128: Chapter 128 The White Lotus Sect Plan

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight filtered through the window lattice and fell upon Chen Fan's face.

He opened both eyes, the exhaustion deep within them having already dissipated. He gently withdrew his arm from beneath Hong Shao's neck, his movements light so as not to wake her.

Hong Shao remained curled up by his side, her sleeping face tranquil, with a trace of satisfied moisture still lingering at the corners of her eyes.

He rose, dressed himself, and put the pale white mask back on. The mask concealed all emotion and isolated him from the scrutiny of the outside world.

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

The morning in Fuyang City was filled with the atmosphere of daily life. Pedestrians grew more numerous on the streets below, and the shouts of street vendors rose and fell.

The two bailiffs who had been guarding the building yesterday were gone.

In their place were several men who appeared to be strolling casually along the street.

They were dressed in ordinary clothes, yet their steps were steady and their breathing restrained. Their positions were scattered, but they maintained a subtle connection with one another. Shadow Hounds.

They had changed shifts. Chen Fan's perception captured every one of these details. The Huai Party's "protection" of him was never more than a step away.

The door was tapped gently.

"Master Luo, someone from the Prefect's office has arrived," the waiter's voice sounded outside the door.

Chen Fan pulled open the door. Standing outside was Staffer Wang from yesterday, with two bailiffs following behind him.

Staffer Wang wore a professional smile and held a red sandalwood tray in his hands. On the tray were several wooden boxes of varying sizes.

"Master Luo, his Excellency has ordered me to deliver the latest intelligence on the White Lotus Sect." Staffer Wang bowed and offered the tray.

Chen Fan took it without saying much. Staffer Wang tactfully stepped back and stood outside the door with the bailiffs, waiting for instructions.

Inside the room, Chen Fan opened the wooden boxes.

Inside was indeed a thick stack of dossiers. He flipped through a few pages at random. The handwriting was neat, and the content was detailed.

Several main strongholds of the White Lotus Sect within Fuyang City, lists of personnel, and even topographical maps of the strongholds were all present.

He closed the dossiers and looked at Staffer Wang outside the door.

"Give the Prefect my thanks," Chen Fan said in a calm voice. "The intelligence has been received. Please tell his Excellency that in three days, I will personally root out every last White Lotus cultist in Fuyang City."

Staffer Wang's smile deepened at Chen Fan's decisiveness.

"His Excellency is naturally at ease with Master Luo handling matters." He bowed again. "May I ask, Master Luo, if there is anything else the Prefect's office needs to do?"

Chen Fan pondered for a moment. He needed manpower, but it couldn't be the Prefect's soldiers. Those recruited Jianghu Loose Cultivators were exactly what he needed now.

"No need," Chen Fan uttered. "I have my own arrangements for manpower. His Excellency only needs to blockade the city gates in three days to prevent any fish from escaping the net."

Staffer Wang was startled for a moment, then nodded.

"Master Luo considers everything thoroughly; I will report this to his Excellency." He did not linger further and withdrew with the bailiffs.

Chen Fan closed the door and placed the dossiers on the table. He walked to the bedside and gently patted Hong Shao's cheek.

"Wake up."

Hong Shao gave a soft moan and slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Seeing Chen Fan, she was first stunned, and then a blush rose to her cheeks.

"Master Luo..." she called out softly.

Qing Luo also rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking bleary-eyed.

"Master Luo, so early?"

Chen Fan did not respond, but simply picked up the dossiers from the table and handed them to Hong Shao.

"These are the White Lotus Sect strongholds in Fuyang. You and Qing Luo stay in the inn today and do not go out." Chen Fan's voice was steady, carrying an air that brooked no argument. "If there is anything unusual, notify the shopkeeper immediately; he will know what to do."

Hong Shao took the dossiers and flipped through a few pages, a look of alarm appearing on her face.

"Master Luo, are you really going to wipe out the White Lotus Sect?"

Qing Luo also tightly gripped Chen Fan's sleeve.

"Master Luo, those White Lotus Sect people are all a bunch of lunatics, you..."

Chen Fan gently patted Qing Luo's hand.

"This is what I promised the Prefect," he spoke calmly. "I need their intelligence, and I also need their money. One must always be true to their word."

He looked at the two women, his eyes through the mask carrying a reassuring power.

"Don't worry, I will be fine."

He turned and walked out of the room, leaving the two women inside to look at each other in dismay. Hong Shao clutched the stack of dossiers tightly, the worry in her heart surging up like a tide.

Chen Fan went downstairs. In the lobby, many Jianghu travelers were already eating breakfast. Tu Xiao was sitting in a corner, devouring noodles in large gulps. Seeing Chen Fan come down, he immediately stood up to greet him.

"Master Luo, where are you headed?" Tu Xiao asked in a booming voice.

Chen Fan did not answer, but simply walked to the table where the register had been placed yesterday. He picked up a brush and drew several circles on a few of the pages.

"Tu Xiao." Chen Fan spoke.

Tu Xiao immediately leaned forward.

"Present!"

"Gather these people and meet at the entrance of Qingfeng Alley in the north of the city at the hour of Mao." Chen Fan pointed to the names circled in the register. "I have instructions."

Tu Xiao looked closely and saw that only seven or eight names were circled on the register. He was somewhat puzzled but did not ask questions.

"Yes! Master Luo!" Tu Xiao accepted with a cupped-fist salute, then turned and strode out of the inn to gather the men.

The surrounding Jianghu travelers saw this and began to whisper among themselves.

"Is Master Luo about to take action?"

"Only seven or eight people? Against the White Lotus Sect?"

"Didn't they say they were going to pull together a team of several hundred? This is way too few, isn't it?"

"Could they be going to scout the way first?"

Various discussions reached Chen Fan's ears, but he remained oblivious to them. He simply picked up the intelligence dossiers left by Staffer Wang and began to read through them carefully once more. Those strongholds and topographical maps were constructed in his mind like a tactical sand table.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Chen Fan repeatedly simulated the assault on every White Lotus Sect stronghold in Fuyang City several times.

He knew the intelligence by heart, down to the number of guards and the patrol routes of every stronghold.

The hour of Mao.

At the entrance of Qingfeng Alley, seven or eight figures stood in the dawn light. Aside from Tu Xiao, the others were all those who had come to sign up during this period, with strengths between the fifth and sixth ranks—they could be considered decent experts.

They either carried sabers on their backs or held swords, their faces showing a hint of tension and excitement.

Chen Fan, dressed in black and wearing his pale white mask, stood before the group. He wasted no words and simply unfolded a simple map.

"The White Lotus Sect has a total of three strongholds in Fuyang City. Today, we shall uproot them all." Chen Fan's voice was low, yet it carried an intimidating power. "I will inform you in detail of the topographical maps and guard deployments within the strongholds."

He pointed to a red dot on the map.

"The first location is the rice shop in the south of the city. There are fifteen White Lotus cultists inside, including one of the sixth rank and three of the seventh rank. The rest are ordinary members."

He unfolded the topographical map of the rice shop and explained it in detail.

"Infiltrate from here, avoid the patrols, and strike straight at the heart. Finish the battle quickly."

Tu Xiao and the others listened, their hearts shaken. This Jade-Faced Asura actually understood the situation of the White Lotus Sect strongholds so thoroughly that even the numbers, ranks, and patrol routes were crystal clear. This was no spur-of-the-moment action; it was clearly well-prepared.

"Master Luo, how do you know all this so clearly?" one Jianghu traveler couldn't help but ask.

Chen Fan did not answer, but simply put away the map.

"Move out."

He took the lead, heading rapidly toward the southern part of the city. Tu Xiao and the others exchanged glances, and though their doubts remained unresolved, they followed closely.

The rice shop in the south of the city.

The White Lotus Sect stronghold.

Chen Fan led the seven or eight men in, infiltrating like ghosts. He was like a precision gear, driving the entire team to operate with high efficiency. He was at the forefront, and every strike he made aimed directly at a vital point. Caught off guard, those White Lotus cultists had no time to react before being subdued one by one.

The battle inside the rice shop lasted only a brief fifteen minutes. By the time the morning sun had fully risen, everything was settled. Over ten White Lotus cultists had all been captured.

Chen Fan did not linger; he pointed to one of the subdued White Lotus minor leaders.

"Take him with us to the next stronghold."

The next two strongholds were handled in the same manner. Chen Fan knew the internal layout and defenses of the strongholds like the back of his hand. Every time, he was able to find the weakest link and resolve the battle with the greatest speed and the smallest cost.

In half a day, all three strongholds were wiped out.

When Chen Fan returned to Fuyang City leading the seven or eight blood-stained Jianghu travelers and escorting dozens of White Lotus cultists, the city gates were already under martial law. Prefect Zhao Yuankang was waiting there with Staffer Wang and a group of bailiffs.

Zhao Yuankang saw Chen Fan and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Master Luo truly lives up to his reputation!" he praised loudly. "To clear out all the White Lotus demons in Fuyang City within half a day is truly a blessing for our Huai Prefecture!"

The surrounding bailiffs and watching commoners also let out bursts of exclamation. They looked at the bound White Lotus cultists and then at the composed Jade-Faced Asura, their hearts filled with awe.

Chen Fan ignored Zhao Yuankang's praise. He simply fixed his gaze on the White Lotus minor leader he had personally subdued.

"Tell me the White Lotus Sect's specific plan in Huai Prefecture." Chen Fan's voice carried an unquestionable coldness.

The minor leader was intimidated by Chen Fan's Aura, and with the strongholds uprooted, his spirit was broken. He trembled and began to confess.

"The Saintess... the Saintess wants to... to hijack the grain at Dahe Ferry..."

Zhao Yuankang's smile instantly froze on his face.

Chen Fan did not notice the change in Zhao Yuankang's expression; he just continued to stare at the minor leader, every word striking the other's heart like an iron hammer.

"Whose grain are they hijacking?"