Chapter 282 Tang Clan Meeting
"The road to Shu is more difficult than climbing to the sky. Cancong and Yufu were so confused when they founded the country. For 48,000 years, there has been no human traffic with the Qin frontier. To the west of Taibai there is a bird path that can cross the peak of Emei Mountain. The ground collapsed, the mountains were crushed, and the warriors died. Then the ladders to heaven and the stone planks were connected."

In the middle of Sichuan Province, there is a long and steep mountain range called "Da Ba".

Deep in the Bashan Mountains, there is a mansion that looks like a paradise on earth, named "Tangmen".

The Tang Clan in Shu is one of the four great martial arts families in the Central Plains. They are the best in the world in terms of hidden weapons and poisons. Although their Qinggong is not as famous as those of hidden weapons and poisons, they are also the best in the world.

In terms of martial arts alone, the Tang Clan in Shu is not outstanding in the martial arts world. But in terms of deterrence, the Tang Clan is the best in the martial arts world. When people in the martial arts world mention the Tang Clan, they are even more wary of it than the Xianwang Mansion, Jinjianwu and other martial arts powers.

The Tang Clan's poisons and hidden weapons are hard to guard against and unavoidable. Once anyone is targeted by the Tang Clan, there is no defense against hidden weapons and no antidote for poisoning, and nine out of ten people will die.

Therefore, the Tang Clan leaves people with a chilling and terrifying feeling in the martial arts world.

On August 23, Tang Yuan, the chief steward of the Tang Clan, summoned the heads of the six clans to the meeting hall to discuss the leak of "The Heavenly Girl's Weaving Clothes".

To date, it has only been a few days since Tang Yuan returned from Xijing Prefecture, but he has already convened the six house owners for a meeting for the third time, which shows how much he values ​​and is worried about the leakage of the Tang Clan's hidden weapons.

In the early morning, the Tang Clan's meeting hall was completely silent, as quiet as death. Under Tang Yuan's gloomy and cold gaze, the six owners all bowed their heads and lowered their eyebrows. No one dared to speak without authorization, and the air was filled with a strong sense of oppression.

"Do you still remember the nine mottos of the Tang Sect?"

Tang Yuan's tone was cold and sharp, like a sharp sword, piercing the hearts of the six owners. He added: "The first rule is that the Tang Sect's hidden weapons, poisons, and martial arts must not be passed on to outsiders. Now, an outsider has openly used the Tang Sect's hidden weapon 'Heavenly Weaving Clothes' to kill people in Chenzhou. As soon as I came back, I ordered you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Today is the deadline, and I hope you can give me a satisfactory explanation. The master of the family is in seclusion and does not know about this. I don't think you want to alarm him, right?"

"Yes!" As soon as Tang Yuan said this, the six homeowners all turned pale and responded in unison tremblingly.

"Tang Xiu, the owner of the inner discipline room, and Tang Ji, the owner of the hidden weapon room, come out!"

At Tang Yuan's command, two gray-haired old men in their sixties quickly stood up, one on the left and one on the right, and walked quickly to the center of the hall. Facing Tang Yuan's cold gaze, their faces were extremely embarrassed, their eyes flickered, and it was obvious that they were very nervous inside.

"Tang Ji, 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' is one of the three most lethal weapons in the Hidden Weapon Room." Tang Yuan said quietly, "This kind of hidden weapon is hard to come by even for Tang Sect disciples. I'm curious, how did those Mongols get it?"

"This……"

Being questioned by Tang Yuan, Tang Ji's old face changed color and he explained in panic: "Replying to the chief steward, I have strictly investigated and interrogated the disciples of the hidden weapon room one by one in the past few days, but I didn't... didn't find any suspicious people..."

"Tang Xiu!"

Before Tang Ji finished speaking, Tang Yuan's eyes suddenly turned and he shouted, "As the owner of the inner discipline room, you are responsible for monitoring the internal audit. All the actions of the Tang Sect disciples are within your sight. Now Tang Ji said that the traitor is not in the hidden weapon room, then tell me, who leaked the Heavenly Maiden's Clothes?"

"General Manager, calm down!" Compared to Tang Ji's timidity, Tang Xiu was even more nervous and anxious. Tang Yuan scolded him and frightened him so much that he fell to his knees with a plop. At the same time, he was sweating profusely and his face was pale.

"What I want to hear is not 'calming down', but 'confession'." Tang Yuan said in a deep voice, "Don't tell me you haven't found the traitor yet?"

"Indeed...indeed, no suspicious disciples were found..." Tang Xiu replied with a trembling voice.

"Ha!" Tang Yuan laughed in anger, self-deprecatingly, "Great! There is no traitor in the hidden weapon room, and no suspicious person was found in the inner discipline room. Could it be that the 'Heavenly Girl Weaving Clothes' flew out by itself? Or did the Mongols sneak into the Tang Sect and steal it?"

As soon as these words came out, Tang Zhang, the owner of the outer discipline room, suddenly changed his expression and said in a hurry: "Boss, this is absolutely impossible! All the entrances and exits of the Tang Sect have been set up with numerous traps, which can be described as a dragnet, with no loopholes. Not to mention people, even a fly or an ant can't sneak in. I dare to guarantee this with my head!"

"Oh!" Tang Yuan responded with a half-smile, and said sarcastically, "It's not your fault? Then why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"The Tang Sect has stood firm for hundreds of years and has survived for generations, relying on the secrets of hidden weapons and poisons." Tang Yu said coldly, "We are different from other sects. The word 'unique' is as important to us as life. The development of these hidden weapons and poisons is extremely time-consuming and costly. Therefore, every leak is an immeasurable loss to the Tang Sect. If one day, outsiders use our Tang Sect's hidden weapons to deal with us, wouldn't it be a great shame and a laughing stock?"

"We know about one 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes', but we don't know how many there are?" Tang Ren, the owner of the First-class House, interrupted in a sinister tone, "The Heavenly Maiden's Clothes is of utmost importance. If such a secret can be leaked, what about other ordinary hidden weapons?"

"That's right! We must get to the bottom of this matter and eliminate the trouble completely."

"The people of the Tang Sect are now in a state of panic. If we cannot find out the truth, I am afraid that the disciples will inevitably become suspicious of each other, which will be extremely detrimental to the stability of the overall situation."

"Since we can't find out the truth from within, why don't you issue a hunting order? Catch those Mongols who stole the hidden weapons, torture them severely, and don't believe them!"

For a moment, the meeting hall was filled with noise and many different opinions.

Tang Yuan's face was as gloomy as water, and he said in a cold voice: "Issuing a hunting order? That's easy to say! Isn't this telling everyone in the world that our Tang Clan's hidden weapons were stolen by outsiders? We ourselves are not even capable of finding out the reason? You have no shame, but I have my dignity, and the head of the family and the ancestors of the Tang family also have their dignity."

"This……"

"The Heavenly Maiden's Clothes came from the hidden weapon room, so the hidden weapon was leaked, and Tang Ji can't escape responsibility. You should bear the primary crime!" Tang Yuan said in a cold tone. As soon as these words came out, Tang Ji's face instantly lost color.

Tang Yuan ignored Tang Ji's reaction and continued, "The supervision of the inner prison room was inadequate, and Tang Xiu was responsible for the negligence."

"Yes..." Tang Xiu replied weakly. "You two have three months to investigate this matter. If you still find nothing by then, you will be punished according to the family law." Tang Yuan stared at Tang Ji and Tang Xiu with a sinister look, gritting his teeth and said, "According to the family law, Tang Ji will experience the power of the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' in person. As for Tang Xiu, his limbs will be cut off and he will be turned into a human pig to serve as a warning to others!"

"hiss!"

Tang Yuan's words frightened Tang Ji and Tang Xiu so much that their legs went weak and they both collapsed to the ground. As for the other four owners, their faces were solemn and they looked at Tang Ji and the others with a little sympathy, but no one dared to ask Tang Yuan for mercy on their behalf.

"It's gone!"

After saying this in a hurry, Tang Yuan got up and left angrily.

Tang Ren, Tang Zhang, and Tang Yu left one after another. After a while, only Tang Ji and Tang Xiu, who were both in a trance, and a handsome young man in his thirties were left in the meeting hall.

The man was wearing a light fur coat, a silk scarf and a feather fan, with a fair complexion and regular features. He was a little thin, and although his appearance was not heroic and majestic, he had a unique kind of handsomeness.

This man's name is Tang Yi. Although he is young, he is actually the owner of the Tang Clan's Gold and Jade House. He holds the financial power of the Tang Clan and shoulders the important task of protecting and expanding the family business.

Tang Yi is not only good at martial arts, but also smart. He has read a lot of books since he was young, and has a good memory. He has mastered the ability to read ten lines at a glance and remember them all. He is quite popular with the head of the family and the general manager. In addition, he was born into an orthodox family and was a direct descendant of the Tang family. Therefore, he was given important tasks at a young age.

Tang Yi did not disappoint. Under his management, the Tang Clan disciples never lacked anything for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. He was not only good at maintaining the business, but also good at starting a business. He had a unique vision and good financial management, which made the Tang Clan's business flourish.

There are also rumors that the reason why Tang Yi is highly valued is because the Tang Clan intends to train him to become the future head of the family.

"Uncles, please get up quickly! Be careful not to catch a cold."

Tang Yi stepped forward and personally helped Tang Ji and Tang Xiu, who were both worried.

Although the three of them have equal status, in terms of seniority, Tang Ji and Tang Xiu are both considered Tang Yi's uncles.

"Yi'er." Tang Xiu burst into tears, holding Tang Yi's arm, and sighed repeatedly, "I have been cautious and careful all my life, but I didn't expect that I would lose my integrity in my old age. Alas!"

"Tang Yi, you have always been very smart. You must think of a way for us to deal with this matter." Tang Ji said bitterly, "The Tang Sect is heavily guarded, and the hidden weapon room is even more trap-ridden. It is impossible for someone to steal the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' without my permission!"

Tang Xiu complained: "I have investigated all the disciples who may have come into contact with the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' and found nothing suspicious. It was not stolen by an outsider, nor was it leaked by a disciple in the mansion. How did the Mongols get the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes'? Could it be that, as the steward said, it flew away on its own?"

"What the steward said was just a rant, uncles, don't take it seriously!" Tang Yi thought, "Just now the steward was here, so there are some things I can't say directly. In fact, in addition to the internal traitor and the external thief, there is a third possibility."

"What's possible?" Tang Ji and Tang Xiu asked in unison.

“Copy!”

"Imitation?"

Tang Ji and Tang Xiu were obviously shocked by Tang Yi's words. They looked at each other with surprise on their faces.

"That's right!" Tang Yi nodded. "The 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' that appeared in Chenzhou was most likely a replica. There are no evildoers in the Tang Sect, and it is impossible for outsiders to sneak into the hidden weapon room without being noticed."

"How is this possible?" Tang Ji shook his head repeatedly. "The Heavenly Maiden's Clothes is one of the three most powerful weapons in the Hidden Weapon Room. Its manufacturing difficulty and complexity are far beyond ordinary people's imagination. It can be said to be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Without guidance, it is impossible for outsiders to imitate it."

Tang Yi asked in a veiled manner, "May I ask, uncle, where did 'The Heavenly Maiden Weaving Clothes' come from?"

"Of course it was developed." Tang Ji asked suspiciously, "What's wrong with that?"

"That's right!" Tang Yi smiled mysteriously, "Since someone can develop it from scratch, why can't they copy it?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Ji and Tang Xiu's faces changed at the same time, and a strange look appeared between their brows.

"Tang Yi, developing the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes' is by no means as simple as you think. Back then, the Hidden Weapon Room spent a full seven years to successfully develop it. How could it be easily copied by others?"

"Of course, outsiders can't easily imitate it, but what if it's someone who is familiar with it?"

Tang Xiu was startled and said in a serious tone: "Yi Er, you seem to be saying something else? What exactly do you want to say? Right now, our lives are at stake, and I hope you can speak frankly!"

"My two uncles, why don't you think carefully about who was responsible for developing the 'Heavenly Maiden's Clothes'? And where is that person now?"

……

(End of this chapter)