"Why can't she be told, and what are you suspecting her of?" Chen Hao continued to interrogate.

"I suspect she is Qian Feng's spy, so she cannot be told, lest she report this matter to Qian Feng," Zhao Chong explained.

"Qian Feng!" Hearing this name, Chen Hao was extremely shocked!

"Zhao Chong, what nonsense are you talking about? How could Huashan be related to Qian Feng? She has just emerged from the scroll and came to the Netherworld less than a year ago!"

A cold light shot from Zhao Chong's eyes as he said, "Although she did not know Qian Feng before, that does not mean her father and mother didn't! It's possible that before she followed you all and left the Demon-Sealing Scroll, her parents might have already told her something!"

"Isn't her mother surnamed Zhao, just like you?"

Zhao Chong nodded, stating indifferently, "Do you still remember how her father explained that secret about the ancient city to you? Even we, the Clan Leaders of the four great Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li families, did not know of such things. How could a commoner like her father possibly know?"

"I remember her father saying that his great-grandfather was a high-ranking minister beside the Ancestor of the Nether King, so he knew some secrets of the ancient city."

"Hmph!" Zhao Chong let out a snort of contempt and retorted, "Do you really believe that there was a minister more worthy of the Ancestor of the Nether King's trust than the Clan Leaders of the four great families?"

Chen Hao was at a loss for words.

He pondered carefully and realized that Zhao Chong was right.

"You once told me that Lin Mo, Huashan's father, used to serve as a guard at the entrance of Zhao Residence, until the major upheaval in the Netherworld eighteen years ago when he took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the Demon-Sealing Scroll. Later, I had my men search through the archives of Zhao Residence and discovered that eighteen years ago, there wasn't a guard named Lin Mo in our Zhao Residence at all!"

"Maybe her father used a false name."

Zhao Chong's expression became stern as he coldly said, "Do you think my Zhao Residence would hire a guard with an unknown background and a fake name? Any person, even a servant who comes to work temporarily during the busy season, must have a clear background before being allowed to enter the residence. Not just the Zhao Residence, the other major families are the same."

Zhao Chong's words plunged Chen Hao into silence, sending a chill through his heart.

After a while, Chen Hao looked at Zhao Chong with a troubled expression and said, "So you've suspected Huashan all along? You just didn't tell me and Yuqiao to avoid alarming the enemy."

Zhao Chong nodded.

"You just said Huashan is a spy for Qian Feng, but you had no solid evidence before. What about now? What have you done to her?"

"Now that there is conclusive evidence, she has been imprisoned, and I plan to interrogate her under torture."

Chen Hao was taken aback, shocked by the words "interrogate her under torture."

"Huashan is still a girl, how can you subject her to torture!" exclaimed Chen Hao angrily. Then he looked at Ye Yuqiao, pleading with her to help plead for Lin Huashan.

"Lin Huashan knows too many secrets among us, and I estimate she has already told them to Qian Feng, which is highly unfavorable for us; we cannot be merciful to her!"

Chen Ao shook his head, "Do you have any evidence that proves she is the traitor?"

"Have you ever thought about how she was able to hurry here to find you a few days ago, after my men took her away and imprisoned her?" Zhao Chong counter asked Chen Hao.

Chen Hao could not refute, realizing why he had never considered these questions before.

"Was she rescued by Qian Feng's people?" Chen Hao asked with furrowed brows, a wave of panic growing in his heart. Now, the truth of the matter completely leaned towards Lin Huashan being the traitor.

He found this truth hard to accept!

"Other than Qian Feng, I can't think of anyone else who would send people to rescue her."

Chen Hao's expression became even more unsightly, the feeling of betrayal making him feel terrible inside. At the same time, a question made him contemplate deeply: If Lin Huashan had been rescued by Qian Feng's people a few days ago, then why did she rush to the Huiyin Mountains, and even follow him, fearless of life and death, into the Dust Realm?

He could not believe that the tears Lin Huashan shed for him in the Dust Realm were all fake.

Suddenly, a sharp light flashed in Chen Hao's eyes as he thought of another important matter.

"Zhao Chong, do you recognize a woman who transformed into a phoenix?"

Upon hearing Chen Hao's words, Ye Yuqiao was so frightened that she shuddered all over, her eyes filled with terror and unease.

However, at this moment, Chen Hao's attention was fully on Zhao Chong and he did not notice Ye Yuqiao's strong reaction.

To Chen Hao's disappointment, after his careful scrutiny, Zhao Chong's breathing and expression remained steady, without the slightest fluctuation.

"No!" Zhao Chong shook his head.

"Huashan said that on the day Yuqiao and I came to the Netherworld, you appeared with that woman."

"Can you still believe her words?"

Chen Hao was at a loss for words, his face filled with unwillingness!

"Then have you heard of that woman?" Chen Hao asked again.

He noticed that at this point, Zhao Chong's breathing suddenly slowed, resembling suffocation, and his expression changed slightly, as if he was hesitating.

"What are you hesitating about?" Chen Hao pressed.

Zhao Chong furrowed his brow and looked at Chen Hao, only after a while did he say, "I have heard that on the day King Nanlin captured you and brought you to the Netherworld, it was that woman who saved you!"

"When did you hear about it?"

"A long time ago."

"Then why didn't you tell me and Yuqiao before?"

Chen Hao saw that Zhao Chong's complexion was becoming more and more peculiar.

"Zhao Chong mentioned it to me."

To Chen Hao's surprise, Yuqiao, who was behind him, suddenly spoke up for Zhao Chong at this moment.

"Yuqiao!" Chen Hao whirled around to look at Ye Yuqiao, his face a mixture of seven parts shock and three parts anger.

"After you woke up, I went with Zhao Chong to the Dayang Mountains, and later you entered the Dust Realm, where there was never a chance to tell you."

Chen Hao gritted his teeth, a chattering sound coming from his mouth, feeling very upset in his heart, thinking that Ye Yuqiao always sided with Zhao Chong.

"Chen Hao, I'm really just telling the truth, not taking sides," Ye Yuqiao sent a covert message to Zhao Chong, "I really don't want you to continue being so unreasonably troublesome!"

"Is it me being unreasonable?" Chen Hao felt a mix of grievance and bitterness in his heart. He turned back to look at Zhao Chong, then continued to ask, "Did you find out who that woman is?"

Zhao Chong shook his head and then sighed.

"I didn't find out who, but since she once saved you, she's probably not an enemy."

"That's not necessarily true!" Chen Hao retorted, "In the Dust Realm, Huashan also risked her life to save me."

Hearing this, Ye Yuqiao behind him was very saddened.

"You're right," Zhao Chong said, lowering his head slightly.

"I want to see Huashan!" Chen Hao declared.

Zhao Chong was startled, then looked at Ye Yuqiao and said, "That's up to His Majesty to decide."

Chen Hao immediately turned back to look at Ye Yuqiao.

"Why do you want to see her?"

"If you gave Zhao Chong a chance to explain himself, why can't I give Huashan a chance to do the same?"

Ye Yuqiao was noticeably displeased.

"Are you getting angry with me?"

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