Many masters used feigned death to erase themselves from the memories of those in the Jianghu, thereby withdrawing from the world.
Some truly wished to live in seclusion, no longer concerning themselves with worldly affairs. Others, however, had ulterior purposes: hiding in the shadows made it easier to carry out their schemes. Tuoba Xiongzhen was one such example.
"Next, Duan Siping has decided to move against Duan Siying, who usurped the throne. Duan Ying will naturally need to be at his side, and he'll be coming to Kaifeng soon. Until he arrives, I'll have to trouble you to take extra care. Of course, I'll also notify Senior Tong," Huang Xiao said.
"You can rest entirely assured on that point. Nothing will go wrong during this time. Besides, with this elder dead, there probably aren't any other masters in Kaifeng City for now," Du Ge said. "I have another question. Did you just say Duan Siying? Could he be behind everything that happened in Dali? Is he still alive too? By rights, as Duan Siping's son, he should have inherited the Dali throne."
"It's a long story. Let's talk once we reach Duan Ying. This isn't a place for conversation," Huang Xiao said.
"All right, I'll take you there right away. At last, there are no flies following us." Du Ge glanced around and chuckled.
Before long, the two stood before a villa.
The villa stood at the foot of a mountain in peaceful, secluded surroundings, with the mountain at its back and a broad lake before it. Quite a few other villas dotted the surrounding shore.
These were properties purchased by officials, dignitaries, local gentry, and wealthy clans from Kaifeng City. With its quiet surroundings, they occasionally came here for short stays.
For that very reason, guards were often stationed