Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Qi Qian: Duped by a Charlatan

Chapter 86: Qi Qian: Duped by a Charlatan

"'The road to exile is far more dangerous than you think. Imagine someone used to luxury having to walk thousands of miles to a completely unfamiliar place. It’s not just a physical ordeal but a psychological one as well – a fall from grace. Being exiled or sent to labor, you won’t be taken by carriage or treated to luxury. If you’re lucky, you might find shelter at a government post. If not, and you’re slow, you’ll have to endure the elements. And if a storm or cold snap hits, it could cost you your life.'"

"Qin Liuxi, sitting in her carriage and chatting with Chen Pi, added, 'Besides these, there’s also the danger of being robbed or murdered. That could be an immediate death sentence.'"

"Some, in their desperation to survive, are capable of anything, especially if they conspire with the guards. It's a situation where neither heaven nor earth can help."

"Master, doesn’t that mean the old man and his family are in grave danger?" Chen Pi exclaimed.

"Qin Liuxi responded, 'It’s all fate. Falling ill is inevitable, and whether they will be robbed or harmed, well, that’s up to fate.'"

Chen Pi opened his mouth, speechless.

"Thinking of asking if I plan to help?" Qin Liuxi asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Chen Pi grinned innocently, "The master has her reasons."

"The Qin family is fated to undergo this calamity. My intervention would only redirect it elsewhere, perhaps even backfire onto me. I owe the Qin family for their nurturing, but not to the extent of sacrificing my life. They wouldn’t withstand it either," Qin Liuxi said. “Though it sounds foolish to be grateful for hardships, it is through these trials that the Qin family will become as strong as refined steel, and some will emerge from this ordeal tempered like fine iron. Besides, if I were to help, now is not the time.”

Chen Pi chuckled, "That’s another of your ‘tough love’ philosophies. But I understand your point. You’re worried they’ll become complacent and ineffectual if things are too smooth. I remember the story you told about the eagle and its eaglet. You’re like that ruthless eagle who would rather push its young out of the nest to face brutal falls, forcing it to learn survival skills on its own. For the eagle, overprotection only leads to a life as a caged canary, not as a majestic ruler of the skies."

Qin Liuxi wagged her finger, “You’re wrong. The main reason is your young master is lazy, too lazy to find people.”

Once she starts seeking help, she’d have to do what she least wants, like undertaking laborious and bothersome tasks?

Wouldn’t that clash with her ideal of not striving for more?

That simply won’t do!

Chen Pi burst into laughter, “If you don’t look for them, they will come looking for you.”

As if on cue with his words, a piercing eagle cry echoed through the sky.

Qi Qian poked his head out of another carriage, looking up at the eagle circling overhead, his eyes half-closed.

“Master, it’s an eagle. Looks like it’s trained by someone,” Huolang, riding alongside the carriage, reported.

Before Qi Qian could respond, a strange whistling sound rang out, seemingly in response to the eagle’s cry.

He swiftly turned towards Qin Liuxi’s carriage and then back to the sky, just in time to see the eagle dive down rapidly, prompting Huolang and the others to instantly surround Qi Qian’s carriage with bows and arrows at the ready.

Qin Liuxi opened the carriage door, extending her hand out.

Qi Qian watched as the eagle, diving at high speed, landed steadily on the slender, pale hand extended from the carriage. Despite the bird's weight, the hand showed no sign of strain under the pressure.

His breathing slightly heavier, Qi Qian stared at Qin Liuxi's androgynous face emerging from the carriage and scoffed, “Fragile? Hah.”

He had been thoroughly duped by this charlatan!