put all one's eggs in one basket
The central area, the Qin family's ancestral hall.
The atmosphere was as heavy as the stillness before a storm.
The flickering candlelight illuminated faces that were either aged and cunning or young and sharp, yet all etched with greed and calculation.
The air was thick with an invisible smoke of gunpowder, more suffocating than any real battle.
Qin Lingfeng sat upright in the main seat, his face cold and his lips tightly pressed together.
He had just uprooted a trusted confidant of a clan elder who had openly rebelled, using swift and decisive action, and presented the bloody evidence to everyone, temporarily suppressing the extremely rampant counterattack.
However, he also paid a heavy price—he suffered two new wounds and his internal energy was severely depleted.
More importantly, in order to win over centrists, he had to concede some of his vital personal interests.
The clan elders had clearly been driven to a dead end.
In their desperate attempt to retaliate, they resorted to desperate measures.
Secretly plotting with a powerful force, they agreed to numerous humiliating conditions imposed on Qin Lingfeng by certain covetous external powers—likely the Liu family or even a branch of the Song family—in their sole aim of bringing him down.
Both sides were blinded by rage, and every word they exchanged and every glance they exchanged was filled with murderous intent. This was a high-stakes gamble that threatened to destroy the very foundation of their families!
The situation has become extremely dire; the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.
Just then, the heavy doors of the council chamber were suddenly pushed open!
A trusted bodyguard, covered in dust and pale as a sheet, rushed in without a second thought. Before he could even bow, he knelt down with a thud, his hands trembling as he held up a bloodstained secret letter.
"My lord! Urgent report from the Eastern District! Young Master Jiang... he..."
All eyes immediately focused on the letter.
Qin Lingfeng's heart sank suddenly, and an extremely ominous premonition gripped him.
He snatched the secret letter and quickly unfolded it.
The handwriting on the letter was messy and hurried, clearly written in a state of extreme panic:
"...ambushed...the entire army wiped out...not a single survivor...the scene was staged as a bandit raid...a charred corpse was discovered...the body matched Young Master Jiang's...there was a mark on the shoulder...wearing...wearing the Lord's Black Dragon Crimson Eye Pendant..."
"The entire army was wiped out... their bodies were identical... a jade pendant..."
Every word was like a red-hot dagger, stabbing fiercely into Qin Lingfeng's heart and then cruelly twisting it!
His face drained of all color in an instant, leaving it completely bloodless.
The hand holding the letter trembled uncontrollably, and the paper rustled mournfully.
Suddenly everything went black, and all the arguments, schemes, and murderous intent in my ears vanished instantly, leaving only a buzzing sound and the excruciating pain of my heart being torn apart!
He swayed unsteadily, then braced himself against the cold tabletop with his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force, almost crushing the hard sandalwood.
"No...it's impossible..."
He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper were being rubbed.
"Impossible! He can't be dead...he can't!"
That jade pendant was a gift from him! He had seen that mark with his own eyes! How could... how could it appear on a charred corpse?!
A wave of immense panic and despair washed over him instantly, like an icy tide.
He could almost picture Jiang Manyan's helplessness when she was attacked, and feel the burning pain of the flames... That vibrant, cunning, resilient person he loved to the core, just like that... gone?
No! He didn't believe it! He absolutely refused to believe it...!
A violent, almost destructive aura suddenly erupted from him, sweeping through the entire council hall.
This silenced all the clan elders who had originally intended to take advantage of the situation.
"Ling Feng!"
Seeing this, Qin Moxuan, who was sitting to the side, was terrified and hurriedly got up to try to hold him down.
"Calm down! The situation is critical, you absolutely must not..."
Qin Lingfeng abruptly shoved his father's hand away, his bloodshot eyes churning with overwhelming pain and madness. The look in his eyes was so terrifying that Qin Moxuan instinctively took a half step back.
He couldn't care about anything else!
What family power struggles! What elders' counterattacks! What powerful external enemies! In the face of the devastating news that Jiang Manyan may have already passed away, all of this becomes meaningless and utterly ridiculous!
If the price he pays for fighting for power is losing Jiang Manyan, then what's the point of that power?! If he can't even protect the person he loves most...
Then what right does he have to sit here?!
"This place...I'm leaving it to Father!"
Qin Lingfeng squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse but carrying a resolute determination.
"No matter what means you use... Father, you must stay calm!"
Before he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly, like a wounded beast, staggering yet incredibly fast as he rushed out of the council hall.
They left behind the shock, anger, and unresolved conspiracy that filled the room.
He didn't even have time to make many arrangements. He only selected a few of his most core bodyguards, disregarded everything, mounted his horse, and galloped off towards the eastern district!
The cold wind swept across his bloodshot eyes, but it couldn't dispel the excruciating pain and fear.
Slowpoke, wait for me! You must wait for me!
Whether you are alive or dead, I will search high and low, to find you! If you die... I will make everyone connected to you pay with their lives!
The horse neighed, kicking up dust in its wake, carrying the nearly collapsed Qin Lingfeng, and resolutely plunged into his unknown fate.
He had completely disregarded the towering waves in the central area.
East District, Qin Family Thirteen Factories Inn.
Inside the cold morgue, ice blocks surrounded the room, but they still couldn't completely suppress the nauseating stench of burning and decay that permeated the air.
Dozens of corpses covered with white sheets were displayed silently, like a silent annotation to tragedy.
Qin Lingfeng's gaze was fixed on the body in the very center.
The person in charge of the post station nervously lifted the white cloth. Even though he was used to all kinds of storms, Qin Lingfeng's heart still felt like it was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, and his breath caught in his throat.
The body was burned so badly that it was unrecognizable; only a human shape could be barely discerned.
That figure, that frame... were indeed extremely similar to Jiang Manyan.
Below the charred shoulder blade, a faint, bird-like blue mark, barely discernible despite being scorched by flames, was jarring and shocking.
The black dragon jade pendant with dark red dragon eyes that he knew all too well was hanging coldly around the neck of the charred corpse, forming an eerie and cruel contrast with the horrific scene around it.
An overwhelming grief crashed over him like a tsunami, almost threatening to engulf him completely.
He reached out, his fingertips trembling, and stroked the charred and twisted skin inch by inch, each touch feeling like a slow, agonizing torture.
Is it his slow-burning cigarette?
No! A clearer, more persistent voice roared deep within his mind, overwhelming all the grief and visual shock.
This isn't him! Something's wrong with this body.
That subtle, inexplicable intuition told him that his cigarette could never have turned into such a cold, charred corpse so silently.
That jade pendant, that mark—their appearance was too deliberate, like a meticulously arranged stage prop.
But he didn't make a sound; he forcibly suppressed his immense pain, transforming it into an even colder glint in the depths of his eyes.
He raised his head, his face pale but unusually calm, even with an almost cruel composure.
...
"It's him." Qin Lingfeng's voice was hoarse, but it carried an undeniable confirmation.
"Prepare the best coffin and chill it with ice. I will personally escort him back to Chengdu."
…
A procession dressed in mourning clothes and carrying an ornate coffin left the post station in a grand yet deathly manner, heading towards the southeast.
The atmosphere was so eerie that all the pedestrians along the way were terrified and avoided it, not daring to look at it for long.
The group had only been gone for half a day when a cloud of dust billowed ahead as a troop of fast riders charged toward them like madmen. The leader of the troop was none other than Jiang Zhong, who had rushed here day and night after receiving the news.
"Young Master Qin!"
Jiang Zhong tumbled off his horse, disregarding all etiquette, and rushed to the magnificent coffin, his face deathly pale, his whole body trembling, almost collapsing. "Young Master...he..."
Qin Lingfeng grabbed him and caught him with surprising strength.
His gaze was piercing, fixed on Jiang Zhong's eyes, his voice deep yet resolute, carrying a strange and convincing power.
"Brother Zhong! Listen! This isn't Man Yan! He's definitely not dead!"
Jiang Zhong suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with disbelief, a mixture of immense hope and confusion.
"This is just what the enemy wants us to see!"
Qin Lingfeng spoke quickly and clearly.
"Go back immediately! Defend Jincheng! It's the culmination of Man Yan's hard work; we can't let anyone take advantage of the situation! Trust me, I will bring it back safe and sound! That's my promise to you!"
Qin Lingfeng handed over the escort team and command to Jiang Zhong, giving him solemn instructions.
“Give him a grand funeral, with the honors due to a city lord. Let everyone know that ‘Jiang Manyan’ is dead.”
Jiang Zhong instantly understood Qin Lingfeng's intention—the feigned tomb strategy!
This is to lull the real enemy into a false sense of security, causing them to lower their guard and reveal their weaknesses!
He nodded heavily, transforming all his grief into unwavering resolve.
"I understand! I will certainly not fail you! Young Master Qin, please... you must find my young master!"
…
After seeing the group off, the last trace of feigned grief in Qin Lingfeng's eyes completely vanished, leaving only the sharpness and coldness of a hunting dog.
He took a few trusted confidants and, without hesitation, turned around and returned to Jiuqian Town—the place where all the clues began.
This time, he didn't beat around the bush.
Through intimidation and coercion, he met Mr. Zhang Qiong, who was living in seclusion there and remained vigilant.
After a series of conversations that combined pressure and gentle persuasion, Mr. Zhang Qiong finally revealed the hidden pain and guilt that had been buried deep in his heart for many years.
It turns out that he didn't leave the city center simply because he offended powerful figures.
The deeper reason is that he once designed the mine tunnel support structure for an important mine for the Song family.
However, the collateral branch of the Song family in charge of this matter cut corners and used inferior materials, replacing the load-bearing materials he designed with unusable scraps!
He was unaware of this at first, until... a massive collapse occurred in the mine, resulting in extremely heavy casualties!
Many local people dared to work in the mines because they trusted his reputation as "Zhang Qiong," only to end up dying underground.
This heavy sense of guilt and anger at the Song family for covering up the truth and getting away with it were the real reasons he fled the city center and went into seclusion.
The Song family! It's the Song family again...!
In Qin Lingfeng's mind, all the clues instantly connected, like lightning flashing across the dark night!
The feud between Jiang Manyan and the Song family, the disappearance of money five years ago, Song Guansui's unusual search and attention, this precise and ruthless interception, and the mystery surrounding the charred corpse that was attempted to substitute another person for another...
Every single incident points to Song Guansui, who is insane and has a perverse possessiveness towards Jiang Manyan!
"He's definitely not dead!"
Qin Lingfeng was almost certain!
"Song Guansui arrested him! He's the one who orchestrated all of this!"
Having obtained crucial information, Qin Lingfeng did not leave immediately.
He looked at Mr. Zhang Qiong, who was tormented by guilt, and his tone became sincere and persuasive.
“Mr. Zhang, you feel guilty about the mining accident in the past, and your seclusion here is certainly a way of atonement. But do you know that true atonement is to use your talents to save more people who are suffering or about to suffer?”
"Jiang Manyan, the Lord of Jincheng, is wholeheartedly devoted to the people. He established Jincheng solely to provide a peaceful and prosperous place for the displaced and a pure land free from the oppression of the powerful and wealthy. Now that he is imprisoned, his city needs someone like you to protect and build it."
"Helping Chengdu is helping countless people. Isn't this the best way to make up for the regrets of the past? Isn't it more meaningful than wasting the rest of my life here?"
These words struck Zhang Qiong's deepest pain and longing.
He remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed heavily, and a light that had been dormant for many years rekindled in his eyes.
"...Very well. This old man...is willing to go to Chengdu."
Qin Lingfeng immediately ordered the people of the Qin family's Thirteen Factories to protect and escort Mr. Zhang Qiong to Jincheng with the highest level of security.
He himself didn't linger for a moment, but mounted his horse and galloped towards the central area with his trusted men like arrows released from a bow!
The target is clear—the Song family! Song Guansui!
His slow-burning cigarette is right there. He's going to take it back!
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