Finally withdrawing his hand from a soldier's neck, Zhang Rongfang moved swiftly into the shadows, avoiding further detection of his identity.
Ensuring his own safety, he carefully glanced over at Xiao Qingying and Zhang Xuan.
Under the bridge, the two had already entered the tunnel. As Zhang Xuan entered, his gaze lingered in the direction where Zhang Rongfang had gone.
As if he were searching for sothing.
But he found nothing.
Sighing, Zhang Xuan crawled into the tunnel, closing the stone door with a backward motion.
Only a pile of Spiritual Army corpses remained at the scene.
And a Daoist from the Jade Void Palace of the Great Dao Teaching slowly regained consciousness, standing up and stretching his neck.
He hadn't seen who attacked him. As he got up, he cursed, looked around, but couldn't find the culprit.
He then went to the tunnel entrance, felt around to confirm he couldn't open the door, and left disgruntled.
Standing in the shadows, Zhang Rongfang quietly observed, and only after the Jade Void Palace Daoist left did he silently turn and retrace his steps.
"Do you think just because no one saw you, you're safe?"
Suddenly, a chilling voice ca from beside Zhang Rongfang.
"You let a fugitive escape on your own accord, a fugitive from a rebel army at that. And you even took the initiative to kill so many Spiritual Army soldiers."
The speaker's tone was cold, but the content carried an inexplicable implication.
Zhang Rongfang's expression didn't change as he turned to look.
It was another Grandmaster, Shang Dingye.
His face was sinister, his eyes carrying a kind of unspeakable dangerous smile.
"In such a big town, what's wrong if I want to protect a few people?" Zhang Rongfang said coldly, unfazed.
"Those people are old acquaintances of mine. I wanted to protect them, but soone was unwise and tried to stop .
So, killing them wasn't my fault; it was their own doing!"
"... Quite bold. Just an External dicine, yet you dare to speak so boldly before . No wonder you're the Sect Leader's troubleso disciple. Truly impressive....." Shang Dingye said sarcastically.
"So, Grandmaster Shang, from what position are you speaking to now?" Zhang Rongfang retorted harshly.
"Hehe.... Unbelievable, Sect Leader Yue wreaked havoc when he ca, and now one of his disciples cos...."
Shang Dingye advanced slowly, stopping only a few ters away from Zhang Rongfang.
"Didn't Ning Hongli ever tell you not to break the rules?" His voice was light, not waiting for Zhang Rongfang's response, he brushed past him, heading for the distant street.
Zhang Rongfang's heart tightened; in that instant, he pondered whether to eliminate him to keep the secret.
But Shang Dingye was a Grandmaster of worship, and his dark vision could clearly see the layers of spiritual lines covering Shang Dingye's body.
So if it ca to a fight, no outco could be reached quickly between them.
So, at such a critical mont, maintaining secrecy was impossible....
'This man.... he must have been watching earlier. Just don't know if he heard anything....'
Zhang Rongfang felt a creeping sense of danger rise within him.
Old Yue's connections within the Jade Void Palace—so, like Ning Hongli, were friendly, while others, like Shang Dingye, were hostile.
Shangguan Feihua seed to belong to a neutral stance.
But now....
Watching Shang Dingye's retreating silhouette, Zhang Rongfang couldn't ascertain how much had been overheard.
If his secret identity were revealed.... if knowing Zhang Rongfang was indeed him....
Then....
Although the Elders were aware, still.... Zhang Rongfang felt an inexplicable sense of crisis rising again.
Since this identity of Zhang Rongfang ant his real age would be exposed, it ant his sister and brother-in-law would inevitably be uncovered...
Without lingering elsewhere, he swiftly returned to the inn, now serving as a temporary eting point.
In the inn's lobby,
The owner and a few staff hadn't been killed; instead, they were nervously serving the remaining guests.
Their faces were pale, and their legs trembled, almost unable to walk stably.
Not many remained in the whole inn.
Fortunately, these were the kind-hearted ones unwilling to bully or slaughter the innocent.
Seeing Zhang Rongfang enter, no one greeted him; each person sat scattered, quietly keeping to themselves.
The screams, fires, cannons, and gunshots outside lingered for a long ti.
It was loud at first, then quieter, until finally, the dawn began to break.
Outside, only the crisp clash of Spiritual Army armor and weapons broke the silence.
It was the sound of patrolling troops passing by.
Sigh....
Soone in the inn let out a sigh.
Zhang Rongfang sat silently, gaining for the first ti a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the Great Dao Teaching.
So the Great Dao Teaching wasn't all the harmless Cultivation of Literature Daoists. There was also a ruthless, warlike faction like the Jade Void Palace.
Bam!
The inn's door was suddenly slamd open with trendous force.
The three-ter-tall Shangguan Feihua stood outside, his eyes like copper bells scanning the people inside.
A terrifying sense of oppression, like a wild storm, swept into the hall, blanketing everyone present.
Zhang Rongfang involuntarily tensed up.
His perception and strength were the highest among those present, so he acutely felt the oppressive aura Shangguan Feihua brought.
The sheer pressure from the aura forced his entire body to unconsciously stiffen, as if he were facing an imnsely dangerous beast in his weaker years.
It's like soone is holding the tip of a knife one inch in front of his eye, ready to stab it at any mont.
His body's instinctive warnings were frantically reminding him.
Stay away!
Stay away!
Stay away!!
But another part of his rationality was controlling his body the opposite way, making sure he didn't move, couldn't move.
Because reason told him, if he moved recklessly at this mont, he would instantly beco the primary target of attack!
"If you want to rule over the sheep, you must beco lions and tigers! The strong devour the weak, that's the law of the universe!"
Shangguan Feihua's voice echoed into the hall, his gaze like a beam of light, sweeping over several people, finally settling on Zhang Rongfang.
"Just now, who broke the rules, step forward."
His voice was low, like thunder, causing the bowls and chopsticks in the inn's hall to tremble slightly.
No one responded.
In this situation, even if soone really broke the rules, they would never dare to step forward.
But Shangguan Feihua clearly had a target.
His gaze directly fixed on Zhang Rongfang.
"Zhang Ying Daoist, do you have anything to say?" Shangguan Feihua stared at Zhang Rongfang.
"I did not break the rules." Zhang Rongfang stood up, his face calm, directly eting the other's gaze.
"So might not think so..." Shangguan Feihua's eyes turned cold. "Grandmaster Shang stated, you openly slaughtered the spirit army outside and let suspicious rogue troops into the tunnel to leave the city!"
"I said it." Zhang Rongfang's eyes were equally cold, staring at the other. "I did not break the rules!"
His voice also rose, not backing down in the slightest.
"Since the Lord Shangguan has set the rule, the strong devour the weak, the law of the universe. Then we naturally act accordingly! Moreover!"
He paused.
"Moreover, what Grandmaster Shang saw is not the truth!" He continued without hesitation, "Among those people, there was a woman I had my eye on first, but soone actually dared to defy the superior, relying on force to take away the person I had favored. I am the Daoist of the Celestial Treasure Palace of the Great Dao Teaching! The legitimate successor of the Celestial Treasure Palace's Sect Leader!
By taking what is mine, they disrespected my master, and by disrespecting my master, they disrespected the entire Celestial Treasure Palace!
Since the Lord Shangguan confird the law of the strong devours the weak, then....."
He paused for an instant, his eyes sharp.
"Then, when I killed them, it was their own doing!"
"Just a few spirit soldiers, is it worth making the Lord Shangguan so angry? Or is it, soone is deliberately twisting facts, distorting the truth, sowing discord, trying to manipulate the Lord against , Zhang Ying? I ask the Lord to discern clearly!"
His voice softened as he cupped his hands in salute.
"..."
This speech, turning black into white, confusing right and wrong, left Shang Dingye standing behind Shangguan Feihua, staring, unable to react for a mont.
The main reason was that Zhang Rongfang was so firmly confident, with such a grand air, one would think he absolutely couldn't be wrong, that he hadn't made any mistake.
Moreover, in normal circumstances, it might be forgiven, but in front of Shangguan Feihua, soone whose martial prowess was nearly at the peak within the Great Dao Teaching, he could still be so confident.
This truly shocked everyone.
Shangguan Feihua couldn't care less who was right or wrong in the words, turning to look at Shang Dingye who had followed.
"Is what he says true?"
"Lord Shangguan, at that ti, everyone who witnessed was silenced by this kid. I..." Shang Dingye suddenly got a bit anxious, after cultivating for many years, it was the first ti he t soone so shalessly bold.
Shalessness combined with boldness, when put together, could exert such a great effect.
He never expected this.
"So, you have no evidence?" Shangguan Feihua's gaze turned cold.
"Yes, at that ti, there was also a junior from our team! But I am not sure if he saw Zhang Ying's face...." Shang Dingye hesitated.
"That guy probably didn't see the attacker's face when he was killed, right?" Zhang Rongfang spoke decisively, "Grandmaster Shang, I know you had old grievances with my master, but a master is a master. If you have the skills, take it up directly with the Celestial Treasure Palace. Targeting a junior like , framing and falsely accusing, even killing all eyewitnesses, don't you find it disgraceful?"
He was implying that Shang Dingye was deliberately committing murder to fra him.
"....." Shang Dingye looked at the doubtful gaze of Shangguan Feihua, his heart suddenly sinking, realizing there was no more hope this ti.
Not only was there no hope, but it also made Shangguan Feihua's attitude towards him worsen.
He knew too well that the Lord Shangguan's temper wasn't great.
"This matter... was my misunderstanding." Instantly, Shang Dingye glared at Zhang Rongfang, gritting his teeth and cupping his fist.
Without clear person and material evidence, he obviously couldn't act against this kid. After all, with Zhang Ying's status, trivial matters couldn't tackle him.
He originally thought he had caught a great leverage, to take a good revenge for the grievances left by Yue Dewen, who knew....
Now he was even angrier!
"I hope there is no next ti." Shangguan Feihua leaned closer, speaking each word forcefully.
".....Yes." Shang Dingye nodded through gritted teeth.
Next ti.... what next ti. Next ti he would definitely not be so reckless!
This kid.... Shang Dingye stared at Zhang Rongfang, knowing he had underestimated him.
This matter, under Shangguan's pressure, if Zhang Ying had shown a hint of guilt, any oddness, it would have been detected.
But Shangguan found nothing amiss, which indicated that the kid's disguise was very strong.
It wasn't just a disguise in expression...
In the eyes of a top powerhouse like Shangguan Feihua, whether a person was lying could be roughly judged from heart rate and blood flow speed.
Yet now, both he and the kid found no problem with heart rate or blood flow, which ant they could only judge based on evidence.
This kid.... such strong courage!
"Alright. Prepare to leave the city, hand this over to the military to wrap up. We shall proceed to the next destination." Shangguan Feihua decided not to bother with such trivial matters, warning Shang Dingye again, then began to organize his team to leave.
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