Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 512 511 Revisiting Zhou Xiuqing

By the time they returned to Fallen Cloud City, it was already noon the next day.

The excitement surrounding the treasure hunt hadn't completely died down; as Feng Xiuhu and his companions walked down the street, they could still hear people enthusiastically discussing the topic.

Logically, they should have found a place to catch up on their sleep, but Liu the Philanthropist certainly couldn't fall asleep.

So, to reassure him, Feng Xiuhu led his men directly to the Fengyu Temple.

The high priest Yu Yiqi received them in the tea room in the back hall.

Feng Xiuhu explained the whole story in detail, and finally said, "Fengyu Temple has to help with this. After all, Liu the Great Philanthropist is still paying me a salary. We can't let his money go to waste."

Yu Yiqi stroked his beard and chuckled: "It's rare for the Inspector to speak up, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle it, but I didn't expect it to be so simple—no problem, I'll send a message to Fu Gaogong in Zhenqiu City later, and it would be most appropriate for him to take care of this matter."

Liu Weisen asked anxiously, "Lord Gao Gong, what specific steps can be taken to save my family's ancestral home?"

He spoke too quickly, only realizing afterward that he shouldn't have interrupted, so he hurriedly tried to cover it up: "I... I don't disbelieve in the abilities of Master Gao and Mr. Ma, it's just that the foreigners have the evidence and are in the right, so even the government can't help them..."

Yu Yiqi waved his hand and said, "I remember there is a Fengyu Temple on the mountain where your ancestral home is located. No matter how great the foreigners' reasoning is, can it be greater than that of the goddess? Daring to open up the mountain and mine here is disrespectful to the goddess. I want to see who has the guts."

Liu Weisen was taken aback: "A temple? How come I didn't know there was one on the mountain..."

Yu Yiqi glanced at him and replied indifferently, "Not now, but it will be available in a few days."

Liu Weisen suddenly realized, his eyes filled with joy, and he hurriedly stood up and bowed to Yu Yiqi and Feng Xiuhu: "Thank you, Mr. Ma! I thank you, High Priest, for protecting my ancestral home! From now on, every year, I, Liu, will bring my family to the temple to make offerings."

Feng Xiuhu impatiently pulled Liu Weisen back to sit down, then said to Yu Yiqi, "There's one more thing."

Yu Yiqi straightened his expression and looked at him: "Please speak, sir."

Feng Xiuhu asked, "You are a high-ranking official in charge of temples in Yu'ai Prefecture. You should have a way to directly contact Wanlaiqiu, right?"

Yu Yiqi explained, "My lord, you may not know this, but in cities like Falling Cloud City, which are prefectures of a state, the temples usually have a high priest in charge. However, the high priest is in seclusion for many years, so the person in charge is a high priest."

As if afraid that Feng Xiuhu would misunderstand, he quickly added: "The reason why the Grand Master did not leave the pass to pay homage to you is not because it is impolite, but because the Temple Master had given instructions."

"The Grand Master is no ordinary person, both in terms of status and cultivation. He is someone who rarely shows his face. If he were to suddenly appear because of your visit, it might arouse suspicion. I hope you understand the implications and do not have any ill intentions."

Feng Xiuhu didn't care about that at all and gestured for Yu Yiqi to continue.

Yu Yiqi paused briefly: "As for communicating with the main hall, as you mentioned, this matter must be handled by the Grand Master. Only he is qualified to directly contact the current rotating elder, who will then relay the message to the temple lord."

This whole process was quite troublesome, but it made sense – back in Qianyu City, Feng Xiuhu had asked Xiao Canjiu to call Fancheng, but because the person they were contacting was Gu Zhili, they didn't go through the Elder Protector and the Temple Venerable, which was much simpler than today's situation.

But trouble as it may be, the matter still needs to be addressed.

Feng Xiuhu waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care: "I'm not in a hurry to wait for Lao Wan's reply. Just tell him that I ran into the Duke of Da Guo in Zhenqiu City. At first, I thought he was also here to search for treasure, but I didn't find any trace of him along the way. Perhaps he has other purposes."

"Secondly, the treasure hunt turmoil here was caused by the collusion between the Marriage Temple and the Duchess Wei Su'e. However, we haven't seen the Barefoot Temple make any moves along the way, which I find unusual. If Wan Laiqiu knows anything, have him send someone to deliver a message to me."

Yu Yiqi carefully memorized the message and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely convey your words verbatim."

Feng Xiuhu breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "This couple is really a handful."

Liu Weisen remained silent, while Butler Zhang and Zhang Kuisheng listened in stunned silence—as if they had inadvertently learned some incredible secret.

After finishing their business here, they bid farewell to Yu Yiqi and left the temple.

Standing on the street, it was time for Feng Xiuhu and his two companions to say goodbye to Liu Dashanren.

Liu Weisen looked at Feng Xiuhu with a complicated expression, hesitating to speak.

"Ask whatever you want."

Feng Xiuhu felt sorry for him: "Don't bottle it up."

Liu Weisen took a deep breath and finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long: "Mr. Ma... is your name really Vadracho?"

Fang Youliuchao Feng Xiuhu cast an incredulous look at him: "You really only caught one person and exploited him to death?"

Feng Xiuhu ignored him and said to Liu Weisen, "Actually, I am Ma Er."

Then, pointing to Shunzi and Fang Youliu, he said, "Ye San, Fang Liu."

The name didn't sound quite right, and a hint of confusion flashed in Liu Weisen's eyes. He nodded and said, "Okay, I've got it."

Feng Xiuhu objected, glaring at him and retorting, "No, you haven't heard of it?"

Liu Weisen was taken aback: "Should I have heard of this?"

Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized what was happening and slapped his forehead.

Yes, that's normal—their story hasn't actually reached a very wide audience.

Mountain bandits like Zuan Shanbao are well-informed because they live in the wilderness. Such information is mostly passed down by word of mouth among "like-minded people," and ordinary people, being closed-minded, have little access to it.

The reason Zhou Xiuqing knew this was even simpler—despite appearing to be an ordinary person, she was actually entangled with the Marriage Temple, and in terms of information access, she was no less well-informed than those in the martial arts world.

To put it bluntly, Ma Erye's reputation has only recently been established and has not yet reached the ears of ordinary people in Yu'ai Prefecture.

Feng Xiuhu wanted to show off his large breasts, but he ended up with nothing to show for it.

He rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly: "Never mind if you haven't heard of it, you'll find out in a few days."

Liu Weisen chuckled and tried to cover for him: "Perhaps I am ignorant. Once we return to Zhenqiu City, I will immediately send someone to inquire about it carefully."

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; his words only made Feng Xiuhu more embarrassed—it was as if he were forcing others to admit that he was someone important.

So he turned and left without even saying goodbye.

Shunzi greeted Liu Weisen, then led Fang Youliu to quickly catch up.

Watching the three figures leave, Liu Weisen bowed deeply.

……

Fang Youliu's car was still parked at the car dealership. After walking a short distance, he realized he was going the wrong way.

He quickly walked a few steps to Feng Xiuhu's side and asked, "Where are you going?"

Feng Xiuhu said with a stern face, "There's something I haven't figured out yet."

Fang Youliu was taken aback: "You've only been in Fallen Cloud City for two days, yet you've encountered quite a few things—so what are they?"

Feng Xiuhu slowly spoke: "The reason why the Marriage Temple has its eye on me."

This matter really needs to be clarified; it's like a thorn stuck in Feng Xiuhu's heart, making it impossible for him to ignore it.

However, Fang Youliu happened to be away the day Zhou Xiuqing came to his door, so he didn't know the reason. Shunzi then explained it to him. After listening to Shunzi's explanation, Fang Youliu's expression turned strange.

He said to Feng Xiuhu, “Recently, there are only two major events in Yu’ai Prefecture: one is the treasure of national restoration, and the other is the students uniting to oppose the foreigners. But among the people, you only hear them talking about the treasure, but you don’t hear them talking about the student demonstrations. Do you know why?”

Feng Xiuhu nodded and said, "That's normal. Money can be a powerful motivator. Compared to getting rich, what does the students' march have to do with the common people? Besides, the matchmaker is adding fuel to the fire, so the people's attention will naturally be elsewhere."

"There's another reason, actually."

Fang Youliu shook his head: "The channels for disseminating information about the student demonstrations have been deliberately cut off. The newspaper was ordered by the government to stop publishing news related to 'student demonstrations' and 'opposition to foreigners'—including the essay I wrote in Chayin County."

"The reason why students are handing out flyers all over the streets is because they really have no other choice."

Upon hearing this, even Shunzi felt puzzled: "Spreading rumors about the treasure and organizing student demonstrations were both tactics employed by the Heroines' Society, so why did the government only prohibit one of them?"

Feng Xiuhu, on the other hand, was able to understand things a little better: "You know that both of these things were caused by the Women's Society, but the government doesn't know. So in the eyes of the government, it's not a big deal for ordinary people to go treasure hunting, but it's a huge deal if ordinary people gather together to oppose foreigners—allowing foreigners to develop industry in Xuan Kingdom is the will of the President."

At this point, Feng Xiuhu suddenly paused, then his brows furrowed: "You say..."

"Does the President even know about the existence of the Women's Society?"

If he doesn't know, then there's still room for explanation; but if he does know but doesn't intervene, then it's not a simple matter.

……

Ding-dong-

The doorbell rang again at the No. 3 student dormitory at Chih-Chi State College.

A short while later, Zhou Xiuqing's voice came from inside the door.

She remained wary: "Who is it?"

"Extracurricular tutoring".

Feng Xiuhu kicked the door open.

Zhou Xiuqing was knocked away and fell in the corridor.

She looked up in a panic, and upon recognizing the person, she exclaimed in surprise, "Ma Er!?"

Hearing the commotion, Chen Dejin also rushed out in a panic.

He quickly helped Zhou Xiuqing up, then glared at the three people at the door: "Where did these villains come from! If you want to find clues to the treasure, why are you being so rude? Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you!"

Feng Xiuhu chuckled and waved his hand as he went inside: "Stop flattering yourself. I didn't come here to see you."

Shunzi followed behind and closed the door behind him. He gave Fang Youliu a wink, and Fang Youliu understood. He leaned against the wall and stood guard by the door, quietly drawing runes in his palm in case of emergency.

For every step Feng Xiuhu took forward, Zhou Xiuqing and Chen Dejin took a step back, and in a short while, they had arrived in the living room.

Fruit and pastries were laid out on the coffee table. Feng Xiuhu sat down on the sofa, picked up a pastry and ate it: "Hey you, the one from the marriage temple... what's it called again?"

Shunzi reminded him, "Cheng is worried."

Feng Xiuhu snapped his fingers: "That's right, why doesn't Cheng Zhuiyi live here?"

The voice just fell.

A red shadow loomed over Yu Guangzhong's head—

Shunzi was on guard; he drew his gun, cocked it, and pulled the trigger in one fluid motion.

boom!
The red figure was sent flying, and only then did Feng Xiuhu realize that it was a red veil.

Looking up again, Cheng Zhuiyi was standing on the second-floor railing, but she was now unable to move, her whole body bound together like a rice dumpling by vines.

Feng Xiuhu gestured with his chin at her: "So you're here after all."

Cheng Zhuiyi stood on the high ground and glared angrily at Feng Xiuhu: "Ma Er, we have no grudges against each other, why did you come here to cause trouble?"

Feng Xiuhu grinned and said, "You still have the upper hand. Who was it that tried to use magic to trap me back in Zhenqiu City? Of course, that's not important. What's important is that I have to prove my innocence—I really didn't want to see under your skirt back then."

Cheng Zhuiyi looked ashamed and indignant: "Is this why you came all this way to take revenge?"

"Not really."

Feng Xiuhu lit a cigarette and fiddled with the lighter in his palm.

He gestured for Fang Youliu to release the man, and only after Cheng Zhuiyi came downstairs did he speak, "Actually, I came to inquire about information."

Cheng rubbed his wrist, displeased, and asked, "What are you asking about?"

Feng Xiuhu observed her and Zhou Xiuqing's expressions: "...The matter in the north."

The two women's expressions changed simultaneously, and they subconsciously exchanged a glance.

Zhou Xiuqing couldn't hold back any longer: "You knew everything?"

Feng Xiuhu knew nothing, but he couldn't openly ask, "Are you targeting me because Xu Liansheng spoke ill of me?" So he had to find a pretext to pry them open so he could continue probing.

So he remained noncommittal and continued, "You were the ones who spread the treasure rumors, and you were the ones who organized the student protests. I just don't understand the connection between the two."

"Even now, it seems like we shot ourselves in the foot—people only know about the treasure, but not about the parade, and the idea of ​​hindering foreigners from building factories is utter nonsense. Am I right?"

Seemingly having been hit where it hurt by Feng Xiuhu's words, Chen Dejin, a member of the Self-Consolidate Association, hurriedly retorted: "What do you know? Spreading the treasure rumor was to leave the foreigners with no one to rely on. When a large number of people gather in Duoyun City, that will be the best time for our demonstration. Our Self-Consolidate Association shouldn't be left without a voice. If it weren't for the government..."

Chen Dejin subconsciously looked at Zhou Xiuqing.

Feng Xiuhu smiled slightly: "That's right, isn't your father the Director of the Education Department? Why didn't he help you out? You've worked so hard to plan for so long, but in the end, even the newspapers won't publish your story. Isn't that a waste of time?"

Zhou Xiuqing slowly raised his head and said in a deep voice, "The government office is the President's government office. We oppose foreigners, and the government office will naturally not stand idly by. I expected this."

"I just didn't expect the government to go to such extremes, defying the pressure from numerous schools throughout Yu'ai Prefecture, and going to such lengths to help the foreigners—even the newspapers that should have spoken out for the people have had their voices silenced by the government."

She looked up at Feng Xiuhu: "Otherwise, why do you think I insisted on bringing you into this?"

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback: "You've got the wrong person, haven't you?"

He pointed to Fang Youliu behind him: "He's the reporter."

Cheng Zhuiyi rolled her eyes: "What good is a reporter? We're after your 'bad reputation'."

P.S.: Two chapters combined. I've been busy this month, so updates have been inconsistent. I'm also taking this opportunity to give my brain a break.

(End of this chapter)