A piece of Japanese incense

Feng Jinqi pressed him, "What else do you know? What did she tell you? Tell me now!"

Feng Yan spoke incoherently: "Nothing... nothing... She just said that she came to Wangchao to detoxify herself and to track down the people who assassinated her. She agreed to go with me to see the Lord just to ask why the Lord wanted to kill her..."

"Take me there!" Feng Jinqi said firmly, "Let's go see that 'Lord' now!"

"We can't...we can't go." Feng Yan pointed to the corner of the deck: "The seabirds that led the way are all dead. It's those killers. Without the birds, I...I can't find the way!"

Feng Jinqi looked in the direction of her finger and saw several dead seabirds with dark blue, almost black feathers discarded in the corner. Some were chopped off by sharp blades, and some had their necks crushed. They died in a miserable way.

Fury shot through his head. Feng Jinqi turned and looked at all the people on the deck who were under Feng Yan's command. He pointed at the man holding the bone whistle and asked, "What's the method of leading the way? Besides birds, what else is there?! I'll give you one last chance. If you can't tell me, you'll all go to the sea to feed the fish!"

Under the pressure of Feng Jinqi's imposing manner and the shining blades of his personal guards, the pirates knelt down and kowtowed:

"The little ones really don't know!"

"Every time we rely on birds to lead the way! And... and every time we arrive at a place, we change boats. The boats get smaller and smaller, and there are fewer and fewer people..."

"That's right! The guys are only responsible for following orders. They stay at the transfer point and have no idea how to get there!"

"The Lord is mysterious and unpredictable. We, the little pawns, have never even seen the Lord..."

Feng Yan was also nearby, his face pale as he added weakly, "It's true. I once heard the City Lord mention that even if one were lucky enough to reach shore, they would be blindfolded and led around in circles, leaving them with no idea where they were, let alone seeing the Lord's true appearance."

Feng Jinqi gathered his murderous intent and ordered to slaughter the angry dragon with blood: "Since they are useless, just throw them all down!

Feng Yan nearly fainted upon hearing this. "Sand! The other day, the City Lord broke into my room and, when he took off his boots, spilled a lot of sand. The sand was fine and dry, not like the sand on the beach. It looked like... the sand in the desert..."

Pei Du squatted down and picked up Feng Yan, who was about to faint: "What sand? Explain clearly!"

However, Feng Yan completely lost consciousness and fainted.

Areas near the sea are often humid, and the sand on the beach usually carries moisture and salt, making it easy to stick together, but it is not fine and dry. Fine and dry sand... can only be found in extremely arid areas deep inland.

Near the sea... and close to the desert...

A place emerged in Feng Jinqi's mind - the Border Dream City.

Menghui City, located on the eastern border, controls the vital route to the west. Its most striking feature is its back against the vast "Singing Sand Desert" and its front facing a vast saltwater "sea" extending deep inland.

It is the only city in Dongli that has both a large desert and a large body of water. The sand in the Mingsha Desert is famous for being extremely fine, dry, and highly fluid.

All the clues are connected instantly:

It is necessary to change boats at sea and be guided by birds.

The final destination turned out to be dry desert sand.

The city lord had been there and brought back sand.

The Lord's whereabouts are secretive and need to be covered up layer by layer.

Only Menghui City meets all the conditions. The so-called Lord should be hiding in the Mingsha Desert.

"Order! All ships, change course immediately! Head for the border city of Menghui. Full speed! At all costs, reach this king as quickly as possible!"

With Feng Jinqi's order, the huge Angry Dragon made a dull turning roar, the sails rustled, and the bow split the waves, heading in the opposite direction of the previous guide bird.

"Master, Madam Zhi...is she really dreaming?" Pei Fanzhou asked.

Feng Jinqi stood at the bow, his eyes sharp. "Even if he's not here, I'll go find him. Even if I can't find him, I'll find out whether that 'Lord' is a human or a ghost. Even if I have to turn the world upside down and dig deep underground, I'll get to the bottom of everything!"

Feng Jinqi and his group lingered in Menghui City for several days. Disguised as silk merchants, they stayed at inns, blending discreetly into the city. Elite members of his team transformed themselves into porters, traveling merchants, and even beggars, filling every corner of Menghui City.

Just a few days passed, and everything was calm, with only ordinary business and travel coming and going, and no trace of any mysterious organization. Feng Jinqi appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was already filled with anxiety.

The turning point came after a wave of people entered the city.

They were a small group, and after entering the city, they settled in a humble inn near the Hanhai Pier. This was a common occurrence, but shortly after they checked in, Feng Jinqi's spies keenly noticed subtle changes in several hidden positions in the city.

A few lazy men who were originally basking in the sun on the street corner and seemed to have nothing to do, began to glance frequently in the direction of the inn; a peddler selling dried fruits at the market became a little absent-minded when packing up his stall; even a "guest" who was drinking tea at the tea stall opposite the inn tapped the table with his fingers holding the teacup from time to time.

A cold light flashed in Feng Jinqi's eyes, and he immediately ordered: "Keep a close eye on that group of people, be sure to hide, and don't alert the enemy!"

The calm lasted for two more days.

On the morning of the third day, a small caravan of merchants from the west entered the city, and their camels were loaded with colorful blankets and exotic minerals.

Not long after, a man in an inconspicuous gray cloth robe, holding a person who was wrapped tightly from head to toe in a large cloak, was seen walking hurriedly through the city.

The man's face was haggard, his eyes bloodshot, and his lips chapped. It was Yu Nian! And the person in his arms, though his face couldn't be seen clearly, the huddled posture, the slender silhouette wrapped in the cloak, made Feng Jinqi's heart skip a beat!

Yu Nian! Why is he here? Who is he holding in his arms?!

Feng Jinqi was sitting in a private room on the second floor of the teahouse, and from his window he had a panoramic view of the street below.

Who else could Yu Nian cherish such a precious person in her arms, even going so far as to expose her whereabouts and seek medical treatment everywhere... except her?!

Yu Nian, holding the person in his arms, anxiously stopped passersby in the streets and alleys to ask for information about medical clinics, knocking on every door. However, Menghui City was located in a remote area, and medical care was already scarce. Many clinics had no access to him, and they only took his pulse at the door before turning him away.

The despair and anxiety on Yu Nian's face grew deeper and deeper, and his steps became more and more staggering.

"It's her..." Feng Jinqi was almost certain. Zhi Yihe, she was really with Yu Nian! But what happened to her? Was she injured? Or was the poison taking effect?

Feng Jinqi suppressed his urge and said to Pei Du, "Make arrangements immediately. Have Feng Yan prepare the antidote. Also, keep a close eye on them. Don't alert them. Find a secluded place and 'invite' them back."

Pei Du took the order and quickly disappeared at the stairs.

Feng Jinqi's heart was in his throat, his eyes fixed on Yu Nian's figure on the street below. He saw him turn into an alley with the person in his arms.

Several "lazy guys" who were originally wandering around and the "dried fruit vendor" entered the alley from different directions at the same time. Their movements were swift and ruthless, and they were obviously well-trained killers.

"Oh no!" Feng Jinqi stood up suddenly, and the teacup fell to the ground with a "bang" and shattered!

It’s still a step too late!

"Dream on!" The dagger in Yu Nian's hand fell to the ground.

"Yu Nian!" Feng Jinqi rushed to Yu Nian.

Yu Nian's face turned pale blue at a visible speed, and black blood tinged with green flowed from the corner of his mouth. The wound on his waist and abdomen was also bleeding profusely.

But his eyes were still fixed on the figure curled up in the corner that he had protected.

That look was filled with endless worry, reluctance and... entrustment.

Feng Jinqi squatted down, supported him, and quickly pressed a few acupuncture points to stop the bleeding: "Yu Nian! It's me! Jinqi! Hold on!"

Yu Nian's scattered gaze struggled to focus on Feng Jinqi's face, staring at him in disbelief. A faint, almost relieved, smile appeared on his pale face. He used up his last bit of strength to point at the figure in the corner.

"She can't see... heal her... please..."

His eyes began to blur, but he still stared at Feng Jinqi intently, spouting his final instructions intermittently:

"If I die... don't... don't tell her... take good care of her... for me..."

Before he finished speaking, Yu Nian's head dropped and his body fell into Feng Jinqi's arms.