togophonebook Chapter 872 Deliberately Showing Favor
Chapter 872 Deliberately Showing Favor
Chapter 872 Deliberately Showing Favor
Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu dared not say much, but Gong Mengbi was quite eager to chat with them.
"Are you from the Hu family?"
Guan Jiu said, "Yes."
"I've long heard that the Hu family likes to give people surnames. Did you add the surname Hu before your original names, or were you originally from the Hu family?"
“Ji Xiu and I use our real names, but we’ve added the surname Hu,” Guan Jiu replied.
"The Su clan is ancient, dating back to Qingqiu and Yousu. They have always looked down on wild foxes. Under the Su clan, you can only serve as servants and slaves. The Chun clan is also an ancient fox clan and has a tradition of taking in sons-in-law. However, the Chun clan mostly has 'red thread purple fairy' (a type of female immortal), who can be male concubines or male concubines, but very few sons-in-law can actually live with the family. The Huangfu clan is a newly rich clan, focusing on cultivating its own members and rarely taking in wild foxes."
"Only the Hu family, which was originally a merger of several families, is willing to absorb those with exceptional talent from the wild foxes. As long as they are willing to acknowledge their ancestors and become disciples of the Hu ancestor, they will be granted the surname Hu and become members of the Hu family."
Gong Mengbi looked at Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu and said, "For Yehu, being able to become an adopted son in the Hu family is indeed a good place."
Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu hesitated and didn't know how to respond.
The conflict between the aristocratic families and the wild foxes in the Heavenly Fox Academy has a long history. The wild foxes are powerless and have little influence, so even if they have some talent, it is difficult for them to cause any trouble. On the contrary, as soon as someone shows any outstanding talent, they will immediately be targeted by the young masters and ladies.
Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu were originally fox spirits themselves, so they naturally knew that Gong Mengbi was now a high-ranking official among the fox spirits, having been ordered to build a fox spirit academy and compile fox spirit books, thus offending the aristocratic families terribly. Now that Gong Mengbi had said these words, it was unclear what he meant.
Gong Mengbi naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against the two of them. For ordinary people like them, climbing the social ladder, regardless of the means, is an unavoidable choice. Compared to other paths, the Hu family is already considered quite well-off.
The four major families, the Heavenly Fox Clan, share common interests, thus appearing as a united front in dealing with the Wild Fox. The Wild Fox, on the other hand, has long been weak and isolated, making it difficult to mount an effective resistance.
Even if Xun Jijiu is powerful, he can't carry the whole ship alone. Now, the Goddess and Xun Jijiu are placing their hopes on Gong Mengbi because his appearance has created a new possibility for integrating the Wild Fox.
The imperial construction of the Fox Academy is only the first step. If this step is maintained, the Fox Academy will be filled with Gong Mengbi's disciples in 30 to 50 years.
Seeing the unease in these two people, Gong Mengbi said, "I'm not criticizing you, but I feel a sense of regret. Indeed, it is the foxes who know best how to deal with the foxes. The Hu family was originally a fox, so they know best how to divide and conquer. Over the centuries, how many heroes like you have ended up unknown under the Hu family's tutelage?"
Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu fell silent.
Only the Hu family themselves know the joys and sorrows of their lives. Perhaps even Chu Yun Tongzi, who has just returned to the mountain, knows.
Ji Xiu squeezed his eyelids tightly and said in a low voice, "My brother and I were ordered to invite the envoy. No one told us that you were already a fourth-grade cultivator."
"Then you need to figure out what the people who gave you the orders are thinking."
Ji Xiu said, "He naturally wanted to set a trap for the two of us and also wanted to provoke you. But what I mean is, you have such abilities and you stand with Chief Instructor Xun. The sixth-rank Demon Examiner is not worth mentioning and has nothing to do with the big picture."
“But a fourth-grade major repair is different. You must be careful and take good care of yourself,” Guan Jiu added.
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder. If such a day comes, I might as well give up the Hu family and come and see the scenery outside. Of course—if such a day comes."
Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu did not respond, and Gong Mengbi did not continue speaking.
These two are clearly not the novice disciples who can easily shake one's mind. Let's start with a simple, perfunctory approach, being careful not to overdo it.
Upon arriving at the Criminal Investigation Department, one finds a large screen wall in front of its entrance, inscribed with the "Laws of the Fox."
After entering the Criminal Investigation Department, they went to the Hall of Mirror Truth.
The Cleansing Mirror hangs in the Jianzhen Hall, and the two sides where Master Xingtang should have stood are now empty.
Five judges sat beneath the Mirror of Cleansing the Mind.
The one in the center is the Chief Judge of Criminal Investigation, the one on the left is the Recorder of Crimes, and the three supervisors on the right are the Three Immortals.
Five fourth-rank cultivators gathered behind the high hall desk, looking down at Gong Mengbi. Their mere gazes were enough to make Guan Jiu and Ji Xiu, who were behind Gong Mengbi, break out in a cold sweat.
Seeing that the Jianzhen Hall seemed somewhat crowded after Gong Mengbi entered, the Chief Envoy of Criminal Investigation said, "You may all leave now."
Guan and Ji felt as if they had been granted a pardon and hurriedly fled Jianzhen Hall.
They left, but the Five Ghosts remained. The five strong servants stood behind Gong Mengbi. When Gong Mengbi looked up and met the gazes of the five great cultivators, he felt no pressure whatsoever, and was not at a disadvantage at all.
With their keen eyesight, they could naturally tell that this was a Five Elements Spirit Ghost. But this composure angered the three immortals. The Su Clan Fox Fairy slammed her hand on the table and roared, "Gong Mengbi! You have committed such a grave mistake, and you still refuse to confess!"
Gong Mengbi feigned surprise and asked, "Why is Lord Su Xia so furious? I have been diligent and conscientious in my duties since I took office, and I dare not make the slightest mistake. I do not know what crime I have committed?"
The Fox Fairy of the Su Clan, Ren Juxia, was usually addressed as Lord Xia. Upon hearing this, he trembled with rage and said, "Your methods are ruthless and vicious. Under the guise of the Demon Examination, you killed Master Chang's disciple, stripped the cultivation of your old friend, Lord Ziyun, offended the True God of the Heavenly Palace, and brought great disaster upon my Heavenly Fox Academy!"
"Master Xia, have you forgotten that I also destroyed Ming Xiazi's Dharma body and severely injured his true body? Ming Xiazi must have made many friends while traveling in the Heavenly Palace."
"You! You!" Su Xiagong's face turned bright red: "Outrageous! Outrageous!"
Gong Mengbi shook his head and said, "Lord Xia, you are mistaken. I am simply enforcing the law in accordance with Heaven's will and fulfilling my duty to test the demons. They failed the test because of their own greed, and they will be punished accordingly. If Master Chang, Lord Ziyun, or even Ming Xiazi's friends have any questions, they are welcome to confront me face to face. If they are unwilling to confront me face to face, they can also appeal to the Demon King. If I have done anything wrong, just strip me of my Heavenly Register and punish me accordingly."
He looked at Su Xiagong with a half-smile: "As for Xiagong, I received the Heavenly Treasury Golden Register and conducted the examinations impartially. No one has come to me with their grievances yet, so why are you getting anxious first? Don't panic, Xiagong. If they do come to me, just push the blame onto me."
"If this is pushed onto you, who do you think you are?" Su Xiagong's eyes were almost red. He had been overwhelmed with worry and anger these past few days. Today, he joined forces with the Criminal Investigation Department to interrogate Gong Mengbi, but he had a vague feeling that he could not control Gong Mengbi, which made him somewhat mentally unstable.
The deputy envoy of the Chun clan held down Su Xiagong and laughed, "Gong Mengbi, you are a disciple of my Tianhu Academy. How can you act without considering the consequences and make things difficult for the academy?"
"Lord Xia, you are mistaken. The Demon Trial is a matter of the Heavenly Palace bestowing a golden register to select those who seek the Dao throughout the world. This is an imperial edict from the Heavenly Palace and a fundamental principle of the Immortal Path. If we were to treat it lightly and let it go, wouldn't that allow those with wicked intentions to tarnish the reputation and purity of the Immortal Path?"
"The demonic test can be let off lightly, but if they commit serious offenses and cause bloodshed in the future, who will bear the consequences? If the Heavenly Palace investigates, who will take responsibility? The Heavenly Fox Academy has taken on the responsibility of the Heavenly Palace's demonic test. If it sets itself up improperly from the start, how will it conduct itself in the future?"
Chunxia was equally furious, her face turning red. She said, "Fine! I'll say one thing to you, and you'll have a hundred things to say back."
Gong Mengbi smiled slightly, his words sharp and firm, though devoid of anger: "It is not that I have offended Lord Xia, but this matter concerns the very foundation of the Heavenly Fox Academy. If we treat the Demon Trial as a child's game out of fear of offending people, where will the credibility of my Heavenly Fox Academy be?"
Deputy Envoy Hu tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, interrupting, "Gong Mengbi, you are too cunning and your words are too sharp. Although the demonic test is the right thing to do, the immortal path also values harmony with the world. Your willful actions will not only harm a few cultivators, but also the network of connections that the Heavenly Fox Academy has painstakingly built up."
"Connections?" Gong Mengbi chuckled. "Lord Hu Xia, you are mistaken. If these connections are obtained by indulging greed and anger, or by protecting evil cultivators, then we are better off without them. Her Majesty established the Heavenly Fox Academy to govern all fox immortals in the world in order to spread education and recommend virtuous foxes to ascend to heaven and achieve great fortune, not to build a ladder to heaven for certain people so that they can curry favor with the powerful and wealthy!"
"Insolence!" Judge Hu slammed his gavel, making the mirror vibrate loudly. "How dare you spout nonsense in court!"
Gong Mengbi turned his gaze to Hu Zhengshi, chuckled, and admitted his mistake: "Little Fox misspoke."
"I suppose the reason Hu Zhengshi summoned me today is not, as Xia Gong and Xia Jun said, because I offended the Heavenly God by upholding justice in the examination, and he is now punishing me."
Hu Zhengshi said calmly, "The reason I summoned you here today is because the City God of Xiaqiu has petitioned the Yue family. The Yue family has sent an investigator to the court to investigate your three crimes: using supernatural powers to display your divine abilities, which violates the proper order of Yin and Yang; disturbing the royal procession, which harms the royal destiny; and damaging palaces, temples, and shrines, which desecrates the sacrificial rites."
Gong Mengbi raised an eyebrow and said, "There are so many sins, but unfortunately, Little Fox dares not admit to any of these three sins. First, it is a reckless use of supernatural powers, which violates the principles of Yin and Yang. This was set up by the Prince of Lu himself, which is to distinguish between immortals and mortals. Little Fox was able to get involved because of the demonic test he set up. How can it be called 'reckless use'?"
"Secondly, it disturbed the royal carriage and damaged the royal aura. When the little fox left, the royal carriage was not unusual, nor did it disturb the people. If there is any other problem now, I am afraid we will have to ask the Yue family for a detailed investigation. It has nothing to do with the little fox."
"Thirdly, the destruction of temples and shrines and the desecration of sacrifices. The desecration of sacrifices has nothing to do with Little Fox. The temples and shrines set up in Mingxia Temple are all manifestations of Mingxiazi's Dharma body. There are no true gods, so how can there be any desecration of sacrifices? The destruction of the temples and shrines was caused by the aftermath of the battle. Mingxiazi was supported by the royal palace but failed to perform his duties, so he should bear the primary responsibility. The Demon King Jinting Immortal participated in it and should bear the secondary responsibility. Little Fox was really helpless, so she can also reluctantly bear the secondary responsibility."
At this point, Gong Mengbi seemed to remember something and asked, "Speaking of which, I have the same question. How could the Great Immortal Jinting, who was being punished and redeemed in the Hidden Fox Cave, have escaped without reason? I wonder who was watching over him, whether it was intentional indulgence or inadequate supervision?"
Hu Zhengshi sat upright on the high platform without moving, and said: "The Great Immortal Jinting has been plotting for a long time. The head of the Hidden Fox Cave has failed to supervise properly and has been dismissed. This matter has been publicly discussed."
"Since there is a public opinion, I, the little fox, dare not comment. As for the offenses mentioned by the envoy, I can only admit that the battle of magic affected the temple and monastery, and I am willing to compensate for 30% of the money needed to rebuild the temple and monastery to atone for my mistake."
At this point, Hu Zhengshi and the three immortals should have launched another attack, but none of them continued the verbal exchange.
Hu Zhengshi looked at the clerk beside him and asked, "Is it possible, as he said, to make amends for the offense?"
The clerk in charge of punishments was responsible for determining sentences according to the law. Upon hearing this, he said, "This matter can be considered a big or small matter. If the Prince of Lu were to pursue it, we would have to go to court. But since it was reported to the City God and the aggrieved party did not pursue it, we can give a small punishment as a warning."
Hu Zhengshi's tone suddenly softened, even becoming somewhat gentle: "Gong Mingfu, you are exceptionally talented and your cultivation is flourishing. You have already reached the fourth rank at such a young age, and I'm sure you won't just stop at the fourth rank in the future. You are a fox spirit from the Heavenly Fox Academy. Today's matter can be considered a big deal or a small deal, but since this is your first offense and it was done on official business, I will issue you a three-month salary deduction for reflection, just to go through the motions and give the City God of Xiaqiu an explanation."
What do you think?
Gong Mengbi looked at the three immortals supervising the trial. The three immortals, who had been red-faced and swollen-necked before, now showed a calm and composed demeanor.
Hu Zhengshi smiled and said, "Because of you, they have been questioned a lot these days, which is why they seem to be in a bad mood. It's not that they intend to be harsh. They are your seniors, so how could they not want to protect you? I know there is a misunderstanding between you, and now I'm mediating. Please let bygones be bygones."
Su Xia Gong sighed and said, "You are now a sixth-rank Demon Examiner, but you don't know how difficult it is to enter the Heavenly Palace and how difficult it is to be a Heavenly Fox. Without connections and foundations in the heavens, even if you ascend to the Heavenly Palace, you can only hold some minor positions, and life will not be easy. You have offended several fellow cultivators, and we must do our best to resolve the grudges. When you ascend to the Heavenly Palace in the future, you will understand our good intentions."
Chunxia Jun said, “I know you come from a humble background and know the hardships of life. Now that you have reached the fourth rank of merit, we all intend to promote you. The Juxia Division has the position of Xia Dian Fengzhi, which is a fourth-rank celestial official, the most prestigious and noble position, and it is currently vacant. You have always valued literature and education, which is a perfect fit for this position. If you are interested, you will be in charge of all the regulations and ceremonies of the Juxia Division in the future. Wouldn't that be more stable than running around outside?”
Hu Zhengshi even joked, "If you don't want to stay in Juxia Division, come to my Criminal Investigation Division. You can also be a criminal law examiner. It won't bury your talents."
Su Xiagong laughed: "That won't do. Mingfu is a great talent. It is the right way for him to get involved in the affairs of Tianfu as soon as possible."
Several fox spirits gazed intently at him, and the hall was so quiet that the flickering of the lamplight could be heard.
Gong Mengbi listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He slowly raised his eyes, first bowed to Envoy Hu, then nodded slightly to the three immortals, and said in a calm tone: "Thank you for your consideration, Envoy Hu, and thank you to the three Lord Xia and Lord Xia for not holding a grudge. I am a country bumpkin and do not know the depth of the Heavenly Palace or the difficulties of the Heavenly Fox."
Several fox spirits showed some joy on their faces, but then Gong Mengbi changed the subject: "But this little fox is really destined to be busy and hardworking, and it is really hard for her to be at ease. The positions of Xia Dian Feng Zhi and Xing Lu Xiao Li are too noble and prestigious, and this little fox dares not accept them. This sixth-rank Demon Examination Envoy is just right for me."
Gong Mengbi cupped his hands and said, "I accept the three-month salary penalty."
"Gong Mengbi!"
The five fourth-rank cultivators' energy surged, causing all the magical artifacts in Jianzhen Hall to hum and rotate, their magical power surging towards Gong Mengbi like a tidal wave.
Gong Mengbi stood below the hall, enveloped by five powerful auras, with five-colored spiritual light shining behind him, protecting him within. He chuckled and said, "What? Do you gentlemen intend to have a battle with the little fox in the Jianzhen Hall?"
Su Xiagong's face was bruised, and his eyes flashed with cold light: "Gong Mengbi, you are very clever, but not clever enough."
"We'll discuss this again sometime in the future," Hu Zhengshi sneered.