There are no communication tools in Fengmen Village, so I had no way to contact Jiang Man and the others. However, we had already agreed on a meeting place, so I headed to Wang Qing's place as soon as possible.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, Lin Que, who was on guard at the gate, called out, "Sister Man! My eldest brother is back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole group rushed out of the room.
When Wang Qing saw me, he looked relieved: "Duan Tao! It's so good to see you're alright! We were so worried about you these past few days!"
Seeing everyone there, I smiled too: "Anyway, it's good that everyone is safe!"
"How come you've lost so much weight? And your hands have become so rough?"
Jiang Man saw my appearance, came up and grabbed my arm: "Did those bastards from Fengmen Village mistreat you?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
I waved them off, saying, "Let's talk inside!"
As soon as we entered, Wang Qing and Wang Hong bowed deeply to me: "Duan Tao, thank you so much for your help this time. It was thanks to you that we were able to get rid of Qu Xuelin, this disgrace to our sect. On behalf of the Five Poisons Sect, we siblings thank you!"
"You're too kind. We've always been friends. This time, we caused a huge disturbance in Fengmen Village, but instead of being punished, we actually benefited from it. So it's not a bad thing."
Knowing there was no one else in the room, I asked Wang Qing, "I heard you've decided to stay in Fengmen Village and become their ghost messenger?"
"That's right, this was the condition I negotiated with Fengmen Village. Only if I agreed to serve them would the people of Fengmen Village agree to let me personally kill Qu Xuelin, that traitor!"
Wang Qing nodded: "I have signed the contract. For the next ten years, I will stay here and serve Fengmen Village!"
"ten years?"
The monkey scratched its head: "So for the next ten years, you'll never be able to return to the ground or see your family again?"
"I'm sorry, I can't answer that question."
Wang Qing shook his head: "Fengmen Village has very strict rules. If I were to reveal the secrets here at will, not only me, but you would all be implicated. So please understand my predicament."
When I heard Wang Qing say that, I knew that Fengmen Village must have set some special rules for him, so I didn't ask any further questions. I said to Jiang Man, "I heard that you refused the training from Fengmen Village before and have been waiting here all this time?"
"Yes! Back then, the people from Fengmen Village suddenly approached me, saying they wanted to provide me with free skills training. I found this strange at the time and asked them why, but they wouldn't tell me. As the sole heir of the Tianxia Group, I was worried that Fengmen Village was trying to take advantage of the group, so I didn't dare to get too close to them."
Jiang Man paused for a moment: "Ever since you caused such a ruckus at Yanran Tower, you, Wang Qing, Monkey, and Manjing have all disappeared without a trace. I've searched everywhere but haven't been able to find you. Even Zhongle Gambling House won't accept your information for betting. Helpless, I can only wait. During this time, Wei Shengnan and the others have also been looking for you, but a month ago, they left Fengmen Village, saying that if I find any news about you, I must tell them."
But what exactly has happened to you all lately? Why is everyone so tight-lipped about their experiences since you came back? Even Manjing, who is usually so honest, has become hesitant and won't say a word since returning.
"That's just how Fengmen Village is. People don't talk about their experiences because they've been threatened. Everyone has a weakness, so everyone just pretends that none of this ever happened."
Seeing Jiang Man's curious expression, I didn't tell her what I had experienced.
According to her, after Monkey and Manjing returned, they both kept silent about their experiences.
This is in line with the way things are done in Fengmen Village, but before I came back, no one threatened me that I couldn't talk about what happened here.
It seems that Wang Qing and the other two don't know what I've been through, but Niu Tou told me about their experiences.
In that sense, as the adopted son of the beautiful snake, I did receive some preferential treatment.
Even so, I didn't tell anyone about it. After all, everyone needs to have their own secrets, and this relationship with the snake woman was something I used as a trump card.
It's certainly a good thing that everyone can reunite. I sensed that the atmosphere was a bit somber, so I said, "I've already received the news that Fengmen Village will hold a heroes' gathering tomorrow at noon to announce the news of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace."
Wang Hong wasn't in the industry, but after listening to my explanation, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of place is the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace?"
Wang Qing interjected, "An ancient tomb! A large tomb even more mysterious than the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor! After all, the exact location of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor can be found, but the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace is just a legend! It is said that the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace is mysterious and unpredictable, containing countless gold and silver treasures, and even the legendary elixir of immortality!"
"Bullshit! I started studying medicine at the age of five. Everyone knows there's no such thing as an elixir of immortality! Medicine can only prolong life at most!"
Wang Hong rolled her eyes: "Otherwise, if this kind of medicine really existed, how could the owner have died, and how could he have put it in his own tomb?"
"That being said, the legend of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace has existed for thousands of years, so it shouldn't be unfounded. It is said to be a civilization that can be compared with Sanxingdui."
I paused for a moment, then looked at Wang Qing and asked, "There's something I've always been curious about. Since you're a medical student, why do you know so much about antiques and collectibles?"
Wang Qing responded calmly, "Traditional Chinese medicine, like antiques, is a culture that has been passed down for several years. Generally speaking, scholars of traditional Chinese medicine are very interested in history and antiques. My master is an antique enthusiast, and I have been influenced by him since I was a child, so I also love antique culture."
After listening to Wang Qing's explanation, I nodded slightly.
After spending some time with them, I feel that they, the senior and junior disciples, don't seem like Duan Jinyan's people.
Therefore, the most suspicious person is naturally the one with the small flaw that Wei Shengnan and the others had been keeping an eye on.
But as far as I know, Wei Shengnan and the others have never found that braid, and they gave up staying in Fengmen Village a month ago.
According to the snake beauty, he planned to release the news about the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace tomorrow, so Wei Shengnan and the others definitely did not receive the news in advance and left, but returned empty-handed.
Could it be that the people of Fengmen Village discovered the identity of the man with the pigtail and eliminated him?
After much thought, I still think this is the most likely possibility.
The thought of my relationship with Duan Jinyan, and the ruthless and decisive way the "snake" acted, sent chills down my spine.
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