Chapter 579: 580 Chapter The Internal Conflict of the Punishment Hall
“Young Master Li is forthright; this is very good. Elder Sun, please take the trouble to settle these few young masters. As for these family disciples, take them down for custody first, to ensure there are no mishaps,”
“As for the rest of the Elders, to avoid suspicion, let us gather in the Punishment Hall from this moment on. Before the third in command provides an explanation, this is to prevent anyone from attempting any tricks or sending secret messages. What do you think?”
The Great Elder’s eyes also hid a flare of anger. Now that they had caught the thief with the stolen goods, someone still had the audacity to whitewash the crime, trying desperately to pin the blame on Li Xiaobai.
When did such scholarly scoundrels emerge within his Punishment Hall?
They only talk about blood relations and kinship, disregarding the facts and the truth–it’s a disgrace!
However, looking at the current situation, there might also be other scoundrels lurking within the Punishment Hall, not yet revealing themselves, and more time is needed to observe. Aside from waiting for news from the third in command, he also wanted to use this opportunity to root out other hidden scoundrels.
“This…”
“Great Elder, we are all Elders of the Punishment Hall. We naturally know what should and should not be said. Is this really necessary?”
Elder Wang slightly furrowed his brows and spoke up; he didn’t want to agree to restrict personal freedom.
He wanted to use this news to gain the trust of the Situ Household.
“Yes, Great Elder, many of us hold multiple responsibilities and truly are stretched thin. If we just sit around in this great hall not doing anything, who will handle the matters outside?”
“We are all adults here; we understand the importance of keeping secrets. Rest assured, Great Elder,”
The other Elders also began to express their agreement, showing a rather displeased attitude toward the restriction of their freedom.
“Do the Elders remember the day you first entered the Punishment Hall? Recently, I have found myself reminiscing about the past years,” the Great Elder said.
“On my first day in the Punishment Hall, I was very excited, committed to the principle of justice, refusing to accept bribes or bow to the powerful, fulfilling my duties with devotion and diligence. And the Punishment Hall did not disappoint me; it has always been a place of integrity, not the kind seen by outsiders as a den of mutual protection and corruption.”
“But recently, I no longer think so. I’ve discovered that the atmosphere within the Punishment Hall has begun to deteriorate, meaning, some have had a change of heart,” he continued.
“Among us, there are a few traitors! This is a serious matter that must be guarded against!”
“Rest assured, gentlemen, it’s just for one day. No one can guarantee that the cultivators within the Punishment Hall are without issues. At this critical juncture, anyone who leaves on their own will be marked as a traitor!”
The Great Elder’s expression darkened, his eyes suddenly became fierce, shooting two cold glints straight at everyone. His tone was filled with an unyielding chill.
All that talk about multiple responsibilities, and having official duties outside–it’s all just damn excuses. He wasn’t just idly on the job; he had clear records of what these Punishment Hall Elders had been doing over the past year.
This group had neglected their duties, enjoying their stipends while letting others do their work for them, glossing over troublesome issues, happily living the easy life.
Such protests now must be because they wish to send a message to the Situ Household, right?
The tail of the fox is almost fully in view.
He silently noted the faces of several of the old men, planning to settle accounts after the autumn.
The Elders hung their heads low, not daring to meet his gaze. They didn’t dare to challenge the Great Elder’s authority.
“Any more questions?” the Great Elder asked.
“No, actually we don’t have that much to do on a daily basis. The main issue is that some are causing trouble. But I trust Young Master Li, and now that the criminal has been caught, Aolai Country should be at peace,” they replied.
Elder Sun chuckled as he spoke, seeing no pressure in choosing sides for him. He stood on the side of justice, and anyone with clear eyes could tell that Li Xiaobai wasn’t the murderer.
“That’s good, but if there is no leak of information after today, I think it’s enough to clear the Punishment Hall of suspicion.”
Elder Wang nodded, speaking indifferently, but a flash of fear flickered in the depths of his eyes and disappeared just as quickly.
…
That evening, Li Xiaobai and his party were arranged to stay in the side rooms, not settled in the same location as the many common people.
It seemed that the Elders from the Punishment Hall were worried about them stirring up trouble again, so they acted with extreme caution.
“Junior brother, what exactly are these old things brewing up inside their gourds?”
“They’ve got all the evidence, and they still need to drag out time to consult with the three household heads?”
Su Yunbing was in an extremely foul mood, feeling as if she had been given the brush-off. If it wasn’t for the fact that her cultivation level was not as high as theirs, she would have smashed the place up already.
“Yeah, junior brother, your senior brother and sister are swallowing their anger because we don’t have enough cultivation level, but you, you can even beat those at the Mahayana Realm, so what are you afraid of? Just go straight for them!”
Yang Chen also spoke. They as siblings had never had to explain themselves before, but today was an exception. To prove their innocence, they had to desperately gather witness and physical evidence, and yet they were still treated with indifference.
This was not their style.
“Hehe, dear senior brothers and sisters, there’s no need to be anxious. The development of events needs to ferment. The reason I agreed to them is precisely because the longer this matter is dragged out, the bigger the commotion it will stir up.”
“If we’re going to make a scene, it can’t just rely on the few of us. We need collective wisdom and effort. Right now, we are faced with dozens of families from Aolai Country, tricky devils. We need to use the masses to defeat the masses, no need for us to do it ourselves, just enjoy the show.”
Li Xiaobai spoke lightly. Before others could react, he flipped his wrist, took out a copy of the Immortal Spirit Daily, inserted a Spirit Stone, and summoned Elder Tianji.
“Young Master Li, and the rest of the young friends, Elder Tianji Zi presents his regards!”
“Did you summon me, young friends, because there’s another big news breaking?”
Elder Tianji grinned at Li Xiaobai, his greasy, old face filled with a lewd expression, leaving Su Yunbing and the others staring agape.
They were naturally familiar with Elder Tianji, having had ideas about publishing some news in the past, but this old man had always been dismissive of them, outright perfunctory.
They never imagined that their junior brother would be so well acquainted with such a big shot, and furthermore, it seemed there was a pleasing look within the big shot’s expression toward him?
Has our junior brother become so formidable?
“Yes, it’s a huge piece of news. Once broadcasted, it will cause uproar throughout Aolai Country. Do you dare to report it, elder?”
Li Xiaobai asked with a light smile.
“Are you serious!”
“I only care about the readership, not whether the impact is bad or not. If it really is such big news, you write it, and I’ll dare to publish it!”
Elder Tianji’s eyes shone, an event that even Li Xiaobai deemed to be big news was definitely sensational.
Additionally, the recent two issues about Aolai Country had a wide readership, sparking widespread interest among cultivators. Another even more explosive issue would surely make the cultivators unable to put down the Immortal Spirit Daily!
Li Xiaobai took out pen and ink, nodded with a smile, “Good, let’s work together to put Immortal Spirit Daily on the altar!”
