A Farce (Continued)

The Cang Baiyi said, "You can't say that. Although they can't compare to those peerless divine weapons, the weapons of the Heaven's Will Palace aren't bad. At least I'm quite comfortable using my Heaven-Supporting Staff."

Wu Xiu grumbled, "You originally learned staff techniques, so of course you don't mind. My weapon is just a whisk. I'm not a Daoist priest, what use is this thing to me!"

Before the group could erupt into a heated debate, Si Ming quickly said, "Seniors, there's no need to argue. Swordsmanship is my forte. Compared to nunchucks, which are only good for decoration, a sword is far superior."

Tu Wangyue said, "If you care about weapons, you can have the Artisan King tailor-make one for you to replace Monkey's nunchucks. This is a right that members of the Heaven's Will Palace should have. Back then, the Grandmaster did not set the types of weapons fixed, but allowed everyone to change them at will."

Si Ming thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Never mind, there's no need to trouble you further if we already have one." With that, he walked towards the dragon statue.

Seeing this, Tu Wangyue did not try to persuade him further.

Xing Daozhuang said, "I remember, that Dragon Scale Sword is still in Xiao Xuan's hands, right? He doesn't seem to have returned the weapon."

Si Ming, "I will personally ask Martial Uncle Xiao for this weapon, if I am fortunate enough to become a member of the Heaven's Will Palace in the end."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Si Ming with a scrutinizing look that contrasted sharply with their previous indifference, but no one said anything more.

Wu Xiu said, "This matter is settled. Is there anything else important? If not, I will take my leave. Unlike some idle fellows, I am quite busy."

The bespectacled man said, "There's nothing important, but there is a small matter. I'm sure everyone has heard about it. Recently, rumors about someone here have been rampant, to the point that almost everyone has heard of it. This matter isn't a big deal, but it's not insignificant either. On a small scale, it's just a matter of personal face; on a large scale, it concerns the credibility of my Mohist School."

The Cang Baiyi frowned, his expression becoming even more stern. He said, "What do you mean by 'someone present'? Just say it's Thunder King. Only Confucian School play these pretentious tricks. We Mohist School speak our minds, why bother with such concealment and making Heaven's Will Palace look like a hypocritical officialdom?"

Wu Xiu's patience had run out. She sneered, "Rumors stop with the wise. It's one thing for those ignorant fools to be fooled by such absurd claims as 'Thunder King is Monster Race,' but for the leader of the Shadow Hero Guard to believe such nonsense is truly unsettling. No wonder we didn't discover the Heaven-Defying Society's activities in the Li State. Our intelligence work is being handled by such an idiot. It's only natural that we'd be easily fooled by the enemy. As for the next topic, I propose that we re-elect the leader of the Shadow Hero Guard."

Si Ming's heart skipped a beat; it turned out that this person was the person in charge of the Shadow Hero Guard.

As the shadow of the Mohist Knight Guard, the Shadow Hero Guard does not carry out assassination missions, but its operations are always secretive and never made public. Therefore, it is likely that his current appearance is not his true appearance, but rather a disguise.

The bespectacled man quickly explained, "I also don't believe these kinds of rumors, but this matter has a wide impact and involves my comrades, so I want to discuss a suitable solution with you all."

Wu Xiu scoffed and said, "Intelligence work was originally your responsibility. Now that there are problems with your work, you come to us for advice. Are you so eager to prove your incompetence?"

Yu Shuying's sharp tongue was clearly learned from a master, Si Ming could only pray in his heart that Murong Wu wouldn't be corrupted by it.

"Propaganda and intelligence gathering are different. We are trying our best to investigate the source of the rumors. At present, we can confirm that all of this is indeed the work of the Remote Heaven Society. Therefore, there is a very puzzling question: why Remote Heaven Society throw out such an absurd and easily debunked rumor?"

As he spoke, Chen Xiangduan turned his gaze to Xing Daozhuang. His eyes, which were not covered by his glasses, narrowed slightly, while the reflection of his glasses obscured his other eye, perfectly concealing the turmoil in his heart.

Although it seems absurd, after eliminating other impossible options, the remaining option, however unbelievable, must be accepted as the only one.

Xing Daozhuang may not be Monster Race, but it is very likely Demon Race, Devil Race... in any case, not Human Race. Therefore, it can be verified with a single examination. No matter how absurd the rumors are, it doesn't matter. This is just a prelude, intended to lead to an irrefutable and absolutely true piece of evidence.

However, before Xing Daozhuang could respond, Wu Xiu scoffed, "We can have an incompetent idiot on our side, but can't Remote Heaven Society have a brain-dead fool? If someone's going to do something stupid, not even ten oxen could pull them back. Why should Evil Dao organizations have to be logical in their actions? Joining Evil Dao organization is the most illogical and brainless thing to do."

Ji Shichen said slowly and deliberately, "Speaking of which, I once read a line in a novel written by my junior apprentice Si Ming: 'Domestic conflicts can be diverted by foreign problems.' Although it is simple and straightforward, it makes a lot of sense."

Si Ming never expected that this would involve him. He had been trying his best to keep a low profile, since he had not yet officially become a member of the Heaven's Will Palace and could not be too high-profile, otherwise he would inevitably give people the feeling that he was a petty person who had achieved success. Even if others thought that his identity was a sure thing, he himself could not do anything out of line.

Wu Xiu suddenly realized and said, "Oh, I see. It seems someone is trying to divert attention by attacking others to cover up their own incompetence."

The bespectacled man said helplessly, "Let's keep things separate. As I said, I will reflect on this later, but I have no selfish motives in this matter. In fact, the way to dispel rumors is very simple, but it will inevitably offend Thunder King."

Wu Xiu sneered, "You know this is offensive, so why should we prove our innocence just because the enemy slanders our comrades? I've heard rumors that Remote Heaven Society say that you, Chen Xiangduan, have a depraved private life and that you raped a girl in high school. What are we supposed to do then? Are we supposed to find all the girls you knew when you were young and question them one by one, asking them if you raped them?"

"How can these be conflated?"

Yan Jinghong, who had remained silent since recommending Si Ming, spoke up, "I also oppose this. Although Senior Wu's example is crude, the principle is correct. This is a matter of trust. If we force our comrades to prove their innocence because of the enemy's doubts, wouldn't that mean we trust the enemy more than our comrades? Once we set this precedent, it will easily lead to distrust among ourselves. Perhaps, this is the purpose of the Remote Heaven Society."

"I second that." Ling Huanxi stated her opinion simply.

I also object.

I disagree.

"Brother Yan is right. It's absurd that we trust the enemy instead of our own comrades."

Everyone objected. Seeing this, Chen Xiangduan, clasped his hands, and said, "I was presumptuous in this matter. I apologize to Thunder King. It was all within my duty, and I hope Brother Xing will not take it to heart."

"No, I agree with Brother Chen's suggestion."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and were taken aback to find that it was Xing Daozhuang, the person in question, who had spoken.

"We must indeed state our position on this matter externally, and dismiss the enemy's rumors with disdain. However, internally, we must eliminate the barriers between us and not harbor any suspicion. Imagine if one day Brother Chen and I joined forces to deal with the powerful members of the Remote Heaven Society, but due to mutual distrust, the enemy escaped. Wouldn't that be a pity? To prevent such a situation from happening, I am willing to prove my innocence."

Yan Jinghong said, "But once this precedent is set, I'm afraid everyone will feel insecure."

Xing Daozhuang said, "Then let's make a pact. This matter will begin with me and end with me. From now on, no matter what rumors the enemy spreads, we should trust our comrades."

Chen Xiangduan solemnly said, "Thunder King's character is admirable. It seems this matter no longer needs proof. I already know the result, so the previous suggestion is hereby dropped."

Xing Daozhuang shook his head and said, "Since I have offered to prove my innocence, I cannot go back on my word. Besides, I have a clear conscience, so what do I have to fear? Please ask the Holy Maiden to take action. With the Holy Maiden as the witness, I believe everyone can trust her."

"Thunder King is truly selfless, not only towards others but also towards himself. I will personally apologize after the meeting today."

"No need. Internal supervision and eliminating spies are the duties of the Shadow Hero Guard. Your actions are just, and I have no reason to object."

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Tu Wangyue took Xing Daozhuang's pulse with one hand to ensure he wasn't deliberately using his internal energy to conceal his identity, while using her other hand to activate her Divine Arts, the Taiwei Divine Arts, to verify his identity.

A moment later, Tu Wangyue let out a surprised exclamation.

Chen Xiangduan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his long-accumulated True Qi was about to erupt, blocking Xing Daozhuang's retreat.

Xing Daozhuang's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if his Turning Evil into Sacred was not thorough enough and had left a flaw. He was almost about to take Tu Wangyue hostage, but then he realized that he was surrounded by the ten strongest experts. Even if he took a hostage, he would still be trapped and unable to escape. Moreover, he might not even be able to successfully take a hostage.

He forcefully suppressed his impulse and then asked without changing his expression, "Why is the Holy Maiden surprised?"

Tu Wangyue withdrew his hand and said, "I just found that Thunder King's cultivation is more profound than I expected. It seems that you were intentionally hiding your abilities before."