"Come to think of it, I'm following Chao Long to investigate the whereabouts of the Red Pardon Pearl. The Dugu Family of the Eastern Sea has put a bounty on it. You know I'm not good at anything else, but peeping … hehehe … "Wan Hezi snickered.
Yan Kai sighed helplessly.
"Senior Brother, are you sure you want to follow Chao Long?"
"Of course! I'm the one who accepted the Dugu Family's bounty … "
"What?! You accepted the Bounty List?! "Yan Kai was shocked. He stood up with his eyes wide open.
Even Duan Rongrong, who was at the side, covered her mouth in shock.
"Are you crazy?! Wan Hezi! "Yan Kai could not help but exclaim in exasperation. "Do you know the consequences of accepting the bounty?!"
"Uh … what consequences?" Wan Hezi stared at the two blankly.
"If you fail, your body and soul will be separated and turned into fuel for the Dugu Family's poisonous soul-fire to forge weapons!" Yan Kai was so angry that his chest was about to explode.
"Ah!???" Wan Hezi was completely dumbfounded now that he knew what trouble he was in. He had been proud of his speed when he accepted the bounty.
The Dugu Family had released a list with such generous rewards. It was simply unheard of. He had pounced on it at the fastest speed in his life the moment he saw it and accepted it.
At that time, he found it strange that everyone around him was looking at him with strange gazes.
Now he finally understood …
"It's over …" Wan Hezi felt his body go limp and cold. He no longer had any strength left. "It's over …"
"Oh you!" Yan Kai was exasperated. He pointed at his senior brother, not knowing what to say.
"Junior Brother, Rongrong … it's over … Senior Brother … I've never tasted a woman in my life. Why don't you give yourself to me, Rongrong …" Wan Hezi murmured.
"I'll tell Sister Bing Yuan!" Duan Rongrong stood up immediately.
"Don't! Don't!! "Wan Hezi snapped out of his daze and cried. "I was wrong, I was wrong, alright? Forget it, I was courting death … I'll go to the Dugu Family later and see if there's anything I can do. "
"What do we do now?" Duan Rongrong was amused and annoyed at the same time. She could tell that Wan Hezi was only joking around, but now that he knew the truth, he was clearly out of his wits. That was why she looked at Yan Kai.
She knew that Brother Yan Kai would never disappoint her.
Although Wan Hezi was always a despicable person, he had helped and saved them more than once.
"The only thing we can do now … is to first figure out what mission Senior Brother has accepted," Yan Kai said helplessly.
…
The sedan chair was slowly lowered in front of the Tea Sect's main gate.
Ning San respectfully lifted the curtain of the sedan. Little umbrella girl was the first to jump out. She raised her red umbrella and stood at the side, looking back.
Lu Sheng slowly walked out of the sedan chair and looked at Dong Qi, the leader of Tea Sect, who was waiting at the gate. There was also the commander of the Winged Honor Guard at the side.
"Dong Qi greets Sect Master Lu." "Winged Honor Guard Li Qiong greets Sect Master!" Both of them greeted him.
Lu Sheng nodded. He had met Dong Qi once before. As for Li Qiong of the Winged Honor Guard, she was a disciple of the Winged Honor Guard who had joined the Winged Honor Guard a long time ago. Speaking of which, her promotion was partly due to Lu Sheng's influence in unifying the Northern Lands.
Right now, Crimson Whale Sect was the sole power in the Northern Song Nation, backed by Shangyang Family of the Nine Great Families of the Central Plains. Shangyang Jiuli had broken through to the Manor Lord realm and stepped into the Snake realm. Given her talent, her breakthrough would definitely not be limited to the lower three grades.
As a general under Shangyang Jiuli, Lu Sheng's status naturally rose and his influence grew.
"How's the situation? Any news on the missing Elder? "Lu Sheng asked as he walked into Tea Sect's headquarters.
"No … there's no news on Elder Xu either. External Affairs Emissary Chen received the news and is searching everywhere, but to no avail … Sect Master, let's wait for External Affairs Emissary Chen to arrive and interrogate him in detail, "Li Qiong of the Winged Honor Guard replied in a low voice.
Lu Sheng strolled along the wooden corridor, looking sideways at the little garden with artificial mountains and flowing water.
There were a few children playing and playing in the garden. The noise was rather loud, and they looked over curiously.
"Err … it's the junior of an Elder in the sect. He doesn't know his manners. I'll dismount and go up …" Dong Qi broke out in cold sweat. She had clearly instructed everyone to leave and isolate the area. Yet, there were still children here. What if they offended the current Sect Master, Lu Sheng? She knew this person's temper. He looked gentle on the surface, but once he started fighting, he would kill without hesitation.
"It's no big deal," Lu Sheng raised his hand, seemingly unconcerned.
"This is the second time I've come to this tiny Tea Town," he said calmly. His expression was inscrutable.
"Yes. The last time, Sect Master was here to resolve the issue with the Glass Mirror … it's been so long since then," Dong Qi hurriedly replied respectfully.
"It hasn't been long," Lu Sheng smiled. "Where's Zhao Jiaojiao?"
Li Qiong quickly replied, "External Affairs Emissary Zhao has also gone out to investigate. She hasn't returned yet."
"Oh?" Lu Sheng raised his brows. "Interesting. Even Zhao Jiaojiao is trapped here. An Elder and an External Affairs Emissary. To think that our Crimson Whale Sect has trapped two people here … "
Dong Qi and Li Qiong, as well as Ning San and Xu Chui around them, dared not make a sound. Lu Sheng's influence was growing stronger and stronger. His every word and action could put immense pressure on them. They could not help but feel nervous.
"Report!"
A guard dashed in.
"External Affairs Emissary Chen has returned. He seeks an audience with Sect Master!"
"Bring him in," Lu Sheng instructed.
Soon, a white-haired old man with a pale face and a haggard expression rushed in. He knelt on one knee before Lu Sheng and questioned him with his head lowered.
"Subordinate Chen Zongtao greets Sect Master! Sect Master, please punish me! "
"Get up. What have you done wrong? Tell me everything that happened in detail, "Lu Sheng said calmly.
In a low voice, Chen Zongtao began recounting his experience.
"That day, I entered the deep mountains with Elder Xu Chuanzhou to search for clues. We heard that the Unlaughing Master always appears late at night, so we searched deep into the night. As we searched, I suddenly heard Elder Xu's shrill cry for help. I rushed over, but when I reached the source of the cry, I found nothing. Not only has Elder Xu disappeared, but the group of people he brought have all disappeared without a trace. "
"You're saying that from the beginning to the end, you didn't know or see how Elder Xu went missing? All you heard was a cry? "Lu Sheng asked calmly.
"Yes … that's right!" Chen Zongtao lowered his head in fear.
Lu Sheng looked at him without another word.
He stared at him for a long while. Chen Zongtao's back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Bam!!"
All of a sudden, Chen Zongtao was kicked into the air and slammed into a pillar. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Everyone else trembled in fear. Xu Chui and Ning San's eyelids twitched. Dong Qi closed her eyes, not daring to watch.
"I'll ask again." Lu Sheng walked up to Chen Zongtao calmly. "You really only heard the cry and didn't see Elder Xu?"
Chen Zongtao tumbled to the ground and hurriedly got up. His mouth was full of blood.
"Your subordinate … your subordinate …"
"Answer me!!" Lu Sheng's eyes widened and he roared.
Chen Zongtao trembled in fear. Finally, he could not hold on any longer.
"Your subordinate saw … saw Elder Xu!!" There was a sobbing tone in his voice. An old man in his seventies was crying like a child.
"You saw Elder Xu's cry for help, didn't you?" Lu Sheng asked calmly.
"Yes … yes … your subordinate saw it … but, at that time, your subordinate … was really too afraid … of that stone house …" Chen Zongtao's tears and snot flowed down his face. "So many people were swallowed in one go … not even a shadow!!" He crawled to Lu Sheng's feet.
"Sect Master, it's not that your subordinate was afraid of death. It's just that, it's just that I had no chance of winning. I'd only die if I went up!! For the sake of the lives of my brothers! "
"Take him away and deal with him according to the sect rules," Lu Sheng instructed calmly.
A few guards rushed forward and grabbed Chen Zongtao from both sides, dragging him away.
Chen Zongtao trembled all over, not daring to move. Like a pile of mud, he was dragged away by two guards.
No one pleaded on his behalf. Lu Sheng punished him not for leaving his comrades in the lurch, but for not reporting what he knew.
This was a matter of life and death for his comrades in the sect, and yet he did not report what he knew for his own personal gain. According to the sect rules, he should be punished with two daggers. It was not a crime worthy of death. But to stab him twice in the ribs, even if it wasn't a serious injury, it would at least take away half his life.
"Let him say what he needs to say. Then we'll go take a look and see what's in this mountain that dares to touch our Crimson Whale Sect's men," Lu Sheng said calmly.
"Yes," Xu Chui retreated slowly and hurried towards Chen Zongtao.
"Now let's talk about the legend that's been circulating in Tea Town lately," Lu Sheng looked at Dong Qi.
"It's the Unlaughing Legend," Dong Qi lowered her head and said respectfully. "Recently, there have been people disappearing in the middle of the night from our Tea Sect as well. Even though they're not deep in the mountains, they still disappear mysteriously. Many of them disappear right at home. Rumor has it that there's a stone house deep in the mountains where the Unlaughing Master lives. Someone accidentally barged into the house and woke him up, causing him to leave the mountains. Now that the Unlaughing Master has come to town, someone has to tell a joke that makes him laugh. Otherwise, he'll go around killing people. "
"Tell a joke?" Lu Sheng was taken aback.
"Yes," Dong Qi nodded. "It's said that once you meet the Unlaughing Master, you have to tell a joke in an extremely short amount of time to make him laugh. Only then will you pass the test. Otherwise, you won't live to see the sun the next day."
Lu Sheng shook his head and laughed, looking left and right.
"Do you guys believe it? There's such a legend? "
Ning San considered it seriously.
"Your subordinate believes that it's very likely to be true. Since this Unlaughing Master has spread such a rule and reputation, it means that someone must have survived under his hands. That's how this legend came about. "
"Makes sense," Lu Sheng nodded.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
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