Chapter 137: Ten of You Are Not Worth Him

Ye Wufeng's death was a major event for the Netherworld Hall, and dying at the hands of a former Adjudicator was an event of events within that major event.

The people of the Netherworld Hall's Beijing outpost dared not be negligent; they swiftly transmitted a message via talisman, and by that very night, the news had reached Mount Miaoyin.

The Netherworld Hall was shaken.

Ye Wufeng was not a new talent who had appeared out of thin air; he too had a master.

The Five Ghost Emperors of the Netherworld Hall were five powerful figures of the second grade, even bordering on the lower stage of the first grade, and were pivotal figures within the Netherworld Hall. Three of them were friends of Lu Xingzhou, some even bound by the deepest loyalty. But two were at odds, among whom the Western Ghost Emperor, Tan Xinhong, was Ye Wufeng's master.

Upon hearing the news, Tan Xinhong flew into a rage and summoned the other two Ghost Emperors who were still at Mount Miaoyin for a private meeting: "Lu Xingzhou has betrayed the Netherworld Hall. I said back then that we should cut off the roots and leave no trace, otherwise this person knows our internal affairs too well and would be able to sell our information and topple our various branch halls and outposts as easily as playing a game! You were all stammering and hesitant! And now look!"

The Central Ghost Emperor wore a mask and remained silent.

The Eastern Ghost Emperor, Ji Wenchuan, sneered: "So which of our outposts was sold out? Did the transmission from the Beijing Branch Hall mention such a thing?"

Tan Xinhong flew into a rage: "Wufeng is dead!"

Ji Wenchuan said calmly: "This Seat only knows that if Lu Xingzhou wanted to flatten the Beijing Branch Hall, it would indeed be as easy as playing a game, but not even a single lackey was touched, and to this day, outsiders have not found the specific location of the branch hall. Ye Wufeng repeatedly attempted to assassinate Sheng Yuanyao and Chu Qingchen, acting arrogantly and disregarding the Demon Suppression Bureau. Do you truly believe that if the Demon Suppression Bureau got serious, they couldn't wipe out the Beijing Branch Hall? To this day, the branch hall is fine; I think we should actually attribute that to Xingzhou."

The Central Ghost Emperor finally nodded; this was the only explanation.

In fact, they never expected Ye Wufeng to dare act so arrogantly; even the Five Ghost Emperors themselves dared not be domineering in the capital. What kind of place was that! Ye Wufeng was simply too much like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. If he truly provoked a first-grade powerhouse, could his little tricks of hiding and concealing his presence hide him from anything... It was merely that they felt it would be too shameful to personally deal with a fourth-grade new talent, and no one wanted to lose face by doing so, but once it dragged on for two more days, personal face could not compare to the face of the system, and a powerhouse would inevitably make a move.

As for the location of the branch hall, it was impossible for it to be flawless; at the very least, it would not be difficult for the Demon Suppression Bureau to confirm a general area. If they truly wanted to get serious, they would dig up the entire ward district three feet deep; how could anyone hide then?

But to this day, it has been calm and peaceful, with only Ye Wufeng dying. If one were to say this wasn't because Lu Xingzhou had sold some face, no one would believe it.

Tan Xinhong was momentarily stuck, not knowing how to respond, but then he heard Ji Wenchuan sneer: "As for why Ye Wufeng died, others may not know, but do you not know? What, are you allowed to try to kill him, but he is not allowed to fight back?"

"You!"

"What do you mean 'you'!" Ji Wenchuan's voice rose: "Long ago, when Xingzhou was still in the Netherworld Hall, you tried to ambush him. At that time, it was Xingzhou who, for the sake of internal harmony, persuaded us not to hold it against you. What, does internal strife not count when he was still here, but killing him after he left becomes a heinous crime?"

This was what Lu Xingzhou had said to the pair back then: If you truly report the information about your past attempts to kill me, my friends will kill you.

The Netherworld Hall did not consist only of enemies.

Tan Xinhong roared: "He is not dead! Now Wufeng is dead! Setting aside whether it is internal strife or not, simply speaking of a Soul-Collector dying at someone's hands, will the Netherworld Hall just admit defeat like this? Where will our dignity be in the future!"

Ji Wenchuan snorted: "Sorry, according to the Beijing Branch Hall, the Huo family hired Ye Wufeng, meaning this was a mission. What are the rules when a member of the Netherworld Hall dies due to mission failure?"

Assassin organizations have their own rules. If one is killed in a Jianghu dispute or a grudge killing, then naturally everyone must retaliate to maintain the organization's dignity. But if one dies due to mission failure, that does not count as a grudge; it would only be a matter of discussing whether to abandon the mission or reassign it. If mission failure were counted as a grudge, an assassin organization would never be able to keep up with the revenge—although the Netherworld Hall itself rarely failed missions, the rules were established from the very beginning.

The Central Ghost Emperor finally spoke: "For mission failure, the rule is to re-evaluate the mission's intensity, or return the employer's deposit to signify abandonment, or reassign a stronger person. It is not counted as a grudge."

Ji Wenchuan smiled: "So send a reply to the Beijing Branch Hall, telling them to re-evaluate the mission; if money needs to be returned, return it to the Huo family."

Tan Xinhong stood up in anger: "Even if we count it as a mission, why not reassign someone? When has the Netherworld Hall ever had a precedent of abandoning a mission? Do you not want our reputation anymore!"

Ji Wenchuan sneered: "Assassinating a former Adjudicator who left in peace without turning into an enemy, disregarding the bond of shared incense—is this a mission that a normal person of the Netherworld Hall should accept? It was already a wrong move; should we extend the errors of a fool? If you are dissatisfied, go find the Yan Lord yourself; don't hold a useless private meeting with us first! You are wasting my time."

The great door suddenly opened by itself.

Yuan Muyu walked in slowly: "Major matters of the Hall are not reported to this Seat, yet you hold a private meeting here first."

Tan Xinhong felt a bit awkward; he truly did not want to speak directly to Yuan Muyu. He simply could not guess what Yuan Muyu's mindset was toward Lu Xingzhou. If he directly said something that couldn't be retaliated against, there would be no room for compromise. So he held a private meeting first, trying to gain consensus, and then speak to Yuan Muyu together, which should have a better effect.

But this bastard Ji Wenchuan countered every single point, making it impossible to reach consensus, and even provoked the Yan Lord to come out.

With matters having come to this, he simply said directly: "Yan Lord, Lu Xingzhou disregarded the bond of shared incense and killed Ye Wufeng; there must be an explanation."

Yuan Muyu said calmly: "What explanation do you want?"

Tan Xinhong said: "After all, a key figure of our Hall has been killed. Even if it is not counted as revenge, he must be listed as an enemy. If we ignore it, it is truly detrimental to our reputation."

This actually made sense. A Soul-Collector and the number one new talent could be counted as one of the Netherworld Hall's external banners. If one truly let someone kill them without any explanation, or even without a public announcement of cutting ties, it would truly damage the Netherworld Hall's reputation. That is why Ye Wufeng said before his death that Lu Xingzhou's action also severed the last thread of the bond of shared incense. Regardless of how Ji Wenchuan and others personally felt about him, from the organization's perspective, there truly had to be an explanation.

"Then give an explanation," Yuan Muyu said calmly: "Ye Wufeng, full of himself, unauthorizedly assassinated the daughter of the Deputy Chief of the Capital and the direct disciple of the Wanhua Sword Sect in the capital, making enemies for the Netherworld Hall everywhere. Effective immediately, he is expelled."

Tan Xinhong was stunned: "Yan Lord..."

"What?" Yuan Muyu stared at him coldly: "Do you think the Netherworld Hall can truly make enemies everywhere so casually, disregarding the safety of the branch hall personnel and treating the Netherworld Hall's overall situation as non-existent, just to achieve his personal fame? Reputation, reputation! If those below are all such fools, the Netherworld Hall should have been an enemy to the entire world years ago and unable to survive a single day; how could we have achieved today's reputation!"

Tan Xinhong: "..."

You were far more arrogant than Ye Wufeng outside; you never looked at who your target was before killing, and you have done many things that offended Holy Lands. Didn't you all learn from him...

Yuan Muyu seemed to know what he was thinking and said calmly: "In the past, every time this Seat made an enemy, Lu Xingzhou had to clean up the mess behind him, either figuring out how to cut off the roots or figuring out how to win over the enemies of our enemies to form a balance of power. Ye Wufeng did these things; who was there to clean up the mess for him? You? Or did you never consider it even a little bit?"

Ji Wenchuan finally sighed: "Old Tan... Lu Xingzhou, for so many years, spared no effort to develop the organization internally and clear the environment externally, allowing the Netherworld Hall to grow from a mere handful of people to what it is today. You could never see in your hearts what kind of contribution these things were, yet you think these chaotic, brainless acts of making enemies everywhere are something to be proud of... You cannot discuss ice with summer insects."

Tan Xinhong was silent for a long while, then finally said: "Since that is the case, let Tan be expelled starting today as well. Let us part on good terms."

How could he not know that what Yuan Muyu said was reasonable, but emotionally he could not accept that his master was dead, no one sought revenge, and he was instead expelled, yet he still stood there silently? He truly could not stay there.

Since the Netherworld Hall refused to seek revenge, then he would leave personally to seek revenge.

It was just a pity that Tan Xinhong did not know that the treatment of "parting on good terms" was also exclusive.

His words fell into Yuan Muyu's ears, and the air instantly grew chillingly cold: "Are you threatening this Seat? Do you think this Seat cannot do without you?"

Tan Xinhong felt a jolt: "I have no such thoughts..."

"Is the Netherworld Hall a place where you can come and go as you please?" Yuan Muyu stepped forward slowly.

Tan Xinhong was terrified in his heart and immediately turned into a shadow, trying to flee.

Yuan Muyu's slender hand grasped at the air.

The entire time and space seemed to freeze; the shadows around, illuminated and swaying by the bright pearls, seemed to pause, no longer swaying.

Tan Xinhong seemed to be dragged out of the void by someone, letting out a piercing scream: "Yuan Muyu! You are a madman!"

He finally understood. What "Is the Netherworld Hall a place where you can come and go as you please"? Why could Lu Xingzhou do it, but others could not? Others might not be unable to, but they simply could not be allowed to go out and deal with Lu Xingzhou!

For such a reason, he was willing to cripple a second-grade upper-stage general of the Netherworld Hall and damage his own forces!

If this isn't a madman, then who is?

You should have said long ago that you had these feelings for Lu Xingzhou. When he was here years ago, we provoked him and suppressed him, yet you had no reaction at all! Why didn't you say it sooner, you damn fool!

"Am I a madman?" Yuan Muyu's voice was flat, but the content of his speech was truly quite mad: "I have gone mad... Do you think you are very important... But losing ten of you is not worth the year and a half without Lu Xingzhou. I am a madman for letting him get angry and leave..."

With a "Bang," the slender hand struck Tan Xinhong's chest. Tan Xinhong, a dignified second-grade upper-stage powerhouse, had not even a shred of resistance; his chest was completely shattered, and he died with his eyes wide open.

The master and disciple had an unexpectedly shared cause of death.

Ji Wenchuan and the Central Ghost Emperor exchanged a glance, both looking at their noses and their noses at their hearts, daring not to make a sound.

The Hall of Yama actually didn't really lack a second-rank upper-tier official, but lacking Lu Xingzhou — over this past year and a half, all the various misfortunes were something only the people on the inside truly knew.

But since that's the case, Lord Yama, why don't you just go soften your stance and say a few nice words — he'd come back casually enough… You killed and bled for him, and he doesn't even know — what's the point!

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PS: A rare Prison Fish special chapter, continuing to ask for monthly tickets~

(End of this chapter)