Chapter 585: The Forgotten River
Yun Qingqing pondered for a while and asked:
"Lord Yan Jun, could you please lend me the Book of Life and Death for a moment?"
Fengdu Jun nodded, closed the booklet and placed it in his palm, then moved his big hand away and handed it to her.
Yun Qingqing took it and thanked him. She condensed spiritual power in her palm, opened the Book of Life and Death, closed her eyes and entered her inner world, and used the power of the Book of Life and Death to cast a detailed divination.
Fengdu Jun looked at her quietly with his eyes lowered, and his rough face showed a tenderness and admiration that no one had ever seen before, as well as a hint of nostalgia.
He stared at Yun Qingqing without blinking, without any impatience, as if he could wait like this until the end of time.
Until Yun Qingqing's eyelashes trembled and she slowly opened her eyes.
Fengdu Jun immediately calmed down and returned to his usual expressionless and fierce look.
"How is it? Did you find the information you needed?" he asked in a rough voice.
Yun Qingqing handed the Book of Life and Death back to him and nodded thoughtfully:
"It's just like what I thought. Commander Yan's attack today wasn't accidental, nor was it because he noticed Lan Rui's abnormality and went to investigate. Someone had planned to make him disappear quietly!"
Fengdu Jun's eyes flickered slightly, and he casually flipped through the Book of Life and Death, then his expression became serious:
"Yan Ning was not destined to suffer this disaster. Someone must have interfered with his fate. But why?"
Yun Qingqing's eyes showed a bit of coldness:
"To cover up the truth about the Queen's death."
"Hmm?" Fengdu Jun didn't quite understand. "What does his life or death have to do with the Queen's death?"
Yun Qingqing said coldly:
"When the Queen passed away and the Jingyang Bell rang, people immediately organized to spread rumors of her treason and immorality. When I entered the palace and met Commander Yan, I learned from him that these rumors had actually been circulating before the Queen's death."
"Right now, the palace maid Lan Rui escaped from prison and attempted to assassinate the Emperor. Finally, the source of the rumor was traced back to Lan Rui, making it look like the Empress had orchestrated a conspiracy to force the Emperor to cover up the truth and spare her family for the sake of the country's well-being, and to preserve her own reputation after her death."
Fengdu Jun nodded:
"You mean, the truth is not like this, and this isn't the Queen's plan?"
"No..." Yun Qingqing said in a deep voice, "Or rather, the Queen is just a pawn of the real person behind the scenes, and perhaps even she herself doesn't know it."
"So you mean, Yan Ning was attacked..." Fengdu Jun thought thoughtfully.
Yun Qingqing's face was serious:
"After the attack on the Prince Regent's Palace, Commander Yan and I immediately suppressed the news. Later, the Empress was apprehended on the Phoenix Terrace. The Emperor knew that if this matter were leaked, the country's fortunes would decline, so he also suppressed the news from the palace."
"In fact, all the servants present that day were secretly placed under a small restriction. The only function of this restriction was to prevent them from spreading these things in any form. If there is no external interference, there will be no problem."
"And if an external force were to remove the restrictions, I would know immediately. And from the beginning to the end, none of the restrictions on the servants were removed, so..."
Yun Qingqing paused, her voice becoming even colder:
"Excluding those servants, the number of people who know the whole story is extremely limited. Commander Yan is the only one besides me who was present from the night raid on the Regent's Palace to the incident at Phoenix Terrace, from beginning to end."
Fengdu understood and said in a rough voice:
"So, if Yan Ning disappears, he will become the biggest suspect in spreading the news."
"That's right." Yun Qingqing nodded. "Actually, after the ringing of the Yangyang Bell, I discovered that some people were spreading those rumors. I also suspected Commander Yan. I wanted to figure out his background, but by mistake, I predicted that he was doomed. That's why I rushed to the palace to save him."
"If not for this, if the other party also has the means to block the secrets of heaven, once Commander Yan disappears and all traces are erased, I am afraid I will think that he did those things."
Fengdu listened to her quietly and then asked:
"So, do you know who the real mastermind is now?"
Yun Qingqing lowered her eyes and lowered her voice a little:
"The other party's secrets are blocked, and the hexagrams cannot be seen... But, actually, I have some guesses, but I'm not sure yet."
"Who is it?" asked Fengdu Jun.
Yun Qingqing was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, looked up at him and shook her head:
"We can't draw any conclusions yet. Let's wait until we have confirmation. Thank you very much."
Seeing that she didn't want to talk, Fengdu Jun didn't ask any more questions. After a moment of silence, he said:
"Are you...going back?"
Yun Qingqing thought for a moment and said:
"Almost done, but I still have something I want to ask Miss A'Du for help with. I wonder if you could borrow her to work with me?"
"...You, are going to find her now?" Fengdu Jun's tone was inexplicably hesitant.
"Is it inconvenient?" Yun Qingqing pursed her lips and said seriously, "This matter is very important. The sooner I can see her, the better..."
"Sure." Fengdu Jun interrupted her and said gruffly, "You should be able to find her by the Forgotten River east of Fengdu City."
Yun Qingqing smiled:
"Thank you, Lord Yan Jun. I will take my leave now."
She bowed slightly and turned to walk towards the door.
Fengdu Jun watched her leave with a complicated look in his eyes.
Yun Qingqing suddenly turned around and looked at him.
Fengdu Jun immediately stood up straight and asked in a rough voice:
"Anything else?"
Yun Qingqing smiled slightly, walked up to him, clenched her fist and handed it to him, saying:
"Thank you Lord Yanjun for your help so many times. This is my small thank you gift. I hope you don't mind."
Fengdu Jun's copper bell-like eyes lit up slightly, and he coughed lightly:
"This... how can I be so embarrassed."
Having said that, he still stretched out his hand honestly and spread out his palm as big as a palm fan in front of Yun Qing.
Yun Qingqing suspended her little hand above his palm, then let go, and a crystal clear bead fell into Fengdu Jun's palm.
The King of Hell, who was several times taller than Yun Qingqing, curled his fingertips slightly and carefully raised his palm to his eyes. He stared at the bead and blinked slowly with his copper-bell-like eyes.
"Is this... the crystal of the Moonflower?"
"Lord Yan Jun is indeed knowledgeable and experienced, indeed." Yun Qingqing said with a smile, "I found some moonflowers in a secret place in the human world and condensed some of them. Moonflowers are excellent for nourishing the soul, so I think they will be useful in the underworld."
"...Thank...you." Fengdu Jun squeezed out two words after a long while, his expression was a little dull, as if he had turned back to the stuttering way he was when they first met.
Yun Qingqing looked at him quietly for a moment and smiled calmly:
"Then I'll go find Miss A'Du. Lord Yanjun, see you later."
She turned and left again.
Fengdu Jun held the Yueying flower crystal tightly in his palm, staring at her back as she disappeared behind the heavy door, his eyes suddenly red.
"Wow...she...gave me a gift...that's so nice..."
The huge Lord of the Underworld turned around and walked to the back hall with thunderous steps, sobbing and rumbling.
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