nycdaug Chapter 197 1 Nothing Gained
Chapter 197 1 Nothing Gained
Su Ran stood in the corner of the remote yard, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with a complex expression of disappointment and confusion.
He originally thought that the hallucinogenic pill could be the key to unlocking Shen Li's secret, but now, the words Shen Li uttered were like a cloud of fog, vague and unclear, making it difficult for him to grasp the truth.
He thought to himself, this little girl's words didn't sound like the truth, but he had actually seen her take the pill with his own eyes, so how could it have no effect? What kind of mystery was hidden in this?
However, time was running out like the sand in an hourglass, and he didn't dare to stay here for long.
Every moment of delay would increase the risk of Nangong Qi and Shen Yu finding him. He knew very well that those two were no ordinary people. Once they found him here, he would be in an extremely difficult situation.
He paced quickly on the spot, his mind racing. After a moment, he finally made a decision: to stay in the Shen family from now on. He was sure that as long as he waited patiently, Shen Li would definitely show a flaw, just like a hunter hiding in the dark, waiting for the prey to inadvertently reveal its flaws.
In order to be able to cleverly explain all this in the future, he deliberately left some clues around the yard.
His eyes fell on the delicate pink pearl flower that he had taken away when Shen Li fainted. The pearl flower sparkled with a warm luster in the faint moonlight.
He slowly stretched out his hand and gently took away the pearl flower, silently thinking in his heart that this small object would become the key for him to guide Nangong Qi and Shen Yu to this place.
After doing all this, he disappeared quietly in a flash, like a wisp of black smoke, quickly disappearing into the vast night, leaving only the silent yard, as if nothing had happened.
As expected, after waking up, Nangong Qi and Shen Yu were extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.
Their eyes were filled with anxiety and worry, and they searched everywhere for Shen Li without hesitation. They carefully explored the surrounding woods and grass, not missing any possible corner.
Their steps were hurried and frantic, and their heartbeats echoed like thunder in their chests.
Finally, beside a patch of grass, they keenly discovered the pearl flower that Su Ran had deliberately left. The pink pearl flower was particularly eye-catching among the emerald green grass, as if silently telling something.
Nangong Qi picked up the pearl flower and held it tightly in his hand, his eyes revealing a hint of determination: "Brother Yu, this must be the clue left by Li'er. If we follow it, we will definitely find her!"
Shen Yu nodded in agreement, and the two of them followed the possible path all the way. Relying on their experience and judgment of the terrain, they finally arrived at this remote courtyard.
At this moment, Shen Li was sitting on a stone bench in the yard, her body still limp, as if all her strength had been drained away.
There was a hint of fatigue and worry in her eyes, but her clever mind did not stop working.
With a thought, a cup of spiritual spring water emitting a strange light appeared in her hand. The spiritual spring water swayed gently in the cup, creating layers of ripples.
Shen Li quickly drank the spiritual spring water. Instantly, a warm current flowed through her body, and her body immediately recovered a lot. She sighed softly, thinking to herself: I'm too careless. My physique, which has been improved by the spiritual spring water, can still be unknowingly attacked. I don't know if Shen Qi and Shen Yu can find me. This unknown danger made her heart feel like a huge stone was weighing down.
Just as she was filled with worry, she suddenly heard familiar footsteps coming from outside the yard. The footsteps came closer and closer, and every step seemed to step on her heart, making her heart beat faster involuntarily.
Nangong Qi and Shen Yu rushed into the yard like a gust of wind. Their eyes searched the yard anxiously. When they saw Shen Li who was safe and sound, the heavy stone in their hearts finally fell to the ground.
Nangong Qi rushed forward, his movements swift and urgent, and tightly grasped Shen Li's hands. His hands trembled slightly from the excessive force. He said excitedly: "Li'er, I'm so glad that you're okay! We were so scared!"
There was a hint of sob in his voice that was hard to conceal, and his eyes were full of relief and joy at surviving the disaster.
Shen Yu also stepped forward, his face filled with self-blame, his brow furrowed, his eyes revealing deep remorse. "Miss, it's all my fault. I failed to protect you, allowing you to suffer this disaster. I am unworthy of being a member of the Shen family, and I have failed in my duty so much."
His words were full of regret, and he wished he could cut the person who kidnapped Shen Li into pieces.
Shen Li looked at their anxious expressions, and a warm current surged in her heart, like the warm sunshine in spring, which instantly dispelled the haze in her heart.
She quickly comforted them, "I'm fine, don't worry. A masked man kidnapped me, but he didn't do anything to me." Her voice was soft and firm, trying to reassure the two of them.
Nangong Qi frowned, his eyes revealing a hint of anger, that anger seemed to ignite the air around him: "Who is so bold? How dare they kidnap you right under our noses! I, Nangong Qi, will not be a human being if I don't avenge this!"
His fists were clenched tightly, the joints turning white from the force, and he exuded a strong murderous intent.
Shen Li shook her head. "I don't know either. He covered his face and disguised his voice. But he seemed very interested in my immortal master and kept asking me about him."
There was a hint of confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand why this mysterious person would keep pursuing her fictional master.
Nangong Qi and Shen Yu looked at each other and saw doubt in each other's eyes.
Shen Li’s immortal master had said before that he had hidden in the mountains, but why would anyone still be so concerned about it?
Could it be for those legendary elixirs? Nangong Qi carefully helped Shen Li up, his movements gentle and slow, for fear of hurting her.
"No matter what, let's leave here first." Shen Yu said, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, always on guard against possible dangers.
The three were about to leave when suddenly, Su Ran appeared at the gate of the yard.
His figure seemed a little abrupt in the light and shadow at the door. With a hint of just the right amount of surprise on his face, he looked at Nangong Qi and Shen Yu, slightly stunned, and then said calmly, "Why are you here?" His voice was calm, but his heart was surging like a storm, secretly praying that his disguise could deceive the world.
Nangong Qi snorted coldly, his eyes revealing a hint of contempt and suspicion: "Su Ran, stop pretending! Are you the one behind all this?" His voice was as loud as a bell, with an unquestionable tone.
Su Ran was shocked, as if struck by lightning, but he still denied it: "Master Qi, please don't slander me.
I just arrived as well and saw the gate was open. I accidentally discovered you were here and thought something had happened.
I went back to the Su family to do some work and found some unusual signs. I was worried that it might be related to you, so I rushed here."
There was a hint of innocence in his eyes, and he tried to dispel Nangong Qi's doubts with words.
Nangong Qi frowned, his face full of suspicion: "Really?" He stared at Su Ran intently, as if he wanted to see through him.
Shen Li looked at Su Ran carefully and saw that he looked calm and there were not many flaws in his words. Moreover, what he mentioned about the Su family seemed reasonable.
Although she still had a trace of doubt in her heart, but thinking about Su Ran's past behavior, she felt that she might be overthinking it. She bit her lip slightly, feeling a little conflicted, not knowing whether she should believe him.
Shen Yu was also pondering Su Ran's words and said slowly, "Su Ran, is what you said true? This is all too strange. We have to be cautious."
There was a trace of scrutiny in his eyes, and he did not miss any expression on Su Ran's face.
Su Ran looked at them sincerely, "Brother Yu, how could I joke about this? The county lady saved my life, and we should have looked after each other. Now that the county lady has encountered this disaster, I am also extremely worried."
His eyes were sincere and his tone was so honest that it was hard to tell whether it was real or fake.
Nangong Qi loosened his clenched fists, but there was still a hint of vigilance in his eyes: "I hope what you said is true. We can't stay here for long, let's leave first."
Although he still had doubts in his heart, the most important thing at the moment was to take Shen Li away from this dangerous place first.
So, the four of them left the yard together. Su Ran asked them to go with him so that there would be someone to look after them on the way.
Along the way, Su Ran seemed to be talking to them as usual, his smile was still gentle, his words were still humorous, but he was secretly relieved in his heart, glad that he had temporarily concealed it from them.
His eyes occasionally fell on Shen Li, but he thought in his heart: If Shen Li knew that I was a cruel and ruthless person, would she regret saving me?
A complex look flashed in his eyes, showing guilt, relief, and more importantly, confusion and anxiety about the future.
Although Shen Li no longer expressed her doubts, she was still cautious.
She knew very well that in this world, any abnormality could hide huge dangers, like reefs under the calm sea, which could lead to shipwreck and death if one is not careful.
Nangong Qi and Shen Yu did not let their guard down either. They kept an eye on the movements around them, like two guardian statues, guarding Shen Li, fearing that another accident would happen.
Their eyes were firm and sharp, as if any danger approaching would be detected and repelled instantly by them.