Chapter 6, A Grand Deception
But now it is settled; Su, taking advantage of his own unconsciousness, has recklessly stirred things up and completely placed the hat of a fraud upon his own head. At this moment, even if he wanted to seek out Zhima Li to explain the truth, even if the latter did not pursue his deliberate deception, the other leaders of the Red Turban Army would not let him off the hook!
"You, you actually dared to use my name to threaten that little sesame Li? What do you think you are, trying to bargain with him? Aren't you afraid that if he gets pushed too far, he will directly order your execution? You old bastard, you old fool, you have really caused me a lot of trouble!" "You, you actually dared to use my name to threaten that little sesame Li? What do you think you are, trying to bargain with him? Aren't you afraid that if he gets pushed too far, he will directly order your execution? You old bastard, you old fool, you have really caused me a lot of trouble!"
"You bunch of ... ..." Upon hearing these words, Zhu Dapeng's mouth instantly gaped wide open, and the foot he had raised in the air could no longer be brought down.
"Buddha, spare us!" Bai Yuan and the little jailers, despite usually relying on the power of the government to act recklessly, possess only mediocre skills. After receiving a painful kick from the butcher Zhu Laonian, they immediately clutch their stomachs and roll on the ground, "Buddha, spare us! We, we did not mean it, we did not intend to deceive you. We, we were left with no choice!"
"Bragging! What can your pig's brain understand besides deceiving?" Zhu Dapeng glared fiercely at Mr. Su and lifted his foot to kick down again
Mr. Su continued to chatter incessantly, showing no signs of stopping. "Yes, my lord, the Bodhisattva! Then, my lord, you fainted due to excessive mental strain. We followed your orders to protect the villagers, shielding them from the calamities brought by the fleeing soldiers. Until the General Li of the Red Turban Army, known as Sesame Li, led his personal troops into the city and ordered the weapons to be sheathed, we faithfully executed your prior instructions and completely surrendered several streets to him!" Until the General Li of the Red Turban Army, known as Sesame Li, led his personal troops into the city and ordered the weapons to be sheathed, we faithfully executed your prior instructions and completely surrendered several streets to him!
"You still say it wasn't intentional!" Seeing the crowd's reaction, Zhu Dapeng became even more furious. He lifted Mr. Su with one hand and kicked at these fellows with his foot, which was three sizes larger than his previous life. "You still say it wasn't intentional! You've pushed me to this point, and you still say it wasn't intentional. If you were doing this on purpose, wouldn't you have directly turned me into a fool and tied a rope around my neck to control me as you please?!"
I command you to guard the neighborhood with weapons I command you to dedicate several streets to Sesame Li The season has already passed Mid-Autumn Festival, yet cold sweat is pouring down Zhu Dapeng's forehead
What armed guards protect the neighbors! To put it plainly, it is under the banner of the Maitreya Teaching's Great Wisdom Hall that they confront the Red Turban Army invading the city, forcibly seizing a territory from the latter's hands
Taking advantage of the moment when Zhu Dapeng was momentarily stunned, the white-clad individuals and the small jailers quickly got up from the ground, kneeling in two rows, and bowed to him repeatedly, saying, "Buddha, Buddha, please see clearly! We, we truly did not mean it. We, we had no choice! At first, we thought you were the leader of the Dazhi Hall, wanting to follow you for safety. But then the lies grew bigger and bigger, and by the time Sesame Li entered the city, we could no longer admit our mistakes; we could only grit our teeth and endure!" At first, we thought you were the leader of the Dazhi Hall, wanting to follow you for safety. But then the lies grew bigger and bigger, and by the time Sesame Li entered the city, we could no longer admit our mistakes; we could only grit our teeth and endure!
Master Zhu, please show some mercy and take on this burden for all of us! In order to prevent the chaotic soldiers from entering the alley to commit arson and murder at dawn, Mr. Su took real action with the neighbors! If you expose this lie now, it won't just be you and us who suffer; the Xie Erfang, Xie Sanfang, and Xie Wufang in the southwest, along with dozens of streets and over a thousand households, will likely face dire consequences!
What has completely handed over the streets and alleys to Zhimali! To put it simply, it is about creating a fait accompli, forcing Zhimali to publicly acknowledge that the Maitreya Teaching's Great Wisdom Hall has the qualification to share in the profits from the broken city!
Speaking, he trembled as he took out a fist-sized shield from his waist and raised it above his head with both hands
That sesame plum is much easier to fool than you! I don't know who was in pain, but they blurted out a big truth. He heard that you fainted due to excessive consumption from inviting the deity, and immediately ordered the house to be vacated, even arranging for the best doctor to assist in your treatment
Zhu Dapeng stared wide-eyed at the other person, feeling a sense of admiration. Mr. Su, feeling uneasy under his gaze, quickly stepped back a few paces and said repeatedly: "This morning, while no one was paying attention, I took the liberty of using your name to sneak back to the yamen. I managed to steal out all the confiscated items that were sealed at that time. You see, this is the Great Bright Shield of the Maitreya Sect. The holder of this token is the leader of the hall. Any member of the sect below the rank of hall master must obey his commands when they see him."
Wait a moment, just wait a moment! Zhu Dapeng could not help but interrupt loudly as he found the other party's statements increasingly absurd
If it is said that last night, the person with the surname Su falsely claimed to be the leader of the Maitreya Church to avoid being attacked by the righteous army, taking advantage of the chaos, then why, even though the city has calmed down today, does he still refuse to seek out Zhimali to clarify the truth? Why does he continue to present himself as this false leader?
Could it be that the one with the surname Su has ulterior motives, intending to use this secret to blackmail me forever, making me his puppet for all time?
It is like this with books; it is certainly the case that someone with the surname Su is not a good person. Having been a traitor for so many years, it is bad upon bad, and it would be strange to expect a good heart from such a person
Zhu Dapeng was afraid that the soldiers of the Red Turban Army would be blinded by rage and, in a fit of anger, he chose to dismember himself rather than reveal the truth to them. However, he understood that the truth could not be hidden forever. For the sake of long-term planning, once the chaos in the city subsided, he should find an appropriate opportunity to confess to Zhi Ma Li or someone influential under Zhi Ma Li that he was an imposter in his role as the hall master. He believed that Zhi Ma Li, understanding that it was unintentional, would not pursue the matter too rigorously. After obtaining the other party's forgiveness, he would quickly leave this place of turmoil. He could either buy a boat to set sail or find a way to seek refuge with Zhu Yuanzhang, clinging to the leg of this historical victor.
While speaking, he rushed forward and grabbed Mr. Su by the collar, lifting him directly into the air
Sesame Li surprisingly believed the lies of this group of swindlers so easily; he is, after all, a commander of the Red Turban Army! Such carelessness is indeed astonishing, and it is no wonder that he has become a forgotten figure on the sands of time, leaving no trace in the history textbooks of middle school.
Your Excellency, please be informed! We truly had no other options! Last night, the Red Turban Army entered the city, and we do not know how many people were killed or how many streets were burned. Throughout the entire city, only the area of Xie Er Fang was fortunate enough to escape disaster, as it was under your banner.
In a fit of rage, he seized Mr. Su by the collar just as he had in his previous life, unleashing a torrent of curses. Little did he expect that the body he inhabited after the crossing was far stronger than that of the twenty-first-century otaku. In an instant, he had Mr. Su gasping for breath, his eyes rolling back. Sounds of "uh, uh" escaped his lips, yet his hands remained firmly clasped over his backside, refusing to budge an inch.
Mr. Su took a glance and quickly crawled backward a few steps, covering his bottom with one hand and his head with the other, adding in a pitiful tone, "I really can come up with a solution. In the past, I followed behind Ma Kongmu and handled a case related to the Maitreya sect. I am well aware of the scriptures, teachings, and various tokens involved!"
Yesterday, in a state of confusion, I mistakenly took reality for the virtual world and indeed killed a fat man, a short fellow wielding a wooden bow, and a few miscellaneous fish. But altogether, it only amounted to about five or six people. How is it that today, in Mr. Su's words, the number has inexplicably increased by more than five times?
"We dare not, we dare not, Your Excellency! You have misunderstood us; we truly do not dare!" The white-clad officials and the young jailers did not dare to retaliate, lying prostrate on the ground, raising their buttocks, and pleading pitifully, "You were possessed by Maitreya Buddha last night; we all witnessed it with our own eyes. Even if we had the courage of a leopard, we would not dare to manipulate Maitreya Buddha's earthly representative!"
Bai Yuan and the young jailers, who were eavesdropping outside the door, sensed that something was amiss and hurried in, attempting to rescue Mr. Su. Zhu Dapeng was unwilling to be controlled by them any longer; he lifted his leg and kicked each of them down to the ground. "Don't move! If you dare to move again, I'll strangle him right here! You bunch of scoundrels, how dare you conspire against me!"
Thinking about how he had actually stolen the monster from Zhi Ma Li, Zhu Dapeng felt a wave of unease wash over him. He kicked Mr. Su, who was lying in front of him pretending to be dead, and turned back, heavily slumping into his chair, cradling his head and groaning: "You bastards, you have really put me in a terrible situation! I have no idea what the Maitreya Sect is all about; how long can I keep pretending? Moreover, if there really is a Maitreya Sect, and they come looking for us, just wait and see how you all will end up! I have no idea what the Maitreya Sect is all about; how long can I keep pretending? Moreover, if there really is a Maitreya Sect, and they come looking for us, just wait and see how you all will end up!"
Moreover, this master of the Great Wisdom Hall is clearly the result of the fat man Kong Mu from last night, who hastily placed this title upon himself to take credit for killing Liang. As a person within the yamen, Mr. Su should be well aware of this. How is it that, after the matter has passed, he continues to feign ignorance while clearly understanding the situation?
In almost an instant, countless scenarios flashed through Zhu Dapeng's mind. Each one pointed its spear at the Mr. Su before him
Where is the Maitreya Teaching's Great Wisdom Hall? It should be the Great Deceit Hall of the Mityan Teaching. An old swindler leads a group of young swindlers, placing this fool with a damaged brain on the altar. Astonishingly, amidst the chaos last night, they managed to protect over a thousand households from harm! Undoubtedly, the additional twenty or so corpses were either killed by Mr. Su directing his disciples or secretly picked up from nearby streets by them. In the end, they were all counted as the collective achievement of the group, serving as bargaining chips for negotiating with the likes of Sesame Li! Undoubtedly, the additional twenty or so corpses were either killed by Mr. Su directing his disciples or secretly picked up from nearby streets by them. In the end, they were all counted as the collective achievement of the group, serving as bargaining chips for negotiating with the likes of Sesame Li!
"Are you afraid? Is there anything else you dare not do?" Zhu Dapeng completely ignored the words and continued to kick fiercely at the stomachs of the crowd, "You dare to fool even the smallest matters, what else in this world is there to be afraid of? You should take a good look at yourselves in the mirror; if you can't even fool me, how do you expect to fool the smallest matters?"
My lord, cough cough, please do not be anxious!" Mr. Su, covering his bruised neck, coughed while softly reassuring, "I have already devised a foolproof plan this morning!
As he bowed repeatedly, the crowd chattered away, explaining in a cacophony. The more Zhu Dapeng listened, the colder and softer his heart became, until finally, the hand that had been gripping Mr. Su's collar unknowingly loosened, allowing it to fall softly to the ground.