A Guilty Conscience

Wasn't that familiar voice Chen Fengxiao, Great Leader Chen?

Zhang Xiaohua froze, thinking to himself, No way, could the news have traveled this fast? Has word of Deputy Hall Master Xu's death already reached Tianmu Peak? Could Great Leader Chen have come to sound me out?

Ahem, ahem. It had to be said, "a guilty conscience"—the ancients truly had it right.

Why should I be afraid of him? Zhang Xiaohua bolstered himself inwardly, then forced himself upright and said between ragged breaths, "Great Leader Chen has come. This little brother is unwell and cannot come out to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me."

The moment Chen Fengxiao entered, he smiled and said, "Since when did little brother become so polite? You have been back on the mountain for two days, yet this senior brother has not come to visit you. I am the one who should apologize."

Then Wu Zhouxu stepped out from behind Chen Fengxiao, also smiling. "Great Leader Chen had been thinking of visiting you last night. It just so happened that I had some matters to handle, and it was already late, so we delayed it. Today, the two of us came together to see little brother. Little brother, do not blame us for arriving late!"

Zhang Xiaohua was drenched in cold sweat. Good thing they had not come yesterday, or wouldn't I have been exposed?

Thus, he piled a smile onto his face and said, "No matter, no matter. It is already more than enough that the two Great Leaders came. How could this little brother dare to think otherwise?"

The disciples behind the two men also came forward to exchange pleasantries. Great Vajra Zou Shuming was conspicuously among them.

Then, seeing Zhang Xiaohua's somewhat pale face, Chen Fengxiao asked in surprise, "Little brother, yesterday