Bounty Hunters!

Zhuge Qing was certain this was the first time she had met this young man. How could she have heard his story before?

Even setting that aside, she did not even know his full name.

All she knew was that his surname was Ning.

But Ning Que had already gone to sleep, so Zhuge Qing could hardly say anything more.

That night, the wind outside carried cries of alarm, and the frantic clatter of countless hooves could still be heard.

Those were government troops, searching for Zhuge Qing.

There were also escorts hoping to exchange her head for a handsome bounty, rebels from the Cave of No Worries, and others.

Taken separately, these people were all a disorderly rabble. But gathered together, even the government troops would have trouble dealing with them.

Zhuge Qing lay on her bedding on the floor, feeling a little afraid.

Instinctively, she looked toward Ning Que, sleeping peacefully on the bed, and wanted to call out to wake him.

But with the words on her lips, she held them back.

Covering her ears with her pillow, Zhuge Qing barely managed to fall asleep.

After a night of frenzy, the turmoil gradually subsided.

News that the Provincial Governor's daughter had vanished could not be made public yet, so the troops could only investigate in secret.

Once daylight came, the experts from the Cave of No Worries and the Escort Guild also had to keep out of sight.

It was easy to foresee that once night fell, the situation would once again become a treacherous swirl of turmoil.

Ning Que still refused to let Zhuge Qing go outside. Even their meals were brought into the inn.

"You..."

At the table, Zhuge Qing looked at Ning Que several times, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

After leaving the Flower Delight House, Ning Que had seemed like an entirely different person.

Perhaps this was who he truly was.

So Zhuge Qing studied Ning Que as she ate.

Because he had disguised himself, Zhuge Qing found his face quite ordinary, but everything about him conveyed a steadfast, dependable strength.

"What are you looking at?"

Ning Que spoke without even lifting his eyes.

"Huh? Nothing..."

Startled, Zhuge Qing hurriedly denied it.

Ning Que said nothing more and continued eating.

Zhuge Qing grew even more uncomfortable. Whatever else, she was the Provincial Governor's daughter, and she was hardly bad-looking, was she?

For some inexplicable reason, she brought up the question Ning Que had raised the night before. "Benefactor, what did you mean when you said I must have heard your story?"

"Are you someone famous in the Dynasty?"

Ning Que set down his chopsticks and looked at her in mild surprise.

He had not expected the girl to still be dwelling on that question...

Ning Que shook his head and smiled. "I'm just a commoner."

"Then are you someone promoting reform among the people?"

Ning Que's martial prowess was no empty boast.

Even in the Provincial Governor's Residence, he would have ranked among the top ten.

Ning Que shook his head again. "No. I just used to be a soldier."

"Then..."

Zhuge Qing knitted her delicate brows, looking determined to smash the clay pot and get to the very bottom of it.

Of course, Ning Que could not simply tell her who he was. Instead, he asked a different question. "Why are you so interested in me, Miss Zhuge?"

"Because you saved my life, and..."

Zhuge Qing fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I just think someone with your abilities shouldn't be completely unknown..."

Ning Que smiled. Rebels and insurgents carried a certain air about them.

No matter how they dressed, they possessed a ruthless edge, the decisiveness to kill without hesitation.

That was different from the bearing of soldiers who fought on battlefields.

But Ning Que could not simply tell Zhuge Qing that he was the Little Juzi of the foremost underground force beneath the Dynasty.

Knock, knock...

Just then, someone knocked on the guest room door.

Ning Que did not open it.

But Mu Yuwei's low voice came from outside. "Little Juzi, there's news from Headquarters..."

"All right. I'll be right over."

As he spoke, Ning Que's gaze settled on Zhuge Qing.

"..."

Zhuge Qing said nothing, but her eyes widened in disbelief.

A terrifying "answer" surfaced in her mind.

Cold sweat immediately trickled down her skin. Zhuge Qing's chest rose and fell slightly as she held her breath, her hands clenched tight.

Ning Que noticed her unusual reaction as well, but he was not flustered. Instead, he gave her a look with the ghost of a smile.

Without saying anything else, he rose and left.

But after stepping outside, he did not shut the door all the way.

Instead, he left it open a crack.

His meaning was clear—since you have discovered that we are rebels, you are free to stay or leave.

Zhuge Qing nearly blacked out and fell from her chair.

Only after Ning Que left did she dare gulp down air.

Instinctively, she felt panicked, but looking at the gap in the half-closed door, she hesitated.

She did not hesitate long. Rushing over in a few quick strides, she hurriedly shut the door.

Bang!

Hearing the door close, Ning Que curled his lips into a cold smile as he walked.

Certain things were gradually becoming clear...

What exactly happened to make you, a Provincial Governor's daughter, prefer staying in a den of rebels to going home?

He arrived at Yin Jiuyou's room, where everyone gathered to discuss matters.

"Little Juzi, Juzi Mu Lingfeng from Headquarters will arrive outside Qingzhou City's gates in two days."

"But they won't enter the city..."

The words stopped there, but the meaning was already clear.

Headquarters would not enter the city. They needed to leave it.

But Qingzhou City's gates were currently closed...

"By tomorrow at the latest, we need to contact the Provincial Governor's Residence and tell Zhuge Jingcheng that his daughter is in our hands. If he wants her back, he'll have to open the gates..."

"Hah, hah, hah..."

Outside the guest room, a figure stood by the door, listening to the conversation within and breathing rapidly.

Her face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with terror.

"Who's there?"

Although Zhuge Qing had made no sound, the people inside still heard her and shouted.

Frightened, she hurried back to her room.

"Don't chase her."

Qi Shanhe and the others wanted to pursue her, but Ning Que called them back.

"Never mind the person outside!"

"We do need to notify the Provincial Governor of Qingzhou, but what about the Escort Guild?"

Ning Que posed the question in turn. "For us, the fewer enemies lurking in the shadows, the better."

"..."

At those words, Qi Shanhe, Yin Jiuyou, and the others fell silent.

Someone had already offered an astronomical sum for the Provincial Governor's daughter's life. That gathering tide was not something they could stop.

"Even if we can't stop them, we can at least frighten them."

Ning Que continued speaking, making Yin Jiuyou and the others' expressions shift.

"Little Juzi, you mean..."

"We'll join in too, and play Bounty Hunters for a while..."

A cold smile curled Ning Que's lips.

They understood what Ning Que meant. They would blend into the crowd and join the search for Zhuge Qing.

In reality, they would kill the Escort Guild's escorts and the Cave of No Worries' Bounty Hunters.

They would let them know that someone was protecting the Provincial Governor's daughter.

Night fell, and a new hunt began.

Ning Que, Yin Jiuyou, and the other two arrived at the Escort Guild to apply to become "Bounty Hunters."

"New here?"

The steward handing out Bounty Hunter Tokens gave them a sidelong glance and said disdainfully, "You're here for the astronomical bounty on the Provincial Governor's daughter too, aren't you? Let me warn you first, it's hard to earn your bread in this trade. How many people do you think are after her life? Watch out, or another crook might swallow you whole!"

Ning Que lifted his head, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. "Don't worry. We know the rules..."