Chapter 270: Complete Defeat
Back hall of True Fire Weapon Workshop.
Elder Zhang did not sleep for the entire night.
The night was just too arduous for him.
He had failed!
The a.s.sa.s.sination that he had planned for so long had failed!
Even though Liang Qiu and Meng Han were nearing the end of their lifespans, they were still Golden Cores after all and had died just like that.
Elder Zhang could not take lying down.
This was something that did not merely concern the rise and demise of True Fire Weapon Workshop, it concerned the reputation of True Fire Sect!
Ge Yong, the shopkeeper of True Fire Weapon Workshop, walked into the back hall. When he saw Elder Zhang’s dejected expression, he could not help but sigh internally and stepped forward to persuade, “Elder Zhang, take a rest. It’s almost been an entire day.”
“The incident last night has spread, right?”
After a moment, Elder Zhang’s lips moved and he asked.
Ge Yong nodded with a terrible expression.
A look of hatred filled Elder Zhang’s face. Clenching his fists slowly, he said in a vengeful voice, “Even if you don’t say it, I can guess it! Everyone out there must be gloating at our misfortune and laughing at True Fire Sect!”
“Ge Yong, let me tell you, I didn’t lose. Our True Fire Weapon Workshop did not lose either and neither will True Fire Sect lose!”
Seeing that Elder Zhang was deeply agitated in a frenzied state, Ge Yong said hurriedly, “Elder Zhang, since things have come to this, you…”
Elder Zhang interrupted abruptly in a cold voice, “I’ll relay the sect a message right now and have them send even stronger cultivators over! We must kill this Mo Ling in the capital!”
Ge Yong could vaguely sense that Elder Zhang was losing his mind. However, he could not express his thoughts and instead said in a tactful manner, “This is an extremely grave matter. I don’t think the sect’s going to agree to it?”
“The sect will definitely agree to it! True Fire Sect has never suffered a loss like this before! Are we going to be scared off by a mere unknown Weapon Refinement Master?”
Scoffing coldly, Elder Zhang said grimly, “After two years of observation, I’m certain that Mo Ling must have mastered some sort of unique spirit gathering technique with a high efficiency rate! If we kill him, that spirit gathering will definitely belong to True Fire Sect as well.”
“However, last night’s events have already alerted the Azure Falcon guards and I’m sure the Emperor of Great Zhou knows about it too. I don’t think we should strike in the capital?” Ge Yong frowned slightly.
“Don’t worry.”
Elder Zhang replied, “The emperor will definitely give face to True Fire Sect and not interfere in this matter.”
Boom!
The moment Elder Zhang said that, a deafening sound could be heard outside as if a meteor had crashed right in front of True Fire Weapon Workshop.
Elder Zhang furrowed his brows and waved. “Go take a look at what happened outside. I’ll pen the letter right now!”
“Yes.”
Ge Yong turned to leave.
With a sullen expression, Elder Zhang took out a letter from his storage bag and wrote furiously.
Not long after Ge Yong went out, he ran back into the back hall with a fl.u.s.tered expression and panting.
Elder Zhang took up the letter he had just written and swayed to dry the ink before handing it to Ge Yong. “Send this letter to the sect as quickly as possible!”
“This…”
Ge Yong did not receive the letter as he stopped talking midway with a pale expression.
“Hmm? What happened out there?” Elder Zhang asked with a raised brow.
Ge Yong gave a bitter smile. “Elder Zhang, you had better go see it for yourself.”
Elder Zhang held the letter in his left hand and strode out with a grave expression.
Before he arrived at the entrance, Elder Zhang heard a commotion outside True Fire Weapon Workshop, as if countless people had gathered in discussion.
“True Fire Weapon Workshop has truly fallen greatly this time round.”
“That’s right, they’ve embarra.s.sed themselves entirely.”
“This is a complete defeat.”
“I wonder whose idea it was to a.s.sa.s.sinate Mr. Mo. That person is the biggest sinner in True Fire Sect!”
A series of chaotic voices could be heard as Elder Zhang’s expression turned uglier.
The moment he stepped out of True Fire Weapon Workshop, the noise outside quietened down instantly.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoos.h.!.+
Everyone turned to look at Elder Zhang with a strange gaze as they muttered softly.
Surveying his surroundings, Elder Zhang’s eyes finally landed on a huge notice stele on the other end with a brand new notice.
“If any rogues dare to plot in the capital again and try to a.s.sa.s.sinate virtuous talents, they’ll be killed without mercy! The masterminds will not be spared either!”
It was a murderous sentence.
At the end was a square pattern – it was the imperial seal!
Upon seeing those words along with the imperial seal, Elder Zhang felt as though he was struck by lightning. His head spun and his body swayed, nearly falling to the ground.
Ge Yong hurried forward to support Elder Zhang.
After a moment, Elder Zhang took a deep breath of air and looked at the bearded man at the side, asking with much difficulty, “May I ask, Lord Commander. Is this notice… truly the intention of Your Majesty?”
“What do you mean by that, Elder Zhang? Are you suspecting me of faking a message from the emperor?” The bearded man reversed the question expressionlessly.
Elder Zhang’s heart skipped a beat as he replied hurriedly, “No, I’m not…”
Scoffing coldly, the bearded man turned and pointed to the imperial seal at the bottom of the notice, saying with a deep voice, “The imperial seal belongs to Your Majesty. How dare you question it, hmm?”
“Then, for this notice to be placed here…”
Before Elder Zhang could finish, he was interrupted by the bearded man again, “By placing it here, it’s a warning to evildoers that they had better watch themselves beneath the feet of the Emperor of Great Zhou and not thinking about creating any sh*t!”
With every word spoken by the bearded man, Elder Zhang’s face turned paler.
By the end of it all, Elder Zhang’s eyes were dim and his heart was filled with despair.
He also churned his spirit energy, crus.h.i.+ng the letter in his hands into dust.
There was no longer any need for the letter.
After all, the emperor had expressed his stance and had given a stern warning to True Fire Weapon Workshop!
If True Fire Weapon Workshop dared lay their hands on Mo Ling again, they would offend the emperor directly!
Even if there were cultivators who did not know better yet, the fact that the notice was placed here would have them realize instantly that True Fire Weapon Workshop was the mastermind behind the previous night’s a.s.sa.s.sination attempt!
This was a complete defeat.
Elder Zhang gave a long sigh and seemed like he had aged considerably in an instant. Turning around, he returned to True Fire Weapon Workshop with a dejected back view.
For that brief moment, Elder Zhang felt regret.
Perhaps, he should not have been so misguided to attempt an a.s.sa.s.sination on Mo Ling.
Even though it was only afternoon, True Fire Weapon Workshop was closed for business.
Everyone dispersed but the discussions towards the matter did not die down.
“Your Majesty is really something. Placing the notice in front of their place? He might as well just say it out loud.”
“What do you know? True Fire Weapon Workshop is backed by True Fire Sect, one of the five major sects that has been around for many years with a strong foundation. Even the emperor has to give them some face. If he were to say it out loud, it would be akin to falling out with them. There’s no need for that.”
One of the cultivators smiled. “That notice sure is interesting. It didn’t mention anything about True Fire Weapon Workshop or Mr. Mo and yet even a fool can tell what it’s referring to.”
“I know, right? It’s just one step away from Your Majesty declaring that he’s got Mr. Mo’s back in the capital from now on…”
“I believe that no one in the capital will dare harbor any ill intentions to Mr. Mo from now on. Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop is also going to be an unshakable existence within the capital!”