Chapter 9: Smiling Tiger

  After the servant finished speaking, Li Hua looked around and turned to Long Xuelan with a gentle voice: "There are too many people watching the lanterns tonight. Why don't we go sit in the Guanlong Pavilion ahead? We can still watch the lanterns and it's quiet!"

  Long Xilan wouldn't be foolish enough to think that the prince really wanted to come here for peace and quiet. It was probably because there were other people lurking around who were unfavorable to them, and the prince wanted to take her away immediately. She didn't pretend to be polite, nodded and followed the prince to Guanlong Pavilion.

  This teahouse, located in the eastern part of the city, is called Guanlong Pavilion because it sits at the highest point in the east city. From its lofty platform, one can see the bustling streets of the eastern city, especially during this lantern festival season, which resembles a lit-up dragon winding and climbing along the eastern part of Jinling City.

  As soon as they entered the Guanlong Pavilion, the entire teahouse was emptied of people. Long Xilan looked at Li Hua with a faintly calm expression, this is indeed quiet.

  The boss personally took them to the best private room on the third floor, and Liu Jin sent the people next to him away, which made the atmosphere in the private room tense.

  Before long, a young waiter came in to serve tea. Long Xuelan took one glance at him and discovered that he was also a practitioner's son. It was surprising to find such a person in this humble teahouse, but she didn't make a sound. Li Hua wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface; she could see right through him, and it was unlikely that he wouldn't notice anything.

  "Is Li An from the Viewing Dragon Pavilion here today?" Li Huan sat upright in his chair, asking the question without a hint of arrogance, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

  The little servant was asked and replied without hesitation: "There is something at home, he is not here today."

  Li Hua received the tea from the upper servant and placed it on the tea table. The next moment, Yan Ting, who was standing behind Li Hua, took a swift step forward, covered Xiao Er's mouth, and stabbed him through with one sword!

  Fresh blood splattered all over the ground, frightening Qinglian who was standing beside Long Xilan into a loud shriek.

  The cry naturally echoed throughout the entire Longwang Pavilion, Li Hua's calm and gentle gaze slowly shifted over, quietly falling onto Long Xilan's face that was in a state of chaos but not surprised.

  Long Xilan's heart skipped a beat, as if she had forgotten something. As the second miss of the Seasonal Mansion, shouldn't she be just as terrified as Qinglian?

  But now it's just a performance, and it's really fake. She blinked her eyes, didn't say anything, facing Li Hua, this smiling tiger, the more nervous she became, the more disadvantaged she was. It's better to let him not see through, and find the answer herself.

  By the time he found the answer, Long Xilan had already escaped!

  "Go and investigate thoroughly, this person is a member of the gang, all of them - behead without exception!" Li Hua withdrew his gaze and said calmly to Yan Ting.

  Even if he gave such an order, he would still be elegant and refined, just like the rumors said.

  "Yes!" Yan Ting accepted the order and took the other two with him to quickly and cleanly dispose of the corpses in the house.

  Liu Jin personally went out to supervise and brought back a pot of good tea. The side door was closed again, and the atmosphere in the room was like a layer of thin ice that had condensed, adding to Qinglian's urgent and panicked breathing, which made Long Xuelan feel very suppressed.

  "Miss Ji, why don't you ask, why did my attendant have to take action against that person?" Li Hua held a cup of covered tea, her slender white fingers holding the lid, slightly stirring.

  Long Xilan's eyelashes drooped down, and she replied calmly: "The king is wise and cautious in his actions. As a woman from a good family, I don't need to know that much."

  Li Hua smiled faintly, seemingly very satisfied with this answer.

  However, Long Xilan turned back once more and saw the girl who had just been standing in front of the flower lamp, now crouching behind a potted plant in the corner, trembling with fear.

  So as not to let Li Hua discover her unusual gaze, she only took a glance and then withdrew her eyes.

  That girl isn't human, Long Xuelan had already helped her fulfill her wish, so why did she still follow him here?