Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 626 Substitution
Upon hearing Fan Yun's words, Xu Shu's expression immediately changed. This Fan Yun was truly despicable; first, he recklessly beat and interrogated people, and now he was pressuring her.

Xu Shu didn't believe Xie Yizhi's people would so easily tell the truth.

“Fan San,” Xu Shu raised her voice, “Don’t talk nonsense. Did that person say those words or not? I will summon him to confront you right now.”

Fan Yun's face immediately showed a somewhat embarrassed expression, but when the time came, he would not back down. Instead, he became even more assertive: "In front of the leader, does he still dare to tell the truth? Who in the sect does not know the relationship between the leader and Xie Yizhi?"

Xu Shu was furious. If she hadn't been in a high position for so long, she might have stood up and hurled insults at him.

"You, as a missionary, speak so rudely," Xu Shu said coldly. "Are you trying to cover up the mistakes of your nephews and nieces by questioning them with baseless rumors?"

Xu Shu was a smart woman after all, and she immediately saw through Fan Yun's intentions. Fan Yun wanted to take the initiative and put her on the defensive.

"Instead of spouting baseless accusations, tell me why your sons and nephews have strayed from our camp and what they've been doing."

Fan Yun said, "What else can they do? Young people are just a bit wild. A few of them get together and want to have some fun, but who knows they'll be targeted?"

Xu Shu's eyes were filled with anger. What was originally a very serious matter was made to seem as if it were perfectly normal by Fan Yun's words.

Xu Shu's face hardened: "Do you know why we're here?" As soon as she finished speaking, several cultists entered the room, glaring menacingly at Fan Yun and Sun De.

Fan Yun, under Xu Shu's constant gaze, had no choice but to speak: "I have come all this way on the orders of the Supreme Leader to deal with a merchant caravan."

"You know you're here to do something, so why don't you keep your nephews in check and prevent them from causing trouble?" Xu Shu said. "I've said it before: the Holy Sect is being watched and we need to be careful. Since you refuse to listen to me, don't come looking for me if something goes wrong."

Fan Yun's expression changed; Xu Shu had finally found a way to get his hands on Fan Yun's weakness.

"Does His Excellency mean that we shouldn't have obeyed orders and come? Since we set off, our families have been at the forefront," Fan Yun said, "gathering information and avoiding the government troops. We didn't encounter the Xie family's caravan until now. If we had, we would have been the first to bleed. Now that something has happened, His Excellency just says 'Don't come looking for me' and leaves us to fend for ourselves?"

Xu Shu couldn't say that, otherwise Fan Yun would soon spread her words, and who knows how many people would be incited to oppose her.

Xu Shu didn't want to argue with Fan Yun anymore: "Let me handle this. You have to tell the truth first."

"Did Your Excellency tell us the truth?" Fan Yun pointed outside. "What's the deal with those people outside? Who ordered them to trap the caravan? Why are they here now?"

The topic was brought back to the present. Fan Yun couldn't explain why her nephews and nieces had gone out, and Xu Shu didn't want to clarify her relationship with Xie Yizhi. It seemed they were about to clash.

Either Xu Shu orders the punishment of Fan Yun and the others, or Fan Yun pleads guilty to Xu Shu, or he stands his ground and leads his people to betray the Holy Sect.

This is not what Sun De wanted.

Sun De bowed to Xu Shu and said, "It was our juniors who made a mistake first, but they really did not deserve to die. We beg Your Excellency to be merciful and find a way to save them. Once they return to the sect, Your Excellency can punish them however you wish, and we will not stop you. This is what they deserve."

Sun De and Fan Yun, one using a soft approach and the other a hard one, forced Xu Shu into silence.

“This is a serious matter, not something that can be decided in a few words,” Xu Shu said. “What about the person who came back with the message? Bring him in and question him carefully. That way we'll know how many people they have and what their plans are. We can't just give them whatever they want and let them lead us by the nose.” “What if we return the caravan to them, but they refuse to release our people?”

Fan Yun said calmly, "In the end, the leader is still unwilling to save people."

Seeing Xu Shu's expression change again, Sun De hurriedly said, "Can we send one person back first? At least to keep them calm, and then send another person to go with them to find out the situation over there. If they agree to the exchange, we can agree on a place and release people together. That way, we won't have to worry about anyone playing tricks."

"What does Your Excellency think?"

Xu Shu sneered inwardly. Sun De was no better; the two of them, working together, had solidified the fact that the caravan was in her hands.

If she denies it, it means she's unwilling to save the nephews and nieces of those families. In a situation like this within the church, she wouldn't hesitate at all; it would be a perfect opportunity to deal with those families.

But now that we're outside, and the Xie family is all around, if we're not careful, internal strife could break out.

Xu Shu gritted her teeth. Xie Shi really had a clever way of doing things. Not only could she use this to save the caravan, but she could also sow discord between Fan Yun and the others and her.

“I will consider it,” Xu Shu said, “but before that, I need to ask a few more elders in the sect for their opinions.”

"Whom does Your Excellency wish to see?" Fan Yun asked. "I will go and fetch them right now. This matter cannot be delayed. The Xie family holds our sons in their hands. Those people in the Xie family's caravan are nothing more than hired laborers and servants. How can their lives be compared to my sons?"

Sun De reached out to stop Fan Yun and said, "If the leader wants to deal with the Xie family, we can find another opportunity. The Holy Sect will still need these young men to do things in the future. If anything goes wrong, it will be a loss for the Holy Sect."

Xu Shu tried hard to control her emotions: "I said I would discuss this matter, but you didn't believe me?"

“Your concern makes you confused and unable to see the current situation clearly. If more people discuss it, we can make more thorough plans.”

Fan Yun was about to speak when Sun De tugged at him again: "Then we'll wait for the leader's arrangements."

Fan Yun reluctantly nodded and then walked out with Sun De.

After the two left, Xu Shu could no longer control herself. She slammed her hand on the table and looked at Xue Er beside her: "Did you see anything? Were they telling the truth?"

Xue Er was always good at reading people's expressions. He had been standing silently to the side, watching Fan Yun and Sun De, trying to deduce the truth from their expressions.

Xue Er said, "They are really anxious, especially Fan Yun. It is probably true that their nephews and nieces have been arrested, but... why are those people gathered together... they must be hiding the truth. This is not difficult to find out. I will send people to look for information, and we will definitely find some clues."

After saying this, Xue Er asked, "Is Your Excellency really prepared to exchange the caravan for it?"

Xu Shu looked at Xue Er: "What's your idea?"

Xue Er thought for a moment: "If we can weaken their power by using Xie Yuyan, it will solve a problem for us."

　That's all for today. Taking the kids on a graduation trip, constantly on the road. Trying to update as much as possible.
　　(End of this chapter)