Rise of The Demon General-Chapter 400. Making an Example

In a dimly lit hall, four men and one woman sat around a table while drinking.

"Brother Fongze, I must ask. Why do you pick such a place to gather," one of the five men asked.

"Isn’t it clear? Brother Fongze must have something discreet to discuss with us. That is why we meet in such a secretive place. Isn’t that right, Brother Fongze?" Another man remarked.

"You two assumed too much. Just let Brother Fongze tell us," The only woman spoke.

"Ahaha, I’m glad to meet anywhere as long as there is good wine. Brother Fongze always treats us with the best of wine," The third man uttered while glugging the wine in his cup.

"Shame on you. You are disrespecting Brother Fongze with your manner," the last man told the one who glugged his wine.

The man the five referred to simply smiled in silence as he sipped his wine. He was Gao Fongze, the third son of Gao Clan’s clan master.

After putting down his cup, he said, "Brother Wan Pei, Brother Xi Wen, Brother Lao Nong, Brother So Fulao, and Sister Yu Huli, it is always a pleasure to treat you all. I have many matters to discuss with you. But before that, I need to address something important. It has come to my attention that one of you has been making secret talks with the Xian Clan."

"What? One of us? There must be a mistake, Brother Fongze," Wan Pei uttered. "We have all known each other for a very long time. We all strive for the good of the Gao Clan, and the Gao Clan takes care of us. This has always been the heart of our cooperation."

"That’s right. There is no way any of us will do that," Yu Huli added. "We all know the Xian Clan is Gao Clan’s main competitor in this capital. Doing that will be a betrayal."

"Who is the person? Tell me, Brother Fongze. I will cut this turncoat down on your order," Xi Wen slammed the table.

"Calm down, Brother Xi Wen. As Brother Wan Pei had said, there must have been a mistake," So Fulao said.

Gao Fongze remained smiling as he let them speak. He watched them as they went back and forth among themselves. After a while, he tapped the table several times, and everyone quieted down.

He turned to Lao Nong and asked, "Brother Lao Nong, you have been quiet since I mentioned someone meeting the Xian Clan in secret. Don’t you have any opinion about the matter?"

"Brother Fongze, I prefer not to add fuel to this rumor. It is most likely false," Lao Nong replied. "As Brother Wan Pei pointed out, we are all subordinates to the Gao Clan. Xian Clan is our enemy! There is no way we betray the Gao Clan for the despicable people from the Xian Clan. The information you have received must be false. We will help you gather more information to get to the bottom of this matter."

"Hm, I’m glad to hear you said that," Brother Fongze said. "In that case, can you explain to me what you and Xian Bifu talked about at the Lost Paradise Inn one week ago?"

The room became quiet after Fongze’s statement.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Lao Nong finally spoke again, "Lo... Lost Paradise Inn...? What are you talking about? Brother Fong Ze, I’ve never set foot in that inn. I was certainly not meeting anyone from the Xian Clan one week ago. You must have gotten the fact wrong."

"Have I? Your nephew, Lao Polow, who accompanied you to that meeting, told me differently after I had a long chat with him."

Lao Nong’s face turned pale hearing that.

"Oh, you must be wondering where Lao Polow is," Gao Fongze said. "I know your clan has been looking for him these last few days. There is no need to worry about him. He is experiencing my hospitality."

"Bro... Brother Fongze... I assure you, everything you heard about the talks with the Xian Clan is false. This must be the Xian Clan’s scheme to divide us. I beg you, please don’t fall into their ploy. My Lao Clan has served the Gao Clan for as long as we were established. There is no way we betray the Gao Clan."

Gao Fongze chuckled. As he did, Lao Nong found himself grabbed by two out of the three Gao Clan members stationed in the room. The two pulled him away from the table.

"What...? What are you doing?" Lao Nong tried to break free, but the two had the same cultivation as he.

While everyone was taken aback by the turn of events, Gao Fongze jumped from his seat and landed before Lao Nong. His fingers stabbed rapidly into multiple spots on Lao Nong’s body. He was using the meridian points technique. Lao Nong found himself unable to move after Gao Fongze was done.

"Brother... Brother Fongze! Please, you must believe I don’t conspire with the Xian Clan!" Lao Nong pleaded.

"Brother Fongze, please don’t be rash," Wan Pei advised. "I have been a friend to Brother Lao Nong for a long time. I’m sure there is a misunderstanding. This might be a ploy by the Xian Clan to drive our alliance apart. Please don’t fall for it. My clan will help to investigate this issue."

"There is no need to trouble yourself, Brother Wan Pei," Gao Fongze said. "I’ve done all the investigations and gotten all the facts. He has been judged, and I am dispensing the punishment."

While Wan Pei tried to help Lao Nong, Xi Wen was the opposite. "If Brother Fongze said he is guilty, then he is guilty. Brother Fongze, if you need me to teach this traitor a lesson, just say the word!"

"Thank you for the offer, Brother Xi Wen. I don’t need any of you to do anything. Just sit tight."

Lao Nong was brought by the two Gao Clan members to the wall, where he was lifted and pressed on. The two brought out large nails and used them to impale Lao Nong’s hands into the wall.

"Aahh...!!!" Lao Nong could only scream as he was nailed to the wall.

"I... Allow me to excuse myself," So Fulao said. When he was rising from his seat, two hands grabbed his shoulders. The hands pushed him back into sitting. He turned back and saw the one responsible was Gao Fongze.

"The show is just starting. It is rude to leave. Please sit nicely," Gao Fongze said. He also rotated So Fulao’s chair, so the man faced Lao Nong.

After he was done, he went and rotated Yu Huli’s chair. Originally, Yu Huli also wanted to leave, but she now decided to stay silent. Xi Wen and Wan Pei rotated their chairs themselves before Gao Fongze came to them.

All the while, the two Gao Clan members continued to nail more parts of Lao Nong’s body. The nails propped his body on the wall. The poor guy was screaming in pain the whole time.

"By the way, my people are at Lao Clan’s residence," Gao Fongze said. "Unfortunately, there is a big fire. No one from the Lao Clan makes it out. It is a truly terrible accident."

The four sitting in the chairs were speechless hearing that.

Gao Fongze turned to the four. His usual smile was gone now. He said, "The next time one of you thinks about crossing Gao Clan, remember tonight. Now, stay put and enjoy the show. This will take a while. I’m afraid I must leave first."

At the exit, he told the third Gao Clan member who guarded the door. "No one leaves until it’s over."

The guard nodded. As Gao Fongze walked through the door, the two working on Lao Nong were in the process of scooping out his eyeballs. Even after he was outside the room, he could still hear Lao Nong’s scream. Unlike the four he forced to stay in the room, he would very much like to stay because he did enjoy hearing such screams from his victims. Sadly, he was a busy man.

*

When Gao Fongze exited the building, he found his brother was waiting for him. "What is it?" Gao Fongze asked.

"Father asked us to work together to deal with the Demon Gang," Gao Feng answered.

"That upstart group from Qishurg City? I thought they were your assignment. Why do I have to trouble myself with that small fry? Are you so incompetent that you need my help?"

Gao Feng scowled after hearing the insult. "Watch your tongue, little brother. You do remember I have higher cultivation, don’t you?"

"Heh. You and big brother are the same. All brawn but no brain. No wonder father always asked me to clean up the mess you two made."

Gao Feng’s scowl turned uglier.

"Chill down, brother. Can’t you take a joke?" Gao Fongze chuckled. "Now, tell me what’s changed. I don’t believe father would have involved me unless something unusual happened."

"The supposed leader of the Demon Gang has returned," Gao Feng replied.

"Supposed leader?"

"An ex-Royal Academy student named Amon. Uncle Gao Zhong had an altercation with him in the past. This ex-student once angered Senior Minister Pu Zhang. Father wants to further curry favor with Pu Zhang by knocking this Amon down."