Chapter 33: Deception
In the dark of night.
On the street.
Two people.
Li Qi and Shen Shuibi looked at each other, one staring at the other.
Li Qi was utterly bewildered. He had been waiting for Mister Zhu to introduce them, so he could then introduce himself and they could get acquainted before setting off!
But what was wrong with this new boss? He came over, asked a few questions, then just dumped them here and left?!
This boss seemed a bit irresponsible… Or perhaps, he wasn't the only candidate to find Lady Luofu? Was he busy dealing with other backups?
No, maybe he was the backup.
However, Li Qi wasn't the only one looking dazed; Shen Shuibi was too.
The rabbit demon's mind was full of questions, even forgetting her previous wariness and aversion.
Huh? That annoying big shaman just left like that?
Leaving her alone with that equally annoying little shaman to go find the Lady?
Would he follow her?
These shamans were very insidious. She heard that everyone on Wushen Mountain was somewhat eccentric and mysterious.
The ritual priests were considered relatively normal; they were usually the ones who handled external communication.
Those diviners, however, were maddeningly obsessed. She heard they were constantly muttering incantations, using divination to scheme against others and themselves. They never spoke clearly, relying entirely on others to guess their meaning.
Besides these two main categories, all other types of shamans were rumored to be completely insane. They were like those witch doctors who performed grand dances, and some even talked to thin air, making them incredibly difficult to understand.
Shen Shuibi was full of doubts.
However, Li Qi reacted faster. He stepped forward directly: "Miss Shen, do you still remember me? We met earlier today."
"I know, you're the little shaman who secretly came to capture me!" Shen Shuibi said warily.
She scrutinized Li Qi from head to toe, carefully examining every detail of his person.
His skin was brownish-black, likely from constant sun exposure, and somewhat rough, not delicate. It was clear at a glance that he was from the lower strata, probably having done manual labor before.
His clothes… were also coarse, made of hemp, worn and tattered in many places. But he probably didn't have a woman to help him, so there wasn't even a single patch, and the holes weren't mended.
She felt truly sorry for him after looking.
As for his face… it was quite handsome, with a heroic quality that made him seem straightforward and sincere.
Bah! How could this little shaman be straightforward? He was full of tricks, his mind brimming with schemes. Listening to his conversation with the big shaman, he must be a cunning villain.
Li Qi felt the other party scrutinizing him.
So he straightened his back and spoke righteously: "Was our last meeting not purely by chance? Miss Shen, you were trapped by that demon, and it was we who rescued you. After meeting you, I also let you go. How can you say I came to capture you? Just because you are of high status, can you arbitrarily slander me?"
"But after you came last time, that big shaman came and captured me!" Shen Shuibi said indignantly, feeling wronged.
"How could a lowly pawn like me know the actions of a great shaman?" Li Qi gave a bitter smile. "In fact, I'm just as bewildered as you are!"
After saying this, Li Qi put himself on the same footing as Shen Shuibi.
But before Shen Shuibi could react, he immediately added, "However, Miss Shen, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing."
"How is it not a bad thing? You clearly have designs on the Lady!" Shen Shuibi retorted angrily.
"Designs on the Lady…" Why did that sound so strange? Li Qi couldn't help but inwardly grumble.
But he knew how to mislead people, so he immediately followed the topic: "I presume, Miss Shen, you are aware that Lady Luofu is being persecuted by the Tang Dynasty?"
At the mention of this topic, Shen Shuibi fell silent, her expression visibly growing distressed.
This woman… she truly had a one-tracked mind, simple.
But this was fine too, since she was easy to trick.
Li Qi thought, but his mouth didn't stop: "We of Wushen Mountain are on the same side as Lady Luofu; we are both enemies of the Tang Dynasty."
He was now referring to "we of Wushen Mountain," even though Li Qi actually had no idea what Wushen Mountain was. But a strong patron was a strong patron; it was best to cling tightly.
"Since we have a common enemy, I believe you know that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. Wushen Mountain seeks out Lady Luofu purely out of a desire for cooperation. To put the Lady at ease, they even sent a lowly subordinate like me as a messenger, so as not to pose a threat to her. Furthermore, I am an outsider, unable to be tracked by divination, which can also reassure the Lady, as it's impossible to trace Lady Luofu by tracking me."
"With so many reassuring measures, can it still not show our sincerity?" Li Qi said sincerely.
Truly sincere?
Of course not. It was all nonsense. If they truly wanted to play tricks, Li Qi believed Wushen Mountain had a myriad of ways to circumvent any obstacles.
But…
For someone who wasn't very bright, a pile of reasons and explanations, coupled with a sincere tone, could easily win trust.
One could see that Shen Shuibi was indeed moved.
Because it seemed… what Li Qi said, uh, possibly, probably, perhaps, roughly… seemed to make some sense?
Seeing Shen Shuibi fall into confusion, Li Qi struck while the iron was hot, taking out the willow branch: "Miss Shen, please take a look at this. My status is low, and I haven't had contact with any magical artifacts or similar items. I don't know what Young Master gave me. You come from Lady Luofu's side, so you must know, right!"
Shen Shuibi was still thinking, but this sudden interruption instinctively shifted her attention to the willow branch.
Under Li Qi's sincere gaze and plea, she seemed unable to refuse…
So, she replied, "Uh, this should be a willow branch infused with Earth Deity divine energy. It can ward off evil and has binding properties, and it can also be used to whip ghosts and evil spirits."
"There are records stating… 'On the first day of the first month, place a willow branch on the door, and a hundred ghosts will not enter the house.' I heard Lady say that there is a treasure in Tianzhu called the Jade Pure Bottle, which has a willow branch inserted in it. So, a willow branch is an evil-warding object. After being infused with Earth Deity divine energy, its power is multiplied. It can probably even kill people, but that's about it. It's not even good enough to be placed in the Lady's vase." As she spoke of this, Shen Shuibi became somewhat proud.
"I see, Miss Shen is indeed more knowledgeable." Li Qi genuinely didn't know these things, so he praised her from the bottom of his heart.
"Hmph hmph!" Shen Shuibi had been a refugee for so long, and it seemed she was finally being praised, so she puffed out her chest, looking triumphant.
"Then let's find a place to rest first. I'd like to hear more from you, Miss Shen to broaden my horizons. Please take good care of me on the journey ahead," Li Qi said.
"Of course," Shen Shuibi politely responded.
However, she was completely unaware.
She had previously refused to travel with Li Qi.
(Chapter End)