The male supporting character was actually myself.

On one hand, she was grateful for his help in securing her father's position as leader of the alliance; on the other hand, she resented his eagerness to marry her and break up her relationship with her sweetheart; and she even had a restless urge to confess her feelings and beg him to let her go...

While his newlywed wife was worrying all night, the handsome new head of the Luo family, Luo Junfei, also stayed by his father's sickbed all night, his face full of sorrow and unable to sleep at all.

"Junfei, you should go back to your room and rest."

Luo Pei, who had been unconscious for a long time, slowly woke up. He knew that his son was guarding him again when he saw his son's bloodshot eyes. He struggled to get up, coughed a few times and spat out a mouthful of blood. He said weakly, "What kind of thing is it to leave your newlywed wife in the house? My body is already like this. Even if you guard me day and night, what good will it do?"

Luo Junfei's nose tingled with emotion, and he forced back his grief as he comforted his father, "Father, you don't need to worry about your son. Ru Meng is not the kind of woman who doesn't understand the bigger picture. She can understand my filial piety as a son."

On the contrary, you suddenly fell ill... and something happened with Doctor Shangguan, so I'm afraid we can't contact him and he won't be able to come in time. The other doctors prescribed a lot of medicine, but it hasn't helped..."

"As the saying goes, illness strikes like a landslide. Years of traveling the world have taken their toll on many hidden ailments. I'm probably exhausted from arranging your wedding and dealing with those massacres."

After catching his breath, Luo Pei hurriedly made arrangements for his last affairs, saying, "In the past two years, I have personally witnessed how well you have managed the manor. Now that you have married the woman you were betrothed to since childhood, I have no worries about you."

It's just the same...

He glanced out the window with his slightly cloudy eyes and, noticing no one was nearby, lowered his voice and said, "At the beginning of last year, I sent a batch of supplies to Wuliang Island in the South China Sea via my trusted confidants."

In fact, they secretly smuggled in a lot of collected information and asked Elder Chang Shuyao of the Wuliang Sect to authenticate it.

She was incredibly knowledgeable and lived in a relatively civilized and free place like Dragonflame Island, so she had a deep understanding of demonic and cult matters. I've always felt there was more to the story than meets the eye during the Battle of Bluewater Fortress!

"Blue Water Fortress?" Luo Junfei looked blank. "Isn't that a cult from many years ago..."

"No!" Luo Pei said firmly, "Back then, I met the Three Heroes of the Red Courageous Martial World. They were upright and honorable people, definitely not members of any evil cult. The claim that they found some nonsense about a demonic cult, and that a group of people are accusing them, is absolutely a frame-up!"

It's just that the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. Bluewater Fortress possesses enviable wealth but lacks a deep enough foundation, making it easy to bully.

He spoke indignantly, then coughed a few times and, with his son's help, it took him a while to catch his breath before he could continue. "About thirty years ago, a treasure map suddenly appeared in the martial arts world, causing quite a stir."

There are countless treasure hunters.

At that time, I was only in my early twenties, a time of high spirits and boundless curiosity. With the help of your grandfather's old subordinates, I also obtained a treasure map, and then I took a few people to join in the fun.

Treasure maps are a mix of real and fake; nobody knows which are genuine and which are fake. Everyone thinks theirs is the real one. Some go into the mountains, some go out to sea, and some even descend into ancient tombs. I was lucky enough to get a real map, but the journey was fraught with difficulties. People around me died or were injured, and in the end, I was the only one left.

When they were in danger and almost died in the poisonous forest, they met the Three Heroes of the Red Guards.

They saved me and led me, injured as I was, to a treasure hidden deep in a mountain. There were indeed many, many gold and silver treasures. The eldest, Lin Qitian, said that since the four of them found it together, it should be divided equally among the four, and the other two had no objections.

We're not short of money, and I've seen a bit of the world.

Those gold and silver treasures were indeed valuable, but to me they meant nothing. Therefore, I opposed dividing the treasure and only asked that they take me away from the deep mountains and forests teeming with wolves and tigers. It was from that time that I became friends with the Three Heroes of the Red River. Even Bluewater Fortress was a place I secretly helped them take over, and I hired skilled craftsmen to design and build it.

As the saying goes, money should not be flaunted, and we all know this well, so we never mentioned the treasure.

But secrets don't stay hidden forever. Perhaps one of them told their wives and children, or perhaps someone was simply envious of their acquired wealth, or perhaps they disapproved of their chivalrous deeds and secretly offended a villain.

Who knows? Anyway, Bluewater Fortress, though not deeply rooted and wealthy, suddenly became a target.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Entrustment

Luo Pei gazed at the gloomy sky outside the window, his eyes seemingly traveling through time to see the scene from back then.

He sighed heavily and continued, "You didn't experience that crazy era. Any slight movement of evil cults or heretics could have led to annihilation."

Rumors are rampant in the martial arts world.

Some say that treasures and demonic manuals were unearthed during the construction of Blue Water Fortress; some say that the Three Heroes of Red Courage obtained the true teachings of demonic arts; others say that they secretly plotted against each other, deliberately stirring up trouble in the martial arts world and using human lives to cultivate bizarre martial arts.

In any case, all voices speaking out for them were suppressed.

Even I was beaten by your grandfather and confined to the house, not allowed to see anyone, and had no chance to escape. By the time I was able to go out, Blue Water Fort had become a ruin. I heard that the eldest brother, Lin Qitian, was hacked to death; the second brother, Yu Xian, was captured, his hands and feet were broken, his tongue was cut out, and his head was displayed in public; the third brother, Huo Xinde, suffered the most tragic fate, his whole family was doused with oil and burned alive.

It is said that his defiant roars terrified everyone present, and even after a long time, as he burned to a human-shaped charcoal, no one dared to approach and investigate.

Luo Junfei felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about that horrific scene.

Watching their entire family being burned alive must be incredibly devastating. What's even more chilling is that those they once helped, even those they considered close friends, turned on them with their knives, and to this day they are branded as evil cultists and cannot escape their stigma.

Do the restless, wronged souls wail and roar day and night above the ruins of Bluewater Fortress?

"What's done is done, and the people are gone. I have no outlet for my anger, and I can't even speak out for my saviors in public. So all I can do is wait."

When Luo Pei got excited, his face turned an unnatural red. He breathed heavily and tried to lower his voice, saying, "Son, this is the thing that I've worried about the most in my life."

For many years I endured humiliation and pretended to be indifferent to the Blue Water Fort incident, but in reality I secretly plotted for a long time before obtaining many pieces of evidence from the Blue Water Fort incident and sending them to people for authentication.

Perhaps... I won't live to see that day.

My dear Junfei, you must remember this well, but never reveal your feelings to anyone. You can't see into someone's heart!

If news of Dragon Flame Island in the South China Sea ever reaches you, you must investigate it thoroughly.

If it's fake, we need to investigate who framed them;

If all those things match up, and I believe in the innocence of the Three Heroes of the Red Courage, then there must be someone from the demonic path lurking in the Central Plains who could frame Blue Water Fortress without missing a single one.

Find him!

Perhaps by then we'll learn the inside story of the recent massacre that's been making headlines. This is our duty as the leading family in the martial arts world!

"Father, I remember. Don't worry, I will definitely find out the truth and clear the name of all the wronged souls of Blue Water Fortress!" Luo Junfei solemnly promised, then asked, "Since the Three Heroes of Blue Water Fortress are innocent, then why did those sects that besieged them become so rich and powerful?"

This time, someone suspected to be Huo Changyun has massacred an entire family. Do you think it's possible that, as rumored, Huo Changyun is indeed the son of the elder Huo Xinde?

A look of confusion appeared on Luo Pei's face as well. "Judging from their age and appearance, they are indeed extremely similar. On your wedding day, he attended the banquet with Shangguan Jiangchen, and I saw that his figure and appearance were simply like Xinde reborn."

However, I had never heard of the addition of a new member to the Xinde family before the incident, and I did not witness the events of that day.

Since a siege had been decided upon, the entire Blue Water Fortress should have been completely surrounded. How could an infant possibly escape? The world is full of wonders, and there are many people who look alike. The two are probably unrelated. Poor Huo Changyun was simply used as a shield by the mastermind behind the scenes.

Luo Pei then gave a few more instructions on the important matters. After serving the medicine, Luo Junfei left the room, frowned, and pondered for a long time before summoning his trusted aide and giving him a few instructions.

Watching his trusted confidant accept the order and leave quickly, a resolute look appeared on his face.

The scenery of Jiangnan in the crisp autumn air has a unique charm.

While the entire martial arts world in the Central Plains was in a state of panic and tension due to the escape of the demon Huo Changyun, Jiang Chen and his two companions were enjoying a leisurely life, recuperating from their injuries and traveling around.

“Miss, look, the Blue Water Fortress ruins are just ahead. The boatman will slow down when he passes by so we can see them more clearly.” Ling Xiao, dressed in a light yellow dress, looked even more petite and delicate standing next to Huo Changyun.

Upon hearing the word "Miss," Huo Changyun, dressed in women's clothing, could only nod, her face twitching slightly.

He still felt awkward about dressing as a woman, but he had to admit that it was a very effective tactic. At least he managed to overcome several crises on his journey north by using his female identity to dispel suspicion. He thought that a real man could bend and stretch, and that dressing up as Huo Yun'er was no big deal in order to clear his name, find out the truth, and unravel the mystery of his origins!

At this point, why are you still being picky?

It's already a blessing that they aren't being hunted down, don't suffer from hunger or fear, and can follow their resourceful and wealthy elder brother and sister-in-law to recover from their injuries and practice their skills, without having to worry about food, clothing, shelter, or transportation.

Jiang Chen sat at the bow of the boat, squinting as he looked at the lush green island in the middle of the water in the distance. The broken wells and ruins that had been destroyed by fire eighteen years ago lay dark and murky among the grass and trees.

Since the Battle of Bluewater Fortress, this island has been a restricted area.

No one in the martial arts world wants to get involved with this bad luck, and they are even more afraid of being labeled as a heretical or evil cult, so they avoid this place like the plague. On the contrary, ordinary people who are eager to learn about the stories of the martial arts world will stop for a while and look around curiously when they pass by Blue Water Lake, which has even become a tourist attraction at one point.

The elderly boatman vividly described how prosperous and glorious Bluewater Fortress was back then, and how tragic the battle was. Listeners sighed and imagined some infuriating scenes and images from the marks left by the swords.

Time has passed slowly but surely, and the Lanshuibao Ruins have stood silently for eighteen years.

Overgrown weeds gradually covered the dilapidated city walls, and thick trees grew in the broken houses. Even the once bustling tourist attractions were rarely visited by people.

Only a few elderly people pass by, glancing at the scene from afar and sighing at the impermanence of life.

After Jiang Chen and his group escaped Hua Jincheng, they narrowly escaped several close calls thanks to the protagonist's unlucky aura. For safety's sake, he decided to choose a new route to Luo Family Manor—heading north by water.

You can take a close look at Blue Water Fort while passing by, and then disembark on the north side of Blue Water Lake to change to a horse-drawn carriage to bypass the bustling city and troubled areas, trying to arrive at Luo Family Manor unnoticed.

Huo Changyun stared intently at the approaching ruins of the island, his heart pounding as he thought that this place might very well be his home.

"Host, ever since we forced the protagonist into a cross-dressing role, I've been so stressed that I've crashed." The fluffy little thing perched on its host's shoulder, rubbing its furry face with its paws and frowning. "I don't know what happens next; the protagonist's unlucky aura is getting brighter and brighter, what should I do?"

Jiang Chen glanced at Huo Changyun, a tall and strong woman dressed as a woman, standing on the deck, and replied in a low voice with a slight smile: "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. As long as Huo Changyun doesn't fall into demonic ways, the script team won't be able to continue the play."

First, go to the Luo family patriarch to see if there's any hope left for Shen Rumeng and Luo Junfei's forced relationship.

A peaceful resolution would be best; if the tide of history forces him to stand against the entire martial arts world, then we'll find a strategically advantageous but difficult-to-attack location and wage a protracted war, seeing how many of those martial arts figures are willing to risk their lives.

Chapter Twenty-Four: One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer.

"Oh, I see... That makes sense. Anyway, we've finished filming our scenes of being resurrected, so we can do whatever we want, right? The protagonist has been portrayed as a great villain, so we can't escape the label of being his henchmen. We're all in this together, so let's just go all the way down this path!" The little white cat licked its paws and then lay down to doze off again out of boredom.

Huo Changyun felt a mix of emotions as he watched the ship get closer and closer to the island, and he could even see the gray stone walls that had once stood on the rocks.

"That's the dock of Bluewater Fortress. It was built of stone and was partially submerged when Bluewater Lake flooded a few years ago. If you look carefully into the water, you can see it." The boatman raised his voice and introduced, "Do you see that pavilion at the top that's half collapsed? Back then, the great demon Lin Qitian was hacked to death there. His blood was splattered all over the pavilion."

I heard that the big devil was trying to escape to the dock but was surrounded and trapped in the pavilion and couldn't get away.

The place where the two demons were beheaded and displayed to the public can only be seen by going around to the front. We just passed by and took a look without going around to the other side. We couldn't see anything there either, because the area had been overgrown with trees a few years ago.

The three villains, Huo Xinde and his entire family, fled to the dock only to be captured and burned alive in the Blue Water Fortress square. Look, sir, to your left, there's a large locust tree over there; that's it.

How could anyone escape from the island? It was surrounded so tightly, like an iron barrel, not even a mosquito could fly out. Poor servants, attendants, and women and children who didn't know martial arts—they were all implicated by this demon! What are these evil cultists after? Why do they have to harm people when they could be living a perfectly good life…”

The boatman kept rambling on as he rowed the boat, and Huo Changyun felt a tightness in his chest and tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Ah Chen, could he really be treating this place like his own home?" Ling Xiao leaned over and skillfully wrapped his arms around Jiang Chen's neck from behind, pressing his entire body against him and whispering in his ear, "What if it's just a coincidence? If he really misunderstands and wants to clear Blue Water Fort's name, when will we be able to get married in peace?"

Jiang Chen patted her hand to comfort her, saying, "Don't worry, I promise to give you the grandest wedding, so that the entire Central Plains martial arts world and Longyan Island in the South China Sea will know that we're getting married."

He probably didn't necessarily treat it as his own home; it was more like he empathized with it.

Think about his experience: he was falsely accused of being a sect-destroying maniac and implicated Hundred Flowers Valley. His experience was exactly the same as that of the Three Heroes of Blue Water Fortress. They were even more tragic and have not yet been exonerated. They are still carrying the blame.

This is roughly what it means to be moved by a scene...

His voice gradually lowered as he spoke, the original owner's resentful anger surging again in his chest, causing Jiang Chen's mood to sink. "I don't want to make a special detour to see Blue Water Fortress in detail, not because I'm afraid of wasting time, but because... my Hundred Flowers Valley..."

Jiang Chen was unable to finish her sentence.

An overwhelming sense of unease settled in my heart, making me feel irritable.

"I understand." Ling Xiao held his hand and whispered comfortingly in his ear, "This trip north is to help Huo Changyun clear his name and to seek justice for Hundred Flowers Valley! After we've avenged ourselves, I'll help you rebuild Hundred Flowers Valley, and then we'll get married there!"

Jiang Chen nodded, feeling a warmth in her heart.

Lingxiao: ^3^

"Boom!"

A gentle kiss landed on his cheek, and Jiang Chen sighed helplessly, "You've smeared so much lipstick on me again, it'll be hard to wipe off..."

"Then I won't wipe it off. I'll put some more on for you later anyway." Ling Xiao chuckled and used a handkerchief to wipe Jiang Chen's face, which instead left a faint red mark on his cheeks, like he had applied blush.