"The treasure that the thief stole is extremely crucial. If we wait a few more days and he refines the treasure, I’m afraid it’ll be too late for us!" Zhang Xiaohua’s voice was somewhat anxious.
Wait a few days?
If Zhong Xiang excavates the treasure, what would it have to do with Prince Pingbian’s Mansion?
If a treasure appears on the territory of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, it should belong to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, and no one should be able to take it away.
"How about three days?" Zhong Xiang held up three fingers. "I only need three days."
"No! Not even a day. I want to go in now." Hearing it was only three days, Zhang Xiaohua became even more anxious, unexpectedly, Zhong Xiang had already excavated the tomb to such an extent.
They say three days, but it might be even less. By the time they take the treasure, who will I reason with?
Zhong Xiang furrowed his brow upon hearing this. "Young Prince, this request of yours, I’m afraid I cannot agree. I need at least one day before I can clear the way for you."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua was even more furious. Before he said three days, now he says two. He must have already reached the core of the tomb.
And with the commotion of the Feng Shui Grand Array being activated, lightning connecting the sky and earth, the forces inside the tomb must be abundant.
"This is the territory of my Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, and the entire Northern Land belongs to my Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. Is it that whatever we want to do in the Northern Land, wherever we want to go, we need someone else’s permission?" At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua was also getting impatient, and his words were gradually becoming more forceful.
Zhong Xiang shook his head. "Even if the Northern Land is under Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, since I am now here, Prince Pingbian’s Mansion has no right to inspect this place. Today, I must decline your request, Young Prince. I will undoubtedly come to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion with rich gifts in the future to apologize, and accept any judgment you impose."
Upon hearing Zhong Xiang’s words, Zhang Xiaohua found himself in a bind. To go against Zhong Xiang now? That’s not appropriate!
Zhong Xiang wasn’t a loner like Zhang Chen, but to let him continue excavating the tomb while Prince Pingbian’s Mansion does nothing isn’t appropriate either.
"Are you really not going to show me this courtesy?" Zhang Xiaohua’s tone turned somewhat cold.
Zhong Xiang smiled bitterly. "I will personally apologize in the future, and allow you to scold me as you wish, Young Prince."
Zhang Xiaohua stood silently, only his eyes fixed on Zhong Xiang. The atmosphere between them was tense, and just then, Mr. Wuliu’s coughing sound came from afar, and Zhang Xiaohua turned to see Mr. Wuliu catching up.
Zhang Xiaohua glanced at Zhong Xiang, said nothing, and flicked his sleeve to approach Mr. Wuliu. "The rumor from the mountain is true, Zhong Xiang has indeed dug through the Ancient Divine Demon Tomb. And Zhang Chen, when pushed, actually stormed into the tomb. Zhong Xiang barred our way, refusing to let us in."
Zhang Xiaohua succinctly narrated the key points of the matter.
Mr. Wuliu looked at the distant lightning connecting the sky and earth with a cautious gaze, "Such a tomb-churning phenomenon, I’ve only ever seen something like this before when the Great Victory Royal Family obtained the Twelfth Tier mystery. The inheritance within this tomb cannot be inferior to the Great Victory Royal Family. Zhang Chen himself has mastered a technique specifically against martial artists, and we can’t let this go! If this technique is in the hands of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, we should have a fifty percent greater chance of victory in the future."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua’s pupils shrank. "So, we must enter this tomb."
"We must go in! And not only enter, but leave with all the treasure! By then, the gap between us and the Great Victory Royal Family will be completely bridged." Mr. Wuliu spoke with excitement, "The great cause is promising!"
"But right now, Zhong Xiang is blocking our way and not giving us a chance to enter. If we directly face off... it might not be good!" Zhang Xiaohua was also wary.
Upon hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s words, a sly smile appeared at the corner of Mr. Wuliu’s mouth. "There are many Confucian followers over there, aren’t there? Quite a few of them are Zhong Xiang’s seniors. If they step in to pressure him, he will surely retreat. Moreover, Zhong Wubai was severely injured by Zhang Chen, and now we’re avenging him, as a righteous reason. If we put this heavy hat on, if Zhong Xiang dares to block us, his reputation might stink, and his future would be ruined."
"Sir, your wisdom is unparalleled, I have not thought of this step." Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua was overjoyed.
Mr. Wuliu cast a glance at the tomb, eyes reflecting a trace of evil qi, "Why don’t you relay the message to those Confucianists? I believe they will resolve the obstacle of Zhong Xiang for you."
With that, Mr. Wuliu looked at Zhang Xiaohua. "Protect my physical body, I will perform the Yin Spirit Emergence to notify the Prince and request the mobilization of fifty thousand troops to seal the mountain, and summon the eight great experts from the mansion as reinforcements."
"Please go ahead, sir, just hopefully you’ll return quickly to oversee the situation." Zhang Xiaohua said.
The next moment, Mr. Wuliu’s Yin Spirit Emerged into the distance, leaving only the physical body standing in place.
"Protect Mr. Wuliu’s body," Zhang Xiaohua instructed a nearby samurai, before looking at the approaching Confucian masters and actively stepping towards them.
The debate this time had shaken the world. Countless Confucian masters gathered here, all to witness this grand event.
Looking around, there seemed to be over three hundred Confucian celebrities and scholars, all coming to seek revenge for Mr. Wu.
Zhang Chen broke Mr. Wu’s Dao heart, which was tantamount to destroying one of Confucianism’s masters. How could the Confucian celebrities let it go?
"Gentlemen, greetings from the young prince." Zhang Xiaohua shouted from afar, drawing the attention of the Confucian elite.
"Has the young prince caught that dog thief Zhang Chen?"
The speaker was a seventy-year-old, white-haired old Confucian scholar.
This person was Liu Lin, the most distinguished among the Confucian disciples of the Northern Land, even Mr. Wu had to bow to his seniority.
Though his scholarship wasn’t as profound as Mr. Wu’s, his seniority was undeniable.
Confucianism values benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, with an emphasis on seniority over scholarly achievements or cultivation strength.
Upon hearing Liu Lin’s words, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly sighed despondently, his eyes filled with bitterness. "I disappointed you, sir. We encountered resistance. The thief was within reach, and with a bit more effort, we could have apprehended him, but someone blocked the way, and we could only sigh in resignation."
True to his words, Liu Lin was furious. "Bold! Who dares to support Zhang Chen, that rustic! Are they unafraid of death?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua’s lips parted, opened, then closed again as he hesitated to speak.
"Crown Prince, who exactly is supporting that dog Zhang Chen, bold enough to force you to withdraw with nothing? In this world, there are only a few who would dare to offend both Prince Pingbian’s Mansion and Confucianism! But today, regardless of who stands here, I will confront them, testing their courage to act against reason and morality." Liu Lin’s voice was full of anger. "Crown Prince, tell me who has dared to stop you?"
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua sighed helplessly, face full of bitterness. "I really didn’t want to say, but as you persist in questioning, I must speak. The one obstructing me is someone you should all recognize, none other than Mr. Wu’s collateral grandson, known as the Southern Qilin, Zhong Xiang. He now blocks my path, intent on covering for the thief, so what can I as an outsider do? How can I stand up for Mr. Wu?"
Zhang Xiaohua’s voice was full of helplessness, leaving everyone present momentarily stunned.
Though Zhong Xiang wasn’t Mr. Wu’s direct grandson, he was as close as one could be without being so.
But now, he emerges to block everyone, preventing them from standing up for Mr. Wu, leaving this group of outsiders seemingly at a loss on how to proceed.