Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

Chapter 573

Gong Shangjiao looked at Elder Yue and Elder Hua who were begging him, and could only sigh and stop Gong Yuanzheng who was passing by him, "Brother Yuanzheng, you left the Elder Council in such anger and headed straight for Yu Palace. Isn't this the same as telling everyone in the palace that Gongmen Zhiren has betrayed the palace and chosen to cooperate with Wufeng!"

When Gong Yuanzheng heard what Gong Shangjiao said, he thought that Gong Shangjiao was trying to excuse Gong Ziyu, so he immediately shook off Gong Shangjiao's hand, "Are you just going to leave him like this? He used to be a dandy boy, and now he's even disregarding the blood feud of everyone in the palace and cooperating with Wufeng. He even chose to act like his father and let him into the palace. How can such a person be worthy of being a palace guard!"

Gong Yuanzheng suddenly turned around, his eyes burning with anger as he stared at Elder Yue and Elder Hua on the steps.

"Even now, you two old bastards are still favoring Gong Ziyu!" Gong Yuanzheng's voice was deafening, filled with anger and dissatisfaction. "What is so great about Gong Ziyu? Is he a peerless treasure? Is it worth it for you to disregard your own reputation and blindly protect him?"

Elder Hua and Elder Yue were completely stunned by Gong Yuanzheng's accusation. They opened their mouths, but found themselves speechless, not knowing how to respond. After all, before this, Gong Ziyu had indeed received a lot of favoritism from them.

Although Elder Hua's attitude towards Gong Ziyu was not as obvious as that of the other two elders, among the other three direct descendants of the four palaces of Gongmen, Gong Ziyu was undoubtedly the most favored by the elders.

This was especially true for Elder Yue, who had never married or had children in his life, but had adopted a child from the Moon Palace. Before meeting Gong Ziyu, Elder Yue had always treated that adopted child as his own. However, since Gong Ziyu appeared, Elder Yue's love for him even surpassed that of his own biological child.

As for Elder Xue, that goes without saying. He is the one who loves Gong Ziyu the most among the three elders, not only because he, like Elder Yue, never married, but also because although the Snow Palace also has Young Master Xue, he was raised by Xue Chongzi after all, and is not close to Elder Xue.

In the end, Elder Hua and Elder Yue did not say a word of reprimand. After all, they really wanted to make the matter smaller, at least not expose this scandal to everyone.

Gong Shangjiao saw that the situation had reached a point where a solution was necessary due to Gong Yuanzheng's agitation, so he slowly said, "Brother Yuanzheng, you're being impulsive! Gong Ziyu is already being escorted here! And that Young Master Wufeng is also on his way!"

Gong Yuanzheng was still willing to listen to Gong Shangjiao's words. After getting Gong Shangjiao's answer, he temporarily suppressed his anger.

While waiting for Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan to arrive, the people in the Elders' Hall didn't just stand there doing nothing. They were either talking in low voices or looking around, and the atmosphere seemed a bit dull.

At this moment, Gong Shangjiao suddenly spoke, breaking the slightly awkward silence. His voice was deep and powerful, attracting everyone's attention.

"Elder Hua, Elder Yue, Shangjiao still has one thing unclear. Could you please ask the two elders to clarify the doubts for Shangjiao, Yuanzheng and the eldest lady?" Gong Shangjiao's gaze fell on Elder Hua and Elder Yue, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Elder Hua felt a little relieved when he saw Gong Shangjiao finally calming down Gong Yuanzheng. He was naturally happy to change the subject and asked with a smile, "Shangjiao, what is it that you don't understand? Feel free to tell me."

Gong Shangjiao hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "The palace gate has long been plagued by miasma from the mountains and forests. This miasma not only affects the cultivation of the palace disciples, but also causes certain damage to the surrounding environment. However, when we entered the Old Dust Valley today, I was surprised to find that the miasma that had been shrouding the palace gate seemed to have disappeared!"

His words quickly caught the attention of Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Zishang. Although Gong Zishang had been staying inside the palace gates, she was absorbed in forging and had been secluded in her laboratory. When she left the laboratory, she was distracted by the news of Gong Ziyu and Wufeng's collaboration and did not notice the disappearance of the miasma.

Gong Yuanzheng went out with Gong Shangjiao to strangle Wufeng, and after returning, his attention was diverted by Gong Zishang. He also did not notice that the miasma that had been shrouding the palace gate had disappeared.

Gong Shangjiao continued, "Who has such great ability to solve the problem that has been plaguing the palace for so long? This is truly puzzling."

His gaze fell on Elder Hua and Elder Yue again, obviously hoping to get an answer from them.

After hearing Gong Shangjiao's question, Elder Hua's previously stern face finally broke into a bright smile, "This matter is all thanks to the Yuanzheng family! If they hadn't led people into the back mountains, I'm afraid we would still be suffering from the miasma!"

Gong Shangjiao, Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Zishang also became interested at this moment. Although Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang had a certain understanding of Gong Yuanzheng's family, they were different from Gong Yuanzheng after all. What they knew was just what others wanted them to know, and they only had a vague understanding of the real situation.

After getting the answer from Elder Hua, Gong Yuanzheng quickly came up with a guess, but he did not speak. Instead, he secretly observed his brother Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang who was hiding his heart.

Gong Shangjiao showed a surprised expression. When he turned to look at Gong Yuanzheng, Gong Yuanzheng had already restrained his expression and was looking at him with the same shock.

Gong Shangjiao: "Could Elder Hua and Elder Yue please tell us how the expedition's mother's family resolved this major issue that has troubled our palace for hundreds of years!"

Gong Zishang nodded in agreement with Gong Shangjiao's statement. She also wanted to know how the miasma was solved?

Gong Yuanzheng had a vague suspicion. He had previously heard his father and Xiaohua's brother casually reveal something about the back mountain, and he had also heard Zhao Yuanzhou's name. He suspected that Zhao Yuanzhou had taken something from the back mountain, and that something was the culprit for the miasma that enveloped the palace gate.

Elder Hua's hand, which had been stroking his beard, suddenly stopped. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "As for the specific operation, I'm not entirely clear. Young Master Hua simply led Lord Zhao from the Demon Collection Division into the back mountains, and I was left outside, not allowed to follow. Therefore, I have no idea what exactly happened inside. However, I did notice that after they emerged, the miasma that had been shrouding the palace gates began to dissipate, and the long-awaited sunlight finally broke through the clouds and shone upon the palace gates."

After hearing Elder Hua's words, Gong Yuanzheng suddenly had a thought: Could it be that Father had taken the Great Wilderness guards hostage to hold these three old men hostage? That would explain everything. Especially Elder Xue; he was likely beaten for not cooperating with Father's plan.

The more Gong Yuanzheng thought about it, the more he felt his suspicions were correct. This made sense, as did Elder Xue's absence. He must have felt humiliated in front of the palace guards, feeling ashamed to face them again. This had driven him to the point of illness.

The two elders standing in front of them now should have cooperated with their father's actions, so they were spared, but they were also ashamed, so they ignored the first half.

Yun Weishan was dragged by the palace guards like a rag doll, her body rubbing against the hard ground, leaving a long bloodstain. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and her face was covered in dirt and scars. She looked extremely miserable.

In comparison, Gong Ziyu's treatment was slightly better, but only slightly better. He was forced to change into the uniform of a palace guard. Although the clothes were a little ill-fitting, at least he was not dragged away like Yun Weishan.

Although Gong Shangjiao took into consideration the reputation of the four palaces' direct descendants and did not let Gong Ziyu suffer such humiliating treatment like Yun Weishan, his attitude towards Gong Ziyu was still very cold.

Jin Fan followed Gong Ziyu silently as usual, but in order not to attract other people's attention, he also made some simple disguises.

When Gong Ziyu saw Yun Weishan's miserable appearance, a strong feeling of pity and sympathy suddenly surged in his heart. He completely forgot that Yun Weishan was an assassin without a front, and only saw the suffering she was going through at the moment.

"Ms. Yun, how could you become like this! Did they torture you?" Gong Ziyu's voice was full of concern and anxiety, as if he had lost his mind.

After hearing what Gong Ziyu said, Jin Fan's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He stared at Gong Ziyu with wide eyes, looking at him in disbelief, then suddenly grabbed his hand and roared in a low voice: "Gong Ziyu! Do you know what you are talking about! Yun Weishan is Wufeng's person! At this moment, you still have time to worry about her! You might as well think about your life!"

Jin Fan's heart and eyes were filled with only Gong Ziyu, but he never expected that despite his sincere treatment, the other party would not appreciate it at all and even directly shook off his hand.

Gong Ziyu retorted excitedly, "Miss Yun definitely didn't volunteer to become a Wufeng assassin! She must have had her own reasons! Besides, she was just a young child when she entered Wufeng. How could she possibly withstand the power of those adults?"

Jin Fan stared at Gong Ziyu with wide eyes, looking at him in astonishment, as if he didn't recognize him. He muttered to himself, "You're really crazy! You're simply hopeless! Gong Ziyu, oh Gong Ziyu, you'd rather trust someone you've only known for a few days than trust us, the people who have been with you for over twenty years!"

His voice was filled with disappointment and pain, as if he had been betrayed by the person he trusted the most.

Unexpectedly, Jin Fan's expression looked as ugly as a show in Gong Ziyu's eyes. He even mocked Jin Fan, "Jin Fan, you are only thinking about my own good now! If you really wanted to do good for me, you wouldn't have secretly told Gong Zishang about my plan! If you hadn't informed me, how could I have ended up like this!"

Jin Fan was even more deeply hurt by Gong Ziyu's words. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. In the end, he just moved his lips twice and chose to keep silent.

The noise at the door was clearly heard by the other four people except Gong Zishang, who had no internal strength.

It was not until now that Elder Hua and Elder Yue suddenly realized that they seemed to have never really understood Gong Ziyu. All the things they had experienced in the past were just his shortcomings that were not exposed because of his smooth sailing!

After hearing what Gong Ziyu said, veins popped out on Gong Shangjiao and Gong Yuanzheng's foreheads. Gong Yuanzheng even wanted to rush out and poison Gong Ziyu to death!

Gong Zishang has always been the person who knows how to read people's expressions. When she saw the painful expressions on Elder Hua and Elder Yue's faces, and the ashen face of Gong Yuanzheng, and although Gong Shangjiao had no expression on his face, the blue veins on their foreheads indicated that what happened at the door was not simple.

As expected, Gong Ziyu started shouting something loudly as soon as he entered the Elders' Council. His voice was so loud that even Gong Zishang felt ashamed of himself. He also felt the pain in the hearts of the two elders, as well as the resentment of Gong Er and Gong San.

As Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan were pressed onto the hall, Gong Ziyu seemed to realize something and suddenly kept silent.

The guards threw Yun Weishan, who looked like a dead dog, onto the main hall of the Elders' Council, and then turned and left the hall at the signal of the elders.

Gong Ziyu stretched his neck at this moment, trying to use his height to look down on Gong Shangjiao, Gong Yuanzheng, Gong Zishang and the two elders on the steps.

Gong Yuanzheng didn't fall for Gong Ziyu's tricks and punched him twice. He knocked Gong Ziyu to the ground. When he looked up again, Gong Ziyu had two bruises on his face.

After seeing this scene, Gong Zishang suddenly felt the joy of the daily playfulness between Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Ziyu. It must be said that Gong Yuanzheng's action really let out a sigh of relief.

Jin Fan, standing behind Gong Ziyu, quickly retracted his outstretched hand, as if pulled back by an invisible force. His heart was filled with conflict and entanglement. On the one hand, he was deeply worried about the safety of Gong Ziyu, a "weakling," and worried that he would be severely bullied by Gong Yuanzheng; on the other hand, he secretly hoped that Gong Yuanzheng would teach Gong Ziyu a lesson and wake him up from his confusion.

Gong Ziyu covered his eyes, where Gong Yuanzheng had punched him twice, and struggled to get up from the ground. His body was shaky, and it was obvious that the two punches had caused him considerable damage. However, he chose not to remain silent. Instead, he roared with all his strength, "Gong Yuanzheng, are you crazy? How dare you be so presumptuous in front of the elders! Do you still have any respect for the palace rules?"

Gong Ziyu's roar echoed throughout the empty palace, as if he was releasing all the anger and grievances in his heart. He stared at Gong Yuanzheng intently with his eyes wide open, hoping that the elders would give him a harsh reprimand as usual.

However, as time passed, Gong Ziyu still didn't hear that familiar voice, nor did he hear the elders' reprimands. A sense of unease gradually welled up in his heart, and he began to doubt his own judgment.

Finally, Gong Ziyu couldn't help but release the hand that had been covering his left eye and looked at Elder Hua and Elder Yue standing on the steps. The moment his eyes met with the two elders, he suddenly felt a strange atmosphere.

The harshness and reproach that should have appeared on Elder Hua and Elder Yue's faces were now replaced by disappointment. They stood there quietly, without saying a word, just looking at Gong Ziyu with complicated eyes.

Gong Ziyu's heart suddenly tightened, and he suddenly realized that things seemed to have gone beyond his expectations. His panic seemed to be transformed into a sense of guilt and remorse in the eyes of Elder Hua and Elder Yue. They might think that Gong Ziyu had always known about their overt and covert bias, which was why he was still so fearless after committing such a serious crime.