Chapter 61: Going Alone to the Banquet

Not yet knowing Zuo Jinche's specific plans, Xu Feng had no intention of acting rashly. It was not that he failed to value Feng Yumian; rather, he was well aware that his current identity was extraordinary. Since Zuo Jinche dared to set a trap for him, he must have made foolproof preparations. Acting blindly would only lead to a disadvantageous situation, and he was a man who never fought a battle without certainty.

"The enemy is in the dark while I am in the light. I can afford to drag this out and observe their reaction. In any case, he will be the first to lose his patience. The moment he makes a move, I will find the flaw."

Xu Feng ate his noodles leisurely, looking as though he cared not at all about the safety of the Second Miss Feng. The two men behind him spoke until their mouths were dry, and seeing that Xu Feng showed no intention of moving, they exchanged glances and stood up to leave. Remaining here any longer would undoubtedly expose their flaws.

"How is it? Did Xu Feng react?" Zuo Jinche asked impatiently the moment the two returned.

They had no choice but to speak the truth. "Young Master, in my opinion, that Xu Feng does not care about the Feng family's second miss at all. He certainly heard our conversation, yet he remained as steady as Mount Tai."

"Impossible! Did the two of you expose any flaws?" Zuo Jinche knew very well that the only thing capable of stirring Xu Feng's heart was the Feng family's second miss. There was also Dong'er, but Dong'er was constantly by Xu Feng's side, making her difficult to approach.

"We both followed your instructions and changed our clothes; it is impossible for him to have seen through us. It is also possible that he is merely putting on a calm facade."

Hearing this, Zuo Jinche decided to wait and see a little longer.

Who would have thought that two full days would pass in this manner without a single move from Xu Feng? However, the Brocade Guards under his command were far from idle, patrolling the city everywhere to supervise the yamen constables in sealing up the properties of Jianfeng Mountain. Even restaurants without the slightest infraction were extorted. Zuo Jinche understood clearly that things could not continue this way; he simply did not possess that kind of patience. This matter had to be resolved as quickly as possible, otherwise, if the sect placed blame, no one could bear the consequences.

"This cannot go on any longer. Someone, come here! We are going to lay our cards on the table with him directly."

Unwilling to continue hiding, Zuo Jinche intended to use Feng Yumian as bait to draw out Xu Feng. "Take this letter, tie it to an arrow, and shoot it before Xu Feng, then withdraw as quickly as you can."

The contents of the letter were extremely simple, clearly stating Feng Yumian's hiding place and openly challenging Xu Feng to a duel. It explicitly instructed him to come alone; otherwise, the sight awaiting him would be Feng Yumian's corpse.

"I refuse to believe you dare not come." Driven to his absolute limit, Zuo Jinche had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

The moment Xu Feng picked up the letter, he chuckled. "Is the dog finally jumping over the wall?"

He then began to ponder how to handle the situation. The Brocade Guards certainly could not be mobilized; the target was too large and would alert the adversary, and Zuo Jinche would undoubtedly have eyes watching the garrison office. The moment the Brocade Guards made an unusual move, Feng Yumian would genuinely be in danger.

Naturally, he could not be foolish enough to rush over all by himself—that would be no different from marching to his death. Although he possessed great confidence in his own strength, there was no guarantee that Zuo Jinche had not invited experts from the sect to assist.

After much deliberation, he decided to first probe Zuo Jinche's bottom line. Before he made a public appearance, Feng Yumian's safety was temporarily secure.

Xu Feng first dispatched a captive ghost to tail the archer, following closely behind himself. The entire process went completely unnoticed by the other party. The captive ghosts residing within the Emperor's Human Banner were exceptionally well-suited for tracking; as long as they did not deliberately expose themselves, no one would notice them, making them superb at gathering intelligence.

Before long, the subordinate met with Zuo Jinche. Just as Xu Feng had surmised, Zuo Jinche was the one orchestrating the matter behind the scenes, and he even managed to eavesdrop on their conversation through the captive ghost.

"Has it been delivered? Did that brat make a move?"

"It has already been delivered, and he did not give chase. Do you suppose he is frightened and dares not make a move?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out. However, if he wishes to save her, he must come alone. Take men to set up an ambush first and wait for my word. In addition, arrange for some men to keep an eye on the Brocade Guards."

Zuo Jinche had never truly taken Xu Feng to heart; what genuinely made him wary were the Brocade Guards. Unaware of Xu Feng's true background—had he known Xu Feng was none other than the Masked Man—he would never have resorted to such a desperate measure and risked his own skin.

After eavesdropping for a short while, Xu Feng recalled the captive ghost.

"I must go outside the city first to verify how many men they have set in ambush, and also ascertain Feng Yumian's condition."

Zuo Jinche had promised the Feng household that he would bring Feng Yumian back safe and sound, meaning he could not possibly mistreat her. Nevertheless, as a precaution, Xu Feng intended to inspect the situation personally.

The courtyard was situated at the foot of a mountain outside the city, surrounded by a small village. Xu Feng's personal arrival would not alarm others; as long as he exercised a little caution to avoid detection, all would be well.

After disguising himself, he successfully approached the location. The exterior of the courtyard was swarming with men arranged by Zuo Jinche, and even the nearby dilapidated temple concealed a dozen or so skilled fighters. It was a blessing that he had come to scout ahead of time; otherwise, he truly would have underestimated the enemy, never expecting Zuo Jinche to be so profoundly cautious this time.

"Martial artist realms no longer pose any threat to me; the captive ghosts in the Emperor's Human Banner can easily handle them. Only those few fellows inside the courtyard are somewhat tricky, but it is not as though I lack the strength to fight them."

aided by the moonlight, Xu Feng finally reached the outer courtyard wall. Aside from Feng Yumian, there were four high-level martial artists remaining inside the courtyard, all meticulously handpicked by Zuo Jinche.

"I want pastries! Hurry up and buy them for me! Let me tell you, my brother-in-law is a Centurion of the Brocade Guards. If you mistreat me, I'll have him chop off your heads to use as wine vessels!"

Before Xu Feng even had a chance to descend from the courtyard wall, he heard Feng Yumian's voice and instantly broke out in dark lines across his forehead. This young lady truly had not changed a bit; even after falling into someone else's hands, she still dared to use him as a threat against others. If it weren't for the fact that her captor happened to be Zuo Jinche, anyone else hearing those words would likely have killed her on the spot.

Seeing that Feng Yumian was full of vigor and still had the appetite to eat, Xu Feng's worries vanished entirely, and he quietly withdrew without a sound.

He did not act rashly to rescue her; he knew nothing of the backgrounds of those few men from Jianfeng Mountain. It was evident that they frequently roamed the pugilistic world, and an aura of slaughter could be felt radiating from them. They had likely claimed quite a few lives with their own hands. Such individuals were bound to be richly experienced, requiring Xu Feng to make proper preparations as well.

He also had to guard against any insidious methods they might employ, such as poison. Those who wandered the pugilistic world constantly kept antidote pills on hand so that they could react immediately if poisoned.

Before rescuing the hostages completely, the Brocade Guards could not make any reckless moves. However, once the rescue was finished, it would be time for the final reckoning.

Having dragged on for so long, he could not afford to gain nothing from the endeavor. Xu Feng decided to notify Crimson Lotus so she could make preparations early.