“It’s just polite talk,” the State Preceptor said indifferently. “She’s a doctor. Saving lives is her duty. Don’t mix it with life saving grace.”

“Oh.” Wan Feng felt that he could really shut up now. As he ate, he kept sizing up the State Preceptor.

The State Preceptor put down his chopsticks. “If there’s anything else, just say it.”

“Then… will you kill her?” Wan Feng blinked and asked. His facial features were not stunning, but his eyes really seemed to be able to speak.

The State Preceptor did not look at him. He only picked up his chopsticks again and picked up a random vegetable leaf. “That depends on whether she knows or not.”

Wan Feng looked at his master in a daze and said, “Because this is a big matter, we can’t let anyone discover that the holy artifact has been stolen, let alone that the little princess hasn’t been chosen by the holy artifact. So if she knows that it’s a holy artifact, we can’t let her live?”

The State Preceptor nodded indifferently, tacitly agreeing with his guess.

Wan Feng did not say anything else and silently finished the food in his bowl.

After the two of them finished eating, Wan Feng called a servant to remove the cutlery. The State Preceptor brought Wan Feng into the inner room. It was not yet night, and the sky was bright. The State Preceptor asked Wan Feng to close the door and windows, and the room darkened.

The State Preceptor took out a small box.

Wan Feng recognized this box. It was one of the few things in his master’s luggage that he was not allowed to touch. He tactfully stood at the side and did not go forward to help. He saw his master put on silver gloves and take out a small jade bottle.

The moment he put on the gloves, Wan Feng had a faint guess. Is it a Gu worm? He thought.

The State Preceptor removed the cork. “Cup.”

Wan Feng picked up a white porcelain cup that was placed on the table and handed it over with both hands.

The State Preceptor gestured for him to put it on the table, and he did so.

The State Preceptor poured the contents of the bottle into the cup.

Wan Feng’s guess was right. It was indeed a Gu worm, but it was not any Gu he had seen before. His intuition told him that this Gu worm was very powerful.

“Is it the Gu King, Master?” Wan Feng asked.

The State Preceptor nodded. “The Gu King can make the Gu Pearl light up, but it might not be the Gu King we want. It’s also a Gu King. The only thing in the world that can make it afraid is Nanzhao’s holy artifact.”

Wan Feng finally understood why his master had brought back Princely Heir Consort Yan’s hair. He watched his master’s actions nervously.

The State Preceptor took out a handkerchief and placed the hair into the cup. However, the Gu King did not move at all.

The State Preceptor frowned. “Could I have made a mistake? Did she just have an ordinary Gu King?”

Wan Feng secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

The State Preceptor put away the Gu King in a small box in disappointment and was about to take the used handkerchief and cup when Wan Feng said, “Master, let me clean up!”

The State Preceptor nodded, put the box back, and went to the study.

Wan Feng began to pack up the things on the table. His gaze stopped at the strand of hair in the cup. For some reason, he pinched it and sniffed it. Then, his expression changed drastically!

This-this wasn’t her hair!

When he went to the Young Master Manor to thank her, he was close to her. The breeze blew her hair, and he accidentally smelled it. There was a faint lily fragrance on her hair and a trace of a pleasant fragrance that he could not describe. Naturally, he did not know that it was Yan Jiuchao’s smell, but he was sure that this was definitely not her hair!

Did Master make a mistake, or… did she deliberately let him make a mistake? If it was the latter, did it mean that she had also been guarding against his master? Why was she guarding against his master? Could it be that the holy artifact was really in her hands?

Moreover, she knew that it was the holy artifact of the Nanzhao Nation and that the envoy had come for the holy artifact. What a thoughtful woman! He and his master were actually completely kept in the dark by her!

“Wan Feng.”

The State Preceptor pushed open the door and walked in. Wan Feng’s expression changed and he pulled the hair into his palm.

“What’s wrong?” The State Preceptor noticed that something was wrong with his face.

Wan Feng’s eyes flashed. He picked up the cup on the table and said fearfully, “M-Master’s Gu King is so powerful. Will the cup it touched be poisonous? I won’t be poisoned, right?”

The State Preceptor sighed. “Is that why you were frightened?”

Wan Feng’s throat moved. “Yes, yes.”

“No, you won’t,” the State Preceptor said helplessly.

“That’s good. I thought I was going to die.” Wan Feng pretended to be relieved.

The State Preceptor said indifferently, “I’m going out tomorrow. Remember to prepare the carriage.”