https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-108-You-Longsheng-Presents-a-Sword-Bai-Tianyu-Gifts-a-Horse/12536146/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-110-A-Nighttime-Infiltration-into-the-Hall-of-the-Divine-Blade/12536148/
Chapter 109: The Mastermind Schemer
Chapter 109: The Mastermind Schemer
"Hahaha!"
With a loud laugh, a group of people charged into the first horse ranch.
"Big brother and second brother, come over here. Why didn't you send me a message?" Ma Kongqun dismounted and then noticed You Longsheng and the others. "Oh, it's Manor Head You. No wonder, no wonder!"
"What's so surprising?" You Longsheng asked with a smile.
Ma Kongqun was taken aback but quickly recovered, "It's just surprising that the two of you brought guests to choose horses."
You Longsheng nodded, glancing at the nearly six-foot-tall burly man standing behind Ma Kongqun. He then said to Ma Kongqun with a look of relief, "That's good. As long as it's not Guai Bai and Bai Erxia being impolite."
Ma Kongqun's face remained unchanged, and he quickly waved his hands, "How is that possible? I built the foundation of the Ten Thousand Horse Hall together with you two. If they asked, I would even give them the Ten Thousand Horse Hall. How could I care about such trivialities?"
Bai Tianyu glanced at You Longsheng, pointed at him, and shook his head with a smile.
Last year, when they were guests at the Hidden Sword Manor, You Longsheng had said that Ma Kongqun looked like one of his subordinates, and the two had been at odds ever since.
However, with Bai Tianyu's presence, they could only exchange barbs, so he never took it to heart and forgot about it as soon as he heard it. In his opinion, You Longsheng was just young and hot-headed, unable to take a slight.
But it wasn't a big deal.
So Bai Tianyu patted Ma Kongqun's shoulder and said half-jokingly, half-seriously, "Everyone has their own strengths. Horse breeding is your expertise. What would I breed? Should I have the disciples of the Spirit Hall breed knives?"
Ma Kongqun couldn't help but laugh, and the surrounding disciples of the Spirit Hall and the Ten Thousand Horse Hall also laughed.
But You Longsheng saw clearly that a flash of anger appeared in the eyes of the two-meter-tall giant standing behind him.
Bai Tianyu truly trusted Ma Kongqun. After all, they had ventured into the martial arts world together in their youth and had even experienced several life-and-death crises. They had a bond forged in blood.
In Bai Tianyu's opinion, Ma Kongqun's martial arts skills were just average, even inferior to Bai Tianyong. When they first ventured out as newcomers, it was understandable, but as they faced stronger enemies, Ma Kongqun couldn't keep up.
Letting him manage the horse breeding and provide logistics and financial support to the Spirit Hall was a way to protect him. With the saying, "The best blades and steeds in the land come from Guandong, unmatched under heaven," the Ten Thousand Horse Hall could still shake the world, not to mention Bai Tianyu's reputation as the third brother. Ma Kongqun's name would also ring out across the martial arts world.
Moreover, Ma Kongqun's calm and experienced demeanor gave Bai Tianyu complete peace of mind regarding his management skills.
Bai Tianyu genuinely believed that the Spirit Hall and the Ten Thousand Horse Hall were like one family.
However, it was evident that Ma Kongqun did not share this sentiment, or he wouldn't have colluded with Ding Baiyun later on and taken the initiative to ambush Bai Tianyu.
After all, while Bai Tianyu had wronged Ding Baiyun, he had never treated Ma Kongqun unfairly.
In You Longsheng's opinion, Ma Kongqun's current mindset was similar to Hua Mantian's mindset two decades later, or perhaps even worse.
After all, Ma Kongqun was Bai Tianyu's third brother, while Hua Mantian was just a field master of the Ten Thousand Horse Hall.
Moreover, while Bai Tianyu truly considered Ma Kongqun as his third brother, Ma Kongqun merely saw Hua Mantian as his subordinate.
However, Ma Kongqun was a deep thinker, and Gongsun Duan... Well, as he stepped forward to greet Bai Tianyu and Bai Tianyong, his face transformed into a beaming, amiable expression.
His schemes might not be that profound, but when facing Bai Tianyu and his brother, he had no choice but to back down.
Seeing Ma Kongqun and Gongsun Duan, who were feeling wronged yet had to put on a smiling face, You Longsheng found the situation quite amusing.
Thus, when Bai Tianyu told a joke, Ma Kongqun laughed, Gongsun Duan laughed, the horse masters around them laughed politely, and You Longsheng joined in the laughter as well.
With her vast experience in the jianghu, having witnessed the maliciousness in people's hearts, and being an outsider to this situation, Lan Yueyi easily saw through the complex relationship between Ma Kongqun and Bai Tianyu with just a few casual remarks from You Longsheng.
On the other hand, Ding Baiyun, who was present at that moment, had not yet seen through Ma Kongqun's true intentions. She couldn't fathom that Ma Kongqun, being Bai Tianyu's third brother, would still harbor disloyal thoughts.
In her opinion, Bai Tianyu's martial arts skills were almost on par with Li Xihuan, and the Godly Blade Hall was a formidable force that shook the entire martial world. Having such a powerful connection was something that countless people could only dream of, so how could Ma Kongqun possibly have his own agenda? He wasn't like Official Kinhong, daring to go against Bai Tianyu and risking his life.
Bai Tianyong stood beside Bai Tianyu, a faint smile on his lips, but a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
Ma Kongqun was the third brother of the Bai family.
The Godly Blade Hall and the Ten Thousand Horse Hall were like one family.
Before today, Bai Tianyong had never doubted this statement. Their bond was forged in life-and-death situations, and he had never even considered the possibility of discord.
Before today, no one had ever questioned the relationship between Ma Kongqun and the Bai brothers, so Bai Tianyong never had a reason to suspect anything either.
However, You Longsheng's seemingly casual remarks, which Bai Tianyu brushed off with his usual bold and righteous attitude, planted a seed of doubt in the more sensitive Bai Tianyong's mind.
Was it appropriate to come to the Ten Thousand Horse Hall to choose horses without notifying the owner?
Ma Kongqun was the master of the Ten Thousand Horse Hall.
Was the Godly Blade Hall truly like family to the Ten Thousand Horse Hall? Although Ma Kongqun was the sworn third brother of the Bai family, his surname was Ma, not Bai!
You Longsheng's words might not immediately drive a wedge between Bai Tianyong and Ma Kongqun, but they had definitely planted a seed of suspicion in Bai Tianyong's heart.
You Longsheng stroked his chin, surprised to discover that he had a talent for being a villain.
Having only known Bai Tianyong for a day, he was already successfully sowing discord in a relationship that had lasted nearly two decades, and it seemed to be working. The thought of it brought a smile to his face.
A mountain gains fame not from its height but from the presence of immortals.
Words need not be many, as long as they are effective.
If he could successfully turn Bai Tianyong against Ma Kongqun, causing Ma Kongqun to defect and seek help to ambush Bai Tianyu, then things would get interesting. He might even get to be a spectator to the drama.
You Longsheng: ^o^
...
After disgusting Ma Kongqun and leading away the four fine horses he had carefully raised, You Longsheng was in high spirits.
However, Ma Kongqun's mood was the opposite of pleasant.
He didn't know why, but ever since their first meeting last year, You Longsheng had seemed to target him subtly. What had he, Ma Kongqun, done to offend him?
As he watched Bai Tianyu, You Longsheng, and the others ride away on their horses, Ma Kongqun's expression turned grim.
Gongsun Duan's face was filled with anger as he said, "Those horses are our treasures—the Night-Illuminating White, the Sky-Blue Steed, the Dew-Bathed Violet, and the Cloud-Treading Snow-White! How dare they just take them without any hesitation!"
Ma Kongqun immediately coughed and glared at the surrounding horse masters. "Shut up! I founded the Ten Thousand Horse Hall together with Big Brother. You have no right to speak here!"
Gongsun Duan fell silent, his cheeks twitching as he watched You Longsheng and the others disappear into the distance, his eyes filled with malice.
(End of Chapter)
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