Someone came carrying a sack. Guan Fangyi carried a sack into the hidden cavern.
Seeing the sack hit the ground, with a person clearly stuffed inside, Niu Youdao immediately asked, "What happened?"
Guan Fangyi said anxiously, "Daoist Master, something happened. Yuan Se was never poisoned at all. Consort Yuan was captured—taken alive—and has fallen into Yuan Se's hands."
Niu Youdao and Lü Wushuang looked at each other, both visibly startled.
Guan Fangyi bent down, ripped open the mouth of the sack, and pulled out Yuan Fang, whose eyes were wide open but whose body could not move.
Seeing Yuan Fang, Niu Youdao immediately understood Guan Fangyi's intent.
They had deliberately had Yuan Fang reveal Yan Baoru's whereabouts, using it as bait to lure Consort Yuan out. As long as Consort Yuan was not a fool, she would be able to guess that Yuan Fang was an inside man.
Now that Consort Yuan had been caught, if they pried open her mouth and she gave up Luo Qiu and the others, that would be one thing. Luo Qiu and the others had nothing to fear. But if she gave up Yuan Fang, that would be trouble.
Anyone familiar with Yuan Fang knew that he was no hard bone. Under torture, the consequences were deeply worrying.
If they merely believed Yuan Fang to be Luo Qiu's spy, it would not matter much. At worst, it would implicate the people of Thatched Cottage Estate. But if Yuan Fang revealed that Niu Youdao was still alive, the problem would become enormous. What would be implicated then would be far more than a single Thatched Cottage Estate.
Guan Fangyi's immediate decision to restrain Yuan Fang had been wise. Even if Yuan Fang's disappearance aroused Yuan Se's suspicions, it would prevent the worst outcome. If Luo