Chapter 164 Another Suspect
Something wasn't right.
There was no way Elder Luo was that simple. That smile of his definitely meant something else. I just couldn't figure out how many twists and turns his thoughts had taken to get there.
Elder Luo waved a hand, signaling the guards to unlock the cell.
"Out you go. Hua Xiang, you can consider your life..." He paused. "...barely saved this time."
When Hua Xiang was released, he still looked dazed, as if he couldn't tell whether he'd just been dragged back from hell or accidentally wandered into another illusion. He glanced back at me and Lian, and for the first time, there was a spark in his eyes.
A spark of life.
I quietly let out a breath.
At least I'd managed to crawl out of this damned dungeon with half my life intact.
Our group finally emerged from the prison.
The damp chill of the underground faded away, and before I could even celebrate—
A scream erupted from ahead.
"Qin Elder's attendant has gone mad!!"
I froze.
Qin Elder's attendant?
Qin Elder's att—
Lian and I both widened our eyes.
We realized it at exactly the same moment.
Feng Yu.
That was our undercover man assigned to follow Qin Elder.
Lian and I exchanged a look.
The message in our eyes was identical.
Something had gone wrong. Again.
We immediately hurried forward.
The courtyard was already in chaos.
Feng Yu had originally been tending the flowerbeds along the stone path. Now he looked as though something unseen was driving him into madness.
He still gripped a small iron hoe used by the gardeners.
The strength behind his movements didn't even seem human.
CLANG!
The hoe slammed into the earth.
Then came another frenzy of digging and hacking, sending disciples scattering in terror.
He muttered incoherently under his breath.
His voice trembled with fear.
"Don't come closer... don't come closer..."
"Fake... it's all fake..."
"Don't come out..."
"Don't come near me..."
"Don't touch me..."
The terror in his voice sent a chill racing down my spine.
"Stay back!"
"He's gone insane! Just like the roof-destroying one before!"
The nearby disciples had gone pale.
My heart sank.
Oh no.
Another one.
Lian pressed his lips together.
The frown between his brows could have crushed a mosquito.
My head was buzzing.
Mu Cangli had lost his mind because the first time around we hadn't let Hua Xiang block that sword.
A critical node had been displaced.
Now it was Feng Yu.
Did that mean another event—
Something that was supposed to happen—
Had failed to happen because of us?
Had the timeline broken again?
Fear began creeping into my chest.
Dear heavens... don't tell me Hua is next.
Or Lian.
Or... me.
If two or three more people go insane, our entire undercover operation is finished!
I grabbed Lian's sleeve and whispered,
"...Did history go off track again?"
Lian took a deep breath.
Watching Feng Yu casually destroy half a flowerbed with one swing of the hoe, he replied in a voice colder than the underworld itself:
"Yes."
"Another critical node failed to trigger."
I nearly choked.
"How?!"
"Who missed their cue this time?!"
Lian gave me a blank look.
"How would I know?"
"The sect records don't include details like 'Qin Elder's attendant was supposed to trip over a rock today.'"
Me: "..."
At that moment, Elder Zhang and Elder Qin arrived in a hurry.
Behind them came a squad of disciples.
And among them, the most eye-catching figure was a certain shameless man desperately squeezing his way to the front.
Hua.
I spotted him immediately.
He spotted me too.
His eyes narrowed into smiling crescents.
Me: "..."
This guy had obviously heard something about a captured thief or activity in the dungeon and immediately glued himself to Elder Zhang to come investigate.
After all, according to our original plan, Elder Zhang had been his assignment.
The moment the three groups converged, Elder Luo grabbed Elder Zhang and Elder Qin with a sharp motion.
The three elders huddled together, whispering.
Their heads nearly touched.
Like three giant birds protecting a nest.
None of them looked pleased.
Lian, Hua, and I exchanged glances.
No words were needed.
Something had gone wrong. Again.
Meanwhile, Feng Yu finally stopped moving.
Exhausted, he panted heavily.
The iron hoe had been bent out of shape.
At last it slipped from his hand and clattered onto the ground.
He collapsed into a crouch.
His clothes were soaked with sweat.
His eyes remained fixed on something that wasn't there.
Something invisible.
My heart ached a little.
Poor guy...
Hua Xiang glanced at Lian.
The look was subtle.
But unmistakable.
An instruction had been given.
Hua Xiang immediately stepped forward and bowed toward the three elders.
His voice was calm.
"Elders, the courtyard is already in chaos, and this matter involves madness."
"It would be safest to detain him first."
"Once the situation stabilizes, we can investigate thoroughly."
Elder Luo waved a sleeve impatiently.
"Handle it yourself."
One sentence.
And he neatly discarded all responsibility.
Hua Xiang didn't react.
He immediately instructed the others.
"Take him away."
Several disciples obeyed.
Feng Yu offered no resistance.
Whether because he truly had no martial arts ability, or because he'd gone too mad to resist, no one could tell.
He was half-dragged, half-supported away.
Watching those lifeless eyes of his, an absurd thought crossed my mind.
If his gaze weren't so completely vacant, I might have suspected he was faking insanity just to get out of work.
Then I remembered Mu Cangli.
That unlucky kid was still unconscious.
I silently lit a candle for him in my heart.
Then suddenly—
CLANG.
A realization struck me.
Wait.
Feng Yu doesn't know martial arts.
So how exactly did he catch the thief?
The question slammed into my mind like a falling stone.
A cold sensation crawled up my spine.
No way...
But I didn't dare think further.
Because Elder Luo suddenly spoke.
"The thief is currently confined in Elder Qin's courtyard."
"Hua Xiang, now that your suspicions have been cleared, you may accompany us and identify the culprit."
My heart jumped.
The captured thief...
Who was it?
So Hua Xiang, Elder Luo, and I headed toward Qin Elder's residence.
Naturally, Hua stuck close to Elder Zhang and followed along.
As Lian and Hua passed each other, Lian made an extremely subtle hand gesture.
Then he silently turned away.
Heading in the direction Feng Yu had been taken.
I relaxed slightly.
Lian was going after Feng Yu.
And if anyone could yank a living man back from the King of Hell's doorstep—
It was Lian.
Qin Elder's residence was completely different from Elder Luo's.
Instead of grim austerity, it was elegant.
Bamboo shadows swayed across the ground.
The pond water was crystal clear.
A faint aroma of tea lingered in the air.
If not for the current chaos, I would've thought I'd wandered into the retreat of some secluded scholar.
But now—
Seven or eight Blood Lotus disciples stood in the center of the courtyard.
Weapons drawn.
Surrounding a single person.
The captive was tied up like a rice dumpling.
Rope wrapped around him from head to toe.
He knelt on the ground with his head lowered.
His face couldn't be seen.
Hua Xiang stepped forward.
He crouched and gently lifted the prisoner's chin.
The moment he saw the face—
He sucked in a sharp breath.
"—Liu?!"
I blinked.
Liu?
Who?
The shock in Hua Xiang's eyes was completely genuine.
An extremely bad feeling immediately rose in my chest.
Hua Xiang's voice turned sharp.
"Weren't you serving in the Young Master's residence?"
"Why are you here?"
One of Lian's people?!
My imagination instantly exploded with possibilities.
Was Liu being framed?
Being used?
Was this another trap?
Or a trap within a trap?
Was the real target the Blood Lotus Sect Leader himself?!
Yet Liu said nothing.
Not a word.
There was stubbornness on his face.
Defiance.
Anger.
His mouth wasn't gagged.
But he refused to speak.
His eyes remained fixed on Hua Xiang.
Warning.
Trust.
And something far more complicated.
Hua Xiang pressed his lips together.
"Who captured him?"
"And on what grounds was he identified as the thief?"
Elder Qin remained composed.
He slowly stepped forward.
"It was witnessed by the attendant who was just taken away."
"That attendant was weeding outside the courtyard gate."
"He saw this man rushing out of the compound."
"He looked nervous. Panicked."
"He even stumbled and fell."
"The attendant tried to help him up."
"But this man shoved him away with a palm strike."
My eyebrow twitched.
Feng Yu?