Chapter 330: Turning Against

Chapter 330: Defection

"If even this most obvious step is ignored, and you still seek death, then I have nothing more to say."

Qian Fengting dropped those words, immediately shrinking his body into the chair, closing his eyes and assuming a posture of feigned sleep.

The matter of Qianhu having an emergency meeting is false; perhaps he deliberately didn't attend to make it true!

Only in his absence could all contradictions naturally surface.

Ming Wang suddenly understood, the fury Li Jun had stirred in his heart now receded like a tide, leaving nothing behind.

"Is Qianhu displeased with me?"

Ming Wang gave a bitter smile. What military department meetings, what settlement customs—all mere tactics this Qianhu used to manipulate him.

Even when Ji Lu Cheng's Qiu Long publicly questioned Jiao Mu Jiao, perhaps someone intentionally instructed him to make a point.

Perceiving the meaning from the strings, glimpsing the leopard through the tube.

Ming Wang had already realized that if he continued to stir up the old man and Jiao Mu Jiao, forming an alliance to occupy the top three evaluative positions, he would inevitably clash with this Yan Jun.

Though he didn't fear the opponent, if the conflict escalated to the point of physical confrontation at Qianhu's evaluation meeting, it would mean seeking death.

With this leverage, Su Ce could resign from his hundred households' post on the spot, and his influence on the imperial homeland would be beyond reproach, leaving only to swallow this mute loss.

As for that Yan Jun, he was nothing but a barefoot man fearing no shoes!

Ming Wang felt a surge of irritation. He should have eradicated them completely back then, leaving none, converting all into Divine Guardians!

"This evaluation, I believe should be settled today."

The expression on Ming Wang's face was gloomy and unpleasant, each word squeezed from between his teeth.

"Who is speaking nonsense? I think you don't want to."

Jiao Mu Jiao coldly glanced sideways at the direction of the voice, meeting Ming Wang's indifferent gaze.

"Ming Wang, you..."

His expression froze instantly, the leg he was holding suddenly slipped away, leaving Jiao Mu Jiao momentarily flustered.

In contrast, Ye Lao was clearly a perceptive man.

His eyes swept between Ming Wang and Qian Fengting, vaguely sensing an ill omen.

He immediately turned back, signaling with his eyes to the general flag Zhe Gou, who was arguing with Fan Wujiu, to keep silent, and sat down quietly.

After much effort to lure the dog mountain city into his trap, Ming Wang suddenly changed sides, turning his blade to support Yan Jun.

The sudden shift in circumstances was nothing short of bizarre.

Not only did the other city's hundred households fail to react, but even Li Jun himself stood frozen in place.

"What's happening? Has Ming Wang been possessed by something? Do we have such methods, Brother Jun?"

Fan Wujiu leaned close to Xie Bi'an's ear, whispering.

"Don't bother me with nonsense here."

Xie Bi'an stared at Ming Wang, whose expression had already calmed, and as a member of the Seven Inspectors, he keenly detected the lingering reluctance in the other's eyes.

"It seems someone forced him to give up."

"What kind of person is so formidable? Even Ming Wang can't provoke him?"

Fan Wujiu turned his head left and right, his face full of curiosity as he looked around.

It seemed he had broken free from the Yellow Turban Warrior's hypnosis and conversion, but had ultimately injured his mind.

Now, pretending to be foolish had become truly foolish.

Xie Bi'an sighed, gazing at Fan Wujiu with a look of pity, "Stop searching; he's not here."

"Not here?"

Fan Wujiu pondered for a moment, his face suddenly contorting in horror, "Could it be Chen Qisheng? Could Ming Wang also be his Yellow Turban Warrior?"

"Smart!"

Xie Bi'an said solemnly, "No wonder it's you—one glance and you see through it."

"Damn, it turns out it was our own people."

Fan Wujiu suddenly realized, and at once, very obscurely, carefully gave a thumbs-up to the still glaring general flag of Jianghecheng, Peacock.

In Peacock's puzzled gaze, he made a circle with his other hand, placing it over his thumb.

"Their trap has been dismantled—you've done well!"

That was Fan Wujiu's intention.

But in Peacock's eyes, the meaning was interpreted differently, her phoenix brows rising in fury, nearly unable to resist cursing aloud, her gaze like a knife slicing meat across Fan Wujiu's body.

"Is this woman insane? Why is she staring at me like this?"

Just as puzzled as Fan Wujiu was, the hundred households of Gangshan Cheng, Jiao Mu Jiao.

Though the situation was already under control, the dog mountain city was merely an inept rage, not to be feared—why would Ming Wang suddenly defect?

"Jiao Mu Jiao, sit down!" Ming Wang's cold shout rang out again.

All eyes converged on Jiao Mu Jiao, among them obvious mockery and ridicule, making him feel as if blades were on his back.

Jiao Mu Jiao's face alternated between red and white, the shame of being rebuked in public quickly surging in his heart.

First, he was questioned publicly by Qiu Long, then insulted by Fan Wujiu, followed by threats from Li Jun—negative emotions had long accumulated within him.

Now, Ming Wang, who had promised to advance and retreat together, had abandoned his own interests.

Jiao Mu Jiao understood clearly that if settled today, Gangshan Cheng would surely be squeezed out of the top three, suffering heavy losses.

This was something he could not accept!

"I've done so many dirty and tiring tasks, and now I've offended Yan Jun—how can you just leave whenever you want? If that's the case, don't blame me for dragging you down!"

Jiao Mu Jiao's heart burned with silent hatred, all humiliation and dissatisfaction exploding at once, and he suddenly roared, "Ming Wang, Ye Lao, you promised to protect Gangshan Cheng's ranking—now you're reneging?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present became exceptionally complex.

This was directly throwing the underhanded dealings onto the table.

"Jiao Mu Jiao, don't speak nonsense!" Ye Lao anxiously shouted.

"Nonsense?"

Jiao Mu Jiao sneered, his already red eyes fixed on Li Jun, "And you! The resolution we all voted on isn't something you, Yan Jun, can simply deny!"

"Seeking death!"

Li Jun, whose fury had been abruptly halted, was already very displeased.

Now that someone had approached him proactively, this opportunity to assert authority he certainly wouldn't miss!

Standing behind Li Jun, Qiu Long suddenly felt his hand lighten, a "door panel" blade sliding past his eyes, pressing forward with thunderous force.

Li Jun stepped on the conference table with one foot, almost without extending his arms, the blade of the embroidered spring sword already reaching Jiao Mu Jiao's face!

A howl like thunder, a flash of light like lightning.

A bone-deep chill froze Jiao Mu Jiao in place, his once-nimble mechanical limbs now rusted into stillness, unable to react in time.

Only his pupils, contracting inch by inch, preserved the last shred of his dignity.

"Ahh."

In a flash of lightning and flint, a faint sigh suddenly echoed in Li Jun's ear.

Following it came a distant Buddhist chant, its sonic waves washing over Li Jun, halting his knife-handed gesture mid-motion.

Clang!

A hand gripped the broad back of the embroidered spring blade, arresting it mere millimeters from the razor's edge.

Gulp.

In the deathly silence of the hall, the sound of swallowing was unmistakable.

Though his functions had long since faded, this leap at the ghost gate had startled a forgotten instinct from him.

Whir.

At last, a mechanical resonance stirred within his chest, and his body lurched backward, collapsing limp into the chair.

This man truly dares to kill me here!

The tautness of his spirit and the slow thrum of his mechanical heart left Jiao Mu Jiao's mind hazy, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Behind him, the two total flags of Okuyama City, witnessing their hundred households' pitiful state, dejectedly bowed their heads.

"Vajra transformation, the Fifth Buddhist Order?"

Li Jun's smile was uncertain, his gaze fixed on the one-handed Ming Wang.

Upon the latter's brow, a wisdom root glowed crimson as blood.