Chapter 1004: Gathering together ()

"Greetings to the Palace Master, Seventh Master..."

"Where is Lin Fangda?"

"In the study..."

"Guard the door."

"As ordered..."

"squeak!"

Following a brief and hurried conversation in the courtyard, the door of the study was suddenly pushed open, and Xie Xuan and Murong Bai walked into the room one after another.

With a look of grief and indignation on his face, Lin Fangda knelt straight in front of the desk. Even when he heard Xie Xuan and Murong Bai pushing the door open, he remained motionless and had no reaction.

Seeing this, Xie Xuan, who was as clear as a mirror, paused for a moment and uttered a thought-provoking sigh. He gestured to Murong Bai to close the door and walked towards Lin Fangda.

"No need to kneel, stand up and talk."

"No! I incited the disciples to cause trouble, I contradicted the elders in public, and... I was rude. This is a heinous crime, a heinous crime, a serious crime, an unforgivable crime, a crime... In short, I should kneel down and accept the punishment."

Facing Xie Xuan's generosity, Lin Fangda not only did not appreciate it, but instead he made self-deprecating remarks. He seemed to admit his mistakes, but in fact he was sarcastic and unconvinced, and he had no intention of repenting.

"Don't be angry!"

Murong Bai handed a cup of tea to Xie Xuan, and then taught Lin Fangda a lesson in a serious tone: "Based on your performance just now, if the Palace Master is fair, you will be dead or skinned. Don't think that you are the only one in the entire Xianwang Mansion who is grateful to the 'former Palace Master', and don't mistake your recklessness for bravery. Do you know that such reckless behavior in public will not only kill yourself, but also implicate other disciples?"

"Seventh Master is right! I shouldn't have thrown a tantrum in public, nor should I have said those treasonous nonsense." Lin Fang's eyes were red, and he said word by word, "I admit that I committed treason and I admit that I am guilty. But being guilty does not mean being wrong. I am just saying what others dare not say, to say a few fair words for the deceased palace lord..."

"A few fair words can neither bring the mansion master back to life nor avenge him. Instead, they will only show my weakness and ignorance." Xie Xuan, with tired eyes, took a sip from the teacup and said nonchalantly, "This time, if the leader of Qingfeng hadn't come forward to plead for me, I would not be able to forgive you."

"Second Master, I am not afraid of death..."

"Then it has to be a worthwhile death!" Seeing that Lin Fangda was stubborn, Xie Xuan's face darkened and he said unhappily, "Do you think that you can kill the 'distinguished guest' invited by Qingfeng Alliance Leader with just a few words? I might as well tell you the truth. Once this matter becomes deadlocked, even if Qingfeng Alliance Leader turns against Xianwang Mansion, he will not turn against the court. To be more precise, Qingfeng Alliance Leader will not turn against Xianwang Mansion, but will only... turn against you. Just now, the slap from the lady was a precursor. If you dare to 'take a step forward' again, even the king of heaven can't save you."

"This..." Lin Fang was shocked and asked doubtfully, "Since the leader of Qingfeng is loyal to Qin Wei, why did he plead for me?"

"He is not begging for you, he just doesn't want to cause trouble because of some trivial matters." Murong Bai smiled contemptuously, "The 'Eradication of Traitors' Conference is just around the corner, and heroes from all over the world are coming. At this critical moment, it is better to have less trouble than more."

"What do you mean?" Through Xie Xuan and Murong Bai's echoing, Lin Fangda vaguely guessed a clue, "From your tone... it seems that you are also secretly dissatisfied with Qin Wei?"

"Since you know the 'secret thoughts', you shouldn't show them." Xie Xuan answered cryptically, "What you think is just what you see, and what you see... is just what others want you to see. You claim to be able to see through things, but in fact you are just a blind man touching an elephant. What's even more ridiculous is that you are so self-righteous and boastful. Remember! From now on, you must behave yourself and be honest. Don't rely on your seniority to speak nonsense and do whatever you want."

"Second Master, the more I listen, the more confused I become..."

"There's nothing wrong with being confused." Xie Xuan interrupted Lin Fangda's questioning, "I'll go out and get the thirty heavy sticks to teach you a lesson. Let's forget about today's matter for now."

"This……"

"What? You think it's too little?" Murong Bai raised his eyebrows and looked at Lin Fangda who was hesitant to speak. "The Palace Master has shown you special favor. Don't be ungrateful."

"I... accept the punishment!" After hesitating for a long time, General Lin Fang made up his mind and nodded heavily, "I believe that Second Master and Seventh Master are definitely not people who forget their principles for the sake of profit. You must have your own plans..."

"You don't have to deliberately test us. Just take care of yourself."

"Yes……"

Lin Fangda was embarrassed when Xie Xuan exposed his thoughts. He bowed three times to Xie Xuan and Murong Bai, then quickly stood up and said righteously, "I don't need to ask about other things, but there is one thing... I dare to ask the second master and the seventh master to tell me frankly."

"I know what you want to ask." Before Lin Fangda finished speaking, Xie Xuan replied calmly, "Yu'er is fine, you don't have to worry." "Is Ningyu's disappearance really related to you?" Lin Fangda's face suddenly changed, and his urgent eyes were cast straight at Murong Bai with a stern expression. He completely ignored Xie Xuan's warning and asked stubbornly, "Where did the Seventh Master hide Ningyu? Why did you hide her? Does Madam know..."

"I treat Yu'er like my own daughter, how could I harm her?" Xie Xuan frowned, his tone becoming more impatient, "I can only tell you that Yu'er is in a very safe place, eating well, wearing well, living well, everything is good. From today until the end of the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference', I don't want to hear anything about Yu'er from you anymore."

"But……"

"Lin Fangda, don't you understand what the mansion master means?" Murong reminded him in plain words, "From now until... the end of the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference', he doesn't want you to mention the young lady again."

"Seventh Master means... Ningyu will go home after the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference' ends..."

"That's enough!" Before Lin Fangda could figure out the riddle, Xie Xuan waved his hand in annoyance and interrupted him, "Now it's my turn to ask you. I asked you, Xu Heng, Ling Qing and the others to go and help the Sanyi Gang, why did you come back by yourself?"

"Sanyi Gang? It's broken!"

Facing Xie Xuan's question, Lin Fangda was stunned at first, then his face changed, and he said hurriedly: "The brothers of the Sanyi Gang arrived outside Luoyang City yesterday morning..."

"So fast?"

As soon as Lin Fangda said this, a look of astonishment appeared on Xie Xuan and Murong Bai's faces at the same time.

"Where are they?" Xie Xuan asked in surprise, "Why can't I see them?"

"They haven't entered the city yet..."

"Haven't entered the city yet?" Looking at the hesitant Lin Fangda, Xie Xuan was even more puzzled, "Why?"

"It was decided by Gang Leader Xue, Deputy Gang Leader Ma, and Deputy Gang Leader Yin. I don't know the reason. They asked me to go into the city first to report, and they led the people to wait for news outside the city. Xu Heng, Ling Qing and I tried to persuade them, but the tempers of the three gang leaders were more stubborn than each other, and it was useless no matter how hard we tried. I had no choice but to return home alone..."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Xie Xuan was shocked and scolded, "Do you know that they are the sworn brothers of the 'Palace Master'? They are the benefactors of the Xianwang Mansion? You actually let them wait outside the city for a whole day and night?"

"Second Master, calm down. This is all my fault!" Lin Fangda's face flushed with shame, feeling extremely guilty. "I entered the city at noon yesterday. I heard on the street that there was a disturbance at the Donghai Teahouse. I also learned that the Seventh Master had led people there, so I rushed over to help. Unexpectedly, I ran into that bastard Qin Wei. I was so angry that I was obsessed with fighting him that I forgot about my brothers in the Sanyi Gang..."

"Asshole!" Xie Xuan was furious. He threw the teacup to the ground and pointed at the submissive Lin Fangda. He was so angry that he spoke incoherently and spit everywhere. "Lin Fangda, you...you are more than just confused. You are simply stupid and dumb as a pig..."

"Palace Master, I am also at fault in this matter." Murong Bai said ashamedly, "I was also confused when I saw Lin Fangda yesterday, but I was distracted when I saw Qin Wei after entering the East Sea Teahouse. If I had asked one more question at that time, I wouldn't have been delayed until now..."

"Forget it! Forget it!" Xie Xuan's head was as big as a bucket, his heart was in turmoil, and he asked repeatedly in a bad tone, "It's come to this point, there's no point in saying more. Where are the people from the Sanyi Gang now? How many of them are there?"

"Boss Xue means... they are waiting outside the city for Second Master's arrangements." Lin Fang said shyly, "A total of... 800 brothers."

At this point, Lin Fangda seemed unable to suppress his inner curiosity and asked timidly, "Second Master, Seventh Master, most of the people from other sects who participated in the 'Eradication of Traitors Conference' had 20 to 30 people, why did the Sanyi Gang suddenly have so many people?"

"Xue Huzi, Ma Rufeng, and Yin Sandao are the lord's close friends. In terms of the importance they attach to the 'Anti-Traitors Conference', they are no less important than the Xianwang Mansion." Xie Xuan was distracted and said casually, "What's more, they have been in the outlaw world for many years, robbing the rich to help the poor, fighting for territory, recruiting soldiers, attacking mountaintops... They are used to rushing into things when encountering them. Their style of doing things is naturally very different from the famous and upright people in the martial arts world. There is no need to make a fuss."

"Yes." Because Lin Fangda made a big mistake due to his negligence, he did not dare to question Xie Xuan's explanation, so he could only bite the bullet and continue, "Second Master, how do you plan to settle them? There are so many people... There is no room for them in the mansion."

"I know!" Xie Xuanhu glared at the bewildered Lin Fangda, and said angrily, "Do you think I have the same pig brain as you, and can forget everything, no matter how big the matter is? You'd better think clearly about how to explain to the three gang leaders. If this makes them dissatisfied with the Xianwang Mansion, I will tear your bones apart with my own hands!"

"Yes……"

"I have a plan!" Murong Bai pondered for a moment, and a plan came to mind. "When the mansion master was alive, he borrowed Danfeng Garden in the north of the city from Shen Dongshan. After the mansion master was killed, we have been busy with other things, so Danfeng Garden has not been returned to Dongshan Chamber of Commerce yet. Now it comes in handy, why not... let the brothers of the Sanyi Gang live in Danfeng Garden temporarily?"

"Alright! It's a waste to leave such a big house empty. When the mansion owner borrowed it..." As soon as he said this, Xie Xuan suddenly realized Lin Fangda beside him. His eyes changed quietly and he quickly changed his words, "Enough of the idle talk! Lin Fangda, go outside the city to welcome the Sanyi Gang and accompany them to Danfeng Garden. Murong Bai, you rush to Danfeng Garden to prepare. When you see the three gang leaders, say hello to them for me and tell them... everything is as planned. Ask them to be patient and wait for good news."

……

(End of this chapter)