Chapter 123: Cooperation Achieved

As he spoke, Tang Ming's eyes gleamed, and his entire demeanor shifted.

This was hardly surprising; in the world of "Under One Person," the Tang Sect was renowned for its entire family's loyalty and heroism.

The younger generation today had all heard of the events from that period and naturally held a special affection for the Island Nation.

Tang Tang Miaoxing and Zhang Wang exchanged a glance, both seeming somewhat surprised by Tang Ming's idea.

After a moment of deep thought, Tang Tang Miaoxing spoke: "Junior Brother Tang Tang Qiushan is right. This matter ultimately requires the children's effort; we should indeed ask for their opinion."

As he spoke, he looked at Tang Ming and said, "Xiao Ming, notify everyone about this matter, ask Xiao Long and the others for their opinion, and give the Nether Pavilion an accurate reply first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

On the other side, He Jing led three men dressed in black down the stairs.

Zhang Zhang Chulan and the others waiting on the first floor saw them and hurriedly rushed forward to greet them.

"He Gezhu!"

"..."

He Jing stopped, glanced at Zhang Zhang Chulan, and said softly, "Waiting for me here?"

Zhang Zhang Chulan smiled awkwardly, then lowered his voice: "He Gezhu, in the company's favor, could you give your humble brother a hint? What exactly did you come for today?"

"To discuss cooperation."

He Jing stated calmly.

Zhang Zhang Chulan's lips twitched, hesitating whether to press further.

Just then, He Jing spoke again: "I know your purpose here is for Grandmother Jin Feng, or more specifically, to ask Grandmother Jin Feng about certain matters from back then..."

He actually knew?!

Zhang Zhang Chulan's pupils contracted, and he nearly revealed the shock in his heart.

He Jing smiled faintly, patted his shoulder, and said, "Don't bother. Grandmother Jin Feng doesn't know much either. Compared to her, I have a better candidate here."

"..."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhang Chulan was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Who?"

He Jing smiled: "At the latest by tomorrow, you will know."

Having finished speaking, he strode forward, passing Zhang Zhang Chulan with the three men in black.

The Lu siblings and Feng Baobao quickly made way, watching He Jing depart into the distance.

Lu Lu Linglong spoke softly: "Zhang Zhang Chulan, what should we do now?"

"What else can we do..."

Zhang Zhang Chulan let out a long sigh: "Let's wait a bit longer!"

Time ticked away second by second in the waiting.

By evening, He Jing finally received news from Tang Tang Miaoxing.

Arriving at the Principal's Office once more, seven or eight unfamiliar faces had appeared in the room.

Among them were youths in their twenties and thirties, as well as middle-aged men in their forties and fifties.

He Jing raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over these people, finding them all strangers he had not seen during the day.

After a brief moment of thought, his expression cleared, and he guessed these people were inner disciples who had emerged from Tang Zhong.

As far as He Jing knew, the Tang Sect's most prized supreme art was called the "Dan Shi."

This was an invisible, colorless, and odorless Qi poison, possessing extreme concealment and devastating lethality; in the plot, it was a terrifying technique comparable to the Eight Wonders.

Mastering the Dan Shi was extremely difficult, yet the learning process was abnormally simple, simple enough to yield only two possible outcomes—

Success upon entry, or death upon failure!

This was because cultivating the Dan Shi primarily tested a mindset of complete disregard for life.

Once one harbored too many distracting thoughts or held onto obsessions, success was usually impossible, and one would instead be consumed by the Dan Shi and die.

Many techniques of the Tang Sect existed solely for cultivating the Dan Shi, yet even so, those who achieved it remained exceedingly few.

Of course, "exceedingly few" here was relative to the entire Tang Sect.

Decades ago, when the Tang Sect still engaged in assassination business, at least a few people in each generation managed to master the Dan Shi.

But now, a new era had arrived; the world had entered an unprecedented period of peace, and Tang Sect disciples lacked practical combat training, resulting in no one being able to inherit the Dan Shi at all!

According to the Tang Sect's rules, only those who mastered the Dan Shi possessed the qualification to inherit the position of Sect Master.

Yet Tang Tang Miaoxing, as the current Sect Master, was the sole exception; this was a thorn in his heart and the reason he had spent years sending inner disciples into Tang Zhong, hoping they would inherit the Dan Shi.

But unfortunately, up to now, no inner disciples from the old, middle, or young generations had succeeded.

Worse still, many veteran experts and pillars of the inner sect had died because of this...

Zhang Wang was extremely dissatisfied with Tang Tang Miaoxing precisely because of this.

He had always wanted to recall the inner disciples from Tang Zhong, but had never succeeded.

It was only today, when He Jing visited and brought the opportunity of "overseas advanced studies," that Tang Tang Miaoxing finally changed his mind and recalled the disciples from within Tang Zhong to the inner sect.

"It seems your sect has already made a decision!"

He Jing smiled as he sat in the chair, his gaze sweeping over Tang Tang Miaoxing and the seven or eight disciples beside him, asking with feigned confusion: "Where are your two junior brothers? For such an important matter, do they not need to participate?"

"I and my junior brothers have already discussed this privately."

Tang Tang Miaoxing said softly: "The conditions and opportunities you offered are indeed what the Tang Sect needs most at present. We are willing to cooperate with you, the He Gezhu, and provide the Tang Sect's personnel to the Nether Pavilion."

As he spoke, he flipped a sheet of paper on the desk over and pushed it toward He Jing.

"Here is the list of the first batch entering the Pavilion."

He Jing took the list and scanned the names from top to bottom.

Tang Yao, Tang Yu, Tang Mian, Tang Wu, Tang Hong, Tang Fulu...

"All are Tang surname inner sect disciples?"

"Correct."

Tang Tang Miaoxing spoke solemnly: "This old man guarantees that everyone on the list is the most outstanding disciple of our Tang Sect. If the He Gezhu harbors doubts, you may randomly check any name on the list; they are right here..."

Upon hearing this, seven or eight inner sect disciples nearby stepped forward, waiting expressionlessly for inspection.

Seeing this scene, He He Jingfeng and the members of the live broadcast room knew exactly what Tang Tang Miaoxing meant.

【Xiang Yunye: No wonder Tang Tang Qiushan and Zhang Wang are not here!】

【Xiang Yunye: If I am not mistaken, this old fellow must have secretly recalled the Tang Zhong disciples, met with Old He behind their backs, and wants to cook this raw rice into cooked rice in advance...】

【Fan Xian: It must be so!】

【Fan Xian: In the afternoon, Tang Ming could still be seen asking outer sect disciples for their opinions; by night, the Tang Sect's cooperation list contained only the names of inner sect disciples.】

【Fan Xian: If you say there is nothing fishy about this, I certainly won't believe it!】

【He He Jingfeng: So how should I reply now?】

【Lin Yu: Agree to him!】

【Lin Yu: The internal and external struggle of the Tang Sect is their own business; it has nothing to do with the Nether Pavilion.】

【He He Jingfeng: Good!】

After replying to the message, He He Jingfeng raised his head and said with a smile: "No need!"

"Since the Sect Master has given his guarantee, I shall accept the list in its entirety!"

"According to the agreement, the inner sect disciples on the list will become seconded assassins of the Nether Pavilion, enjoying Green Jade tier treatment."

"As for the specific handover matters, a designated representative of the Nether Pavilion will meet with the Tang Sect in two days. As for the Seven Shadows seats I promised, they will be ready to welcome the Sect Master at any time. I wonder if the Sect Master is interested?"

Tang Tang Miaoxing said calmly: "Let this old man consider it."

He He Jingfeng nodded and said: "No problem."

Speaking thus, he stood up and extended a hand toward Tang Tang Miaoxing.

"Then... a pleasant cooperation?"

Tang Tang Miaoxing shook his head and said softly: "He Gezhu, do not rush. This old man must admit that the Nether Pavilion's conditions are indeed very good, but these things are not what our Tang Sect desires."

"If possible, this old man is willing to give up all material conditions, asking only that the Nether Pavilion help the Tang Sect with one thing..."

He He Jingfeng raised an eyebrow and sat down again.

"What thing?"

"Use the Nether Pavilion's influence to help one person see the light of day again!"

Hearing this, He He Jingfeng was stunned, then suddenly understood, and smiled lightly: "Old Sect Master, allow me to ask one more question. Is the person you speak of surnamed Xu, or surnamed Dong?"

"..."

Tang Tang Miaoxing's pupils contracted; he said slowly: "You actually know?"

He He Jingfeng smiled: "It was just a guess. Among the thirty-six bandits who formed a blood oath with Wu Wu Gensheng back then, there were two from the Tang Sect. Since you used such a serious idiom as 'see the light of day again,' it must be related to those two!"

Tang Tang Miaoxing sighed deeply: "Since the He Gezhu has guessed it, this old man will no longer hide it."

"Correct. Of the two who participated in the oath back then, Dong Chang is dead, but Xu Xin is still alive, and he is right here within Tang Zhong!"

Moreover, Xu Xin is also the only person currently in the Tang Sect who possesses the Dan Shi.

According to the original plot, the reason Tang Tang Miaoxing wants Xu Xin to see the light of day again is likely to challenge the Dan Shi, and after failing, pass the position of Sect Master to Xu Xin, the only one qualified.

Thinking of this, He He Jingfeng could not help but laugh.

"I see. Please rest assured, Sect Master. The Nether Pavilion will speak on behalf of your sect in the outside world, but whether it ultimately succeeds depends on the Company and the opinions of the various sects..."

Tang Tang Miaoxing said softly: "That is enough; this old man is deeply grateful."

He He Jingfeng smiled: "Actually, speaking of the Company, there is a good opportunity right now!"

Tang Tang Miaoxing frowned: "Do you mean... Zhang Zhang Chulan?"

He He Jingfeng stood up and said: "This young man has extraordinary fortune and knows how to get things done. If you truly want Xu Xin to see the light of day again, why not let the two of them meet?"

"Do not look down on him because of his low rank; his face carries great weight. He can even speak a word before Director Zhao Dong."

"Moreover, he is one of the Company's own people; some things are certainly easier to say through him than through the Nether Pavilion..."

Tang Tang Miaoxing nodded thoughtfully, stood up as well, and grasped He He Jingfeng's hand.

"This old man will consider it."

"Then, a pleasant cooperation!"

"Mm, a pleasant cooperation."

Just as the two shook hands, the door to the Principal's Office was suddenly pushed open.

Zhang Wang, accompanied by several outer sect disciples, appeared outside the door. Seeing the two shaking hands inside the room, he was suddenly filled with rage and stormed into the Principal's Office with fierce momentum.

"Shua—"

Two iron spikes instantly appeared, blocking Zhang Wang and the others.

Zhang Wang was slightly stunned, then suppressed his anger and clasped his fists toward He He Jingfeng.

"Do not be disrespectful to Senior Zhang!" He He Jingfeng glanced at the two men in black, then smiled and said, "The cooperation has been reached; the rest is your sect's own business!"

"I take my leave."

Having spoken, he turned and walked toward the corridor outside the door.

The two men in black lowered their iron spikes and followed him out of the Principal's Office.

(End of this chapter)