The treasure hunters scoured every suspected location of the treasure vault. However, due to the numerous traps and mechanisms at each site, they found no treasure and suffered heavy losses.
"Master, most of the suspected treasure vault locations have been proven false. Only a few remain, and the treasure must be among them."
"Which ones are left?" Feng Mo Ran was painting. He wasn't angry about the recent failures; instead, he calmly focused on his calligraphy and painting, paying no mind to the chaos outside.
"These few places." Tian Hao pointed to the areas circled in red ink on the map and showed them to Feng Mo Ran. Feng Mo Ran glanced at them lazily before returning his gaze to his painting. After just a few strokes, he seemed to recall something, quickly turned his head, and pointed to a specific spot with his brush, asking,
"Is this within the territory of Wuyue Kingdom?"
Tian Hao checked the location Feng Mo Ran indicated. "Reporting to Master, this is indeed within Wuyue Kingdom's territory. However, Wuyue Kingdom is now heavily guarded, and the Scarlet Feather Cavalry is also stationed there. A large-scale search within Wuyue Kingdom will not be easy."
Feng Mo Ran's handsome brows furrowed into a deep line. Wuyue Kingdom. When did Xiao Man start going to Wuyue Kingdom? At the time, he thought Xiao Man was going to Wuyue Kingdom for Nangong Yu. Perhaps he was mistaken. On the surface, she went to Wuyue Kingdom for Nangong Yu, but in reality, she went to investigate whether the former Qin treasure vault was in Wuyue Kingdom!
"Master, what's wrong?" Tian Hao, seeing Feng Mo Ran's face turn ashen, grew nervous. Had he said something wrong?
"Tian Hao, do you think the former Qin treasure vault might have already been emptied?" Feng Mo Ran asked softly. Why had he never considered this question? Xiao Man had already obtained the mechanism box long ago. When she brought out the mechanism box, she likely wanted to test who was coveting it, and for her, the mechanism box was no longer useful!
"Rumor has it that the former Qin treasure vault collected all the world's rare treasures, with countless gold and jewels. To empty it, it would probably require an army to move it all."
"Yes, it would require an army. Isn't the Scarlet Feather Cavalry an army? Wasn't the Scarlet Feather Cavalry hidden in Wuyue Kingdom from the start?"
Tian Hao suddenly realized, "Wuyue Kingdom is the true hiding place of the former Qin treasure!"
Feng Mo Ran suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes filled with madness. He had schemed tirelessly for the contents of the former Qin treasure vault, only for someone to secretly obtain them right under his nose, and he hadn't even realized it!
"A brilliant plan, excellent strategy. You truly are a good disciple that I personally trained!" Feng Mo Ran sneered, "I want to see if she feels the heat holding onto these things!"
"Master, you mean all the items from the former Qin treasure vault are in Xiao Man's hands?"
"Besides her, who else can decipher the former Qin secret texts? Besides her, who else can secretly hide an army without anyone discovering it? When I discovered she had incorporated the Scarlet Feather Cavalry, I thought she was capable and that it would be beneficial for her to absorb Dugu Man's influence as well. Little did I know, all of this was just a facade!"
"Master... are you... are you alright?" Tian Hao, watching Feng Mo Ran descend into a frenzy, felt uneasy. If those things fell into Xiao Man's hands, it wouldn't be easy to retrieve them!
"I am very well, I am excellent!" Feng Mo Ran sneered. "The end of the year is approaching. I must at least give my good disciple a grand gift!"
Tian Hao lowered his head, not daring to meet Feng Mo Ran's gaze. "Please give your orders, Master."
"Go and summon Yan Chi."
Tian Hao quickly sent for Yan Chi. Yan Chi's face was still wrapped in bandages, revealing only his eyes and mouth. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, only desolation, with no trace of life. His empty sleeves fluttered in the wind as he moved.
"What do you need me for?" Yan Chi's voice was hoarse.
"Shangguan Jin, Zhan Tian Que, Xiao Luo, Wen Chang couple – who among these people do you think would cause Xiao Man the most heartache?"
Yan Chi's eyes remained impassive. "She is your disciple, not mine. Ask yourself."
Tian Hao glanced at Yan Chi. This person spoke with such bluntness. Wasn't he afraid that the Master would kill him in a fit of rage? Whenever this happened, Tian Hao greatly admired Yan Chi for his fearlessness in the face of Feng Mo Ran.
"Yes, she is my disciple, so I should ask myself. I think it is Nangong Yu," Feng Mo Ran said slowly. "She always thought she was hiding well, even going so far as to stage a dramatic breakup to distance Nangong Yu. I simply won't let her have her way."
"You want me to kill Nangong Yu?" Yan Chi asked calmly. "You think too highly of me. Even at my peak, I might not be Nangong Yu's match now, let alone with one hand missing."
"Of course, you are no match for Nangong Yu." Feng Mo Ran's smile was exceptionally sinister. "There are quite a few of your former subordinates in the Scarlet Feather Army. Can you still command them?"
"No," Yan Chi said coldly. "I was expelled from the Scarlet Feather Army. Once expelled, no matter how high my former rank was, not even the most insignificant foot soldier in the Scarlet Feather Army would obey my command."
"Did the Scarlet Feather Army find a weakness?"
"If the Scarlet Feather Army could have found a weakness, you wouldn't have been so troubled back then, would you?" Yan Chi stared at Feng Mo Ran and asked slowly.
"That's true. If the Scarlet Feather Army was so easily found a weakness, I wouldn't have taken such a risk. I originally thought that with Dugu Man gone and the Scarlet Feather Army leaderless, they would scatter like loose sand, an easy target. Who knew that after Dugu Man died, the Scarlet Feather Army vanished!"
Thinking back to that event, Feng Mo Ran still found it incredible. Thirty thousand Scarlet Feather troops disappearing overnight. If Tian Hao hadn't found Yan Chi, he wouldn't have known that the Scarlet Feather Army was hidden among ordinary civilians, waiting for the opportune moment to rise again.
"Yan Chi, you will go to Wuyue Kingdom for me." After a moment of silence, Feng Mo Ran made a decision. "I want Wu Lan Na. Can you accomplish this task?"
"Yes."
"Capture Wu Lan Na alive and bring her to me. Previously, Xiao Man massacred three cities in Beirong for Wu Lan Na, forcing Beirong to cede land and pay reparations. Now, I wonder if Xiao Man is willing to exchange the items in her possession for Wu Lan Na's life."
Yan Chi turned to leave. At the doorway, he suddenly stopped. "Oh, by the way, do you know Dugu Man is back?"
Feng Mo Ran's head shot up, looking at Yan Chi. Anger and fear flickered in his eyes. "The dead cannot return!"
"Are you certain she is dead?" Yan Chi turned back, his eyes still filled with a deathly stillness. "The Lycoris radiata has bloomed."