Chapter 178: Scheming
"Let me go! He is clearly trying to embarrass us today. Didn't you hear him? He wants to imprison us. I'm fine, but he actually wants to imprison the Sect Master!" Gu Rong was furious.
"He has the strength to rival the peerless Douluo." The next sentence from Sword Douluo immediately made Gu Rong calm down.
The two of them stored their soul rings and gathered their soul power. Sword Douluo bowed and addressed Lin Hanye,
"President Lin, Prince Xuexing, I know that no matter what I do, I can't clear the suspicion of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. But Feng Zhi is the sect master of our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect after all, and as an auxiliary soul master, he is on good terms with Your Majesty.
He has neither the ability nor the motive to harm Your Majesty. How about this, I am willing to stay here on behalf of Feng Zhi and Gu Rong until the truth comes out."
Lin Hanye smiled, "Sword Douluo, what you said seems a bit awkward. Everyone knows that when Your Majesty was assassinated, you were with us at Clear Sky Peak, so there was no possibility of harming Your Majesty.
But since Sword Douluo said so, I can't be so unkind. I just need Bone Douluo to stay and cooperate with our investigation. This can be regarded as repaying the favor that Sect Master Ning and Your Majesty did for me to resolve the grievances of the Clear Sky Sect last time."
Ning Fengzhi's heart sank upon hearing this. He initially wanted to use this matter as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Lin Hanye, but now it seemed like that wouldn't be possible.
At first glance, what Lin Hanye said seemed reasonable. After all, Xue Ye was not the only one who had helped Lin Hanye resolve Haotian Sect's grievances; there was also Xue Ye, who had paid the most. But this now made the situation for his Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect even more difficult.
"Sect Master, what do you think?" Sword Douluo looked at Ning Fengzhi, who knew that Lin Hanye's handling was reasonable.
Gu Rong was indeed a suspect. If he weren't the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's Protector Douluo, he would probably suspect him too. Lin Hanye's handling wasn't a death sentence, only cooperation with the investigation.
"In that case, thank you, President Lin," said Ning Fengzhi. Although he felt aggrieved, he didn't have the courage to refute. His eyes turned toward Gu Rong. "Uncle Gu, I will wrong you for a while."
"What's the big deal? A righteous heart is not afraid of the shadow," Gu Rong said calmly after learning that Lin Hanye has strength of a peerless Douluo.
Ning Fengzhi nodded, his suspicions about Xue Ye's death deepening. Could Lin Hanye and Xue Xing have secretly murdered Xue Ye and framed the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?
After Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo left, Lin Hanye approached Gu Rong and swiftly sealed his soul power with a slap to the chest.
"Lin Hanye,!" Gu Rong screamed, coughing up blood, retreating a few steps. As he stabilized, he realized his soul power was sealed, and his voice stopped abruptly.
"Marshal Ge Long, I have sealed Gu Rong's soul power. Let's find a secluded place for him to rest. No one is allowed to approach before the cause of His Majesty's death is found. As for the rest of you, disperse," Lin Hanye ordered.
"Yes!" Ge Long and the others obeyed.
Lin Hanye, as a guest of the Tiandou royal family, wielded a token from Xue Ye himself, making his status equal to that of the emperor. Now, with the emperor dead, he was there to find the real murderer. The others complied swiftly.
After a while, Ge Long led his men to take Gu Rong away. Meanwhile, the other guests at the banquet, still confused, left. Everyone knew the Tiandou Empire was on the brink of change.
Only Lin Hanye, Dugu Bo, Xue Xing, and Huang Yueyao remained. They gathered in a pavilion where Xue Ye's body was handled by specialists.
Once seated, Lin Hanye spoke, "Xue Xing, your brother was your elder, how could you kill him?"
Xue Xing was stunned. Even Huang Yueyao, who had been suspicious of Xue Xing, was shocked. But after considering the political implications, it seemed Xue Xing could benefit from Xue Ye's death, especially since he was the last eligible heir.
"I didn't kill my brother. I didn't have anyone kill him," Xue Xing frantically defended.
Lin Hanye eyed him with suspicion, asking knowingly, "Is it really not you?"
Xue Xing's desperation increased. "It's really not me. I swear. Elder Dugu, you know me best. You have to vouch for me."
Dugu Bo, understanding Lin Hanye's unspoken meaning, intervened. "President, based on my understanding of Prince Xue Xing, he wouldn't harm his brother."
Lin Hanye sighed dramatically, "It doesn't matter whether it's true or not. We all know Xue Ye had no offspring. After his death, the throne will surely fall to Xue Xing. And as the biggest beneficiary, it's inevitable that he'll be suspected, just like the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect killed my father."
Xue Xing grasped the key point, "Was your father really killed by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Lin Hanye nodded solemnly. "I suspected them long ago, as well as the Spirit Hall, but I laid low until I became a Titled Douluo and learned the truth."
Dugu Bo continued with the ruse, "On the day His Majesty hosted our president, the president realized something was off about Ning Fengzhi. Later, he sneaked into the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and overheard a conversation between Ning Daorong and Ning Fengzhi. It was Ning Daorong who ordered Gu Rong to carry out the assassination."
Huang Yueyao listened, understanding the politics at play. With Lin Hanye's accusations against the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, it seemed like he had formed grudges against many powerful factions.
"I didn't expect it to get this far. Your Majesty and Ning Fengzhi were once close," Lin Hanye said with a feigned sorrow. "In the end, Ning Fengzhi's father killed my father."
Xue Xing nodded in agreement, saying, "Regardless of whether Ning Fengzhi was involved, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect cannot escape responsibility."
Lin Hanye smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Majesty. I hope you'll take care of the Soul Master Guild from now on."
The two formed an alliance, their interests aligned.
Xue Xing, seeing the opportunity for his throne to be secure, began negotiating with Lin Hanye about the future of the Soul Master Guild and the royal family.
Xue Xing promised to help Lin Hanye and, once he ascended the throne, establish a branch of the Soul Master Guild in Tiandou City, along with future expansions. This guaranteed Lin Hanye a significant role in the political landscape.
Lin Hanye was pleased. "I don't mind. Just make sure you protect me during my ascent to the throne and help me deal with any opposition."
Dugu Bo was appointed as the president of the Soul Master Guild's branch in Tiandou City to assist Xue Xing in stabilizing his reign.
After their negotiations, Lin Hanye made sure to remind Xue Xing that the news about Gu Rong's involvement in Xue Ye's assassination must be spread quickly, using the right narrative to ensure the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's suspicion was solidified.
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