Chapter 1272: Guest or staff (1)
He cupped the moonlit orchid almost as if he were trying to hide it from view. Yang Qing inwardly praised his luck that it was the moonlit orchid that was asked for and not some spiritual plant that he would have had to fork out spirit stones to get.
Moonlit orchids were one of the few things he wasn’t short on; they grew like weeds in his abode. And if he were being modestly honest, his were among the best in quality at the Order—only surpassed by those specially cultivated in the Medical Valley, and even then, the difference wasn’t too large.In fact, the very fact that his orchids could compete with those from the Medical Valley, despite him doing almost nothing to grow them compared to the meticulous care given over there, only made a stronger case for how special they were.
The reason Yang Qing kept them around his abode was because of their aesthetic value. From dusk all the way to dawn, they gave off a gentle blue-white glow and released a comforting, slightly chilly breeze that eased the fatigue of the soul.
They worked similarly to the incense sticks Sun Bayi had given him, though the moonlit orchid had far greater effects when it came to refreshing the soul and mind—plus, they could be eaten. On their own, they were nearly tasteless; chewing on the petals was like biting into soft, silky ice. But when added to various teas and wines (especially cold ones like snow ginseng tea), they not only enhanced the drink’s effects but also improved its flavor.
Yang Qing preferred using them in tea rather than wine, as they usually added a mellow sweetness to whatever they were mixed into.
He absentmindedly fiddled with his moonlit orchid, pensively observing his surroundings as his thoughts began to swirl.
The person who kidnapped Bai Chen’s disciple asked him to bring the moonlit orchid here. That means they judged this place safe enough for the exchange... but why? Why would they feel this safe here? wondered Yang Qing as he looked around.
It certainly had the privacy needed for conducting trades one wouldn’t want many people knowing about. But to Yang Qing, that couldn’t be the only reason. If privacy was the key factor, there were a million other places to choose from—even the gorge where he found the message would have been a serious contender.
No, whoever asked Bai Chen to come here had to have chosen the Velvet Orchid for more than just safety, especially since, in the message, the kidnapper had instructed Bai Chen to present the moonlit orchid to any staff member of the Velvet Orchid. That alone implied one of two things: either the kidnapper was a staff member here, or they weren’t, but had a close enough relationship with the staff that they were willing to be involved in the kidnapping, knowingly or not.
If they were unwitting accomplices, then perhaps the kidnapper hadn’t told them the full story—only using them as go-betweens to receive the moonlit orchid and, in return, pass on instructions to Bai Chen. Maybe they truly believed they were helping with something innocuous, unaware they were being used to facilitate a kidnapping and ransom.
The kidnapper could have been a friend of the staff and taken advantage of that. Or, still on the idea of them being unwitting accomplices, perhaps some spell or technique had been used to influence their actions. After all, the kidnapper had managed to plant a sophisticated formation array on the natural yin array cicada—and she hadn’t sensed a thing.
That clearly pointed to a level of skill capable of influencing the soul, and by extension, the mind. They could have implanted a suggestion that triggered a set of predetermined actions upon seeing the moonlit orchid.