"Your Majesty, this is not a dungeon; it is an enormous underground space. The residential homes here act as a cover. There is no doubt they were built to hide this underground space. For that reason, nobody resides here. Your subject has entered multiple times. Each time we left, they required us to cover our eyes. As a result, we never learnt about the mechanisms. However, your subject made an opening at an air duct. We can safely enter the underground area via the opening."
"In that case, let us split out forces in two to enter Feiyun Hall. There's no need to worry we won't catch them," responded the Emperor, glad to hear Bai Lian's positive answer. He then furrowed his eyebrows: "Where is Ming Feizhen? Why have I not seen him when you were both investigating the case?"
"He said he wanted to shut down Feiyun Hall yesterday. As such, he drove out the gamblers and participants. The guilty were panic stricken. Perhaps they fled to avoid capture. Maybe he has gone to arrest them."
"Ming Feizhen… never there at crucial times. Mm… I guess I should celebrate his absence. Given his luck's track record, all my men might be decimated if he came here," The Emperor griped, Even a monarch feared Liu Shan's Plague. Then, he shook his head and questioned, "Did you two capture Beijiang's Feathered Serpent, Yang Lianhua, together?"
Bai Lian gave a faithful report: "The credit for Yang Lianhua's arrest belongs to Ming Feizhen. He planned the arrest and incited Lu Shangfei into defecting. We only made it in time today thanks to his plan."
"Hmm… His martial arts skills are unimpressive, but he's not too shabby with his head. I shall honour his merit."
Yan Jingwang heard everything the Emperor and Bai Lian said. Subsequently, he learned the imperial court apprehended Yang Lianhua. As the Emperor looked as though he had his guard down, Yan Jingwang started to engage his brain: "One glance and you can tell the Emperor is a fool. If I can seize him, and force them to release Commander Yang, hehehe, I could even ask for ten thousand gold and silver taels. I see me a promotion… I'll become Rabbit Fiend, Great Villain Yan Jingwang!"
Somebody suddenly asked, "Hey, who are you?"
"Sh! Quiet or they'll find us."
"Oh, so, what are you doing here?"
"Heh, rescuing Commander Yang, obviously. I thought we could capture that old Kong Duan. If I got my hands on him, I'd give him a thrashing. The Central Plain's Emperor showed up out of nowhere and saved him. I'm now trying to figure out how to capture the Emperor to exchange him for Commander Yang and some valuables."
"Oh, oh, I see, so you're bad guys?"
"Obviously. Why would we be called Evil Spirits if we weren't bad guys?" answered Yan Jingwang, responding fluidly and confidently. "Eh? Wait! Who are you?! How did you get here?"
"Me? I'm Su Xiao. I was conducting a search for any potentially involved people and found you guys," replied Liu Shan Men's self-proclaimed genius. Su Xiao touched his smooth chin: "Hehe, what do think I intend to do?"
"W-Wait! Wait! D-Don't report us! I'll give you money, lots of money."
Su Xiao: "Hmph, money you stole? Not interested."
Yan Jingwang hastily replied, "Well, anything, then! Just don't report us! Come on, Beautiful, please!"
"I'm not a girl! I'm a guy!" responded Su Xiao, glaring at Yan Jingwang. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Your Majesty, we have suspects here! Hurry! Hurry!"
"Shit! You plague! Everyone, run!!" commanded Yan Jingwang.
Dozens of Yan Jingwang's underlings in black rushed out with him at the forefront. They sprinted to the secret door Long Cheng used and knocked others away. He somehow easily opened it and bolted in with his underlings in tow.
The Emperor: "After them! After them! Get in before the door shuts! Half of you go in! The other half is to follow me! Eliminate them!"
========
The majority of the space underground Feiyun Hall was used for the fighting arena. There was also lots of winding secret passages. It was pitch dark down there, as the candles were out. Long Cheng made turns without any hesitation and remembered to shut doors behind him, demonstrating his familiarity with the terrain.
Long Cheng's vision in darkness was vastly superior to the ordinary man owing to his dislike for sunlight and his time at Lingering Evil Wind Canyon.
Kong Duan smiled: "You Demon Sect members sure know your secret rooms as if it was your own home even in this darkness."
Long Cheng just indifferently snorted.
The two of them didn't pick up on any traces of life, let alone Kong Duan's Feiyun Guards. They called out as they ran; however, they never received any response. The arena was also empty.
"Why isn't there a single soul here?! Where are this old one's Feiyun Guards?!"
Long Cheng treated Kong Duan using his internal energy as they ran. Thanks to that, Kong Duan was able to speak a lot more smoothly.
Kong Duan: "Even if Liu Shan Men ambushed them here, it shouldn't be empty. Liu Shan Men simply isn't capable enough. Where are they hiding…? I wonder if they're on the bottom level."
Long Cheng: "What?! Secretary Kong, I worked for you, as you promised to keep the room a secret. How do your guards know where it is?!"
"Big deal," remarked Kong Duan, discontent. "The key is with me still. It's just a hiding place. What are you making a fuss for?"
Long Cheng: "That secret room is… is… hmph!"
Kong Duan was positive his guards were hiding at the basement's secret room. With an excited undertone, he said, "We haven't even confirmed it yet; what's the point of you jumping about it. Well, come on. Let's go check it out. If they're not there, we'll have to start the search from the beginning."
Long Chen opened a secret door and carried Kong Duan down. The path was hard to traverse, so it took about fifteen minutes to reach their destination. There was a pool of water with an iron door situated on the water. The door appeared as though it was placed into the wall. It took a skilled artisan to accomplish the feat. The area was spacious enough to shelter a hundred people. Nevertheless, not a soul was in sight. While Long Cheng was relieved to see nobody around, Kong Duan scowled: "Just what in the world is going on? Could this old one's Feiyun Guards have just vanished into thin air?!"
A group of people burst through from behind a secret door. Kong Duan, thrilled, questioned, "Feiyun Guards! You were so hard to find. Where did you go?"
"Fuck your Feiyun Punching Bags! Open your eyes and look. I'm Yan Jingwang, you fuckwit!"
Having stayed at Feiyun Hall for an extensive period as Rabbit Fiend, Yan Jingwang knew the place's mechanics and secrets as well as the back of his hand. It was, consequently, simple for him to find the switches to lead his men into Feiyun Hall. Since nobody was in sight, he led his men to the secret room, certain Long Cheng and Kong Duan would be found there. He was right in the end. With regards to the Emperor's pursuit units, he had yet to come up with something.
Long Cheng thundered, "How do you know this place?!"
Yan Jingwang glared daggers at Long Cheng: "Ask that decrepit idiot there; he's the one who brought our commander here. I went along with them that time. You expect me to not know? More importantly, what are you doing here?"
Long Cheng glared at Kong Duan. Kong Duan brayed, "What are you here for? You want to pick a fight?"
Yan Jingwang couldn't admit his plan to position himself as a winner was turned on its head when the Emperor chased him. He answered, "If it's a fight you want, you've got one. I'll whoop you!"
"Brother Tu, why didn't you greet me when you arrived? Aren't we friends?" sarcastically asked someone in the dark.
"Who's there?!" questioned Yan Jingwang.
"Argh!" someone cried before falling to the ground.
Long Cheng thought there would be an intense fight, but the man was out in an instant. Before he could finish a thought, Yan Jingwang's subordinates were knocked out the moment they opened their mouths. The skill exhibited could be compared to an assassin who mastered the darkness. Soon, there was nothing but silence. Yan Jingwang's group was history. Long Cheng desperately tried to find the assailant. He discovered someone was at the door on the water.
"Who are you?!" exclaimed Long Cheng.
"Welcome," the individual in the darkness answered, sounding relaxed as if he was sightseeing under a blue sky.
Long Cheng saw only one man; that said, his features weren't clear. His calm voice was surprisingly imposing to the extent one felt they needed permission to breathe. Long Cheng thought the aura was familiar. His aura was suffocating and so overwhelming it felt as though he shrouded the entire space, and everything was part of him.
The man by the door inquired, "What are you two doing at my place?"
Long Cheng didn't answer. He set Kong Duan, who was disturbed the moment the man's presence was detected, onto the ground. Kong Duan didn't know what to do but watch from the sideline. Long Cheng then drew his blade. He slashed a qi breaker at the man by the door: "This is not your place. It's mine…Our place."
The man chuckled: "Really? Your blades look interesting."
Long Cheng stood still: "Wind of Death."
It only took Long Cheng one glance to determine the man by the door's presence was enough to rob one's will to fight. A few words from him convinced Long Cheng the latter needed to use his ultimate technique if he was going to escape. The man by the door was no man; he was a monster.