Chapter 20: Chengde Hall

Chapter 20: Chengde Hall

Chapter 20: Chengde Hall (Part )
The Chengde Hall has no windows, but it is as bright as day.

There were eighty-one whale oil candles on each of the bronze lamp stands on both sides, each as white as jade and as thick as an arm.

When burning, not only does it have no ink smell, it also emits a strange fragrance that makes people calm their minds.

This is extracted from the oil of the head of the Tianxiang whale, and each whale can only produce a thousand.

The general of the East China Sea Navy presented about 10,000 candles to Emperor Tianyou every year. Some officers and soldiers were killed or injured, but he was often attacked by censors, who believed that he was "fawning on the emperor with strange objects and not caring about the officers and soldiers."

Sima Da, the owner of Changjing Island, leads his disciples to hunt whales in the ocean all year round, but he can contribute 30,000 whale oil candles to Heimu Cliff every year.

With this achievement alone, Changjing Island has secured its position as the number one subordinate gang.

With the help of the power of the Sun and Moon Sect, Sima Da, who started out as a group of a dozen fishermen, became one of the most powerful people in that sea area within twenty years.

"I am the Iron Lion of the Wind and Thunder Hall, paying my respects to the Holy Master, who is a man of great virtue, benevolence, righteousness and wisdom."

The Iron Lion carried a thin boy into the Chengde Hall, paid homage to the leader, and then retreated behind Tong Baixiong.

When Yang Lianting saw the man's face clearly, he was immediately shocked, but he quickly calmed down and acted as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Steward Yang should know this person's identity very well, right?"

Tong Baixiong kept staring at Yang Lianting. Seeing that he was guilty, he knew what was going on and asked him with a smile.

Zhang Yu looked at the thin man, about 30 years old, kneeling on the ground, shaking like a sieve. He was the trump card that Tong Baixiong mentioned. Could he really use this to overthrow Yang Lianting, who was in power in the Divine Religion?
Yang Lianting's tone softened: "Why do you say that, Elder Tong? This is the person you brought here, how could I know him?"

Tong Baixiong smiled and said, "But he said he knew Manager Yang, and he knew him very well."

Yang Lianting glared at the thin man and said, "What nonsense! Who are you to say that you know me?"

The man didn't dare to look up at Yang Lianting and knelt on the ground trembling.

Tong Baixiong chuckled and said, "I'll speak for him. He is a close confidant of your chief steward Yang, Hou Jian, nicknamed 'Flying on the Trees'. He often walks on the Blackwood Cliff and his job is to deliver secret letters."

"You don't remember him, but there should be some brothers among the Purple Cloud Guards in Chengde Hall and the cousins ​​guarding the triple iron gates who can recognize him, right?"

Yang Lianting took a deep breath and looked solemn. It was obvious that Tong Baixiong came prepared.

Ten days ago, Hou Jian suddenly disappeared. At that time, he had a vague idea that something was going to happen, and he immediately took control of Hou Jian's family. Now it seems that it was fortunate that he took this step.

Yang Lianting looked at the man kneeling on the ground and sneered, "I am the chief steward under the order of the leader, in charge of the affairs of the sect. I have a lot of things to do every day. I have dozens of followers around me, if not a hundred. Do I have to know Hou Jian and Ma Jian one by one?"

Tong Baixiong no longer paid attention to the guilty Yang Lianting, and looked at the man who had been kneeling on the ground and said, "Hou Jian, I have a question for you, you must answer truthfully!"

Hou Jian nodded.

"Why did you go from Blackwood Cliff to Songshan on September 20th? Did someone ask you to deliver a letter to Zuo Lengchan, the leader of the Songshan Sect?"

When Yang Lianting heard this, his face turned pale instantly. Tong Baixiong actually knew about this.

Hou Jian looked up at Yang Lianting, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

Yang Lianting stood up suddenly, his eyes were extremely cold, staring at the man in the hall like a venomous snake: "Hou Jian, think about it before you answer. The leader's secret teaching is that anyone who falsely accuses his superior will have his entire family killed."

Yang Lianting spoke the last eight words word by word, like an icicle that instantly pierced Hou Jian's heart.

"Butler... Elder Tong..."

Hou Jian had a pleading look on his face. He looked around and saw that the hall was full of fierce and wolves. He didn't know who to plead with.

Tong Baixiong smiled at Yang Lianting and said, "Manager Yang, don't worry. In order to fully follow the master's instructions, I have rescued Hou Jian's family from the Niujiazhai dungeon and found a proper place to house them."

Upon hearing this, Hou Jian looked at Tong Baixiong with a complicated expression.

Yang Lianting sat back in his chair. He glanced at the person behind the beaded curtain, then looked at the Saint Lady sitting opposite him. Finally, he said to Tong Baixiong in an almost pleading tone:
"Elder Tong, although this beast has been around me before, you cannot trust his words."

"By the way, fifteen years ago, Hou Jian once entered the Taishan Lower Court. Maybe... maybe he is a spy sent by the Five Mountains Sword Sect to alienate our Divine Sect. You must not fall into his trap!"

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "Yang Lianting has been thrown into disarray. It seems that although Tong Baixiong has a violent temper, he is still a man of finesse and has really found his opponent's weak spot.

But Yang Lianting died together with Dongfang Bubai when Ren Woxing attacked Black Wood Cliff for the final battle.

Something must have happened, causing Tong Baixiong's painstaking plan to come to naught."

Hou Jian struggled to stand up and said, "The one who ordered me to deliver the letter to Songshan was... Elder Tong Baixiong."

After these words were spoken, the Chengde Hall fell into complete silence.

The smile on Tong Baixiong's face had not yet faded when the corners of his mouth froze. He was a little confused for a moment. What went wrong?
Ruthless people like Zhuan Zhu and Yao Li would abandon their wives and children in order to complete their mission. Could Hou Jian be such a ruthless person? Was this a trap set by Yang Lianting from the beginning?
Zhang Yu lowered his head and thought to himself, "Tong Baixiong, Tong Baixiong, you are really outrageous."

He thought that Dongfang Bubai would be partial and Yang Lianting would quibble, but he never thought that Tong Baixiong's so-called "trump card" would bite his hand.

"But Yang Lianting's acting skills are too good, right? Is he still acting?" Zhang Yu looked up.

Yang Lianting was shocked at first, then stood up in ecstasy, waved his hand and ordered: "Good, good, it turns out that the thief is crying thief. Where are the guards? Immediately arrest the anti-religious traitor Tong Baixiong!"

Eight purple-robed waiters pounced on Tong Baixiong, aiming directly at his vital points, obviously intending to kill him.

"Let me see who dares to come forward!"

Tong Baixiong took two steps forward and slapped out with both palms. The powerful internal force instantly knocked the four people on the left away. The iron lion also roared, and the four purple-clothed waiters who attacked from the right were bleeding from their mouths and noses. They retreated seven or eight steps and crashed into the dragon-patterned pillar.

Zhang Yu was close to the Iron Lion, and the roar was not directed at him, but he was also shocked and his head was buzzing. It was the first time he saw a Xiantian Mirror master in action at such a close distance. His internal strength was as deep as the abyss, and it was indeed extraordinary.

"You still dare to use force in Chengde Hall?"

Yang Lianting was standing in the hall. More than thirty purple-robed waiters had already separated him from Tong Baixiong and the others. Axe-wielding warriors in the hall surrounded him from behind, and it seemed that Tong Baixiong had no way to escape.

He laughed and said, "The leader is extremely lenient to his subordinates. As long as you repent, reflect deeply on yourself, explain your rebellious behavior to your brothers in the church, and sign a confession of repentance, he will spare your life."

"Rebelling against the leader? Confess your sins? I'll sign your old leg!"

"Yang Lianting, who do you think you are?"

"When I made friends with the Dongfang brothers, you hadn't even come out of your mother's intestines yet."

Tong Baixiong saw that the Golden Gourd Warriors were still coming. Even for a Grandmaster, it would not be easy to break through such a tight siege. He looked behind the bead curtain and shouted:
"Brother Dongfang, do you really think that Tong will betray you? If you think so, just say the word and they won't have to do anything, and I will commit suicide right here!"

Zhang Yu was also shocked. They actually started fighting in Chengde Hall, in front of Dongfang Bubai.

"Stop it all!" The voice from behind the bead curtain finally came.

In the Chengde Hall, the chaotic sounds of weapons and footsteps stopped instantly. Everyone knelt on the ground in unison, waiting for Dongfang Bubai's decision.

Yang Lianting looked at the figure behind the bead curtain with burning eyes.

After a long time.

"Who is guilty and who is not, God knows. This leader is tired, so... Saint Lady will take full charge of this matter."

Yang Lianting's expression suddenly changed. He glanced at the Saint Lady, then looked at the pearl curtain, as if he wanted to say something.

Ren Yingying also stood up and respectfully saw Dongfang Bubai off. Her bright eyes hidden under her gauze hat took in the changes in Yang Lianting's expression and seemed to understand something.

Yang Lianting returned to his seat and sat down slowly: "Since the leader has given the order, then please let Saint Lady judge this matter. However, since there are witnesses, we must not let the traitor go unpunished."

Ren Yingying smiled and said, "Apostate! Manager Yang, don't jump to conclusions before the matter is fully investigated."

"As you said, Hou Jian has been to the Taishan Lower Court and has connections with the Five Mountains Sword Sect. His testimony, whether to Chief Steward Yang or Elder Tong, must be carefully considered!"

"I think Hou Jian needs to be interrogated in more detail."

Yang Lianting sneered: "The person is dead, why are you still interrogating him?"

Everyone then realized that in the chaos, someone had attacked Hou Jian, who was bleeding from all seven orifices and had been dead for a long time.

Ren Yingying was slightly surprised and chuckled, "Now that there is no evidence, we can neither prove that Yang Zongguan collaborated with the enemy nor that Elder Tong betrayed the religion. I think we should both submit a statement and ask Uncle Dongfang to make the judgment!"

Tong Baixiong remained silent. He was unwilling to do so, but the situation was not favorable to him, so he had no choice but to do so.

"This matter is not over yet!"

Yang Lianting stood up, glanced coldly at Ren Yingying and Tong Baixiong, and then, surrounded by the Purple Cloud Guards, he left Chengde Hall with a wave of his sleeves.

(End of this chapter)