Martial Arts Secret Realm: Only I Can Know the Plot?

The news of Chu Huai'an's release spread quickly throughout Jingzhou City.

Some say the Shen family bullied others, forcibly snatching the person from Ling Tuisi's hands. Others say Ling Tuisi had no evidence to begin with, and after endless interrogation, he couldn't get anything out of them, so he had no choice but to release the person. Still others say that a passing scholar intervened and rescued this poor soul.

Sun Fan ignored these discussions.

However, he has already achieved his goal. At present, in the eyes of the local families in Jingzhou, Sun Fan seems to be on the opposite side of Ling Tuisi.

In reality, his relationship with Ling Tuisi was not like that.

He was preparing to do something even more important—to throw out an even bigger bait in front of Ling Tuisi.

The study of the Ling family mansion.

Ling Tuisi sat in the armchair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, a rhythm faster than usual. This was a sign of his impatience.

"Young Master Sun," he began, his voice neither warm nor cold, "I have done as you wished regarding Chu Huai'an's matter. Do you have any further requests?" He hoped to obtain information about the Shen family, but he did not want Sun Fan to push his luck.

Sun Fan stood before the desk, neither humble nor arrogant: "Lord Ling, I have not come here today for Chu Huai'an."

"Oh?" Ling Tuisi raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it for?"

Sun Fan remained silent for a while, as if he was carefully considering his words.

"Lord Ling, have you ever heard of—The Legend of Liancheng?"

Ling Tuisi's fingers stopped.

The entire study was so quiet that you could hear the candle flame popping.

"What did you say?" Ling Tuisi's voice was very low, as if it were being squeezed out of his throat.

Sun Fan didn't repeat himself, but just looked at him quietly.

Ling Tuisi stared at him for a long time, her eyes changing several times—first shock, then wariness, and finally a deep, almost overflowing greed.

"Do you know Liancheng Jue?" he asked, his voice still low, but with a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

"I know some things," Sun Fan said. "Not all of them, but more than most people."

Ling Tuisi slowly leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrests again, but this time the rhythm was slow, as if he was thinking about something.

Why are you telling me this?

Sun Fan smiled and said, "Because I am a scholar. What scholars want is different from what people in the martial arts world want."

What do you want?

"A future," Sun Fan said. "Lord Ling is the prefect of Jingzhou, and he has connections and influence in the court. I have studied diligently for more than ten years, not to be a wandering scholar for the rest of my life."

"I need a starting point, a very high starting point."

Ling Tuisi did not answer immediately.

He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, but his eyes never left Sun Fan's face.

"How long have you known about Liancheng Jue?"

"It's been many years," Sun Fan said. "My ancestors had some connection with the great master Mei Niansheng. When Master Mei was alive, he mentioned some things to my grandfather. I was young then and don't remember much. But some things I've remembered for a lifetime."

Ling Tuisi's hand paused slightly.

"What do you mean, 'remembered for a lifetime'?"

"The Liancheng Secret is actually Emperor Liang Yuan's treasure." Sun Fan lowered his voice.

Ling Tuisi's pupils contracted slightly.

He put down his teacup, stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Sun Fan.

"Do you know where it's hidden?"

"I don't know," Sun Fan shook his head, "but I do know that there is one person who might know."

"Who?"

"Ding Dian".

Ling Tuisi turned around and stared at him.

How do you know Ding Dian?

Sun Fan remained calm: "I have naturally investigated as well. The last person that Master Mei Niansheng contacted was Ding Dian. This is not exactly a secret in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, Ding Dian's whereabouts are now unknown."

"But besides Ding Dian, there might be someone else who knows as well."

Ling Tuisi remained silent for a long time.

The sound of a night watchman's drum came from outside the window; it was past midnight.

Ling Tuisi didn't speak, but Sun Fan noticed that his fingers were slightly clenched inside his sleeve.

"My father once told me that the great hero Mei Niansheng had three disciples. The eldest, Wan Zhenshan, was known as the Five Cloud Hands. He is still in this Jingzhou City. Unfortunately, he did not receive the true teachings of the great hero Mei."

"The second disciple, Yan Daping, has the highest talent in martial arts, but he is too clever by nature. Master Mei once frankly admitted that he was afraid that Yan Daping would go astray, so he did not pass on his mantle to him."

"The third disciple, Qi Changfa, is honest and kind. Although his martial arts talent is not as good as his second senior brother's, he is hardworking and down-to-earth. Master Mei once intended to pass on his mantle to him."

"But when my father was young, he had some knowledge of face reading and once told me that Qi Changfa was only superficially honest, with deep-set eyes and a protruding head. I was afraid that his honesty was just a disguise and that he actually had a rebellious streak."

"Unfortunately, while he was still debating whether or not to warn Master Mei, Master Mei had already disappeared."

"After Master Mei disappeared, his second and third disciples also disappeared. Only the eldest disciple, Wan Zhenshan, came to Jingzhou, opened a shop, and cleared himself of suspicion."

"Among these second and third disciples, if anyone still has clues about the Liancheng Jue treasure, then I think that person must be Qi Changfa."

Ling Tuisi raised an eyebrow. Sun Fan was right.

He himself learned about the Liancheng Jue treasure from Wan Zhenshan.

Wan Zhenshan also made similar speculations.

So he asked, "Do you know Qi Changfa's whereabouts?"

Sun Fan shook his head: "However, I know how to find Qi Changfa's whereabouts."

Sun Fan walked to the desk, picked up a pen, wrote two words on a piece of paper, and pushed it in front of Ling Tuisi.

Ling Tuisi looked down and saw "Di Yun".

"Di Yun?" He frowned. "The prisoner next door to that kid surnamed Chu?"

"Yes," Sun Fan said. "Does Lord Ling know Di Yun's background?"

Ling Tuisi thought for a moment: "I heard he's a disciple of Wan Zhenshan, and he was imprisoned for some offense. The details weren't reported by his subordinates."

"He is not Wan Zhenshan's disciple," Sun Fan shook his head. "He is Qi Changfa's disciple."

Ling Tuisi's hand trembled violently.

Wan Zhenshan lied to him about this matter.

Wan Zhenshan only said that this kid had offended them and hoped that Ling Tuisi would help to make things worse, but he didn't mention that this person was Qi Changfa's disciple.

Qi Changfa's disciples came to Jingzhou, but what about Qi Changfa himself?

Thinking of this, he tapped the table even faster.

"Lord Ling, have you figured it out?" Sun Fan looked at his expression and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "No one knows what Qi Changfa actually got from Mei Niansheng back then. But he must have gotten something—otherwise, he wouldn't have disappeared for so many years."

Ling Tuisi paced around the study for a few steps, then suddenly stopped.

"You mean, use Di Yun as bait to lure Qi Changfa out?"

"It's not just Qi Changfa," Sun Fan said. "Wan Zhenshan, Yan Daping, everyone connected to Liancheng Jue will fall for it. Each of them has a clue, and when put together, it's the complete Liancheng Jue."

He paused, then said, "And this is an opportunity."

Ling Tuisi stared at him for a long time.

"You want me to release Di Yun?"

"It's not about letting him go," Sun Fan shook his head, "it's about letting him 'escape'."