Chapter 196: The Hostage’s Awareness

Chapter 196: The Awareness of a Hostage

Wu Tuyin asked Qin Jiao three questions in total.

The first question was: what evidence had Qin Jiao used to deduce his lineage?

Qin Jiao had nothing to hide on this matter. He briefly mentioned the mole behind his ear, then raised his hand and gave it a little shake.

The young master's wrist was pale and slender, adorned with the exquisite Fengxue Bracelet. Qin Jiao tapped his own wrist and said:

"That man back there had a yellow tree-shaped mark on his hand. The design is based on a tree from ancient texts—yellow at its core, called 'Xin.' And my mother was named Ning Xin. Combined with the way he treated me, it didn't take much to piece it together."

"Xin..." Wu Tuyin repeated the name, then let out a mocking laugh. "What do you think of that old man?" This was his second question to Qin Jiao. "Father and son finally meet, and yet no tears of joy?"

"Why would I cry?"

After Wu Tuyin finished speaking, Qin Jiao gave him a look that said, 'Are you kidding me?' "From start to finish, I only wanted to know my origins. It's not like I was dead set on adopting a father."

Honestly, ever since Qin Jiao found out he wasn't Qin Yuanshan and Ning Xin's child, all he'd wanted was to find out where he really came from. As for his biological father—well, he'd managed just fine all these years without him.

"So that's how you see it?"

Wu Tuyin stared at Qin Jiao in disbelief. "Poor old man—he's been thinking about you for all these years."

"Not everyone needs a father's attention, you know." Qin Jiao drawled, his tone unhurried. "Wu Tuyin, I am not like you."

"What do you mean, you're not like me?" Wu Tuyin's green eyes turned cold. "Qin Jiao, you really don't fear death, do you?"

"Why ask what you already know?"

Qin Jiao looked Wu Tuyin dead in the eye. "All these years, you've been scheming to poison me—wasn't it because you hated that I stole your father's attention? And you went through all that trouble to drag me to Mengqin because he's about to die, and you wanted to set his mind at ease."

Qin Jiao gave a faint, wry smile, his expression calm. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to fight you over some father's love." Qin Jiao thought for a moment, then said: "To me, he's basically a stranger."

After Qin Jiao finished, Wu Tuyin remained silent for a long time.

Maybe because Qin Jiao had hit a nerve, Wu Tuyin's face darkened, his lips pressed into a thin line, and a cold, oppressive aura radiated from him.

"Do you have any other questions?" Qin Jiao's head was throbbing more and more. "If not, just find me a cowshed or something. I need to rest."

Qin Jiao knew exactly what being a hostage meant. Since Wu Tuyin had taken him, there was no way he'd be wined and dined—a cowshed was already more than he expected.

"Third question." As he spoke, Wu Tuyin noticed how pale Qin Jiao's face was—white as paper. He had a pretty good idea of how Xie Nai spoiled and protected Qin Jiao, so he frowned in annoyance.

A little scratch and he's acting like he's on his deathbed—Xie Nai really raised him to be useless.

"What's the third question? You better ask fast before I black out." Qin Jiao pressed a hand to his forehead, his voice shaking a little.

"Where did Xie Nai hide the border defense map for Jingguan?"

Qin Jiao had been out cold for a day and had no idea what was going on. Now that Xie Shu's cause of death had come to light and the Sharp-crested Snake plot had been exposed, peace between the Tianyuan Dynasty and Mengqin was completely shattered. It wouldn't be long before the two nations went to war again.

Before Qin Jiao woke up, Wu Tuyin had just gotten reports that Xie Nai was already speeding toward Jingguan on horseback, and Xie Xuanran would soon be leading the campaign in person. War was about to break out, so the border defense map had become the top priority.

Miao Mao, who'd been planted in Jingguan, was finally going to be useful.

"Wu Tuyin, is it me who hit my head, or you?"

Qin Jiao almost wondered if the pain was making him hallucinate. "Not to mention I don't know—even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

Wu Tuyin had expected that answer. "Forget it." Wu Tuyin glanced at Qin Jiao, then called out: "Find a cowshed and toss him in. Give him some water. Make sure he doesn't die."

"Yes!"

The man who came was the same one Xie Nai had shot in the ear earlier. At Wu Tuyin's command, he strode over and dragged Qin Jiao off without a second thought.

The crescent moon overhead seemed to grow hazier and hazier. Finally sure he wasn't in immediate danger, Qin Jiao couldn't hold on any longer and passed out.

Little did Qin Jiao know that the real danger would come in the dead of night, while he was drifting in a dazed sleep...

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At the border between Jingguan and Mengqin.

In an old alley paved with bluestone sat a blacksmith's shop. The shop was small, its mud-plastered walls darkened by years of smoke, showing mottled patches of deep black. With the rhythmic clanging of "ding-dang, ding-dang," a man's figure appeared.

The blacksmith's shop stood open, heat steaming inside like a thin mist. The man's violet pupils were tinged with an eerie, otherworldly quality by the rising heat.

"My lord! The Sovereign's letter has arrived."

Outside the blacksmith's shop, a young servant in blue suddenly rushed in excitedly.

Miao Mao hurriedly said: "Quick, give me the letter!"

He had been on standby in Jingguan for months, and now he had finally received another letter from the Sovereign!

"My lord, please look." The young servant handed the letter to Miao Mao, who took it and tore it open in a few quick motions. After reading its contents, his expression turned wildly excited. "Tianyuan is about to fall! Tianyuan is about to fall! My lord shall finally see the dawn!"

After his excitement subsided, Miao Mao immediately instructed the servant beside him: "Quick! Go find all those paintings from before, and the songs we prepared—spread them out too. Be fast!"

"Yes, my lord!" The servant acknowledged and was about to run off, but as he turned, he saw the blacksmith's shop suddenly surrounded by soldiers. Each one held a longbow, clad in armor, their eyes fierce and resolute.

It was the Lingnan Army!

The servant looked up again and saw Xie Nai arriving in solemn strides, dressed in a dark brocade robe.

"My lord! The Prince of Lingnan is here!"

As the servant's words fell, Xie Nai and Shen Fuqing entered the blacksmith's shop one after the other.

The shop was in complete disarray. Xie Nai stood there with cold, heavy eyes, radiating an aloof chill that made him fearsome to behold.

"Doctor Miao." It was Shen Fuqing who spoke first, the corner of his eye lifting in a wicked smile. "Long time no see."

Miao Mao's face turned ashen: "How... how did you find this place?"

"That's not important, is it?" Shen Fuqing surveyed the blacksmith's shop with a languid, contemptuous gaze. After a moment, he seemed to suddenly remember something and asked Miao Mao:

"Oh, right—you were just saying you needed to find some paintings. What paintings? Could Your Excellency take a look?"

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