New and dark light years

Chapter 458 Zeng Hongluo successfully clears herself of suspicion

Zeng Hongluo escaped the 'furious' Chu Rengong and spent four days fleeing back to Xiangjun.

She has been active in Jin County for more than three months now.

Now that I'm back in Xiangjun, I should feel a sense of peace and security, like returning to my hometown.

However... along the way, we saw all sorts of chaos and displacement.

Large numbers of beggars appeared around the county town, but were kept out by soldiers.

Throughout her journey back, her brows were furrowed almost constantly.

When she returned to Qidong County and was about to set off for Qingyang City, she was stopped by someone.

Four burly men blocked her way; each of them looked like a master.

One of them tossed his prayer beads around and said, "Zeng Hongluo, how dare you come back?"

Why can't I come back?

"The Jin County branch was destroyed, and you were even captured by Li Lin and taken to his residence. It's so shameful. If I were you, I would have committed suicide long ago."

The three men next to him laughed.

Zeng Honglu snorted and said, "I naturally have my reasons for returning. Don't stop me. I'm going to see the Grand Master."

"Perfect timing, the Grand Master also wants to see you, come with me."

"Why is the Grand Master here? Shouldn't he be in Qingyang County?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask," one of the men said.

The four then led the way.

Zeng Honglu followed behind them.

The four wandered around the county town and soon arrived at a house.

This courtyard looks very ordinary, just a small house with a wall around it belonging to an ordinary person.

Four men walked over, pointed inside, and then left.

Zeng Honglu walked over.

Standing at the door, she immediately saw an old man drawing water from the well, and not far away, a stove was burning with a pot on it.

The old man poured well water into the pot, then pointed to the table and chairs not far away.

Zeng Hongluo tactfully walked over, but dared not sit down; beads of sweat were faintly visible on her forehead.

The old man stood in front of the stove. After the water boiled, he grabbed a handful of wild grass from beside the well and threw it in. Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted from the pot, which smelled very pleasant.

Then, carrying the scorching hot pot in one hand, he went to the table and chairs, took out a bowl, and poured a bowl of 'water' for Zeng Hongluo.

The water is light green and has a tea-like aroma.

"drink."

Zeng Hongluo dared not resist. She picked up the bowl, felt it was hot, blew on it a few times, and then drank it down.

After Zeng Hongluo finished drinking, the old man said, "Not bad, at least you dare to drink my tea."

Zeng Honglu bowed her head and said, "Thank you for the generous gift, Chief Master. I certainly dare not refuse."

"What if it's poisonous?" the old man asked with a smile.

Zeng Hongluo's expression stiffened for a moment, then she said, "That is what I deserve."

"You don't blame me?"

"Don't dare."

The old man laughed heartily: "I dare not... not because I don't want to blame you! It seems you are quite honest."

Zeng Hongluo dared not speak.

Although the old man looked frail, he had black hair and a ruddy complexion. He was dressed in simple clothes and did not look like a martial arts master, but rather like a well-mannered old farmer.

He poured himself a bowl of tea, took a sip, and said, "It's alright. The water I gave you isn't poisonous. It just has an effect; it can dispel some hallucinatory spells, such as mind control and delusion." Zeng Hongluo's eyes widened.

Did Li Lin create these spells for himself?

The old man chuckled and said, "It seems that the military governor still has the demeanor of a cultivator; he didn't give you all this nonsense."

Zeng Honglu felt a chill run down her spine. Was Li Lin really that strong?
Could the Chu Palace's 'loyalty' to Li Lin be due to these magical spells?

She then reflected on her few days at the Li residence and felt that the four women seemed to be living a very relaxed life without any pressure, so it couldn't be true.

Chu Rengong was probably just infatuated with Li Lin.

Thinking of this, she relaxed a little.

Seeing Zeng Hongluo's constantly changing expressions, the old man asked with a smile, "Since you weren't deceived by him, why did Li Lin let you come back?"

"I escaped back."

Why didn't he kill you?

"He is a lecherous man. I am beautiful, and he ruined my purity. Chu Rengong..."

Zeng Hongluo's face turned pale. The thought of having to deflower herself that day, with Chu Rengong watching and supervising, made her furious.

Chu Rengong is clearly no more beautiful than herself, so why can she be a concubine while she can't?

The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

Looking at the anger on Zeng Hongluo's face, the old man nodded slightly and said, "I am very pleased that you care about my Zhuxian Society. However, you are fully responsible for the destruction of the Jin County branch. If you cannot give a suitable reason, I will have to deal with you in front of the members."

The old man spoke slowly, and with a smile, yet his words sent chills down one's spine.

Zeng Hongluo immediately took out a long, rectangular object wrapped in cloth.

"Chief, this is a treasure I stole from Li Lin. I noticed he valued it highly, so I took advantage of his absence and found an opportunity..."

"If it's a treasure, how could you possibly steal it?"

“He liked to take me to the storeroom…” Zeng Hongluo said, sounding somewhat embarrassed. “After all, his wife didn’t like me very much.”

Zeng Hongluo had already been thinking about these words when she 'escaped' from the Li residence. Along the way, she had simulated the questions the Grand Master would ask her countless times in her mind.

They had already devised a logically consistent explanation for themselves.

The old man frowned slightly: "This Li Lin actually practices dual cultivation?"

"What dual cultivation technique!"

“A kind of unorthodox and crooked path.” The old man laughed. “Like me, I cultivate the Dao of the Virgin Boy. The skill is very powerful. When I was young, I was very stupid. Whether it was learning martial arts or cultivating, I was no match for my senior brothers. But later they all got married and lost their virginity. Only I, who practice the Dao of the Virgin Boy, became more and more powerful.”

Zeng Hongluo didn't speak; she didn't know how to respond.

The old man chuckled. "Never mind, there's no point in talking to you about this. It would be more interesting to talk to Li Lin here in person. What's that in your hand?"

"A white jade immortal sword."

"Isn't that our stuff? What's the point of you stealing it back?"

Zeng Hongluo tore open the cloth covering the white jade immortal sword, and then the radiant rainbow immortal sword appeared before the two of them.

The old man exclaimed in surprise, picked up the white jade sword and examined it, saying, "He's enchanted this sword with an array; it's for sealing. There's something inside this sword..."

He immersed his mind in the immortal sword, remaining motionless.

Logically speaking, the old man is now full of openings, and Zeng Hongluo only needs to strike him with one palm to blow his head off.

But Hongluo dared not move.

A few breaths later, the old man reopened his eyes: "Li Lin is... not bad. It's a pity he insists on cultivating. I'll kill him after I kill the extraterrestrial demon."

The old man then looked at Zeng Hongluo and said, "You were able to bring this immortal artifact back, which can be considered as making amends for your sins. However, you can no longer be the branch leader. Go to the White Tiger Hall and take a sinecure."

Zeng Hongluo breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Chief."

(End of this chapter)