In the dimly lit dungeon.
Yu Chi Feng sat on a chair, looking at the member of the Evil Cult in front of him. He was not in a hurry, playing with the scabbard in his hand, and remained silent for a long time.
The sound of an oil lamp bursting in the dungeon broke the silence and made the Evil Cult member raise his head and open his eyes again.
"I've said, I won't say anything." He said in a hoarse voice.
"Even if it could save your life?" Yu Chi Feng asked calmly.
"Heh, save my life?" The Evil Cult member sneered. "Leaving here alive would mean I've betrayed the Evil Cult, and I'd still be dead. What's the difference between the two?"
Yu Chi Feng found this rather unbelievable.
Those so-called "chivalrous heroes" in his Beilong Hall could obey others' words, do things for others, and even harm their comrades.
But the members of the Evil Cult knew the consequences of their betrayal and wouldn't say a word even under torture.
"That's something I admire." Yu Chi Feng said sincerely. "It doesn't matter if you don't want to talk. Then I'll tell you."
"Heh." The Evil Cult member sneered again, then lowered his head and closed his eyes.
"The old faction of the Evil Cult and the Zhu Xie Hui have joined forces for some purpose, and they see me as a thorn in their side, right?" Yu Chi Feng casually asked.
"You've asked, but I won't answer you."
"Besides, they've colluded with the Second Prince, trying to help him seize the throne."
"Oh? I've never heard of that."
"You made an appointment with the Yanlong Hall. When you passed by Beiji City, you had a dispute with them. You disregarded that the Yanlong Hall would be suspected and broke into Beiji City. Burning, killing, looting, and stealing, it should be for supplies. There might be your stronghold not far away."
The Evil Cult member still had no reaction, as if everything Yu Chi Feng said had nothing to do with him.
"I know much more than you think. But there's one thing I don't understand. As an Evil Cult member with a strong self-esteem like you, why are you willing to join forces with the Zhu Xie Hui and even the Second Prince? Aren't you afraid that these hypocrites will ruin your plans?"
Yu Chi Feng narrowed his eyes and sized up the Evil Cult member in front of him. Not surprisingly, the Evil Cult member's fingers twitched slightly, as if suppressing something, and then relaxed.
It seemed that everything Yu Chi Feng had said was true, and this group of Evil Cult members had their own rules for doing things, more than he had imagined.
And Yu Chi Feng timely added fuel to the fire.
"Why? The Evil Cult shouldn't be so weak as to cling to others, right?"
"Heh..." The Evil Cult member sneered. "Kid, your psychological tactics are pretty good."
"Thanks for the compliment." Yu Chi Feng smiled and leaned back on the chair, leisurely crossing his legs. "I'm not interested in why you joined forces with the Second Prince and the Zhu Xie Hui. I just want to know, what is the purpose of establishing a stronghold nearby?"
The Evil Cult member shook his head. "You're wrong. We haven't established a stronghold nearby. As for the real reason, I advise you not to delve into it. Instead of getting into trouble, you'd better cherish your own life."
"Oh?" Yu Chi Feng narrowed his eyes, thought for a while, and suddenly understood. "It seems that this matter is significant, and I have to take care of it."
"I also don't understand." The Evil Cult member raised his head, looked at Yu Chi Feng, and said in a deep voice, "The Zhu Xie Hui has many branches, and not every branch is involved. And you are the only one who wants to oppose the Zhu Xie Hui. Isn't it better to live a cowardly life? What are you thinking? Are you in such a hurry to die?"
"Like you, I'm not aFence-sitter (a person who is easily swayed or changes sides), I have my own things to do." Yu Chi Feng curved his lips and said calmly.
"Oh? I thought you bunch of hypocrites were all cowards." The Evil Cult member showed a mocking expression and said disdainfully.
Yu Chi Feng suddenly stood up, put the Liufeng Sword behind him, and raised a pair of passionate eyes, which made the Evil Cult member in front of him tremble.
"I'm not afraid of death, but I want someone to live."
-
Yu Chi Feng walked out of the dungeon and saw Qi Cheng waiting at the door.
"Hall Master, what's the situation? Did you get anything out of him?"
"Well." Yu Chi Feng waved his hand, indicating that he should not talk too much here. "Let's go back and talk."
The two returned to the room. After ensuring that everything was safe, Yu Chi Feng asked Qi Cheng to pour him a cup of tea to moisten his throat.
"This matter is significant. The Evil Cult has indeed taken action, and the goal is by no means simple. It is very likely to be related to the imperial court." Yu Chi Feng said slowly.
"The imperial court?!" Hearing this, Qi Cheng almost dropped the teapot in his hand to the ground. He blinked, rubbed his ears, and asked, "Did I hear it wrong? Could it be related to the emperor's serious illness?"
"Maybe. This matter should not be known to too many people. You lead a team to investigate the area around the city to see if there are any traces of the Evil Cult's activities, but be sure not to go too deep. Come back immediately if you find any clues. If it is really related to the imperial court, we cannot act rashly."
"I understand. I'll take people to search right away." Qi Cheng suddenly became serious. Without saying a word, he put down the teapot and ran out.
Yu Chi Feng took a sip of tea, and his brows were always tightly knit.
The reaction of the Evil Cult member told him that the Evil Cult's action this time was to help the Second Prince seize the throne, which was a problem that he, a mere leader of the Beilong Hall, could not solve.
"Seizing the throne... The emperor is seriously ill... Could they be planning a coup?" Yu Chi Feng muttered, anxiously tapping his fingers on the table. "Why did the Second Prince ask the Evil Cult and the Zhu Xie Hui to assist in the coup... The forces in the martial arts world... The Twelfth Prince established the Plum Blossom Society in Beiji City to prepare weapons. Could there be any common point between these two? Could it be that the Second Prince is also raising private troops, waiting for the coup?!"
Yu Chi Feng suddenly stood up, threw the teacup in his hand onto the table, making a loud noise.
If this were really the case, everything would match what the Evil Cult member in the dungeon said. This was not a matter that he, the small leader of the Beilong Hall, could get involved in, but he could not stand idly by.
Yu Chi Feng grabbed his bamboo hat and rushed out of the room. His first reaction was to go to the Zui Hong Lou to find Feng Ting Liu.
It was already late at night, and the Zui Hong Lou was brightly lit and crowded.
Yu Chi Feng bypassed the lively front entrance and ran to the alley behind the Zui Hong Lou. He found the back door where he and Feng Ting Liu had entered the Zui Hong Lou before. Last time, he also delivered a letter to Feng Ting Liu here. The servant at the back door seemed to recognize Yu Chi Feng and welcomed him inside as soon as he saw him.
"The person you're looking for is in the old place." The servant smiled and led Yu Chi Feng in.
It should be Feng Ting Liu's arrangement, Yu Chi Feng thought.
The servant led Yu Chi Feng to the third floor, which was the same room they had stayed in when the Beiji Prefecture incident occurred. Yu Chi Feng knocked three times on the door, received a response, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw Feng Ting Liu sitting at the table drinking tea, while Ruo Lan was sitting aside playing the zither.
The piece was one that Yu Chi Feng had never heard before, but it was very soothing, making Yu Chi Feng relax a bit.
"Sit down." Feng Ting Liu raised his smiling eyes and pointed to the chair beside him, inviting him.
Yu Chi Feng closed the door, walked to his side and sat down, and subconsciously filled his tea cup.
"Has the young master been waiting here?" Yu Chi Feng couldn't help asking.
"I came to listen to Ruo Lan play. I think you wouldn't keep me waiting too long." Feng Ting Liu said slowly, with a hint of a smile in his words.
Yu Chi Feng was slightly stunned. It was only then that he remembered that he had come to discuss important matters with Feng Ting Liu. Looking at Ruo Lan beside him, he wondered if he should speak.
"You rushed here in such a hurry. There must be important matters to discuss. Ruo Lan."
At Feng Ting Liu's gentle call, Ruo Lan stopped playing. Ruo Lan smiled, picked up the zither, saluted the two, and then gracefully left.
Yu Chi Feng watched him leave, and then briefly told Feng Ting Liu about what happened in the dungeon and his own speculations.
After listening to everything, Feng Ting Liu also frowned and thought deeply for a long time.
"Perhaps this is the truth. If so, the Second Prince will definitely choose a place to station his 'private troops'. This place must be a secluded area that can quickly reach the imperial city without being discovered." Feng Ting Liu said.
The two suddenly looked at each other and said in unison: "The northwest region!"
"I was ambushed there." Yu Chi Feng suddenly realized. "Perhaps it's because the Evil Cult has already set up a stronghold there. And now they are short of supplies, so they came to Beiji City to burn, kill, loot, and steal."
"I'll write a letter to Feng Che right away." Feng Ting Liu quickly found a pen and paper and began to write the situation to Feng Che.
"If so, I can lead people to attack. Matters in the martial arts world should be solved by the people in the martial arts world, so as not to involve the forces behind." Yu Chi Feng said. Although he said so, in fact, he was afraid that Feng Ting Liu would be involved.
Liudu City is not a place where everything is clear-cut. He cannot let Feng Ting Liu be involved and have a connection with the imperial court.
"No, it's too dangerous." Feng Ting Liu frowned and rejected his suggestion. "But we still need to find out the truth..."
"Then I'll send someone to investigate."
"This..."
Just as the two were hesitating, there was suddenly a rapid knock on the door outside.
"Come in."
The door was opened, and the person who walked in was Qin Qi Chao.
Qin Qi Chao was surprised to see Yu Chi Feng for a moment, and then quickly handed the secret letter in his hand to Feng Ting Liu.
"City Lord, there's news from Leader Feng."
"I was just about to send a letter to him. Let me see." Feng Ting Liu opened the envelope and quickly read it, his frown deepening.
"What's the situation?" Yu Chi Feng couldn't help asking. "
"The trace of the former leader of the Evil Cult has been found in the northeast direction... How could it be such a coincidence? Are they really making a big move, or is it a trap to lure us in?" Feng Ting Liu tore the secret letter into pieces and threw it into the oil lamp to quickly burn it. "But even if it's a trap, the old thief of the Evil Cult has been on the run for so many years. Now that we have this rare intelligence, I must go."
"Young Master!" Yu Chi Feng nervously stood up and tried to stop his dangerous idea.
"Don't worry, I'll bring more people." Feng Ting Liu smiled and patted the back of his hand as a reassurance. "This is my agreement with Feng Che. To build Liudu City, help him, and eliminate the old faction of the Evil Cult."
"But... In such a situation, it's really too dangerous." Yu Chi Feng grabbed Feng Ting Liu's hand and placed it on his chest, nervously clenching it.
"Maybe Feng Che has told you that my life is very tough and I won't die easily." Feng Ting Liu pinched Yu Chi Feng's palm and said with a smile in his words. "Why, don't you even listen to my words?"
"It's not like that..."
"Okay, don't worry. I'll also ask Xia Yi to go with me."
Although Yu Chi Feng was still not at ease, Feng Ting Liu had made up his mind, and he could not say anything more.
Yu Chi Feng pursed his lips, then moved closer to Feng Ting Liu, bent down, picked him up horizontally, and walked towards the big bed with the red curtains.
"Are you being a bit pushy today?"
"It's all allowed by the young master."