Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Chapter 348 Zhenhua's Sigh

"Unaware?" Dong Zian's eyes were icy, filled with distrust. "So you claim to be unaware! Zhenhua, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I'm not here on my own initiative; I'm here on the orders of the Federal Speaker!"

"The Speaker of the Federal Parliament?!"

Upon hearing those four words, Zhenhua's body trembled visibly, his face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

That man himself represented the absolute authority and terrifying will of the Federation.

"Qingfeng, let's examine Chairman Zhenhua's office carefully together and see if we can find any interesting clues," Dong Zian said to Qian Gu Qingfeng, his tone chilling.

Qian Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, and the two of them simultaneously emitted powerful mental fluctuations, beginning to scan and explore every corner of the office and even deeper inside without any hesitation.

Its powerful divine sense flowed like mercury, examining every possible hidden room, secret compartment, energy fluctuation, and information storage device.

Zhenhua stood frozen in place, too stiff to move or offer any resistance. He could only wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his expression shifting constantly.

However, Dong Zian and Qian Gu Qingfeng searched for a full quarter of an hour, turning the entire president's area upside down, but found nothing.

There was no record of any private transactions with Shrek Academy, no unreported forging blueprints, and not even a trace of suspicious energy residue.

Dong Zian's brows furrowed tightly, his face turning terribly grim.

He didn't expect Zhenhua to have done it so cleanly, or perhaps it really wasn't his doing?
But the federal government's suspicions are by no means unfounded.

Otherwise, where did those four-word battle armors that were approved but not reported to the federal government come from?

Could it be that it can be conjured out of thin air?

If you said that, no one would believe it.

If Zhenhua is fine, then where did the unreported four-word battle armor come from?

In the end, Dong Zian could only snort coldly and stop the search.

He walked up to Zhenhua, his gaze sharp as a knife, his voice low but carrying a deeper threat:
"Zhenhua, considering the many contributions you have made to the Federation, I'll give you a piece of advice. If you've truly done something to betray the Federation, pull back from the brink now, voluntarily step down and hand over the duties and abilities of the Master Craftsman to the more promising and trustworthy Gu Chenyu. Perhaps that will save your life and the foundation of your Blacksmith Association."

He took a step closer, his voice icy and chilling:

"If you remain obstinate and try to get away with it... next time, it won't be me. You know better than I what the consequences will be when the Federal Speaker personally cleans up his ranks, and you understand his character better than I do!"

After saying this, Dong Zian no longer looked at Zhenhua, who was pale as death, exchanged a glance with Qian Gu Qingfeng, and turned to leave.

The heavy metal door closed again. Only after the two of them had completely disappeared from the range of the Heavenly Dou Forging Association did Zhenhua feel as if all his strength had been drained away. He staggered back a step, leaned against the cold metal wall, gasping for breath, his whole body drenched in cold sweat, his mind blank.

After a long while, he managed to calm down a bit, then walked back to his office chair in a daze, sat down heavily, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

Just then, a small door on the inside of the office was pushed open, and an old man who looked to be in his fifties, wearing an apron, thin, and as if he had just come out of the kitchen walked in.

He was even holding a freshly peeled potato in his hand, but his seemingly cloudy eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

He is Makino, Zhenhua's close friend and a chef working hidden here.

Seeing Zhenhua's distraught appearance, Mu Ye frowned immediately and casually placed the potato on the table beside him.

"What happened? I just sensed two extremely powerful auras, one of which was as violent as fire. Was that Dong Zian from the Western Legion? And the other was Qian Gu Qingfeng from the Spirit Pagoda? Why would they both come looking for us together?"

Zhenhua raised his head, his face full of exhaustion and lingering fear. He sighed deeply, his voice hoarse:
"Yes...it's here, it's finally here. The Federation...has begun to doubt me."

Upon hearing Zhenhua's almost tacit agreement, Mu Ye was first stunned, then a surge of anger rushed to his head. He pointed a finger at Zhenhua's nose, his finger trembling with rage, and he cursed in a low voice:
"I knew it! I've told you countless times not to pull these dirty tricks right under the Federation's nose!"

"How has the Federation treated you all these years? Huh? Massive amounts of life energy medicine, top-grade rare metals, whatever you want! They've practically amassed a level 98 Super Douluo talent from someone whose martial soul talent isn't even top-tier, allowing you to focus wholeheartedly on your pursuit of the Divine Craftsman realm and continue your forging. You're even close to reaching the level 99 threshold!"

Makino grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.
"The Federation has invested so much, all they want is for you to focus on forging four-word battle armor for them and consolidating the Federation's strength. But what have you done? You've actually gone so far as to secretly forge armor for the Shrek Academy members. What kind of spell have they cast on you to make you take such a risk?"

"Do you really think that the man surnamed Xu is just a figurehead while you're sitting in the top position of the Federation? Haven't you heard about his methods?"

The mere mention of the Federal Speaker surnamed Xu sent a chill down Makino's spine, a deep unease and apprehension creeping onto his face.
"No! Absolutely not! Zhenhua, we've been friends for years. I can't just stand by and watch you jump into the fire and die a horrible death!"

He grabbed Zhenhua's arm and said urgently:
“Let’s go, let’s leave now and leave Tiandou City immediately for the Western Continent. Although I have long since left the Body Sect, I still have some ties to it.”

"I'll risk my reputation to see the current Sect Master of the Body Sect, explain the situation clearly, and beg him to show leniency and protect you out of consideration for our past relationship and the value of a divine craftsman!"

"The situation in the Western Continent is special. With the Body Sect and the Soul Beast Sect in charge, even if that Xu guy has immense power, he'll have to think twice before reaching out to the Body Sect and the Soul Beast Sect. Moreover, with the Body Sect Master stepping in to mediate, perhaps... perhaps he really can save your life!"

Upon hearing this, Zhenhua showed no joy, only a deep sigh, a weak wave of his hand, and a weary, despairing look in his eyes.
"Stop joking, Lao Mu. Don't I know your personality?"

"Back then, you were arrogant and felt that the sect was restricting your mecha dream, so you resolutely left the Body Sect and vowed never to rely on the sect's protection again."

"Now, for my sake, you're willing to bow down and go back to beg for help? Even if you are, why should the sect leader of the Body Sect give you, a traitor, any face?"

(End of this chapter)