Chapter 3245 — Nowhere to Be Found

"Feng Tianhu used your younger brother to threaten you, forcing you to do his bidding?" Wei Zhao understood at once. So that was it—Cheng Yiyi had been caught in a cruel bind, torn painfully between her own flesh and blood and her dearest friend, never able to bring herself to abandon either one.

It seemed he had been fortunate not to kill her. So she had been carrying a pain no one knew of.

"Yes." Cheng Yiyi nodded. "Every so often, Feng Tianhu sends me photographs of my brother's life, telling me he is doing well and still cultivating. But the more he does that, the more uneasy I become. If I ever betrayed him, Feng Tianhu would surely do my brother harm..."

"Then why did you choose to confess to me?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Because... I could not let Xiaohan shield me from the storm when the fault is mine. And I did not want to keep hiding it any longer—living like this is simply too painful..." Cheng Yiyi shook her head, then blinked her large, spirited eyes. "And also... because Feng Tianhu is afraid of you!"

"Afraid of me? You know the truth..." Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. As expected, Cheng Yiyi wanted something from him—otherwise she would never have resorted to seduction. It seemed that for her brother's sake, Cheng Yiyi was willing to risk everything.

"But Feng Tianhu doesn't know that!" Cheng Yiyi said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Let me ask around about this for you," Wei Zhao said with a sigh. "This matter of yours is somewhat troublesome. Feng Tianhu may not be willing to let him go so easily."

"What do you mean?" Cheng Yiyi was taken aback.

"Feng Tianhu is a sinister and vicious man—you know that as well as I do." Wei Zhao waved his hand and explained, "He stops at nothing to achieve his ends. If he could even kill his own son, Feng Nitian, to frame Feng Shihua, you can well imagine what sort of man he is. What I fear is this: I might be better off not asking at all. The moment I ask, Feng Tianhu will have a hostage in his hands, and that will only make him more brazen—he will no longer fear what I might do to him!"

"Ah!" Cheng Yiyi was startled. Wei Zhao's analysis was entirely sound—he had grasped the very essence of Feng Tianhu's character with remarkable accuracy. In other words, if Wei Zhao raised the matter, it would signal that she and Wei Zhao had reached some tacit understanding, and Feng Tianhu could then use her brother without restraint to coerce Wei Zhao, ensuring Wei Zhao would not dare move against him...

"So the only person I can ask about this is Feng Shihua—to see whether he knows anything. If I asked Feng Tianhu, he would likely not only refuse to return your brother, but would use him to threaten you into doing something even more outrageous," Wei Zhao said.

"I am sorry—I was thinking too simply!" Cheng Yiyi's concern had clouded her judgment. She had naively assumed that Feng Tianhu feared Wei Zhao, but it had never occurred to her that with a hostage in hand, Feng Tianhu would have a talisman to preserve his own life. Would he let go so easily? Clearly not.

"I will ask Feng Shihua first," Wei Zhao said.

"Yes, yes!" Cheng Yiyi nodded hurriedly.

Wei Zhao dialed Feng Shihua's number directly.

"Chief?" Feng Shihua had already gone to bed, but when the phone rang and he saw Wei Zhao's number, he answered at once. "Is something the matter?"

"Shipian, the first thing is this: you may tell your father that Xiaohan's mother has been found, but do not let anyone else know. You understand what I mean?" Wei Zhao said.

"What?! Found her?" Feng Shihua was startled. He had never expected that Xu Shilan's mother—his father's old flame—had actually been found. That was good news, and it would lift a weight from his father's heart. As for telling anyone else, Feng Shihua was no fool. "Rest assured, Chief, I will not blab. If my mother found out, heaven knows what trouble she would stir up."

"Good that you understand." Wei Zhao nodded. In truth, Feng Tianhu already knew of this; the one Wei Zhao meant to keep it from was Dongfang Xiaocui. Wei Zhao did not want the Dongfang family involved any further. After all, Wei Zhao's strength was not truly his own—if too many people came, he would be exposed sooner or later. Of course, there was no need to tell Feng Shihua any of that. He went on, "She is the former director of the Songshan Orphanage. But it is enough that your father knows—for now, do not make any move, or it will be exposed."

"I understand." Feng Shihua nodded.

"There is another matter. Just now, Feng Tianhu enlisted one of the Black Horse Association's Grand Elders to assassinate the orphanage's former director," Wei Zhao said.

"My third uncle? He went to the Black Horse Association again? A Grand Elder of the Black Horse Association... wouldn't that be an expert at the great perfection of the late Heaven Rank peak? What happened?" Feng Shihua was startled and asked hurriedly.

"He is dead," Wei Zhao said. "The former director is unharmed. You need not worry."

"That is good—the Chief is truly formidable!" Though Feng Shihua was astonished at how an expert at the great perfection of the late Heaven Rank peak could have died, rumors in the ancient circles already held that Wei Zhao could kill such experts in an instant. It seemed those words were no exaggeration.

"The last thing is... do you know Cheng Yiyi?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Cheng Yiyi? Of course I know her—she is my sister's junior martial sister..." Ever since Feng Shihua learned that Xu Shilan was his sister, he had often followed news of her, and naturally knew of Cheng Yiyi as well.

"No, I mean Cheng Yiyi's other identity," Wei Zhao said.

"Cheng Yiyi has another identity?" Feng Shihua was stunned, unable to grasp Wei Zhao's meaning.

"She is one of Feng Tianhu's pawns..." Wei Zhao saw that Feng Shihua knew nothing of Cheng Yiyi's circumstances, and so explained, "But Cheng Yiyi has now turned to the light. However, her younger brother is in Feng Tianhu's hands. Can you discreetly make some inquiries for me?"

"Her younger brother? That can be done. What is his name? If he is within our Ancient Feng family, there is hope of finding out. If not, I am afraid there is nothing I can do," Feng Shihua said.

"Right. What is your brother's name?" Wei Zhao turned to Cheng Yiyi and asked.

"Cheng Yiran," Cheng Yiyi said. "He is two years younger than me—sixteen this year, I believe. I heard he has just advanced to the early Heaven Rank."

"His name is Cheng Yiran, sixteen, an expert at the early Heaven Rank..." Wei Zhao said.

"What?!" Feng Shihua's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then there is no need to ask—he is certainly not within the Ancient Feng family's stronghold!"