However, this was not the time to focus on such things. Following the silk thread in her hand, Feng Fei quickly arrived at the edge of the pond. Yuan Jue, fearing that something might happen to Feng Fei, followed as soon as Feng Fei began to move, and now stood behind Feng Fei with Ming Feng.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Yang Mu Sobbing
Feng Fei had already pulled the silk thread to its limit; just a little more strength was needed to pull the thing up from underwater. Perhaps there would be some unexpected surprise, or perhaps a shock.
Feng Fei took a deep breath and was about to make a move when Yuan Jue stopped him, saying, "Let me do it!"
Feng Fei did not refuse. After handing the purple-gold silk thread in his hand to Yuan Jue, he stood with Ming Feng at a distance behind.
Yuan Jue concentrated for a moment, then suddenly exerted force in his hand and pulled out the thing tied to the purple-gold silk thread.
When Feng Fei saw clearly what had been pulled up, he couldn't help but gasp.
"Yuanjue! Quick! See if there's any hope!"
Yuan Jue's expression shifted slightly, but he still probed the unconscious person's body with his spiritual energy. After a while, Yuan Jue said with a relaxed expression, "He's fine. He just fainted because he held his breath for too long."
At this point, Yuanjue looked meaningfully at the water figure lying on the ground.
This water spirit was none other than Yang Mu, who was supposed to marry Bai Zhi. Yang Mu's face was frighteningly pale at this moment, as if he would die at any moment, but the slight undulation of his chest told people that he was still alive for the time being.
Feng Fei breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Yuan Jue's words, walked to Yuan Jue's side, and asked with a puzzled look, "How did Yang Mu end up in the water?"
Yuan Jue, equally unsure of the reason, scanned Yang Mu's body, his gaze sharpening as it landed on Yang Mu's tightly clenched left fist. Feng Fei, who had been watching Yang Mu closely, naturally noticed the unusual movement in Yang Mu's left hand as well.
Yuan Jue and Feng Fei nodded, then carefully reached out to Yang Mu's tightly clenched left fist.
Yang Mu clenched his fists tightly, and Yuan Jue had to use considerable force to pry them open. In Yang Mu's palm lay a torn piece of brocade, as if it had been violently ripped off. Yuan Jue took the piece of brocade in his hand and examined it carefully for a long time before he could recognize the words written on it.
“Zhao?”
Feng Fei, standing to the side, uttered a question in confusion, almost simultaneously with Yuan Jue, uttering the word.
The two subconsciously glanced at each other, and both thought of one person: Hua Tianzhao!
"Could it be Hua Tianzhao?"
Yuan Jue nodded, then shook his head: "Things are probably not that simple, but it's definitely related to Hua Tianzhao. But what I'm curious about is, why would Hua Tianzhao want to get involved here? Does she have ambitions beyond the Vermilion Bird Kingdom?"
"It's highly likely. Perhaps the strange occurrences in the White Tiger Kingdom are also related to Hua Tianzhao! After all, many people on White Tiger Street have disappeared inexplicably, which seems to be the same reason why everyone in Hua Tianzhao's small family disappeared back then."
"Yes. That's what I think too." Yuan Jue pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked at Yang Mu on the ground and whispered, "What should we do with Yang Mu?"
Feng Fei glanced at Yang Mu, thought for a moment, and then said, "Let's send him to a safe inn to rest and recuperate, and then we'll make further plans."
Yuan Jue nodded. Apart from the method Feng Fei mentioned, there was no other suitable method.
At that moment, Feng Fei and the other two quietly left the Bai residence with Yang Mu.
Before long, Feng Fei led Yang Mu to an inn where there was no one else around, and only the innkeeper and his wife were inside. This inn was not located in Tiger General City, but rather on the side of an official road twenty miles outside of Tiger General City. Because of this, the inn was unaffected by the chaos in Tiger General City.
The innkeeper was overjoyed at the arrival of Feng Fei and his companions, and eagerly approached them. However, upon seeing Yang Mu lying half-dead behind them, his face immediately fell. Yet, he dared not offend Feng Fei and his friends, and could only cautiously and politely entertain them.
"Boss, do you have any accommodations here?" Yuan Jue glanced around and thought the inn was quite nice, so he asked gently.
The innkeeper hesitated for a moment, then, remembering that he and his wife hadn't had a customer in a long time, gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes, yes, yes! We still have quite a few good rooms! How many rooms would you like, sir?"
"Four rooms. []"
"Alright! Please follow me, sir!"
The innkeeper led the way, while his wife sat downstairs at the counter, watching Feng Fei and his companions with eager anticipation.
With the innkeeper's guidance, Yuan Jue and Feng Fei quickly settled Yang Mu in. Yang Mu had no injuries, so Feng Fei didn't give him any pills. In Yuan Jue and Feng Fei's view, he had simply fainted from holding his breath for too long and would naturally wake up in time.
After Feng Feiyuan, Jue Mingfeng, and the other two had settled into their rooms, they returned downstairs.
"Boss, please prepare some of your inn's specialty dishes!"
With so many things to do, Feng Fei and his companions had no interest in ordering food. So they left it to the innkeeper to handle.
The innkeeper's face lit up upon hearing this, thinking that if he prepared some delicious and authentic dishes, he might be able to make a profit. With that in mind, the innkeeper immediately instructed his wife to treat Feng Fei and his companions well before heading to the backyard, pondering what kind of food to prepare.
The innkeeper was a quick and efficient person, and Feng Fei and his two companions were able to eat a hot meal shortly after waiting at the table.
In fact, Feng Fei, Yuan Jue, and Ming Feng can now go for a long time without eating and feel no hunger. However, Feng Fei can never give up his habit of eating. Because of this, Yuan Jue and Ming Feng have followed Feng Fei's habit. Wherever they go, the first thing they do is find a place to eat.
In the past, Feng Fei would have praised the innkeeper's cooking extensively, but she wasn't in the mood at the moment. She simply tossed a piece of gold to the innkeeper and then ate in silence.
Feng Fei and his two companions ate very quickly. The innkeeper noticed that the three guests looked extremely serious and knew that they might have something important to do. After receiving the gold, he wisely stood far away from them.
After Feng Fei finished eating, Yuan Jue and Ming Feng also stopped eating. Just as they were about to say something, they caught a glimpse of the innkeeper and his wife on the side and swallowed their food back down.
"Let's go back and see how Yang Mu is doing." Feng Fei stood up and went upstairs.
After exchanging a few words with the innkeeper, Yuanjue went upstairs with Mingfeng.
In Yang Mu's room, Feng Fei sat at a round table and suddenly sighed deeply.
“Yuanjue, I suddenly feel so lost.”
"What's wrong?"
"I always feel that the future is bleak, and there is a fog in front of me that makes it impossible to see what lies ahead."
A rare look of helplessness and confusion appeared on Feng Fei's face, which immediately made Yuan Jue's heart ache.
Yuan Jue gently pulled Feng Fei into his arms, and Feng Fei obediently leaned on Yuan Jue's shoulder. She then heard Yuan Jue's voice coming from above her head: "It's alright. If you can't see clearly now, then I'll accompany you to dispel all the fog in front of you."
Feng Fei nodded gently in Yuan Jue's arms.
Just then, a sound came from Yang Mu's side.
Feng Fei and the other two couldn't help but look over, and Yang Mu actually woke up at this moment.
Yang Mu fainted in the backyard of the Bai residence, in the pond, clutching a brocade cloth with the character "曌" written on it. Perhaps he could know something they didn't.
Yuan Jue approached Yang Mu's bedside and heard him groaning for water, so he gestured for Ming Feng to bring him some.
Yuan Jue had only ever taken care of Feng Fei and no one else. It was obviously impossible for him to take care of Yang Mu at this time, so only Ming Feng pitifully took on this role.
With Mingfeng's help, Yang Mu drank about half a cup of water before groggily opening his eyes.
Upon opening his eyes, he was immediately startled by the serious yet still youthful face before turning his gaze to the side. Only after seeing Feng Fei and Yuan Jue did his eyes begin to move slightly. After a long while, he murmured, "You..."
Yuan Jue, however, smiled reassuringly and said, "Rest for a while, don't rush to speak."
Yang Mu obediently lay back down, and no one noticed the fleeting glint of emotion in his eyes.
At this moment, Mingfeng and Fengfei stood behind Yuanjue. Looking at Yang Mu, who was pale, they didn't know what to say. They simply comforted him and told him to rest well before preparing to leave.
Just as Feng Fei and the other two reached the door and were about to leave, they heard Yang Mu suddenly shout, "Go quickly and save Bai Zhi!"
Feng Fei was startled and rushed inside, only to see Yang Mu sweating profusely as he tried to get out of bed, but his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground.
Yuan Jue rushed to Yang Mu's side and, with a slight effort, helped him back onto the bed. Yang Mu, panting, pressed Yuan Jue's hand against his own, and said, "Hurry! Hurry! Bai Zhi has been captured by those people! I'm afraid she's in danger!"
As she spoke, she tried to break free and get out of bed again.
Yuan Jue glanced at Feng Fei, and seeing the curiosity in Feng Fei's eyes, he forcibly pressed Yang Mu back onto the bed and said in a deep voice, "Calm down first! Tell us what happened back then, so we can help you!"
"No, no, I'm afraid it'll be too late!" Yang Mu's face was full of anxiety, as if something terrible would happen to Bai Zhi if he didn't go find her now. "Let me go!"
"Calm down!" Yuan Jue shouted in a low voice, calming Yang Mu down before speaking slowly, "Even if you go now, there's absolutely no way you can save Bai Zhi! Look at you, you're completely weak, you can barely stand. Going there now would just be throwing your life away. Besides, do you even know where Bai Zhi has grabbed you?"
Yang Mu was stunned for a moment, then collapsed onto the bed, "Yes...yes...Bai Zhi, where are you..."
Yang Mu covered his face and wept, which immediately gave Yuan Jue a headache, and he didn't know what to say next.
Feng Fei was a little stunned to see Yang Mu crying, but when he thought about how Bai Zhi had been kidnapped, he realized it was normal for him to be sad, so he didn't think about it any further.
"Alright, crying won't solve anything. Now tell us what happened."
Upon hearing Yuan Jue's question again, Yang Mu finally recounted the events of that time to Feng Fei and the other two, his voice trembling with emotion.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Tragic Little Thief
The next day, Feng Fei, Yuan Jue, and Ming Feng returned to Tiger General City.
"No matter what, we need to rely on the influence of a few people, and what lies before us is an excellent opportunity. We can first end the chaos in Tiger General City, find a trustworthy person to temporarily manage it, and then we can go and bring Bai Zhi and her group back."
"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. But have you decided who should temporarily manage Tiger General City?"
"Li Moxuan and Li Yimo, a brother and sister."
"Oh? The two of them?" Thinking of those two children from back then, Feng Fei's eyes suddenly lit up: "Are they alright?"
“Of course.” Yuan Jue’s smile revealed a hint of pride. “I have already sent word to the two of them to bring their men over. They should arrive in less than three days. What we need to do in these three days is to end the chaos in Tiger General City as soon as possible, so that we can hand it over to Li Moxuan and his sister for temporary management.”
"Then let's get started!" Feng Fei exclaimed with boundless enthusiasm.
The chaos in Tiger General City was quickly brought back to normal under the control of Feng Fei and Yuan Jue. In this process, San'er played an important role. And after the chaos in Tiger General City was completely over, San'er and his group of men quickly established themselves in the city.
On the evening of the third day, San'er suddenly found the inn where Feng Fei and the other two were staying.
The innkeeper led San'er to Yuan Jue's room and then left.
Despite having met and spoken with Yuan Jue and Ming Feng multiple times in the past few days, San'er still lacks the courage to face Yuan Jue directly. He initially only thought Yuan Jue exuded an air of nobility, but he never imagined that this nobleman would have the audacity to end the chaos in Tiger General City! Now, he faces Yuan Jue with nothing but utmost respect.
"Lord Yuan," San'er greeted respectfully before bowing his head and standing aside to await Yuan Jue's question.
Yuan Jue held a cup in his hand and said in a deep voice, "A group of people should arrive in Tiger General City this evening. You should take them and let them stay in Tiger General City for the time being."
"Yes," San'er replied respectfully. His eyes darted around before he tentatively asked, "I wonder what brings them here...?"