After returning to the North Dragon Hall, Yu Chi Feng explained to the man that he already had a clue and would give him an answer tomorrow. The man left happily, and Yu Chi Feng began to daze again.
This time, however, he stared blankly at the handkerchief dirtied by the soil.
The subordinates were whispering and discussing among themselves, but no one dared to come forward and ask what he was thinking.
After a long time, Yu Chi Feng suddenly folded the handkerchief neatly and put it in his arms, then stood up abruptly. The subordinates who were gossiping about him were all startled and pretended to be busy, not daring to look again. But Yu Chi Feng didn't care about their gazes and walked out of the room directly, leaving only his back.
Yu Chi Feng thought a lot, all about Feng Ting Liu. Whether it was the rumors about Feng Ting Liu in the martial arts world or his interactions with Feng Ting Liu, they circulated countless times in his mind.
But in the end, he still chose to trust Feng Ting Liu and his own judgment.
At noon the next day, Yu Chi Feng came to the tavern where he met Feng Ting Liu.
He strangely wore a bamboo hat, covering most of his face, somehow learning a bit of Feng Ting Liu's mystery. In this way, even if he was seen, no one would know that he was here to have a private meeting with Feng Ting Liu.
He secretly thought to himself that if he were so mysterious, perhaps in the martial arts world, only the Master of the North Dragon Hall would be known, but no one would know who he really was. But this sounded quite good. It seemed that it was necessary to maintain some mystery.
"How many guests?" Seeing Yu Chi Feng, the tavern waiter hurriedly came forward to greet him.
"The Tianzi Room. I'm looking for someone." Yu Chi Feng pressed down the brim of his hat and said in a deep voice.
"Oh oh! So it's a distinguished guest. Please come in!" The waiter hurriedly bowed respectfully and led the way, bringing Yu Chi Feng to the door of the private room on the second floor.
Yu Chi Feng waved his hand and dismissed the waiter. He stood at the door, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, only then calming his breathing. He raised his hand and knocked three times on the door.
"Come in."
A cool yet lazy voice sounded from inside the room, causing Yu Chi Feng to be stunned for a moment. All his thoughts were swallowed into the room in that instant.
Yu Chi Feng slowly pushed the door open and saw Feng Ting Liu dressed in black martial arts attire, leaning against the chair with his long legs crossed, revealing a pair of black boots that gave an especially oppressive feeling.
Yu Chi Feng's Adam's apple bobbed as he subconsciously swallowed, walked into the room, and closed the door.
Feng Ting Liu looked up along with the sound of the door closing. His pair of crimson eyes instantly devoured Yu Chi Feng completely, making it difficult for him to breathe, and he almost wanted to kneel at Feng Ting Liu's boots.
With just one glance, one can grasp the hearts of others.
"Lord Feng." Yu Chi Feng subconsciously called out to him softly.
"You're very punctual." Feng Ting Liu's mouth curved slightly, revealing a shallow smile. "But you've only known me for a few days. Can you really trust me?"
"Why not?" Yu Chi Feng also smiled and walked forward, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Feng Ting Liu. "I always only trust my own eyes."
"But this world is like a misty fog. I wonder if the Master of the North Dragon Hall really sees the martial arts world clearly?" Feng Ting Liu raised his cup and took a light sip, his posture elegant, yet out of place in this supposedly noisy tavern.
Yu Chi Feng felt that there was something in his words and asked in confusion, "What does Lord Feng mean?"
"Heh..." Feng Ting Liu chuckled, put down the tea cup, and supported his cheek with one hand as he looked at Yu Chi Feng. "Do you know that the Devil Cult is internally divided into the old and new factions?"
Yu Chi Feng touched his chin and thought for a while.
"I have indeed heard of it, but only a few words. It seems to be just an internal struggle. But in the martial arts world, people still think that the members of the Devil Cult are one group."
"Just a few words?" Feng Ting Liu's smile turned cold, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "It's just that they know the truth but don't care. Those labeled as the 'Devil Cult' are all outsiders in the eyes of the martial arts world people."
Yu Chi Feng frowned, not knowing what Feng Ting Liu meant. "But now the members of the Devil Cult are causing chaos everywhere, so naturally, they are not tolerated in the martial arts world."
"I don't want to argue with you righteous people about this." Feng Ting Liu leaned back in the chair, his expression still indifferent. "Now someone from the new faction of the Devil Cult has betrayed and escaped. Perhaps it was he who abducted that woman, but I don't know why..."
"I've heard that the Devil Cult practices evil arts, absorbing people's essence and blood, and eating human flesh. I don't know if that woman will be in danger..." Yu Chi Feng frowned tightly.
"Ha, you've read too many martial arts novels. Those evil arts are all made up. The Devil Cult is just an ordinary group of people who don't accept their fate."
Hearing this, Yu Chi Feng realized that he knew very little about the Devil Cult, and even couldn't distinguish the truth from the rumors in the martial arts world. Perhaps most people in the martial arts world are like this. Who can really understand what kind of organization the Devil Cult is?
"I didn't know that..."
"So I said, this world is like a misty fog. You can't see clearly." Feng Ting Liu raised an eyebrow.
Yu Chi Feng was captivated by his gaze and was stunned for a moment. He couldn't help but ask, "Then can I, understand you better..."
Hearing this, Feng Ting Liu also paused, seemingly not expecting him to say such words, and was momentarily at a loss for words: "You..."
Just as the two were in an awkward atmosphere, a sudden commotion came from the street outside the window. The two simultaneously turned their heads to look at the street.
They saw a disheveled woman hurriedly running onto the street. She seemed to have been abused, covered in wounds.
Someone on the road recognized this woman and shouted loudly, "Isn't this someone's wife!"
"Yes, yes. Didn't she get lost in the fields a few days ago?" "How did she become like this?"
After hearing these people's words, the woman's expression became even more terrified, with a hint of madness and fear in it. She suddenly grabbed a passerby's clothes and shouted loudly, "Save me! Help me!"
The people on the street looked at each other, not knowing what had happened, and none dared to offer a helping hand, looking confused.
The woman panicked and collapsed to the ground. Looking at the strange or familiar faces around her, she broke down and shouted loudly.
"It's them! It's the people from Liudu City! It's the Devil Cult! They will come after me! Help me!"
The sharp commotion naturally attracted the officials, and the woman was forcibly dragged away from the street.
Feng Ting Liu lowered his eyes and watched this farce, suddenly sneered: "Heh, so it's for this."
Yu Chi Feng shifted his gaze back to Feng Ting Liu, looking at his unhappy expression. An idea suddenly rose in his heart that he wanted to solve all the troubles for him. The farce on the street was indeed suspicious, but Yu Chi Feng still chose to trust Feng Ting Liu.
"The people of the Devil Cult want to frame and accuse you?"
"Yes, otherwise, do you think the rumors that I'm bloodthirsty, cruel and ruthless, and harm innocent people come from?" Feng Ting Liu shrugged, seemingly not caring about theCharge (crime/charge) he was unjustly burdened with again.
"Why would they do this? What is your relationship with the Devil Cult?"
"Is this very important?" Feng Ting Liu narrowed his eyes. "This is not something you should ask. If you still trust me, go and investigate along the way to catch that shameless person who dares to spread rumors behind my back."
Yu Chi Feng looked into his eyes, was stunned for a long time, and suddenly smiled: "This is indeed not important. I still trust you. I'll go and investigate. Shall we go together, Lord Feng?"
"Of course, I'll accompany you."
Feng Ting Liu stood up, put on his veil hat, and pushed the door open.
Yu Chi Feng naturally followed closely, putting the bamboo hat on his head to cover his face.
The two walked side by side onto the street and could blend in with the various people around. Yu Chi Feng found this feeling very novel and couldn't help looking at the person beside him frequently.
Feng Ting Liu seemed to notice his gaze, gave a casual glance, and continued to walk forward.
The woman had run from the east street. The two then walked all the way east and saw many small stalls that had been knocked over, further confirming the woman's origin. Through inquiries, they even determined the specific route until they reached the most secluded corner of the residents in Beiji City.
Here, debris was piled up and the houses were dilapidated, out of place with the bustling street scene in the city center. It seemed that the poorest people lived here.
"No wonder the footprints disappeared halfway. Turns out they never left Beiji City." Yu Chi Feng said while touching his chin.
"Yes, it's difficult to avoid being noticed if you leave the city and come back." Feng Ting Liu was somewhat disgusted with this messy environment. His brows were tightly knit, and he was even reluctant to step inside.
"If the Lord doesn't want to enter, you can wait for me here." Yu Chi Feng noticed his reaction and actually found it a bit cute.
"..." Feng Ting Liu was silent for a while and finally stepped inside. "It's okay."
The two walked deeper into the dilapidated street. Their extraordinary clothing attracted the attention of many people in ragged clothes on the street. They had no choice but to turn into an alley to avoid being noticed.
"I didn't know there was such a place in Beiji City." Feng Ting Liu carefully dodged the debris on both sides, afraid of getting his clothes dirty.
"The Emperor doesn't know the sufferings of the people, and the government is ineffective. The poor will only become poorer. Although I often help the people here, it's difficult to solve the fundamental problem." Yu Chi Feng shook his head and sighed softly.
"Help? I didn't expect the Master of the North Dragon Hall to be so kind-hearted." Feng Ting Liu gave him a casual glance, seemingly not approving of his actions, but not opposing them either.
"Giving out porridge and clothes can only ensure that they won't starve or freeze to death."
"Giving a fish is not as good as teaching how to fish. Doing what you do won't change anything."
Yu Chi Feng shrugged upon hearing this: "What the Lord said makes sense. But rather than teaching them how to fish, it's better to solve the incompetent government fundamentally and change the world."
"Empty talk. How can you and I change the world?"
"It's a matter of belief. There will naturally be a way. Then what does the Lord think should be done?"
"Resist." Feng Ting Liu suddenly looked up at Yu Chi Feng, his crimson eyes firm and fierce. "If this place doesn't tolerate us, there will be other places. Being content with the status quo will never change anything. Fighting against fate is the only way out."
Yu Chi Feng wasn't surprised to hear his answer like this.
"It sounds like your style." Yu Chi Feng smiled and said, "Perhaps this is what you've always been doing."
"This is also what the people in Liudu City have always been doing... Wait..." Feng Ting Liu suddenly stopped speaking, grabbed Yu Chi Feng's arm, and pulled him back into the shadow under the eaves.
Yu Chi Feng's back was pressed tightly against the wall. Looking in the direction of Feng Ting Liu's gaze, he saw a masked man sneaking into the house.
"Is that the person?" Yu Chi Feng also watched the house vigilantly.
"That's right." Feng Ting Liu nodded and then observed the surroundings. His brows furrowed tightly. "If a conflict occurs here, it will only affect the surrounding residents."
"Then what should we do?"
"Wait, wait for him to act."
Feng Ting Liu remained vigilant of that house, but Yu Chi Feng's attention was on Feng Ting Liu's hand that was still holding his arm...
Perhaps Feng Ting Liu forgot to let go. The warmth of his palm was transmitted through the clothes to Yu Chi Feng's skin, making that area itchy.
Under the eaves, the two stood side by side. If one ignored the dilapidated buildings around, it wasn't bad...
Yu Chi Feng was lost in thought.