Witch, don't do anything reckless!

Chapter 68 The Villain Accuses First

"What are you doing?!"

Liu Xu abruptly pulled her hand back and glared at him angrily.

"Let's date!"

Li Chuqiu retorted confidently, "You only said kissing isn't allowed, so doesn't that mean holding hands is okay?"

Liu Xu was taken aback. Was that what she meant?

—No, he's clearly misinterpreting her meaning!

Just as he was about to speak, he heard Li Chuqiu say firmly, "Besides, without any physical contact, what kind of relationship is this? Without deeper communication, how can it help you cultivate and mend your Dao heart?"

"Are we just going to sit here and do nothing, waiting for our Dao hearts to heal?"

Liu Xu's face turned cold, her eyes revealed shame and anger, and her breathing became rapid.

Does helping her with her spiritual practice mean touching her hand?

What kind of twisted logic is this?

Just as she was about to retort, Liu Xu seemed to pause, as if she remembered something.

That night, she had physical contact with the man in front of her. It was that image, almost etched into her mind, that made it difficult for her to maintain a peaceful state of mind.

—That's the crux of the problem!

A hint of daze flickered in her clear, cold eyes, and Liu Xu fell into a state of hesitation and confusion.

Her master only taught her to always maintain her original intention and face difficulties and fears with equanimity—so she ultimately decided to confront the terror head-on. She wanted to use this to mend her heart and strengthen her resolve to forge ahead on the path.

But how exactly should it be done?

she does not know.

Could it really be as he said—

A slight tremor ran through her heart. Liu Xu suddenly recalled the moment when he had grasped her hand, and the instant she had lost control of her emotions.

This strange feeling made her feel dazed, then focused, and then she fell into deeper contemplation.

Seeing that Deputy Commander Liu had fallen silent again, Li Chuqiu sighed.

She came over early in the morning and inexplicably said she wanted to date him—Li Chuqiu assumed she was just teasing him, so she took advantage of the situation and tested her waters.

-

As it turns out, this woman's idea of ​​"being in love" was actually a spiritual relationship without any physical contact.

Can that be called dating?

Isn't that just treating him like a backup option, a simp?

Let whoever wants to talk about it, talk about it; Li Chuqiu, for one, will not.

Just as she was thinking of an excuse to politely decline, the Deputy Commander Liu, who had been deep in thought for a long time, suddenly extended his hand, which he had just withdrawn, back to Li Chuqiu.

Ok?

Li Chuqiu looked down at the fair and slender hand, paused for a moment, and then subconsciously looked up.

What does that mean?

Their eyes met, and Liu Xu seemed somewhat uncomfortable, so she looked away slightly.

"Didn't you want to hold hands?"

The cold tone felt strangely out of place.

At this moment, Li Chuqiu was stunned for a long time before she finally realized—she had been led around again?

She even let him touch her willingly?

Are you kidding me?

With that thought in mind, and seeing that the woman in front of him still had that aloof look, Li Chuqiu hesitated for only a moment before taking the opportunity to grab her hand—why not touch something that's offered to you?

The moment you grip it, the touch is cool, as if it were soft and boneless, with your ten fingers as slender as jade, like a crystal-clear work of art.

—This Deputy Commander Liu has an excellent touch!

Li Chuqiu gave it a very high evaluation.

The moment their hands clasped tightly, one could clearly feel the delicate body of Deputy Commander Liu tremble slightly, as if she were tense.

His aura was momentarily disrupted.

Looking up, he saw a faint blush creeping onto her once fair and aloof face, her expression extremely unnatural. Especially when she met Li Chuqiu's gaze, she had lost her composure, a hint of shyness and panic appearing in her eyes, and she glared at him.

Yet, for some reason, it also gave off a somewhat fierce but actually cowardly feeling.

"How does it feel?"

Li Chuqiu's voice came through.

no respond.

Liu Xu glared at him angrily.

Her breathing was slightly rapid, and her emotions were obviously intense, as if she was going through some kind of struggle. Her delicate hand almost subconsciously tried to pull back, but Li Chuqiu held it tightly, not giving her a chance to pull it away.

—They've practically delivered themselves to our doorstep, how can we let her get away?

"Focus, stay calm. Don't be impatient. You need to carefully experience and feel—your current state is wrong. Your breathing is so chaotic and completely disordered. If an enemy were to use this tactic against you one day, wouldn't it easily disrupt your Dao heart?"

Liu Xu wanted to say that it was impossible for an enemy to get so close to her. However, Li Chuqiu's words reminded her—

Indeed, her Daoist heart is too easily disturbed.

Especially now, the strange feeling that inexplicably welled up in her heart grew stronger and stronger—even though it was just her hand being held, she trembled, as if recalling the memory of that night—

Sure enough, her Dao heart was unstable—the problem lay with him.

Her breathing faltered for a moment, and Liu Xu quickly adjusted her breathing, trying to calm herself, but found that her thoughts kept replaying some inexplicable images. A blush rose on that fair, delicate, and beautiful face, gradually spreading and deepening, making her even more stunning.

Just then, seemingly noticing a pair of burning eyes fixed on her, Liu Xu gritted her teeth in embarrassment and anger, "What are you looking at?!"

She panicked!

Realizing that the Deputy Commander Liu was at a very sensitive and crucial moment, Li Chuqiu didn't provoke her further. While holding her smooth, delicate hand, she tried to divert her attention: "The other night you asked me to investigate the matter of that Crown Princess, and I've made some progress!"

Sure enough, upon hearing this news, Liu Xu's attention was drawn: "What did you find out?"

Li Chuqiu gently stroked the skin of her palm, feeling its cool and smooth texture: "Yesterday I went to Prince Jing's residence and met with the Crown Princess with Lord Xu. I discovered—she really does have a problem!"

"I now suspect that there are probably two heir apparent consorts within the Jing Prince's residence!"

"Two Crown Princesses?"

Liu Xu was clearly stunned: "What do you mean?!"

"Literal meaning."

Li Chuqiu naturally couldn't reveal that he had secretly sneaked into the Crown Princess's room yesterday and coerced the woman into revealing information.

More importantly, the woman tricked Li Chuqiu before she left.

At this moment, Li Chuqiu couldn't be completely certain whether the information from the woman was true or false. But he was certain that the "Princess Consort" he had spied on while she was bathing that day was definitely not the one he had seen yesterday.

So, the only thing that can be confirmed right now is that there is indeed another Crown Princess.

"There might not be just one Crown Princess; there could be another imposter."

"Of course, it could be a smokescreen. But what's certain is that they're deliberately hiding some secret—"

Li Chuqiu recounted the clues and information she had gathered the previous day, along with her own speculations and judgments.

After hearing this, Liu Xu was stunned for a long time, as if she was quietly digesting the news.

"How can you be so sure that someone is impersonating the Crown Princess?"

Liu Xu asked again.

"I once caught a glimpse of the Crown Princess by chance—the Crown Princess I saw that day was completely different from the one I saw yesterday. I'm certain they are two different people!"

Li Chuqiu spoke vaguely, naturally not daring to say that he had spied on the "Princess Consort" taking a bath last time, but his earnest tone still made Liu Xu's expression gradually become serious.

If someone is indeed impersonating the Crown Princess, then this matter is very serious.

"Can you find out who is impersonating them?"

"That's unclear, but one thing is certain—"

Recalling how she had been tricked by the "Prince's Consort" yesterday, Li Chuqiu sneered inwardly: "The person impersonating the Prince's Consort must know the real one. In fact, it's highly likely that it was a charade orchestrated by the two of them."

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Liu Xu's eyes: "You mean—the Song family?!"

"It's hard to say, but it's certainly very possible."

The marriage alliance between the Prince Jing's Mansion and the Song family, the assassination attempt on the Prince Jing's heir's wedding night, and the appearance of two heirs' wives in the Prince Jing's Mansion—such behavior is hard not to raise suspicions.

"Whoosh!"

Liu Xu got up and was about to walk outside.

"Where are you going?"

Li Chuqiu was still engrossed in exploring when she suddenly saw Liu Xu about to leave, and quickly grabbed her: "You're not going to find that Crown Princess now, are you?"

"It's no use, don't rush!"

Li Chuqiu shook her head: "Since they dare to impersonate the Crown Princess, they are definitely not afraid of your investigation. Even if you go there now, you definitely won't find anything."

Even if it can be confirmed that the Crown Princess conspired with others to create an imposter and assassinate Prince Jing's heir, the problem is that so much time has passed. If the Crown Princess denies it, no matter how powerful they are, they won't be able to find anything.

After all, all of this is just Li Chuqiu's speculation at the moment, and there is no evidence yet.

Hearing Li Chuqiu's words, Liu Xu fell silent, looking at him: "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"Don't rush, sit down and talk slowly."

Li Chuqiu took her hand and pulled her back to sit down at the table.

Liu Xu then realized that he was still holding her hand. An unnatural look appeared on her face. She subconsciously tried to break free, but found that her palm was held tightly and she could not shake it off.

A hint of shyness appeared in her eyes as she glared at him.

Li Chuqiu seemed oblivious to this, completely ignoring it.

"The problem right now is that we have no evidence. This Crown Princess is hiding very well, and there is a high possibility that the Song family is behind her. If you go to investigate her now, not only will you not find any clues, but you are also very likely to alert her."

Li Chuqiu analyzed carefully: "Therefore, we need to start from other places."

Liu Xu lowered her eyes, gazing at the two people's tightly clasped hands. A glint seemed to flash in her eyes, but she remained silent.

"The current situation is that the enemy is in the open, while we are in the dark—if that Crown Princess and the Song family behind her really have some kind of conspiracy, the best way is to first investigate her background and the Song family in Jiangnan—"

At this point, Li Chuqiu looked at Liu Xu: "This is where we'll have to rely on you."

Liu Xu gradually came to her senses and met Li Chuqiu's gaze, feeling somewhat flustered.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Chuqiu asked, puzzled.

"without----"

Liu Xu slightly shifted her gaze, a faint blush appearing on her delicate earlobes, and her voice returned to its cool and clear tone.

"I will send someone to investigate the Song family!"

Li Chuqiu nodded: "We will definitely investigate the Song family, but the most crucial thing is to start with this Crown Princess—she has been staying in her boudoir lately, probably because she is worried about her identity being exposed."

"Right now, we need to figure out one thing—why she hired someone to impersonate her, and what her purpose was—was it to assassinate Prince Jing's heir, or was there a deeper purpose?"

"If it's the latter, then it most likely means that the imposter Crown Princess is still by her side and hasn't left—"

'

"Then all we need to do is send someone to keep an eye on the Crown Princess and all the maids and servants around her. After a while, she will definitely reveal her weakness."

There were some things Li Chuqiu didn't say, but the Crown Princess had already realized her identity had been exposed. To her, Li Chuqiu was a ticking time bomb.

Therefore, she will definitely panic!

She'll definitely slip up if she panics.

Regardless of whether she is truly the Crown Prince's consort or not, Li Chuqiu will definitely settle the score with her for being schemed against yesterday.

Liu Xu listened quietly and remained silent for a long time.

She had always been suspicious of the Crown Prince's wife, and now Li Chuqiu had undoubtedly provided her with the most crucial clue.

"You did a great job."

Liu Xu pondered for a long time before speaking softly.

"It's all thanks to Vice Commander Liu's excellent command!"

Li Chuqiu stroked her boss's small hand while showering him with flattery.

Liu Xu remained expressionless; she had initially intended to maintain her superior's demeanor. However, the current atmosphere instantly dispelled her confidence.

While she was still in a daze, Li Chuqiu had already thoroughly studied the delicate hands of this Deputy Commander Liu. Her palms were soft, her skin smooth, and her ten fingers intertwined, giving her an amazing tactile sensation and a slight coolness.

What a skillful person!

Using it to hold a sword is such a waste!

As she was lost in thought, Li Chuqiu suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, there's one more thing—"

Meeting Liu Xu's slightly dazed gaze, he said, "Yesterday, I discovered an underground palace within the Jing Prince's residence—"

"An underground palace?"

Liu Xu was taken aback, clearly unaware of this.

"That's right, there's a huge underground palace beneath Prince Jing's residence, and it holds secrets—"

Li Chuqiu, reflecting on his experiences, recounted to Liu Xu what he had seen and heard in the underground palace the previous day. Of course, he omitted all the scenes involving the Chu demoness. He only mentioned that he encountered Feng Wuhen's sister, Feng Taxue, in the underground palace, killed her, and then met Qian Xie.

"A Thousand Evils?"

Liu Xu's gaze sharpened; she was no stranger to this name. In fact, all the prominent demons in the entire demon alliance were recorded in the Tianxuan Division.

Her gaze fell on Li Chuqiu, seemingly somewhat surprised: "You actually managed to escape from her?"

She had witnessed Li Chuqiu kill Feng Wuhen with her own eyes, so she wasn't surprised that he killed Feng Taxue, but Qian Xie—

This demon is one of the protectors of the demon alliance. Although young, her cultivation level is already considered monstrous among her peers. She is ruthless and extremely cruel. How could Li Chuqiu have escaped unscathed after encountering her?

"That's all thanks to my quick thinking!"

Li Chuqiu didn't explain in detail how she escaped from Qian Xie's clutches: "I also discovered a spiritual spring and a spiritual field in the underground palace, which seem to be inhabited—"

Li Chuqiu then recounted her encounter with Qian Xie and the damage the fight caused to the underground palace.

In the end, Li Chuqiu revealed his true intentions—

"Last night, after I left the underground palace, I ran into a guard from the Prince Jing's residence, and also encountered an old man named Yun," who seemed to be one of the people living in the underground palace.

At this point, Li Chuqiu's face showed a hint of shyness: "He seemed very angry when he learned about the incident at the underground palace—if the Jing Prince's mansion comes looking for trouble, you'll have to help me, okay?"

"After all, I risked my life all for you!"

Willow catkins:

"————"

After going around in circles for a while, she finally understood Li Chuqiu's purpose.

It turns out that he damaged someone else's underground palace and was worried that the Prince Jing's mansion would cause trouble, so he asked her for support.

wrong!

Liu Xu quickly realized what was happening.

If it was just damage to the underground palace, at most it would just be a matter of compensation. Since it's an official matter of the Tianxuan Division, it should be reported normally; why make him bring it up with her privately?

Liu Xu stared at Li Chuqiu, her gaze suspicious: "Are you hiding something from me?"

"—What else did you do in the underground palace?!"

'

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