Chapter 641: Chapter 640: Inspecting the Heart Pavilion
With a deafening roar, everyone from each cave and pavilion rushed out.
This is the basic attitude any sect should have when facing royal authority.
After all, in the kingdom dominated by royal power, the first ironclad rule is to never provoke the imperial authority.
In the largest cave below, the old Pavilion Master Ding Jishuang led the chief steward and several elders out quickly. The seven top elders who had previously flown upwards also quickly gathered behind him. Everyone’s expressions were very off because the presence of this Great Commander in the dead of night conveyed a very ominous premonition.
The old Pavilion Master Ding Jishuang strode forward, cupped his hands towards the sky and said, "With the Great Commander personally gracing us, the Heart Pavilion is honored. May I inquire why the Great Commander enters the pavilion so late at night?"
"I have already mentioned, inspection!" Huo Gang said coldly, "Please welcome Inspection Envoy Mr. Li!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped back, giving the leadership position to a court official behind him.
This court official stepped forward casually, and under the cover of the Imperial Golden Light, his figure was focused in the sight of everyone present.
The Pavilion Master’s eyes suddenly widened...
Everyone around him had their eyes wide open...
Even a woman who had just returned from the city stood on top of a large tree, staring at the official on the flying boat above the Heart Pavilion, unable to believe her eyes.
She was Qing Ying.
She had followed her Execution Envoy master to the capital, merely playing a minor role, observing as her master conversed with the prince.
Initially, she could guess some things.
But later, she couldn’t speculat at all.
Because this Execution Envoy master’s path took him further than she could imagine.
He actually entered the palace.
After that, there was no news from him.
Suddenly seeing the Forbidden Army emerge from the west, she quickly returned to the Heart Pavilion. What did she see?
Her Execution Envoy master, dressed in fifth-rank court attire, ordered to inspect the Heart Pavilion!
Even if it was a dream, it would undeniably be an extremely vivid dream, yet this was no dream!
The cool breeze across the mountain, the three thousand Forbidden Army soldiers on top of the Heart Pavilion, the look of astonishment on the faces of the Heart Pavilion’s bigwigs, all affirmed this. Her Execution Envoy master stirred up the wildest storm in the Heart Pavilion...
"Steward Li! It’s actually you!" the old Pavilion Master exclaimed softly.
"Pavilion Master Ding!" Lin Xiaosu gently raised his hand, "I have resigned from the Heart Pavilion and entered the court. I was just appointed by His Majesty as a fifth-rank Inspection Envoy. In carrying out my duties, I ask that no one brings up our past acquaintances or uses former titles to speak about the matter."
The entire scene fell silent, countless people looked at one another in disbelief.
The old Pavilion Master took a deep breath, "Mr. Li, how do you intend to conduct the inspection?"
Lin Xiaosu replied, "Last night, the case of prisoner exchange in the Heavenly Prison involved framing princes and framing second-rank court officials, with an extremely vile nature and huge impact. His Majesty is furious. Today I enter the Heart Pavilion to find out which dark hands are involved after the matter is uncovered."
The old Pavilion Master said, "The Heart Pavilion is a Jianghu pavilion. Not involving in factional struggles or court politics is our fundamental rule for establishing the pavilion. How could we be involved in the case of prisoner exchange in the Heavenly Prison? I request the Great Commander to report this to His Majesty."
He cast his gaze towards Huo Gang.
Clearly, he held disdain from the bottom of his heart for Lin Xiaosu, his former subordinate.
This was the inherent attitude of the Heart Pavilion’s high-level towards court officials.
Because behind the Heart Pavilion stood the Crown Prince.
With the Crown Prince’s backing, they had reason to look down on all court officials.
There was only one exception - those close to His Majesty, like Great Commander Huo Gang.
However, hearing this, Huo Gang listened as if he heard nothing.
When Lin Xiaosu heard this, he sneered coldly, "Not involving in factional struggles, not involving in court politics? Ding Jishuang, don’t you find it ironic to say such nonsense in front of someone who knows the truth?"
"Insolent! How dare you..." an elder roared sternly.
But his voice stopped abruptly after uttering just four words, because only at that moment did he complete the recognition of Lin Xiaosu’s identity...
In the past, he indeed dared not.
Because the Pavilion Master was his superior’s superior, how could he call him by name or reveal the Heart Pavilion’s flaws?
However, today, he had undergone a magnificent transformation, having left the Heart Pavilion and assumed the position of fifth-rank Inspection Envoy. He was now a court official!
What he didn’t dare to do before, what was there to fear today?
Lin Xiaosu’s face darkened, "You are the insolent one! Today, as I am ordered to inspect, everyone in the Heart Pavilion is a subject to be examined. Speak one more useless word and you will be killed!"
The word ’kill’ filled the pavilion with a chill.
Everyone truly became as quiet as a chicken.
"He Yun!"
Lin Xiaosu’s gaze fell on the attic where he had stayed for a few days.
On top of the attic stood a figure, precisely He Yun.
When the Forbidden Army arrived and a military order was issued, he came out too. However, his distinct difference surfaced; throughout, he was calm and gentlemanly, holding even a cup of tea in his hand. This demeanor made this Gold Medal Steward appear unique.
"Mr. Li!" Faced with Lin Xiaosu’s call, He Yun responded with a slight bow.
"Step forward and speak!" Lin Xiaosu commanded.
As soon as the words fell, Huo Gang stretched out his hand.
He Yun seemed to be picked up from the air and fell upon the flying boat.
With this move, He Yun’s expression finally changed, "Great Commander, Mr. Li, I know nothing about your investigation today and have no information to provide."
"Anything you say now holds no weight. Under the Sub-God Soul Suppressing Technique, let’s see if your tale changes," Lin Xiaosu fixed his eyes sharply!
He Yun’s eyes suddenly changed.
Turning blank.
Under the Imperial Golden Light, everyone could clearly see.
Those who saw it felt their hearts skip a beat.
Sub-God Soul Suppressing Technique?
The average person might not understand this magic, but how could anyone in the Heart Pavilion not understand?
This is one of the Subdivine Skills.
It can make people speak the truth.
My God, Li Chengnian mastered the Subdivine Skills?
True or false?
If it’s true, then the trouble is really big...
The most astonishing is the one in the basement.
Yes, Huo Gang announced that everyone should come out, with one exception, who didn’t come out.
Because he is the Dark Pavilion Master.
In all external intelligence, he does not exist in the Heart Pavilion system.
He cannot put himself in the public eye because of a mysterious inspection.
However, his Primordial Spirit suddenly heard the Sub-God Soul Suppressing Technique.
Using his Primordial Spirit as the eye, he also clearly saw the change in his son’s eyes.
Things are going bad!
"He Yun, speak!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Did you suggest to the Seventh Prince that he initiate a prisoner exchange when he entered the Heart Pavilion that day?"
"Yes!"
A single word answer, the whole place was in shock.
He Yun knows best how to advance and retreat; in his life, he has faced countless great storms, no matter how big the predicament is, he can always cleverly dissolve it and achieve his goals.
How could he directly admit to such a serious accusation?
Just this one answer proved one thing, that he was indeed hit by the Sub-God Soul Suppressing Technique.
The Subdivine Skill, the bottom-of-the-box tactic of the Heart Pavilion.
Yet today, the Heart Pavilion is on the brink of an unprecedented crisis because of this tactic...
"Speak!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Why did you give him this suggestion?"
This question immediately raised everyone’s hearts to their throats.
Because the answer to this question concerns the Crown Prince, concerns the true positioning of the Heart Pavilion, it’s absolutely something that cannot see the light of day...
In the basement, He Fanglue suddenly shut his eyes, and in the dim basement, seven deep stars suddenly appeared.
The seven stars merged, disappearing into nothingness!
Lin Xiaosu, who was interrogating, let his eyes naturally fall towards a certain basement.
Huo Gang’s eyes opened, brilliance ablaze, the Imperial Golden Light in front of Lin Xiaosu suddenly became viscous like flowing water.
In the golden stream, a ripple vaguely appeared, quickly shooting towards Lin Xiaosu’s brow.
However, this ripple became slower and slower in the golden stream and stopped with a plop three inches from his brow, like a water droplet bursting.
"Dare to plot?" Huo Gang’s hand suddenly extended.
This reach was like an endless Heavenly Supporting Palm.
Plop!
One claw descended!
This claw pierced through the ancient bluestone of the West Mountain, forcibly dragging He Fanglue out of the basement with a miserable scream.
He Fanglue, having reached the Enlightenment Realm, was a prominent figure even in the Desolate Ancient Realm, struggled in Huo Gang’s hand, yet couldn’t break free.
"This Great Commander has already said, anyone daring to resist will be killed without mercy!"
With that voice, the palm closed!
Plop!
He Fanglue turned to blood mist, annihilated in both form and spirit.
The lower levels of the Heart Pavilion might not feel it, but the higher levels were all shaken to their cores.
Only at this height could they understand the kind of Divine Skills possessed by the Dark Pavilion Master.
His Subdivine Skill had reached an extraordinary level; even masters in the Enlightenment God Realm could be killed in public, leaving them defenseless.
This was probably the only method that could interrupt Lin Xiaosu’s public interrogation of He Yun.
However, with Huo Gang present, all efforts were in vain.
Huo Gang’s Demon God Domain, even the Subdivine Skill couldn’t penetrate, only alerting him.
This alert led directly to a palm piercing half a mountain, crushing the hidden Dark Pavilion Master in the basement, unable to escape even in spirit.
With the Dark Pavilion Master dead, everyone was left leaderless and disorganized.
Amid their confusion, Lin Xiaosu’s temporarily halted interrogation continued...
He Yun stupidly informed everyone, "The plan for the exchange was to cooperate with the Crown Prince’s court purge, targeting the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Song Lifu, and the Seventh Prince."
"Through Heart Pavilion, what unseen deeds has the Crown Prince done?"
This was Lin Xiaosu’s third question.
The release of this question sent shockwaves through everyone present.
Even the command of the Forbidden Army experienced a sudden rush of heartbeats.
As members of the Forbidden Army, they normally feared nothing in front of Heart Pavilion people.
But the Crown Prince was someone Heart Pavilion couldn’t compare to.
The Crown Prince was destined to be the Emperor in the future.
They were all to be the Crown Prince’s servants.
And he, this Inspection Envoy favored by Your Majesty, dared to direct his attack at the Crown Prince...
Is the turmoil not too great?
Just then, there was a soft boom!
Originating in Beijing.
In the East Palace of the Capital, a Golden Bridge appeared out of nowhere, extending all the way to the West Mountain!
On the Golden Bridge, dragon patterns densely covered it, and at the end of the bridge, four large characters shone for miles: East Palace Treasure Seal!
As the brilliance emerged, the Demon God Domain Huo Gang had created seemed to instantly shatter.
He Yun, who was in a dazed state, exited this state at that moment, closed his eyes, and fell down.