Chapter 116: The Rescue

"However, it seems we forgot to ask where Sister Xue Hong and the others were taken," Qin Luo said, her brow furrowing as she turned to Yue Qi.

"That... well, I suppose I was too reckless just now." Yue Qi felt a tinge of embarrassment. He had indeed been provoked by those men and had overlooked the most important question.

"Shall we just grab someone at random and ask?" Qin Luo immediately offered her suggestion.

Yue Qi did not speak for a moment, lowering his head in thought before replying, "That wouldn't be wise. I suspect that Han Zhi and his cohorts have only incited a portion of the high-ranking members to defect. As for the ordinary people in the city, they aren't in a position to choose these leaders; even if they knew something, they would likely choose to protect themselves rather than tell us."

"That is true. Then, Junior Brother, what do you suggest we do?" Qin Luo simply passed the burden of decision-making to Yue Qi, happy to play the role of a bystander.

"Let's do this," Yue Qi mused for a moment. "We will head back the way we came. The common folk shouldn't know that Han Zhi is targeting us, so even if they see us, they shouldn't react. However, if we spot anyone acting suspiciously—well, it won't take much thought to know they belong to Han Zhi’s faction."

Yue Qi was skilled and bold. Returning along the path they had come was dangerous, but he clearly didn't hold Han Zhi's men in high regard. Still, he was hesitant about killing in the city; even if it were to save Xue Hong, it might tarnish his reputation.

Qin Luo nodded. Her two animal companions had wandered off somewhere; according to her, they were too cute, and she worried they might be snatched up if they weren't careful.

Just as they were deciding which way to go, a man approached from ahead. Yue Qi’s heart tightened. He couldn't be certain if this man was one of Han Zhi's subordinates. If he were, it wouldn't matter if he killed him, but if he were an innocent bystander, a rash attack would be a grave misunderstanding. Yue Qi was willing to kill, but he refused to kill an innocent person.

However, as soon as the man spotted Yue Qi and Qin Luo, he froze. A look of realization dawned on his face, and he immediately turned and bolted in the direction he had come.

"He's one of Han Zhi's men! After him!" Yue Qi’s expression turned cold as he urged Qin Luo. They could not let this man reach a crowded area; if others in the city discovered them, and with Xue Hong missing, they would never be able to explain their presence.

"Don't worry, watch this!" Qin Luo smiled lightly, not in a hurry to give chase. With a flick of her mind, the strange beast that had vanished earlier lunged out. Could an ordinary man outrun such a creature? Within a few steps, he was overtaken. Yue Qi followed, only to see the beast preparing to snap its jaws around the man's throat.

"Stop!" Yue Qi shouted. The beast seemed to understand, halting mid-bite and glancing at Yue Qi with suspicion. Yue Qi noticed the creature's gaze wasn't really on him; it had ignored him entirely and was looking toward Qin Luo behind him.

"My 'little puppy' naturally listens to me," Qin Luo said, sauntering over. She gave Yue Qi a proud look before beckoning her "puppy" to follow.

"What a name..." Yue Qi was left speechless. He looked at the man the dog had caught; he was now unconscious on the ground, his face pale and eyes tightly shut, clearly terrified out of his wits.

Yue Qi stepped forward and pressed his thumb into the man's philtrum. The man slowly stirred, but upon seeing Yue Qi, he immediately struggled to stand, his eyes filled with terror.

"Don't move if you want to live," Yue Qi said, pointing his sword at the man. His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling intent.

"I, I, I..." The man’s eyes darted around, clearly searching for a way to deceive Yue Qi. But then he looked past Yue Qi at the heap of corpses on the ground—some cut in half, others decapitated. These men were not weaklings, even by the standards of the camp, yet in this short time, Yue Qi had wiped them out completely.

At this thought, the man slumped in defeat. Sitting on the ground, he said, "Please, Hero, spare my life! Anything I know, I will tell you!"

Yue Qi was slightly taken aback. He noticed that the man didn't seem as terrified as he had expected; instead, he looked utterly dejected, with a hint of guilt. Regardless, Yue Qi pressed on. "Han Zhi is staging a rebellion, isn't he?"

"Yes," the man replied, brief and to the point.

"Where have you locked up Xue Hong and the others?" Yue Qi asked the question that mattered most.

"The Young Mistress?!" The man was startled at the mention of her name, then looked even more dejected. He glanced at Yue Qi, perhaps recalling that it was Xue Hong who had brought them into the camp. "The Young Mistress was taken away by Han Zhi. I don't know where she is..." He hesitated, then added, "But I know where the Old Master is being held. They are all in the dungeon. Others who supported the Old Master have been placed under house arrest by Han Lü."

"Where is the dungeon?" Yue Qi asked directly. Even if he couldn't save Xue Hong immediately, if he could kill Han Lü and rescue her father, it would be a major success.

"I have a map of Fengzhou here. Take it." The man’s expression shifted, but he reached into his tunic and produced a piece of parchment, handing it to Yue Qi.

Yue Qi looked at him in surprise. He had expected to resort to threats, but the man was remarkably cooperative. If not for his hesitation, Yue Qi might have suspected he was a spy planted by Xue Hong’s father.

Yue Qi took the map and examined it. Indeed, the dungeon was located in a government building in the center of the city, likely established to manage this sector before the disaster.

Ignoring the man, Yue Qi signaled for Qin Luo to leave. Suddenly, the man called out to him.

"Hero, wait!"

Yue Qi paused, surprised. Most people would have fled the moment they had the chance.

"Please, tell Xue Hong that I, Qin Baihui, am sorry to her!" The man gritted his teeth. Before Yue Qi could ask anything else, the man pulled a dagger from his tunic and slit his own throat.

Blood splattered everywhere. Yue Qi and Qin Luo exchanged a look of disbelief. "Could this man, Qin Baihui, have been in love with Xue Hong, and felt guilty for betraying her?" Yue Qi wondered aloud.

"That is likely the case," Qin Luo agreed, nodding.

The two quickened their pace. With the map, they avoided the path they had taken earlier, winding through areas with no guards or signs of life.

"This must be it..." They found the mansion, but the perimeter was heavily guarded. Yue Qi doubted he could slip in unnoticed.

"Should we storm it?" Qin Luo suggested.

"No, that won't work!" Yue Qi refused immediately. "If we can find her father quickly, that's fine, but if we don't, Han Zhi and Han Lü will surely use him as a hostage to threaten us. That would put us in a truly dangerous position."

Qin Luo nodded, a lingering fear settling in. "Then how do we get in? The walls aren't high, but there's only one entrance to the dungeon. To get in, we have to kill the guards, and it's hard to do that without attracting attention."

"That's easy," Yue Qi smiled. "We only fear being threatened. If we can find him quickly, we can rescue him immediately. Even if there are many guards outside, it won't be much of a problem for us."

"Well, alright..." Qin Luo felt a bit speechless at Yue Qi's helpless but highly effective plan, but she had to admit it was the best option.

"Right, first we need to get inside. Later, call out your, er, 'puppy,' and have it draw their attention so we can slip in."

"So you were after my puppy all along!" Qin Luo grumbled, though she agreed. She didn't think these worldly people could kill her treasure.

They reached a more secluded area near the wall. It was on the opposite side of the dungeon, so there shouldn't be any guards there.

"We'll circle around to the other side. Have the puppy draw them out from the main gate, then lead them this way," Yue Qi said, outlining the plan. It wasn't foolproof, but if executed well, it should work.

"Let's start!" Yue Qi looked at the sky; it was nearly dusk. This was the best time to strike, as the guards would only grow more vigilant at night.

"Right!" Qin Luo nodded, closing her eyes to send a command. A few minutes later, the sounds of fighting erupted in the distance.

"Good, let's move!" Yue Qi said, estimating the time.