Although Li Chong was speechless, he still mustered his courage and stepped forward to comfort him:

"Master, please don't be angry. Our spies from Tongqian Fort are all over the world. I believe we will find the old man one day."

After venting his anger, Situ Nanzhao's emotions had calmed down considerably.

He glanced at Jiang Liang kneeling on the ground, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes, and waved his hand, saying:

"Alright, you may leave."

Jiang Liang felt as if he had been granted a pardon upon hearing this. He glanced gratefully at Li Chong and then quickly left.

After he left, the room fell into a long silence, and after a long while, Situ Nanzhao's voice came through:

"Li Chong, where do you think that old man could have gone? Even if he's dead, he should at least leave some bones behind, right? How come there's not a single word about him?"

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted to his ankles, and after a moment's hesitation, he continued:

"She's clearly still alive, so why is there absolutely no news of her?"

Seeing Situ Nanzhao's somewhat bewildered expression, Li Chong felt a pang of unease, unsure how to comfort him. After a moment's thought, he said:

“Master, perhaps the old man didn’t want anyone to find him. The situation was so chaotic back then, the old man must have been afraid of implicating you and wanted to keep you safe.”

"Heh~"

Situ Nanzhao chuckled, his tone tinged with resentment and sorrow:

“Back then, he said he couldn’t ignore the Lou family’s troubles, so he asked me to stay with my godfather for a while and he would come to pick me up after he finished dealing with things.”

Later, he wrote to me saying that Lou Qingxuan was in critical condition and he couldn't ignore it, so he asked me to continue living with my godfather for a while longer. This period of time turned into more than ten years.

And what was the result? Who did he manage to protect? The Lou family couple both died mysteriously, and Lou Qingxuan vanished with him, never to be seen again. Only his newborn son, Lou Guyu, was left in that wolfish den that devours people without a trace. He's truly pathetic.”

Li Chong knew the bitterness in Situ Nanzhao's heart and knew some of the inside story, but after all, this was Situ Nanzhao's family matter, and he had no way to judge it or know how to comfort her.

Finally, he had to change the subject, saying, "Master is a man of deep feelings. If it weren't for the large sums of money you've secretly spent over the years to win people's hearts, Young Master Lou wouldn't be alive today. If he hadn't revealed his true gender, he might have actually succeeded in the future."

Speaking of this, Situ Nanzhao got angry, his brows furrowed tightly, and he said irritably:

"What a spineless bastard! Why did he have to have a boyfriend? And he couldn't even hide it properly. I've almost wasted all my money over the years. If he weren't my brother-in-law, I would have strangled him."

Li Chong didn't know how to respond to this, so he could only force a smile and nod in agreement.

He thought to himself: "The Lou family girl has been out of contact for so many years, she might have already married. Why are you still holding onto that marriage contract? Are you really going to waste your whole life because of a piece of paper?"

Although he felt sorry for Situ Nanzhao, he knew his place and knew that this was not something he should say.

However, at least it diverted Situ Nanzhao's attention, so it wasn't a complete waste.

Lou Guyu, who was "mourning" Shen Muzhi, suddenly sneezed for no reason, followed by a second and a third.

Man Yi was somewhat worried, but the occasion made it inappropriate to act rashly.

Lou Guyu, after sneezing, accidentally blew out a row of candles in front of him, which made him pause for a moment. He felt a little embarrassed and almost ruined his performance.

Fortunately, he was quick-witted enough and immediately prostrated himself on the ground, weeping bitterly:

"Brother-in-law, I know you died unjustly, but I've already sent that woman down to keep you company. What else do you have to complain about?"

Are there any survivors? Is there someone behind this? If so, take them with you in a bit.

The leaders of various factions who rushed over upon hearing the news initially had some doubts about its veracity, but seeing Lou Guyu crying like this, they became somewhat apprehensive.

The group exchanged glances, all seeing the disbelief in each other's eyes.

Who could have imagined that a powerful and ruthless man like Shen Muzhi would ultimately die at the hands of a woman? And this woman was the one who had been chasing after Shen Muzhi all along.

They weren't saddened by Shen Muzhi's death; after all, losing such a formidable rival was a good thing, provided they didn't need anything from Shen Muzhi.

They looked worried, not because Shen Muzhi was dead, but because with Shen Muzhi's death, the promised antidote for the Gu poison might be in jeopardy.

Every day they delay, their losses increase; they really can't afford to waste any more time.

Thinking of this, one of the quicker-witted people's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly came to Lou Guyu's side, saying in a kind and gentle voice:

"Young Master Lou, is that right? We are also heartbroken by General Shen's death, but for us now, the most important thing is to defend against foreign enemies."

"I wonder if General Shen will still be able to deliver the medicine he promised us on time? If not, would Young Master Lou be willing to accompany me to Muyuan City as a guest?"