Half a month later.

Chuzheng received a letter from Xi Nan saying that indeed someone had come looking for her. The visitors were dressed oddly, clearly not good people, and they refused to believe Chuzheng was dead and insisted on seeing her.

Chuzheng instructed Xi Nan to find a way to keep them.

Xi Nan received the reply and pondered while touching his chin.

"Young Master Xi Nan, may I ask when your Tower Master will return?"

Xi Nan tucked the letter into his chest and turned to face the speaker: "The Tower Master said she would be back in a couple of days."

"Really?"

Xi Nan patted his chest for assurance. The visitors seemed suspicious, but since they were on someone else’s turf and needed to find the Tower Master downstairs, they had to endure for now.

"Are you still staying at the inn?" Xi Nan asked proactively.

The opposite party nodded.

"How about this, I’ll arrange a place for you to stay. The Tower Master will be back soon; this will be more convenient."

The visitors scrutinized Xi Nan, trying to discern his intention.

Unfortunately, Xi Nan appeared extremely sincere, honestly facilitating their meeting with the Tower Master without showing any odd behavior.

After hesitating for a moment, the visitors said, "Then it’s all up to Young Master Xi Nan."

"No trouble at all, since you are guests." Xi Nan smiled and called someone to arrange their accommodations.

Once the arrangements were made, Xi Nan spat silently and summoned a Lou Zhong: "Go handle something."

-

Night fell.

The guests at Fengman Building found themselves tied tightly to chairs, lined up neatly, with none missing.

Even the two who were supposed to stay outside just in case were brought back.

"What are you doing?"

In the dim room, a chair was set opposite. Xi Nan sat with his legs crossed like a bandit.

"Awake?" Xi Nan put his legs down: "The Tower Master wants me to keep you, so I have to inconvenience you first."

They were both shocked and furious: "You..."

Inner Strength?

Why couldn’t they use their Inner Strength!!

Not only couldn’t they use Inner Strength, but every part of them felt soft and tender, with no strength at all.

"What have you done to us?"

"Relax, just a bit of medicine to keep you from fighting." Xi Nan chuckled: "You see, we at Fengman Building are not skilled in combat. If a fight breaks out, we will surely lose, so we have to use clever tactics."

Clever tactics?

And you call this low-grade method clever?

"Rest well now."

Xi Nan got up and left, the door closed, and the room was plunged into silence.

"What do we do now?"

"Let’s try to untie ourselves."

Getting loose was impossible; they were tied up like mummies, the ropes nearly encasing them entirely.

How the heck could they move?

A bunch of them struggled for half the night, and instead of getting free from the ropes, they ended up exhausted.

For several days, aside from being given food, they didn’t see anyone else.

Tied up for so many days, enduring being fed medication daily to prevent their escape, it was evident how frustrated they were.

"How long do you plan to keep us tied up?"

"Until the Tower Master returns. Didn’t you want to see the Tower Master?" The Lou Zhong who brought water looked puzzled: "Don’t you want to see the Tower Master anymore?"

Everyone: "..."

-

Another half month passed.

Chuzheng returned to Fengman Building with Man Yue, accompanied by Hui Chun.

"Tower Master."

"Greetings, Tower Master."

"Thank goodness, Tower Master, you are back."

Chuzheng set Man Yue down, though Man Yue showed no inclination to get off her arms, wrapping his arm around Chuzheng’s neck and leaning his head on her shoulder.

Everyone: "..."

The scene looked rather odd.

Young Man, do you misunderstand your height?!!

Chuzheng seemed accustomed to it and sent him off to his room first.

After settling Man Yue, Chuzheng went to see the group.

Having been locked up for nearly half a month, they were quite despondent. Seeing a stranger enter, they immediately perked up.

Xi Nan eagerly brought a chair for Chuzheng, who settled down, crossing her legs casually.

Chuzheng feigned indifference: "Why are you looking for me?"

The girl just sat there idly, yet it felt like she was seated on a throne, exuding an aura of dominance.

One of them hesitated and asked: "Are you the Landlord Fong?"

"You came looking for me without even knowing what I look like? That’s too unprofessional!! What if you find the wrong person!!

"..."

The information they had received didn’t quite match what they saw.

The person lowered their eyes and said: "Landlord Fong, why did you have us tied up?"

Chuzheng: "Since you mean no good, why shouldn’t I tie you up?"

"..." Their mouth twitched slightly: "How did Landlord Fong determine we meant no good? We came to visit properly; is this Fengman Building’s way of treating guests?"

"Of course, guests wouldn’t be treated like that, but are you guests?" A bunch of fools trying to deceive me, calling themselves guests.

"Landlord Fong..."

"Don’t waste time, say what you came for, or I’ll send you on your way."

"..."

"Three, two, one..."

Chuzheng waved her hand, and Lou Zhong swiftly stepped forward, gripping one of them and forcing a pill into his mouth.

After taking the pill, the person’s face turned blue, foaming at the mouth and convulsing, then went motionless.

The others glared furiously at Chuzheng: "You..."

Chuzheng sat expressionlessly, coldly watching as Lou Zhong continued feeding the next one.

Finally, unable to hold back, the initial person shouted: "Doesn’t Landlord Fong want to know her true lineage?"

"True lineage?" Here it comes, finally the main topic.

"Yes, Landlord Fong, your mother is not a common person. We came to find you for this reason."

Chuzheng’s fingers curved slightly, resting her chin, and she said nonchalantly: "You wouldn’t have me return to inherit the family business, would you?"

"..."

From a certain perspective, they indeed would.

That person immediately replied: "We’ve been tasked to find you, hoping you will return to the real family. We are your clan."

"Clan?"

"Yes, if you don’t believe us, we have tokens to show you."

"I believe." After all, I have a plot to follow, how could I not believe?

Chuzheng’s response caught them off guard, how could she just believe?!

Perplexed inside, the person continued: "We came this time to bring you back."

"There’s no need; I’m not interested." Who wants to go back to die with you?! Am I stupid?!! Chuzheng paused: "I have something to ask you."

Everyone: "???"

"Lingzhou Clan, wiped out by you?"

The Man Clan? The one recently spreading through the martial world incessantly?

"What does this have to do with us?"

"Indeed, I’m asking you if you did it?"

"No."

Chuzheng signaled Lou Zhong, who had paused in administering the medicine, to continue forcing pills into their mouths.

Lou Zhong was swift, and in moments, two more were foaming at the mouth, uncertain if dead or alive.