Chapter 207

"This disciple greets the Law Enforcement Elder!" Xia Daoming bowed and cupped his hands toward Jia Shaoxuan.

Ma Tianliang and Zhong Meng watched Xia Daoming honestly bowing and cupping his hands toward Jia Shaoxuan, their faces revealing triumphant and playful expressions.

"You come with me to the Law Enforcement Hall." Jia Shaoxuan seemed to say it very indifferently, but his tone allowed for no resistance.

"I don't know what sect rule this disciple has broken to go to the Law Enforcement Hall?" Xia Daoming straightened his body and asked in a deep voice, without the slightest look of panic.

"Bold! The Elder tells you to go to the Law Enforcement Hall, so you must go. Is it your turn to ask back?" Zhong Meng immediately scolded with a face full of frost.

"The Law Enforcement Hall is a hall of law enforcement; it should be fair and strict to perform the duties of law enforcement. It cannot practice favoritism, cannot do whatever it wants, and cannot knowingly break the law. Otherwise, how can the Law Enforcement Hall convince the public, and how can it maintain the sect's regulations?"

"The Law Enforcement Elder wants me to go to the Law Enforcement Hall. I am a disciple of the Spirit Field Hall, not a disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall. I naturally have to ask clearly what it is for. If even this is not allowed, then can't the Law Enforcement Hall do whatever it wants? Where does the talk of law enforcement come from, and by what right does it maintain the sect's regulations?" Xia Daoming refuted with sonorous force, his voice exceptionally loud.

Ma Tianliang and Zhong Meng, who were originally triumphant and thought they had Xia Daoming in the bag, both changed their expressions.

Jia Shaoxuan also changed his expression.

The reason he wanted to take Xia Daoming to the Law Enforcement Hall was not something that could be brought to the table.

Originally, he thought that relying on his status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, one opening of his mouth would definitely be able to deter Xia Daoming, making him follow him without daring to utter a word.

Once they reached the Law Enforcement Hall, wouldn't black and white be up to him? If Xia Daoming was sensible, he could go lighter on him; if he wasn't sensible, he would just lock him in the black prison and slowly deal with him, and he wouldn't be able to cry for his father and mother for mercy.

It was just that Jia Shaoxuan never imagined that Xia Daoming, this brat, had such great courage and wouldn't fall for his trick at all. Not only did he ask for the reason in return, but under Zhong Meng's scolding, he actually refuted and reprimanded him with a loud and sonorous voice.

The place where they were was the East City, the place where the hall masters and hall elders lived and cultivated. Xia Daoming deliberately spoke loudly, and it must have reached the ears of many elders and even hall masters.

In this way, Jia Shaoxuan suddenly felt caught in a dilemma and was greatly annoyed.

Now, if he, this dignified Law Enforcement Elder, didn't take Xia Daoming away, he would definitely lose a lot of face.

But Xia Daoming's sonorous voice must have already attracted the attention of many elders. Now, if he didn't give a magnificent reason and just took Xia Daoming away like this, it wouldn't be a question of losing face, but a question of violating sect rules and not being worthy of being a Law Enforcement Elder.

But the problem was, Jia Shaoxuan never thought that Xia Daoming would dare to refute and resist orders, so he had no response strategy at all beforehand. Even if he wanted to fabricate a groundless crime, he didn't know which one to fabricate for a moment.

"Jia Zhanglao, Xia Daoming refuses to follow arrangements and has abandoned the spirit fields." Seeing Jia Shaoxuan stuck, Zhong Meng had a flash of inspiration in her anxiety and blurted it out.

Abandoning spirit fields is indeed a violation of sect rules, but it is only a small matter. As long as the spirit rice is handed in on time, it is generally not pursued.

But if you really want to make a big deal out of it, it is indeed a violation of sect rules, and the Law Enforcement Hall has the right to investigate.

Ma Tianliang had a hidden agenda, and he also knew that Xia Daoming had a powerful background. Just now, when Xia Daoming refuted with sonorous force, he had already realized that Jia Shaoxuan was careless, and today he was afraid he would have to let Xia Daoming go first and deal with it another day.

As a result, Zhong Meng suddenly threw out the matter of Xia Daoming abandoning spirit fields in her anxiety. Ma Tianliang's expression changed drastically, and he inwardly cried out that it was bad.

He and Zhong Meng knew best what was going on with abandoning spirit fields.

If the other party was a disciple with no background and was timid, they could naturally use this matter as an excuse to beat him down.

But looking at the situation just now, Xia Daoming was obviously a tough nut to crack, and he also had a background. It would be fine if the matter of abandoning spirit fields wasn't brought up, but once it was brought up, if Xia Daoming made a scene and really wanted to investigate, even he would be dragged into the water.

Jia Shaoxuan, however, was overjoyed, but his face suddenly sank and he said: "Cultivating spirit fields concerns the foundation of the sect's development. Sect rules stipulate that spirit fields must not be abandoned. Do you still dare to ask this elder what rule you have broken?"

Seeing that Jia Shaoxuan had already started to scold and question, Ma Tianliang had no choice but to bite the bullet and listen, only hoping that Xia Daoming, this brat, would be wary of Jia Shaoxuan's status as an elder and wouldn't dare to offend him too much, and would bow his head and submit.

It was just that Ma Tianliang was clearly daydreaming.

How could Xia Daoming bow his head and submit?

On the contrary, Zhong Meng's words still stimulated Xia Daoming a bit.

"Xia Ye, I haven't even settled the account with you for the loss of a thousand catties of spirit rice for no reason. I've already been magnanimous and couldn't be bothered to argue with a little woman like you, but you're good—you actually took the initiative to bring it up and strike back!"

"Do you really think Xia Ye is someone to be trifled with?"

Xia Daoming was annoyed in his heart, but on the surface, he gave a cold smile and said: "The matter of spirit fields has always been managed by the Spirit Field Hall. Since Zhong Meng brought up the matter of abandoning spirit fields, and the Law Enforcement Elder also wants to convict me with this matter, it will always require the hall master of my Spirit Field Hall or some elder to come forward and participate in the investigation, to see if that piece of Xiling Mountain spirit field allocated to me by Managing Disciple Ma can grow a thousand catties of spirit rice?"

"What Xiling Mountain?" Hearing this, Jia Shaoxuan's expression sank slightly, realizing that the situation was not right.

"Reporting to the Elder, the spirit fields of Xiling Mountain are slightly barren, but this disciple specially allocated an extra fifty mu to him." Ma Tianliang could only bite the bullet and answer at this time.

At this time, he could only hope that the elders who were secretly paying attention to this matter didn't know the situation of the Xiling Mountain spirit fields at all.

"Since you, Ma Tianliang, think so, then fine. This elder will allocate two thousand mu of Xiling Mountain spirit fields to you. You don't even need to follow the standard of a thousand catties per hundred mu that you kindly set for Xia Daoming. This elder will give you a more favorable standard: eight hundred catties per hundred mu."

"In this way, for two thousand mu, you only need to hand in sixteen thousand catties of spirit rice a year. You go find some junior brothers and sisters, and you set them a standard of nine hundred catties per hundred mu. There will definitely be many people willing to help you cultivate. In this way, you don't have to do anything, and you can steadily earn several thousand catties of spirit rice a year."

"Such a good errand, this elder will hand it over to you. The only condition is that you cannot abandon it; you must cultivate it. This elder will send people to pay attention to the situation of those spirit fields at any time." Just as Ma Tianliang's voice fell, Mo Yongzhi's voice, cold and carrying a trace of anger, sounded behind him.

Xia Daoming was originally going to Mo Zhanglao's residence, and this place was already near Mo Zhanglao's residence.

Mo Zhanglao could naturally hear Xia Daoming's loud voice just now.

At that time, she was guiding Watching Lan Xue, so she immediately stopped and brought Watching Lan Xue out of the house.

However, Mo Zhanglao had always been steady in her actions. Seeing that it was the newly arrived Jia Zhanglao Shaoxuan of the Law Enforcement Hall who was stopping Xia Daoming, she didn't come forward immediately, but brought Watching Lan Xue to stand in the distance to observe the changes first before making plans.

When Watching Lan Xue heard Zhong Meng mention the matter of abandoning spirit fields, she immediately told Mo Yongzhi about the matter of that piece of spirit field in Xiling Mountain.

Mo Yongzhi was instantly enraged upon hearing it.

Not only because Ma Tianliang was using public office for private revenge and abusing his power, but also because Xia Daoming was directly recruited into the Spirit Field Hall by her decision back then. Ma Tianliang actually allocated such a piece of spirit field to him, which was also a slap to her old face.

And Mo Yongzhi now had an extra bit of anger toward Mo Rujun.

This was simply raising a white-eyed wolf, actually colluding with outsiders to slap her own old face.

Therefore, when Ma Tianliang shamelessly said that he had allocated an extra fifty mu to Xia Daoming, Mo Yongzhi finally couldn't hold back the anger in her heart and stepped forward to speak.

Looking at Mo Yongzhi's cold expression and listening to the words coming out of her mouth, Ma Tianliang's face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Those spirit fields in Xiling Mountain, even if given to outer sect disciples for free now, not many people would be willing to cultivate them. Only disciples who were particularly strapped for cash and had no way to get spirit stones for the time being would go to earn that little bit of hard-earned sweat money.

Now Mo Yongzhi allocated two thousand mu to him at a standard of eight hundred catties per hundred mu. Where is this letting him steadily earn several thousand catties of spirit rice? It is simply wanting him to lose sixteen thousand catties of spirit rice every year.

He, Ma Tianliang, was now only a disciple at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement with meager family assets. If he had to lose sixteen thousand catties of spirit rice a year, wouldn't that be the end of his life?

"Thank... thank you, Mo Zhanglao, for your kindness, no need, no need," Ma Tianliang said while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Even if he were beaten to death, he wouldn't dare to accept this kindness!

Seeing Ma Tianliang shaking his head and refusing repeatedly, Mo Yongzhi gave a cold smile, looked at Jia Shaoxuan, cupped her hands slightly and said: "Jia Zhanglao, Ma Tianliang, as a managing disciple, deliberately arranged spirit fields with extremely poor soil for a newly entered junior brother, causing him to have to abandon the spirit fields and pay out of his own pocket to make up for the sect's mission. I don't know how the Law Enforcement Hall intends to handle this matter?"

Jia Shaoxuan became a Foundation Establishment cultivator at a young age and was accepted as a named disciple by a Golden Core ancestor. As soon as he arrived at the outer sect, he served as a Law Enforcement Elder. How high-spirited he was! Now, because of a mere outer sect disciple, he was slapped in the face in public. His heart was simply burning with rage, and he wished he could slap Xia Daoming to death with one palm.

Of course, he was also annoyed at Zhong Meng and Ma Tianliang, these two pieces of trash, for actually causing such a blunder.

It was just that now that the matter had made a scene and Mo Yongzhi had also come forward, even if Jia Shaoxuan had ten thousand kinds of anger in his heart, he could only endure it at this time.

Who told them they were in the wrong!

"Ma Tianliang!" Jia Shaoxuan said with a sunken face.

"This disciple is here!" Ma Tianliang responded.

"I punish you to compensate Xia Daoming with a thousand catties of spirit rice," Jia Shaoxuan said.

"Yes, this disciple is willing to accept the punishment!" Ma Tianliang said with a mournful face.

"Mo Zhanglao, do you think this handling is appropriate?" Jia Shaoxuan looked at Mo Yongzhi and asked with a gloomy face.

"Jia Zhanglao enforces the law impartially; I admire it very much," Mo Yongzhi cupped her hands and said.

"That's fine, let's go." Jia Shaoxuan nodded at Mo Yongzhi and left with a gloomy face.

"This Jia Zhanglao, I don't know when the deadline for Managing Disciple Ma to compensate this disciple with a thousand catties of spirit rice is? In this way, in case Managing Disciple Ma exceeds the deadline and doesn't compensate, this disciple can also report it to the Elder." Just as Jia Shaoxuan lifted his foot, Xia Daoming stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked for instructions.

The muscles on Jia Shaoxuan's face couldn't help but twitch twice. He turned his head to Ma Tianliang and said: "You compensate him right now, based on the standard of eight hundred catties of spirit rice per thousand catties of spirit rice, discounted to eighty spirit stones."

(End of chapter)