Volume 3: Star Tower Chapter 70 Blacklist
The battle of the first stop of the Academy Martial Arts Contest has come to an end. The top fifty academies have all been announced, some are happy and some are sad.
Except for the Yisu Academy and Bailu Academy, which they had never entered, the other academies that they had entered last year but not this year were always a little unhappy. The instructors and students gathered in some taverns to drink.
Tang Zheng took Tang Xiaotang and passed by three or four taverns in a row and went straight into the fifth one.
Then, Tang Zheng took a quick look and went straight to the second floor, asking the waiter to arrange a seat for him.
As soon as Tang Xiaotang sat down, she happened to see the instructors from Jiuhua Academy and Yisu Academy sitting together not far away, drinking one cup after another.
"Uh, Master, did you hear them coming here..." Tang Xiaotang asked in a low voice.
"No, no, it's purely a coincidence." Tang Zheng waved towards the stairs with an unconvincing smile on his face.
Only then did Tang Xiaotang see a familiar figure walking up.
The two instructors over there were whispering to each other, so engrossed in their work that they didn't notice Tang Zheng and the others coming.
After Xu Qingyan came up, he glanced over there and sat down directly opposite Tang Zheng without saying a word: "The little bell has been given to Fenghua."
"Okay, got it." Tang Zheng knew that Xu Qingyan came here with Meng Fengling, so he could be a protection along the way.
"This is given to you by Mr. Ban." Xu Qingyan handed an envelope to Tang Zheng.
Tang Zheng opened it and saw a piece of white paper with a pen attached.
That piece of white paper was just like the letter written by Instructor Zou. There seemed to be nothing in the blank space, and the pen was just like the broken pen in Instructor Zou's pen holder.
"Oh..." Tang Zheng understood immediately. It was probably that Yisu Academy purchased a large amount of this special paper and pen from Jubao Pavilion in order to write secret letters.
Actually...why is it necessary to go through so much trouble?
And it's so easy to see through.
Tang Zheng put away his pen and paper and decided to have a good talk with Instructor Zou later.
However, let’s listen to Xu Qingyan now.
"After you left, something big happened in Feishi City. Two border fortresses were breached, and the Tianqin family sent 200,000 more soldiers to barely hold Tulun Pass. It is said that this is just a minor disturbance before winter. After winter, the Snow Wolf Riders from the Arctic Icefield will be dispatched, and Tulun Pass may be more dangerous." Xu Qingyan took a sip of hot tea and continued, "General Liu Ruiqi has personally led his troops deep into the border."
"Why?" Tang Zheng asked.
"Commander Liu didn't say anything at first, but three days later, a blacklist was sent back to Yisu Academy. And the person who sent this blacklist was me."
"Why you, and why send it to Yisu Academy?" Tang Zheng heard this and thought it was too abnormal. Liu Ruiqi obviously did not use the military's communication lines, nor did he send the intelligence into the military system...
In other words, Liu Ruiqi must have felt that something was wrong with the military!
Otherwise, there is no need for him to do so.
"You weren't silenced?" Tang Zheng said to Xu Qingyan with a smile.
"I didn't open his confidential documents." Xu Qingyan spread his hands, "Besides, I won't be silenced because of the contents of the confidential documents."
Tang Xiaotang listened for a long time, but the more she listened, the more confused she became.
How did Xu Qingyan know the contents of the confidential document when he didn't open it?
Tang Zheng was too lazy to ask such specific questions and went straight to the point: "Because?"
"Because my name is on the demon clan's blacklist of people who must be killed." Xu Qingyan spread out his hands.
Tang Xiaotang rubbed her dizzy head and sorted it out a little.
After they left Feishi City, they were defeated in a battle on the border. Afterwards, Commander Liu Ruiqi received some intelligence from the demon tribe, which made him lose trust in the entire military - perhaps the top military officials have been in contact with the demons!
At the same time, he intercepted a blacklist from the demon clan.
Those who the enemy must kill must be those who must be protected within the territory.
Tang Xiaotang seemed to understand a little bit. Instructor Zou was so nervous that he almost risked his life. "If that's the case, then does that mean I'm also on the blacklist?"
Seeing that Tang Xiaotang understood so quickly , Tang Zheng nodded: "Well, you, me, Leng Zhan, Jiang Wuyan, and Feng Hua may all be on this blacklist."
When the three of them said this, they fell silent at the same time.
Because, it doesn’t make sense!
This blacklist makes no sense.
Tang Zheng and his men are still students and can do nothing to help the battle. Instead of killing them, it would be better to send more people to find out which star lords there are in the territory.
"If this blacklist was given by someone else, it would have probably been thrown to the wolves by the Great Demon Emperor, but... this is the first astrological result given by the demon clan's new Great Prophet Tianxiu this year!" said Xu Qingyan.
Tang Xiaotang's expression changed.
The status of the Great Prophet Tianxu outside the border is equivalent to that of Mr. Ye who was beside the Great Emperor Zijin back then. He is second only to the emperor and above everyone else.
"So, who else is on the blacklist?"
"There are fifteen people on the blacklist. Gao Changfeng, who is familiar with the situation in Xinjiang, found a secret passage to enter Xinjiang and completed the assassination. The names of these fifteen people are..." Xu Qingyan's memory is really reliable. He named them directly, "Tang Zheng, Tang Xiaotang, Tang Shisan, Xu Qingyan, Leng Zhan, Jiang Wuyan, Luo Fei, Hua Yingxiu, Du Qixi, Xiao Tanzhi, Fang Youxie, Fang Junji, Xie Yiluo, Qin Rong, Wen Jing."
"Oh... no Fenghua." Tang Zheng didn't know why, but he felt relieved.
If Meng Fenghua was on the blacklist, Xiao Lingdang would definitely be in danger as well.
For these sisters, only each other is the most important, and nothing else matters.
Tang Xiaotang was almost stunned by what she heard. In this situation, Tang Zheng completely deviated from the point again!
The question now is, why them?
Are the fifteen of them connected by half a penny?
Well, even if they know some of them, there are still some they don’t know. They are from all over the world, and their ages and strengths are completely different. How could they appear on the same blacklist at the same time?
"That prophet can't be the same as our fortune tellers, who just pick a few people at random and make a living." Tang Xiaotang complained.
"Oh, the great prophet Tianxiu... doesn't want to eat." Xu Qingyan replied without any sense of humor.
Tang Zheng looked to the side and vaguely saw someone looking at them.
No ill intention.
It should be the person who protected Xu Qingyan along the way.
Xu Qingyan probably had sensed the presence of these people a long time ago. He shook his head and said in a lower voice: "Now, we have two choices..."
"No, there is only one choice." Tang Zheng knew exactly what the two choices were. "Let's confront the instructors directly and find out what our situation is. Besides, I think their efficiency is too low!"
Xu Qingyan has always been like this. As long as Tang Zheng has made a decision, he won't even ask why.
Tang Zheng stood up and went to a table not far away, where Instructor Zou was sitting.
Seeing Tang Zheng coming over, Instructor Zou was shocked: "You... why are you here?"
"What are you talking about so happily, Instructor Zou?" Tang Zheng asked with a smile.
"We... don't have... just some experience in leading a team." Instructor Zou said, touching his nose.
Just now they were talking about the border war. Instructor Zou was hesitating whether to tell the instructors of Jiuhua Academy about the blacklist, which might provide more protection for Tang Zheng and the others. However, before he could say anything, Tang Zheng came over.
Tang Zheng glanced at the instructor of Jiuhua Academy.
That instructor was also an experienced instructor who had been teaching at Jiuhua Academy for more than ten years.
At this time, he seemed to have drunk a few too many glasses, his face was slightly red, and he was talking happily with Instructor Zou.
If he hadn't heard what Xu Qingyan said about what happened in Feishi City, he might have thought that the instructor was drunk. However, he could now clearly see that the red on the instructor's face was the dark red of internal heat, not the flush from drinking too much...
His eyes narrowed. "Instructor Zou, are you meeting an old friend of yours for more than ten years? Am I disturbing you?"
When Instructor Zou heard this, his heart skipped a beat.
No, how can they be friends for more than ten years?
Until a month ago, the instructors at Jiuhua Academy still looked down on him.
"Oh, isn't it? Instructor Zou, we still have some questions to ask you. Can we stop here today?" Tang Zheng asked humbly.
"Haha, there are still a few days before we go to Alsophila Academy. Can't you let your instructor take a break?" The instructor of Jiuhua Academy joked with a smile.
"Okay, I'll wait at the next table." Tang Zheng looked like he was willing to learn. "This seems to be the first time that the instructor from Jiuhua Academy has spoken to us. It's an honor."
Instructor Zou's heart skipped a beat again.
That’s right, the instructors of Jiuhua Academy never took Yisu Academy seriously, so why are they suddenly so enthusiastic today?
He subconsciously thought that it was because Yisu Academy had given face to the Changyuan Leng family...
However, Yisuli Academy's victory over Dongyang Academy also brought shame to Jiuhua Academy!
Instructor Zou sighed immediately: "No, I still put my students first, let's make an appointment another day..."
Having said that, he followed Tang Zheng and the others and left.
After returning to Qinling Academy, before Tang Zheng could even speak, the room next to them had already been vacated. Fang Junji appeared at the door of that room with a smile and gave Xu Qingyan a fist bump: "Mr. Xu, please."
Tang Zheng looked at Fang Junji strangely: "Are you sure you are not the future Star Lord of Heavenly Secrets?"
Fang Junji already knew in advance who would come and who needed the room, and had made arrangements.
Besides, he can arrange it!
In just a few short days, he already has such a say in the Qinling Academy?
The room in Qinling Academy is not an ordinary inn room!
After several people entered Xu Qingyan's room, Fang Junji left without saying a word.
Just as Tang Zheng had just said to Xu Qingyan, he laid bare his cards directly to Instructor Zou and told him everything they knew.
Instructor Zou was stunned for a long time before he sighed, "Okay, in that case, as you said, there is really no need to hide it from you... In fact, Commander Liu and Chief Steward Leng just followed the clues of City Lord Lu's communication with the demon last time and investigated casually. As a result, they found that the evil cult has developed more than they imagined, and has even absorbed many senior military officers and elders of aristocratic families in Xinjiang!"
"How bad is it exactly?" Tang Zheng asked.
"I don't know, really. I don't know anything. If we knew everything, we wouldn't have to be so nervous!" Instructor Zou was sweating again. "There are so few people we can trust. Not only am I unsure of how bad it is, even Commander Liu and Chief Steward Leng are not sure!"
"I don't know..." Tang Zheng didn't expect that he knew nothing.
"We know too little information. We have no idea who is the enemy, who is the friend, how many enemies there are, how many friends there are. Even when we open our eyes, it's still a dark place! So, Commander Liu said that the only thing we can do now is to protect the safety of everyone on the blacklist..."
"Everyone?" Tang Zheng curled his lips.
"And we can't even do such a simple thing! Because... for some people, we have never even heard of their names and don't even know who they are!" Instructor Zou had been holding this in his heart for so long that he almost cried when he said it out loud.
He was completely in the dark. The feeling of incompetence, helplessness and powerlessness was really difficult for him.
Tang Zheng sighed and patted Instructor Zou on the shoulder.
The current situation in Xingyao Continent is like the president of a fake university and some teachers suddenly finding out that the top leaders of many countries around the world have been controlled by aliens.
They probably could only sit on the ground and cry.
The pressure on Leng Buchen was really too great now.
Tang Zheng raised his head and looked out the window.
Under the bright sunshine, the students who made it into the top 50 were still discussing enthusiastically what delicious food and fun places there were in the Alsophila academy.
The sky is clear and sunny.
However, Tang Zheng had a feeling that a storm was about to come...
