Yang Kai thought for a moment and recalled the sword-bearing youth who had been hiding behind Feng Chengsi all along. The youth was about the same build as Feng Chengsi — different in temperament, but if disguised and keeping his mouth shut, anyone unfamiliar wouldn't be able to tell them apart.
Moreover, even though Feng Chengsi was the Young City Lord, he had only recently returned from his travels. Not many people in all of White Jade City recognized him, and even fewer were truly familiar with him.
No one would have guessed that on his own wedding day, the groom would have his personal attendant disguise himself to go receive the bride, while he himself helped another man spirit away that very bride.
"Why would Brother Feng do this?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled. Their last encounter at the Temple of Repaying Grace had ended on decidedly unpleasant terms, so after deducing that Feng Chengsi had a hand in the events of the past three days, he found it hard to trust the man at face value.
Feng Chengsi did not answer directly. Instead, he asked: "Junior Brother, do you know how long I've been reincarnated into this world?"
Yang Kai considered. "Master Yu mentioned that Senior Sister Qu entered not long before you did. That would make it roughly seven or eight years, wouldn't it?"
Feng Chengsi nodded. "Yes, seven or eight years. All this time, I too have been searching for Junior Sister Qu. But it was only a few months ago that I truly found her! At that time, you were standing guard in front of her, drenched in blood. She looked ragged but was completely unharmed. The Reincarnation Realm is a fascinating place. Since Master Yu sent you here, she must have told you about its peculiarities."
"I'm not sure which aspect you mean, Senior Brother."
Feng Chengsi smiled at him and tapped his own chest. "This is the place where the heart matters most. The stronger your resolve, the easier it is to fulfill your deepest wish! A few months ago, when I first found Junior Sister Qu, I raged against the unfairness of fate — how I, who had arrived so many years earlier, still ended up being beaten to the punch by you, a latecomer. The Heavenly Dao seemed unjust. But after thinking it over, isn't that exactly the wonder of the Reincarnation Realm?"
"I'm all ears," Yang Kai said earnestly.
Feng Chengsi continued: "You came for a person. Though Junior Sister Qu lost her memories in the cycle of reincarnation, the mental barrier she set up is deeply connected to you. That's why, even though you entered so many years later, you were the first to appear at her side — and the one with the best chance of winning her favor. I'm different. I came to complete a mission from our master. That's why I spent years wandering this world without finding anything. If you had never shown up, perhaps I'd still have had a chance. But since you're here, I can only play the supporting role. That's probably why, a few months ago, I suddenly had the idea to return to White Jade City."
Yang Kai fell into thought.
Feng Chengsi went on: "Everything in the Reincarnation Realm speaks directly to the heart. You're willing to risk your life for Junior Sister Qu — that's her good fortune. And I believe that even in the true Three Thousand Worlds, if you two faced that kind of danger, you would make the same choice. You wouldn't let her down. So in this round of reincarnation, there's really no need for me to continue. To force it would go against my own heart."
Yang Kai bowed deeply. "Thank you for your generosity, Senior Brother!"
Feng Chengsi waved it off. "There's no need. I simply saw my own heart clearly. No thanks required. As for you — you still have work to do. I don't know what mental barrier Junior Sister Qu set for herself, but these successive trials won't be easy to overcome. If you can't help her break through, she'll be lost in the Tower of Reincarnation for good, and the Yin-Yang Heaven won't let you off the hook."
"I will do everything in my power to bring Senior Sister Qu out safely."
"That's the spirit." Feng Chengsi nodded.
"There is one thing I'd like to ask Senior Brother, though."
"Go ahead."
Yang Kai glanced back at the carriage. "Given the current situation, this still doesn't count as breaking through Senior Sister Qu's mental barrier. So what exactly am I supposed to do to awaken her memories?"
Feng Chengsi smiled. "Everyone's situation is different. Generally speaking, getting to where you are would be enough. But Junior Sister Qu's memory is still sealed — it seems her expectations of you are quite high. Just keep trying, Junior Brother. I'll lend you a hand as well."
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai's brow furrowed. Of course he would keep trying, but Feng Chengsi hadn't actually spelled out how far he needed to go. If anything, he felt that Senior Brother Feng's smile carried a hint of something sinister — especially when he said he would lend a hand.
He had the distinct feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen!
"One more thing," Feng Chengsi added. "The ones who colluded with Baotian Peak are the City Lord's Manor. The ambush on your cargo run was arranged by them as well."
"I had my suspicions," Yang Kai nodded.
Feng Chengsi looked surprised. "It seems nothing can be kept from you, Junior Brother."
Yang Kai replied evenly: "A few months ago, Baotian Peak infiltrated the Meng Estate for a night raid with suspicious ease, and the City Lord's garrison was sluggish to respond — that doesn't add up. If White Jade City's security were truly that poor, the City Lord's Manor wouldn't command such prestige."
Feng Chengsi nodded approvingly. "You're right. The Meng family is a towering tree that draws the wind. The City Lord's Manor wanted its share of the spoils, so they colluded with Baotian Peak to kidnap the Eldest Miss and force Meng Deye into a serious negotiation. As it happened, I returned to White Jade City around that time. When I heard about it, my first thought was that I might have found the person I was looking for, so I volunteered to lead the pursuit. But by then it was already too late — Baotian Peak's second-in-command had kidnapped the Eldest Miss and fled. Nearly an entire night had passed. Even if I gave chase, there was no hope of catching them."
"But no one could have anticipated that an outer-gate guard from the Meng Estate would fight to the death and hold out until reinforcements from White Jade City arrived. That wrecked both the City Lord's Manor's and Baotian Peak's plans. Left with no alternative, they had me propose a marriage alliance instead. If the match went through — the City Lord's Manor's influence paired with the Meng family's wealth — there would be great things to be done."
"Meng Deye knew exactly what was going on, but he couldn't resist. Besides, I'm no eyesore, quite qualified to be his son-in-law, and the Eldest Miss was long past the age of marriage. So he went along with the current."
Yang Kai nodded. Everything aligned with what he had already pieced together.
The link between the Meng Estate and Baotian Peak was the City Lord's Manor — which was why Feng Chengsi knew the inside story so well.
After agreeing to the City Lord's Manor's marriage proposal, Meng Deye had arranged for him and Yin Zhiyong to escort the cargo shipment. The Meng family provided the intelligence, and the City Lord's Manor contacted Baotian Peak to intercept and exact their revenge.