26: Resolve the crisis

As the night deepened, Qin Feng sat cross-legged on the bed in the medical hall's guest room. Just like countless previous nights, he refreshed the System Intelligence right on schedule. The first two entries were still innocuous white messages, which he scanned over without pausing. However, when he saw the third piece of intelligence emitting a Yellow Halo, his pupils contracted sharply, and the hair on his body instantly stood on end!

[ (Yellow) City Guard West Gate Duty Commander Zhao Qianshan (apparent strength Early Stage Grand Martial Master), real identity is an Outer Sect Elder of the 'Purple Robe Bandits' hidden within Star South City. In three days, at the zi hour, under the guise of patrolling, he will personally open the west side Postern Gate for fifteen minutes, allowing thirty Martial Master realm Bandits to infiltrate the city, intending to Coordinate from the Inside and cause chaos. ]

A traitor! And one holding military power, responsible for an entire city gate—a Grand Martial Master!

Thirty Martial Masters infiltrating!

Qin Feng's heart felt as if it were tightly clenched by an invisible hand, almost suffocating. This was no longer a simple bandit raid; this was a conspiracy capable of overturning an entire great city! Once these thirty Martial Masters were allowed to infiltrate, cause chaos within the city, and then coordinate with the main bandit force outside, even if Star South City had a Martial King presiding over it, it would suffer heavy losses and immense civilian suffering!

His father, Second Uncle, and all his relatives had just settled down. Master Doctor Chu, Xiao Chun, Senior Brother Liu, and all the innocent citizens of this city... they would all fall into grave danger!

"I cannot ignore this! Absolutely not!" A surge of hot blood rushed to his head. Qin Feng suddenly stood up from the bed and paced anxiously in the small room. This matter involved too much; he alone was powerless to deal with it. He had to seek stronger assistance!

The first person he thought of was his Master, Chu Yunhe!

Without further hesitation, he immediately pushed open the room door, crossed the silent corridor, and arrived outside Doctor Chu's bedroom, gently knocking on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Who is it?" Doctor Chu's clear and alert voice came from inside; clearly, he was not fast asleep.

"Master, it is your disciple Qin Feng. I have an extremely urgent matter to report!" Qin Feng lowered his voice, his tone hurried.

The door was quickly pulled open. Doctor Chu, wearing an outer robe, looked at him with a grave expression: "Disciple, what has caused such alarm?"

Qin Feng slipped into the room, quickly bolted the door, and, disregarding formalities, spoke directly: "Master, tonight... tonight I went to the West City teahouse to look for someone. In a Latrine stall, I accidentally overheard two Drunkards whispering in low voices! They said... they said that the City Guard Commander Zhao Qianshan was planning to secretly open the west side Postern Gate at the zi hour three days from now, letting in thirty Purple Robe Bandits at the Martial Master level!"

He deliberately obscured the source of the information, only saying he 'accidentally overheard it,' and placed the location in the mixed-and-muddled environment of the teahouse Latrine to add a degree of credibility.

"What?!" Even with Chu Yunhe's composure, his face changed drastically upon hearing this, and terrifying sharp light flashed in his eyes. "Is this true?! Did you hear clearly? Zhao Qianshan? Thirty Martial Masters?"

"Absolutely true! Disciple heard it loud and clear! They even mentioned the exact time and which gate they would use! It was precisely because I heard too clearly that I got scared and rushed back to report to Master!" Qin Feng appropriately showed a trace of lingering fear on his face.

Chu Yunhe stared intently into Qin Feng's eyes, seemingly judging the truth of his words. He suddenly recalled that half a month ago, it was this disciple who, with an Anonymous Letter, accurately warned of Chen Yulang's intentions toward Xiao Chun. Although that tragedy could not be completely averted, it was enough to prove that Qin Feng possessed an unusually 'informed' source in certain aspects.

It is better to believe it than to doubt it!

If this matter is real, it concerns the survival of the entire city; if it is false... it is, at most, a false alarm.

In an instant, Chu Yunhe made his decision. He took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "This matter is not trivial; not a single word must leak out! You must return immediately, act as if nothing happened, maintain your usual routine, and mention this to absolutely no one!"

"Yes, Master!" Qin Feng felt a jolt, knowing his Master already had a plan.

Chu Yunhe said no more. He quickly changed into a set of Night-Traveling Clothes, and the muscles and bones of his face wriggled slightly; in a moment, he transformed into an utterly ordinary, unfamiliar face, even his aura becoming obscure and difficult to discern. He gave Qin Feng a deep look, his figure flickered, and he shot out of the window like a ghost, vanishing into the vast night.

Qin Feng returned to his room, his emotions turbulent and unable to settle. He didn't know who his Master would seek out—the City Lord? Or other trustworthy high-ranking officials? He could only choose to trust in his Master's capabilities.

For the next three days, Star South City appeared outwardly normal. Refugees were settled sequentially, the marketplace remained bustling, but those with keen senses might have noticed that the City Guard patrols seemed more frequent, especially around the West City area, where many extra pairs of eyes seemed to be watching from the shadows.

On the third day, at the zi hour.

On the west side of Star South City, the Postern Gate—which normally allowed passage for only a small number of personnel and supplies and had relatively weak defenses—was quietly approached by a figure under the cover of night. It was none other than the duty Commander, Zhao Qianshan! He dismissed his trusted subordinates and personally approached the gate, holding a key, his eyes flashing with ambition and cruelty.

However, just as he was about to insert the key into the lock—

"Boom!"

Countless Torches suddenly lit up the surroundings, illuminating the area as bright as day! A majestic pressure, like a towering mountain, descended from above, instantly locking onto Zhao Qianshan!

Two figures appeared on the city wall as if Deities had descended, one on the left and one on the right. They were the City Lord and Vice City Lord of Star South City, two Martial King experts who had arrived in person! Behind them stood five hundred City Guard elites, bristling with Killing Intent and with bows fully drawn!

"Zhao Qianshan! How dare you collude with the enemy and betray the city!" The City Lord's voice exploded like thunder in the silent night sky.

Zhao Qianshan's face instantly turned as pale as paper. The key clattered to the ground in his hand. He looked at everything before him in disbelief, as if all his strength had been instantly drained away.

Almost simultaneously, in the darkness not far outside the Postern Gate, thirty dark figures, who had just stealthily arrived and were preparing to sneak in according to plan, ran headlong into an ambush force that had long been waiting! A completely one-sided encirclement instantly erupted. The thirty Martial Masters, besieged by two Martial Kings and hundreds of elites, were like clay chickens and pottery dogs, and were all captured or killed in a flash!

A massive crisis capable of overturning Star South City was extinguished into nothingness in the moment before it could erupt.

Afterward, the City Lord's Mansion issued a Commendation, heavily rewarding the Righteous Person who reported the treasonous conspiracy. However, after investigating thoroughly, they could never locate this mysterious informant, as if he had never existed.

Inside Huichun Medical Hall, Chu Yunhe maintained his look of Immortal Elegance, taking pulses and prescribing medicine for patients, as if the person who transformed into a ghost that night to deliver earth-shattering news was not him. Qin Feng also continued to practice martial arts and study medicine diligently every day.

Between the master and disciple, there existed a tacit understanding that needed no words. The events of that night were like a stone dropped into a deep pool; after the ripples faded, no trace remained, and no one mentioned it again. But a deeper level of trust and bond had been established in the silence.