Chapter 232: Elder Iron Arrives
Shangguan Yi’s eyes widened slightly as he realized that he’d underestimated Jiang Chen’s verbal wits.
“Jiang Chen, who doesn’t know how to speak empty words? Who doesn’t know how to slander others? You say that Lu Wuji colluded with outside enemies, but do you have any evidence? As the vice general of the Guard, it was pure coincidence that Lu Wuji was patrolling there. Who would’ve thought that you were seized with crazy ideas and framed Lu Wuji, pinning the crime of consorting with the enemy onto him! Not only that, you even killed him to silence him! Why would you kill him if you didn’t have a guilty conscience?”
Xin Wudao was the first to jump out.
“That’s right! Killing someone to get rid of eyewitnesses is a sign of a guilty conscience! If vice general Lu had indeed been guilty, the Guard would’ve made our investigations. When had it become your right an outsider, to interfere in the internal affairs of our Guard? Not to mention that even if Lu Wuji was guilty, he should’ve had the opportunity to defend himself? You slaughtered the eyewitnesses to make sure that the dead won’t talk and you could say whatever you wanted! You killed Lu Wuji first and then slandered vice director Yang. This is an unbridled provocation of the Guard. How will we pacify the fury of the million strong Dragonteeth Guard if we don’t kill you today? How else will we defend our highest honor?!” Qi Fengxian also denounced Jiang Chen with utmost self righteousness.
Xin Wudao continued in the same vein and said to Shangguan Yi, “General director, this enemy has treated our Guard with contempt many times. He has even killed one of our generals and besmirched our good reputation. If he doesn’t die, the prestige of the Guard will be wholly eradicated. Your subordinate cries tears of blood in request to do battle. I am willing to use my life to kill this enemy!”
“General director, your subordinate requests to do battle!” Qi Fengxian also cried out.
“Your subordinate requests to do battle!”
The other twenty pract.i.tioners also started shouting.
Each side had their own testimonies and continued to worsen the conflict. This actually caused some degree of anxiety for Shangguan Yi. This t.i.t for tat was forcing him to take a side.
With how things stood, he’d become the greatest joke beneath the heavens if he just washed his hands of the entire matter.
However, it truly was hard to make a decision in this moment.
Give the order to execute Jiang Chen?
That would mean he was protecting Yang Zhao and thoroughly placing himself on the opposite side of the Crown Prince. He’d be hard pressed to explain himself to the king.
If he gave the order to thoroughly investigate, he’d definitely be offending the Precious Tree Sect! The king didn’t want to see this situation develop either.
In the deepest part of his heart, Shangguan Yi did want to do away with some of Yang Zhao’s power.
But he also knew that this was a difficult order to give. If he gave it, that meant he’d have to clean out Yang Zhao and his confederates, greatly harming morale within the Guard.
“General director, there is clear evidence that Lu Wuji colluded with enemies on the outside. The a.s.sa.s.sins of the Hidden Hand and the victim Xue Tong can all testify to this point.” Tian Shao saw an opportunity and took it upon himself to start explaining without heed of the consequences.
Jiang Chen’s look was unfathomable as he looked at Shangguan Yi, looked at this general director of the Dragonteeth Guard who held so much power in his hands. His expression was as though nothing was wrong, as if he felt no pressure in the air over the Dragonteeth Guard headquarters.
Just as Shangguan Yi was greatly torn, another chirping sound came from overhead as two beams of light streaked through the skies, shooting in from afar.
A female voice screamed shrilly in the air, “Who killed my nephew Lu Wuji?! Shangguan Yi, you’re a general director and couldn’t even protect one of your men! You might as well give up your position of general director!”
“Humph! As one of the all powerful forces within the Skylaurel Kingdom, to think that the Dragonteeth Guard would be thrown for such a loop by a foreign kid! General director Shangguan Yi, you’re not a very good boss, eh!”
Jiang Chen was rather familiar with the second voice. When he’d left the maze realm, the owner of this voice had once threatened Jiang Chen and said that he’d ban Jiang Chen, making it so that he’d never set foot into the Precious Tree Sect.
Jiang Chen sighed internally when he heard this voice. It looked like he couldn’t avoid the inevitable.
The balanced situation had likely been broken in the second that these two had arrived. The latter’s att.i.tude was also very domineering, obviously not respecting Shangguan Yi’s position at all.
Two figures flashed across the sky like lightning and hovered above Shangguan Yi.
One of them was wearing a blue robe and an incredibly dark facial expression. He was precisely the person who’d proclaimed, in front of the Precious Tree Sect mountain, that he would ban Jiang Chen.
The other female was incredibly stunning, but had a harsh demeanor. She was rather alluring and boasted of a luscious body. A natural charm flirted between her eyebrows.
She had a few traces of resemblance to Lu Wuji.
Jiang Chen guessed that this person was Yang Zhao’s sister.
Lu Wuji’s mother was Yang Zhao’s elder sister, and this person was Yang Zhao’s younger sister. In this regard, this person was Lu Wuji’s younger sister and Lu Wuji’s aunt.
The arrogance of power and constant indulgence was written all over this woman’s face. She pointed at Jiang Chen and spoke with a c.o.c.ky tone, “Dearest Iron, this brat is that dumb animal Jiang Chen?”
Elder Iron was quite familiar with Jiang Chen. As he thought of the matters of the maze realm on that day, the flames of hatred spat out from Elder Iron’s eyes as a trace of a sinister smile played around his lips.
That expression was obviously saying that, brat, here you are in my hands!
“Xiaoqian, this dumb animal is bullying others because of his power and position. Don’t you see? He’s so bold as to come swaggering into the Dragonteeth Guard headquarters after killing one of their own. Our mighty general director doesn’t even dare let loose with a fart. Tsk tsk tsk, general director, why don’t you tell me just when did the banner of the Dragonteeth Guard become so tattered?”
Elder Iron and his wife began sparring with their tongues and lips as soon as they arrived. To reduce Shangguan Yi to this level, even if he were Buddha it would spark some anger in him.
Shangguan Yi’s face froze, “Elder Iron, the Dragonteeth Guard will take care of our own matters. If I recall correctly, it’s not the place of the senior executives to interfere with the internal matters of our Dragonteeth Guard, no?”
Elder Iron smirked proudly, “Shangguan, don’t bulls.h.i.+t me. Lu Wuji is my woman’s nephew. Your failure to protect him is evidence of your incompetence. Now, the killer is in front of you. I’ll give you one chance. If you take him down, I’ll pretend that all is the same.”
This was a blatant threat.
He was ordering people about without the slightest hint of respect in his words or gestures, completing dismissing Shangguan Yi’s status as general director.
The beautiful yet stern woman, Yang Zhao’s sister Yang Xiaoqian, spoke with a darkened face, “Iron dear, what’s the point in wasting words with this sort of trash? You’re an elder of the Precious Tree Sect, isn’t it the simplest thing to appoint and dismiss a general director of the Dragonteeth Guard? This Shangguan Yi is useless, why not remove him? I’ve never felt happy about him lording it over my brother. The Dragonteeth Guard is the premiere power within the Skylaurel Kingdom, surely it can’t be given over to a coward.”
Elder Iron chuckled, “Xiaoqian, no rush, don’t be in a hurry. This matter won’t blow over that easily!”
Shangguan Yi was about to explode in his anger.
He’d seen his share of c.o.c.ky people, but the couple in front of him was a first.
At the very minimum, he was a general director of the Dragonteeth Guard. In terms of martial dao prowess, at the very least, he wasn’t weaker than Elder Iron. He could even be said to be a bit stronger.
However, this ridiculous couple had dared act so atrociously as to slap his face in public, bandying about words like, “incompetent” and “useless”, and completely disregarding his ident.i.ty.
“Elder Iron, I don’t know where your sense of superiority comes from, but my position was appointed by the king himself. I only have one superior, and that is His Majesty. Since when was an elder of the Precious Tree Sect able to have any say in the matters of mundane kingdoms?”
Shangguan Yi had indeed harbored thoughts of protecting Yang Zhao in the beginning, and he’d been thinking of how to pacify Elder Iron’s rage.
Who would’ve thought that his consideration would be met with a complete lack of understanding, and moreover replaced with humiliation, oppression, and public loss of face instead.
Their posturing was an obvious attempt to strip him of his power and position, giving it to Yang Zhao instead.
Shangguan Yi had plotted and schemed all his life, but discovered that he had still been too naive in the end.
The thoughts of those in a sect were completely different from courtiers. They didn’t care about balance nor the greater picture.
These people made use of the sect’s influence and name to act crudely and simply, cutting straight to the chase without exchanging niceties with him at all!
Elder Iron’s face darkened, “Shangguan Yi, don’t you scare me with talk of the king. The change of royal families in a mundane kingdom can occur with a single word from a sect, and you want to use the king to scare me? I’d like to know if even the king has the guts to threaten me!”
Yang Xiaoqiang called out, “Everyone of the Dragonteeth Guard, listen up! Shangguan Yi is incompetent and allowed one of your generals to be executed by an outsider. Now that the enemy is knocking on your doors, he doesn’t even dare let loose with a fart! How is someone like him suitable to be your boss?! Elder Iron from the Precious Tree Sect will be taking the reins of power now. Everyone listen to his orders and kill the enemy Jiang Chen, hereby wiping away previous humiliation and rea.s.serting the power of the Dragonteeth Guard!”
Elder Iron whistled and continued, “I am an elder of the Precious Tree Sect and hereby announce in my name that I am temporarily taking care of the Dragonteeth Guard, appointing Yang Zhao as acting general director!”
Shangguan Yi’s expression changed drastically. He knew that those of the sect were domineering, but he hadn’t thought that they were overbearing enough to directly remove him from his position and take over the Guard!
“Elder Iron, you’re out of bounds and abusing your power!”
Elder Iron flashed a cold, proud smile. “And what can you do about that? You’re the master of the Dragonteeth Guard in their eyes, but a mere ant in the eyes of the Guard’s senior executives. Shangguan Yi, either you get the h.e.l.l out now, or atone for your crimes by doing good deeds. I promise that as long as you capture Jiang Chen, I’ll still reserve a position of vice director for you!”
This was face slapping with no holds barred.
The position of general director was a lofty and powerful one. No one dared go against his wishes.
To promise a position of vice director was undoubtedly directly slapping his face, unadulterated suppression.
As good as Shangguan Yi’s upbringing was, he also became incensed. “Elder Iron, if you’re tyrannical to the point of interfering with the internal matters of my Dragonteeth Guard, I’m going to pursue this to the very end even if I have to take my lawsuit against you to the head of the Precious Tree Sect!”
“So much hot air.” Elder Iron snorted coldly and looked at Xin Wudao and the others. “Why haven’t you made your moves yet?”
Xin Wudao and Qi Fengxian were overjoyed to see this development. Although they greatly respected and feared Shangguan Yi, with an elder of the Precious Tree Sect was backing them up, what could they possibly be afraid of?
Not to mention that the elder had already said he was going to make Yang Zhao general director. Shangguan Yi was already a thing of the past!