Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
At this moment, on the largest island group along the eastern coast of the Central Plains, the Wind Blinder Archipelago, at the headquarters of the Red Robe Sect, an internal conflict was taking place.
The situation was similar to the last internal strife, with Ye Chong, Ye Xuan, Ye Hui, and Ye Zhong leading a series of direct descendants from the Ye Family, as well as Trusted Disciples and lower-ranking disciples, gathering at the square in front of the Eternal Life Palace. The number of people exceeded three thousand.
At a glance, the entire square was packed with heads, overflowing with people everywhere.
Most of them were followers of the four Grand Flagmasters, who looked to them for guidance. Once trouble started, everyone would join in the uproar.
At the entrance of the Eternal Life Palace stood Vice Sect Leader Zuo Zixiong, flanked by the Five Great Masters and a few disciples, confronting Ye Chong and his group.
The atmosphere on site was tense, with a palpable smell of gunpowder, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
Especially on Ye Chong's side, everyone was agitated and baring their teeth, almost ready to draw their swords.
"Zuo Zixiong, you incompetent fool! You are unworthy of being our Vice Sect Leader. If you have any sense, you should quickly hand over the Demon-Slaying Sword and avoid embarrassing yourself further," a disciple behind Ye Chong sneered.
If it had been an ordinary disciple, no one would have dared to speak like that. However, this disciple boldly criticized the Vice Sect Leader. It should be noted that Zuo Zixiong was personally appointed by Lu Chen, giving him significant authority.
The audacity of that ordinary disciple likely stemmed from being instigated by Ye Chong and others to lead the disturbance and stir up trouble.
As soon as those words were spoken, they immediately sparked a response from many disciples aligned with the Ye faction, who began shouting for Zuo Zixiong to step down.
"Don't go too far! My uncle is unworthy of being Vice Sect Leader; does that mean you are? Would you dare take his place?"
Zuo Zhi could no longer stand by and immediately stepped forward to confront that disciple. Now he was one of the Five Great Masters of the Red Robe Sect, so his words carried weight. As soon as he spoke up, that disciple who had just spoken seemed to vanish.
"Zuo Zhi, what are you so arrogant about? If it weren't for my uncle's kindness in taking you two in and promoting you at all costs, where would you be today?"
The speaker was Ye Fan, Ye Chong's son and a direct descendant of the Ye Family. He held considerable prestige among the disciples; although he had no official position, his words still carried significant weight.
In just a few short sentences, Ye Fan was able to garner a significant response from his disciples, who voiced their support for him and directed their anger towards Zuo Zixiong at the entrance of the Eternal Life Palace.
"Zhi'er, let's not. We can't compete with the Ye Family. Instead of confronting them head-on, it would be better to remain silent for now; they'll leave once they've had their fun."
Zuo Zixiong spoke sincerely; he had long been targeted by the higher-ups of the Ye Family and faced obstacles at every turn. Yet, he managed to endure all this, willingly acting as a puppet-like Vice Sect Leader.
He had not learned Lu Chen's bold and decisive style of action; instead, he was filled with compassion, which had led to a decline in the sect's discipline.
"Uncle, you are too conservative. My approach is genuine. If it were me, I would have killed them with a single sword strike by now. Given the current situation, I don't think they will back down easily."
Zuo Zhi complained from the side, clearly expressing his discontent with Zuo Zixiong's way of handling things.
Zuo Zixiong closed his eyes, a look of sorrow on his face; sometimes he truly found it hard to make decisions.
It wasn't as simple as Zuo Zhi thought. The Ye Family was deeply entrenched in the Red Robe Sect and practically controlled the entire sect. If he were to kill their direct line, it was uncertain what kind of chaos would ensue.
Zuo Zixiong did not want to explain because some matters were best kept buried in his heart; bringing them up would only make him appear guilty.
"Zuo Zixiong, don't think that hiding like a turtle will let you get away with this. This time we won't hold back like before out of respect for the Supreme Leader. To be honest, we are here to force you out," one disciple stepped forward from the crowd.
At these words, everyone gasped; they were openly calling for Zuo Zixiong's ousting.
Hearing this, Zuo Zixiong immediately looked distressed and remained silent for a moment before asking someone nearby, "Didn't we send a message to the leader? When will he return? If he doesn't come back soon, I fear I won't be able to hold on much longer. If something goes wrong within the Cult, I might have no choice but to use this Demon-Slaying Sword on myself to atone for my sins."
As he spoke, Zuo Zixiong wore an expression of self-reproach; there were difficulties everywhere within the Red Robe Sect. Over these days, he seemed to have aged nearly ten years and looked extremely haggard.
"The message has indeed been sent through the Branch disciples to the leader, but he hasn't returned in two years. He must have important matters to attend to and may not be able to come back," explained a disciple beside him.
"Eh," Zuo Zixiong sighed upon hearing this, a look of regret on his face. "If only the leader could return. When he comes back, I will return the Demon-Slaying Sword to him, and I will resign from my position as Vice Sect Leader. After all, I have been negligent in my duties, and I really do not want to offend the Ye Family. If I don't act against them, it will be difficult for me; if I do act against them, it will severely damage the Cult's momentum. It's a situation where one side cannot be favored."
"Left Deputy Leader, listen to this; this is the voice of the crowd. The voice of the crowd is also the voice of us high-ranking members of the Ye Family. Although you were personally appointed as Vice Sect Leader by the leader, let’s be honest—have you truly fulfilled your duties as Vice Sect Leader? We in the Congregation have worked diligently, yet we still cannot revive our Cult and restore its former glory. Isn't this your failure?"
The speaker was Ye Chong, who paced in front of the crowd with his hands behind his back, a cold smile on his face as he spoke in a sarcastic tone.
Zuo Zixiong was at a loss for words; what Ye Chong said was true, and he had no response. However, there were difficulties he couldn't conveniently disclose.
In response to Ye Chong's provocation, Zuo Zixiong remained silent. He held the Demon-Slaying Sword close to him, as if at that moment, this sword was his only source of support.
"Left Deputy Leader, you know that silence is useless. Most of the Congregation has gathered here; if they do not receive a reasonable resolution, they will not disperse. You understand the consequences," Ye Chong said with a sneer.
Ye Chong's disciples had gathered here voluntarily; everyone knew what was really going on beneath the surface.
After a long silence, Zuo Zixiong took a deep breath and said, "The leader will be back soon; let's wait for him to handle this matter. If I truly have any shortcomings at that time, I will naturally resign before the leader without troubling Grand Flagmaster Ye."
"Is that so? Left Deputy Leader, I remember you've said something like this at least five times already. It used to work and could disperse the disciples, but it seems this method is no longer effective. Just look at these disciples—do they show any intention of leaving?"
Ye Chong raised his arm and pointed at the disciples behind him, questioning Zuo Zixiong with a challenging expression.
The disciples behind Ye Chong all wore determined expressions and stared fixedly at Zuo Zixiong; there was no sign that they intended to leave.
Previously, they had gathered at the entrance of Eternal Life Palace when Zuo Zixiong announced that the Supreme Leader would return; those disciples had been silent as if terrified, with many fleeing in fear.
But this time, it seemed that Ye Chong and other high-ranking members were deliberately stirring things up and instilling some ideology in them. They stood their ground as if unafraid of death, resolute in their stance that they would not relent until the leader returned.
"This tactic has lost its effectiveness, Zuo Zixiong. Tell me—does the leader still exist in this world?" Ye Chong cautiously asked Zuo Zixiong in a soft tone, such that only Zuo Zixiong and a few others behind him could hear.
At this moment, Ye Chong felt a deep sense of unease, as if he were crossing some great taboo. The words that slipped from his mouth sent chills down his spine.
"Master Grand Flagmaster Ye, your joke has gone a bit too far. The esteemed leader is blessed with fortune and possesses profound cultivation; how could he possibly be no longer among us? Please watch your tone."
At this point, Zuo Zixiong's tone became somewhat angry, resonating with righteous indignation. He could tolerate many things, but when it came to the Supreme Leader being no longer alive, he could not hold back.
Ye Nanzhai was indeed no longer in this world, but in Zuo Zixiong's heart, Ye Nanzhai was still alive. Moreover, regardless of the circumstances, the Red Robe Sect had Lu Chen backing them up; Lu Chen was Ye Nanzhai.
"Stop with the nonsense, Zuo Zixiong. You may deceive others with your words, but you cannot fool me. Be honest with me: has our esteemed leader truly passed away? If not, where is he? Can you tell me?"
Ye Chong took a few steps forward, trying to get closer to Zuo Zixiong, hoping to hear news about Ye Nanzhai from him.
Ye Nanzhai had not returned to the Red Robe Sect Headquarters for nearly two years, which was something that had never happened before.
Their previous gatherings and disturbances were actually attempts to test whether Ye Nanzhai was truly still alive. If he were, he would definitely return to handle matters; at that time, the Ye Family's higher-ups would rely on their numbers and face only minor punishments.
However, through these tests, Ye Nanzhai had never appeared. Only Zuo Zixiong, this useless figure, continued to deceive people under the guise of the leader. Thus, it became clear that Ye Nanzhai was very likely dead.
This was the conclusion reached by Ye Chong and others. Therefore, they had all gathered at the entrance of Eternal Life Palace to force the issue to a breaking point and then capture Zuo Zixiong in one fell swoop, subsequently taking over Eternal Life Palace; at that point, everything would fall into place.
Comment 0 Comment Count