What Girl Doesn't Yearn for Love? (Seeking Follow-up, Seeking Collection)

Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Rongrong, soon to turn twelve, had already grown into a graceful young maiden.

That day, having skipped the Soul Master lesson arranged by the sect, she sat on a rock in the back mountains and gazed into the distance.

"Who exactly was that little boy?"

The boy Ning Rongrong spoke of was Wu Qi from back then.

Because of Azure Luan Douluo's arrival, Wu Qi had been taken away before he could even state his name.

Over the years, Ning Rongrong had remained curious about the matter, though it was nothing more than simple curiosity.

He had clearly shown the makings of a handsome man back then. She wondered what he looked like now.

Ning Rongrong let her imagination run wild.

She possessed extraordinary talent and was Ning Fengzhi's daughter, so she had long been established as the sect's successor.

Ever since childhood, the only men she had been able to interact with were Ning Fengzhi and Sword Bone Douluo. Whenever boys from within the sect or outside tried to speak with her, the guards would ruthlessly drive them away.

It was no wonder she was curious about Wu Qi's identity and origins.

Setting aside her thoughts, Ning Rongrong suddenly came up with an idea.

Within the sect, her every action was subject to supervision. But if she left the sect, would there be no one left who could control her?

On the official road, the sun was setting.

Wu Qi and Qian Gu Changkong leaned against the carriage, physically and mentally exhausted, their expressions dazed.

Noticing a roadside sign pointing toward an inn, they sped up the carriage and arrived there half an incense stick later.

The map in their hands had not marked the inn's location.

The inn was a wooden building, and its exterior looked brand-new. It had clearly been built recently.

Several carriages were parked outside, and passing merchants had unanimously chosen to stop here and rest.

After parking the carriage, Qian Gu Changkong urged, "Wu Ge, come on. I'm treating you to a feast."

This place was only a few days' journey from Heaven Dou City. After being jostled around in the carriage for so long, their bones felt as though they were about to fall apart. They really should rest properly.

Before setting out, their elders had each given them quite a bit of spending money.

After entering the inn, Wu Qi asked for a private room, avoiding the noise of the main hall.

Inside the private room, the waiter enthusiastically served them food and tea.

Wu Qi released Little Deer from his Soul Tool and fed it some fine fodder.

"Finally, a hot meal." Qian Gu Changkong picked up his chopsticks and was about to dig in.

Wu Qi said helplessly, "If you hadn't been so eager to get to Heaven Dou City, we wouldn't have had to endure so much bumping around on the road, would we?"

They had passed through quite a few small and medium-sized cities along the way.

Qian Gu Changkong seemed to dislike the backwardness and laid-back atmosphere of small cities. All he wanted was to witness the prosperity of Heaven Dou City.

As a result, the two had not stopped at all along the way, traveling day and night.

If there had not been an inn here, they would likely have had to grit their teeth and keep going for the rest of the journey.

Just as the food was about to enter his mouth, the short antlers atop the Venomous Flashhorn Deer's head began to flash with colorful light.

Qian Gu Changkong jolted in fright, and the food about to enter his mouth fell to the floor.

Seeing that he was about to explode, Wu Qi pressed down on his arm and shook his head calmly.

It was getting late, the inn was newly built, and the food was poisoned.

The warning signs were all there.

Wu Qi frowned. He had seen similar scenarios in his previous life. Could this inn have been run by bandits who specialized in robbing passing merchants?

Qian Gu Changkong steadied himself, leaned close to Wu Qi, and whispered, "This isn't a place to stay for long. Shouldn't we slip away quickly?"

They probably could not leave.

Wu Qi shook his head slightly.

The bandits had already set their sights on them. How could they easily let such fat prey slip from their mouths?

And they were not the only "lambs awaiting slaughter." The scene would surely become chaotic soon, and escaping amidst the chaos was the right choice.

They did not know how strong this group of bandits was. Trying to flee alone would inevitably draw their full pursuit.

Since the bandits had opened an inn like this, they were clearly doing it for profit. Once they chose to act, they would certainly eliminate every possible risk.

Wu Qi gently stroked Little Deer's body and had it inspect every dish.

There was no way every dish on such a large table could be poisoned.

After Little Deer's examination, they finally confirmed that three meat dishes were poisoned.

Wu Qi stored the meat from those dishes in his Soul Tool, then lightly patted Qian Gu Changkong's shoulder and whispered, "The rest isn't poisoned. Eat without worry."

A quarter of an hour passed. The waiter entered the private room under the pretext of delivering tea.

Seeing that every last bit of the poisoned food on the table had been eaten, his breathing noticeably changed.

Wu Qi, who was sensitive to changes in airflow, naturally noticed this and confirmed his suspicions.

As night fell, all the guests in the inn sank into deep sleep.

Those who had not collapsed staggered about like drunkards, completely disoriented.

The innkeeper clapped his hands, and a group of vicious men stormed into the tavern, led by a woman.

Qian Gu Changkong watched through the crack in the door and said gravely, "Wu Ge, what should we do?"

Without knowing the other side's strength, fighting head-on was absolutely the worst option.

Wu Qi took out a packet of medicinal powder from his Soul Tool.

Back in Spirit City, perhaps Chrysanthemum Douluo truly believed he could produce seeds of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, so he had given him plenty of materials, including but not limited to immortal herbs.

Among them was a formula for detoxifying medicinal powder.

Since trouble was inevitable on a long journey, Wu Qi had prepared some detoxifying powder before setting out.

"Play dead for now. Find a way to scatter the powder onto those people."

When they entered, he had noticed several powerful individuals in the main hall. Once they woke up, they would be the main force against the bandits.

As several burly men approached the private room, Qian Gu Changkong casually lay down on the floor, while Wu Qi propped up his head with his right hand and pretended to have been poisoned.

Before long, the burly men gathered all the guests in the dining hall.

The lead woman's gaze was vicious as she flicked her forked tongue.

"Search them and take all their valuables. Don't overlook the carriages outside either."

Then her tone shifted. "Those without any value, send them off to reincarnate. Giving them a quick death is a kindness."

The men rubbed their hands together, their greed completely undisguised.

"After this job, I'll be able to buy Little Yu's freedom," one of the men muttered softly. He then bent down, intending to search Wu Qi for valuables.

Suddenly, Wu Qi opened his eyes, and the short blade hidden in his sleeve shot from its sheath.

The blade sliced across the man's throat, and blood gushed forth.

The man clutched his neck, unable to make a sound. Under his terrified gaze, Wu Qi rose to his feet with an indifferent expression.

"Oh? So someone saw through us."

The lead woman noticed the scene and chuckled softly, showing no intention of saving him.

The other men were drawn over by the sound of him falling, but they too watched coldly.

One less person meant a larger share of the loot for them.

They were already out robbing and killing—what brotherhood could possibly matter more than Gold Soul Coins?

The lead woman carefully sized up Wu Qi, her tone growing gentler. "What a handsome young man."

"Good-looking and clever too. That's truly rare. Big sister can hardly bear to kill you."

Wu Qi sneered inwardly.

Everything was going according to plan!

Qian Gu Changkong was still "playing dead," but his body slowly began to wriggle almost imperceptibly.