There was even a suspected incarnation of the chief director, an Eighth Tier cultivator, who had made a move.
Spies from both sides were coming and going. This matter had already been characterized by Song Chengyue on an official level as a provocation by the Shadow Department, and in actuality, he turned around and fanned the flames with Emperor Qian.
It was said that after learning of the abolition of dong chang, the chief director not only refused to return to court for an audience with His Majesty but was instead secretly instigating trouble, stoking the fire, causing the Jinyi Wei and the Shadow Department to start fighting.
Even in the midst of this, they realized that dong chang spies had taken action and clashed with the Jinyi Wei, causing the loss of several spies from the Jinyi Wei.
Things had escalated to such a degree that no one, including Yu Ziqing, had ever thought it possible.
Could it be, there was no kidnapper at all?
The person had never left the room.
The reason no one thought of this was simply because it was just a ten-year-old child.
Even Yu Ziqing, upon seeing Grandpa Que, had never considered that the person was not kidnapped by Grandpa Que.
In fact, if Grandpa Que's foundation hadn't been so flimsy, so weak, Yu Ziqing's Yin God, a cluster of blood-red flames, could have burned him into nothingness.
If not for this, Yu Ziqing wouldn't have even given him a chance to speak.
Naturally, he would have first restrained him, ensuring that he could be turned to ash in an instant, then proceeded to question him.
No one had ever thought that a ten-year-old brat had the ability to plan a kidnapping, kidnapping himself, and then make everyone unable to find him.
Yu Ziqing looked at the little brat and reflected for a moment; he felt that he had become complacent.
Sometimes, he would make the same mistake as those experts, underestimating the weak too much.
A ten-year-old brat, coupled with a weakling that was like an Earth Deity but without a domain, had actually caused such a big trouble.
Yu Ziqing calmed down and reminisced for a moment; his own weakling self seemed to have caused quite a few problems too.
Fortunately, he hadn't grown arrogant, still loved to eat as before, and didn't look down on mortals from on high. He didn't arbitrarily negate things with his knowledge and learning but instead went to verify for himself, and it was only then that he was able to find this truth that had been right in front of him all along.
Indeed, all these things were not secrets; even many locals and children here could provide clues.
It's just, who would believe those clues?
They're right in front of you, yet no one pays attention.
Yu Ziqing's laughter woke the sleeping Gu Shitou.
Groggy, he saw a stranger and immediately jolted awake, leaping out of bed and rushing forward two steps before he abruptly stopped, looking at Yu Ziqing dressed in a black robe, and hesitantly asked in a soft voice.
"Why do you ask me and not him?" Yu Ziqing asked, pointing at Lou Huai, who had an honest look on his face and wasn't very tall.
"He doesn't look like an important person, hiding his head and showing his tail, afraid to show his face; that looks like an important person.
Besides that, he must have followed you here; it wasn't you following him."
Yu Ziqing let out a laugh.
What great virtues had Song accumulated to give birth to such a clever son?
Then, Yu Ziqing lifted his hood, revealing that asymmetrical face with disproportionate features.
Gu Shitou was startled and stepped back.
"I am your father, come on, call me Dad."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Gu Shitou stepped back several paces and cried out, "My mother has high standards, you can't possibly be my dad!"
"I used to be very handsome; I'm just injured now."
"What is my mother's name?"
Gu Shitou looked shocked; that was his mother's former name, which he had only recently found out, and had secretly noted it down while she was talking in her sleep.
"Want to ask anything else?"
Gu Shitou furrowed his eyebrows, and just by looking at Yu Ziqing's face, he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
"Just tell me how all this came about."
Yu Ziqing glanced at Grandpa Que who, interestingly, kept his silence.
Gu Shitou repeated what had happened, omitting the parts the child had deliberately covered up, which basically matched with what Grandpa Que had said.
It was just a child, innocently wanting to cure his mother.
Because he had heard his mother say many times that his father cared a lot about them, both mother and child.
What Shitou's mother didn't know was that Shitou already knew that the husband she spoke of wasn't the man from the Gu Family; the father from the Gu Family was long dead.
It was his real father's disguise, borrowing an identity, arranging all this, to allow them to enter the Gu Family, to live without worries, stable and secure.
"Can you cure my mother?"
"I need to see to know, but you need to come with me, don't shake your head. You don't have a choice now, the trouble you've caused, even the entire Gu Family, can't handle it."
Gu Shitou fell silent.
Yu Ziqing smiled nonchalantly. After all, he was just a child.
Gu Shitou somehow perceived that Yu Ziqing wasn't his real father, yet he still pretended to acknowledge it, just for the sake of treating his mother.
After all, he was still young; his act was a bit flawed.
The trouble he caused may have been huge, but this matter was Song's to deal with.
Song, this time, would have to reimburse him for the two Void Escape Scrolls, no matter what.
It wasn't just Yu Ziqing who would have never thought of it; surely no one outside would have imagined this matter to be so absurd.
Yu Ziqing turned his head to Grandpa Que.
"Considering that you have kept your integrity, not straying to the path of the Evil Cult, I will give you a way out. I'm going to take you with me now.
If Dali were to find out about you, by the regulations of Dali, there would be no way out for you.
The Shadow Department wouldn't care about your hardships; capturing a child is capturing him."