably. She nodded.
"Alright, I'll manage it for you for now. When you need it, just tell me, and I'll give it back to you."
She put away the tiger tally and the schematic. Wuqing slowly said, "This schematic isn't located elsewhere; it's beneath the medicinal herb field in the back mountain. Outsiders don't know. I'll take you to see it later."
"Okay."
Qingyao nodded, her expression turning slightly cold as she recalled the matter of Wen Yu. She said lightly, "It seems your guess was correct. Wen Yu is indeed not Yin Xuan. It seems I was overthinking things."
"It's best that you recognize the truth. The reason I let him into the valley was for you to see his true face clearly, so you wouldn't suffer a loss by mistaking him for Yin Xuan.
"This man is deeply calculating, unlike Yin Xuan, who acts with such openness. Therefore, we must be cautious. Last night, when the Black and White Twin Fiends entered the valley, it's likely he was behind it. After all, the Black and White Twin Fiends are not ordinary people who can be easily swayed. Even with money, one would likely need an immense favor to get them to act."
"Yes, if he was indeed manipulating things behind the scenes last night, then he didn't succeed. There will definitely be further actions to come."
A cold aura emanated from Qingyao. If she found out that he was indeed the one who summoned the Black and White Twin Fiends to the valley, then from that day on, their paths would diverge, and she would never have such a friend again.
In the room, Wuqing and Qingyao were talking, a soft glow on his face. He was telling a joke.
"Do you know? Ming Yue is now particularly afraid of Little Fish. If she does anything wrong, even the slightest thing, the moment I mention Little Fish, that person immediately complies obediently."
Qingyao couldn't help but burst into laughter after Wuqing finished.
Little Fish's independent and unconventional nature had indeed intimidated many people.
Not just Ming Yue, but even Wen Yu had been scared by her.
As Qingyao laughed, a fleeting thought crossed her mind, and she quickly said, "If Wen Yu truly has ulterior motives, could he set his sights on Little Fish? Little Fish has exceptional qualities that he witnessed firsthand."
"Very likely."
Wuqing's expression also turned a little cold, and a chill permeated the entire room.
Just then, Little Fish and Mo Chou entered one after another. The small figures walked directly to Qingyao, looked at her, then at Wuqing, and raised their eyebrows curiously.
"What's going on? Why do you look like an octopus?"