Playing Dumb

"Oh, one more thing." Yin turned around, her tiny face thoughtful. "Don't let anyone know you have seen me here, not even Old Fogey Mo, okay?"

Old Fogey Mo?

She probably meant the Tenth Elder, Sword Flash Ye Mo?

Without being told more, Qing Wu You understood what the little girl was implying. He had questions to ask, but this was probably not the best time for the two of them to talk.

He fixed his slightly messy clothes and bowed courteously. "I might not be a cultivator yet, but communicating with people is my specialty. You can be at ease and leave everything here to me. For a task as small as this, I know what to do, Boss. You can count on me. I will surely not disappoint!"

"Ha!" Yin clapped her hands in glee. "I like smart people best~"

It was at this moment that they heard people approaching.

"Little Yin, don't you dare run! You had best wash your neck clean and prepare for death!" a certain man roared from a distance, but it wasn't even a bit threatening.

It was more like a grumbling. A helpless type of grumbling.

Qing Wu You turned around to see the Ye Sect disciples headed by Sword Flash Ye Mo approaching in a hurry, followed by his own people, Xiao Ku, and his royal cousin, the Purple Plumed General.

Well, they might be fast but someone else was obviously faster than them.

His new little boss had disappeared in a blink of an eye, and Qing Wu You was left awkwardly standing on his own in the middle of the clearing.

He coughed.

"Young Master Qing!"

"Young Master!"

His royal cousin, Qing Chuntao, and his personal servant, Xiao Ku, were the first to reach him. Sword Flash Ye Mo was the first to arrive, but he headed to see the unconscious middle-aged man and young boy first, not bothering with him.

"Are you hurt, Young Master Qing?" Xiao Ku asked in a fluster as his hand checked his wrist.

"I am unhurt, Xiao Ku."

"What happened here, Little You?" At this moment, the Purple Plumed General, Princess Qing Chuntao, dropped all formalities, and the anger on her face was not hidden. Her beautiful eyes were as sharp as swords at this moment. "How dare the Ye Sect harm a son from the Royal Qing?!"

"Cousin--"

She turned to glare at Sword Flash Ye Mo. "I demand an explanation about this, Tenth Elder! What are your protectors doing? How could something like this happen under your very nose?!"

Ye Mo had just finished checking out the situation regarding the two unconscious people.

"Purple Plumed General, stay your anger," he said, his face pale but his expression resolute. "We are also at a loss and we're starting to investigate the situation at the moment. As you can see, two of the victims are Ye Sect disciples. That man is someone you ought to have recognized. He's our sect's Second Elder and the Patriarch of the Li Clan, Li Yun Tian. I have already sent out a message to the rest of the elders and protectors."

The swordsman then turned to face Qing Wu You.

"Young Master Qing, if I may be rude, can you please shed light on this incident? Can you explain what happened here? Did you see who assaulted them? Also--"

"Rude!" Xiao Ku shouted as he stepped in front of his young master. "How dare you interrogate a member of the royal family? Do you think you have the right?"

With things out of control, it would be pointless to hide Qing Wu You's true identity.

Ye Mo was a pure battle-type sword cultivator, and he wasn't particularly good with words. He found himself looking embarrassed, unable to refute the older man. "B-But, Sir, Young Master Qing is the only witness to the incident--"

Xiao Ku was about to respond when Qing Wu You raised his hand.

"Enough." He took a deep breath as his young mind considered what to say. "Unfortunately, Tenth Elder, when I entered the array, I saw the two already in this situation. I have no information I can share to help you understand what happened."

"Where's Little Yin?"

"Pardon?"

"Don't play dumb, Young Master Qing. I know Little Yin was here."

Qing Wu You refused to budge. "I don't understand what you're saying, Tenth Elder."

Ye Mo did not respond and only studied him for half a minute. Then, he turned around without saying a word.

Qing Wu You was about to take a sigh of relief when he realized that Ye Mo was holding something in his hand. It was a hair ornament. To be precise, a ribbon.

Something that belonged to Little Yin!