262: Chapter 262 Under the Canopy of Heaven, All Are Ants

The reception room of the White Clothing Society.

Tang Long and Shi Chengyu sat opposite each other, but both remained silent.

After finishing a cup of tea, Shi Chengyu could no longer hold back.

"Tang Long, you said you wanted to talk to me alone. What is it specifically? Is it about a Cultivation Technique suitable for Hetero-blood Species?"

Tang Long shook his head, stood up, and walked to the window, appearing very hesitant.

Shi Chengyu frowned deeply. "Have you encountered some difficulty? If so, just say it. I'll help if I can."

Tang Long shook his head and sighed again. "I'm afraid Vice President Shi cannot help me."

"You haven't even said it yet, so how do you know I can't help? Even if I can't, I have the Grand Secretary behind me, a Huagai Realm expert. If truly necessary..."

Before he could finish, Tang Long laughed instead.

"Vice President Shi, at this point, why bother feigning ignorance?"

"The Grand Secretary is eager for me to die. Sending you here to join the society is just a way to kill me with over-praise."

"And you, Vice President Shi, are also caught in this trap."

"Under Huagai Realm, all are ants."

"You can't even free yourself from the trap, so how can you help me?"

Shi Chengyu's fake smile froze on his face, momentarily extremely embarrassed.

The plan set by the Grand Secretary and Libationer Yu was something even he couldn't figure out at the time, but Tang Long... had actually seen through it so easily?

There was no point in playing dumb anymore, so he could only brace himself and feign composure.

"When did you find out?"

Tang Long replied casually, "The very moment Dr. Shi said he wanted to join the society."

"Although your entry point was decent, for a big figure like you to voluntarily join the White Clothing Society is still quite illogical."

"Not only can I see it, but I'm afraid once the news gets out, many people will realize that this is the Grand Secretary punishing me."

"The brilliance of this scheme is that those who don't understand will surely think the White Clothes Association has gained the favor of an expert like you and will have a great future."

"Perhaps riding this wave, the White Clothes Association's power will rapidly expand, drawing the dissatisfaction of His Majesty the Emperor and Governor Xu."

"By then, the Grand Secretary only needs to sit peacefully in Huaidu drinking tea to see me branded as a rebel and my head roll."

"But Brother Shi, how will you exonerate yourself then? Will the Grand Secretary endorse you to His Majesty?"

"If that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to mourn for you as well."

Shi Chengyu was shocked. "Why!"

"If the White Clothes Association is truly branded as a rebel group and His Majesty the Emperor raises his butcher's knife, who would be deterred by killing a pawn like me, Tang Long?"

"Unless some heavyweight figures are killed, no one will take it seriously, and His Majesty won't achieve his goal."

"Dr. Shi, you are a heavyweight."

"When the time comes, even if the Grand Secretary is willing to plead for you, do you think His Majesty will be willing to show mercy?"

"If he insists on the execution, would the Grand Secretary fall out with His Majesty for your sake?"

Fine beads of sweat couldn't help but break out on Shi Chengyu's forehead.

He knew his teacher, the Grand Secretary, better than anyone.

Although a Huagai Realm expert, he had always been extremely cautious, provoking neither the Pope nor the Emperor.

Sometimes, he even felt his teacher was a bit... cowardly.

Therefore, if His Majesty the Emperor insisted on killing him, he felt the possibility of his teacher standing up for him... was indeed not very high.

Actually, he had harbored such worries before, but he had no room to refuse and held onto a sliver of hope.

But hearing Tang Long say it now, he was indeed in great danger.

Especially Tang Long's words, 'Under Huagai Realm, all are ants,' left him feeling both indignant and helpless.

"Your Excellency... Tang Long, if you were me, how would you handle this situation?"

Tang Long spread his hands. "How can one handle it? We are but fish on the chopping block, waiting for death. I'm tired and need to go back to rest. Please see yourself out, Dr. Shi."

Seeing Tang Long about to leave, Shi Chengyu was completely stunned.

However, he wasn't a fool after all.

He realized that since Tang Long had called him for a private talk, he couldn't have just pointed out the dangers without offering a solution.

Sure enough, Tang Long stopped as he reached the door.

"Dr. Shi, even chickens and ducks slated for slaughter will flap their wings a few times before they die, let alone a living person."

"If you are truly willing to fight for a way out, I do have some ideas."

"But these ideas might not necessarily let you live; they might even lead to a faster death. It just depends on whether you dare to try."

"If you make a decision, give me a call before midnight. After that, I'll be turning off my phone."

After saying his piece, Tang Long opened the door and walked out.

2nd Division Commander Wei Jun's intelligence had arrived just in time. After repeatedly pondering Xu Chaoyang's radical plan, Tang Long also felt that he could no longer take things step by step.

He had already created and mastered some 'momentum,' but the time had been too short, and his Foundation was too shallow.

Once Xu Chaoyang's gale started blowing, all his operations and prospects would instantly vanish like bubbles.

Moreover, if there really was a Huagai Realm behind Xu Chaoyang, none of his current chips could stand against it.

To have a certain chance of winning, he also needed a Huagai Realm backing him.

But his choices were too few right now.

Xie Jin was one, and Yun Zhuoyue was another, but neither was a good choice.

Their respective positions were too distinct; even if one of them advanced to Huagai Realm, it was hard to say how much strength he could borrow.

Therefore, he needed to find one or two more relatively isolated and weak alternatives.

If things were as he expected, Shi Chengyu could probably be counted as one.

But after all, he had known Shi Chengyu for too short a time, and many things were uncertain, so trust was out of the question.

But besides him, who else could he find?

Tang Long also had a bit of a headache for a moment.

Upon returning to the Jinyue Martial Arts Hall, an even bigger headache appeared.

When Miao Manman helped him back to his room, she suddenly discovered there was someone in his room, and it was a woman.

Miao Manman immediately demanded, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Shang Yuqing, on the sofa, giggled. "Oh! Tang Long, we haven't met for a few days, and your status is no longer what it used to be. Even your entourage is different."

"I wondered why you never looked for me. It turns out you have a new love and have forgotten the old flame."

"This girl is not bad; her face, chest, and butt are all quite something. Although you're blind, I must say you have good taste."

"It's just a pity she doesn't know how to use them yet."

Fuming with rage, Miao Manman immediately shouted, "Someone! Drag this thief who snuck into President Tang's room out of here!"

Tang Long sighed. "Stop shouting. She's Shang Yuqing, Bishop Shang's younger sister."

Miao Manman had naturally guessed she was Shang Yuqing, but she grew angrier the more she looked at her.

"So what if she's Bishop Shang's sister? Does that give her the right to trespass into a private residence? Is there no law? Does she have no shame?"

Shang Yuqing said coquettishly, "I have officially joined Jin Yue. From now on, I am Boss Tang's secretary, and I will be responsible for his daily life."

Tang Long quickly coughed twice. "Young Miss Shang, I already have a secretary."

"She's unqualified. She has looks and a figure but no brains. She can't handle anything; she's just a decoration."

"My social experience is ten thousand times better than hers. Especially in Song City, my network is much broader."

"Besides, she's still a virgin, right? Can she sleep with you at night?"

Miao Manman was so angry her head was practically smoking. Thunderous light flickered across her body; she was clearly ready to fight.

But Shang Yuqing sneered. "Although I haven't Cultivated much these years, I'm still at the Blood Refining stage."

"You'd better think carefully. Fighting me is just asking for trouble."

"I'm better than you in every way, so what are you so angry about?"

Miao Manman let go of Tang Long and was about to step forward, but Tang Long quickly grabbed her.

"Manman, you go ahead and get busy. I'll talk to Young Miss Shang."

Miao Manman glared at him fiercely in anger before shaking off his hand and turning to leave.