The sheer amount of information in that inner voice made the atmosphere in the small courtyard freeze into something downright eerie.
For a moment, no one knew whom to look at.
What they knew-
The Heavenly Origin Sect Leader had originally founded his sect because he had received a fake Treasure Map claiming that treasures buried by the Former Dynasty's Imperial Family lay here.
Next-
The fake Treasure Map had been drawn by this fat, big-eared county magistrate, whose purpose could only have been to rake in money.
Finally-
This county magistrate must have used the same trick to swindle several people in succession, until half-baked Rebel Organizations like this had blossomed all over Qu Chun.
The officials who could hear the little girl's thoughts looked back and forth between the Heavenly Origin Sect Leader and the County Magistrate of Quchun before fixing their eyes squarely on Gu Ruizhou. Their gazes said, clear as day-
Rebels were already running this rampant, and after all these years lying low here, you really hadn't caught so much as a rebel's shadow?!
Gu Ruizhou: "..."
He understood, but he refused to be bullied by his fellow officials!
Gu Ruizhou turned around and pressed a hand to his forehead, hiding the embarrassment in his eyes.
He had never seen rebels this unpresentable. If not for today's coincidence, he probably would never in his life have associated a courtyard steeped in such poverty with the word "rebels."
As for the Former Dynasty's treasure...
Qu Chun was surrounded by mountains on three sides and lay only a short three-day journey from the Capital City.
-and even that was because they had slowed themselves down by sightseeing along the way.
As a place to hide treasure, it really was an excellent choice.
Recalling the word "sucker" that