Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Spearhead Suddenly Points Straight

  "First figure out how Shi Hu died." Liang Shan spat out a mouthful of cold air, then asked Feng Kun: "Feng Shixiong, what's the situation?"

  Feng Kun clapped his hands and turned around, saying: "Very impressive, it's a sword, extremely thin and fine, entering from the crown of the head and coming out, at an extremely fast speed."

  Is that the "hissing" sound? thought Liangshan.

  "Underground?" Liu Mingde spoke up.

  Feng Kun nodded and said: "That's right, a very clever earth escape technique. Neither I nor Jin Lao noticed it."

  "With the ability to conceal his true strength, he has a high-level earth escape technique, extremely brilliant swordsmanship, and can end a fight with one strike. His style is concise and efficient... It's just like..." Cui Yingying hesitated.

  "Are you referring to 'thorn'?" Liu Mingde's face turned cold.

  "What's 'thorn'?" Liangshan asked.

  "The Stinging Organization is the most powerful and mysterious assassination organization, its creed is to be the stinger of all people under heaven, whether it's the secular world or the cultivation sects, they have the ability to complete the task, as long as you can afford to pay." said Tuoba Qiurong.

  "Shi Hu is indeed the richest." said Liang Shan.

  Liu Mingde shook his head and said, "That's his old man. Besides, the richest people are often not the ones with the most money."

  Liu Mingde's words make sense, everyone thinks that those who appear to be the richest are often not actually the richest.

  Feng Kun thought it was unlucky, as soon as they entered Funiu Mountain, someone died. There had been accidents before, but never a death.

  "Who could it be?" asked Cui Yingying.

  "I don't know." Liu Mingde said.

  There are a few possibilities, one is that the assassin is one of the 103 outer members, purely for the sake of obtaining the jade pendant and directly advancing to an outer door disciple. However, this is impossible, because if he can kill Shi Hu under the noses of the other four people, he doesn't need the jade pendant to advance directly.

  Two is that this person, regardless of whether it's a thug or not, was hired to kill and steal the jade pendant, so the mastermind may not be among those 103 people.

  There is also a possibility that one of Tuoba Qiurong, Liu Mingde and Cui Yingying did it, or even two of them collaborated.

  Looking at the distribution of jade pendants, Northern Wei has two quotas, Song Guo has two quotas, Western Qin has one. After Shi Hu's death, this jade pendant will eventually fall into the hands of a master from Northern Wei or Song Guo, and the power will be uneven. The competition between countries is unfolding in all aspects, and it may also extend to the cultivation sects. Liangshan thought so, and what Tuoba Qiurong said earlier, "No matter who it is, he must die", may not be true.

  Liáng Shān got a headache from thinking, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

  Cui Yingying had been secretly observing Liangshan, from the moment something happened until now, not a hint of fear appeared on his face. This made Cui Yingying very curious, because no matter how he looked at it, Liangshan seemed to be the weakest among the five people.

  The mountain wind blew gently, and from a distance came the angry roar of Jin Zhanglao, but there was no sound of fighting, it could be seen that the search for the culprit had been in vain.

  Feng Kun guarded the corpse of Shi Hu, while the other three disciples of Sheng Jian Tang immediately began searching every person's luggage. There were sounds of discontent all around, but they were quickly suppressed.

  An hour passed and the sky was about to brighten. Jin Lao came back with a dark face, glanced at Feng Kun, who immediately understood and said: "Open your tents!"

  "What?" Cui Yingying exclaimed.

  The tent was lifted open and Feng Kun began a careful search.

  Soon, Liu Mingde, Tuoba Qiurong and Cui Yuanyuan all finished searching, but found nothing.

  "Search him again!" Old Jin suddenly pointed at Liangshan.

  At the moment when Liangshan let go of his body, he saw Jin Lao's eyes and was shocked in his heart, feeling as if he had been stared at by a poisonous snake.

  Jin Zhanglao's expression returned to normal. Had he misseen? No, everyone had finished searching and was now searching themselves. If... Just as Liangshan was thinking this, he heard Feng Kun exclaim, "What is this?"

  Liang Shan saw a small, exquisite black leather pouch in Feng Kun's hand, with something inside that looked like a jade pendant. Liang Shan instinctively touched the jade pendant under his collarbone, and it was still there. Oh no!

  Jin Zhanglao waved his hand, and the small leather pouch fell into his palm. He pointed at it with his fingers a few times, and the pouch automatically opened. From inside, he really pulled out a jade pendant. His eyebrows suddenly rose, and he glared at Liangshan, saying: "What is this?"

  When did the jade pendant fall into its own package? Liangshan had once seen a street performer perform an empty-handed magic trick of changing into a snake, and later someone told him that this was the art of moving things from one space to another, which could not be perceived by the naked eye.

  Liáng Shān's Zhang opened his mouth, he couldn't explain this matter, and at the same time felt the hostility and vigilance in Liu Mingde, Cui Yingying and Tuoba Qiurong's eyes.

  "Jin Zhanglao, you don't think I killed Shi Hu and stole his jade pendant, do you?" Liangshan said with a bitter smile.

  "I didn't want to think so either, but the jade pendant was found on you, and I couldn't help but distrust!" Old Master Jin's beard and hair stood on end in anger.

  Liáng Shān Zhang mouth still wanted to argue, but was stopped by Jīn Lǎo's wave of the hand, saying: "Féng Kūn, go take his jade pendant." Just at this moment, Liáng Shān caught a glimpse of the fierce glint in Jīn Lǎo's eyes.

  This old guy is actually going against his own interests!

  What's going on?

  Liangshan's head buzzed, his whole body burning with fever, and he quickly thought of a possibility: Shi Hu was killed by Jin Lao, and then framed himself.

  But how did this happen?

  "I've wronged you, Young Master Liang!" Feng Kun said with cupped hands.

  "Slow!" Liang Shand shouted loudly.

  "Do you have anything else to say?" Jin Lao stared at Liangshan with a look that suggested he was ready to strike at any moment.

  "Excuse me, is the 'Code of Chivalry' applicable only to disciples within the Holy Sword Temple, or does it also apply outside the temple?" Liang Shan suddenly spoke up with a flash of inspiration.

  "Of course it's inside Seiken Temple."

  "Then may I ask if I am now an outer sect disciple?"

  "Of course you are." Jin Lao said loudly, he immediately understood the meaning of Liangshan. If it is said that Liangshan is not an outer door disciple, then the law cannot be enforced according to the "Precepts" within the hall. If it is said that the "Precepts" of Shengjian Hall are applicable all over the world, Shengjian Hall has not been arrogant to this extent.

  Liangshan smiled and said: "If I were already an outer door disciple, why would I still want to snatch Shi Hu's jade pendant?"

  "Th...th..." Jin Lao was suddenly choked off.

  Feng Kun praised Liang Shan for his good adaptability.

  "If I weren't a outer sect disciple by now, then may I ask, what right does Elder Jin have to confiscate my jade pendant?"

  "You scoundrel! My Sacred Sword Hall cannot tolerate you!"

  "Jin Zhanglao, according to the 'Precepts', when the mountain gate is opened for ten years, the leading elder is only responsible for leading and guarding, as for judging whether someone can become a disciple of the hall, it is the responsibility of the Hall's Supervisory Chamber. You, Jin Zhanglao, have overstepped your authority." Liangshan finally remembered the 'Precepts' at this moment.

  Feng Kun secretly thought "great kindness".

  The Supervisory Office is equivalent to the Procuratorate, and the Sacred Sword Hall has clear divisions of power. The Golden Elder originated from the Meritorious Service Office, which indeed overstepped its authority.

  "The world takes Confucianism as the norm, and law as the guiding principle. Heaven and earth have their order, and the universe is clear. Sects, schools of thought, and temples use precepts to restrain people's minds, and laws to regulate people's behavior. There is order between superior and inferior, and unity between inner and outer..."

  Jin Zhang's face turned alternately pale and red, his whiskers trembling with rage. He had never expected Liangshan to counterattack so fiercely. Upon careful consideration of these things, he indeed did not have the authority.

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