Chapter 20. For some reason, the heir looks like the young master of the Demon Sect.

The Chief Steward's head was spinning.

The heir, who had been contemplating how to die, remained unmoved even when the head of the family tried to dissuade him. It wasn't as if they were in a place of dark magic, but the heir looked like the young master of some demon sect.

"Grandfather, please go inside. This is the one who tried to kill me. If it weren't for this, I might have died, but I'm being quite lenient."

"Y-Yes... That's right."

The head of the family's eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed awkwardly and stammered.

He was surprised by the heir's firmness, then relieved to hear that he almost died, and then stammered again when he looked at the Chief Steward hanging from the ceiling, covered in blood.

"Still, you're not... ahem, killing him."

The head of the family felt that the Chief Steward's betrayal and the revealed conspiracy were not as serious as they seemed. On the contrary, the idea that his eldest grandson might actually kill someone still felt unreal.

When the head of the family left, Songhua saw him off and then came in to ask.

"Master, now that the head of the family has left, should I beat him more?"

Hou Gong frowned.

"I've been telling you to leave all this time! Why are you still here! You're naked and covered in blood!"

Songhua smiled sheepishly.

"I'm your shadow. Would you like some water?"

"Sure."

"Hehe."

After quenching his thirst with water, Hou Gong spoke to the Chief Steward.

"Guo Dao."

"Y-Yes."

The Chief Steward's split mouth oozed thick blood as he opened it to answer.

"Your Excellency... Cough..."

His voice faltered, so Songhua and the three guards turned to look at him, wondering why he suddenly called himself "Your Excellency." Hou Gong cleared his throat repeatedly and continued.

"From my perspective, there must be someone behind you. Let's hear it."

"Your insight... is commendable. They are... the Black Sect."

"Black Sect? Is there such a thing in the martial world? I've never heard of it."

Is it new? No matter how hard he tried to remember, Hou Gong couldn't recall it and kept frowning.

Songhua whispered in his ear.

"Master, why are you pretending to know?"

"Hmph, stay back. What don't I know?"

At that moment, Guo Dao interjected.

"It's natural... that you haven't heard of it."

"Of course. I expected as much."

"The Black Sect... was secretly formed by the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect."

"Huh?"

Not only Hou Gong but everyone present was shocked and their eyes widened.

The Ximen Clan was one of the ten great clans in the world, and although it was vying for the last position with the Jin Zhu Clan, it was a powerful and righteous family.

The Qingyue Sect, while classified as a minor sect outside the nine major sects, was well-known in northern Anhui.

Suddenly, the faces of Ximen Xian, the third son of the Ximen Clan, and Ban Jiao, the daughter of the Qingyue Sect's leader, came to mind.

'Strange. I didn't sense any hostility from those kids...'

The Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect.

It wasn't entirely absurd.

On the other hand, the situation at the Tianhua Library was a setup that anyone could exploit.

Moreover,

'Ximen Chui didn't give off a clear impression.'

Hou Gong had seen Ximen Chui, the head of the Ximen Clan, a few times.

Thinking of him, his face involuntarily frowned.

Ximen Chui always had a smile on his face, but it lacked sincerity. He seemed like someone whose true intentions were hard to fathom.

What about the leader of the Qingyue Sect?

'Hmph, I've never met him.'

Hou Gong put aside his thoughts and spoke to the Chief Steward.

"You're telling me an interesting story instead of the truth."

"I know you won't believe me. But in this situation... how could I lie? The formation of the Black Sect... was a contingency plan... due to the heir... not dying as expected... I'm sorry."

"You're trying to deceive me with absurd lies. The Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect are righteous sects. How could they do such despicable things? You're just trying to find a way out with baseless talk."

"Master, if I were lying... wouldn't I have come up with a more plausible story? Who would be foolish enough to point to the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect as the masterminds in northern Anhui?"

It was a convincing argument.

"Go on."

"Recently, the head of the family and the heir's joint suicide... failed, which strengthened the implementation of the contingency plan. The Black Sect infiltrated the Tianhua Library to destroy it, and the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect would then drive out the Black Sect. To facilitate this... we altered some of the formations and closed off parts to allow access..."

"That's how the Hexagonal Net got in and wreaked havoc underground."

"Yes, but I... have always opposed the contingency plan. I wanted to minimize the sacrifice of the Tianhua Library."

"Hmm..."

Hou Gong had suspected there was a larger conspiracy behind the alterations to the formations. The changes were intended to facilitate external infiltration.

On the other hand, the Chief Steward's lack of martial arts skills was also considered. Even if the head of the guards and the deputy head were recruited, the scale of the conspiracy seemed weak.

'This is getting complicated. The Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect...'

It was hard to believe outright, but the Chief Steward's statements were consistent.

"I can't believe you."

Hou Gong decided to press further.

"The Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect... will deny it. But I exchanged a token with the Ximen Clan... which is evidence."

"A token?"

Hou Gong's eyes lit up.

"Yes, you can find it at my temporary residence."

"Let's verify it. I'll spare your life until then."

**

Hou Gong immediately confronted the head of the family.

Upon hearing the Chief Steward's confession, the head of the family jumped up, exclaiming that it was absurd.

"The Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect, both righteous sects, trying to take advantage of another family's difficulties? Nonsense! The token is just a story. Guo Dao is clearly trying to sow discord."

"Verification is necessary."

"How can we verify it? We can't just confront them directly."

Of course not. It would be like accusing them of robbery outright, which would be rude whether they were guilty or not.

Therefore,

"We just need to set a trap. A bait that will elicit a response, no matter where they are."

"A trap?"

***

Evening.

Hou Gong gathered the guards.

Excluding those needed internally, 19 people were available.

All of them were trustworthy.

They remained steadfast even when the Tianhua Library was in a state of mental collapse, and the Chief Steward had never even attempted to recruit them.

The atmosphere among the guards was heavy.

They had already heard the Chief Steward's confession and were prepared to die, with grim expressions.

It was understandable.

If they confronted the Ximen Clan or the Qingyue Sect, a conflict would ensue, and it would be like hitting a rock with an egg. The likelihood of today being their last day was high.

Hou Gong approached them, and they all knelt down.

"Give the order. We will fight to the death."

Hou Gong nodded firmly.

"Yes, fight to the death! That's what a martial artist does!"

"Yes!"

Their voices echoed through the night sky.

Their determination was impressive, and Hou Gong smiled with satisfaction.

"But not today."

"..."

Why not?

Everyone looked at the heir with puzzled eyes.

"Today, you will go out and spend the day, returning tomorrow night. Your task is simple: spread rumors in taverns, inns, and marketplaces."

"..."

They still didn't understand the meaning.

They listened intently to the heir's next words.

"The rumor is this: the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect formed a third organization called the Black Sect, and they tried to take over the Tianhua Library. Spread as much of this as possible. Use the Chief Steward's confession as the content. Wear your everyday clothes and avoid any arguments or disputes. By tomorrow night, make sure everyone in northern Anhui is talking about this."

The guards' expressions brightened.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

While they were prepared to die, fear was inevitable. They thought he would charge in recklessly, but the heir's response was incredibly wise.

Currently, only the Chief Steward's confession was known.

If the Ximen Clan or the Qingyue Sect denied it, the Tianhua Library would be in a difficult position. On the other hand, doing nothing would leave them vulnerable. Spreading rumors was a clever strategy.

If the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect were indeed behind it, the rumors would make them wary, preventing further harm.

The Black Sect would also find it hard to move.

By not confronting them directly, the responsibility for clarification would fall on the Ximen Clan and the Qingyue Sect.

If the Chief Steward was lying, the rumors would be easily quelled.

Think coldly, act quickly.

Easier said than done.

They were satisfied that the heir issued orders without hesitation. The heir of the Tianhua Library, known as a genius among geniuses, had truly returned.

After sending the guards away, Hou Gong called in Zong Wujue and Songhua.

"Zong Wujue."

"Yes, Master, what are your orders?"

"You will go to the Chief Steward's external residence. He mentioned a scroll token from the Ximen Clan. Pretend to be on an errand for the Chief Steward and bring back the token."

"Yes."

After explaining where the token was stored, Hou Gong looked at Songhua.

"Songhua, you will go with Zong Wujue. Your task is to observe. Stay far from the residence and monitor the situation. If Zong Wujue fails, return alone. If he succeeds, return together. If he doesn't come out within half an hour, assume he's dead or in trouble and return immediately. Understand?"

"Yes, Master."

Two hours later.

Zong Wujue and Songhua returned.

Both looked grim.

Zong Wujue's expression was the worst.

He pounded his forehead on the ground and spoke.

"Master, I apologize. When we arrived at the Chief Steward's residence, it was empty, not even an ant to be found. The place where the token was supposed to be was in disarray and the token was gone."

Fearing that the failure would affect his family, Zong Wujue's hands trembled.

Hou Gong looked at Songhua for confirmation.

Songhua confirmed that she had also entered the residence and verified the situation, her nose flaring in anger.

Hou Gong nodded inwardly.

'They must have cleaned up after the Chief Steward's suicide.'

He wasn't disappointed.

The token would be useful if it existed, but its absence wasn't a problem.

Any token could be denied by the other party.

On the other hand, the thorough cleanup of the token's hiding place was significant. It added credibility to the Chief Steward's confession.