An Explanation

Gao Hui heard the commotion from afar, but by the time he rushed over, all he saw was a scattering of ash upon the ground.

"Hiss-"

He drew a cold breath. During their earlier conversation, he had heard Yang Lingrui mention that Zhao Qi acted with steady caution.

He had not elaborated at the time, but seeing this now, Gao Hui finally understood exactly what that steady caution entailed.

"Greetings, Town Chief Gao."

Gao Hui waved his hand. "No need for formalities. Were you injured?"

"I am fine. I was just worried this man might have some hidden scheme, so I didn't dare search his body and dealt with him first."

Zhao Qi shook his head, pointing at the ashes on the ground as he spoke.

Gao Hui stepped forward to inspect the remains, pulling the Lone Moon Mountain cultivator's Storage Bag from the ash.

The Storage Bag had sustained some damage from the Fire Talisman and Golden Light Art and could not be opened at present. Fortunately, the damage was not severe; it could still be repaired.

At this moment, Yang Lingrui also arrived. Seeing the sight before him, he immediately understood what had transpired.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you have worked hard this time."

"Senior Brother is too polite. All I did on this trip was run an errand, deliver a message, and use a talisman," Zhao Qi said.

Hearing this, Gao Hui laughed. "Hahaha, Zhao Qi, you are wrong there. Though the tasks were simple, each one was crucial. We couldn't have done without a single one."

"Killing two Seventh Layer cultivators-Junior Brother Zhao, with such a battle record, no one back home can compare to you now."

Yang Lingrui added with a teasing tone.

After discussing the matter on the spot, it was decided that Gao Hui would take the cultivator's Storage Bag back and find Wangchao craftsmen to repair it.

The Storage Bags of the remaining three Lone Moon Mountain disciples were handed over to the Yang family.

Before leaving, Gao Hui warned them that Lone Moon Mountain would surely learn of this matter. In the coming days, the Yang family cultivators should not go out casually and must wait until someone from Wangchao arrived before making a move.

Gao Hui also took away the bodies of the remaining three. After some careful processing, he made it appear as though they had been killed by his Blazing Sun Art.

When Lone Moon Mountain inevitably came looking, the deaths of all four would be laid entirely at Wangchao's feet.

Three disciples had descended the mountain to cause chaos in the town, robbing the common people. Gao Hui, unable to tolerate such behavior, had slain them.

As for why the Late Qi Gathering cultivator had died, Wangchao would naturally send someone to give Lone Moon Mountain an explanation.

Upon receiving the news, the Yang family immediately recalled the two cultivators stationed at their mining properties back to the clan.

Protected by a three-layer Formation, they would be perfectly safe unless a Qi Gathering Perfection cultivator personally attacked.

One month later, two Qi Gathering Ninth Layer cultivators from Lone Moon Mountain arrived in Baishi Town to demand an explanation.

The pair arrived with aggressive momentum. The moment they saw Gao Hui, they took on a posture of righteous fury, opening their mouths only to threaten him with being dragged back to the mountain for punishment.

But when Gao Hui led them into the town hall's main room and they saw He Shenglai sitting in the seat of honor, both of them froze. They swallowed their words of condemnation right back down into their stomachs.

Gao Hui was born a commoner, devoid of any background.

He only had his cultivation base and his Wangchao official post to support his standing. A mere Sixth Layer Town Chief was nothing the two from Lone Moon Mountain would ever take seriously.

But He Shenglai was entirely different.

Although his realm was also lower than theirs, and his Wangchao position was merely a Patrol Envoy, the weight of his lineage was simply too heavy.

The He Family of Wanchong Forest-a direct-line descendant!

Setting aside cultivation and official rank, this background alone was enough to utterly suppress them.

The two suppressed their tempers and did not lash out, but as they listened to Gao Hui recount the incident, their faces darkened considerably.

"Town Chief Gao, how much of this tale do you believe yourself?"

"Such insolence! Do you take us for fools?"

Anger flared upon their faces. Nearby, He Shenglai sat with his legs crossed and said, "What's the matter? You asked for an explanation, so we gave you an explanation. Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Hearing this, the two cultivators' expressions turned even uglier. One of them slammed a hand against the table and stood up. "Fine! Since you put it that way, I will accept the deaths of those three. But what about my junior brother? How do you explain that?"

The junior brother he referred to was the Lone Moon Mountain cultivator who had perished at Zhao Qi's hands.

"I killed him," He Shenglai said, shaking his head nonchalantly.

"You!"

The other man angrily shouted, "He Shenglai! Do not spout such brazen lies here. You clearly only arrived in Baishi Town recently. How could he have died by your hand?"

He Shenglai sneered with contempt and casually tossed out an official document.

The two caught it and saw it was a patrol warrant issued by Wangchao.

Its contents were exceptionally clear: it ordered He Shenglai to inspect the conditions of the towns and independent families within Wangyue's jurisdiction. The date was marked as three months ago.

Staring at the warrant, the faces of the two Lone Moon Mountain disciples turned entirely black.

They naturally knew in their hearts that this warrant was most likely fabricated after the fact, but it bore the golden seal of Wangchao. It left no room for them to question its authority.

"Fine!"

One of them gritted his teeth. "Let us assume you did encounter my junior brother. Then why did you kill him?"

"Is there something wrong with your head? I had no grudge or grievance against him. Why would I kill him for no reason? Naturally, it was because he overstepped his bounds here."

He Shenglai spoke slowly, "As for the agreement between Wangchao and the Sect, we of Zhu Tiger have always strictly abided by it. It's just that certain people seem to have grown a bit too swollen-headed, gradually forgetting to respect the Wangchao territory they reside in!"

As he spoke, his tone grew heavier, and his gaze fixed upon the two with a severe warning.

As the three faced off, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became incredibly tense.

He Shenglai leaned forward and let out a light laugh. "Oh? What's this? You want to fight? Fine, I will oblige!"

Whoosh-

As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and five slender, emerald-green willow leaves manifested at his fingertips.

The two from Lone Moon Mountain had been radiating aggressive intent just a moment prior, but the instant they saw these willow leaves, they hastily withdrew their auras, their eyes filling with deep dread.

Wanchong Forest was home to countless rare woods and spiritual plants. The Spiritual Treasures wielded by He Family cultivators were largely refined from such precious vegetation.

Among them was a Condensed Origin Spiritual Treasure refined from the Ancient Azure-Wind Willow. Its miraculous nature lay in the fact that, despite being a Spiritual Treasure, it retained the power of life and could continue to grow and sprout.

Every single leaf that grew from it functioned as a one-time Dharma Artifact, possessing destructive power comparable to an offensive Talisman at the Qi Gathering Perfection level.

The internal core of the steel whip He Shenglai usually wielded was actually a willow branch plucked from this very ancient willow Spiritual Treasure.

Now, with five willow leaves pinched between his fingers, He Shenglai could slaughter the two of them several times over. Thus, upon recognizing the items, they instantly submitted.

"Enough! We two did not come here to spark a conflict with Wangchao. We only wished to clarify the truth of the matter."

The Lone Moon Mountain cultivator continued, "Since that is the case, hand over my junior brother's remains so I may bury him back on the mountain."

"Remains? Long gone."

"Gone? How are they gone?"

"How else? They were burned. What, did you expect me to preserve them for the New Year?"

"You!"

The two from Lone Moon Mountain trembled with fury. "He Shenglai! You destroyed the evidence! You are pushing us too far!"

"Enough!"

He Shenglai bellowed in reprimand, "Two stinking dogs from the mountain, daring to bark before me! I gave you face, do not throw it away! Do you really think your grandpa has endless patience? If I were not a Wangchao official bound by that agreement, I would burn the two of you right now as well!"

"The matter is clear, and I have given you your explanation. Now scram back to wherever you came from!"

Though the two Lone Moon Mountain disciples burned with rage, the other party's backing was simply too terrifying. Even after suffering such insults, they did not dare to truly tear away all pretense of civility.

Seeing this, Gao Hui stood up at the perfect moment. He walked over to the two men and bowed slightly, gesturing toward the door.

"Two Seniors, today's matter is settled. Please return."

"Hmph!"

One of them coldly snorted, flicking his sleeve as he stormed out.

"Lord He, I will report today's events to the Sect exactly as they occurred!"

The other said in a deep, resentful voice.

He Shenglai merely cast him a sideways glance and chuckled lightly. "I couldn't ask for more. Walk slowly, I won't see you out."

After the two from Lone Moon Mountain had left, He Shenglai burst into uproarious laughter.

"Hahaha! Gao Hui, did you see their faces just now? They choked on their rage until they looked like roasted eggplants!"

He Shenglai was in an excellent mood today. "How satisfying! It has been far too long since I saw those mountain folk looking so utterly humiliated! The Yang family handled this beautifully. Not only did they prepare a life-saving measure for Yang Lingrui in advance, but they were also willing to spend their Wangchao merits to exchange for an offensive Talisman. Such diligence truly deserves a reward!"

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