The Scapegoat (Part 1)

"Lord Xu, you must be joking."
The smile on Jing Ergou's face was somewhat stiff.
He gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the spiritual energy testing instrument.
Dao Liuliu's heart suddenly tightened, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
A gleam flashed in Xu Jianyi's eyes, and a golden light began to emanate from both of his hands.
Without a doubt, once the testing instrument reacted, Xu Jianyi would immediately strike Jing Ergou down.
As for whether Jing Ergou was the eldest young master of the Jing Clan, or whether the Jing Clan was the wealthiest family in Gusu City, it held no sway over Xu Jianyi!

One breath, two breaths...
The testing instrument showed no reaction whatsoever.
Xu Jianyi's brow furrowed slightly.
Seeing Jing Ergou's behavior just now, he had thought this eldest young master of the Jing Clan had a problem.

"Manager Diwu, it is your turn," Xu Lu spoke.

"Wait!"
Xu Jianyi said solemnly. He took two steps forward, somewhat roughly pushed Jing Ergou aside, and placed his own hand on the testing instrument.

*Hum...*
The testing instrument emitted a soft hum, and a green column of light rose two inches high.
Spiritual energy cultivation, third rank!
Xu Jianyi's brow furrowed even deeper. The testing instrument had no issues, so the eldest young master of the Jing Clan was truly fine?

"Manager Diwu, it is your turn," Xu Jianyi dismissed his thoughts, looked at Diwu Huorong, and spoke.

Jing Ergou and Dao Liuliu glanced at each other, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
Had they passed the trial just like that?
Could it be because they had joined Master Bai's sect? Although they had not felt it over the past few days, had their mystic cultivation actually progressed by leaps and bounds?
Even this breath-concealing technique had made significant progress?

While their hearts were filled with pleasant surprise, Diwu Huorong's heart was filled with immense trepidation.
He had originally thought that with the protection of the Dao and Jing clans, the Heavenly Officials would not truly investigate him.
In the past, the Heavenly Palace's investigations of rebels never concerned him.
After all, he was a member of the Dao Clan and the chief manager of a tavern, exposing his face daily. Even the Heavenly Palace had blind spots.
He had not expected the Heavenly Palace to be serious this time.
*Had I known earlier, I would have left Jiangdu long ago,* Diwu Huorong thought to himself.
He lifted his foot and walked toward the table step by step.

"Mystic Art, Luo Mu Xiao Xiao!"
Suddenly, Diwu Huorong roared, and a green light erupted from his body.

*Whoosh...*
The tables and chairs in the room, along with all wooden objects, were swept up by a fierce wind and hurled toward Xu Jianyi.
Even the floorboards shook, as if about to fly up.
Unfortunately, Diwu Huorong's strength was insufficient; otherwise, the entire Taibai Tower might have been turned into a weapon against Xu Jianyi.

Just as those wooden shards flew toward Xu Jianyi, Diwu Huorong leaped out of the window.
"Mystic Art, Bu Yun Liu Feng!"
Diwu Huorong's figure was swept away like a whirlwind, disappearing toward the Qu River at extreme speed.

"Wanting to flee? In your dreams!"
Xu Jianyi swung his fist, shattering the wooden fragments, took a step forward, and roared.
"Mystic Art, Mu Gu Shen Zhong!"
A bronze bell seemed to manifest in midair.
The bronze bell emitted a thunderous toll.
In the distance, Diwu Huorong's figure staggered, yet he still managed to plunge into the Qu River.
Only then did the City Guard on the street manage to fire their bows.
Arrows pierced the river surface, but Diwu Huorong had already vanished without a trace.
Furious, Xu Jianyi leaped directly from Taibai Tower, pursuing the direction where Diwu Huorong had disappeared.

Dao Liuliu and Jing Ergou stared at each other in mutual bewilderment.
Diwu Huorong was a rebel Mystic Cultivator?

Li Yaozhong crossed a name off his list with his brush, and as he walked downstairs, he said, "Stay here and do not wander. It is highly dangerous outside right now!"

Xu Lu also showed a look of surprise.
Diwu Huorong's reaction was somewhat too extreme.
Why did he not at least try?
If he had tried, perhaps he would have passed.
Xu Lu had even been prepared to lend him a hand.
Was this not jumping into the fire pit of his own accord?
One brings trouble upon oneself and cannot escape it.
This left Xu Lu unable to help even if he wanted to.

"Eldest Young Master Dao, Diwu Huorong was your family's man. Did you know he was a rebel?"
Xu Lu looked at Dao Liuliu and asked.
Previously, Diwu Huorong had been gifted to Xu Lu along with Deyue Tower, having served the Dao Clan for decades.

"I did not know,"
Dao Liuliu said. "Diwu Huorong had followed my father since he first rose to prominence. I have known him since childhood, yet I never knew he was a rebel. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover." Dao Liuliu lamented.

Xu Lu rolled his eyes inwardly.
*Are you not the same?*
Diwu Huorong likely did not know that you were a rebel Mystic Cultivator either.

"It seems this meal cannot be finished,"
Xu Lu looked at the messy room and said. "If you two are interested, you are welcome to come to Deyue Tower to drink with me."
With that, Xu Lu walked downstairs.

Dao Liuliu and Jing Ergou had no intention of keeping him.
Seeing Xu Lu depart, Dao Liuliu closed the window tightly and looked at Jing Ergou.
"Ergou, what do you think happened just now?"
Dao Liuliu lowered his voice and whispered.

"How should I know? I was prepared to be exposed just now,"
Jing Ergou whispered. "Do you think it has something to do with Master Bai?"

"Impossible. No matter how miraculous Master Bai's divine abilities are, he is not in Jiangdu City. How could he affect this spiritual energy testing instrument?"

"No, I mean, under Master Bai's guidance, have we actually undergone a rebirth?"
Jing Ergou stroked his chin and said, "No, I must quickly complete Master Bai's test and officially become his outer disciple!"
At this thought, he was filled with zeal.

Deyue Tower.
Mai Jiuqu stood by the window on the top floor, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the Qu River not far away.
On the river, shouts echoed incessantly.
Heavenly Officials, Lictors, and the City Guard were all moving back and forth on the river.
They were searching for the rebel in the Qu River.

*Tap, tap...*
The sound of footsteps echoed.
Mai Jiuqu did not turn around, speaking slowly, "You have arrived."

"Were you waiting for me?"
Xu Lu said calmly.
Mai Jiuqu was a Great Strength Mystic Cultivator.
After resolving the matters of Tu Gou and Wu Gui, Xu Lu had rushed to Deyue Tower.
Yes, it was Mai Jiuqu.
After all, they were acquaintances, and Mai Jiuqu was currently the chief manager under him, working quite capably. If he could help, Xu Lu would lend a hand.
Of course, the prerequisite was that it did not implicate himself.

"Yes,"
Mai Jiuqu said, turning to face Xu Lu.
"If I told you I am a rebel, what would you do?"
Mai Jiuqu looked straight at Xu Lu.

Xu Lu's face was filled with surprise. *Another one confessing voluntarily?*
First Diwu Huorong, now you. You were both so steady when acting as managers, so why can neither of you remain calm now?

"Nothing,"
Xu Lu calmed down and said. "I am neither a Heavenly Official nor a court official. Whether you are a rebel has nothing to do with me. I only know that you are the chief manager of Deyue Tower."

"I mean, as a rebel, I cannot continue to be the chief manager of Deyue Tower,"
Mai Jiuqu looked at Xu Lu and said solemnly. "Furthermore, my rebel status might implicate you. Do you not understand what being a rebel entails?"

"I naturally know,"
Xu Lu said calmly. "Just half an hour ago at Taibai Tower, I witnessed a rebel with my own eyes. You probably did not expect that the chief manager of Taibai Tower, Diwu Huorong, was a rebel."

"Diwu Huorong?"
A look of surprise appeared on Mai Jiuqu's face. "I indeed did not expect that."

"You do not seem surprised that I am a rebel,"
Mai Jiuqu said, looking at Xu Lu.

"It is not that I am not surprised, but rather that I have already been surprised,"
Xu Lu shook his head and said. "Diwu Huorong worked with me for so long, yet he turned out to be a rebel. To use an old saying, one may know a person's face but not their heart. I now wonder how many normal people are left around me."
These words were a heartfelt lament.
Thinking carefully, almost everyone he knew seemed to be a Mystic Cultivator.
Chen Siming, Dao Liuliu, Situ Yanqing, Xue Huan, even Diwu Huorong and Mai Jiuqu.
The rebel Mystic Cultivators around him were indeed a bit too numerous.
By comparison, the normal people he knew were few.
Zhang Bao's family, his old neighbors in Ande Ward...
But of those people, Zhang Bao's family had moved to parts unknown because of Zhang Shitou, and Xu Lu had not heard from them in a long time.
As for the neighbors in Ande Ward, contact had long been severed...