I Become a Martial Arts God in the Chaotic Demon World-Chapter 276: Emotional Stability
Han Zheng and his two companions left the Joyful Forest, making their way back to Asking Sword Manor at a steady pace.
On the road, Ye Liuyun couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Han, did you sense something was off from the beginning? And when did you start suspecting that Zhang Jiangbei was problematic?"
Han Zheng shook his head, "It wasn’t from the beginning, but as things progressed, I felt more and more that something wasn’t right.
At first, I learned of Luo Daoren’s lair in Taishan Prefecture from King Tearing Wind’s mouth.
At that time, Luo Daoren wasn’t aware of my existence, so what he told King Tearing Wind should be true.
But as we tracked him to Taishan Prefecture, killed the Jade-faced Gentleman, and then chased him to Asking Sword Manor, I started to feel uneasy.
Luo Daoren is cunning and ruthless, both in his dealings with the Human Clan and the Demons.
Neither King Tearing Wind nor the Jade-faced Gentleman was willing to join under Black Mountain Demon, so he decided to mercilessly eliminate them.
Do you think such a person would cooperate with the worthless bunch at Asking Sword Manor? I looked left and right, but I couldn’t see what made Asking Sword Manor worth cooperating with for Luo Daoren.
Rather than saying Asking Sword Manor colluded with the Demons, it’s better to say that Asking Sword Manor is a trap, a pit prepared especially for us.
Because of the relationship between Asking Sword Manor and the Washing Sword Pavilion, anyone who investigates Asking Sword Manor will have a conflict with the Washing Sword Pavilion.
Luo Daoren was just waiting for us to look into Asking Sword Manor, just like now, caught in a dilemma, whether we investigate or not.
As for Zhang Jiangbei, I felt there was something strange about him ever since we started investigating Asking Sword Manor.
He was always leading us into conflict with Asking Sword Manor, pretending to be too afraid to offend the Washing Sword Pavilion, wanting to incite our anger.
What really made me suspicious of him was that in the end, he so easily stood by our side without consulting Liu Xunqi, daring to directly order the Xuanjia Guard of Taishan Prefecture to help me."
Han Zheng let out a cold laugh, "When Liu Xunqi left, he specifically stated that we shouldn’t have an open conflict with Asking Sword Manor, but Zhang Jiangbei, ignoring the orders of the Garrison Captain, came to help us. How come I didn’t see that I had such a big charm?
Although these are all my conjectures, they are probably not far from the truth, let’s wait and see in the end."
Ye Liuyun didn’t ask any further, suddenly realizing that he might have been a bit naive.
Before, he had a good impression of Zhang Jiangbei, thinking that it was commendable for someone to help them despite Liu Xunqi’s orders and could be a valuable friend to make.
Who would have thought that the other party might actually be a spy for the Black Mountain Demon?
In fact, it’s not fair to call Ye Liuyun naive, as ever since he joined the Demon Cleansing Bureau, he had been carrying out missions at the headquarters.
The atmosphere at the headquarters of the Demon Cleansing Bureau was quite good; almost everyone could entrust their backs to one another, not to mention traitors— even Xuanjia Guards like Guo Zhen, who engaged in petty schemes, were the minority.
But in local jurisdictions, things were different.
Han Zheng had been in charge of Smoke Wave Prefecture and seen Xuanjia Guards like Pei Xiuyuan, narrow-minded and harboring grievances against headquarters.
He had also encountered the likes of Zhao Rongye, who, in his fear of death, colluded with Demons and betrayed his own people.
The Xuanjia Guards of the Demon Cleansing Bureau were human, after all, not every person’s will was extremely strong.
At this moment, Luo Daoren, transformed into a rush of black qi, was speeding back to Asking Sword Manor with Mo Tianxing, and the black qi was about to dissipate.
Suddenly, Mo Tianxing said, "You’ve been deceiving me all along! From the beginning, you planned to use the relationship between my Asking Sword Manor and the Washing Sword Pavilion to set up the Demon Cleansing Bureau!
You never intended to help Asking Sword Manor rise again, to regain its former glory!"
Within the thinning black qi, Luo Daoren said in surprise, "Oh, you’ve finally figured it out. Not too bad, you’re not completely foolish.
But the promise I made to you, I never lied about that, and the Black Mountain Demon King never breaks his word.
If in the future, the Black Mountain Demon King sweeps through Southern Mountain again, the Washing Sword Pavilion will inevitably be involved, and by then, Asking Sword Manor will naturally be unoppressed and have the chance to rise again.
As for whether you can replace the Washing Sword Pavilion, that’s up to you. If you yourselves don’t have the strength to stand up, what’s the use of talking about rising?
Boy, you should be grateful that Asking Sword Manor still has value to be used by me.
If Asking Sword Manor had no value to be exploited, then its annihilation wouldn’t be far."
Washing Sword Pavilion has been informed by my men; your task is to make it clear to your worthless father not to run his mouth off!
Just let Washing Sword Pavilion and Demon Cleansing Bureau come to blows, and I will be able to stir the pot from behind the scenes, escalating the situation completely. It will be the only opportunity for Asking Sword Manor to rise to power!
I’ve given you the chance; whether you can grasp it is up to you."
As the voice faded, the black fog completely dissipated.
Mo Tianxing clenched his fists and hurried into Asking Sword Manor.
It was already late at night when Mo Tianxing directly pulled Mo Gaowen out from a pile of women.
Mo Gaowen hastily dressed and said discontentedly, "Tianxing, what is this about? Why all the rush in the dead of night?"
Mo Tianxing took a deep breath and quickly said, "Today, the Demon Department came to investigate our Asking Sword Manor for colluding with demons, but the person they were actually after was me!
I had collaborated with Luodao, one of the Black Mountain Demon King’s affiliates, wishing to restore Asking Sword Manor’s former glory!
But just now in Joyful Forest, I had already been discovered by someone from the Demon Department. It was Luodao who used a secret technique to help me escape, and he’s also informed the people from Washing Sword Pavilion.
Washing Sword Pavilion’s men are already on their way, and the Demon Department will definitely come asking for trouble.
Father, you must not run your mouth off. Insist that our Asking Sword Manor has not colluded with the demons, and that the Demon Department is targeting Washing Sword Pavilion, hence the trouble for us!
Once the fight starts, Luodao will secretly add fuel to the fire and escalate the conflict. Then Washing Sword Pavilion will have no time to suppress us.
That will be the only opportunity for Asking Sword Manor to rise to power!"
Mo Tianxing said all this in one breath, then let out a long sigh and slumped into a chair.
Mo Gaowen stood there stupefied, his expression going through successive changes—shocked, angry, frightened, and flustered—before settling into a resigned sigh.
"My son, why do you bother with all this? Aren’t we living a great life at Asking Sword Manor now? Carefree and joyful.
Which power in the Martial World is more carefree and joyful than our Asking Sword Manor? Why insist on doing such dangerous things?"
"Because I don’t want to be raised like a pig any longer!"
"Isn’t it good to be like a pig? Fed and watered, and Washing Sword Pavilion bears the sky when it falls. That’s what they owe us from years ago!"
"But even a pig is bound to be slaughtered one day!"
Mo Tianxing looked at Mo Gaowen with a fierce voice, "Father! Haven’t you realized yet? We live carefree and joyfully because Washing Sword Pavilion wants a good reputation.
The day they no longer need that reputation is the day they’ll start slaughtering us!"
Mo Gaowen wanted to say something else but finally sighed.
He shook his head slightly and said, "Forget it, after all, Asking Sword Manor will be left to you eventually. Do as you wish with it."
In the daytime, Han Zheng and the others thought Mo Gaowen to be arrogant and brainless, a complete idiot and fool.
But in reality, Mo Gaowen was very stable-minded, not greatly perturbed even when Mo Tianxing spoke of such shocking and dangerous matters that could decide the life and death of Asking Sword Manor.
From the beginning, Mo Gaowen knew what he wanted to do, and he was well aware that the more he behaved this way, the more at ease Washing Sword Pavilion would be.
He had lived a carefree life, indulging in pleasure and dreams. Now, if his son wished to live differently, then so be it. He had enjoyed everything in life; he was fine with living or with dying.
There had been plenty of disgraced Manor Masters before him; even if he met the ancestors in the underworld, he wouldn’t have to hang his head in shame.
Outside Asking Sword Manor, just as Han Zheng and his companions returned, they saw a group of Washing Sword Pavilion disciples arriving with aggression.
However, these disciples from Washing Sword Pavilion were all relatively young, and the strongest among them was only at the Xuan Gang Realm.
Mo Tianxing, observing carefully from within the manor, felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
Are there no Elders from the Dan Sea Realm coming? Can these young disciples of Xuan Gang Realm really stand against Han Zheng?
