PFC Chapter 219 Cleaning up the portal
Chapter 219 Cleaning up the portal
Several corpses lay scattered in the courtyard; judging from their clothing, they were likely employees of the butcher shop.
But their identities are clearly not as simple as just being employees!
"Sect Master, over here!"
The guard in blue robes whispered something and continued to lead the way.
Soon, Duan Zhengchun and Lin Zhiyuan slowly walked into a side room, where they saw a middle-aged man with a full beard kneeling on the ground, his body covered in obvious wounds. Two guards in blue robes stood on either side of the middle-aged man, with two swords held against his neck.
It's clear that this person is the owner of this butcher shop.
When did you submit to the Mongol Tartars?
Duan Zhengchun pulled up a chair and sat down opposite the middle-aged man, asking a question casually.
It is clear that this middle-aged man is Han Chinese and not from Mongolia.
The middle-aged man frowned, staring intently at Duan Zhengchun without uttering a single word, seemingly determined to remain defiant to the end.
Seeing that the middle-aged man did not answer, Duan Zhengchun was not angry, but simply raised his hand to signal.
Immediately afterwards, one of the guards in blue robes flipped his wrist and cut off the middle-aged man's ear without hesitation!
"what!"
A piercing wail instantly echoed in the room. The middle-aged man, clutching his wound, stared at Duan Zhengchun with a pale face.
"I can torture you in a hundred ways until you talk. Your life is now in my hands. If I let you live, you won't die; if I let you die, you won't live for even a moment!"
Duan Zhengchun stared coldly into the middle-aged man's eyes and said expressionlessly.
"Six months ago..."
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then finally gave up resisting and slowly answered.
"Why would a Han Chinese like us choose to be a dog for the Mongol barbarians?"
Duan Zhengchun narrowed his eyes and continued to ask.
"A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. This world will eventually belong to the Mongols. The Song emperor is incompetent and corrupt, and treacherous officials are in power. It should have been changed long ago!"
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and said without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun frowned and fell silent, for the middle-aged man was right.
The fact that this middle-aged man could see through this shows that he was no ordinary person, at least not just an ordinary shopkeeper hiding in a butcher shop in this small town.
Perhaps before becoming the manager, he was a man with great ambitions, but he was born at the wrong time and ended up here.
Do you know Zhao Zhijing?
After a long silence, Duan Zhengchun spoke again.
"So you're from the Quanzhen Sect. It seems he's been exposed too?"
“That’s right. He has already defected to the Mongols. He came to the butcher shop a few days ago, hoping to contact Bianliang through me. But I didn’t agree. As a pawn, one can only wait for the master to make contact. A pawn has no right to do so.”
Upon hearing Duan Zhengchun utter the name "Zhao Zhijing," the middle-aged man seemed to immediately understand something. Without waiting for Duan Zhengchun to ask further questions, he proactively told him everything.
"Very good. Remember what you just said. When we get to Chongyang Palace, repeat everything you just said."
Duan Zhengchun nodded in satisfaction, said something indifferently, and got up to walk outside.
Two guards in blue uniforms immediately helped the middle-aged man to his feet and quickly followed.
After leaving the butcher shop, Duan Zhengchun immediately mounted his horse and returned to Chongyang Palace overnight.
Lin Zhiyuan led the middle-aged man into a carriage, and followed closely behind under the escort of the Qingyi Guards.
Duan Zhengchun did not send anyone to call Xiao Shiqi, who was sleeping in the inn, because he knew that a fight between fellow disciples was inevitable and he did not want Xiao Shiqi to experience it.
...
An hour later.
Inside the main hall of Chongyang Palace, Qiu Chuji summoned everyone together. All five Quanzhen disciples were present, and the area outside the hall was packed with people.
No one knows what happened.
"Master, what happened? Why did you summon everyone here in the middle of the night?"
"Could it be that Zhiyuan and Xiaoshiqi have some news?"
Hao Datong rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at Qiu Chuji with a puzzled expression.
Qiu Chuji scanned the crowd and announced loudly, "It is indeed related to Zhiyuan and Xiao Shiqi. With Zhiping's assistance, the two of them have been successfully rescued and returned to the mountain gate unharmed!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief and smiled happily.
"But do you know who arrested them, or why they were arrested?!"
Looking at the jubilant crowd, Qiu Chuji spoke again.
Upon hearing this, everyone present looked at Qiu Chuji again, their faces full of doubt and confusion.
However, those who are observant have already guessed that this matter is not as simple as it seems!
Qiu Chuji said nothing more, slowly sat down in the chair, and ignored everyone.
Just as the five Quanzhen disciples were about to ask a few questions, footsteps suddenly sounded, and then Duan Zhengchun led Lin Zhiyuan slowly out of the back hall.
"Zhiyuan?! Zhiyuan is really back!"
"Senior Brother Yin is back too! Thank goodness for him!"
Upon seeing the two appear, the disciples outside the hall clapped and cheered, and discussions arose.
"Zhiping, what exactly happened?"
Hao Datong glanced at Qiu Chuji, who was sitting silently in the chair, and looked at Duan Zhengchun with a puzzled expression.
Qiu Chuji's words just now left everyone puzzled.
"The people who kidnapped Zhiyuan were江湖人士 (jianghu figures) under the command of the Mongol royal court. They used despicable methods to drug Zhiyuan and Xiao Shiqi, and then captured them and handed them over to the garrison commander of Bianliang."
"I have already been to Bianliang. I have killed the garrison commander there, but before he died, he confessed that someone in the Quanzhen Sect betrayed Zhiyuan and Xiao Shiqi, exchanging the position of sect leader for a promise to become the dogs of the Mongol Tartars!"
Duan Zhengchun clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Five Masters of Quanzhen, raised his voice, and said loudly.
These words caused an uproar, and everyone's face showed an expression of utter shock.
"Who is it?! Who dares to be so indiscriminate in right and wrong, colluding with the Mongol Tartars?!"
Hao Datong was the first to fly into a rage, loudly demanding an answer.
Duan Zhengchun slowly turned around and looked at Wang Chuyi, whose expression was somewhat solemn, and said coldly, "Uncle-Master Wang, where is your beloved disciple?"
Wang Chuyi's expression changed drastically, and he said in a deep voice, "What beloved disciple? Which one are you talking about?!"
"It's Senior Brother?!"
"Huh? How could it be Senior Brother?!"
"Senior Brother Yin just said that person is after the position of sect leader, so it can only be Senior Brother!"
Before Duan Zhengchun could speak, whispers and murmurs arose outside the hall, giving the answer for him.
"Nonsense! Zhijing would never betray his sect!"
Wang Chuyi's face turned bright red, and he immediately retorted loudly.
“Junior brother, this matter is of great importance. Since you are certain it is not Zhijing, then let him come out for a face-to-face confrontation. Where is he?”
At this moment, Liu Chuxuan also slowly stood up and looked at Wang Chuyi with a solemn expression.
Wang Chuyi frowned and hesitated, saying, "I don't know either. He clearly came here with me just now..."
He genuinely didn't know, because although Zhao Zhijing had come here with him, he quietly slipped away right after Qiu Chuji finished speaking, without attracting anyone's attention.
He's here!
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall, followed by more than ten women in green robes carrying long swords. They were also holding two people carrying bundles on their backs, namely Zhao Zhijing and Lu Qingdu.
"let me go!"
"open!"
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhao Zhijing and Lu Qingdu looked solemn and began to struggle, but the woman in green ignored them and forced them to kneel in the center of the hall.
"Insolence! Who are you?! How dare you be so disrespectful to my disciples! What kind of behavior is this?!"
"Men, seize them!"
Upon seeing this, Wang Chuyi immediately looked displeased and loudly gave an order.
As soon as these words were spoken, several disciples rushed in from outside the hall, making a move to attack the dozen or so guards in blue robes.
"Get out!"
Sitting in his chair, Qiu Chuji sternly rebuked him, his face expressionless.
At this command, the disciples hurriedly lowered their heads and left the main hall, and the scene fell silent.
"They are my people. If it weren't for them, some guilty thieves would probably have already taken advantage of the chaos to escape!"
"Could it be that Uncle-Master Wang knew everything from the very beginning?!"
"Do you know what he's done?! Is he trying to take advantage of his seniority and protect a traitor?!"
At this moment, Duan Zhengchun slowly took two steps forward, coldly looked at Wang Chuyi, and asked in a deep voice...