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Chapter 381: The Generous Fang Che, Deputy Hall Master [10,000 Words Requesting Monthly Votes!] (Par
Chapter 381: The Generous Fang Che, Deputy Hall Master [10,000 Words Requesting Monthly Votes!] (Part 2)
!"
His heart was in turmoil.
If he had known this fish might be big, but to be people of the Heavenly Palace!
This f... what a big catch!
Tonight, it was truly a waste for me to have stabbed myself so many times, and I'm almost dead from my own acting.
It turns out it's the Heavenly Palace!
A big fish! A huge catch!
"So, involving the Heavenly Palace, such a massive sect, is not something our Guardian Palace can handle alone."
Song Yidao sighed.
"I understand, sir."
Fang Che pondered for a moment and said, "Now I understand. No wonder the Zhu family has had so many flaws over the years. If we explain it in terms of a sect, everything can be clarified."
The Lady Elder was surprised. "Flaws? What flaws do we have?"
Zhu Shaoyun exchanged glances, both feeling like they were clueless.
But Fang Che smiled and said, "The Lady Elder wouldn't think that this time, when I came to investigate, I was genuinely here to cause trouble for the Zhu family, would you? Or was it just a simple investigation?"
"Please enlighten me, General Fang."
"The Zhu family has been low-key for so many years, with no signs of extravagance. This is indeed cautious. But over the years, the Zhu family ancestors haven't celebrated many birthdays. According to reason, this is unreasonable for a thousand-year-old family, and this is the first point."
"Additionally, the Zhu family has had many offspring over the years, yet there have been no wedding celebrations, nor any rumors of girls marrying into the family. There have been a few instances of taking concubines, but compared to a thousand years, it's not worth mentioning."
"The third point is... there haven't been many child-related events like birthday banquets."
"The fourth point is... for a thousand-year-old family, there haven't been many funerals or deaths."
Fang Che smiled. "How could this be normal?"
The Lady Elder and Zhu Shaoyun both realized, "So that's how it is."
They exchanged glances, both unable to hold back their bitter smiles. With so many flaws, they were still proud of themselves.
Song Yidao, standing by, couldn't help but widen his eyes and cough awkwardly.
To be honest, Song Yidao had never considered this aspect.
But it wasn't his fault; this was a common issue among high-level cultivators: the higher their cultivation, the less they cared about time. Things like birthdays, marriages, and childbirth seemed irrelevant to them.
Take Yan Nansuefu, for example, who would retreat for cultivation for at least a year.
Today was his birthday, and when he came out of seclusion, he realized it was his birthday again.
After celebrating his birthday, he went back into seclusion, and when he came out, it was his birthday again...
How annoying!
Song Yidao said, "Lady Elder, the Zhu family has been entrenched in White Cloud Island for many years, and all their gains should have been handed over to the Heavenly Palace, right?"
"The Hall Master speaks the truth. Aside from what's needed for business, 80% of the profits are given to the Heavenly Palace. This is the rule!"
The Lady Elder nodded.
Since the conversation had started, there was no point in hiding anything further.
"But I must say, White Cloud Island has been a key battleground between good and evil for many years. Our Only Righteous Sect's Southeast Five Sects, including our Southeast Headquarters, have been active here. Many times, it seemed like the encirclement was successful, but the targets mysteriously escaped."
Song Yidao added, "And at that time, the Zhu family showed signs of involvement. There have been hundreds of similar incidents over the millennia, right?"
The Lady Elder and Zhu Shaoyun's faces turned gloomy.
But they didn't deny it.
"Hall Master Song, I understand what you're saying. Regarding this... I won't deny it, but we, the Zhu family, have our own difficulties."
Fang Che bowed his head, looking very honest. It seemed like he was being obedient while the Hall Master spoke.
But inside, he scoffed.
Difficulties?
In this whole world, who doesn't have difficulties? Just because the Heavenly Palace has difficulties, does that mean they can help the Only Righteous Sect?
It's important to know that the demons that could mobilize the entire island for a hunt must have committed heinous crimes. Otherwise, it wouldn't warrant a full-island pursuit.
But... the Zhu family let them all go.
Perhaps, to ordinary people, letting a few demons go after some time has passed isn't a big deal.
But in Fang Che's eyes, speaking from the facts, it meant the innocent lives of countless people were lost in vain. In other words... at the very least, hundreds of thousands of ordinary people and thousands of Guardians died unjustly.
The perpetrators, under the protection of the Zhu family, escaped the law and are now at large.
Now, the Lady Elder of the Zhu family mentioned the Heavenly Palace's difficulties.
Fang Che really wanted to burst out and ask: Of the hundreds of thousands of innocent souls who died, which one didn't have difficulties?
"Hall Master Song understands the Heavenly Palace's difficulties, but in this matter, the Heavenly Palace must give us Guardians an explanation!"
Song Yidao spoke firmly, "This point stands, no matter who comes; it's the same! Our people cannot have died in vain. Your actions cannot be covered up with just the word 'difficulties'."
Song Yidao and Fang Che's thoughts were basically the same.
However, the difference was that Song Yidao, as the Hall Master, couldn't afford to take responsibility for the Heavenly Palace's hornet's nest. But while he couldn't handle specific matters, he could express his own stance.
The Lady Elder smiled bitterly, "Hall Master Song, this matter will definitely be brought up. Since our identity has been exposed, we don't intend to escape. But how this matter will be handled isn't something you and I can decide."
Song Yidao said, "I will definitely seek justice for the billions of people in White Cloud Island. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared and identities are clear, working together to counter the Only Righteous Sect in the future can be considered making amends. But this matter's resolution isn't something we can determine."
"Lady Zhu, it's a difficult situation," the Elder Madam said with a bitter smile. "The Heavenly Palace has rules; we can't get involved in the conflict between good and evil..."
Fang Che was surprised. "But you've already intervened, haven't you? You've protected so many demon spawn. How can you claim to not be involved?"
Both Lady Zhu and Zhu Shaoyun gave bitter smiles but remained silent.
It was clear.
Helping them without harming themselves or exposing their identities, they were willing to assist the Only Righteous Sect, as long as it didn't involve the Guardians.
But helping the Guardians... that was a different matter.
After all, the Only Righteous Sect had killed so many of them. How could they complete the Heavenly Palace's mission if they were all dead?
However, the Guardians wouldn't harm them, and with their weakness, how could they possibly offend a powerful force like the Heavenly Palace?
Both sides fell silent.
Song Yidao understood their thoughts, but because he did, he became even more frustrated and couldn't bring himself to say another word.
Fang Che, on the other hand, smiled and seemed to have no qualms about chatting with the Elder Madam and Zhu Shaoyun, easing the awkward atmosphere. It seemed that he didn't care about whom the Zhu family helped or not.
Two hours later, Deputy President An Ruoxing arrived in person with her entourage. On the Heavenly Palace's side, a white-robed youth appeared, accompanied by two maids, looking as carefree as an immortal descending from the heavens.
"Greetings, Shang Gongzi," Lady Zhu and Zhu Shaoyun said simultaneously.
The "Shang Gongzi" nodded slightly and walked in with a calm demeanor. "What exactly happened? Why the urgency? Has your identity been exposed?"
Fang Che felt that this Shang Gongzi's cultivation was far beyond his own, likely at the peak of Imperial Rank or the initial stages of Sovereign Rank.
It couldn't be any higher.
There was no sense of overwhelming pressure, as one might expect from a Heavenly Palace representative.
His expression was proud, yet he seemed like an immortal observing the mortal world.
Fang Che frowned. According to reason, the representative sent by the Heavenly Palace should have a much higher cultivation level.
It seemed that this Shang Gongzi had some background.
Tsk, he did have a background. Fang Che's mind quickly turned over several thoughts.
He didn't know how significant the background was... If he died, how big of an impact would it have? Fang Che stepped aside and remained silent.
The group quickly explained the situation, and several times, their gazes fell on Fang Che's face.
Finally, the matter was clarified.
Song Yidao had already provided additional information, revealing that the Zhu family had secretly assisted the Only Righteous Sect for many years.
An Ruoxing's eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Moreover, it was evident that he was in a hurry.
Recently, the Southeast Headquarters had been engaged in battles with the Only Righteous Sect, and the surrounding mountains were filled with the smoke of war, with high-level cultivators falling almost daily.
Both sides had deployed their entire Southeast Headquarters, and the higher-ups had tacitly agreed not to intervene, merely waiting for the outcome of the battle.
Regardless of who won or lost, it would be a significant event for the Southeast.
At this critical juncture, the Heavenly Palace had intervened! An Ruoxing truly felt a bit overwhelmed.
He had already reported to headquarters, but the Ninth Elder was clearly too busy to pay attention to a small family like the Zhu family.
Moreover, if the Southeast Headquarters, with its prestige, couldn't handle this matter, then what use was there in keeping it?
An Ruoxing's eyebrows tightened. "Shang Gongzi, in this matter, the Heavenly Palace is at fault. You must provide us with an explanation!"
Shang Gongzi remained calm. "It's not a big deal."
He waved his hands, and two silver lights appeared, followed by two loud slaps. The two involved parties from the Zhu family had their brains splattered, dying on the spot! This caused Song Yidao and Fang Che to change color.
Song Yidao remained as a witness, while Fang Che continued to show leniency, hoping to persuade them to turn against the Zhu family.
After all, the Elder Madam of the Zhu family had once tried to silence them, so it was impossible for them not to hold grudges.
But all calculations were rendered useless by Shang Gongzi's swift and decisive strike.
"The lives of these two, and the grievance of Deputy Hall Master Fang, can be compensated with these resources," Shang Gongzi said calmly.
"First, we will provide two hundred million silver taels for the people of Cloud Island. This is one aspect."
"Second, for the Cloud Island Governor's Hall, we will offer King-Rank medicines for healing, cultivation, and foundation, with one hundred bottles of each. For Imperial-Rank medicines, we will provide twenty bottles of each type, and for Sovereign-Rank medicines, we will give five bottles of each."
"For the Guardian Palace of the Southeast Headquarters, we will provide three times the amount of medicines as compensation for the Cloud Island Governor's Hall. As for divine weapons, we will offer one hundred."
"Additionally, we assure you of our neutrality from now on."
"As extra compensation for Deputy Hall Master Fang, we provide a protective armor robe that can instantly restore any injuries below the Noble Rank and replenish the origin with three Heaven-Reversing Pills."
"With these resources, we seek your understanding and guarantee that our Zhu family headquarters in Cloud Island will remain as it has always been."
Shang Gongzi calmly asked, "Deputy President An, is this sufficient? If not, we can offer more."
It was a clean and decisive offer.
Moreover, from the start, he had proposed an extremely high level of compensation.
Obviously, he wanted to swiftly resolve the matter.
An Ruoxing said calmly, "After so many years, the culprits who caused the deaths of millions of people are still at large, and you think a mere offer of medicinal resources can make up for so many lives lost?"
"Deputy President An, let's be straightforward. The conditions I've stated already represent my sincerity, and you know this."
Shang Gongzi continued calmly, "Moreover, to be blunt, the dead are already gone. We should first consider the living, right?"
"Furthermore, even if the Guardians wanted to expel the Zhu family from Cloud Island or even the Southeast, it would be no more than a temporary separation."
The Southeast Guardian was in a difficult position, as the war was ongoing and the situation was dire. An Ruoxing, the Deputy Vice President, negotiated with the merchant, demanding compensation for the millions of lives lost. The merchant, named Shang Mengyun, was unyielding, knowing that the Divine Deity Sect had the upper hand in the battle. He offered a substantial amount of healing pills and divine weapons, but An Ruoxing felt it was not enough.
An Ruoxing, realizing their weakness, knew they couldn't afford to antagonize the Divine Deity Sect further. He sighed and asked the two men to leave. Song Yidao, feeling suffocated, remained silent. An Ruoxing apologized to Song Yidao, knowing that the Divine Deity Sect's resources were crucial to stabilizing the war.
Fang Che, on the other hand, was still smiling and about to leave. He bid farewell to Elder Madam Zhu, stating that with the misunderstanding cleared, he would no longer conduct morning inspections. Elder Madam Zhu forced a smile, acknowledging Fang Che's courtesy.
An Ruoxing inquired about the delivery time for the compensation. Shang Mengyun assured him that, understanding the urgency of the Southeast battle, the items would arrive by the next evening. He revealed his name, Shang Mengyun, and mentioned his mother's role as the Divine Deity Sect's regional inspector.
An Ruoxing, feeling indebted, asked for Shang Mengyun's surname. Shang Mengyun smiled and replied that he wanted to know the surname of the person he was dealing with. An Ruoxing, feeling burdened, sighed and said, "The mountains are high, and the waters are long." Shang Mengyun completed the phrase with a smile.
As they parted ways, An Ruoxing hurriedly caught up with Song Yidao and Fang Che. Seeing Song Yidao's expression, An Ruoxing sighed and called out to him. Song Yidao acknowledged his presence.
An Ruoxing deeply sighed, expressing their current weakness and the importance of prioritizing the bigger picture. He acknowledged that they were in a vulnerable position and couldn't afford to further antagonize the Divine Deity Sect.
Song Yidao, emotionless, stated that he was simply feeling suffocated. An Ruoxing asked him to believe that he felt even more suffocated. He sighed, encouraging Song Yidao to be patient and assured him that once they turned the tide of the battle, the Divine Deity Sect would come crawling back to them. Song Yidao smiled bitterly without saying a word.
An Ruoxing was about to comfort Fang Che, but Fang Che interrupted, saying he understood and didn't feel cheated. He felt compensated and was satisfied with the Divine Deity Sect's response. Fang Che sincerely expressed his thoughts.
An Ruoxing was surprised by Fang Che's perspective, which was more open-minded than his own. He sighed, still feeling indignant, as he hurried back to the mountains where the fighting was intense.
An Ruoxing told Fang Che to return to the journey more convenient. Fang Che inquired about the status of the White Cloud Martial Academy's team. An Ruoxing assured him that they were holding up well, forming a solid formation, and with Meng He's natural formation, they faced minimal issues.
Thanks to Hua Yi for becoming the 64th Alliance Leader of the Long Night Monarch, thanks to Ji Shi for becoming the 65th Alliance Leader of the Long Night Monarch, and thanks to Feng Xing'er for becoming the 66th Alliance Leader of the Long Night Monarch.
(End of Chapter)
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