Chapter 754 Conspiracy

Duan Rong and Zhu Zhengfu were in the side courtyard, deep in conversation for almost an hour.

Afterwards, Zhu Zhengfu recounted many details, selecting the ones he deemed crucial, and narrated them to Duan Rong one by one.

Duan Rong sat there listening, and whenever he encountered something he considered important, he would continuously question Zhu Zhengfu until he was satisfied with the answers.

After the two finished their conversation, although it was still pitch dark outside, the faint sound of a rooster crowing could be heard.

The first crow of the rooster signaled that dawn was about to break.

The cup of tea beside Zhu Zhengfu had long been drained, with a tea leaf clinging to the rim of the white porcelain cup. Seeing that Duan Rong was no longer asking questions and that everything had seemingly been reported, he retrieved a piece of paper from his sleeve, stepped forward and handed it to Duan Rong, saying, "Sir, this is a document I wrote to present to the Ancestor before coming here. Please review it, and if there are no mistakes, I can send it to Yunfu Peak."

"Ancestor?" Duan Rong glanced at the document Zhu Zhengfu presented. The Ancestor Zhu Zhengfu mentioned was naturally Zhu He, the Ancestor of the Zhu Family.

Duan Rong responded cautiously, "This is a confidential letter you’re sending to the Ancestor; I have no right to peruse it. Just report truthfully."

Zhu Zhengfu was visibly taken aback upon hearing this, thoughts swirling in his mind before he finally replied, "Yes, Sir!"

Initially, Zhu Zhengfu thought that since Duan Rong was leading this matter, the document reporting to the Ancestor should naturally be shown to Duan Rong. But understanding that Duan Rong didn’t wish to see it, he realized that Duan Rong was avoiding suspicion.

He then put away the document and said, "In that case, Sir, I will take my leave."

Duan Rong nodded slightly, and Zhu Zhengfu clasped his fists and withdrew.

As Duan Rong watched Zhu Zhengfu leave the room, his gaze flickered slightly. Faced with a schemer like Zhu He, he had to proceed with utmost caution.

Even though Duan Rong had already been with Yunfu Peak for over half a year, he didn’t truly understand Zhu He, having only met him a few times. He was, however, quite familiar with Fan Hongjiao and Wu Shidao.

While Duan Rong wasn’t well-acquainted with Zhu He, he understood one thing: all cunning individuals typically have a flaw, which is their heavy suspicion.

Hence, the document Zhu Zhengfu was sending to Zhu He, Duan Rong preferred not to view it. Because, whether the document passed through his hands or not, Zhu He would be able to discern it at a glance.

If it were him narrating the events, he would succinctly clarify the entire situation. But Zhu Zhengfu, due to many unclear aspects, could only recount the various phenomena he witnessed.

Precisely because Zhu He could perceive it, Duan Rong had to ensure that Zhu Zhengfu sent the document to Zhu He in its original form, to prevent arousing suspicion. Otherwise, Zhu He might think that although Duan Rong had just arrived, he had already subordinated the Zhu Family’s secular power thoroughly, and even the confidential letters to Zhu He were screened by him first. This seemingly trivial matter was, in truth, not something to be overlooked!

After Zhu Zhengfu left, Ruyi came in, her hair not entirely done up, appearing somewhat disheveled.

Duan Rong yawned, looking at Ruyi, and said, "Ruyi, close the door, extinguish the lights! Let’s sleep in a little more!"

"Yes, Sir!" Ruyi curtsied before following Duan Rong inside to help him undress.

Duan Rong lay down again, but after a while, as the sky began to brighten slightly, he dozed off once more...

Meanwhile, back in his study, Zhu Zhengfu sent out the confidential letter. And just an hour before Zhu Zhengfu dispatched his letter, Ge Hengtai had already sent a confidential letter to Ge Rusong.

Deep within the Endless Mountains of the Changling Mountain Range.

In the light of dawn, clusters of fog, elusive like smoke, hovered and steamed in the valleys...

Countless peaks, large and small, loomed faintly within the misty fog.

One of these verdant peaks was Qingling Peak, the seat of the Ministry of Communication of the Taiyi Sect.

And the Chairman of this Ministry of Communication was the sect elder, Ge Rusong.

At this moment, in a secluded room of the pavilion on Qingling Peak.

Though the room wasn’t very large, it was meticulously furnished; even the intricately carved purple sandalwood lantern hanging at the door exuded elegance and grace.

Four people were seated on several huanghuali Grandmaster’s Chairs in the room, their expressions unfriendly and brows furrowed.

Ge Rusong sat at the head seat of the eastern row, with two men beside him who appeared to be middle-aged and around his age based on their looks. One could see that both were rather slender, unlike the robust Ge Rusong.

Across from Ge Rusong, in the second seat of the western row, sat an elderly man with grizzled hair.

Like Ge Rusong, these three were all elders from the Elder Hall of the Taiyi Sect, but now they all remained silent, with a heavy atmosphere pervading the air.

On the small table beside Ge Rusong lay an open confidential letter.

Just then, the room’s door was gently pushed open, and a person clad in a blue robe with hair tied up with a jade hairpin walked in leisurely.

This person had a steady step, a gentle appearance, exuding a somewhat transcendent aura.

The newcomer was Lv Zhongtang, a descendant of the sect’s progenitor Lv Yinlin within the Elder Hall, and a contender alongside Zhu He for the position of the next Sect Leader.

He entered the room, his gaze sweeping over the others, immediately sensing the tension in the air, and slowly walked to the head seat of the western row to sit, looking at Ge Rusong, and asked, "What happened?"

Ge Rusong’s face was somber. He raised his head to look at Lv Zhongtang, sighed, and said, "Zhongtang! We’ve just received news, Li Shensi is dead!"

"What!?" The muscles on Lv Zhongtang’s face twitched briefly, and a hint of anger flashed through his eyes instantly.