Chapter 220 Xiao Qi’s Sudden Change in Attitude
“Xiao Qi, what are you doing?!”
Xiao Qi had suddenly adopted such a fawning and submissive attitude toward Cheng Yu that the others were truly dumbfounded.
They were all prickly ones who refused to accept Cheng Yu.
They had agreed to watch Cheng Yu become a joke when he apologized.
Although there was no apology to watch now, and they had instead become the ones who were truly laughable.
How had Xiao Qi changed faces so smoothly?
As Duke Zhongyi’s grandson, could he truly throw away his dignity like this?
He could bring himself to lower his face, but what were the others supposed to do?
Xiao Qi could not be bothered with what the others said. He hugged Cheng Yu’s leg tightly and looked at this great man with incomparable sincerity.
“Lord Cheng, I was wrong! Just treat everything I said before as farting. From now on, if you tell me to go east, I will absolutely never go west. We can go back and train right now!”
As he spoke.
He kept making meaningful looks at the others. What were they standing around for? Hurry up and say something nice with him!
The eyes of the other prickly ones widened even more. They could not understand why Xiao Qi’s reaction was so extreme.
Those Jinyiwei who had come from Jiannan Circuit were indeed quite skilled at investigating spies and secret agents.
But that was still not enough to warrant such a huge reaction, was it?
In his excitement, Xiao Qi had agreed readily.
But what about them?
They could only grit their teeth and follow behind Xiao Qi, half-kneeling as they saluted seriously.
“We also no longer dare defy Lord Cheng. We hope my lord can forgive us!”
They would follow Xiao Qi for now.
As for what the final result would be, they could only leave it to fate!
Even Cheng Yu had not expected these fellows to change their attitudes so quickly. The dissatisfaction in his heart could only disappear.
If they had waited until a full hundred rebel spies were caught before making this kind of regretful move.
Then he definitely would not have let them off lightly.
But unexpectedly.
This Duke Zhongyi’s grandson, Xiao Qi, was quite something. He had slid to his knees so quickly.
Since he had already done this.
Cheng Yu could not very well strike someone who was smiling at him.
“Then go back and train now. For disobedient fellows like you, my training plans are generally rather strict.”
“The stricter, the better! I guarantee I will not disappoint my lord!”
Xiao Qi immediately straightened his back, looking as though he did not fear mountains of blades or seas of fire.
The respect he showed toward Cheng Yu.
Could already be said to be no less than that of the Jinyiwei who had followed Cheng Yu from early on and had witnessed all kinds of his divine might in Jiannan Circuit.
The expressions of the other prickly ones became even stranger.
Could something truly have gone wrong with Xiao Qi’s mind? As Duke Zhongyi’s grandson, there was no need for him to grovel before Cheng Yu like this, was there?
...
The Jinyiwei Command Office.
On the Martial Practice Ground.
A large group of Jinyiwei had gathered together. Their faces were all filled with shock as they pointed and whispered toward one corner.
The targets of their pointing were Xiao Qi and the others.
“Have you heard? Lord Cheng took Xiao Qi and the others out for only one double-hour, and they caught more than twenty spies sent by the Northern Suppression Army! Those fellows are completely convinced now!”
“More than twenty?! Are you joking? Our Command Office might not catch that many spies in half a year!”
The Jinyiwei who did not know the situation widened their eyes.
Ever since the Jinyiwei had entered a state of slacking ten years ago, the previous duty of tightly searching the Great Qian Capital had decreased significantly.
If there was truly an intelligence requirement.
The Lu Family disciples, who had the strongest methods, would naturally take the best intelligence and go arrest the big fish.
As for walking the streets and alleys of the Great Qian Capital to catch small fry.
That work had practically been abandoned.
In any case, even if they caught people, all they obtained was minor intelligence that was not of much use. The royal family and the court would not use it to mount any effective countermeasures either.
At most, when it was time to submit a report to His Majesty, they would make a perfunctory effort to boost their achievements and round up the covert informants they had prepared in advance.
Catching ten would count as a great harvest!
Everyone could have a good year.
No one had expected Cheng Yu’s subordinates to go out for one stroll and achieve enough results for the Jinyiwei to enjoy three prosperous years.
“Huh? Are there truly that many spies from the Northern Suppression Army in the Great Qian Capital? How did they catch them? They were not secretly arresting innocent people to claim merit, were they?”
“Claim merit, my ass! Three of them used cultivation methods from the Northern Suppression Army. They were genuine people under Prince Chu! As for the method used to catch them, all I can say is that you should ask Xiao Qi. He is completely convinced now.”
“I am not going to ask! I heard that their training will be intensified later. If I go over now and get dragged into it, that would be bad.”
Regarding the training Cheng Yu had mentioned before.
The Jinyiwei were all somewhat curious and worried. They did not know how Cheng Yu would drill them.
At this moment, Xiao Qi and the others were gathered in a corner.
The atmosphere was somewhat off.
“Xiao Qi, what exactly did you mean just now? At first, the one who refused to accept him and led us in opposing him was you. Later, the one who changed faces the fastest was also you!”
The prickly ones were very dissatisfied right now.
They felt that Xiao Qi had tricked them. Had they not agreed to oppose Cheng Yu together?
Xiao Qi helplessly spread his hands, looking at them as though they were fools.
“What Lord Cheng said was too right. Trash is trash. When you encounter something you cannot understand, you start wildly questioning it instead of looking for problems in yourselves.”
As soon as he said this, the others became furious, and flames almost burst out of their eyes.
“He was clearly cursing you with that! And you still have the nerve to say it?”
Xiao Qi curled his lip and waved his hand without caring at all.
“That is why I was trash at that time. Now I have figured it out, so I am not anymore. But all of you still are!”
The others immediately froze.
They had merely caught more than twenty rebel spies, and the method had indeed been unexpected.
But that was still not enough for him to suddenly comprehend something, was it?
They subconsciously felt that Xiao Qi was talking nonsense, but when they saw his certain expression, it did not seem like that was the case either.
Someone frowned.
“What did you figure out? We have been brothers for so many years. Hurry up and tell us the truth!”
Xiao Qi helplessly raised his brows. They were truly a few fools who could not see the light. No wonder he had become stupid over these years.
It was because he had been mixing with them!
“Have your families ever reminded you that Lord Cheng is extremely extraordinary, and that it would not be an exaggeration to call him one of the finest geniuses in Great Qian?”
The others nodded. Their families all had backgrounds, so they had many information channels.
They had been reminded early on not to offend people recklessly, lest spilled water become impossible to recover.
However, like Xiao Qi, they were not the most outstanding descendants in their families. They would not inherit hereditary official posts or family property, so they had been thrown into the Jinyiwei to gild their resumes and make it easier to obtain a good official position in the future.
As for worldly wisdom and human relations, there was simply no need to care.
They did not care much about what their families said either. They played when they wanted to play.
“He can be his genius, and we can enjoy ourselves. What does that have to do with us?”
Seeing that they still had not understood, Xiao Qi became even more dissatisfied.
“Are you fools? Do you not understand unless the words are spelled out clearly? Let me ask you, what do you think of the backgrounds of those Jinyiwei who came from Jiannan Circuit?”
“What background could they possibly have? Their martial foundations are unstable, and their cultivation methods are ordinary.”
When their backgrounds were mentioned.
The Great Qian Capital fellows proudly raised their heads.
They could not compare with the direct descendants of princes, dukes, and nobles, but compared with the fellows from Jiannan Circuit, they simply had a truly invincible starting point!
Seeing their proud appearances, Xiao Qi sneered.
“But the problem now is this. Can you compare with them?”