Forced to be a third person: I turned around and left the palace to marry a villain

"Miss Qu, what is your relationship with the Duke of Han?"

Xuan He asked cautiously. Considering that they had not yet reached the capital of Yingxia, it was relatively safe to discuss this topic.

He was not worried about bringing trouble to himself, but was afraid of being convicted for his words and bringing disaster to his master's sect.

After all, in Yingxia, although there are many famous sects, only the Qingxu Sect is particularly favored by the imperial court.

Such a prominent status would naturally arouse the jealousy of other sects. As the head disciple and future candidate for the head, he was well aware of the serious consequences that could result from an inappropriate word.

"We did have some contact, but I don't remember the details very clearly. My memories before the age of three are like fragments to me, and I only vaguely remember some scenes."

These words were not fiction. When she was a child, she often dreamed of herself crying in front of a raging fire, and of the terrifying dream in which the man in black holding a bloody knife chased her.

The fear of being hunted still occasionally reappears in her dreams, making her feel deeply helpless.

Hearing this, Xuan He's expression became serious. After careful consideration, he made a request to Qu Xin:

"Miss Qu, can you promise me that you will never mention the words 'Han Mansion Duke' again? Especially after entering Yunzhou."

"What do you mean, Taoist priest?" Qu Xin asked doubtfully, not understanding why he couldn't even say the name.

"Because the story behind the Duke of Han is too sensitive. Once touched, it may lead to serious consequences."

Xuan He explained that he knew that he must tell Qu Xin about the taboos here in advance on the way to Yunzhou to avoid unnecessary disasters.

"What is going on?" Qu Xin frowned, feeling curious and worried about this forbidden history.

This is Yunli City, no, it’s the forbidden area of ​​the Yingxia royal family.

"Forbidden area!" Qu Xin repeated the word in a low voice, with a strong curiosity in his heart.

She had a hunch that there was a shocking secret behind this, and the identity of the Duke of Han seemed to be inextricably linked to it. She decided to uncover the mystery.

"Okay, whatever the Taoist priest says is what it is."

She smiled back at Xuan He, appearing obedient, but in her heart she was already planning what to do after arriving at Yunli City. Perhaps Linglong Pavilion would be the key to understanding the truth.

After several days of travel, the two finally arrived at Yunli City. Xuan He had to go to the palace to pay respects to the emperor on behalf of his master, giving Qu Xin some free time.

"I will be back in about an hour. Please wait here, Miss Qu."

Xuan He placed her in the house of his friend Qi Ben, a man who practiced swordsmanship and Taoism, and had a deep friendship with Xuan He.

"Don't worry, Taoist priest. I will wait obediently." Qu Xin said with a smile, feeling like he was being treated like a child.

"I will take good care of Miss Qu." Qi Ben assured Xuan He, and at the same time felt a little curious about the woman who suddenly appeared next to his friend.

"Brother Qi." Qu Xin called softly after Xuan He left.

"What can I do for you?" Qi Ben asked.

"Brother Qi, can you take me somewhere?"

Qu Xin's eyes inadvertently fell on the exquisite dice on his waist. That was exactly what she was looking for: "I want to go to Linglong Pavilion."

"Why are you interested in Linglong Pavilion?" Qi Ben asked vigilantly, his hand unconsciously protecting the purse at his waist.

Qu Xin explained: "I just want to verify some things. Don't worry, I know nothing about Brother Qi and I won't ask too much."

Qi Ben hesitated for a while and felt that the woman he met for the first time had no ill intentions. Moreover, since she said that she would not mention her relationship with Linglong Pavilion, he did not want to appear too stingy.

Finally, he nodded and agreed to take her there.

Seeing that Qu Xin seemed less nervous, Qi Ben smiled gently: "Miss Qu, please follow me."

He walked sideways in front, leading Qu Xin through several narrow alleys, and finally stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary stone house. The house looked like an ordinary farmhouse, unremarkable.

However, as soon as he stepped into the yard, Qu Xin felt that this place was unusual.

There was nothing in the yard, not a single farm tool or daily item. When she walked into the house, she found it was almost blank except for a mural on the wall.

Who would hang such a painting at home? Qu Xin couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Qi Ben noticed her confusion, chuckled, then walked to the mural and gently tapped a spot on the picture.

As he moved, the wall slowly sank, revealing a flight of stairs leading to the bottomless underground.

"If you hadn't brought me here, I might have been wandering around Yunli City for several days without finding this place." Qu Xin thought.

"Miss Qu, this is all I can do. You have to walk the rest of the way on your own."

Qi Ben stood aside and explained: "Linglong Pavilion has rules. Only real guests are received. No one else is allowed to enter."

This time, only Qu Xin came to seek help from Linglong Pavilion, so she was the only guest.

"Thank you, Brother Qi." Qu Xin performed the traditional etiquette of Yunli City, and then began to walk down the dark stairs.

The further we went down, the dimmer the light became, until it was almost pitch black.

Just when she was feeling somewhat dissatisfied with this overly cautious approach, suddenly a dull sound came from above her head - the entrance was closed.

In an instant, the surrounding lights lit up, illuminating the entire underground passage.

"Dear distinguished guest, why don't you come in and have a seat?" A man's voice came from the end of the passage, his tone gentle and elegant.

Qu Xin walked in the direction of the light, and after passing through the open stone door, a huge gauze screen appeared in front of her. Through the translucent gauze, she vaguely saw a figure sitting behind the screen.

She wanted to sneak around the screen and find out who that person was.

But there were guards standing on both sides of the screen. Qu Xin could tell at a glance that these guards were very skilled. She might be able to win in a one-on-one fight, but facing several of them, she knew she was no match for them.

Since you can't win, just keep quiet.

"Young lady, what brings you here?" asked the man behind the screen. His eyes seemed to penetrate the screen and fell on Qu Xin with a scrutinizing look.

"I heard that Linglong Pavilion is very expensive. I have to find out more before I dare to ask."

Qu Xin responded alertly, not wanting to give the other party any chance to take advantage of her. Even though she believed that the people here would not play tricks, she still remembered the importance of taking precautions.

"The girl is really smart."

Xiao Zhan smiled and felt that this woman's cleverness was somewhat similar to Changle whom he met after the winter banquet.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his right hand on his knee, and said, “Information does have a price, but the price must be determined by the object.

If the girl doesn't tell you what you want to ask, how can I tell you its value? There must be an object for a transaction, right? "

Qu Xin nodded in agreement: "I want to know what happened to the Duke of Han in Yingxia twelve years ago."