Chapter 164 Trust Her

When the shopkeeper of Drunken Immortal Tower saw Qiao Suluo, his attitude was exceptionally warm and respectful. It was all thanks to Miss Qiao that Drunken Immortal Tower’s business had boomed, and that a shopkeeper from such a remote county had managed to catch the Young Master’s eye. Furthermore, their business had even surpassed that of the Drunken Immortal Tower in the prefectural capital.

“Miss Qiao, please come in! May I ask what brings you to Drunken Immortal Tower today?

“To be honest with you, our business is thriving right now. Everyone loves the tofu dishes we serve; every variety is incredibly popular.

“The best part is that these tofu dishes can’t be bought anywhere else—only here. The Young Master also implemented that set meal model across all our branches, and the results have been fantastic. Even the business at the Capital City branch has multiplied several times over…”

The shopkeeper chattered on about these matters to Qiao Suluo. Although he was just a shopkeeper, he admired Miss Qiao from the bottom of his heart. With just one idea from her, she had brought the restaurant’s business back from the dead. No matter what food Miss Qiao made at her own stall, it was always delicious and highly sought after. Not to mention everything else, but ever since he had tasted her century egg wontons, he couldn’t stop thinking about them and craving more. Fortunately, her stall was right outside Drunken Immortal Tower. Whenever he wanted wontons, he would just have someone buy a bowl for him to eat secretly inside. It was absolutely delectable.

He also knew that the immensely popular salted egg yolk pastries recently sold at Nanfeng Building were Miss Qiao’s handiwork. Moreover, the Young Master had repeatedly instructed him to be exceedingly respectful and polite to her, adding that whatever Miss Qiao needed, they must do their utmost to help. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his Young Master greatly admired Miss Qiao. He just wasn’t sure if the Young Master had that kind of affection for her. He felt Miss Qiao was wonderful; it would be the perfect match if she became the Young Master’s wife. But such matters were not up to him to decide.

Following the shopkeeper upstairs, Qiao Suluo asked directly, “Is your Young Master here?”

The shopkeeper replied, “Miss Qiao, that’s quite unfortunate. Our Young Master has returned to the Capital City.

“However, he left me with a special homing pigeon for urgent messages. If there is something important, I can send a message to him. It’s very fast.”

Qiao Suluo said, “I have a feeling this rain is unusual. There might be flash floods, and the riverbanks could burst. Of course, this is just my guess. I simply came to give Mr. Zhao and you a warning.

“It is up to you whether you believe it or not.

“The mountains aren’t safe either.”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper paled. This was no small matter. The back-and-forth of sending a message to the Young Master would take too long; he needed to make a prompt decision. He remembered the Young Master’s parting instructions, saying he could trust Miss Qiao in all things. So, without hesitating for more than a second, the shopkeeper bowed earnestly with cupped hands and thanked her, “Thank you, Miss Qiao. I know what to do.”

After giving a few more instructions, Qiao Suluo left. The shopkeeper immediately ordered the restaurant closed and arranged for everyone to evacuate and head to the Capital City to find the Young Master.

* * *

Next, Qiao Suluo went to Nanfeng Building. The moment she spoke, the shopkeeper of Nanfeng Building obeyed, immediately closing the shop to evacuate.

“You believe me just like that?” she asked.

“Our master said that Nanfeng Building will answer to Miss Qiao from now on, and that your words are as good as his.”

Qiao Suluo’s heart skipped a beat at those words, inevitably making her think of Tushan Feishang. But this was not the time to dwell on such things. As long as they knew to evacuate, that was enough. Of course, Qiao Suluo also sent Bai Qianluo to inform Patriarch Qin, Qin Wushang, about the situation. She also had Chu Moyuan use a throwing knife to deliver a warning letter to the County Magistrate. The letter mentioned the impending flood, but whether the County Magistrate believed it or not was out of their hands. Besides, they remained completely anonymous throughout the process.

Once everything was packed, Qiao Suluo reunited with her parents. Not a single person from Cat Clan Village was left behind; everyone was moving to Beizhou together. They all looked at Qiao Suluo with absolute trust, as if they would believe anything she said.

Qiao Suluo asked her mother, “Mom, is everyone in the tribe really moving north with us? Did no one hesitate?”

“No hesitation at all,” Qiao Feishuang shook her head. “The moment I told them, they immediately started packing.

“You hold a lot of prestige in the hearts of the villagers now. They believe whatever you say.”

Qiao Suluo truly didn’t know what to say. She asked curiously, “What if there is no flood? Or what if the rain stops in a couple of days?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Qiao Feishuang replied. “I brought that up with everyone, and they said that even if that’s the case, they still want to move to Beizhou with you.

“They were so afraid of causing you trouble that they didn’t bring much luggage, either.

“They said you saved their lives, so you’re the only one they trust.”

Qiao Suluo was deeply touched. She hadn’t expected the villagers to place such absolute trust in her. A wave of warmth spread through her heart.

After traveling for more than ten days, they had long since left the borders of Nanhe County and were approaching the north. To escape the heavy rains and potential floods, everyone had pushed forward without stopping to rest, traveling as much as possible each day. Fortunately, they had all brought dry rations, which was enough to sustain them for the journey. Trekking over mountains and ridges naturally meant encountering quite a few ferocious beasts, but they were all easily dispatched by Bai Qianluo and the others. The villagers felt a profound sense of security having Qiao Suluo and her Beast Husbands around, which further solidified their resolve to follow her in this migration.

When they finally arrived at Lu Zhou City over ten days later, everyone let out a breath of relief, feeling they could finally rest. Qiao Feishuang led a group of young, able-bodied beastmen into the city to purchase and restock supplies. Qiao Suluo and Bai Qianluo went into the city with her parents, leaving Chu Moyuan and Yue Hanzheng behind to guard the remaining villagers. Once inside, the villagers began buying food and daily necessities.

However, while shopping around the streets, they overheard several discussions.

“Did you hear? It poured torrential rain in Nanhe County for seven or eight days straight.”

“Indeed, I heard that too. Even though the County Magistrate arranged an early evacuation, some beastmen refused to believe it. They wouldn’t evacuate and ended up dying in the flood.”

“They say the floodwaters were incredibly fierce this time. The riverbanks burst, and rocks and debris were washed down from the mountains. It was extremely dangerous.”

“Our merchant caravan was originally heading that way, but we stopped due to the rainstorm. Thank goodness we stayed put and didn’t cross over.”

“I heard some people noticed the water levels looked wrong beforehand and moved away early.”

“That’s some incredible foresight. Otherwise, they would have perished in Nanhe County.”

“The terrain there is too low anyway. It’s really not suitable for beastmen to live.”

“Now that the Empress is gravely ill, the court is in turmoil. No one has the capacity to focus on disaster relief, and war could break out at any moment.”

“If our Crown Prince were still here, things would never have come to this.”

“Shh! That’s the deposed Crown Prince you’re talking about. Watch your tongue.”

“The deposed Crown Prince was confined and is rumored to be dead. The current situation in the court is a deadlock, so it’s best for everyone to avoid traveling during this period.”

Hearing these discussions, Qiao Suluo’s expression shifted. Little did she know, the villagers from Cat Clan Village who had accompanied her into the city were all sporting lingering looks of sheer terror. If not for Miss Qiao, they might have already died. As they looked at Qiao Suluo now, their gazes were akin to looking at the Beast God. They wanted nothing more than to kneel down and express their immense gratitude.