Li Banfeng was taken aback.
Yao Zhiyi’s leg had been broken by He Yuxiu, and he couldn’t walk. Luo Zhengnan had someone fetch a cart and pushed him over.
Once they entered the cave, the Stone Gate was tightly closed, with no crack visible from the outside. Luo Zhengnan frowned and said, "Where did you say that underground chamber is?"
Yao Zhiyi panicked. "This... next to the main door, there was a pair of Stone Cones... this Stone Cone..."
Li Banfeng snapped, "Where is the Stone Cone?"
"It... it was right here!" Yao Zhiyi didn’t know how to explain; the Stone Cone originally embedded in the wall was gone.
Li Banfeng then asked, "Where is the corpse you mentioned? The one that’s identical to the real thing!"
Yao Zhiyi said, "It’s in the back building. I’ll take you to see it."
Luo Zhengnan had his men push the cart to the back building. After entering, they went to the third room on the second floor. Pushing the door open, they saw a bed inside with a shroud laid out, but no corpse.
Luo Zhengnan grabbed Yao Zhiyi. "Old Yao, it’s one thing to fool me, but with Seventh Master here, you dare to deceive him too?"
Li Qi was furious. "Yao Zhiyi, you have some nerve! Old Luo, this man is yours to deal with."
Yao Zhiyi pleaded, "Younger Brother Luo, every word I’ve said is true! You must believe me!"
"Believe you?" Luo Zhengnan had someone bring a chisel. "You always used to ask me how I got this hole in my head. Now, I’ll show you how this hole came to be, one strike at a time."
...
After dealing with Yao Zhiyi, Luo Zhengnan sighed. "That kid was tough; we couldn’t get anything out of him."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Let it go. The Jiang Xiang Gang is gone, you’ve had your revenge, and you’ve found some closure. Why bother with other matters?"
Luo Zhengnan sighed. "I really don’t care about other things, but I just can’t get over what happened with Zhao Xiaowan. That Long Spear is a rare treasure. It was originally yours, but I pestered you relentlessly until you sold it to me. Now I want to get that Long Spear back and offer it to Seventh Master again."
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "It’s nothing that important. It’s not worth fretting over."
Li Banfeng truly wasn’t worried. The Gloves secretly said, "Boss, why don’t I put those Cones back, and we can go take a look down there?"
"Look at what? What’s there to see?"
He Jiaqing was going frantic. Even with his cultivation level, he couldn’t find a way out.
He Jiaqing clenched his teeth and cursed, "Why are you so malicious?"
...
Lu Xiaolan asked, "Why must you carry this corpse on your back?"
Da Boyins said, "Because this corpse is made from Xiao Zhenggong’s blood."
"What’s the use of his blood?"
"Ordinary blood is of no use, but this blood is very special. I collected it from him a month ago. This blood contains part of his soul and memories."
Lu Xiaolan still didn’t understand. "What use do you have for his soul and memories?"
Da Boyins said, "Because the real Xiao Zhenggong might already be dead. The memories within this corpse are related to a crucial secret."
"What secret?"
Da Boyins looked at Lu Xiaolan and said, "For Xiao Zhenggong to cooperate with us, he wouldn’t just lose the Jiang Xiang Gang; he would also have to give up an important identity in the Outside Provinces."
Lu Xiaolan said, "I’ve heard of his identity. A deputy captain of the Dark Star Bureau—not an exceptionally significant figure."
Da Boyins shook his head. "The position may not be high, but the identity is extremely important. The Dark Star Bureau holds many crucial secrets. Xiao Zhenggong had already obtained the secrets he wanted, which is why he was willing to forsake his position at the Dark Star Bureau and return to Puluo State."
"What exactly is the secret? Is it real, or are you just guessing?"
Da Boyins shook his head. "This isn’t wild speculation; it’s a logical deduction. Unfortunately, his blood is from a month ago. I’m afraid the important information from this past month cannot be retrieved."
...
Cui Tiq finished his glass of red wine, wiped his mouth with a napkin, straightened his white coat, and rose to say to Li Banfeng, "I’m full."
Li Banfeng said, "If you’re full, please leave."
Cui Tiq walked to the door and shouldered his large iron tank of disinfectant.
The iron tank felt light. He Jiaqing had gone out but hadn’t returned.
Cui Tiq didn’t care. It truly wasn’t important to him. He was only responsible for bringing He Jiaqing here; his task had been completed long ago.
PS: What does Jia Qing rely on for survival in the underground chamber?
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