Maybe?

Ren Qi had been about to leave, but hearing Xǔ Tiānlí’s words, he returned downstairs with him and sat down once more.

His reasons were simple: a mix of curiosity about Qín Yuè, the reclusive master, and professional duty.

“Mr. Xǔ,” Ren Qi began, “to be frank, Miss Qín’s words just now left me with a peculiar illusion.”

“How so?”

Ren Qi seemed hesitant, glancing out the window repeatedly.

He appeared almost afraid that Qín Yuè might materialize at the doorway the very next second.

“When she refused me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was afraid.”

“Why would you think that?” Xǔ Tiānlí frowned, though his brow soon smoothed out.

“I don’t know,” Ren Qi admitted.

“Perhaps it’s just my intuition.”

Ren Qi explained that he had worked in this field for many years, constantly traveling and communicating with numerous individuals.

His greatest skill, therefore, was reading people, understanding their inner thoughts to secure his position.

During his brief conversation with Qín Yuè, despite her expressionless face, Ren Qi experienced a strong sense of déjà vu.

She seemed like those who appear as steady as an old dog on the surface, yet are inwardly frantic, deliberately putting on an air of profound inscrutability.

Her lips might claim, ‘Everything is within my grasp,’ but in reality, she was utterly clueless about the current situation.

‘How strange.’

‘Isn’t she a master?’

‘She couldn’t possibly be afraid of an otherworldly demon, could she?’

Beyond his work assignments, Ren Qi also harbored a personal desire: to witness Qín Yuè, this esteemed master, with his own eyes.

Though he had met her once at the Heaven’s Will Bureau, he had been too preoccupied with the kidnapping case to observe her closely.

Now, having had direct contact, he had to admit the experience wasn’t particularly good.

Qín Yuè’s aura of mastery looked suspiciously like an act.

“Mr. Xǔ,” Ren Qi said, deliberately lowering his voice despite their solitude, “forgive my bluntness, but could she be a fraud?”

He had expected Xǔ Tiānlí’s wrath at such a suggestion, but no such reaction came.

Instead, the seriousness on Xǔ Tiānlí’s face dissipated, replaced by a relaxed chuckle.

Ren Qi was somewhat bewildered by this response and waited for an explanation.

“It’s only natural for you to think that,” Xǔ Tiānlí said.

“You’re not the first to doubt my master.”

While the legends of Wufeng City’s reclusive master were heard by locals from childhood, most people would immediately question the authenticity when a true master appeared.

“If I hadn’t personally witnessed Master’s abilities, I wouldn’t have fully believed her identity either.”

From their first encounter a month ago until now, she had displayed many extraordinary qualities.

From the first lesson to the market trial, then confronting the Wolf Fang Gang, and even helping the Heaven’s Will Bureau solve the kidnapping case, Qín Yuè had subtly assisted him every time, ensuring everything progressed smoothly.

“Master is simply like that; she dislikes stating things directly.”

“Instead, she leaves room for us to ponder.”

“Are you sure it’s not because she genuinely doesn’t know what to say?”

“How could that be?”

Xǔ Tiānlí’s tone sharpened several degrees.

“If Master were truly unprepared every time, would everything that has happened so far simply be due to her sheer luck?”

“Hard to say.”

Ren Qi had encountered many peculiar Spirit Wielders, some of whom could indeed manipulate ‘luck’ to a certain extent.

Most individuals with such abilities would choose to scam people, posing as fortune-tellers or geomancers, adopting a profound demeanor to swindle the ignorant.

If it hadn’t been for one con artist who targeted Branch Head Féng’s wife, they might never have caught the scoundrel who defrauded people everywhere.

“If Master is the kind of swindler you describe, what would she gain?”

Xǔ Tiānlí’s single question plunged Ren Qi into silence.

Xǔ Tiānlí, over eighteen, possessed no family fortune, no innate talent, and even the embarrassing incident of his fiancée publicly breaking off their engagement had plummeted his image in the eyes of outsiders.

“Aside from one thing I desperately want to achieve, there’s nothing left for her to gain from me, is there?”

At this, Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly.

Surely Qín Yuè hadn’t targeted this very ambition to deceive him?

What would be the point?

She wasn’t Mù Qīngyǔ.

“Moreover, Master truly has genuine skills to teach me.”

“I’ve grown much stronger now.”

“Indeed, I can see that.”

Though Ren Qi hadn’t been present, witnessing Xǔ Tiānlí’s ‘masterpiece’ at the abandoned factory made it difficult for him to doubt his words.

“In my opinion, Master is certainly concerned about the recent cases.”

“She just doesn’t want to get directly involved yet, perhaps waiting for the opportune moment.”

“What’s there to wait for?”

“The longer we wait, the more victims there will be.”

“Masters, you know, always have a few eccentricities,” Xǔ Tiānlí chuckled.

“As long as we know Master will help, you can report back, can’t you?”

With words exchanged, Ren Qi had no choice but to accept, even if he didn’t entirely believe Xǔ Tiānlí.

Upon returning to the Heaven’s Will Bureau branch, Ren Qi not only reported Qín Yuè’s attitude and reactions but also disclosed the entirety of his conversation with Xǔ Tiānlí.

He then carefully observed the Branch Head’s expression.

Féng Yè was generally good-tempered.

In the past, Ren Qi bringing back such a result wouldn’t have enraged him, but it would have certainly led to a complaint.

This time, however, he simply nodded gently, as if still processing the information.

“I understand.”

“If you receive contact, notify me immediately.”

“Branch Head, aren’t you angry?”

“Master Qín acts with her own discretion.”

“Why should I try to fathom her thoughts?”

“What if she really is scared?”

“Impossible.” Féng Yè looked up, staring at him.

“Master Qín is not one to shy away from trouble.”

As he understood it, Qín Yuè must have known all along that Hongshou Security Group was involved in the kidnapping case.

Since she chose to enter the fray and offend them despite this, she clearly wasn’t afraid.

If she didn’t fear the major domestic powers, why would she fear a mere otherworldly demon?

“If we were facing a Rank Three otherworldly demon, Wufeng City would already be in grave danger.”

“But we are still sitting here safely, which indicates that the creature is, at most, Rank Two.”

Féng Yè paused here.

“I’m even starting to suspect that Master Qín possesses more clues than we do.”

“Huh?” Ren Qi was stunned.

“Perhaps this case isn’t as simple as it appears on the surface.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Branch Head.”

“Wufeng City hasn’t seen an otherworldly demon in so many years.”

“Its sudden appearance now definitely points to something fishy.”

Féng Yè’s fingers tapped on the desk, the rhythm quickening.

“And it seems quite intelligent, knowing when and where to commit crimes most safely, avoiding our capture, almost as if it’s intimately familiar with the situation within Wufeng City.”

Ren Qi merely watched, silent.

“I see!”

“So Master Qín had this deeper intention?” Féng Yè’s eyes suddenly widened, a look of realization dawning on him.

“Branch Head, I still don’t understand,” Ren Qi spoke up, raising his hand.

“This case isn’t just about an otherworldly demon; it also has accomplices—human accomplices!”

Féng Yè’s declaration made Ren Qi’s eyelid twitch.

The Branch Head, having seized this clue, then followed a completely different line of thought.

“I knew something was off about why we couldn’t catch it.”

“Our attention was entirely focused on the demon’s appearance, completely overlooking this possibility.”

The otherworldly demon’s emergence was no accident; someone was manipulating things behind the scenes!

Qín Yuè must have known about this conspiracy all along, deliberately acting indifferent to avoid getting involved too early.

If she had acted rashly, she might have scared the culprit into hiding, making him much harder to catch.

“To think, I would have a day when I could unravel Master Qín’s thoughts.”

Féng Yè let out a joyful sigh, happier than a child with ice cream.

“So that’s how it is; she knows more than we do.”

Although Ren Qi hadn’t fully grasped his train of thought, it didn’t stop him from marveling at Qín Yuè’s strategy.

“So, Branch Head, what do we do next?”

“Immediately shift the direction of our investigation.”

“Continuing to search for the otherworldly demon will only waste time.”

Féng Yè stated solemnly, “Since someone is hiding it, leave it be.”

“Investigate suspicious individuals in Wufeng City recently, especially out-of-town visitors.”

“Understood!”

Ren Qi immediately stood up and walked out of the office.

After closing the door, he replayed the various words of Xǔ Tiānlí and Féng Yè in his mind, muttering to himself,

“Are they truly as divine as you say?”

A day passed, and Mù Qīngyǔ still felt something was amiss with her body.

‘This is bad.’

‘Am I actually sick?’

In the mysterious palace, she had felt refreshed, but back in reality, she couldn’t shake this strange sensation.

The feeling was peculiar, something she had never experienced before.

Her stomach ached, yet it wasn’t a typical stomachache.

It was a dull, intermittent pain, almost like torture.

‘Could it be a side effect from the mysterious palace?’

‘It doesn’t seem like it.’

Leaving her room, Mù Qīngyǔ’s first instinct upon seeing Xǔ Tiānlí was to call him over.

She raised both hands, placing one on his sweat-dampened forehead and the other on her own.

“Why is your body hotter than mine?”

“Master, I just finished training, so I’m covered in sweat.”

“Oh, right.”

Mù Qīngyǔ’s own forehead remained cool, ruling out a fever.

Could this body have some congenital illness that was now manifesting?

Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t fathom it, the inner agitation even making it difficult for her to pick up her phone and research the cause.

It was almost dinner time, and tonight’s meal was butter hotpot.

Mù Qīngyǔ stared at the bubbling red broth, feeling a little better as she inhaled the fragrant aroma.

“Master, can you handle spicy food?”

“Bring on the heat.”

Whatever else, when it came to spicy food, Mù Qīngyǔ was always eager to challenge herself.

Perhaps her discomfort was only temporary; a good meal might just make her feel better.