Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 228: Knowing Too Much Is Bad for You

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Knowing Too Much Is Bad for You

Other people might not have noticed anything unusual, but Mo Qingshan knew right away that there was something off about the abrupt sound of the wind.

At this moment, despite it being just past noon with the sun warm and only occasional breezes in the forest, how could there suddenly arise such a loud gust of wind out of nowhere?

His eyelids twitched as he hurriedly followed the direction from which the wind sound had vanished.

Qi Yu and Li Mingjue were picking herbal medicine on the other side and did not hear this strange disturbance.

She looked at the mountain full of rare treasures, picked a large amount in one go, and stuffed them into her space.

Li Mingjue originally wanted to help, but his strength was so great that a gentle fold snapped the roots of the precious herbs.

Qi Yu, heartbroken, explicitly ordered him not to touch anything else.

Li Mingjue, looking somewhat sullen, shifted his gaze away and quietly stood guard on the side.

Mo Qingshan’s Qinggong was exceptional, and moving through the forest as if it were uninhabited, he quickly caught up with the person.

He fixed his gaze and saw a man in white clothes as snowy as his garments, his face unclear, but his figure carried a bit of an ethereal aura from behind.

The man in white was carrying Song Ting, still moving lightly through the woods.

Perhaps sensing someone chasing after him, the man in white slightly furrowed his brows and pulled out a packet of powder from his robe.

Suddenly, he turned around and threw it toward Mo Qingshan.

Mo Qingshan’s steps were disrupted by the sudden attack, and upon smelling it, he knew it was Soft Muscle Powder and dared not advance any further.

Otherwise, he would have lost his life there.

The man in white listened intently for a while, heard no echoing footsteps, slightly curved his lips, and quickly vanished into the woods.

Meanwhile, after Qi Yu had finished picking the herbs, she stood up and stretched.

She saw people from the village rushing towards them and, startled, Li Mingjue stepped in front of her, asking the approaching people in a harsh tone, "What’s the matter?"

The person, panting heavily, said, "Mr. Mo sent me to deliver a message. He said... that young master has disappeared!"

Qi Yu’s pupils trembled, and she dropped the freshly picked herbs on the ground without even noticing.

She and Li Mingjue exchanged a glance, then went back to the inner courtyard where Mo Qingshan repeated the story of what had just happened.

"The man in white?" Qi Yu murmured these four words, a scene flashing through her mind.

Could it be the person she bumped into on the street that day?

Mo Qingshan said gravely, "That person’s Qinggong is remarkable, and he even carries Soft Muscle Powder with him. He’s definitely no ordinary individual."

After saying this, he led Qi Yu, Li Mingjue, and Zhou Hong to the back mountain to trace the path they had followed.

Although Shi Zhou and Shen Xiheng were also worried, the present internal and external threats to the village made it dangerous for them to leave as well, fearing that it might be a trick by their enemies to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

Upon hearing about this, Zhou Ruhai immediately sent Gu Qi to lead the way, as Qingyun Peak’s terrain was rugged, and one might not come back once entered without guidance.

The group searched the mountains for most of the day but found no clues.

The man seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving behind no trace except for that packet of Soft Muscle Powder.

As the sky gradually darkened, Gu Qi suggested they first return to the village and get some torches before sending more people out to search together.

No one objected, and they followed the same path back.

Upon returning to the village, everyone wore a grave expression.

Qi Yu’s brows were tightly knitted; throughout the journey, she continuously replayed that day’s events in her mind.

If the man in white mentioned by Mo Qingshan was indeed that person, why would he target Song Ting?

She closed her eyes, ceaselessly searching every detail of the incident that had occurred that day.

But no matter how hard she tried, she only remembered that the man in white was not particularly handsome and even seemed a bit sleazy, showing no remarkable features.

Could she really have been mistaken?

She slightly shook her head.

After dinner, Li Mingjue and Zhou Hong brought people to the back mountain.

Qi Yu, under the pretext of applying acupuncture, entered Shi Fuyou’s room and called out to the man feigning illness in bed, "Village Chief Shi."

Shi Fuyou opened his eyes and sat up; he had actually been restless for a while.

In the afternoon, upon hearing the news, his worries were no less than anyone else’s.

However, given the current situation, he could not wake up so soon.

Now, finally able to speak, he hurriedly asked, "Have they found the person?"

Qi Yu shook her head, her tone heavy, "Not yet."

Shi Fuyou sighed and looked guilty, "I have let you all down."

The trouble was originally brought to Tuyun Village, and now it had harmed a child.

He truly felt remorseful.

Qi Yu had no inclination for melancholy regrets, and instead of blaming each other, it was better to think of a way to find the person sooner.

She took a deep breath and asked, "Village Chief, do you know of a gentleman in white?"

"A gentleman in white?" Shi Fuyou frowned and thought hard for a moment, but he could not recall any memories of such a gentleman.

He slowly shook his head, "I haven’t heard of him."

Qi Yu wasn’t surprised by this answer.

Mo Qingshan, who was knowledgeable and had seen much, had never heard of such a figure; it was even less likely for Shi Fuyou, who had spent years in Tuyun Village, to have heard of him.

She thought briefly, then asked, "Village Chief, are you sure these people are from the capital city?"

At the mention of the capital city, Shi Fuyou’s expression stiffened for a moment.

He said in an indifferent tone, "Apart from the court, Tuyun Village has never had any enemies."

Qi Yu knew he must be hiding something, but after probing a few times, he showed no intention of revealing it.

Was it deep-seated hatred for the court, or was there some other hidden issue?

She could only change the subject and asked, "If they are from the capital city, who could have sent them?"

Shi Fuyou did not immediately answer this question.

Qi Yu stared at him steadfastly, not missing any slight change in his expression.

After a long while, Shi Fuyou sighed, somewhat helplessly, "Girl, I know you suspect me, but the matters of this world are never clear-cut in terms of right and wrong. I’m not intentionally hiding anything; knowing too much is not good for you."

Qi Yu was noncommittal about his explanation.

Her tone was cold and firm, "Even though Prince Mingjue and I have no grudges against the person who wants to destroy Tuyun Village, today, Song Ting was kidnapped for no reason, clearly a provocation."

She understood the difficulties of Shi Fuyou.

But now, the most important thing was the safety of Song Ting.

Her eyes grew colder, sharp as shards of ice, piercing as if they could delve into one’s soul.

Shi Fuyou felt a shock in his heart and sincerely admired, "No wonder, even Shi Zhou, who fears neither heaven nor earth, respects you."

He had never had a good impression of people from the capital city.

They were all arrogant and incompetent fools.

He had also heard of Prince Qi’s fame before and had merely scoffed at it.

But after meeting him, he realized that Prince Qi was indeed extraordinary.

And even more extraordinary was his Princess.

As his defenses waned, he finally relented and spoke slowly, "The one who wants to doom Tuyun Village is none other than the Empress."