The Demon Lords

Lord Zheng has always been involved in the military, never the street life.

The Sword Saint coughed lightly, not responding. He was part of the street life, but his version of it differed from that of ordinary people roaming the streets.

At this moment, the princess spoke: "The Lotus Gang is primarily a sect focused on gathering secrets and intelligence. It originated from Lotus Pass, hence the name."

Lotus Pass isn’t a place name, but rather a local art form similar to the "Fengyang Flower Drum" that Lord Zheng knows—essentially a touring performance troupe, but they narrate stories from all over instead of singing and dancing.

It originated in the Qian State, initially running a business of storytellers in teahouses. At its peak, the storytellers in the teahouses of the imperial capital were mostly from the Lotus Sect. Even if you weren’t born into the sect, you needed their approval to work as a storyteller.

Unfortunately, during the change of reigns in the previous Qian Emperor’s era, the then Sect Leader of the Lotus Sect was used by a prince to help promote him through the sect’s storytellers. When that prince failed to ascend the throne, the new emperor detested the Lotus Sect.

This was inevitable, as anyone ascending the throne would understand the importance of controlling public opinion.

Under the Qian State court’s suppression, the Lotus Sect rapidly declined, losing its foundation in Qian State, and its core members were arrested and imprisoned by the Silver Armored Guard. The remaining few sought refuge in the Cloud Country to continue their legacy.

With its tarnished reputation in Qian State, other countries were not foolish enough to let it regain strength within their borders. Without their grassroots strategy, the Lotus Sect ventured into offering high-end intelligence and celebrity privacy, becoming a clandestine sect similar to those in the street life.

"What is your purpose here?"

Lord Zheng asked.

The drunkard quickly said, "To explore historic sites and pay respects to the sages."

Lord Zheng nodded,

and said:

"What is your purpose here?"

The drunkard hesitated,

clearly undergoing an internal struggle, and soon, he bit his lip,

and said:

"I dare not deceive you, my lord. I was hired by someone unknown to come to Li Tian City to investigate the mystery surrounding the death of the late Lord Jingnan’s wife."

Zheng Fan’s eyes

instantly turned cold.

Fushun Ear immediately kowtowed three times,

crying out:

"My lord, I genuinely don’t know who hired me. The client paid the deposit through an intermediary and never showed their face. I have no intention of hiding anything for them, nor do I have such integrity. I honestly don’t know."

Fushun Ear’s honesty was evident from his observations, as he understood that the Lord Pingye before him, although seemingly good-natured, was the type who could smile while snapping your neck.

Meanwhile, Lord Zheng sat back down in his chair.

Heading to the imperial capital, only for someone to involve the Lotus Gang in investigating Dujuan’s death, meant there was an undeniable connection which Lord Zheng refused to ignore.

Beyond his words, Fushun Ear’s ability to "read the room" also indicated his proficiency within the Lotus Sect.

But this precisely made Lord Zheng uneasy,

as it was clear,

that it couldn’t have been Lord Jingnan sending someone to contact Fushun Ear.

Thus,

it implied that someone sought to exploit the reason behind Dujuan’s death after so long to stir trouble.

Yet discovering who was orchestrating things from behind the scenes remained elusive,

but Zheng Fan believed in Fushun Ear’s honesty.

The person attempting to exploit the situation would dare not reveal themselves,

as exposure would bring the wrath of the Jingnan army and Lord Jingnan himself.

The Sword Saint pointed to a clerk,

and said:

"He is a person from the Back Mountain."

The Back Mountain, Qian State’s Back Mountain, once the training ground of Master Zang.

The clerk wore a wry smile, kneeling, and said:

"I am Liu Yang, my master was from the Back Mountain. After committing a crime and leaving, he took me as a disciple in the Cloud Country. I am a Cloud Country native."

The implication being he had no ties to the Qian State.

Moreover, if secrecy had been intended, it wouldn’t have been necessary to employ a Qi refinist who had trained at the Back Mountain.

Fushun Ear remained kneeling, awaiting Lord Zheng’s inquiry.

Inquiring about his findings;

Yet Lord Zheng never pressed him,

simply sitting there.

He sat for a long time,

until the sound of hoofbeats could be heard outside, as Gao Yi led thirty riders to support them.

"My lord."

Gao Yi saw the carriage and dismounted to enter the tavern.

Lord Zheng stood up and said:

"Take them all."

As he said this,

he looked towards Fushun Ear and the clerk, saying:

"Tie them up."

Fushun Ear quickly responded, breathing a sigh of relief.

The clerk hesitated, but eventually did not resist, letting himself be bound hand and foot.

Elsewhere, the three members of the clandestine sect, still unconscious, were also taken back.

Zheng Fan would entrust the blind man to deal with them.

Exiting the tavern,

he glanced up the road leading to the mountain.

He had planned to visit the pavilion on the mountain today, but those plans were squandered, losing interest.

On the journey home,

the carriage rocked gently.

The princess softly wiped Lord Zheng’s neck with a damp cloth, quietly asking:

"My husband, why didn’t you question Fushun Ear?"

"Because it’s unnecessary."

"Didn’t you tell me before, my husband, that you haven’t fully understood the matter of Lord Jingnan’s wife either?"