Chapter 412: Game in the Hall
The four words "traitor" and "rebel" carry great weight.

Even those who defy government and disregard the law are unwilling to bear the heinous crime of betraying their ancestors and clan, which is against the will of heaven.

People in the underworld, especially those who are upright, value their reputation the most. If they are branded as "traitors", not only will their lives be ruined, but their descendants will also be affected. They will be pointed at and reviled by thousands of people, and it will be difficult for generations to raise their heads.

Most people in the underworld have a clear attitude of keeping out of the way of the imperial court. They may disdain it, but they will not easily provoke it, for they are most afraid that the government will label them as "traitors".

The world belongs to those who win the hearts of the people. Sometimes, it is not only the imperial court that needs the hearts of the people. If the underworld forces want to prosper forever, they also need to win the hearts of the people.

For example, Tianlong City under Shaolin Mountain, Fenghuang City under Wudang Mountain, Jingjiang Prefecture under Jinjianwu, Luoyang City under Xianwang Mansion... The local people are protected by the forces of the martial arts world and will naturally support them.

After all, no matter how powerful a master is, he is still a flesh-and-blood person with emotions and desires, and he needs to wear clothes and eat.

This was the reason why Luo Tianjin would rather die than surrender to the Mongolian court.

Although traitors can obtain wealth and glory, the Han blood flowing in their bones will be completely destroyed. How can they face their ancestors a hundred years later?
Tonight, Yuwen Xiu's words "traitor" undoubtedly hit Luo Tianjin's soft spot. Especially the emperor's signboard of the Song Dynasty's "Wulin Hou", which made him have to be cautious and give way.

People in the underworld can be disloyal, disrespectful, or even disdainful of the emperor, but they must never rebel.

Loyalty to the emperor is like the blood of the Han people, flowing in their bones. Whether you admit it or not, you can never get rid of it.

"Understood!"

Xie Xuan looked at the official seal in Yuwen Xiu's hand and suddenly realized, "No wonder the six leaders and the four patriarchs retreated in the face of the enemy. It turns out that they were trying to protect themselves. Going against you means going against the court and the emperor. Once we give you enough reasons, they will be able to march to the city with justification and do whatever they want under the banner of 'suppressing the rebellion'."

"I won't be so cruel, and I won't be so reckless." Yu Wenxiu said with a smile, "I was born in the martial arts world and I know the rules of the martial arts world. I will win the title of leader of the martial arts world in an upright manner at the martial arts conference, and let the heroes be convinced."

"I never thought you would become a lackey of the imperial court. You are even worse than your senior brother." Luo Tianjin said contemptuously, "However, a forced melon is not sweet. You can be powerful for a while with the support of the imperial court, but it is difficult to be powerful forever. The reason why they compromised easily is not because they surrendered to you, but because they never had the heart to compete for the master, so it is not important to compete or not."

Liu Xunyi suddenly interrupted and said, "In fact, it's not that he is not cruel, but that he doesn't have the capital to be cruel."

"What do you mean?" Xie Xuan looked suspicious.

"If the emperor wanted to dispatch troops to encircle and kill the Jianghu forces, why would he bother looking for him? The real intention of the court is to recruit them. Wulin Hou is just a puppet. In fact, he can't mobilize a single soldier." Liu Xunyi said, "He is talking big and talking nonsense just to clear obstacles so that he can compete for the position of leader."

Liu Xunyi understood clearly that the backer behind Yuwen Xiu must be the Privy Council, not the Emperor of Song Dynasty.

Now, the East Palace is pushing Luo Tianjin to the throne of alliance leader. The West Palace is worried that the East Palace will monopolize the credit, so it forces a step in. On the one hand, it can grab the credit in front of the emperor, and on the other hand, it can incorporate the martial arts forces that have been recruited into the West Palace and expand its strength.

The move by the West Palace undoubtedly destroyed the plan that the East Palace had been planning for many years. Therefore, Liu Xunyi must not let Yu Wenxiu succeed, and must not let Luo Tianjin give up the idea of ​​competing for the master.

Another reason why Liu Xunyi dared to attack Yuwen Xiu was that he knew that Yuwen Xiu's title of "Marquis of Wulin" was not conferred by the emperor, but was privately granted by the Privy Council.

Two years ago, the Emperor issued an imperial decree that all affairs of the Central Plains martial arts world would be placed under the sole responsibility of the East Palace, and the West Palace was not allowed to interfere without authorization.

Therefore, Yuwen Xiu's official title was conferred by the Western Palace, not by the emperor. This was also the real reason why Liu Xunyi was confident that Yuwen Xiu could only make gestures and talk, but would never mobilize a single soldier.

Yuwen Xiu was bluffing and taking advantage of the power of others to intimidate the six major sects and four great families who were unaware of the truth. He could even intimidate Luo Tianjin and Jin Fu Yu, making them fearful and afraid to act rashly. However, he could not intimidate Liu Xunyi who had already seen through everything.

It’s a pity that this matter involves court secrets. Given Liu Xunyi’s current identity, he naturally cannot make it clear to Luo Tianjin.

As expected, when Liu Xunyi said this, Yuwen Xiu, who was confident in his plan, could not help but change his eyes. He threatened with a smile: "Young man, be careful not to indulge in verbal pleasure, or the whole Xianwang Mansion will suffer for you." "No one will suffer because of this, except Peach Blossom Sword Island." Liu Xunyi said firmly, "Yuwen Island Master, if you can't take the position of Wulin Alliance Leader in the end, I'm sure it will be difficult to report to the court... right? Instead of worrying about us, it's better to think of a way out for yourself first. After all, the position of Wulin Alliance Leader... is more likely to be lost for you."

"Lord Luo, this boy is so ignorant and arrogant, it's really ridiculous." Yuwen Xiu cast his eyes on Luo Tianjin who was silent, and said quietly, "The owner of Xianwang Mansion is always surnamed 'Luo'. Once a disaster is imminent, outsiders can just find another high-ranking official without much loss. But Lord Luo, you...will lose your life and property."

"Master Yuwen, you are bringing up a 'mountain' that can crush people to death, just to force the Palace Master to compromise with you." Liu Xunyi sneered, "However, the Palace Master has just said that the reason why the six major sect leaders and the four family heads compromised is because they have no intention of competing for the position of leader. But my Palace Master is different. He is determined to get the position of leader. How can you shake him with a few words? The six major sects and the four major families are not afraid of your 'official power', so why should the Northern Sage King be afraid?"

Liu Xunyi's words seemed to be a rebuttal to Yuwen Xiu, but in fact they were directed at Luo Tianjin. Especially the last sentence, which seemed to be a provocation.

"Lord Luo, you should know that I am not negotiating with you tonight, but the court hopes that you can understand the current situation." Yuwen Xiu still ignored Liu Xunyi and said to Luo Tianjin, "In the past, you had the full support of the six major sects behind you, so you were naturally confident. But now is different. The leaders of the six major sects are all "loyal ministers and righteous men" who understand the overall situation and take the overall situation into consideration. If Lord Luo insists on his own way, even if he does not become a "rebel", he will become a "lonely man". Even if he is a lonely man, how great is Lord Luo's chance of competing for the leader of the martial arts world?"

"Without the interference of the six major sects and the four great families, the only person who can compete with our master is the master of Jinjianwu, and his chances of winning are greater than before. In the end, we should thank the painstaking mediation of Yuwen Island Master." Liu Xunyi continued, "Besides, the six major sects and the four great families are not the 'loyal ministers and righteous men' you mentioned. Don't forget, they only promised you not to fight for the position of leader, but did not promise you to accept the amnesty from the court. Why did they do this? It's because they believe that even if they don't take action, the title of leader of the martial arts world will never fall on your head."

As if irritated by Liu Xunyi's repeated sarcasm, a bone-chilling chill suddenly flashed across Yuwen Xiu's calm eyes, and his sharp gaze immediately turned into two sharp swords, shooting straight at Liu Xunyi.

"Cough cough!"

Suddenly, Luo Tianjin, who had been deep in thought, coughed twice, breaking the tense atmosphere between Yuwen Xiu and Liu Xunyi, and said calmly: "There is one thing I am very curious about. Why don't you go to Jingjiang Prefecture to persuade Jin Fuyu to stop, but come to Luoyang City to force me to compromise?"

Yuwen Xiu slowly moved his eyes away from Liu Xunyi and said in a deep voice: "Lord Luo, why do you ask when you already know the answer? Jin Fuyu is called a Han Chinese, but he is actually a descendant of the Jin Kingdom. Even if the imperial court offers him amnesty, we will never accept his surrender, to prevent a tiger from becoming a threat."

"In that case, Jin Fuyu wants to compete for the leader of the martial arts world, what do you think?" Luo Tianjin asked with interest, "You have gone to great lengths to do so many things, is it just to keep Jin Fuyu until the end and have a fair fight with you?"

"It's better to deal with one person than ten." Yu Wenxiu said undeniably, "Besides, if Palace Master Luo and the martial arts heroes are willing to lend a helping hand to me..."

"Ha ha……"

Before Yuwen Xiu finished speaking, Luo Tianjin suddenly burst into laughter, which made him suspicious.

"What is Lord Luo laughing at?"

"I laugh at you for being too naive. Do you really think that if you move out of the Song Dynasty court, Luo will surrender obediently?"

At this point, Luo Tianjin's eyes suddenly condensed, and he said in a deep voice: "As Liu Xunyi said, I will definitely win this martial arts conference, and no one can stop me. Not to mention that you came to persuade me, even if the emperor came, Luo's determination will not be shaken. The government is the government, and the martial arts world is the martial arts world. Everyone should be clear about the distinction and do their own thing. Now, if the court wants to force a foothold and interfere in the affairs of the martial arts world, it must show its true ability, so that it can convince the public. If you use coercion and inducement like this, and impose the shameless act of "traitor" on others at every turn, not only will Luo not agree, but no hero in the world will succumb. Now, the six major sects and the four major families have temporarily compromised, just waiting and watching until the times change."

"Lord Luo, I am kind enough to point out a clear path for you, but you must not be ungrateful!"

"I appreciate it. But I am used to walking at night, and I am afraid I am not lucky enough to enjoy the clear road you pointed out." Luo Tianjin said coldly, "I used Peach Blossom Sword Island to settle the dispute during the Dragon Boat Festival. Today you sent a coffin to humiliate me, and I will forgive you. We are even now, and we owe each other nothing. If you want to compete for the leader of the martial arts world, you can go to the top of Huashan Mountain on the ninth day of the ninth month and compete with the heroes of the world. There is no need to engage in petty intrigues and exaggerate in private. A heresy is always a heresy, and it only does some shameful and dirty things!"

"Luo Tianjin, you..."

"My humble house is so shabby and simple that I dare not allow Lord Yuwen to stay overnight. Someone, show him away!"

Luo Tianjin unceremoniously ordered the guests to leave, then suddenly stood up and walked towards the back hall under Yu Wenxiu's gloomy gaze.

……

(End of this chapter)