Chapter 92

Notice: Chapter 91 - Tang Family Visits

In a fit of rage, the Great Elder slapped the head merchant in front of everyone, showing no regard for his status.

Tang Kongming's face turned red. He was no longer young and was a significant figure in the business, but he was slapped in public, which made him extremely angry.

However, he did not dare to blame the Great Elder, and instead, he harbored resentment towards Ding Hao. He got up and knelt on the ground, saying, "Great Elder, please calm down. I only knew he was a minor innate, but who would have thought this boy had such means!"

The Great Elder angrily said, "How many talents and heroes are there in the Nine Provinces? How could you know? It's all because of you that the family has suffered such a great disaster! How did you manage to be the head merchant?"

Tang Kongming knelt and said, "Yes, it's my fault, but Elders, now that the matter has happened, are we just going to let Ding Hao get away with it?"

At this moment, another manager of the business ran over. This manager originally came to find Tang Kongming, but seeing him kneeling, he immediately became silent out of fear.

The Great Elder angrily said, "What's the matter? Speak up!"

The manager immediately approached trembling and reported, "Great Elder, Elders, Head Merchant. I was ordered by the Head Merchant to investigate Ding Hao's activities from a few days ago. Indeed, on the day the black-clothed man sold the powder to the business, Ding Hao disappeared. The next day, he appeared in the border village, coming from outside the domain."

The Great Elder snorted, "It seems this is the man."

He waved his sleeve and sat in the main seat, scolding, "You are all fools! You were fooled by a minor innate boy! You even blamed Elder Zhu, it turns out you all brought this disaster upon us! This Ding Hao, harboring hatred, used the autumn hunt to destroy our Tree Spring, then stole our spirit liquid, and finally concocted some spirit water to snatch our business. His intentions are despicable, and he deserves to die!"

Tang Kongming hurriedly kowtowed, "Great Elder, this Ding Hao has many secrets. How could he use a dog to approach the Tree Spring? How did he get those spirit water powders? If we can capture him, we can recover some of our losses!"

As he spoke, his eyes shot out a fierce light.

Indeed, after he said this, all the elders, including the Great Elder, nodded.

The female elder said, "Kongming is right. If we can capture Ding Hao alive and force him to reveal his secrets! Regardless of anything else, just the origin of those spirit water powders, if we can get those powders, we can sell them at a low price, and then the merchants won't be able to do anything!"

The Great Elder also nodded, "It seems we can only do this."

Tang Kongming added, "But Ling Yunxiao in Wuzhou has always protected Ding Hao! And this Ding Hao has the blessing of a fairy, protected by the will of heaven. As long as he is under the will of heaven, I can't do anything to him!"

The Great Elder said, "This is simple. First, we need to reason with Ling Yunxiao! No matter how big the world is, it cannot escape reason. How can Ling Yunxiao protect Ding Hao after he did such a thing? Second, I will go to Tangzhou and request an edict from the Tang Emperor. With the edict from the Tang Emperor, I doubt Ling Yunxiao would dare to resist!"

Tang Kongming immediately rejoiced, "That's great, then I'll go to Wuzhou to find Ding Hao right now!"

The Great Elder also stood up, "Then I'll go to Tangzhou. As for the other elders, you stay and guard the business! We must also be cautious, as the merchants are eyeing us like tigers, and the Qian family will do anything for money, so we cannot be careless!"

"Yes!" All the elders present stood up and saluted in agreement.

After that, everyone went their separate ways.

...

One day later, in Wuzhou City, South Garden Rear Street.

"Right ahead, catch him!" A group of angry Tang family employees, led by the head merchant Tang Kongming, rushed straight to the wooden house of the Ding family.

Since Ding Hao was in seclusion recently, no one had entered or left, so the gate was tightly closed.

Tang Kongming, with his white beard fluttering, stood outside the Ding family gate and roared, "Bash it down!"

Several employees rushed to bash the gate. The servants inside the Ding family were all terrified and dared not open the door.

At this moment, someone outside the gate roared, "Stop!"

With this shout, Xu Yuanjun and others came out from the neighboring house. Since the last incident, Ling Yunxiao had dispatched eighty Iron Hoof Riders to guard the Ding family, protecting Ding Hao at all times.

Tang Kongming, naturally recognizing Xu Yuanjun, said, "General Xu, don't get involved in this matter. Even if you want to, you can't! Move aside quickly!"

Xu Yuanjun quickly mounted his Iron Hoof Steed, leading the horse to stand in front of the Ding family gate, and said, "Matters in Wuzhou are decided by City Lord Ling! City Lord Ling said that South Garden Rear Street is under my jurisdiction! I want to see how you can stop me!"

Tang Kongming stroked his white beard and laughed, "Xu Yuanjun, don't be unreasonable! I said you can't stop me, and you can't! I, Tang Kongming, have brought enough evidence to deal with Ding Hao today! Move aside!"

With this, the employees in Tang family uniforms all drew their knives and surrounded him. The Tang family employees were all top-notch, with late-stage innate and grand completion experts, and even low-level Immortal Masters at the first and second levels of cultivation!

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Xu Yuanjun immediately roared, "Tang Kongming, don't rely on your seniority! I warn you, if you dare to attack, we will counterattack!"

He then shouted, "Eighty Iron Hoof Riders, form up!"

Immediately, armored cavalry emerged from both sides, forming a small formation in front of the Ding family gate.

Not long after the standoff, Ling Yunxiao arrived and said angrily, "Head Merchant Tang, what are you doing? What grudge do you have with our Wuzhou genius, Ding Hao, that you must do this?"

Tang Kongming coldly laughed, "City Lord Ling, you are mistaken! We have no intention of doing anything, but your Wuzhou genius has gone too far, destroying our Eye-Washing Tree Spring and stealing our Eye-Washing Spirit Liquid!"

With the matter at this point, he no longer hid it and directly spoke out.

He continued, "The Eye-Washing Tree Spring! One of the four top-grade spirit trees in the Nine Provinces has been half-killed by this little brat. Ling Yunxiao, I tell you, you can't protect him! Our Tang family is outraged, and even the Tang Emperor has sworn to investigate this matter and punish the culprit severely!"

Ling Yunxiao said, "Tang Kongming, you said it yourself! The Tang Emperor said he would investigate, not kill Ding Hao! The matter is not yet clear, and I hope you don't talk nonsense! How could a minor innate expert like Ding Hao destroy your Eye-Washing Tree Spring? It's absurd!"

"You!" Tang Kongming was furious, his white beard trembling. He shouted, "If you dare, let me confront Ding Hao!"

Ling Yunxiao truly did not believe that Ding Hao had destroyed the Tang family's Eye-Washing Tree Spring, thinking it was a deliberate frame-up by the Tang family. He coldly said, "Head Merchant Tang, don't be shameless! The last time you accused Ding Hao of being a demon Immortal Master, the words are still fresh in my ears. Do you have any shame?"

Tang Kongming pounded his chest, "This time I have solid evidence, bring out the little brat!"

Ling Yunxiao said, "Say 'little brat' one more time and get out!"

Tang Kongming, helpless, had to suppress his anger and said, "Ling Yunxiao, I know you are a fair person. Fine, I won't rely on numbers today. I just want to confront Ding Hao! I want to tear off his mask with my own hands and show you his despicable face!"

"I only see your despicable face!" Ling Yunxiao coldly laughed, but finally said, "Bring out Ding Hao."

Xu Yuanjun then went to knock on the door. The servants inside the Ding family were peeking through the door, and they quickly opened it. Before Xu Yuanjun could speak, Ding Hao walked out.

Although Ding Hao was in seclusion, he was not practicing but refining the Iron Enclosure Mountain, so he did not mind being interrupted. After receiving the report from the servants, he came out.

"What should come, will eventually come." Ding Hao was not overly worried, although he had some vulnerabilities, he did not leave any concrete evidence, so he was not afraid!

Ding Hao walked out of the door and asked, "Head Merchant Tang, why are you bringing so many people to my house again? Wasn't the last time embarrassing enough for you?"

Tang Kongming coldly laughed, "Ding Hao, don't pretend to be calm! Our Tang family has already found out that you are the culprit who destroyed our Eye-Washing Tree Spring and stole our Eye-Washing Spirit Liquid! You better understand the situation and confess, maybe I'll let you die quickly!"

Ding Hao still pretended to be unaware, waving his hand, "You're crazy, I don't understand what you're talking about. What Eye-Washing Tree Spring and Eye-Washing Spirit Liquid? What are those things? I need to practice, I don't want to deal with you!"

"Don't want to deal with me? Are you guilty?" Tang Kongming sneered, "Tang Cai, Tang Bao, bring out the portrait!"

Tang Cai and Tang Bao brought out the portrait, which was indeed very similar, and one could easily recognize it as the grass dog, Da Huang.

Tang Kongming held the portrait up for everyone to see, shouting, "Neighbors, look, is this Ding Hao's dog?"

The neighbors who came out to watch all nodded, recognizing the dog as Da Huang.

Tang Kongming then coldly showed the portrait to Ling Yunxiao and Xu Yuanjun, asking, "Do you recognize this as Ding Hao's dog?"

Ling Yunxiao and the others had seen the dog before. City Lord Ling asked, "This is Ding Hao's dog, what do you want to say? What does the dog have to do with this?"

Tang Kongming did not answer but showed the portrait to Ding Hao again, loudly asking, "Answer honestly, is this your dog?"

"It's my dog, its name is Da Huang." Ding Hao admitted.

"You finally admit it!" Tang Kongming laughed loudly, with this evidence, he could nail Ding Hao!

However, Ding Hao then said, "I've also been looking for my dog. Since the last time I took him to the autumn hunt, we got separated. It turns out you captured him, return my dog immediately!"