No matter how anxious Gu Xingzhao felt, Lu Qing still couldn’t grasp what the ancestor truly wanted.
Meanwhile, Du Hangwu, deliberating on how to deal with the treacherous officer, noticed the scattered gold and jewels spilling out. Without hesitation, he bent down and began pulling out the remaining treasures—jade pendants, gold hairpins—all exquisite pieces clearly not of ordinary value.
Gu Xingzhao’s eyes were practically glued to the treasures. It wasn’t that she was greedy, but these things were simply too tempting! How could anyone resist?
Du Hangwu, thinking of the Lu family’s divine ancestor, quickly collected the valuables and offered them to Lu Qing. “Old Master Lu, perhaps we could offer these as a tribute to the divine ancestor?”
Gu Xingzhao smiled. Du Hangwu was indeed a smart man—just the type of person who, upon seeing valuable items, immediately thought of offering them to her. She figured she’d owe him a favor, like helping cure his hemorrhoids or something.
However, Lu Qing waved it off dismissively. “These are ill-gotten gains. How could we sully our divine ancestor’s gaze with such filth?”
His tone was full of disdain. Paying tribute to the divine ancestor was fine, but not with such tainted goods—that would be an insult.
Gu Xingzhao: “???” What reputation do I have to uphold here?!
She dashed in front of Lu Qing, waving her hands in frustration. She wanted to explain that there was nothing “dirty” about these treasures—they were valuable, after all! But the words seemed stuck in her throat, feeling absurd. After all, she was a divine being. Wasn’t openly proclaiming “I love money” a bit too crass?
Sure, she loved gold and silver, but as a deity, was it too unseemly to admit it?
Du Hangwu, a simple man, didn’t catch the subtle disdain in Lu Qing’s tone. He just knew that valuable things should be offered to the gods. Since Lu Qing refused, he followed suit and said, “Old Master Lu, you are right. I hadn’t thought it through.”
Just as Du Hangwu was about to take the treasures back, Gu Xingzhao felt a wave of frustration—how could they misunderstand her desires so completely?
At that moment, Lu Xingyan stepped forward and suggested, “Father, the divine ancestor is not of the mundane world. I doubt the source of these objects would matter. Why not ask the divine ancestor first before making a decision?”
Du Hangwu nodded in agreement. It made sense—the Lu family’s divine ancestor would probably appreciate these treasures.
Lu Qing shot his son a glance, feeling somewhat offended. Did his son think he didn’t know what the ancestor would want? But since both men were staring at him expectantly, he sighed, “Alright, I’ll ask.”
With that, Du Hangwu stopped trying to put the treasures away.
Meanwhile, the bound officer on the ground dared not make a sound. Seizing the moment while everyone was distracted, he carefully worked at the ropes around his wrists, hoping to free himself.
Lu Qing hesitated briefly, then asked Gu Xingzhao in his mind: Divine ancestor, Du Hangwu found these items on the officer and wishes to offer them as a tribute. What is your decision?
As soon as he asked, he felt foolish for even posing the question.
Gu Xingzhao immediately assumed her divine persona, but inwardly, she was ecstatic. “Since it’s offered sincerely, it wouldn’t be right to refuse. I’ll accept it. Make sure to thank him for me.”
Lu Qing was momentarily stunned, “…”
Two pairs of eyes bore into him, and Lu Qing felt a deep sense of embarrassment. His face flushed as he relayed the message, “The divine ancestor says, since it’s a sincere offering, she will accept it. She also expresses her thanks.”
Du Hangwu was eager to offer the treasures, but as soon as he extended his hands, the valuables vanished before his eyes!
He stood frozen in place. Although he had witnessed offerings disappear earlier, seeing something vanish from his own hands was even more astonishing.
Swallowing hard, Du Hangwu murmured, “The divine ancestor is too kind.”
Gu Xingzhao, now holding the precious gold and jewels, could barely contain her glee. She suddenly remembered that the bracelet and jade pendant she had previously taken were also picked out by Lu Xingyan.
Clutching the treasure, Gu Xingzhao beamed with joy: Lu Xingyan, Lu Xingyan… who knew you understood me best?
If not for the restrictions preventing her from approaching him, she might have gone over and patted him on the shoulder in gratitude.
At that moment, the bound officer had finally freed his hands. Seizing the opportunity while everyone was distracted, he jumped up and made a run for it!
Du Hangwu’s gaze instantly turned icy. In his hand, he gripped a sharp dagger. Initially, he had planned to use the dagger to free the officer’s bonds, giving him one last chance to redeem himself. But seeing him flee, Du Hangwu knew it was over for the man.
The officer could have lived. Now, there was no escape.
The other officers, though they had worked with the man for some time, stood frozen, unable to chase after him. While they felt pity, they also knew that rules were rules.
Du Hangwu scanned the crowd, and an oppressive silence descended. The atmosphere became so heavy that it seemed even breathing had become difficult.
Just as the officer was about to vanish from sight, a figure emerged from the shadows, swiftly apprehending him. The figure moved with precision, and with a quiet “swoosh,” a dagger plunged into the officer’s throat. Blood spurted out, staining the ground.
Du Hangwu blinked in surprise. Where had this person come from?
Was this one of the Lu family’s hidden guards?
The officer’s eyes widened in shock, but he had no time for regret as his life drained away. He crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The surrounding onlookers recoiled in horror at the sudden violence. Some took a few steps back, their faces pale with fear. Who was this shadowy figure?
The dark figure wiped the blood from the dagger, casually discarded it, and then disappeared as silently as they had come.
Lu Qing, recognizing the manner in which the kill had been executed, turned instinctively toward Princess Shunyu. He had seen the imperial guards of the late emperor act in a similarly efficient and ruthless manner.
But Shunyu sat calmly, as if nothing had happened, with Ming Yuan by her side, her wounds already bandaged.
Gu Xingzhao noticed that although the young princess appeared composed, her hands were trembling slightly. She was clearly not yet accustomed to such bloodshed.
The rest of the onlookers assumed that the mysterious figure must have been a hidden guard of the Lu family. The officers, now on edge, clenched their fists, silently bracing themselves for whatever might come next.
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