In the main hall, a tall and composed man stood, exuding an aura of righteousness.
His sharp eyebrows and bright eyes indicated his extraordinary status.
He was none other than Luo Qingcheng’s senior brother, Chen Tanghe.
“Senior brother, you’ve been waiting for a while,” Luo Qingcheng greeted Chen Tanghe, putting away her arrogance.
“It was I who visited unexpectedly.
I hope I didn’t disturb you, junior sister?”
Chen Tanghe was delighted to see his long-lost junior sister.
He looked her up and down, noting how she had grown into a stunning beauty, though this flower was not only thorny but also sharp.
“There are no guests at home, so there’s no disturbance,” Luo Qingcheng replied, leading Chen Tanghe to sit down and making tea for him.
“Actually, I came because I heard some rumors…”
Chen Tanghe’s expression changed as he stared at Luo Qingcheng.
“It’s said that a few days ago, you brought a woman back from Li Jiang Mountain, someone closely related to Gui Po.
Is this true?”
“Yes,” Luo Qingcheng replied nonchalantly, pouring tea leaves into the pot.
“Junior sister, you shouldn’t get involved in this.
Besides, Gui Po’s whereabouts are mysterious.
How can you be sure that person is related to Gui Po?
If this turns into a false accusation, it would disgrace the Luo Family,” Chen Tanghe spoke with conviction, his voice echoing in the hall.
“That person is related to Gui Po, as Bi Xuan Palace has confirmed,” Luo Qingcheng said calmly.
Upon hearing Bi Xuan Palace, Chen Tanghe slammed the table and stood up, shouting, “I’ve told you not to associate with those demonesses!
Why won’t you listen?
They’re deceitful and cunning, and you might be deceived by them!”
“I appreciate your advice, senior brother, but I won’t let Xi Fuhong go.
As long as she’s connected to Gui Po, I won’t let her escape,” Luo Qingcheng ignored her brother’s anger and handed him the brewed tea.
“Why are you so determined to get the Tiger Dragon Cave’s secret treasure?”
Chen Tanghe asked, not drinking the tea, but standing in front of Luo Qingcheng, staring at her.
“Do you remember my background, senior brother?”
Luo Qingcheng spoke softly.
“Eleven years ago, when I was only nine, my parents died protecting the Luo Family’s last whip manual.
The villains not only stole the manual but also slaughtered all thirty-two servants in my family.
My parents hid me in a secret room, and I survived…
But have you ever thought about what it’s like to see your parents’ mutilated bodies and a house full of blood?”
“That’s why I joined Kun Yuan Sect, to learn martial arts and make those villains pay with blood.
Everything taken from the Luo Family, I will reclaim.
Now, there’s one whip manual left, and it’s in Tiger Dragon Cave,” Luo Qingcheng said through gritted teeth, her determination evident to Chen Tanghe.
He had known about Luo Qingcheng’s past for a long time.
The memory of the blood-soaked child kneeling before him and their master, begging to learn martial arts, was still vivid.
“How can you be sure the last Luo Family whip manual is in Tiger Dragon Cave?
The secret treasure has been passed down for generations.
How can you be certain?”
Chen Tanghe hoped his junior sister would stay out of Jianghu affairs.
“So what? Even if it’s just a rumor, I have to try,” Luo Qingcheng’s arrogance was undeniable.
Seeing her determination, Chen Tanghe knew she wouldn’t give up easily.
However, with all the Jianghu sects eyeing Tiger Dragon Cave, letting Luo Qingcheng get involved would only increase the danger.
He couldn’t let his junior sister take such a risk.
Compared to Chen Tanghe’s concern, Luo Qingcheng was resolute.
No matter what, she had to find the last Luo Family whip manual.
“Junior sister, have you gotten any information about Gui Po’s whereabouts from that person?”
He had witnessed Luo Qingcheng’s interrogation skills, knowing that anyone would be in a miserable state.
“Not yet,” she replied, her previous anger replaced by a cold demeanor.
“How about this,” Chen Tanghe suggested after a moment of thought.
“I know your abilities, junior sister. Since that person has been in the Luo Residence dungeon for a while, if you can’t get anything out of her tonight, can you let me take her back to Wu Xun Peak? Once the news spreads, Gui Po might show up.”
Luo Qingcheng remained silent, her dark eyes emotionless as she stared at Chen Tanghe, seemingly contemplating or assessing him.
It was the first time he had been scrutinized like this, and despite being the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, he couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine.
Sometimes, he couldn’t see through the young woman before him, her thoughts more elusive than a needle in the sea.
“If Gui Po cared about her, she would have shown up by now,” she implied that Gui Po had abandoned Xi Fuhong.
“That’s hard to say. In today’s Jianghu, only the Alliance Leader’s word is trusted. If I release the news, Gui Po won’t doubt it. But since you rarely appear in Jianghu, relying on Luo Da Dangjia’s reputation, Gui Po wouldn’t believe it and wouldn’t act rashly,” Chen Tanghe spoke confidently.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Qingcheng knew Chen Tanghe made sense.
As a mere Luo Family, she couldn’t lure out the cunning Gui Po.
But if the news came from the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, it would carry more weight.
However, she was unwilling to show weakness in front of a man or lower her head.
“Are you looking down on me, senior brother?”
Luo Qingcheng glanced at Chen Tanghe.
Chen Tanghe immediately waved his hands, explaining, “You’ve misunderstood, junior sister! I just want to help because I see how hard you’re working. I have no intention of looking down on you!”
“Alright,” Luo Qingcheng stood up, her height almost matching Chen Tanghe’s.
“If I can’t get anything out of her tonight, I’ll leave it to you.”
In the deep night, the dungeon was filled with nothing but loneliness and desolation.
Usually, no one would come to the dungeon at night, as interrogations were always conducted in the evening.
But today, Xi Fuhong had a rare moment of respite because Luo Qingcheng hadn’t come down.
Finally, with a bit of relief, she began to feel the pain all over her body.
Although her wounds had been treated with medicine, they hadn’t had time to heal before new ones were inflicted.
At this moment, the sound of a door opening came from the entrance of the dungeon, and the flickering orange-red candlelight came into view.
The person who arrived was Luo Qingcheng, her face as cold as ice.
“This is the last time I’ll ask you, where is Gui Po?”
she asked bluntly from outside the iron bars.
“…I don’t know,” Xi Fuhong refused to compromise, as Luo Qingcheng had expected.
Originally, she didn’t want to resort to this, but now, tonight was the deadline.
She had to get something out of her.
So Luo Qingcheng decided to threaten Xi Fuhong, using the thing women feared most to intimidate her.
She took a key from her pocket and opened the door.
It was only then that Xi Fuhong noticed there was no servant boy with her, as it was usually the servant boy who opened the door.
A sense of unease welled up in her heart.
“You’ll regret going against me,” Luo Qingcheng said softly as she approached her.
Xi Fuhong trembled all over as she watched Luo Qingcheng pour a bucket of cold water over her head, followed by a second and a third, until all the bloodstains and dirt on her body were washed away.
Only then did Luo Qingcheng return to the shivering Xi Fuhong, who was freezing cold.
With a tug of her hands, the tattered clothes instantly turned into shreds.
“What are you doing?!
Stop!!”
Xi Fuhong exclaimed in shock, frantically twisting her body to try and break free from those jade-like hands.
Luo Qingcheng ignored her, stripping away all the remaining clothes on her upper body.
Under the candlelight, Xi Fuhong’s youthful body, only fifteen years old, was exposed.
Though not yet possessing the voluptuousness of a woman, her tight and smooth skin was captivating.
Due to years of farming, her figure had no excess fat, and her skin was not as fair as that of ordinary girls, but rather a slightly honeyed color, giving her a unique charm.
“Tell me Shi Cuiyan’s hiding place,” Luo Qingcheng said, her fingers resting on Xi Fuhong’s neck.
