Chapter 21: Secretly Crossing Chencang
The warmth from the brocade quilt drifted up with the fragrance of cosmetics.
Yun Yuan opened her eyes. The candlelight flickered on the slate-gray rock wall. She lifted the brocade quilt and brushed the pearl-studded curtain over her shoulders. The maid on the screen before her was transformed into a graceful silhouette by the candlelight—the shadow suddenly came alive.
Yun Yuan went around the screen to look for it.
At the dressing table, a woman's willow-like waist curved in a breathtaking curve, her peach-colored Liuxian dress falling from her shoulders. Her hand, gripping a rhinoceros-horn comb, paused in mid-air. The golden hairpins dangling from her dark-black hair suddenly froze. The diamond-shaped mirror reflected two eyes, full of spring water: "Look at my fallen horse bun. Is it worthy of my new jade swallow hairpin?"
Yun Yuan suddenly smiled and said, "Tao Niang! It really is you!"
Tao Yao turned around and glared at her angrily, "Be quiet, you scared me."
"I was wondering how these people got this blinding incense. Turns out you gave it to them." Yun Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"That's your drug. Your spear can now pierce your shield. Instead of blaming me, you should spend some time studying your shield."
Yun Yuan glanced around again and asked in surprise, "Is this a bandit's lair? Why...are we in a bandit's lair?"
Tao Yao raised her hand and flicked the handkerchief across Yun Yuan's cheek, saying angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? We are from the Xiaoyao Gang, we are above the law and free."
"Xiaoyao Gang?" Yun Yuan smiled helplessly, "So that's how it is. Tao Niang is really powerful. Are the Xiaoyao heroes no longer afraid of Xiaofeng Hall? How dare they block the way for the Second Young Master?"
Tao Yao smiled slyly and said, "They just picked up a little girl when they came out of the cave. What's so scary?" Tao Yao carefully poured tea and said leisurely, "I received a letter as soon as you left the Feng family. Did you know that the Haofeng Guards have been secretly following you?"
Yun Yuan was stunned. "Are they trying to follow the clues and see who I will contact?"
"More than that." Tao Yao took a sip of tea. "How come the White Blade Gang just happened to smash up your store when you were there? They were clearly using someone else's knife to kill you. Unfortunately, the Second Young Master intercepted them halfway. The White Blade Gang couldn't figure out the Feng family's intentions, so they had to give up for now." The tea bowl landed lightly on the table. "I saw that the Haofeng Guards were pursuing you relentlessly, so I simply sent a spy disguised as a Xiaoyao bandit to kidnap you and bring you to this den of thieves." Tao Yao's eyes flickered, and she glanced at her with a hint of anger and laughter. "Feng Wu saw you thrown into this dark cave with his own eyes, and then he left with great satisfaction."
Yun Yuan pursed her lips and smiled, then suddenly knelt down and performed a standard lady's greeting. When she looked up, her eyes curved into a crescent shape. "Thank you, lady, for your clever plan to save me. I wonder which poor soul you've taken in again, even turning Xiaoyao Cave into your stronghold."
"He's not pitiful at all. In order to secretly hook up with him, I sneaked into this dirty cave to meet him." Tao Yao said, standing up and uncovering a portrait. There was a hole half a person's height hidden inside. "Here, we'll escape from here later, without anyone noticing."
Just as Yun Yuan leaned over to look, Tao Yao's slender jade fingers holding a pink handkerchief gently poked Yun Yuan's chest.
Yun Yuan quickly covered her chest, took a step back, and said in anger with a red face, "Tao Niang!"
"It's bigger and firmer. It looks like he's eating well at the Feng family. Did he sleep with the Third Young Master or the Second Young Master?"
Yun Yuan's face flushed red, her facial features wrinkled, and she covered her ears with her hands, begging her to shut up quickly.
Tao Yao pursed her lips and smiled. "It looks like none of them." She waved her handkerchief, poked her forehead with her fingertips, and said with a smile, "You are quite something, little girl. You managed to escape unscathed." Turning back to the mirror and adjusting her temples, she said, "Let's get down to business. I received the kite spy you sent. I saw you drew a half-moon. What did you get?"
Yun Yuan took off the sachet from her waist, rummaged through it, and took out a red pill. "This is the antidote to impermanence."
Tao Yao's fingertips trembled as she took the pill and looked at it carefully in the candlelight.
"You actually got the antidote, what a pity..." As the candlelight flickered, she imagined the tragic scene of the flower spy falling from the building in unbearable pain. "It's still a step too late."
"This is just to delay the onset of the poison. This secret poison is a means for the Feng family to control spies. It needs to be taken every two weeks."
Tao Yao raised her eyes and looked at Yun Yuan, "How did you succeed?"
"It's all thanks to that 'Black Judge'. He wanted me to monitor Feng Yanyuan, so he fed me the Impermanence Pill."
"You too--!" The round fan in Taoyao's hand fell to the ground with a "bang".
"It's okay," Yun Yuan shook the sachet in her hand: "I took this before meeting Feng Yanhao."
"Hanmei Powder..." Tao Yao was stunned: "When will your Hanmei Powder be able to cure Wuchang's poison?"
"It can't be cured, but taking it beforehand can prevent the poison from seeping in." Yun Yuan put the sachet back on. "And Feng Yanhao probably feared Feng Yanyuan, so he didn't detain me for too long. I forced the poison out after returning to Yuanfeng Courtyard. However..." Yun Yuan paused, "Feng Yanyuan did surprise me a bit."
"Accident?"
"I revealed everything Feng Yanhao had done, hoping Feng Yanyuan would use me to trap him. But he... didn't even try to be cunning and just laid it all out."
"Is there such a person in the Feng family? Humph, if that's the case, then that Flower Spy did pick a good place for you." Tao Yao smiled slightly, then sighed, "Even so, it's still dancing on the edge of a knife..." She looked at the pill on her fingertips, "But with this antidote, I can refine more later. It's worth it."
"Not only that," Yun Yuan's voice suddenly dropped, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "I've also confirmed that this poison was indeed from his hand—Feng Xiaoming is indeed still alive."
Tao Yao was slightly startled: "Really?"
"I still have to thank these two young masters for their competition. Feng Yanhao threw me into the Feng family's secret valley to be a medicine man, and Feng Xiaoming is the master of that valley. He has changed a lot, he is just a skeleton. If his poison didn't have the traces of the Mo family's heart formula, I wouldn't have recognized him."
"I see." Tao Yao's fingertips trembled, and the teacup made a crisp sound on the table. "For the past eight years, that venomous snake has disappeared from the face of the earth. Even the Queen's secret guards can't find any trace of it. He has actually changed his appearance." She sighed softly and looked at Yun Yuan again. "So, besides the Feng family, you are the only one who can recognize him. Feng Xiaoming probably never dreamed that there were still people from the Mo family alive."
"It's not just the appearance; everything about that valley is strange. Even if an outsider gets close, they probably won't be able to detect anything—there must be some kind of deception."
"A trick..." Tao Yao's eyes suddenly became sharp: "I see."
"Does Tao Niang know the secret behind this?"
"It's not an ordinary trap, but the Wind God Formation maintained by the Feng family's 'Wind God Halberd'."
"Wind God Halberd?"
Tao Yao nodded. "This is all the information that Flower Spy has been passing on these days." She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "It's said that the Feng family has a divine halberd passed down from their ancestors, which can rely on heaven, earth, and man to form a strange magic array. The secret valley you accidentally stumbled into must be one of the cores of this formation." Tao Yao tapped the table with her fingertips. "And Feng Yanyuan, the third son of the Feng family, is the one who wields this halberd. That's why Feng Yanhao is afraid of him but can't do anything about him, and he spends every day trying to spy on him."
Yun Yuan was confused when she heard this. "There are such magical weapons in the world..." She didn't know how to describe it for a moment.
Tao Yao smiled, "Isn't your Mohist 'Mo Xin Jue' the same?"
Yun Yuan pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, "No matter what, there's no way to break in. I can only trouble the young master to escort me one more time."
The cave suddenly fell into silence, with only the subtle sound of the candle wick popping echoing between the stone walls.
Tao Yao's voice darkened. "Even if you could get in, how would you kill him? No matter how profound the Mo Xin Jue is, it's ultimately a pharmacopoeia, not a murder weapon."
"There's a way." Yun Yuan chuckled. "That venomous snake was addicted to killing. It only used a third of its poison that day, hoping to slowly torture me to death... Unfortunately, that poison was formulated according to the Mo Heart Technique, so it had no effect on me." The young woman snorted coldly, "Not only did that venomous snake fail to kill me, it even allowed me to find a way to counter it."
Tao Yao was silent for a long time, the candlelight flickering in her eyes, reflecting a deep worry: "Even if you succeed by chance, how will you escape from the Feng family's trap?"
Yun Yuan's drooping eyelashes cast a dark shadow in the candlelight. She said firmly, "My obsession is too deep to care about anything else. I entered the Feng family just to find him. Since he's alive, I'll go back even if it means I have to endure all the hardships."
Tao Yao said helplessly: "You also know that it is an obsession, which makes me speechless."
Silence spread again. From far outside the house, the laughter and curses of the bandits could be heard.
Tao Yao suddenly asked, "Do you have any clues about the spy who sneaked into the Feng family?"
Yun Yuan shook her head. "These past few days, I've checked everyone in Yuanfeng Court, but haven't found any clues. This spy is hiding very well."
"It's hidden very well. I can't guess who it is now. But fortunately..." Tao Yao looked at Yun Yuan, "The flower spy has recognized you."
Yun Yuan was stunned.
"This flower spy should be able to help you." Tao Yao sighed softly, "This way... I can also explain it to my lord."
"It's so well hidden, it would be a shame if it was exposed." Yun Yuan's fingertips stroked the black iron token in his sleeve pocket. "If I can become a wind spy, perhaps I won't have to trouble that flower spy."
"Spies?" Tao Yao raised an eyebrow. "Those desperate criminals are not spies at all. They are clearly assassins." Tao Yao noticed Yun Yuan's determined expression. "You..."
Yun Yuan took out the Feng spy token and said, "If I had this, wouldn't it be much easier to act within the Feng family?"
"How did you get it?"
"I haven't got it yet." Yun Yuan smiled and said, "I borrowed this token to investigate this Wuying grain store. If I can perform a great deed, I'll be safe."
Taoyao looked at her suspiciously.
"The previous level was about identifying poisons. How could that still stump me?" Yun Yuan deliberately spoke lightly. He had already passed those levels of life and death. Wouldn't it only add to the worries of the people around him if he mentioned it again?
Seeing Tao Yao still looking at her with a frown, Yun Yuan suddenly leaned forward, hooked her fingertips around Tao Yao's wide sleeves and gently shook them. "That shop looks ordinary on the surface, but I always feel it's a little strange." Her eyes flickered and a bright smile suddenly blossomed. "I didn't expect to meet Tao Niang here! Yuan'er can rest assured now. How could the monsters and demons in Donghai County escape Tao Niang's discerning eyes?"
Tao Yao stretched out her finger and gently poked her cheek: "Now you know how to act like a spoiled child." Shaking her head helplessly, she finally let go: "The grain store you went to this afternoon?" She chuckled, "Why do you think I went into this Xiaoyao Cave and let Hua Spy sneak in as a bandit?"
"There really is a problem!"
Tao Yao tapped the round fan on the table, making a crisp sound. "That secret passage under the shop..." She paused meaningfully. "Where do you think it leads to?"
"Could it be... here?"
"That grain shop is openly doing normal business, and the government office turned a blind eye after collecting the money." Tao Yao sneered, "With few customers, it doesn't affect other people's wealth, so the people in the martial arts world naturally don't bother to pay attention." Suddenly looking at Yun Yuan, "Today, thanks to you, this stagnant pool of water has been stirred up."
"What exactly do they want?"
"The Xiaoyao Gang has always hated wealthy families. That shop, under the guise of transporting grain, secretly smuggled a deadly poison into the city. Meanwhile, the Xiaoyao Gang members sneaked into the mountains, carrying the poison, waiting for the right opportunity..." Her voice was as cold as ice. "Throw it into the river, and let the entire city be buried with it."
Yun Yuan's voice tightened, "But those wealthy businessmen and powerful families, which one of them doesn't drink from their own deep wells? This poisonous water..." She looked up suddenly, "It's obvious that the only ones who are harmed are the common people!"
Tao Yao sneered, "Do you think the guards and soldiers of the rich and powerful families would follow their masters to drink spring water? When these guard dogs die of poison, won't these mansions, without their minions, be at the mercy of others? By then, these rats hiding in their holes will find a mansion with no power and only a little wealth, and naturally they won't have to gnaw on these moldy food anymore."
Yun Yuan's eyes darkened. "By then, each family will be too busy to protect themselves and will simply regard it as a natural disaster. Naturally, the Xiaoyao Gang won't be blamed for this disaster." She suddenly turned, her clothes fluttering as she reached the cave entrance. "There's no time to lose. I'm going to—"
Before she could finish her words, Tao Yao had already grabbed her belt.
"What's the rush? If you leave here, you'll have to go through the trouble of covering up your lies. Why not wait for that second young master to come and play the hero and save the damsel in distress?"
Yun Yuan frowned and said, "Hao Fengwei won't tell Feng Yanxuan that I'm in the Xiaoyao Gang, so how can he find this place?"
Tao Yao pulled out a shimmering black iron ring from her sleeve. She lightly scraped the inside of the ring with her fingertips, bringing out some dark green powder. "This Xiaoyao Order, stained with the Blinding Incense..." She suddenly threw the iron ring to the ground, the crisp sound echoing in the stone cave. "It will 'just' fall on the Second Young Master's way back to look for you..."
A faint smile of understanding suddenly appeared on Yun Yuan's lips: "So Tao Niang had already predicted that I would go back."
"It's not entirely for you. I originally wanted to lure the second young master here to deal with these cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong..." Before he could finish his words, he was suddenly interrupted by a rude knock on the door.
"What are you dawdling about, young lady? Come out and have a couple of drinks with us!" The wooden door was slammed loudly, mixed with obscene laughter.
Tao Yao changed her tone instantly and replied in a delicate voice, "You can't eat hot tofu if you are impatient! The gang leader hasn't come back yet! This little girl is shy, she needs to learn some manners..."
A burst of lewd laughter came from outside the door, "No hurry! No hurry! I want it hot! Hot! Hahaha!"
Tao Yao put her ear to the ground, her eyes suddenly became stern, and the corners of her lips curled up, "You're finally here." Her jade fingers lifted the landscape painting covering the cave entrance, and Tao Yao turned around and looked at Yun Yuan deeply: "Since you want to stay, I can't stay here... You, be careful." Before she finished speaking, she disappeared into the secret passage like smoke.
Yun Yuan stared at the swaying scroll quietly. A commotion arose outside the door. She took a deep breath and gently put the scroll down.
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