It has to be said that they are all smart people. With just one sentence, it seems that both Tian Heng and the Shen Family have guessed what was going on.
In terms of cunning, I'm still a bit less shrewd than these old foxes, but so be it if I'm exposed. My top priority now is to find the guy who's been bribed.
Who could it be?
Wei Gongcheng remained outwardly calm, sipping his tea while secretly considering the situation.
If we're talking about the easiest way to succeed in rebellion, it would naturally be Xu Hu, who's outside the city. However, Xu Hu isn't that shrewd, and in fact, sometimes he's less dangerous than the two factions right in front of him.
"I've already sent word to General Xu; he should be arriving soon." Setting down his teacup, Wei Gongcheng said calmly, "Everyone, please go back and rest. We still have some matters to attend to today, so please do not leave Liuzhou City without permission."
Everyone: "."
The Shen Family looked at each other with unreadable expressions. Apart from Shen Shiyi, who seemed somewhat puzzled, the rest of them appeared rather solemn. They all stood up and said, "Then let's rest at the government office. Please let us know immediately if anything happens."
"Good"
Tian Heng frowned. "I won't stay at the government office. I'll go to the Stargazing Tower. Several deputy generals are waiting for me there. There's a banquet tonight, so please let me know immediately if anything comes up."
"Alright," Wei Gongcheng nodded. " General Tian, please don't get drunk."
"Hahaha, now you can't get drunk even if you want to." Tian Heng laughed heartily, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and strode away.
He left quite casually, Wei Gongcheng at the Shen Family, showing no intention of leaving at all.
"Is there anything you want to say?"
"When did you receive the message?" Shen Lao'er asked directly.
Wei Gongcheng held his teacup, paused for a moment, and then said, "It was sent by Ao Zhen about an hour ago."
"What did she find out? When will she be back?" Shen Laosan frowned as well. "If Tian Heng has problems, then suppressing the West Sea Army desperately needs Ao Zhen's strength. Without her, Tian Heng could even mobilize the West Sea Aquatic Clan!"
Shen Shiyi looked completely bewildered. What was all this about?
Wei Gongcheng drank his tea without saying a word.
"You suspect us?" Shen Laosan asked directly, getting to the heart of the matter.
The atmosphere in the entire hall suddenly became eerie, but Wei Gongcheng was not afraid. They were all Underworld. The Shen Family were just ordinary Transcendent sorcerers once they left their fiefdoms, while he, in the Liuzhou Underworld, not only had tens of thousands of underworld soldiers, but also few could defeat him due to the influence of the divine authority. A sneak attack was impossible. Now, after repeated practice, even if the most elite assassins attacked him, his magic would allow him to return to the Underworld instantly.
With the current proficiency of the Liuzhou Underworld, as long as he returns to the Underworld, even a strong person like Ao Zhen, combined with the current combat power of the Underworld soldiers and judges, he can take them down. This is the source of his confidence!
"Everyone is a suspect, so I have to be careful, don't I?" Wei Gongcheng knew he couldn't hide it from the other party, so he could only speak frankly.
"This really saddens me," sighed Shen Laosan.
His relationship with Wei Gongcheng was extremely good, especially before he became a member of the Underworld. He played chess with Wei Gongcheng almost every day and they could talk about anything.
"Public matters are public, private matters are private; it's my duty, I apologize," Wei Gongcheng remained unmoved.
"You rascal," Shen Laosan shook his head with amusement, "No wonder Ao Zhen would pass the message on to you. Even she, an outsider, knows that you, Wei Gongcheng, are the least likely to betray the lord."
Wei Gongcheng remained silent, but a strange look lingered in his eyes. Was this the impression he gave everyone?
In fact, if someone could be turned against him, the probability of a successful rebellion would be very high. Liuzhou is the core, where he has the most powerful ghost soldiers and generals, and every important matter is discussed in Liuzhou. If he could find an excuse to summon the leaders of all forces here, he could even wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
Come to think of it, Chen Qing really trusts me a lot. Isn't she worried at all that I might betray her?
Just then, a familiar and deep voice came from the doorway. "Has something urgent happened? Old Wei, you're not usually in such a hurry."
The speaker was Xu Hu, who had rushed over from the north. He was still covered in cold air and his blood was surging, indicating that he had exhausted himself.
Seeing this, both Wei Gongcheng and the Shen Family' expressions improved considerably.
The fact that the other party rushed here in such a hurry shows their absolute trust in Wei Gongcheng. Xu Hu's forces are all on the periphery, so his willingness to come alone makes him, at least for now, the least suspicious.
"You should recover first. There will be something important that requires your help later." Wei Gongcheng flipped his hand, revealing a black fruit. Everyone could tell at a glance that it was a karmic fruit condensed by the Underworld, something that could quickly restore one's vital energy. Only the Liuzhou Underworld had three of them, and they were lifesavers in critical moments.
"Why did you take this out?" Xu Hu immediately realized that something big might have happened.
This karmic reward is unique to the Liuzhou Underworld, and it takes the Power of Karmic Fruit to produce. Only Wei Gongcheng would be willing to use the Power of Karmic Fruit in this way. Other Underworld are controlled by the Shen Family, so why would they be willing to prepare such a thing for a martial artist?
This is a strategic resource right now. They didn't even give her one when Ao Zhen went to the South Sea, and now they're making her take it right here at their doorstep?
"I'm fine," Xu Hu waved his hand and said, "The exertion wasn't as great as I thought. Let me go to Great Azure Mountain, and I'll recover in three days at most."
"There are no three days left." Wei Gongcheng waved his hand. "General Xu Hu, let me ask you something. If—and I mean if— Tian Heng rebels, and you face him alone, what are your chances of victory?"
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Xu Hu's face contorted with rage. He abruptly stood up, his aura causing the ground to tremble slightly, prompting Wei Gongcheng to wave his hands repeatedly.
"How dare that bastard?!"
In Xu Hu's view, Tian Heng's preferential treatment was almost the best among all people in Jiangnan. As an outsider who brought his troops to surrender, his lord not only allowed him to have his own private army, but also gave him such great authority and resources. The entire dragon clan of the West Sea Dragon Palace was almost under his command. Fearing that his reputation was not good enough when recruiting soldiers, he was sent to fight a battle in the southeast region that he was sure to win, just to improve his reputation.
His soldiers, acting as escorts in the West Sea trade, reaped enormous profits, much to the envy of his own Fighter Army. They had everything they needed – money and manpower!
Even his own deputy generals were dissatisfied. The Fighter Army had made great contributions to conquering the country, but now the West Sea Army was being treated better than the Fighter Army. If it weren't for the Lord's prestige, many of them would have already started a riot.
So, that bastard Tian Heng actually developed a rebellious streak?
"Damn it, what an ungrateful bastard!!"
"Don't get agitated." Wei Gongcheng immediately felt ashamed. "I only said 'if'."
"How confident are you that it's him?" Xu Hu asked directly.
"About 70%," Wei Gongcheng told the truth.
There are many reasons. Only the Dragon Palace in the South Sea has the military strength to besiege a city. It is highly likely that the aquatic tribes have rebelled. Now that Ao Zhen is not here, if the West Sea Dragon Palace also has a plan, the most likely person to turn them is Tian Heng.
In terms of military strength, the West Sea Army is also the most convenient, since the Fighter Army are all on the border. The West Sea Army is now equivalent to the Imperial Guard. In the past, the leaders of the Imperial Guard were the easiest to succeed in rebellion.
If it were up to me to seduce and turn someone, Tian Heng would be the best candidate.
The Shen Family is different because if the Shen Family wants to rebel, then all Shen Family must want to rebel. If any one of them doesn't want to, they might be exposed beforehand. After all, several members of the Shen Family are intelligent people, and the risk of turning them into rebels is too great.
To be honest, although he wasn't entirely certain it was Tian Heng, logically speaking, the Shen Family were far less suspicious than Tian Heng!
At this moment, Tian Heng was walking towards the Stargazing Tower with a gloomy expression.