Qiao Qixin sighed, "This Lin'an city is really miserable, but for this kind of thing, shouldn't we go to the emperor to ask for more relief food? Why did we come to Dali Temple to ask for help?"
Liu Zhan lowered his eyes and said, "There is no peace in the imperial city."
"What?" Qiao Qixin asked.
"Nothing," Liu Zhan shook his head and said, "You go back to Fusheng Inn first. Meet me at Dali Temple tomorrow morning. You and I will go to Lin'an City together."
"Okay." Qiao Qixin nodded.
——
Fusheng Inn
"Going out again? You didn't come back last night." Jin Yan brought a plate of stir-fried pork to the table and said dissatisfied, "Why is this Dali Temple like this? How long have you just been in? You have been busy all the time without even taking a rest.
nothing."
Qiao Qixin shrugged, picked up the meat with chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth, "Dali Temple doesn't have many people, so if you're busy, just be busy, and I don't have to do anything, it's all Liu Zhan who is busy taking care of it."
"You even helped them talk." Jin Yan put one hand on her hips and placed the other hand on Qiao Qixin's head.
Qiao Qixin said "hehe", "The monthly salary in Dali Temple is quite generous, so if you are busy, you will be busy."
"Silly girl," Jin Yan sat across from Qiao Qixin and scolded, "do you know what you are doing? You will lose your head if you are not careful!"
Qiao Qixin smiled and said nothing, covered her head and started eating.
Jin Yan sighed and said nothing more, just looking at Qiao Qixin cooking with a slight complaint.
——
night
Qiao Qixin lay on the bed and looked at the bright moon outside the window.
The moonlight is bright and clear.
There was nothing wrong with what Jin Yan said during the meal. If given the choice, Qiao Qixin would like to stay in Dali Temple and paint portraits instead of going out and taking risks.
But no matter what——
Qiao Qixin looked at the system interface with a headache.
Above the column to be completed, a task suddenly appeared, [Unraveling the Mystery of Lin'an City]
Qiao Qixin had no memory of the assignment of this task. If she hadn't checked it on a whim, she would have missed this task.
If it is missed, the system will be almost useless after Liu Zhan investigates the case alone.
Because he can only complete one task before issuing another task.
As for the consequences of the task being stuck, Qiao Qixin didn't know.
She often calls the system, but the system is just like the time during the update, completely silent, and only suddenly appears to release tasks.
But now, publishing tasks has become silent.
Qiao Qixin bit her knuckles.
She still remembered the conversation she had with the system a long time ago, and remembered that the system had followed many people before her.
When Qiao Qixin asked about the status of the previous host, the system's answer was——
[The host won’t want to know]
Since then, Qiao Qixin has had a grudge against the system.
It would be okay if it can always be used by yourself, but if this system has evil intentions...
Then you have to find a way to kick it out of your body.
"call--"
Qiao Qixin lay on the bed and exhaled.
Although he said that, if he really wanted to eliminate this system from his body, Qiao Qixin really didn't have the slightest idea.
She turned over and forced herself to sleep.
After touching half a stick of incense, Qiao Qixin was already fast asleep.
A ray of blue light flew out from her temple and landed beside the bed.
A light blue human shape gradually formed.
"I didn't want you to die so early."
The humanoid stretched out his hand and slowly touched Qiao Qixin's cheek.
A wave of electrons spread from the humanoid fingers to the whole body.
This violent fluctuation only stopped after he left Qiao Qixin's body.
The human figure stood beside the bed, with blue transparent pupils belonging to artificial intelligence, staring at Qiao Qixin calmly.
"...Then I wish you good luck, host."
——
In the early morning, Qiao Qixin lay on the bed and opened her tired eyes.
For some reason, she felt someone standing next to her bed while she was sleeping. She remained partially conscious, but when she was fully awake she woke up again.
So it’s just that I haven’t slept well, and I can’t wake up even if I wake up.
Qiao Qixin went downstairs with dark circles under her eyes. Jin Yan was startled when she saw her, "Did you become a thief last night?"
"No, I didn't sleep well." Qiao Qixin yawned.
"Why don't you tell Liu Zhan to go back to sleep first and go back when you wake up?" Jin Yan said.
Qiao Qixin waved her hand, "No need...ha——"
She came to the dining table, and Shuanzi brought her a bowl of white porridge, and then brought her fried dough sticks and pancakes.
Qiao Qixin was eating breakfast while feeling sleepy, "By the way, sister, did you go to the room last night?"
"Ah? No, you have something to do today. How could I disturb your rest?" Jin Yan, who was busy behind the counter, raised her head and asked, "What's wrong? A thief broke into your room in the middle of the night?"
"No," Qiao Qixin yawned, "I just felt like someone was standing next to me when I fell asleep, so I didn't sleep well."
Jinyan thought for a while, then shouted, "Shuanzi! Didn't you keep vigil last night? Someone went into Qixin's room?"
Shuanzi poked his head out from the kitchen, "No? I stayed down there all night last night and didn't hear anything moving above."
Qiao Qixin held the porridge bowl and sipped it in small sips.
When she heard Shuanzi's words, she nodded and said, "That's probably because I was dreaming in the middle of the night."
Jin Yan held her chin with one hand and looked at Qiao Qixin worriedly, "Why don't you just talk to Liu Zhan and stop going."
Qiao Qixin shook her head and said, "It's okay, I can do it. Sister, don't worry."
Jin Yan sighed, turned around, took out a purse from the counter, and stuffed it into Qiao Qixin's hand, "There are thirty taels of silver here, hide it yourself, and if something really happens, you can hire a carriage to come back.
"
"No, sister, it's not easy for you to save money on your own." Qiao Qixin pushed the purse back with a smile, "Don't worry, sister, I have money."
Jin Yan sighed, put away her purse, patted Qiao Qixin on the shoulder and said, "When I went to Lin'an City, I had to follow Liu Zhan well. If you need anything, just ask him. Anyway, he was the one who asked you to join Dali Temple. You have to let him
I’m responsible for you, so you don’t have to worry about troublesome him, you know?”
"I know." Qiao Qixin nodded and said, "Sister, I'll go to Dali Temple first."
"Sister, I'll give it to you." Jin Yan walked out from behind the counter, reached out and hooked up a cloak and put it on her body.
Jinyan is afraid of the cold. If she is blown by the wind, she will be frozen to the bone. She has to soak in hot water for a stick of incense to get better.
"Sister, you'd better not go," Qiao Qixin said worriedly, "it's quite cold outside."
"It's okay, Sister Lu can still accompany you." Jin Yan said with a smile.
Qiao Qixin looked at Jin Yan worriedly, then ran to Shuanzi and asked him to heat hot water and make brown sugar ginger tea, and then put a cloak over Jin Yan.
"Let's go, you have to come back quickly and don't wander around outside." Qiao Qixin said.
"I know." Jin Yan hugged Qiao Qixin's arm, and the two of them walked to Dali Temple together.
In front of the Dali Temple gate, Liu Zhan was already waiting there.
He saw Jin Yan next to Qiao Qixin and frowned, "The weather is getting colder, why are you still coming out?"
Jin Yan said with a straight face, dissatisfied, "It's not just you, but you are dragging Qixin along to such a dangerous place. Can I rest assured?"
Liu Zhan shrugged, "I have my own sense of proportion."
"You have a head!" Jin Yan stretched out her hand to hit Liu Zhan on the head, but Liu Zhan dodged.
She sighed angrily, "Okay, Qixin, please follow Liu Zhan and don't wander around alone, you know?"
Qiao Qixin nodded obediently.
Liu Zhanfei got into the car, then turned around and stretched out his hand to Qiao Qixin.
Qiao Qixin hugged Jinyan and said goodbye formally, then turned around and followed Liu Zhan's strength to get into the car.
The carriage started moving.
While walking, Qiao Qixin suddenly heard the sound of "clang, clang, clang, clang".
She turned her head left and right, unable to hear the source of the sound, so she asked Liu Zhan beside her, "Did you hear any strange sounds? Is there something wrong with the carriage?"
Liu Zhan looked at Qiao Qixin's waist, nodded and said, "Isn't it the sound of your purse?"
"Purchase?" Qiao Qixin was stunned, "I didn't bring my purse."
She looked down and saw a purse hung on her waist at some point. It was the one Jin Yan wanted to give her before she came out.
"Jinyan did it." Liu Zhan said.
Seeing Qiao Qixin looking at him in shock, Liu Zhan explained, "She didn't let me say it."
Qiao Qixin was even more shocked.
How come she didn't notice?
Liu Zhan seemed to see the doubts in her heart and explained, "Jin Yan is also an assassin. Although she got the root of her illness during the operation, she still has some foundation."
Liu Zhan was referring to the fact that Qing Mimi hung her purse on Qiao Qixin's waist.
"I didn't expect Sister Jinyan to be an assassin." Qiao Qixin looked down at the purse, with mixed feelings in her heart.
"There is nothing to worry about. She took a lot of orders when she was an assassin and made a lot of money. Now she has opened an inn, so she is not poor at all." Liu Zhan said, "So since she gave it to you, you just keep it, no
What kind of psychological burden do you need?"
Qiao Qixin thought for a moment and finally put away her purse.
But she didn't prepare any flowers, and planned to put them on the counter for Jinyan when she went back.
"By the way," Qiao Qixin said, "Does Sister Jinyan know about Lin'an City?"
Liu Zhan was stunned, "Why do you say that?"
"What you and Jin Yan said in front of the car just now, I feel like Sister Jin Yan knows, and Lin'an City is still very dangerous." Qiao Qixin said her feelings truthfully.
Liu Zhan pondered for a moment and said, "When she was still an assassin, she once took over an order from Lin'an City, but she came back in just one day."
"Why?" Qiao Qixin asked.
"Because the person died." Liu Zhan said.
Qiao Qixin was silent.
Ah...that seems to be quite efficient...
"She didn't kill the person, it was the people in the city who killed him." Liu Zhan said slowly.
Qiao Qixin frowned slightly, "Who died?"
"Former city lord, Jiang Hezhi." Liu Zhan said.
"Ah, I don't know." Qiao Qixin scratched her head.
Liu Zhan crossed his arms across his chest and looked down, "Jiang Hezhi is considered an upright official. He has made many decisions that are beneficial to the people. He has never deducted disaster relief funds from the people or increased taxes without permission."
"Then why would anyone hire Sister Jinyan to kill him?" Qiao Qixin asked.
Liu Zhan glanced at Qiao Qixin and said slowly, "Because he is too honest and corrupt officials don't like him, so they hire someone to assassinate him."
Qiao Qixin was speechless for a moment, "Then, why did the common people kill him again?"
When Liu Zhan heard this, he sneered, "Because some people say that Jiang Hezhi withheld disaster relief funds privately and increased taxes without authorization."
"But, isn't it said that he is an upright official?" Qiao Qixin felt a little confused.
"Well, he is indeed an upright official." Liu Zhan said.
"Then why..."
Qiao Qixin hesitated.
"Because he is too clear, some people don't like him." Liu Zhan looked outside the carriage.
Qiao Qixin was speechless.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she didn't know how to speak.
"Do you want to ask why the people would do that to an upright official?" Liu Zhan said.
Qiao Qixin nodded.
"Because some people say that Jiang Hezhi privately withheld disaster relief funds and increased taxes without authorization." Liu Zhan said with a chuckle.
Qiao Qixin was speechless again.
"Just because of this?"
"Yes." Liu Zhan looked at Qiao Qixin with a smile, but his eyes were full of sadness, "So it is not entirely the fault of the officials that Lin'an City has developed to this point."