Chapter 540: Only I Can Use the Law Chapter 540: Suspicion

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Liu Chengyou and Liu Chuanzhong stayed in the village that day; Xi Tan simply requested two extra sets of bedding, explained nothing, arranged for the two men, then fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Before dawn, the crackling of firecrackers woke them again.

Outside the door, loud shouts and murmuring voices never ceased; children's cries and the roar of engines were especially clear.

Xi Tan turned over, listened closely, and heard someone whisper: "Don't wake General Xi; let him sleep a while longer."

With drums and music filling the village, how could anyone truly sleep? Xi Tan, displeased, put on his clothes, got up, and opened the door.

The Village Chief quickly turned his face and shouted: "General Xi is awake? The River God Festival is about to begin."

A crowd surged forward at once, offering towels, preparing face-washing water, their enthusiasm so great that Xi Tan felt too embarrassed to lose his temper.

There was nothing to lose his temper over anyway.

He rubbed his face twice, glanced at the sky, and said: "Setting out so early? Isn't it supposed to start at 9?"

"We need to go to the riverside to put up signs."

"Assigning boat positions takes time too." Different people were speaking, the noise irritating.

Since he was up anyway, Xi Tan said no more, strode out to depart, deliberately leaving Liu Chengyou and Liu Chuanzhong in the room.

He was going to become a Divine Art Knight; such a secret matter—how could it be leaked?

The Dongshan Xi Family gathered around the capable person presiding over the ceremony and headed toward the riverside.

Liu Chuanzhong and Liu Chengyou watched from afar, not realizing anything was amiss.

More and more people gathered by the riverside.

Besides the several villages of the Dongshan Xi Family moving out en masse, other outsiders mostly came to watch the spectacle because of advertisements and word of mouth. At this time of year, besides the spectacle, there was nothing else to do.

Bonfires were lit along the river, and with lanterns everywhere, the fiery atmosphere was easily built up.

A little later, the County Magistrate of Dongshan County arrived, followed by another round of greetings.

Liu Chuanzhong and Liu Chengyou finally squeezed in, flanking Xi Tan on both sides, making him thoroughly annoyed.

"When does the formal sacrifice begin?" Xi Tan urged again, afraid he'd have to introduce the two Lius to others again.

"In about an hour, but Mayor Liu might come..."

"Let's just follow the schedule; don't wait for people to sacrifice to the River God." Xi Tan directly interrupted the Village Chief. Now, besides wanting to become a Divine Art Knight, he couldn't be bothered to think about anything else.

Knowing one or two minor officials from Dongshan—could that change the declining fortunes of the Xi Family?

"Let's wait a bit." The County Magistrate had his own ideas too. He had no intention of knowing them; the County Magistrate, Township Head, and other local tyrants were too lazy for small talk. A Major General of the Navy was too far from local power. Besides, the Dongshan Xi Family was under their jurisdiction—why sell his old face to kiss an ass that didn't know cold from hot?

Xi Tan snorted, dissatisfied in his heart.

He turned his head and happened to meet Liu Chuanzhong's gaze, feeling amused in his heart, and smiled: "If Mayor Liu knew we were delaying the auspicious hour, he wouldn't be happy either. If you're worried about the presider, Director Liu should do."

The word "Director" could be big or small, referring to a capable member second only to the Organization. A Director could be an NDRC Director or a subdistrict office Director—the County Magistrate immediately hesitated, smiling and asking: "Which Director Liu?"

"It's Liu, the Liu of willow Liu." Xi Tan kindly corrected him.

Liu Chuanzhong was helplessly pushed out.

He was young, a bit, but that innate arrogance of a superior person immediately awed those around him.

"Director Liu." The County Magistrate called out again.

"County Magistrate Ge." Liu Chuanzhong took the initiative to extend his hand, then turned to look again—Xi Tan had actually disappeared.

He got caught up in on-the-spot conversation and questioning; Xi Tan took the chance to slip into the center of the Altar, and after sitting down, he instead thanked the two Lius for their help.

Without them, it would be hard to have any quiet to himself; local officials and members of the Dongshan Xi Family would surely ask him to speak and give speeches.

The noise outside gradually subsided.

Xi Tan closed his eyes, recalling the key points of the so-called temple sacrifice.

To bribe that sacrifice, Xi Rong not only used up all the luggage weight for trips to the West Continent, but also bought some at high prices on the Black Market.

Those were truly high prices, ranging from over a thousand yuan per kilogram to over ten thousand yuan per kilogram, the more you wanted, the higher the price. Xi Tan even suspected whether the Black Market was built by Chen Yi himself. Tens of millions of yuan spent without a sound—for a small family like the Xi Family, it was almost enough to injure the sinews and bones.

No time to think about these things.

Xi Tan quietly adjusted his emotions, and as the sacrifice said, began to sense the breath of Source Energy.

One minute passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Two hours passed.

Xi Tan sat there blankly, not knowing what had happened, nor what should happen.

The so-called "Source Energy," that warm energy of Divine Art Knights like a liquid airflow, he could not feel at all.

"Was I cheated?" After this thought occurred to Xi Tan, he only turned two circles before desperately stopping himself.

This opportunity was not easy to come by; Xi Tan was very afraid Chen Yi would discover their actions. The Dongshan Xi Family was quite a good cover, and the time of the River God Festival was just right.

Next time, act secretly again...

Xi Tan shook his head and once again strove to sense Source Energy.

Absolutely cannot waste it!

But how could he feel it?

Divine Art Knights were not Chinese cabbage; without Combat Skill Level 8, without the hidden strength produced by devout faith, even if Xi Tan had more time, it would have no effect.

Source Energy was something good that Combat Knights could occasionally feel when both luck and strength were present; if a young person without even a Body Technique Level sat in the middle of the Altar and could obtain the marvel of Marrow Washing and Tendon Changing, how would those greedy sacrifices of the temple be willing to give the opportunity to Knights—they could become Divine Art Knights themselves.

But where would Xi Tan know these things.

The Young Priest of the temple he had bribed heavily also couldn't guess that this bunch didn't even know such a basic thing.

Who on the West Continent doesn't know the basic requirements for a Divine Art Knight?

The "bang bang bang" of the salute cannons sounded like Heaven's mockery.

The sun blazed down scorching hot, baking the floor, then baking the altar.

Xi Tan, hiding below, sweated profusely, seeming about to faint. Fortunately, he had trained for years; although he had never been on a battlefield, he had participated in training, and moreover it was precisely the prime of his life, so thanks to that, he didn't actually pass out.

Persisting like this until the ceremony ended was, for Xi Tan, simply living each day as if it were a year.

In the evening, he quietly climbed out of the altar, returned to his room, lay on the bed, and truly wanted to just die.

Liu Chuanzhong, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, knocked on the door and laughed: "General Xi, are you in? I've been looking for you for a long time..."

"Go to hell." Xi Tan muttered a sentence, turned over, and slept.

The next day.

Xi Tan slapped his body desperately, disappointed to discover he had not become a Divine Art Knight; not only could he not fly, he couldn't even smash through the bed board...

"Could it be the number of people wasn't enough?" Xi Tan reached this conclusion and immediately ran to ask: "How many people came yesterday?"

The one he grabbed happened to be the village accountant, his lips cracked, who said: "There were definitely 100,000."

"Really 100,000?"

"More or less."

Xi Tan wanted to press the question, but on second thought, how would he know the true number anyway? Moreover, the ceremony's range was vast; what restrictions it had, he also couldn't determine.

"Need to find a stadium." He recalled the various ceremonies Chen Yi had once performed; they were basically all centered on gymnasiums or stadiums.

Hastily bidding farewell to everyone of the Xitán Family, Xi Tan returned to Xijing, saw his haggard old father, and a flood of tears nearly burst out.

Xi Rong looked at his appearance, sighed, and smiled: "It's fine, if it didn't succeed then it didn't succeed."

"It's all my fault." Xi Tan's hands were trembling; from childhood to adulthood, he had always been a success, and even occasional failures didn't discourage him.

Now, he was truly discouraged.

Xi Rong adjusted his mood, sat upright: "Tell me about it, what exactly is the situation."

Xi Tan wore a mournful face: "The key is precisely not knowing what the situation is. I didn't feel anything at all."

"Say it bit by bit, don't leave anything out, speak slowly."

Xi Rong seriously took out a notebook and proceeded to record.

The afternoon passed just like that.

Xi Tan spoke until his mouth was dry, drank two large cups of water in a row, and his depression lessened considerably.

Xi Rong frowned, reread the notebook once more.

"Could it be that Dongshan is too far?" Xi Tan voiced another worry: "From memory, Chen Yi's ceremonies were all held in Jiangning."

"That's because Jiangning is under his control; put it in Xijing, who would listen to him." Xi Rong waved his hand: "I've talked with that Young Priest; they have altars everywhere."

Speaking of the Young Priest, Xi Rong couldn't help but sigh twice. Temple priests want for nothing in food and clothing; ordinary things are hard to catch their eye. Finally finding one with a taste for fine food and wine, Maotai and red wine flowed without end, chocolate and cream didn't stop; it truly cost no small amount of money, yet now it's all gone to waste.

"I'll find someone else to go ask." As Xi Rong said this, he asked again: "Do you think Liu Chuanzhong and the other one might sabotage things from the inside?"

"They don't know the situation, and moreover, how would they sabotage it?"

"True." Xi Rong said no more, turned his head to think about where the money would come from.

The Black Market's channel tonnage is outrageously expensive, and money alone isn't enough; you need connections to find quotas. Although Xi Rong is skilled at this, those methods aren't conjured out of thin air.

Xi Tan went back to rest; Xi Rong couldn't sleep, dry-roasted the whole night, and at dawn hurried to Hai Zi to gather intelligence.

Around Hai Zi, ministries and commissions surround it; those coming and going are either office workers or people handling business; nearby hotels are quiet and small, yet prices are in no way inferior to luxury restaurants.

Xi Rong found a familiar teahouse, ordered two portions of delicate pastries, read the newspaper news on one hand, and considered who to call out for a chat on the other.

These years, to push Xi Tan up, he hadn't wandered little among the Military Commission's subordinate institutions; the Chen Family's roots are also in the military; the Black Market tonnage he purchased also mostly came from there.

Just as he was thinking, a piece of news in the paper attracted his attention: Committee Member Chen Zhongguo visits Russia, Ukraine, and Ukraine.

His hand holding the steamed bun froze in mid-air; he didn't even know the bun had slipped down.

……(Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast recommendation tickets, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)