The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

After a fierce battle, Lao Cai gradually became exhausted. He had several wounds on his body and blood stained his clothes red, but his eyes were still firm and his moves did not slacken at all.

Seeing how tenacious he was, the secret guards couldn't help but feel anxious. They attacked more fiercely, with every move aimed at his fatal spot.

Just as Lao Cai dodged a fierce palm wind by turning sideways, he was suddenly tripped by a stone and his body swayed.

Seeing this, the secret guards showed a hint of joy in their eyes. They seized this fleeting flaw and stabbed Lao Cai with several sharp blades at the same time.

In this situation, Lao Cai had no choice but to tell the truth. There was indeed a man who came looking for herbs, and he had him under control. But he never expected that the man would control his daughter instead.

He said tremblingly: "That person might be the one you are looking for. I will take you there now."

After hearing this, one of the secret guards said disdainfully: "Wouldn't it be better if you had cooperated earlier? You would have saved yourself from this physical pain."

Soon, they arrived at a cave.

Old Cai stopped and pointed inside, his voice trembling: "He... is inside, and my daughter is too."

The secret guards immediately dispersed and surrounded the cave entrance.

They rushed in, their eyes full of excitement and joy, they finally saw the prime minister.

Before they could stand still, they all knelt down to greet each other. The leading guard looked guilty and said in a hurry: "My Lord Prime Minister, I am late and came here without your permission. I deserve death. I beg you to forgive me!"

Xi Yu looked at these loyal subordinates, and his tense expression finally relaxed. A relieved smile appeared on his face. He smiled and waved his hand, saying gently: "It's okay, you came at the right time, get up quickly."

When the secret guards heard this, they felt warm in their hearts and kowtowed heavily before standing up.

Xi Yu's expression straightened up and he quickly and concisely informed them of the current situation.

At this moment, Cai Wenshuang took several steps back. She said in surprise, "Are you really the prime minister?"

Her beautiful eyes were full of disbelief. She had never imagined that the person in front of her had such a noble and mysterious identity.

Xi Yu nodded slightly, still with that calm smile on his face.

Cai Wenshuang opened her mouth slightly and was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. She bit her lower lip lightly, her thoughts surging in her heart.

She originally thought he was just an ordinary nobleman with extraordinary bearing, but she didn't expect that he was the prime minister who controlled the court. For a moment, there was a bit more complexity in her eyes when she looked at him, with surprise and a hint of indescribable awe.

At this moment, Xi Yu asked Lao Cai to come in quickly.

Old Cai walked hurriedly into the cave.

Although he knew some martial arts, it was difficult for him to display his skills in front of the well-trained secret guards. At this moment, he looked panicked and uneasy like a thief.

Cai Wenshuang also rushed to his father, his eyes full of worry and anxiety. He pulled his father's arm and looked him up and down. After confirming that he was fine, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Cai looked at the secret guards around him, then looked at Xi Yu, and knew in his heart that things were beyond his control.

He pursed his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat was choked by nervousness.

Xi Yu glanced at Lao Cai indifferently, his expression calm but with a hint of scrutiny.

Old Cai shuddered slightly.

"My Lord Prime Minister, I was blinded by greed and committed such a foolish act. Please spare my life!" As he said this, he knelt down and begged for mercy.

Cai Wenshuang saw this and showed a trace of pity on her face. She tugged at Xi Yu's clothes and said softly, "Prime Minister, although my father made a mistake, he was also confused for a moment. Please be lenient with him."

Xi Yu sneered.

"You have detained me here without any reason. What crime should you be charged for?"

Cai Wenshuang also quickly knelt down, with tears in his eyes, and kowtowed repeatedly, hoping that the prime minister would show leniency.

Xi Yu's face was grim, and he said, "You two, father and daughter, must be punished. Don't explain everything to me."

Then, Xi Yu asked the secret guard to find a rope to tie up the father and daughter and then put them outside.

Old Cai turned pale with fear and shouted, "Are we going to freeze to death?"

Xi Yu looked indifferent and said mercilessly that this was the case.

But at this moment, Cai Wenshuang suddenly stopped begging for mercy. She straightened her back and said with a firm look, "My father and I have committed a capital crime, and this is the punishment we deserve. But, Prime Minister, I have the audacity to ask, can't you show a little mercy? Although we have made mistakes, we are not wicked people. How is your behavior different from those unscrupulous villains?"

When Xi Yu heard this, he was slightly shocked and couldn't help but re-examine the woman in front of him.

Cai Wenshuang's words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into the depths of his hard and cold heart.

There was a barely perceptible waver in his eyes, but he quickly returned to his stern look.

Xi Yu was silent for a moment, but finally waved his hand, signaling the secret guards to take action.

But when the secret guards really took action, Xi Yu stopped them again. He frowned slightly and thought to himself: I am not a wicked person, how could I really have the heart to freeze this father and daughter to death?

The father and daughter were stunned, not knowing what Xiyu meant.

Xi Yu's expression eased slightly, and he looked at Lao Cai and said, "If you can go and find this medicine, you can make up for your mistake."

He turned to look at Cai Wenshuang, his eyes turned cold: "As for you, you will be detained here for now. If your father fails to find the medicine, don't blame me for being ruthless."

It was as if they had walked back from the gates of hell. The father and daughter had just recovered and had no time to celebrate.

Old Cai spoke cautiously: "Mr. Prime Minister, to be honest, the herb may not be here. I'm afraid the road to finding the herb is full of obstacles."

After hearing this, Xi Yu's eyes instantly turned cold, and he said sternly: "I don't care about these things! Since you know that you have made a big mistake, you should do everything you can to make up for it. This herb is very important to me, don't try to shirk it, go find it quickly!"

"Master Prime Minister, if that's the case, I will try my luck again. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I will definitely do my best."

After that, he dragged his tired body and slowly walked out of the cave, followed by the secret guard who was ordered to monitor. Xi Yu asked Cai Wenshuang to get up, and after Cai Wenshuang got up, he suddenly remembered something.

In the past, when she was chatting with her father, she shyly mentioned that she admired the Prime Minister and even hoped to marry a big man like the Prime Minister one day. At that time, she thought it was just a girl's dream, but she never thought that the Prime Minister would be right in front of her now.

Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed instantly, burning as if they were about to burn. She lowered her head slightly, not daring to look directly at Xi Yu, her heart full of shyness and embarrassment.

But in a flash, the feeling of inferiority surged into my heart like a tide, washing away that hint of shyness.

She knew very well that she was just an ordinary woman in the mountains, of humble origin, while the prime minister was in a high position, in control of the court. The difference between the two was as huge as heaven and earth.

How dare I dream of having any connection with the Prime Minister?
Thinking of this, her eyes dimmed, and the blush that had just appeared gradually faded, leaving only a paleness and loss. She stood there quietly, as if she was lost in endless contemplation. All the noise around her had nothing to do with her.

Xi Yu finally felt relieved. He raised his hand and rubbed his brows, his face showing a bit of fatigue, and said to the secret guards: "I am really a little tired today, I need to take a rest. You have to keep an eye on this girl and don't let anything go wrong."

After saying that, Xi Yu raised his foot and walked towards the depths of the cave.

On this side, Cai Wenshuang looked at Xi Yu's departing back, then glanced at the secret guard standing beside him with a serious face, and felt mixed emotions.

On Kunlun Mountain, Qingfeng was anxious to find that the crucial secret book in his room was missing. The secret book contained his martial arts experience and unique skills over the years. Once lost, the consequences would be disastrous.

So he hurriedly gathered all his disciples together, and they gathered in the training ground, with different expressions on their faces.

Qingfeng glanced at each disciple and asked in a serious tone, "The secret book in my room is missing. Has anyone seen it?"

The disciples in the audience looked at each other, then shook their heads and whispered that they had never seen him.

Some of the disciples looked innocent, while others looked evasive, but no one stepped forward to admit that they knew the whereabouts of the secret book.

Qingfeng frowned, feeling an ominous premonition in his heart. He knew very well that this secret book could not disappear for no reason, and someone must have tampered with it. However, everyone present said so, which put him in a deadlock for a while, and he didn't know where to start to track down the secret book.

At this time, Mingyue also stood up, frowning slightly, and swept his sharp eyes over every disciple present, saying loudly: "Whoever took it, come out quickly! This secret book is so important to the master, you all know it in your hearts, don't wait until it is found out, it will not be a simple matter then!"

However, everyone still shook their heads, insisting that they had never seen the secret book.

At this time, a Taoist priest stood up, frowned slightly, and said seriously: "Master, could it be related to Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong? After all, they are outsiders. They usually walk around in our Kunlun Mountain. Maybe they got greedy and stole the secret book. We disciples of our sect guard here every day and are bound by the sect rules. It is impossible for them to steal things. Besides, everyone knows everyone's character."

As soon as these words were spoken, many disciples nodded in agreement, feeling that there was some truth in these words.

However, a few disciples looked hesitant, thinking that it was inappropriate to make groundless guesses about outsiders.

Qingfeng paused after hearing this. Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong were indeed not from the sect, but it seemed a bit hasty to conclude that they stole the secret book just because they were outsiders. However, since he had no clue at the moment, he had to take these two people into consideration and wondered whether he should question them properly.

Mingyue frowned, her tone a little serious, and hurriedly said: "They are just guests here, we can't just wrongly accuse good people. There is no direct evidence to prove that they stole it, and it is inappropriate to put the blame on them based on speculation, so I hope everyone will stop talking nonsense."

After hearing Mingyue's words, Guanglingzi shrugged slightly, spread his hands and said, "Master, we are just guessing, and we are not sure that they did it. It's just that the secret book was lost in a strange way. Let's think about all the situations we can think of, maybe we can find clues. We can't just sit there and wait."

After listening to what the two said, some of the other disciples felt that Mingyue was right and that they should not casually doubt outsiders.

Some felt that Guanglingzi was right. One more guess meant one more way. For a moment, everyone held their own opinion and talked a lot. The originally quiet scene became noisy. The whereabouts of the secret book was still a mystery, and the cloud of doubt in everyone's heart became heavier.

Finally, Mingyue frowned, raised her hand and pressed it, and said calmly: "Let's leave this matter here for now. We can't jump to conclusions based on speculation alone. We still have to investigate thoroughly and find solid evidence. Now everyone should disperse and go about their own business."

After hearing this, everyone stopped arguing, nodded in agreement, and then turned around and left one after another.

For a moment, the disciples who had gathered together gradually dispersed, and the martial arts training ground returned to its former tranquility. However, the mystery of the lost secret book still weighed heavily on everyone's mind. Everyone knew that this matter was far from over, and no one knew what hidden secrets would be revealed later.

After everyone had left, Qing Feng asked solemnly, "What do you think of this matter?"

Mingyue frowned slightly and said in a low voice: "I now feel that the person who stole the secret book should be among the disciples."

Qing Feng looked puzzled and asked quickly, "Why do you say that? Do you have any basis for that?"

Mingyue's eyes became deep, and she said slowly: "When I gathered everyone just now, I paid close attention and found that there was something wrong with the eyes of several disciples. Although they insisted that they had never seen the secret book, their eyes were always dodging unconsciously, revealing their guilty conscience, and their expressions were also a little flustered, not as calm as usual. That's why I think this matter is not that simple. The person who stole the secret book is very likely among us disciples."

After hearing Mingyue's words, Qingfeng couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Recalling the performance of the disciples just now, it seemed that there were indeed some strangeness in some of them. He secretly made up his mind to investigate it secretly and not let the evil-minded person go unpunished.

Then, Qingfeng couldn't help but sigh, his face full of disappointment and grief, and he slowly said: "Alas, I really can't believe that there are disciples among us who are dishonest. You and I have taught them carefully and taught them everything we have learned. We thought they were all upright and worthy of the Kunlun inheritance. Who would have thought that someone would do such a thing to betray our trust? It's really chilling."

Mingyue looked at Qingfeng like this, feeling helpless, and comforted him softly, "Now it's just our guess, there is no real evidence yet. Maybe there is another hidden story. Let's investigate it carefully. If there really is such a person with bad behavior, we must not let him off easily."

Qingfeng nodded slightly, a look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Well, we must get to the bottom of it. We must not let the secret book flow elsewhere, and we must not tolerate evil and ruin the reputation of our Kunlun sect."

After Qingfeng and Mingyue came out of seclusion, Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong finally didn't have to do hard labor anymore. They once again regained their status as distinguished guests and were able to live more freely in Kunlun Mountain.

At noon that day, everyone sat together to eat. Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong ate at the same table with several Taoist priests.

While eating, I heard from a conversation among several Taoist priests that one of Qingfeng's secret books was lost.

Luo Xiaoyu couldn't help but be slightly startled. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and asked with curiosity and concern, "Is there such a thing? The secret book must be extremely important, but have you found out who took it?"

Xiaohong also nodded in agreement, with a puzzled look on her face. She looked at the Taoist priests, waiting for their responses.

Several Taoist priests shook their heads helplessly. One of them sighed and said, "Alas, not yet. I called the disciples together to ask, but everyone said they had never seen it. Now I still have no clue and I am worried."

Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong looked at each other, and a strange feeling surged in their hearts. After all, the secret book was lost while they were guests, and they were outsiders. For a moment, the atmosphere became a little subtle.

At this moment, a disciple frowned and looked at Luo Xiaoyu and Xiaohong unkindly, saying loudly: "You two are also very suspicious. Before you came as guests, such a thing had never happened in Kunlun Mountain. The secret book was lost as soon as you came. Can this be just a coincidence?"

When Luo Xiaoyu heard this, her face immediately turned red. She was angry and anxious. She stood up and asked, "What do you mean by that? Just because we are outsiders and happened to run into this, you can just accuse us? We have always been honest. When have we ever done such a sneaky thing? You have to provide evidence when you speak!"

Xiao Hong was also very angry and echoed: "That's right, we came here with good intentions, why are we being suspected by you for no reason? This is too much!"

For a moment, the atmosphere at the dinner table became extremely tense, and everyone's eyes were cast over here. Some disciples felt that what was said was indeed a bit inappropriate, but some others secretly thought that these two people could not get rid of suspicion. For a moment, everyone had their own thoughts and were deadlocked there.

The Taoist priest waved his hands and said seriously, "Don't be angry, Master will investigate this matter. If it is really related to you two, it will not only be your own business, but also bring discredit to the Prime Minister."

When Luo Xiaoyu heard this, she was so angry that she trembled all over, her chest rose and fell violently, her face turned red, and she shouted, "This is simply outrageous! You are making up stories about us without any evidence. Just because we are outsiders, people from the Prime Minister's Mansion, you want to blame us for the loss? We are upright and honest, how can we allow you to slander us like this!" (End of this chapter)