The waiting felt like an eternity.

But thankfully, it finally passed.

When two porters, carrying a large, black iron box, arrived before Zheng Sheng Hall, everyone knew that half an hour had elapsed.

Both porters were radiating energy and possessed abundant Dao Yuan. They were accomplished masters of the Soaring Dragon realm, capable of carrying a box of considerable weight without even a hint of breathlessness. Their resolute demeanor spoke of no ordinary origins; they were clearly elite individuals under Chong Xuan Sheng’s command. The evidence they “transported” to Mount Fu Ning was, naturally, far from simple.

“Oh? Your evidence has arrived?” Zhang Weiyu’s expression was now utterly calm, making it difficult to discern his inner thoughts.

Chong Xuan Sheng, however, paid him no mind. He turned to Du Gu Xiao and said, “Deputy Officer Du Gu, Lord Zhang insists on speaking with evidence. Go ahead and speak with him!”

Du Gu Xiao stepped forward. Under Zhang Weiyu’s gaze, her steps were remarkably steady.

The box was secured with a large lock. Du Gu Xiao retrieved the key from one of the porters and unlocked it, then lifted the lid. From the black iron box, she dragged out a person, bound hand and foot.

This was an ordinary-looking man. There were no visible wounds on his body, but his eyes were vacant, his face expressionless. Having been dragged from the box, he merely lowered his head reflexively, burying his gaze downwards.

Though her cultivation was not high, Du Gu Xiao dragged the man without much effort. She simply grabbed his collar and pulled him towards Zheng Sheng Hall. This dragging motion was eerily similar to how Zhang Weiyu had dragged Fan Qingqing earlier.

As she did so, Du Gu Xiao experienced a feeling she had never known before—the sensation of controlling another’s fate. This made her steps even firmer.

Who was this person?

This was the most pressing question in the hearts of everyone on Mount Fu Ning at that moment.

Fan Qingqing, still crouched on the ground, was also somewhat bewildered. But a sudden possibility struck her, and her eyes contracted sharply!

Just then, Du Gu Xiao spoke, her tone remarkably calm as she slowly began, “This Zheng Sheng Hall, and the courtyard where the old master resides, I have always cleaned them myself. Every time I cleaned Zheng Sheng Hall, Sister Fan…”

She seemed to stumble slightly, quickly correcting herself, “Fan Qingqing, she would always accompany me. At first, I thought she simply liked being here, liked this grand hall she personally oversaw the construction of. Only now do I realize the true reason. She was watching me, afraid I would discover her secret…”

Chong Xuan Sheng listened in silence, his face devoid of expression. He was likely the only one present who knew that Du Gu Xiao held no emotion for Fan Qingqing. In fact, it was Du Gu Xiao who had discovered this matter and informed him. This seemingly deeply emotional slip of the tongue was merely a calculated maneuver.

He didn’t, however, dislike this scheming. Though of noble birth, he hadn’t been handed everything upon his arrival. He understood keenly that for ordinary people to advance, they always had to sacrifice something, give up something.

Du Gu Xiao continued her narration, “About a month ago, I first discovered this person. Every time he came to Qingyang Town, he would do certain things with great regularity. I felt he was problematic, but I didn’t know his purpose, and I was afraid of alerting the enemy. Only after the old master’s incident did I recall this matter and inform Young Master Chong Xuan. Young Master Chong Xuan apprehended him and interrogated him, only to learn that he is a person specifically collecting intelligence for the Hanging Sea Pavilion. He doesn’t know Fan Qingqing, nor does Fan Qingqing know him. They have never met. They only complete their intelligence transactions at a fixed location. And that is here. Mount Fu Ning, Zheng Sheng Hall.”

Fan Qingqing looked deeply at Du Gu Xiao. She had always thought this was merely a foolishly loyal, simple little girl. But now she realized that she had never truly understood this Du Gu Xiao, who had always been so attentive and eager to please her.

She and Du Gu Xiao were together almost day and night, yet she had never detected anything strange about Du Gu Xiao. In recent days, she had repeatedly advised Du Gu Xiao to leave Qi with her, and Du Gu Xiao’s firm refusal had only made her feel this child was more reliable. She considered herself an experienced senior, teaching Du Gu Xiao cultivation arts while conveniently offering some well-intentioned advice on how to navigate this complex world. Yet today, she had been thoroughly taught a lesson by the other party! Du Gu Xiao had always known she was transporting intelligence to the Hanging Sea Pavilion, yet had acted so naive and harmless in front of her!

And Chong Xuan Sheng, the one she didn’t even dare to look at directly at this moment… She finally understood why the other party hadn’t tried to win her over, and had even anticipated her attempts at framing. Because with the evidence from this person in hand, her framing would actually serve to prove Jiang Wang’s innocence more effectively than the truth! Indeed, Chong Xuan Sheng could even use her attempt at framing to drag Zhang Weiyu down with her.

His talent and wisdom were thus, his ruthlessness absolute!

“So you’re saying…” By this point, Zhang Weiyu also saw many things clearly. He looked at Chong Xuan Sheng and said, “That fake news about the Land of Equality was just a blindfold. This is your trap?”

“What do you mean by ‘trap’? I don’t understand.” Chong Xuan Sheng shook his head. “I only just learned of this matter myself. I never expected you would also know, and even less that you would actually misunderstand! Lord Zhang, why do you have such a strong prejudice against Jiang Wang?”

He feigned bewilderment. “Is it because of jealousy? Because of self-interest?”

“I have no prejudice against Jiang Wang whatsoever. I only handle matters according to the clues and judge based on evidence,” Zhang Weiyu forced himself to calm down, speaking seriously. “Sometimes I make mistakes, but that’s due to my limited ability, not from subjective prejudice. In fact, I personally greatly admire Jiang Qing Yang!”

Chong Xuan Sheng clucked his tongue repeatedly. “Do you know why I was willing to play this game with you for so long? Because you’re like a street performer, passing by, and I just happened to cheer you on… Your acting is three points into the wood, comical and lovable!”

Saying this, he even gave a thumbs-up. Of course, he didn’t appreciate Zhang Weiyu’s performance, nor had he ever watched street performers. Though these words were cutting, they were still just a cover.

In this confrontation, he had first set a crude trap, claiming that the Infernal Gate had a base in Qingyang Town and that Jiang Wang was an Infernal Gate member, offering some seemingly related evidence. Anyone with a discerning eye wouldn’t even need to come to Qingyang Town; a simple check would reveal this was fake. They would then naturally wonder if this was covering something up.

Beneath this facade, lay a clue about a secret concerning the Land of Equality, seemingly hidden in the fog. In reality, that too was fake. It couldn’t deceive someone like Zhang Weiyu, who had a discerning eye.

And beneath this, was the matter of Fan Qingqing gathering intelligence for the Hanging Sea Pavilion. This was a matter that could be considered significant or minor. If linked to Jiang Wang, it was a major issue; if not, it was merely a small matter. Chong Xuan Sheng had already prepared the key witness, simply waiting for someone to uncover the matter.

Based on this complex scheme, he and Zhang Weiyu first stirred up a struggle, and Zhang Weiyu “narrowly won” and entered the trap! But in reality, all of this was designed to cover up the initial rumor. With layer upon layer, the relationship between Jiang Wang and the Infernal Gate seemed so comical and laughable that no one would believe it anymore. Even if Su She appeared or Yin Guan spoke, people would only think it was a frame-up.

In this elaborate plot, the crudest part at the beginning was actually the core. As long as someone entered the trap, Chong Xuan Sheng was the victor, no matter who the opponent was. Because the bait was under the hook, and Zhang Weiyu just happened to stumble into it.

At that moment, Zhang Weiyu sat there in silence, seemingly unfazed by Chong Xuan Sheng’s ridicule. In fact, he didn’t even allow himself the space to be angry; his mind was entirely consumed with how to deal with the situation after using so many resources, expending so much effort, and ultimately gaining nothing. How could he mitigate this loss? His experience urged him to move forward, not to dwell.

After failing to provoke a response, Chong Xuan Sheng spoke languidly, “Speaking of which, I’m quite curious. The person collecting intelligence is in my hands. The person selling intelligence hasn’t been contacted by you yet. So how did you know that the Hanging Sea Pavilion was using Fan Qingqing to collect intelligence on Qi?”

He leaned forward slightly, looking at Zhang Weiyu. “Could it be… you learned it from the person who used the intelligence?”

Zhang Weiyu’s heart suddenly leaped! This was a counter-move, an attack on his intelligence source, accusing him of being in league with the Hanging Sea Pavilion! And his intelligence source was, in fact, not entirely above board!

Under this shock, he subconsciously revealed a fierce glint in his eyes. Chong Xuan Sheng had already nimbly moved from his seat and stood behind Ma Xiong. It was hard to imagine a person so corpulent being so agile. Using Ma Xiong as a human shield, he said very seriously, “Lord Ma, at a moment of such great importance, you won’t continue to play dumb, will you? If he’s cornered and wants to harm me, you must take action to protect me!”

Zhang Weiyu: …

He would, of course, not attack Chong Xuan Sheng here. Though for an instant, he had almost harbored murderous intent. Without a doubt, coming to Qingyang Town this time had been a wrong decision. Chong Xuan Sheng, who could make Chong Xuan Fenghua yield, was far from an easy opponent. But his life was still very long. As long as Grand Tutor Chen Fu was still willing to support him, he still had room for mistakes. If he were to attack Chong Xuan Sheng today, he would immediately face utter ruin. One only needed to observe the reactions of the crowd. Though Ma Xiong wasn’t initially positioned there, the look in his eyes was already very vigilant. The Zhan Yu army soldiers outside Zheng Sheng Hall, though he had pulled strings to transfer them here, were clearly on high alert at this moment. After all, they were elite warriors of Qi, not anyone’s private force.

“I have my own channels for information. If the Northern Court wants to investigate, I will be forthright,” Zhang Weiyu said slowly. “But there’s no need to inform you.”

“Good!” Chong Xuan Sheng lightly clapped his hands. “Then we’ll await the Northern Court’s inquiry!” There was still considerable room to investigate where Zhang Weiyu had obtained his information. But he didn’t need to step forward himself. Zhang Weiyu wanted the position of Northern Court Director, but he hadn’t asked if the current Northern Court Director was willing!

“And I only want to ask you…” He walked out from behind Ma Xiong, looking down at Zhang Weiyu. “The person in league with the Hanging Sea Pavilion has been caught. Lord Zhang has already earned a merit! Indeed, he is an upright character worthy of Grand Tutor Chen’s regard. Now then, shouldn’t you leave?”

“Of course.” At this moment, Zhang Weiyu actually smiled. He stood up and said, “In fact, Young Master Chong Xuan and I have no personal conflicts. Any entanglements are purely based on public interest. Now that the truth of the case can be clarified, clearing Qingyang Zi’s name and even apprehending a Hanging Sea Pavilion spy, it truly owes much to Young Master Chong Xuan’s assistance!”

In fact, this matter could still be debated, but facing Chong Xuan Sheng, he truly didn’t know whether it was a genuine opportunity or another bait. The position of Northern Court Director was already hopeless. Then, every little bit of loss he could recover was a gain.

Chong Xuan Sheng smiled, squinting his eyes. “You’re quite the frugal manager.”

“I can’t accept Young Master Chong Xuan’s praise,” Zhang Weiyu said with a face full of smiles, appearing as if he had indeed completed his task perfectly, and as if Chong Xuan Sheng was genuinely praising him.

“This person.” He casually pointed at Fan Qingqing. “Shall I take her away? Or does Young Master Chong Xuan have some private matters to inquire about?” This was a gesture to appease Chong Xuan Sheng, offering him an opportunity to vent. Considering Fan Qingqing had been given refuge by Jiang Wang, yet had betrayed him in this manner, almost dragging him into the mire, Chong Xuan Sheng must surely hold resentment.

Chong Xuan Sheng smiled, squinting. “Lord Zhang should handle public affairs properly.”

“Young Master Chong Xuan!” Fan Qingqing suddenly spoke in a flustered voice at this moment. She knew very well what awaited her if she were taken away now. So her face was filled with sorrow, her emotions seemingly genuine. “I know I have failed Lord Jiang Wang’s trust and deserve death a thousand times. The matter has come to this, and I seek nothing more. But after all, we were master and servant. Before being executed, I wish to see Lord Jiang one last time!”

She prostrated herself, knocking her head heavily on the ground. “Please, Young Master Chong Xuan, grant my request!”

The sound of her head hitting the ground was incredibly loud. But Chong Xuan Sheng didn’t even twitch an eyebrow, only smiling with narrowed eyes. “My apologies, but I can’t contact Jiang Wang at this moment.”

Fan Qingqing lifted her head, her long hair disheveled, tears streaming down her face. She pleaded, “I built Zheng Sheng Hall for Lord Jiang, managed the fief. I have labored, even if without merit. No matter the circumstances, I have never slandered Lord Jiang in any way… I beg you…”

“Alright.” Chong Xuan Sheng smiled and readily agreed. “When I contact Jiang Wang, I will convey your request. Rest assured on your journey.”

“Xiao Xiao!” Fan Qingqing, in her desperation, turned to Du Gu Xiao. “Though we lack the formal title of master and apprentice, we have the reality of it. Can you not speak a few words for me?”

“Sister Fan,” Du Gu Xiao sighed, her expression sorrowful. “I am merely a humble maidservant… This way, when the old master returns, I will speak to him about it.”

Fan Qingqing first wept, then laughed, her demeanor becoming erratic. But on the other side, Chong Xuan Sheng was already speaking in a low voice with Fourteen, his smile radiant. Zhang Weiyu watched with cold eyes, gaining a new understanding of this corpulent young master’s ruthless side.

He waved his hand, and two soldiers immediately came in, lifting Fan Qingqing and dragging her away.

Fan Qingqing was thus lifted and dragged out of the great hall she had personally overseen the construction of. Her gaze swept over every table and chair, every curtain corner and window pattern within the hall. It swept over the smiling Chong Xuan Sheng, the now equally placid Zhang Weiyu, and Du Gu Xiao, who had quietly sat down, her posture proper.

All of this, gradually receding.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered that time on that boat swaying in the wind and rain. That God Lin realm old man, who had instantly controlled her, causing her extreme panic… The time when she had thought she was about to be casually crushed to death…

That young prodigy, who had seriously and directly faced that God Lin powerful expert, saying—

“She is my subordinate, and she has not violated the laws of Qi. Please release her.”

Please release her…

Would anyone in this world ever treat her like that again?

Fan Qingqing closed her eyes, finally dissolving those emotions she had put on display.