After the voting ceremony concluded, Shen Feng received the support of most employees. This was a result of him establishing an orphanage, and because many people were his fervent supporters, countless orphans would back any decision Shen Feng made.
"Now that the voting results are clear, the majority support the full rescue of Rongcheng. Everyone, prepare yourselves. Tu Xuhuai, you're responsible for expanding the staff recruitment. Next, Yuzhou will advance towards Sichuan Province," Shen Feng said to the important figures of Yuzhou after the vote.
No one dared to object. They had seen Shen Feng's prestige in the hearts of many and knew his decision had received support. To oppose him now would mean they no longer wished to continue their work, so they had to appear sufficiently proactive.
After temporarily resolving the situation in Rongcheng, Shen Feng quickly returned home. Seeing the children brought him much comfort, as looking at their innocent smiles seemed to make all his worries disappear.
At this moment, Chang Jianyi pulled Shen Feng aside and spoke earnestly, "It's not time to relax yet. Our parents are still missing, and we still need to find a way. What are your thoughts now?"
Upon hearing his senior's words, Shen Feng replied helplessly, "Of course, I want to rescue my parents as soon as possible, but I have no idea where they are right now. Even if I wanted to save them, I wouldn't be able to."
Shen Feng couldn't remain so calm after his parents were captured. He was currently unable to rescue them. The organization known as Tianya Alliance was too mysterious. Even the Thirteen Taibao of Lvliang Mountain, who had attacked him at sea, had been found, but there was still no news of the Tianya Alliance members. They didn't even know who their leader was, making it impossible to rescue anyone.
Shen Feng speculated that the reason these people kidnapped his parents was purely for extortion. If that were the case, his parents would be safe for the time being, and he would need to find a way to contact these people as soon as possible during this period.
Suddenly, Chang Jianyi remembered something else and quickly said to Shen Feng, "I almost forgot to tell you. Recently, there have been many mutated locusts appearing in Hanzhong, almost crossing the Daba Mountains. Fortunately, I sent Chang Haojie to guard there, and now Yuzhou is safe from locust attacks."
"Hmm, it seems Xiao Jie has also grown into a pillar of strength, capable of handling things independently now," Shen Feng said, feeling somewhat happy upon hearing this. Unbeknownst to him, Chang Haojie could now share his burdens.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and said to Chang Jianyi, "Rescuing my parents is not a simple matter. It requires a meticulous plan. Let's go to the basement to discuss it."
Shen Feng thought of a secret plan. He didn't intend to tell anyone about it; only a select few would know about this matter.
Many people had heard about the destruction of Rongcheng. This was extremely unexpected. Rongcheng was clearly a very strong force during the apocalypse, yet it was destroyed so swiftly. Although it was said that the earthquake was the sudden cause of Rongcheng's downfall, Rongcheng was ultimately gone. The powerful strength of the mutated earth bees had been fully displayed. If Shen Feng hadn't dealt with these earth bees in the end, countless more people would have been killed by them.
Many people in other regions didn't have time to pay attention to the earth bees because of the prolonged drought in the north. Countless locusts suddenly appeared in the northern regions. Initially, there were only locusts in Hanzhong, but eventually, the number of locusts grew, and the entire north was threatened by them.
Besides the fall of Tongcheng, another matter was also very concerning: Shen Feng's parents had been kidnapped. This event had a very severe impact. Upon learning of this, many influential figures immediately instructed their subordinates to never venture out alone, as being kidnapped would be truly unfortunate, especially for ability users.
Many people wanted to know how Shen Feng would handle this. His family had been kidnapped, and he was also busy rebuilding Rongcheng. Would he abandon his parents and sister? If Shen Feng truly made such a choice, his reputation would undoubtedly plummet.
After resting in Yuzhou for a while, Shen Feng surprisingly did not continue to investigate the kidnappers of his parents. Instead, he led a large number of people and supplies from Yuzhou to Rongcheng, seemingly intending to occupy Sichuan Province while it was leaderless.
"If Shen Feng truly abandons his parents, he is a beast. He can disregard the kidnapping of his parents for his own future power and influence. Such a person must be cold-blooded and heartless. Following such a person would surely chill everyone's hearts," the public reacted strongly, with almost everyone criticizing Shen Feng's current actions.
However, Shen Feng's reputation was too great. Many people made excuses for his actions: "This matter is not as simple as it appears. I believe Shen Feng is not such an unfeeling and unrighteous person. He can't find the Tianya Alliance's stronghold, and Rongcheng is his hometown. His choice to help his hometown at this time is absolutely a righteous act."
"Lord Fengshen would not let personal matters interfere with public duty. If he were to ignore the two to three million disaster victims in Rongcheng just for his own family, that would truly be a case of losing the greater for the lesser."
Shen Feng was very well-informed and had long known about the public's discussions. He didn't explain anything to those who spoke carelessly without knowing the truth, because he would definitely rescue his parents; he just didn't need to tell the people below.
Chang Jianyi then found Lin Yue. Lin Yue was usually in charge of intelligence, and he had a good friend named Qi Lingshan. The two of them were responsible for monitoring various opinions within Yuzhou. If anyone posed a threat to Yuzhou, they would deal with them themselves. Their power was considerable.
"Hand over all intelligence matters in Yuzhou to Qi Lingshan. You have an important task now: find the Tianya Alliance's stronghold. Can you do this?" Chang Jianyi directly instructed.
Lin Yue couldn't help but feel nervous upon hearing this request. He had heard of this organization long ago, but basically, no one in the world knew where their stronghold was. Now, he was responsible for finding their base, a heavy responsibility. He had to consider whether he had the capability.
However, at this point, Lin Yue had no choice but to accept. The situation was extremely urgent, and refusing now would be an implicit admission of his inadequacy. Therefore, regardless of the outcome, Lin Yue had to agree and find a way to complete the mission.
"I will definitely be able to do this. If I fail, I will present my head," Lin Yue said seriously.
Upon hearing this guarantee, Chang Jianyi smiled and said, "Since you can guarantee the completion of the mission, I can only trust you. However, in this matter, I still need to find a few helpers for you. First, go into the Dabie Mountains and find Mu Ying. Under her is Zheng Xiqing. Once you find her and get her help, she can assist you in searching for enemies."
Lin Yue had heard before that Mu Ying in the Dabie Mountains had a good relationship with Shen Feng. Now it seemed that this was true. As long as he asked for help, he was sure to get a response.
"I understand. I will first head down the Yangtze River to the Dabie Mountains to find her. Please rest assured," Lin Yue replied.
"One helper is still far from enough. Next, you need to go to two more places: Jinling and Meizhou. Ask Ke Yiming and Wang Aoye for their help. They both have the greatest influence in the southeastern region, so they can help you find people," Chang Jianyi continued.
"Okay, I understand! Going to these two places for help, but Madam, you seem very sure that the Tianya Alliance is in the southeastern region. Are you so certain about this?" Although Lin Yue had received Chang Jianyi's suggestion, he couldn't understand why Madam was so confident when the Tianya Alliance might not be in the southeast.
"Don't worry about this. The Tianya Alliance is definitely in the southeastern region. Searching there will be absolutely correct," Chang Jianyi said confidently.
Lin Yue didn't dare to ask further and nodded in response, "Okay, I understand. I will prepare to depart now. I will find the Tianya Alliance's lair in the shortest possible time and then notify Yuzhou."
Lin Yue then left the Fengshen Palace. He thought about it and decided to go home. His wife was still at home. Since he was going on a long journey, he had to inform his wife.
When Lin Yue returned home, he saw Zhan Jinshu busy cooking. An iron chain was attached to her waist. This was because Zhan Jinshu had been constantly trying to escape after being captured, so Lin Yue had fashioned an iron chain for her. When she was tied to a pillar, it was not so easy for Zhan Jinshu to escape.
Later, after Yanjing was breached, Zhan Jinshu heard that her family had been destroyed. It was then that she gave up the idea of escaping and wholeheartedly became Lin Yue's wife.
Lin Yue treated Zhan Jinshu as a substitute for Fu Ya. However, after more than six years, Lin Yue had gradually accepted Zhan Jinshu's identity.
Lin Yue took out a key from his person and unlocked the chain around Zhan Jinshu's waist, then said, "Actually, it was wrong of me to keep you confined at home all these years. I'm going on a trip this time, and I don't know what the outcome will be. You can move around freely while I'm away. Even if you want to leave Yuzhou, I won't stop you."
Zhan Jinshu felt a sense of relief as the chain around her waist was finally unlocked. This feeling was truly marvelous. The physical restraint had been removed, but she now felt reluctant to leave.
"All my family members are dead. Where do you want me to go now?" Zhan Jinshu looked at Lin Yue intently, her eyes filled with resentment.
Lin Yue replied, "Go wherever you want. I heard you have a fiancé, and he's also an ability user. You can go find him. In any case, you deceived me and tried to kill me before, but I've kept you imprisoned for several years. An eye for an eye. You are now free!"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Jinshu not only didn't feel happy but also felt a sense of loss. She said seriously, "Actually, after spending time with you all these years, I've gotten used to this life. Although I had a chain on me, it meant I had a place to belong. You unlocking the chain now is like driving me away."
"I'm not driving you away. I've made it very clear. If you want to stay, I won't refuse. If you want to leave, I won't stop you," Lin Yue said seriously. After his initial resentment, he had gradually accepted Zhan Jinshu's presence. He also understood that keeping Zhan Jinshu by his side wasn't a good choice, so he finally found this opportunity to let go.
"Then I'll stay here forever. I won't leave you no matter what!" Zhan Jinshu said earnestly.
In fact, Zhan Jinshu suffered from a mental illness called Stockholm Syndrome. Most people would hate being treated violently, but Zhan Jinshu had come to like being treated that way after years of imprisonment. Her psychology was more or less problematic.