Chapter 18: Return of the Leader
The sharp whistle pierced the night sky like an icy blade, instantly breaking the rare tranquility in the Lotus Tower.
Di Feisheng abruptly stood up, his previous weakness gone. His eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife, and his aura suddenly became cold and stern, as if he had instantly transformed back into the feared leader of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance.
"The Red Feather Order of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance." Di Feisheng said in a deep voice, his eyes cast towards the dark night sky outside the window, "There must be a major change in the alliance."
Li Lianhua's heart sank slightly. He clearly saw that the moment he heard the whistle, the last trace of gentleness on Di Feisheng's face disappeared, replaced by a cold and stern look that he was all too familiar with.
Fang Duobing gripped the hilt of his sword nervously: "Could it be Jiao Liqiao again..."
Before he could finish his words, another whistle blew, even more rapid and sharp than the previous one. Di Feisheng's expression suddenly changed: "It's the third urgent order! The Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance is under attack!"
He immediately stood up and changed his clothes, his movements quick and smooth, as if the three days of sleep had never happened. Li Lianhua silently handed over the outer robe, and her fingertips accidentally brushed the back of Di Feisheng's hand, and both of them were startled.
"Are you going back?" Li Lianhua asked softly, with a worry in her voice that she herself was not aware of.
Di Feisheng paused slightly while tying his belt and looked up at Li Lianhua. As their eyes met, a complex, indescribable emotion swirled in the air.
"When Akabane Sanji issues an urgent order, the leader must return." Di Feisheng's voice returned to its usual calm. "This has been the iron rule of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance for years."
Li Lianhua lowered his eyes, hiding the emotion in them. He had known this day would come, but he hadn't expected it to come so suddenly.
Fang Duobing couldn't help but speak: "But your internal energy hasn't fully recovered yet. Wouldn't it be a trap if you go back now? What if Jiao Liqiao has set a trap..."
Di Feisheng sneered: "Just her?" His tone was full of disdain, but with unquestionable majesty.
At this moment, Li Lianhua clearly felt that the sound of Di Fei, which had become somewhat different after losing his memory, was disappearing rapidly, and was replaced by the cold and powerful leader of the Golden Yuan Alliance in his memory.
There was a subtle noise outside the window, as if several people were approaching rapidly. Di Feisheng's eyes flashed, and he instantly moved to the window, his fingertips already holding three hidden weapons.
"Alliance Master!" a muffled voice came from outside the window, "This subordinate has no face, but has come to greet you on the orders of the elders!"
Di Feisheng relaxed his guard slightly, but still did not put away his hidden weapon: "What happened in the alliance?"
"Three days ago, the Sigu Sect suddenly launched an attack, uniting with several righteous sects to besiege the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance headquarters." The person outside the window said urgently, "The guardian Jiaoliqiao was seriously injured, and many elders were trapped. The headquarters is in danger!"
Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing exchanged a look of shock. It was truly unexpected that Si Gumen would suddenly attack.
Di Feisheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You guys retreat three miles away and wait."
"Alliance leader!"
"That's an order."
The person outside the window hesitated for a moment, then finally responded and left.
Di Feisheng turned and looked at Li Lianhua with a complicated look in his eyes: "I have to go back."
Li Lianhua nodded gently: "I understand."
The two of them sat in silence, an indescribable tension hanging in the air. Fang Duobing tactfully retreated outside, leaving him alone.
"Your poison..." Di Feisheng suddenly spoke, with a barely perceptible hesitation in his voice.
"It's okay, I can still suppress it for a while." Li Lianhua forced a smile, "But you, your internal strength hasn't recovered yet, and this journey will be full of dangers."
Di Feisheng suddenly stepped forward and grasped Li Lianhua's wrist. His palm was warm, but his strength was perfectly controlled, neither allowing her to break free nor causing her any pain.
"I'll come back to find you after I've dealt with the affairs of the alliance." Di Feisheng looked directly into Li Lianhua's eyes, his tone as solemn as an oath, "I will definitely find an antidote to your poison."
Li Lianhua looked into those familiar eyes and suddenly chuckled, "Do you still remember what you said after you swore an oath under the sun and moon?"
Di Feisheng was stunned, with a trace of confusion in his eyes.
Li Lianhua withdrew her hand without leaving a trace, turned around and took out a jade bottle: "This is a breathing pill. Take it on the way. It will help you recover your internal strength."
Di Feisheng took the jade bottle, his fingertips accidentally brushing against Li Lianhua's palm. They both shuddered, an indescribable throbbing spreading in the air.
"Wait for me to come back." Di Feisheng only uttered these three words in the end, but they were as heavy as a thousand pounds.
His figure as he turned and left was resolute and upright, as if he had never been weak. Li Lianhua stood at the window, watching the figure gradually walk away, and a strange sense of emptiness welled up in her heart.
Fang Duobing walked in, looking worried: "He just left like that? What if he regains his memory and becomes your enemy?"
Li Lianhua gently stroked the window frame, her eyes far away: "Then we'll wait until he truly becomes my enemy."
In the distance, Di Feisheng's figure completely blended into the night. Li Lianhua suddenly remembered the unfinished words that night -
By the moonlit lotus pond, after swearing their vows, Di Feisheng had looked at him and said solemnly, "Regardless of past lives or present, forgotten or not, you are my only rival and...confidant."
Now, Di Feisheng, who may have remembered everything, returns to the dispute of the martial arts world with this promise.
Li Lianhua gently pressed her chest, feeling the dull pain from the green tea poison and another more indescribable throbbing.
This game of chess seems to have just begun.
The Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance headquarters was shrouded in a solemn and murderous atmosphere. The once majestic buildings were much damaged, clearly having experienced a fierce battle.
When Di Feisheng stepped into the main altar gate, all the guards knelt down and said, "Welcome back, leader!"
Upon hearing the news, Jiao Liqiao hurried over, her red dress ablaze, her face pale and haggard. Upon seeing Di Feisheng, tears welled up in her eyes, and she fell to her knees, "Your Majesty! You're finally back! Have you regained your memory?"
Di Feisheng looked at her expressionlessly, his eyes as cold as a knife: "I heard you were seriously injured?"
Jiao Liqiao raised her tearful eyes, looking pitiful. "To protect the headquarters, I risked my life against those hypocrites from the Si Gu Men..." She suddenly coughed, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her lips. "Fortunately, I managed to hold on until the Lord returned."
A barely perceptible sneer flashed across Di Feisheng's eyes, but he reached out to help Jiao Liqiao up: "Thank you for your hard work."
Jiao Liqiao was flattered and leaned towards Di Feisheng, but was avoided without a trace. A gloom flashed across her eyes, but she quickly regained her soft demeanor. "Where has your Majesty been these days? I've been worried day and night..."
"I got delayed by some trivial matters." Di Feisheng said calmly, his eyes sweeping around. "Tell me about the current situation."
Jiao Liqiao quickly reported, "The Sigu Clan and the seven major sects raided the headquarters three days ago. Fortunately, the elders fought to the death. They are now retreating thirty miles away, but I'm afraid they will attack again soon."
She quietly observed Di Feisheng's expression, and seeing that he was normal, she cautiously probed, "Your Majesty, do you still remember... Li Xiangyi?"
Di Feisheng's eyes moved slightly, but his tone remained calm: "What if you remember? What if you don't remember?"
Jiao Liqiao was delighted, thinking that Di Feisheng hadn't yet recovered his memory. He immediately said, "Li Xiangyi is still alive. I'm afraid he's involved in this siege! Your Majesty must be extremely vigilant."
"Oh?" Di Feisheng raised an eyebrow. "In your opinion, what should we do?"
A fierce look flashed in Jiao Liqiao's eyes. "The most urgent task is to strengthen our strength. I recently obtained a scroll of Nan Yin secret techniques. If Your Majesty practices it, your power will be greatly increased, and you will be able to wipe out those righteous hypocrites in one fell swoop!"
She took out a scroll of ancient bamboo slips and presented it respectfully. Di Feisheng took it and flipped through it casually, but was shocked in his heart - this was indeed the real thing, recording several extremely dangerous yet powerful secret techniques.
"You're thoughtful." Di Feisheng calmly put away the bamboo slips. "We can discuss this later. The most urgent task is to rebuild our defenses."
Jiao Liqiao quickly agreed and offered a plan: "Your Majesty, I have learned a secret. Li Xiangyi has been poisoned by the green tea and will not live long. We just need to buy time and wait for him to die..."
The teacup in Di Feisheng's hand suddenly shattered. Jiao Liqiao might not have known that Li Lianhua was Li Xiangyi, otherwise he wouldn't have said so.
Jiao Liqiao was startled and looked at Di Feisheng in confusion: "Your Majesty?"
Di Feisheng slowly loosened his grip, letting the fragments fall to the ground. His voice was piercingly cold: "Li Xiangyi's life can only be taken by me."
Jiao Liqiao finally felt relieved, and a look of fascination reappeared in her eyes. "I was mistaken. Your Majesty is right. Li Xiangyi should be put to death by your own hands."
That night, Di Feisheng sat alone in the hall, his fingertips tapping the scroll of Nan Yin's secret techniques. Having long since recovered his memory, he was naturally aware of Jiao Liqiao's ambitions and calculations. His feigned complicity was merely a means of uncovering two crucial pieces of information: the whereabouts of the Wangchuan Flower, and Jiao Liqiao's connection to the remnants of the Nan Yin clan.
"Forgetful River Flower..." Di Feisheng muttered to himself. According to ancient records, this flower can cure the most poisonous poisons in the world, and is the nemesis of the poison of green tea. However, its growth is extremely secret, and it is rarely seen once in a century.
There was a slight noise outside the door, and Di Feisheng instantly put away his thoughts and returned to his calm demeanor.
Jiao Liqiao came in carrying a medicine cup and said softly, "Your Majesty has been exhausted these days. I have specially prepared ginseng soup to replenish your energy."
Di Feisheng glanced at the medicine cup and sneered inwardly. This ginseng soup had clearly been spiked with Soul-Snatching Powder. While not fatal, it could cause a person to lose their mind and become easily manipulated.
"Put it down." Di Fei said calmly, "I just took the pill. Drink it later."
A flash of disappointment crossed Jiao Liqiao's eyes, but she didn't dare force it, so she put the medicine cup down. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, there's a technique in the Nan Yin secret technique that requires a special medicinal ingredient to practice. It's said that only the Wangchuan flower can replace it..."
Di Feisheng's heart was moved, but he kept a straight face. "The Forgotten River Flower is a legendary thing. Where can I find it?"
Jiao Liqiao lowered his voice and said, "My subordinates have learned that there seems to be traces of this flower in the forbidden area behind the Sigu Gate. However, it is heavily guarded and difficult to approach."
Di Feisheng's fingertips trembled slightly as he finally grasped the crucial information. He suppressed the urge to leave immediately and said calmly, "I will take care of this matter myself. You may withdraw first."
Jiao Liqiao wanted to say something but stopped herself, finally bowing and leaving.
After she left, Di Feisheng immediately stood up and took out a sheepskin map. The forbidden area behind the Sigumen Mountain... that was indeed where the Forgotten River Flower might grow, but it was also fraught with danger.
He had to act quickly. Li Lianhua's poison couldn't be delayed any longer, and Jiao Liqiao's patience was limited. Once she discovered that he was faking amnesia...
Di Feisheng's gaze fell on the bowl of ginseng soup, a cold glint in his eyes. He picked up the medicine bowl, walked to a poisonous weed by the window, and slowly poured the ginseng soup over it. The plant instantly withered and turned black.
"Jiao Liqiao," Di Feisheng whispered to himself, "it's time for your play to end."
In the dead of night, a dark shadow quietly left the headquarters of the Golden Yuan League and headed straight towards Sigumen.
What Di Feisheng didn't know was that shortly after he left, Jiao Liqiao walked out from the darkness with a strange smile on his face.
"My Lord," she gently stroked the dead poisonous grass by the window, "You have indeed regained your memory. Unfortunately...where the Forgotten Flower is, a net has long been laid."
She turned and instructed her confidant, "Send a message to Elder Nan Yin. The fish has been hooked. It's time to close the net."
The moonlight was cold, shining on Jiaoliqiao's beautiful face, reflecting a hint of madness and pride.
At this moment, Di Feisheng was rushing to Sigumen under the stars and moon, with only one thought in mind - to obtain the Wangchuan Flower and save Li Lianhua.
As for those conspiracies and traps, he never took them seriously.
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