Changsheng: My qualifications improve a little every day

Seeing this, the middle-aged man hurriedly bowed and saluted, his tone full of sincerity: "Thank you for your trust, Grandmaster Fang. I will not let you down. Next, I will continue to collect information about the Champion Marquis and the Queen of Wei. Once there is any new news, I will inform you immediately."

Fang Yue nodded slightly, and he had already made up his mind. He knew very well that in this turbulent time, the mastery of information was crucial. One more ally meant more strength and a greater chance of winning.

"Okay, then how do you and I contact each other?" Fang Yue asked. He needed a reliable contact method so that he could obtain information at any time.

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, took out an exquisite jade pendant from his bosom, and handed it to Fang Yue: "This is my message. You just need to carry it with you. If there is any urgent information, I will contact you through special means."

Fang Yue took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, sensing the subtle aura contained in it. It was obviously an extraordinary message. He nodded and put the jade pendant away.

"Okay, I've got that. You better be careful and don't reveal your identity." Fang Yue warned. He knew that once the identity of this middle-aged man was exposed, the consequences would be disastrous.

The middle-aged man nodded solemnly: "Grandmaster Fang, rest assured, I know what to do. Then I will take my leave first and look forward to working with you again."

After saying that, the middle-aged man turned and left, disappearing into the narrow alley.

Fang Yue watched the middle-aged man leave, thinking secretly in his heart. He knew that this battle was not only to save Zhu Linlang, but also to uncover the conspiracy behind and stop the ambition of Guanjun Hou.

He took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with determination. No matter how difficult the road ahead was, he had to persevere.

Afterwards, Fang Yue left the house and disappeared into the darkness.

~~~~~~~
The night gradually faded and dawn came, but Fang Yue's footsteps never stopped.

He shuttled through the market, his ears filled with all kinds of sounds - the hawkers' cries, the pedestrians' conversations, the children's laughter... These sounds intertwined to form a vivid picture of the market.

However, beneath this painting, there are countless unknown secrets and conspiracies hidden.

As the daylight gradually brightened, Fang Yue's mind became more determined. He understood that this battle was not only a contest of force and strategy, but also a collision of wisdom and will. He must maintain a clear mind, keen insight, and an indomitable will to win in this war without gunpowder.

"We have to hurry up. According to what they said, Zhu Linlang should be in Jingbian City right now!"

Fang Yue muttered to himself, and his pace quickened a bit.

Jingbian City, this fortress located on the border of Da Chu, has become the focus of his mind at this moment.

He knew that Zhu Linlang's safety and the truth of the whole incident might be hidden in that city.

Passing through the bustling city, Fang Yue's figure gradually blended into the road to Jingbian City.

In the deep palace of Da Chu, Champion Marquis Yang Chan was sitting in his study with a furrowed brow and a sinister gleam in his eyes.

In his hand he held a secret letter which described in detail Fang Yue's whereabouts and his concern for Zhu Linlang.

A sneer appeared on Yang Chan's lips, and he was secretly thinking about how to get rid of this annoying opponent and hold Zhu Linlang hostage in order to realize his ambition of advancing into the Wei Dynasty.

"Fang Yue, Fang Yue, you really did interfere in this matter."

Yang Chan muttered to himself, his tone full of disdain, "However, you are just a pawn in my plan, but you haven't noticed it yet."

He stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the deep night sky outside.

He already had a perfect plan in his mind, a plan that would allow him to get rid of Fang Yue, hold Zhu Linlang hostage, and then successfully march into the Wei Dynasty.

"Someone come here!" Yang Chan suddenly shouted, the door of the study was pushed open, and a guard hurried in.

"What do you want, my lord?" the guard asked respectfully.

"Pass on my order and immediately mobilize a group of assassins. I want them to lurk near Jingbian City and wait for my signal. Once Fang Yue shows up, kill him immediately!"

There was a vicious light flashing in Yang Chan's eyes and his tone was full of determination.

"Yes, my lord!" The guard took the order and left, and Yang Chan was the only one left in the study again.

He returned to his desk, picked up a pen and began to write a secret letter. This letter would be the key to his holding Zhu Linlang hostage.

In the letter, he described Zhu Linlang's situation in detail and the conditions on which he was willing to help - that is, Zhu Linlang must become his puppet in his march into the Wei Dynasty.

After writing the letter, Yang Chan put it into a sealed bamboo tube, then called another guard to deliver the secret letter to Jingbian City.

"Fang Yue, Fang Yue, you think you are extremely smart, but you never thought that you have fallen into my trap."

Yang Chan sneered and muttered to himself, "Even if you are a grandmaster, you are bound to lose this round!"

~~~~~~~~
Fang Yue knew nothing about Yang Chan's conspiracy. He was concentrating on rushing to Jingbian City. The scenery along the way was like nothing in his eyes. He only cared about Zhu Linlang's safety and the unknown conspiracy.

As he gradually approached Jingbian City, Fang Yue began to observe his surroundings more vigilantly.

He noticed that the atmosphere in the city seemed a little tense. The frequency of soldiers' patrols had increased significantly, and many more sentries were added to the city walls.

"It seems that Yang Chan has already started to act." Fang Yue thought to himself. He quickened his pace and decided to investigate the city more deeply.

He sneaked into the city and began to secretly inquire about Zhu Linlang's news.

After all, those secret guards of the Wei Dynasty cannot be trusted completely.

Fang Yue knew that although the secret guards of the Wei Dynasty were reliable to a certain extent, at this critical moment concerning national justice and personal life and death, any intelligence needed to be verified by himself. He began to move around Jingbian City in a low-key manner, using his identity and influence to quietly inquire about Zhu Linlang's news.

In a teahouse, he pretended to chat with a few ordinary tea drinkers. These tea drinkers were actually small vendors and craftsmen in the city. Although they were not in high positions, they often walked the streets and alleys and were often well aware of the slightest movement in the city.

"I heard that a big shot came to the city recently and was detained by the order of Marquis Guanjun himself. Do you know who he is?" Fang Yue asked casually.

Several tea drinkers looked at each other, and then one of them lowered his voice and said, "Don't dare to talk nonsense about this matter. If you openly discuss the Champion Marquis, you will be prosecuted!"

Fang Yue smiled slightly and waved his hand in a casual manner: "Oh, don't be afraid, brothers. I just asked casually. We are just chatting privately. How could it be heard by the Marquis?"

As he said this, he deliberately took out a few copper coins from his pocket and quietly placed them on the table: "Drink tea, drink tea, just treat it as a treat from me, and tell me about the latest news in this city, how about it?" Seeing this, several tea drinkers looked at each other, a trace of greed flashed in their eyes, and then pretended to hesitate for a while, and finally couldn't resist the temptation. One of the bolder ones whispered: "Okay, since you want to know so much, then I will tell you. I heard that it was an envoy sent by the Queen of Wei, who was detained by the Champion Marquis and said to be a spy and will be strictly interrogated."

"An envoy sent by the empress?" Fang Yue's heart was moved, but he remained calm on the surface. "This is really a big deal. I wonder where this envoy is now?"

The tea drinkers were silent again, as if they were weighing the pros and cons. Finally, the brave tea drinker lowered his voice and said, "I heard that he was imprisoned in the dungeon in the city. That is a place where there is no return."

Fang Yue's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface.

He nodded slightly, thanked the tea drinkers for their "chat", then got up and left the teahouse. He had already started thinking about how to sneak into the dungeon, find Zhu Linlang's maid, and find out Zhu Linlang's whereabouts.

After leaving the teahouse, Fang Yue began to wander around Jingbian City. On the surface, he seemed to be strolling around, but in fact he was carefully observing the city's defense and terrain.

He paid special attention to those heavily guarded places, and speculated that the dungeon might be in one of them.

As night fell, Jingbian City fell into silence, with only the occasional footsteps of patrolling soldiers and the barking of dogs in the distance breaking the tranquility.

Fang Yue took advantage of the night and quietly approached the building that he had observed during the day that looked like a dungeon.

He used his lightness and agility to easily avoid the guards' sight and sneak into the vicinity of the dungeon.

The entrance to the dungeon was heavily guarded. Fang Yue knew that it was not wise to force his way in, so he began to look for other entrances.

After some searching, he found an abandoned passage at the back of the dungeon. Although it was overgrown with weeds, it seemed to lead to the interior of the dungeon.

Fang Yue was delighted and decided to start from here.

He carefully cleared the weeds at the entrance of the passage and then sneaked into the passage silently.

The passage was pitch black and Fang Yue could only rely on his sense and hearing to determine the direction.

He walked extremely carefully, afraid of making any noise and alerting the guards.

After some searching, Fang Yue finally found the end of the passage. He discovered that there was a hidden little door here, with a faint light coming through the gap in the door.

He suddenly realized that this was probably one of the entrances to the dungeon.

He gently pushed the door open and entered the dungeon quietly.

The dungeon was dark and damp, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of mold.

Fang Yue frowned, but did not stop because of the harsh environment. He knew that every step at this moment was crucial, and Zhu Linlang's maid, and even the truth of the whole incident, might be hidden in this dark dungeon.

He walked along the dim corridor, hearing the faint groans of prisoners and the clanking of chains from time to time, which made him feel cold. Fang Yue remained alert and kept an eye on the movements around him to prevent any accidents.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the dungeon. Fang Yue quickly hid in a shadow and saw several guards hurriedly passing by, seemingly carrying out an urgent task. He secretly speculated in his heart that this might be related to Zhu Linlang's maid.

After the guards left, Fang Yue continued to move forward, his eyes piercing through the darkness, searching for possible clues. Finally, he stopped in front of a cell, and through the iron bars, he saw a ragged, haggard figure huddled in a corner.

"Who are you? Why are you locked up here?" Fang Yue asked in a low voice, trying not to let his voice attract the attention of other guards.

The person slowly raised his head, and looked at Fang Yue with a pair of tired eyes through messy hair. His voice was weak and hoarse: "I... I am a maid sent by the Queen of Wei. I was imprisoned here by the Marquis of Guanjun as a spy... Please, if you can rescue me, the Queen will reward me handsomely."

Fang Yue's heart trembled and his eyes became more determined.

"Haha, Champion Marquis Yang Chan, come out. You are such a despicable person. You deliberately hired someone to spread false information and even had someone pretend to be the maid of the Queen of Wei? You really disappoint me more and more."

Fang Yue deliberately raised his voice with sarcasm in his words, but in fact he was testing whether there were other hidden guards or mechanisms in the dungeon.

The loud words echoed in the dungeon, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

He deliberately mentioned the champion Hou Yangchan and the so-called "low-handed tactics" in order to observe the reactions of those around him and see if any hidden guards or mechanisms were triggered.

Yet, apart from his own voice and its echo, the dungeon was completely silent.

No guards rushed out, and there was no sign of the mechanism being triggered.

Fang Yue nodded secretly in his heart. It seemed that the security here was not as strict as he had imagined.

Or maybe there is no trap?
Thinking of this, Fang Yue frowned slightly.

It seems that the only thing we can do is take this girl out first.

"Don't worry, I will definitely rescue you." Fang Yue said in a low voice, his tone full of firmness and determination.

When the maid heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. She stared at Fang Yue closely, as if she had seen a life-saving straw.

"Thank you, hero. If I can escape, I will report your kindness to the empress." The maid's voice was weak but full of gratitude.

Fang Yue smiled slightly and said nothing more.

He began to observe the surroundings, looking for a way to escape. He knew that time was running out and he had to act quickly.

Fang Yue knew very well that any delay could make Zhu Linlang's situation more dangerous, so he had to act quickly and carefully.

Then, Fang Yue took the maid and walked directly out of the prison.

Fang Yue had already made up his mind, and he decided not to continue exploring other parts of the dungeon to avoid wasting time. The most important thing now was to take the maid out and get more information about Zhu Linlang from her.

He carefully led the maid, trying to avoid the guards' sight. Their footsteps were light, like ghosts in the night, moving silently in the dungeon.

Finally, they came to the exit of the dungeon.

I pushed open the prison door. It was already late at night. Outside the door was a quiet night. (End of this chapter)