Lord of the Desert

Chapter 383 Destruction of the Family
The first day of June, the 30th year of Zhenghe.

The sun cast a layer of white wax on Yunlan City, and the cicadas' chirping was as shrill as the sound of boiling water in a kettle.

Everything is suffering in the scorching heat.

In the Qianmianfeng government office in the south of the city, a line of white smoke rose from the glazed hollow incense burner, like a spirit snake raising its head, and after exhausting its strength, it sank into the two-meter-long root-carved tea tray.

Feng Mubai, wearing a green robe and a crane cloak, sat in the main seat, with his gray hair and beard draped over his shoulders.

Feng Manyun, who was sixty years younger than him, was leaning on the side, with her hair tied in a bun with a jade hairpin.

"We captured sixty-two people in the city last night. Most of them were refugees and beggars, and a few were hangers-on and prostitutes from the outer city."

Feng Manyun frowned in annoyance.

"This is only the second group of people. It has caused a lot of rumors. The city has become more sensitive."

Feng Mubai just waved his hand.

"It's inevitable. Mortal matters don't matter."

"What about the matter of Marquis Zhengping?"

His voice deepened.

"The third group of spies has also returned. The battlefield stretches from the northern foot of Tingshan Mountain to the southern foot of the mountain."

Feng Manyun sat up straight and replied.

"There are a total of 62 Iron Palm Seals and Fiery Knife Marks. In addition, Gu Yixin and Qiu Yuankui also participated in the battle."

"From the remains, it seems that he died in a siege by three people."

Feng Mubai turned his head when he heard that.

"Is it such a coincidence?"

"Marquis Zhengping's martial arts are fierce, but he is not reckless."

"With the help of Qiansi Niandongzhaoxinyan, we were caught by the entire top brass of Baisheng Army?"

He half-smiled.

"It can only be the Tang family that leaked it."

Feng Manyun narrowed his eyes and made a judgment.

The straight column of smoke broke into pieces as she stared at it.

"It doesn't matter whether it is or not."

Feng Mubai patted the armrest lightly.

"Duan Tiannan took all the responsibility, which means Tang Shaoyou has no intention of crossing the line. Ha, what a good timing and courage."

He waved his hand violently, sweeping the remaining smoke into nothingness.

Both Yuanci remained silent.

After a few breaths, a waiter walked into the hall and said that the second master of the Gong family, Gong Yingrui, wanted to see the Zhongcheng and was waiting in the front hall.

When the waiter was ordered to take the person away, Feng Manyun looked a little surprised.

"The Gong family sent a formal invitation this time, why is he here?"

Gong Er is under fifty years old, which in her opinion means he is still young and not qualified to represent the entire clan to formally visit Feng Mubai.

"There have been changes in the Gong family. It happened in the past two days."

Feng Mubai answered, looking at the straight new smoke coming out of the incense burner.

"Only a few people in the Gong Mansion knew about the plan between the king and Marquis Zhengping. Now that the incident happened suddenly, a large group of people gathered together to attack the elders of the clan. Even Gong Shihua couldn't suppress them."

"When a big tree falls, the monkeys get scared. The more scared they are, the more they fight. The more they fight, the scareder they get."

Feng Manyun sneered.

"As a second-class family, there is only one Xiantian left in the Qi realm. I think they are no longer useful."

"Not really. Even decayed things have their uses."

Feng Mubai spoke softly, straightening his clothes.

After a while, a middle-aged man with a long beard, wearing a scarlet suit and a majestic tall crown, strode in.

"The Chief Secretary of the Zhengping Marquis's Mansion greets the Minister of Justice and the Marquis."

Gong Yingrui saluted to the two of them.

Feng Mubai bowed slightly in his seat, and Feng Manyun just glanced at him and nodded lazily.

"Please take a seat."

Feng Mubai extended his hand and asked.

Seeing this, Gong Yingrui bowed his head and saluted, then said, "Yingrui came here this time to discuss something with the Zhongcheng on behalf of the whole family."

It's a little quiet inside.

Feng Mubai remained calm.

"What a humble and modest person."

Feng Manyun raised his brows slightly, sneered, jumped up from his seat, walked around the tea table and Gong Yingrui, and strode away.

"Please take a seat."

Feng Mubai spoke again.

This time Gong Yingrui finally sat down.

"This is a time of great trouble, so I will not be polite with you. Please speak directly."

Feng Mubai looked straight at him without touching the tea set.

"The first thing I came here for is for my late master, Marquis Zhengping."

Gong Yingrui took a deep breath and looked back at the Earth Ranking Grandmaster who was thousands of times more powerful than him. "My master died while working for the royal court. Now the king is cold and unwilling to see my family. I can only ask the Minister for an explanation."

But no matter how calm he looked, his accelerated heartbeat could not be hidden from others.

"My Lord, you were asked by the King to do something, and you were anxious to avenge your daughter's blood. You drew your sword in anger, but luck did not help you. You died at the hands of the rebels. I am deeply saddened by your death."

Feng Mubai spoke with sorrow.

"Now the king has lost the love of his princess first, and then lost his father-in-law. He is sad and heartbroken, so he does not want to see anyone."

These sentences are neatly and smoothly spoken, just right.

It's just that he distanced himself too much from the relationship with the Wang court, so that Gong Zhengping's affairs seemed to be just a private matter.

Gong Yingrui was visibly disappointed, but did not refute - when it came to major matters, Thousand Faces Wind Zhongcheng never bargained with anyone.

"Now that you've said that, there's only the second thing to do."

Gong Yingrui's face was tense, with a firmness that would rather break than bend.

"The Gong family hopes to move the entire clan south back to Zhao County. Please allow it."

He spoke with confidence, as if Feng Mubai had no choice but to agree, as not agreeing would be immoral.

"Why?"

Feng Mubai was finally a little stunned.

"It is what the whole clan wishes."

Gong Yingrui knew that he was answering the wrong question.

But he did not explain further, and it was difficult to explain.

If the Baisheng Army marches southwards and Yunlan City is in danger, then the Gong family, as subjects, has the obligation to stay and defend it.

If the Tianfeng Army began to capture people for blood sacrifice in the city, and the Gong family was afraid and frightened, then it meant that they did not trust the royal court.

Empty words cannot conceal the reality of disunity.

"Temporary refuge or permanent relocation?"

Feng Mubai paused for a moment and then moved on to the next topic.

"Long migration."

Gong Yingrui answered immediately.

Feng Mubai nodded - since it was the patriarch who was moving, he would definitely take away a large amount of gold, silver, money, grain, carriages and horses.

"Where are the Gong family members working in the Royal Court and the Tianfeng Army?"

he asks.

"I shall continue to perform my duties for the royal court."

Gong Yingrui returned.

"What about their families?"

Ask again.

"The tribe's current plan is to leave together."

Come back again.

Gong Yingrui waited for the other party to make a request, but the old chancellor seemed to be unconcerned about these details.

"The situation is not easy. Can our two families overcome the difficulties together? The royal court will not forget your efforts..."

Feng Mubai calmed down and gave his final advice earnestly.

"The late Lord will be buried in Zhao County."

Gong Yingrui replied, a little bit of unsuppressed anger finally emerging in his eyes.

"If you can't win the duel, you can assassinate someone. This is not a glorious thing after all. The Gong family will not tell anyone about it."

he added.

"Okay, I understand."

Feng Mubai sighed deeply and carefully looked at the person sitting opposite him.

"You can go back now. There will be a response within two days."

······
One day later.

Night stumbled into Huaiyang Palace City.

For twenty years, the storm mountain flickered and swirled, reaching into the clouds, like a whirlpool after a giant beast sank into the sea, sucking souls from the world.

The street is long and wide, and black boots step on blue bricks.

Feng Manyun was dressed in a plain black dress, covering the night.

In front of the Gong Mansion, the two guards had their heads chopped off by an invisible blade before they could even ask any questions.

The door opens by itself without being pushed.

The "bleak wind" came in uninvited, and the murderous aura was overflowing like a tide.

Half a minute later, the body of "Furious Flame" Gong Shihua fell to the ground, split in two. His head and face looked like clods of earth, his eyes like cloudy glass, degraded from a living being to an object.

On the white stone steps, half-coagulated blood licked into the crevices like a greedy tongue, and became as smooth as jade under the reflection of the Emei Moon.

The iron boots stepped on it, making a crackling sound.

The Tianfeng Army, holding torches and wearing iron masks, searched every person in every house, breaking the bones of those who resisted and removing the jaws of those who howled.

That night, including Gong Yingrui, more than seven hundred people were brought to Fengyunding for sacrifice; their vitality turned into silver lines in the vast body of light, and their stories became history that was no longer updated and was fading day by day.

This is probably enough for Fengjianke to use for a few days.

(End of this chapter)