Chapter 627: Chapter 625: Having Leverage

"Thanks for your hard work, Wu Qiao Ping."

Back at the group’s campsite, several of the younger people smiled as they spoke to her.

"It’s nothing. I happen to know how to weave these little trinkets, so it was convenient to just make them all at once. It was also good practice for preparing medicine," Wu Qiao Ping said with a wide, friendly smile.

Her words naturally prompted another round of thanks from the young people.

It was summer, and while Xiqing Mountain was relatively cool, sleeping outdoors was still a challenge. They burned wormwood at night and carried insect repellent during the day, but many still slept poorly. As a result, they often found themselves low on energy while hiking.

Seeing this, Bai Qingyuan decided to prepare some calming herbs. Conveniently, the necessary plants were readily available on Xiqing Mountain. When Wu Qiao Ping heard of his plan, she volunteered for the task. She knew how to weave small grass baskets, which were perfect for holding the prepared herbs and carrying them around.

Seeing his student’s eagerness to contribute, Bai Qingyuan let her take over.

Bai Minyun wasn’t with the others. When she overheard Wu Qiao Ping, she couldn’t help but curl her lip. ’Hmph. What a schemer.’

’Just because she can weave a few grass baskets, she thinks she can suck up to my uncle,’ she thought. Ever since she’d noticed Wu Qiao Ping’s strange hostility toward Su Qing at the guest house, Bai Minyun couldn’t stand the sight of her. Now, watching Wu Qiao Ping’s actions, she was convinced the woman was just being manipulative.

Su Qing glanced at Bai Minyun and gave a small smile. "It has nothing to do with us. If you don’t like her, just stay away. It’s not like we’re deeply involved with her anyway."

"That’s true." Bai Minyun nodded. Su Qing didn’t work at Beijing First Hospital, so aside from this mountain trip, she would have no reason to interact with Wu Qiao Ping again. As for Bai Minyun, she would be working at her own family’s hospital, so she wouldn’t be colleagues with her either. It was safe to say that neither she nor Su Qing would have any dealings with Wu Qiao Ping in the future.

With that thought, Bai Minyun felt much better. "This is the last time. I’m definitely never working with this person again."

As she spoke, Bai Minyun gently stroked the Golden Eagle perched on Su Qing’s shoulder. Over the past two days, she’d gotten familiar with the bird. While she still couldn’t hold and cuddle it, she was at least allowed to pet it. ’Ah, this Golden Eagle’s feathers are so sleek. The more I pet him, the more I love him.’

"Su Qing, this Golden Eagle is just so majestic! Look at this plumage, this powerful build... Oh my god, I love him so much." Bai Minyun’s eyes were sparkling as she gingerly stroked the eagle’s feathers.

Hearing Bai Minyun’s praise, the Golden Eagle gave her a sidelong glance, puffed out its chest, and lifted its head high, its eyes sharp and bright.

Su Qing laughed. "Want to hold him?"

"Can I?" Bai Minyun’s eyes shone even brighter.

Su Qing turned to the Golden Eagle on her shoulder, trying to strike a deal. "How about you let this nice lady hold you for a little while, and I’ll go catch a rabbit for you?"

Hearing this, the Golden Eagle tilted its head and looked at Su Qing.

Su Qing sweetened the deal. "If you agree and behave yourself, I’ll hold you when I get back. How does that sound?"

The Golden Eagle’s eyes lit up. ’Being held by Su Qing is so comfortable,’ it thought, ’much more comfortable than just standing on her shoulder.’ After a moment of consideration, the Golden Eagle nodded.

Bai Minyun stared, dumbfounded. "Oh my god, Su Qing! Did that Golden Eagle really understand you?"

Su Qing smiled. "This little guy is pretty smart. It’s just a matter of whether he feels like listening."

This Golden Eagle had lived in Xiqing Mountain for years, suffused with Spiritual Energy. On top of that, Su Qing had infused it with a great deal of her green mist while treating its injuries over the past couple of days. Its intelligence was now at least that of a seven or eight-year-old child. After following the group and listening to them talk, it could certainly understand some of what they said. The eagle was simply too proud to acknowledge anyone else, pretending not to understand when others spoke.

"This is great! I get to hold him!" Bai Minyun said excitedly.

Su Qing carefully placed the Golden Eagle in Bai Minyun’s arms. "His wound hasn’t fully healed yet, so don’t move around while you’re holding him. Just wait for me to get back."

"Okay, okay, don’t worry! I’ll sit right here and won’t go anywhere," Bai Minyun said, thrilled. They had gathered a lot of herbs over the past two days, so Cao Zhengming and Bai Qingyuan had decided they would rest at the campsite for the day to sort and dry their haul.

"Okay. I’ll be back soon. I’ll catch a few extra rabbits, and we can have roast rabbit for dinner." After saying a few more words to Bai Minyun and giving the Golden Eagle a final reminder, Su Qing turned and disappeared into the woods.

Ordinarily, Su Qing would have had no problem taking the Golden Eagle hunting with her. Even though its injury kept it from flying, it could still ride on her shoulder without getting in the way. But today, Su Qing had other business to attend to. She couldn’t risk the eagle doing something impulsive and giving away her position, so she decided not to bring him.

Once deep in the forest, Su Qing first walked a few kilometers, catching several pheasants and rabbits. She even came across a sounder of wild boars and took the opportunity to snag a small one that had fallen behind. With a flick of her wrist, a net of vines shot out and ensnared the piglet. It had been trailing the group, just a few steps too slow. Before the little boar could even squeal for help, a vine lashed out and knocked it unconscious. By the time Su Qing was gone, the rest of the sounder hadn’t even noticed one of their young was missing...

She tucked the pheasants, rabbits, and the small boar into her storage space, then sent her vines spreading out around her. It wasn’t long before she spotted three figures in a clearing. It was the same three men she had seen on her first day in the mountains.

Having found her targets, Su Qing approached without a sound. The three men had no idea that someone was already perched silently on the branch of a large tree nearby, watching them with a cold gaze.

"Boss, you think that damn girl is gonna try to pull a fast one on us?" asked the third man, leaning against a tree trunk with a blade of grass dangling from his lips.

"She wouldn’t dare," the leader scoffed. "We’ve got leverage on her. If she tries any funny business, we’ll just leak what happened back then. She knows she’ll be screwed. Besides," he added with a chuckle, "we know her name and where she works this time. You think she can get away?"

"Heh heh, no way she can run," the third man said with a sly grin. "So, you think the pretty little thing that damn girl told us about is really as beautiful as she said?"

"Doesn’t matter. Either way, we won’t be losing out," the leader chuckled.

"Yeah, Boss is right," the second man chimed in with a nod.

The third man still seemed worried. "She’s not gonna sell us out, is she?"

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