12dz Chapter 103 Stendhal
Chapter 103 Stendhal
Chapter 103 Stendhal
As Shen An watched Feng Changrong's face turn increasingly pale, he uttered a conclusion that sent chills down their spines: "One round trip. Even under the fastest and most ideal circumstances, the complete transmission of information takes at least six days!"
"But the transfer order from our sect arrived yesterday. From the time you sent the letter to the arrival of the order, only four short days passed!"
"Where did those two days that were erased go?!"
boom!
Feng Changrong felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind, and his blood instantly turned cold. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He finally understood.
That's absolutely impossible! The timing just doesn't match!
unless----
"Senior brother—you mean—" His voice was dry and trembling with disbelief.
"What I mean is very simple." Shen An's voice was also somewhat hesitant. "This transfer order was not issued by the Songshan Sect."
"Transferring Li Donglai was not a spur-of-the-moment decision made by the sect after seeing our report!"
Shen An paused for a moment, finally realizing why he had felt something was off after receiving the letter: "No wonder the letter only mentioned the transfer of Li Donglai, but didn't instruct our Hengyang Bailian Workshop to make any preparations for welcoming our elders. This is completely illogical."
Feng Changrong was reminded of this and immediately realized what was going on.
Yes! When the sect's Heavenly Team headed south, Hengyang was their most important stop.
Logically, the headquarters' orders should include detailed arrangements for these "landlords," such as how many guest rooms to prepare, how much supplies to purchase, and how to coordinate relations with local officials.
However, the transfer order made no mention of this.
Feng Changrong quickly took out the neatly folded transfer order from his pocket, and by the dim candlelight, he almost pressed his face against the letter to examine it carefully.
The letter paper was made of high-density Xuan paper commonly used in Songshan, with a tough and resilient feel; the ink was the usual pine soot Huizhou ink, with a sandalwood fragrance; the sealing wax mark was the unique "Ten Thousand Mountains Paying Homage to the Ancestors" pattern of the Songshan School, with clear lines and no possibility of imitation; the bright red seal of the sect leader at the end of the letter had a pure cinnabar color, and the subtle wear and tear formed over the years between the strokes of the seal were exactly the same as he remembered.
"Senior brother, look!" Feng Changrong handed the letter to Shen An, his voice tinged with urgency and confusion. "I vaguely remember seeing that outer disciple who delivered the letter on the mountain before. And the markings and seals on this letter—they're not fake!"
Shen An took the letter but didn't look at it closely. Instead, he gently stroked the bright red mark with his fingertips and fell into deep thought.
it is true.
Am I overthinking things?
"Who in Songshan can use this seal?" Shen An raised his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring directly at Feng Changrong.
Feng Changrong felt a chill run down his spine under the man's gaze and dared not be negligent. He pondered for a moment and recalled, "According to the sect rules, the sect leader's seal can only be held by the Left Sect Leader himself. Currently on the mountain—besides the Left Sect Leader, only the Seventh Uncle Tang Ying'e, who is in charge of all sect affairs, can use it, but—"
"Sixth Protector" Tang Ying'e — Shen An has a very deep memory of this seventh uncle.
When the original owner was being taught martial arts on the mountain, he was very fond of this strict uncle because of his hard work in sword practice and his calm demeanor. He often received extra guidance from him.
Feng Changrong paused, then added, "There's another situation. Second Martial Uncle, Ding Mian, the 'Pagoda-Bearer,' is the Grand Protector among the Thirteen Protectors. He travels extensively, overseeing all affairs of the Songshan Sect outside the sect. To facilitate his actions, the Sect Leader bestowed upon him a secondary seal. Although slightly different from the primary seal, its effect is equal, allowing him to issue orders on behalf of the Sect Leader when outside the sect."
"My master and seventh uncle are both in Songshan. The letter I sent was sent directly to the headquarters. It's impossible that they had already prepared the transfer order before I sent the letter," Shen An analyzed slowly, his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer. "Then, the only possibility is my second uncle, Ding Mian."
"Could it be that Second Uncle is traveling outside and is closer to Hengyang, so he learned about Liu Zhengfeng's matter in advance and gave the order first?" Feng Changrong guessed.
"Possibly, but—" Shen An was still completely baffled, "Why would my second martial uncle do that?"
Yes, that doesn't make sense.
Unless—the person who issued this order had no "official business" in mind at all.
The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the candlelight flickering softly, casting the two shadows on the wall, making them appear to grow longer and shorter, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere.
"Senior brother—" After a long silence, Feng Changrong suddenly raised his head, as if he had thought of something extremely important. His eyes were complex, carrying a hint of hesitation and resentment, which finally turned into a long sigh. "Do you—do you still remember how you were 'sent' to Hengyang back then?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "派" (pài).
As the only direct disciple of the sect leader Zuo Lengchan, he was of noble status and had a promising future, but he was exiled to this "remote place" far from the power center of Songshan, to perform dirty and tiring work such as monitoring allies and running shady businesses. In the eyes of any discerning person, this was by no means a training, but an outright demotion.
Shen An's gaze sharpened slightly, and he nodded: "I know. I had some conflicts with my senior brother while we were inside the sect."
He traveled through time and inherited memories of this event, which left a deep impression on him.
The original owner of this body was calm and composed, disliked fighting, and had no interest in becoming the senior disciple or even the future sect leader.
But it was precisely because of his uncompetitive and unassuming personality, coupled with his extremely hard work in sword practice and his high talent, that he was deeply loved by his seventh uncle, Tang Ying'e, who was in charge of managing the sect's affairs and teaching the disciples, and was often regarded as a role model for the disciples.
This fondness and high regard inevitably attracted the jealousy and resentment of the eldest disciple, Thousand-Foot Pine, Stendhal. In Stendhal's eyes, his junior brother, who was also a direct disciple of the sect leader, was a stumbling block on his path to inheriting the throne.
"That's right." Feng Changrong gave a wry smile, his voice tinged with sympathy. "But you may not know, senior brother, that in fact, the Left Sect Leader didn't only punish you. Not long after you went south, to show his impartiality, he also punished Shi Dengda, ordering him to follow Second Uncle Ding Mian out of the mountains to handle Jianghu affairs, saying it was to temper his character."
"You mean—" Shen An's pupils suddenly contracted, and a previously blurry outline instantly became clear!
"I didn't say anything." Feng Changrong immediately shook his head, stopping himself from speaking.
He was just an ordinary inner disciple, with no intention of getting involved in such a high-level struggle for the position of sect leader. Some things were best left unsaid, that was the limit. But the meaning in his eyes was all too clear.
Shen An didn't need him to say anything more.
Second Uncle Ding Mian had the authority and the ability to issue orders.
Senior Brother Shi Dengda is currently on business with Ding Mian.
This seemingly reasonable transfer order actually contains some unusual elements.
These kinds of "promotions in name only"
The insidious tactic of "drawing the firewood from under the cauldron"—this seemingly meticulous yet deadly scheme—is exactly the same as the way his senior brother acted in his memory!