Sudden Change

What we could confirm for now was that the River Law Bureau and the Grain Constitution Bureau were both among the masterminds behind this.

As for whether there were any other forces involved, we could only wait and see how things developed.

As long as we could identify the specific people, everything was open to discussion.

"That's not it. Something's wrong. When our men followed Chief Escort Zhou to investigate, every trace of Su Wantang in the Fragrant Flower House had vanished."

"Moreover, Liu Wenjun was found dead in a bed at the Spring Fragrance Residence." Uncle Zheng's expression was grave.

"Liu Wenjun is dead?" Feng Xiu was startled.

Seeing the confusion on Feng Ao's face, Feng Xiu then explained who Liu Wenjun was and the fact that he was suspected of having an affair with Su Wantang.

Feng Ao nodded slightly. He had heard of Liu Wenjun, too. The shopkeeper of the Liu Lineage had been on somewhat friendly terms with him.

"How exactly did he die?" Feng Xiu continued.

"He'd only just died, during the rain. The authorities examined the body, and the coroner determined it was death from sexual overexertion."

"Death from sexual overexertion" was just a euphemism. In reality, it meant he'd died from exhaustion during sex.

With his incredible stamina in bed, how could he have died from sexual overexertion?

Had Su Wantang drained him dry, too?

Feng Xiu asked again, "Was there any connection in timing between Su Wantang's disappearance and Liu Wenjun's death?"

"I don't know about that," Uncle Zheng replied.

Liu Wenjun had died a strange death, and Su Wantang had vanished into thin air.

An internal feud? A silencing? A dispute over the spoils?

Could it be that, after learning Zhou Gang had come looking for trouble, an argument had broken out within their group, forcing Su Wantang to kill him to silence him?

What exactly had Zhou Gang done? Had he really killed someone?

The thought flashed through Feng Xiu's mind. He immediately asked, "What about Uncle Zhou? He took some men out earlier. Has he returned? Have you heard anything?"

It didn't matter if Liu Wenjun was dead. What Feng Xiu feared was getting dragged into a legal case over this.

The two families were currently cooperating, and the Feng Clan had only just begun to make a name for itself. If someone made an issue of this, dealing with the fallout would be very troublesome.

Uncle Zheng shook his head. He hadn't paid much attention to Zhou Gang's whereabouts.

Zhou Gang was powerful and had years of experience in the jianghu. Whether he was robbing robbers or investigating the truth, there was no need to worry about him.

But Feng Xiu suspected that Su Wantang's method of killing Liu Wenjun had been rather strange.

Just as Feng Xiu was about to press further,

several sets of footsteps sounded over the rain, overlapping as Zhou Gang returned to the residence with his men.

"Nephew, was this rain really something you prayed for?"

Zhou Gang's burly figure strode into the hall first. He wiped the rain from his face, his expression brimming with curiosity.

"Uncle Zhou, you flatter me. I don't have that kind of ability. It was all thanks to Daoist Yellow Dragon." Seeing him arrive put Feng Xiu at ease. He replied with a smile.

"Brother Feng, your son really is something. The people in the city are praising him to the skies."

Zhou Gang laughed heartily and looked at Feng Ao, who had just offered him tea.

"Ah, it's all empty praise. Wen Zheng has only just taken charge of the Lineage. He still has a lot to learn." Feng Ao waved his hand, then shot Feng Xiu a look of feigned annoyance.

"Brother Feng, if you ask me, you're just too modest. If Wen Zheng were my son, I'd be grinning in my sleep."

Zhou Gang took the teacup and had a sip.

He clearly wasn't very pleased with Feng Ao's "humble" words.

The two were close friends. In the past, Zhou Gang would surely have given him a piece of his mind.

But after a moment's thought, he continued the conversation with a beaming smile. "Since that's the case, Brother Feng, when my girl arrives, don't forget to arrange the marriage!"

Feng Ao's smile froze. He looked up at Feng Xiu.

Are we still on about this?

Feng Xiu could only say helplessly, "I'll leave it all to Father."

"Haha, good! My future son-in-law, don't worry. My girl is a great beauty, not some burly tomboy."

Hearing that answer, Zhou Gang laughed heartily. His delight was plain to see, his grin stretching almost from ear to ear.

Uncle Zheng, watching from the side, smiled as well.

First establish a career, then start a family. The eldest young master's marriage was settled—but Zhou Gang was a rough sort, so he wondered what the girl would be like.

As the thought crossed Uncle Zheng's mind, Zhou Gang continued in the hall, full of swagger.

"My future son-in-law, don't worry. Once I'm dead, all the men in my escort team will be yours."

Feng Xiu: "..."

Feng Ao: "..."

There was no way to respond to that. Zhou Gang was fine; he was just too overbearing.

"Uncle Zhou, you're too kind..." Feng Xiu hurried to say.

Before he could finish, Zhou Gang cut him off in displeasure. "Hm? What did you call me?"

"F-Father-in-law?"

"That's more like it, my future son-in-law. And speaking of my girl..."

"Wait, wait, Father-in-law! You haven't told us about the important matter yet."

Feng Xiu was afraid he'd go on boasting forever, so he hurried to cut him off and get down to business.

"What important matter?" Zhou Gang asked, taken aback.

Wasn't marriage an important matter?

"Father-in-" Feng Xiu felt it was too soon to call him that. It sounded strange.

So he changed tack. "Uncle Zhou, I asked you to help deal with Su Wantang from the Fragrant Flower House. Did you find out anything about her?"

At that, a clear flash of bewilderment crossed Zhou Gang's face.

He stroked the stubble on his chin, raised his thick brows, and asked in return, "Su Wantang? Nephew, who is this Su Wantang?"

?

Now it was Feng Xiu's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Uncle Zhou, have you forgotten? This morning, you said you'd help me look into Su Wantang. She set up a Thousand Gates Gambit, and you took Brother Han and a group of men to the Fragrant Flower House."

"This morning?"

Zhou Gang interrupted him, looking even more puzzled and utterly confused.

"This morning? I never left the residence. I was leading the men in their training, then the rain came pouring down from the sky. The servants told me you'd prayed for it. Yesterday, yesterday I only took some men to look at the courtyard you'd found."

"Nephew, what are you talking about? Are you in some kind of trouble and need my help finding someone?"

His tone was concerned, and his expression seemed natural.

Halfway through, he grew suspicious again and looked Feng Xiu up and down.

"Su Wantang sounds like a woman's name. Future son-in-law, you haven't taken a concubine, have you?"

At that moment, Feng Xiu had no time to deal with that.

Buzz—

It was as if something had exploded in his mind. A chill shot from his tailbone straight to his crown!

He whipped around and met Uncle Zheng's and Feng Ao's eyes. In them, he saw the same look of disbelief and horror.

The cool dampness brought by the rain hadn't dispelled the heat in the room, yet Feng Xiu couldn't feel the slightest warmth.

A bone-chilling cold spread through his limbs and bones, raising a fine layer of goosebumps across his skin.

Heavens, ancestors, great-grandfathers!

Don't scare me like this!

Feng Xiu suspected Zhou Gang was playing a prank. He asked carefully, his tone half joking, half probing.

"Uncle Zhou, you really don't remember Su Wantang? We agreed, didn't we? Once it was done, you'd take seven parts and I'd take three."

"What 'you take seven and I take three'? Nothing of the sort ever happened."

Zhou Gang's stern gaze swept over them. He noticed that all three men in the hall looked grim.

He realized something was wrong, but his tone remained as firm as iron.

Yet as soon as he finished speaking, Feng Ao interrupted him in an equally grave voice.

"Brother Zhou, you weren't in the residence this morning. You just came back from outside."

"The servants here can all confirm that." Forcing down his thoughts, Feng Ao's gaze sharpened.

Like Feng Xiu, he suspected Zhou Gang was joking. But when he considered Zhou Gang's character, he immediately dismissed the notion.

Uncle Zheng nodded emphatically, too. He had seen Zhou Gang leave with his men.

"Impossible."

Zhou Gang shook his head, still convinced he was right.

Feng Xiu's heart sank. Suddenly, his expression changed. He exchanged a look with Feng Ao, who had reached the same conclusion, and the two of them turned to Uncle Zheng in unison.

Uncle Zheng saw their reactions and instantly understood what they meant.

"I'll go at once." He turned and strode out.

A short while later.

The men of the Zhou Family Escort Team crowded into the hall. Feng Xiu looked at Han Che and the escort guards who had been there that morning.

"What were you all doing this morning?"

"Have you ever heard of Su Wantang?" Feng Ao asked one by one, his expression grave.

Some of the men met his gaze and scratched their heads; others looked at one another.

Feeling Feng Ao's gaze upon them, they all shook their heads, saying they had never heard of the woman.

Feng Xiu immediately ordered someone to go to the Fragrant Flower House and find the other patrons who had been there at the time.

"Eldest young master, we've confirmed it. Chief Escort Zhou did take his men to the Fragrant Flower House. Some of the patrons said he even entered Su Wantang's boudoir."

"But not long after, they heard sounds of fighting, as well as Chief Escort Zhou shouting. Then the rain began to fall, and Chief Escort Zhou led his men back."

It wasn't long before a guard hurried back and reported to Feng Xiu.

"Moreover, the madam and the other women there don't know anyone named Su Wantang in the establishment."

Feng Xiu said nothing. He only looked at Feng Ao, whose expression was grave.

At that moment, Uncle Zheng still refused to give up. He stepped forward, his aged voice trembling along with his face. "Chief Escort Zhou, please think it over carefully."

Zhou Gang's brows knitted together. He looked at Feng Xiu, his face solemn, then at Uncle Zheng.

"Brother Zheng, Wen Zheng."

His voice grew heavier. "I may be old, but I'm not senile yet."

"I know what I did this morning. Training is training."

"What courtesan? What gambit? What's wrong with you people? Could you have heard some rumor?"

He paused, narrowed his eyes, and eyed the two men suspiciously. "Or did you run into something unclean that bewitched you?"

Zhou Gang's last words rang like a thunderclap beside the three men's ears.

It wasn't a joke, a prank, or a cover-up.

The memories of Su Wantang had been completely erased from the minds of Zhou Gang and everyone else who had witnessed or been involved!

The horrifying conclusion was far beyond anything merely fantastical or supernatural!

Feng Xiu drew a long breath. Even his fingertips felt cold. Then, in a voice that was almost eerily calm, he asked,

"Uncle Zhou, if this is a joke, it isn't funny. If it isn't, then please think carefully!"

Feng Xiu's tone was extremely forceful, utterly lacking his usual respect for his elders.

At his words, Zhou Gang looked bewildered for a moment, as if carefully recalling something.

Gradually, his brows drew together. Pain appeared on his face.

Boom—

The painful memories churned in his mind. Zhou Gang's breathing hitched, and his strength drained away at a visibly rapid pace. His face turned deathly pale.

Curtains, curtains, a woman, a woman!

Stagger, stagger.

His body swayed. A dizzying sensation swept over him, accompanied by a tearing pain in his chest.

Everyone was alarmed at the sight and hurried over.

Feng Ao moved first, catching Zhou Gang before he fell. Without turning his head, he shouted in a low voice,

"Uncle Zheng, shut the doors! No one is to approach the main hall without my permission!"

Uncle Zheng responded at once and hurried off. The veins on the back of the hand Feng Ao had wrapped around Zhou Gang bulged, and his knuckles turned slightly white.

Clearly, he was gripping too hard, barely managing to keep himself under control.

Feng Ao helped Zhou Gang into a chair. Only then did he place his fingertips on the pulse in Zhou Gang's left arm. His expression tightened, turning grave.

Then he pulled open Zhou Gang's robe.

There, before their eyes, was a palm print of a strange, uncanny hue!