Chapter 178 Fate makes him make a choice
The most important thing is, what exactly is the "interesting thing" mentioned in the letter that is worth his exploration?
To be fair, Zhang Huaiyi had dealt with Wu Gensheng privately many times and had a general understanding of the other party's character. He always treated people with sincerity and rarely, if ever, took the initiative to hurt others or do evil.

The invitation letter was like a bait thrown by the devil at this moment, causing Zhang Huaiyi to waver. In his messy mind, his subconscious mind kept suggesting that the probability of encountering danger when keeping the appointment was low.

If you don't go, it's too passive. There is no impenetrable wall in the world.

Who knows, the devil may reappear someday in the future, and the news of their friendship may be leaked by a third party, and when disaster strikes, you won't know what's going on.

If I go, how should I explain to my senior brothers and master?
At this time, it is not easy to find a reason to go down the mountain.

"call"

Zhang Huaiyi slowly let out a breath and looked around. The courtyard was empty and there was no sign of his fellow disciples. Then, like a thief, he put the letter into his shirt pocket and pretended nothing had happened.

There are still several months until the agreed time.

He was not anxious or panicked, but quickly calmed down. After all, he had plenty of time to think about countermeasures.

Over the past month, Zhang Huaiyi has been staying in the Tianshi Mansion, serving his mentor and practicing with his fellow disciples, just like any other day.

Although he seemed fine on the surface, as time went by, Zhang Huaiyi was unable to sleep late at night. He would lie on the bed, staring blankly and emptying his mind.

Even when I was dreaming, I was often startled and woke up in a cold sweat and gasping for breath.

This night.

He saw a blurry and terrifying scene, as if dozens of people gathered together and were in a desperate situation.

Before I could see clearly, the picture suddenly shattered, and in the end, all I could see was a sky full of fire and one white figure after another standing above a sea of ​​corpses and blood.

What frightened him the most was Senior Jiang from the Trinity Sect, who for some unknown reason had pushed him to death.

"call"

Zhang Huaiyi's hands and feet couldn't help but go weak. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and realized inadvertently that his clothes were already wet.

"Master."

He muttered softly, like a lost lamb, reached under the pillow, touched the letter, and wanted to get out of bed several times, find the Taoist priest, kneel down and apologize, and confess everything, but he never had the courage to do so.

Zhang Huaiyi knew clearly that nothing happens more than three times. Ever since the first time he was caught deceiving his master and hiding his skills, his master almost abolished his skills and scolded him harshly. In the end, his anger died down and he let bygones be bygones. He was willing to teach him the Thunder Method, treat him as his own son, and give him a surname to cultivate him.

The second time, before the devil came to Longhu Mountain, he could not bear the pressure and was the first to confess his experience of being defeated by the devil and being spared, but he deliberately blurred other events. Even when his senior brother asked him later whether he had any friendship with the devil, he flatly denied it.

Therefore, the matter was left unresolved. Even though the master only criticized him a few words afterwards, it was not a big deal, after all, the old man was not really angry.

And this third time, the devil secretly wrote a letter and invited him to come down the mountain. Zhang Huaiyi really had no idea how serious the consequences would be.

Will the master destroy him?
Will the master forgive him?
How do my fellow brothers and sisters see me? !

He was extremely distressed and tossed and turned all night long.

Another half month passed before Zhang Zhiwei found time to visit Trinity Gate and reminisce with his friends.

After he came back, Zhang Huaiyi found out through indirection that his senior brother also had not seen Senior Jiang, and that the other party was suspected to have disappeared from the sect. Only then did he feel relieved and no longer suffered from nightmares.

However, as time went on, he could not escape the difficulties he had to face.

Just when Zhang Huaiyi made the decision and was about to hand the letter to his master, things did not go as he wished and he encountered a turning point that changed his life.

A friend he had met during his travels had come to seek help from the Tianshi Mansion because there was an evil spirit in the village surrounded by mountains and rivers, causing heavy casualties.

"Brother Qi!!!"

Zhang Huaiyi saw his friend with a haggard face and pale lips and asked with concern: "Are you okay?"

"Brother Huai Huai Yi, please help me."

"Several children and elderly people in the village have been eaten by that filthy thing. Please help us, Taoist priests in the Tianshi Mansion!!!"

The farmer with patched clothes knelt down for a long time and cried miserably.

"Brother Qi, you get up first."

Zhang Huaiyi supported this old friend who had treated him well in the past, and he felt very upset. When a person dies, it is like a light goes out, let alone such a sudden disaster. He didn't know how to comfort him for a moment.

Zhang Jingqing, who had learned the whole story, sighed silently, feeling reluctant, and ordered:

"Huaiyi, just follow this donor and go for a trip."

"Let's see what's going on there. If there are any evil spirits causing trouble, we'll get rid of them. Then we'll hold a ritual to liberate the souls."

"Yes! Master."

Zhang Huaiyi responded: "Disciple will never let that evildoer go."

"Brother Qi, please stand up quickly. I feel ashamed to accept your kowtow."

"Wow. Thank you, Master Tian, ​​thank you, Brother Huaiyi."

The farmer choked up and lost control, tears streaming down his rough, impoverished face.

When he arrived, the family's three children, the youngest of whom had just learned to walk and speak, were harmed by the evil spirit. As a father, he was heartbroken and worried about the safety of the other two children.

instantly.

Zhang Huaiyi hurriedly packed his bags and went to the village with his old friend to eliminate the evil spirits, but he forgot about the letter.

When he reached the foot of the mountain, he suddenly remembered something and his face changed slightly, but he didn't say anything and continued walking.

After leaving Longhu Mountain, Zhang Huaiyi felt inexplicably relieved, as if the shackles that restricted his body and mind had been quietly opened.

However, he failed to anticipate that without the supervision of his master and fellow brothers, a single change in his thoughts could lead to eternal damnation in the near future.

Tangmen.

At dusk, in a stone house in the jungle, there were two figures of different strengths and weaknesses. One of them had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a thick beard, and was wearing a long brown robe. He looked middle-aged with regular facial features.

One of them was younger, wearing a white shirt and had a slicked-back hair. His eyes were small but contained plenty of brilliance.

At this moment, they all frowned slightly. The letters in their hands made them feel uneasy. They couldn't understand what was going on. The devil who had caused chaos in the martial arts world was still alive.

Like Zhang Huaiyi of the Tianshi Mansion, they also received an invitation from Wu Gensheng, and the contents of the two letters were almost identical except for the honorifics;
After a long time, I finished reading.

With a "whoosh", Dong Chang handed the letter paper to the candle on the table without any hesitation, letting the flames devour it and turning it into a pool of dust in an instant.

"Why are you still standing there?"

"Are you going to go back and give the letter to the head of the sect?"

Seeing Xu Xin's slightly surprised look, Dong Chang looked solemn and said cautiously:

"Given his character, he would never allow us to respond to such a ridiculous invitation."

"Even if they allow it, it's nothing more than asking us to lead the way and secretly dispatch the best fighters in the sect to kill the devil."

"."

Xu Xin was silent, then said, "I think I should tell the head of the sect about the news that the demon is still alive."

"At least we can't just pretend that this never happened."

"Especially you, Mr. Dong, you still have Wu Gensheng's order hanging there."

At this point, Dong Chang's eyes showed a complicated expression. Before he could say anything, Xu Xin continued to add:
"Although the employer placed the order a long time ago, he is not in the country."

"But the reward has always been in the sect. Ever since Wu Gensheng died in Longhu Mountain a year ago, the sect leader has never been able to find a way to return it."

“Now this demon is alive.”

Xu Xin did not finish the rest of the words, but Dong Chang naturally knew what his junior brother meant by that, and could only sigh:
"Let's find another chance to see." He was evasive and unclear in his words, unable to give a definite answer.

If it were any other disciple who had a grudge against Quan Xing, he would have already thought about how to mobilize people and kill the leader Wu Gensheng on the spot.

Seeing this scene, Xu Xin didn't know what to say. After all, his senior brother Dong Chang was older than him and was always more thoughtful and steady than him, so he decided to just trust him.

Thinking of this, Xu Xin rolled up the letter and placed it on the candle flame. In just a few breaths, it was burned up.

For the next period of time, both of them tacitly acted as if the incident had never happened, only occasionally asking each other for their opinions in their free time, whether they would go to the appointment.

As Dong Chang's junior fellow student, Xu Xin was worried that something might happen if he went alone. After thinking it over for a while, he decided to give it a try and go and take a look.

When he expressed his thoughts, Dong Chang suddenly smiled, patted his shoulder, and said jokingly:

"Hey, you're still worried about me?"

"You are you and I am me."

"There's no need to change your choice because of me. Besides, I have a backup plan."

"Backhand?!"

Xu Xin hesitated, slightly moved, raised his eyebrows and thought: "Is it not safe?"

"Hard to say."

Dong Chang shook his head, not minding explaining the arrangements in detail: "I wrote a letter and left it in the room."

"If anything unexpected happened, when the guys in the sect were cleaning up my belongings, they would at least be able to see why and where I died."

"In addition, the sect's unique skill 'Dan Shi' is my training goal. There is still a long time before the appointment. I am going to try my best to see if I can overcome this hurdle."

"If we go there at that time, it will naturally be an extra layer of protection."

"Even if something unexpected happens and the devil is dragged down with me, this life will be worth it. I will not let my master down."

Dong Chang's words and mental emotions were unusually calm. After weighing the pros and cons for more than ten days, he decided to follow his heart and go to the devil's territory to take a look.

When Xu Xin, who was standing by, learned of his plan, he was speechless for a long time. He didn't expect that his senior brother seemed to be intending to never come back.

a few days later.

Dong Chang went to the meeting hall of the Tang Clan to find the head of the Clan to discuss the matter of asking for leave.

As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I saw Tang Bingwen sitting on the armchair, holding a creed and reading it, seemingly in deep thought.

Gao Mei, who was standing next to him, had a pretty face and was lively. She was making tea for the old man. The dimples on her face held a faint smile, and it seemed that what she was doing was full of great expectations.

Dong Chang stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and explained his purpose sincerely:

"Master, my disciple has encountered a bottleneck in his practice recently and has been unable to break through."

"I'm asking for leave now. I want to go out and relax, get better, and find a quiet place to cultivate the Danxi. I hope you'll allow me."

The disciple's voice interrupted Tang Bingwen's thoughts.

He slowly put down the creed, raised his head slightly, and focused his sight on Dong Chang who was standing nearby. He felt quite relieved and smiled faintly:
"Really? Very good."

A trace of reminiscence flashed across the old man's single eye, and he sighed:

"It's no worse than what I had back then. It's rare that you're so ambitious. OK."

"I am a disciple under your cultivation. It is only natural that I can surpass you. You are the one who taught me the best."

Dong Chang respected his master very much. Since he started learning, Tang Bingwen had taught him carefully. If he could not stand on the shoulders of his predecessors and achieve higher achievements, he would be slacking off.

Even if there was no invitation from the devil, Dong Chang also planned to master Dan Shi in the near future, just to add more strength to the sect in the troubled times.

Tang Bingwen chuckled at his compliment, but did not give a positive response. He just asked, "Is half a year enough?"

"That's enough, Captain."

Dong Chang quickly bowed his head and thanked him: "I am very grateful to you."

The next moment, Tang Bingwen rubbed the creed in his hand and said:

"Since you choose to stay in seclusion outside, that's fine. There is something I need you to do."

"?"

Dong Chang had a bad feeling in his heart and pricked up his ears to listen.

"Master, please give me your instructions. I will do it for you after I have successfully completed my retreat."

"it is good"

Tang Bingwen did not keep the secret and said directly:

"A few months ago, someone saw the remnants of Quan Xing and the previous acting leader in Sanqin Province. After tracking them for a few days, they were confirmed to be them, but they were lost."

"Isn't this demon dead?"

Dong Chang was shocked. He didn't expect that the people in the sect knew that Wu Gensheng was still alive.

"It doesn't matter. Since he's alive, let's just let him die again."

"A long time ago, I remember you had an order for Wu Gensheng, right? Although the order was canceled, the employer was far away overseas, and we had no chance to return the remuneration."

Tang Bingwen brought up the old matter again and issued an order:

"This time, you should do it more cleanly. After you have mastered the Danxi, send that demon on his way."

"It has been delayed for several years. The next time the employer returns to his country, if there is no result, our Tang Sect will not be able to explain to him."

Dong Chang suppressed his shock and said loudly, "Master, please rest assured."

"Go ahead, don't let me down."

"Yes." Dong Chang stood up, bowed politely, and just as he turned around to leave, he was stopped by someone.

"and many more."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Gatemaster?"

Dong Chang looked back, confused: "Do you have any other instructions?"

"come over."

Tang Bingwen waved his hand slightly and said, "The road is long and the mountains are long. Have a cup of tea to moisten your throat before you go."

"Also, here's some money for your trip, spend it wisely."

Dong Chang took the wrinkled banknote and drank a cup of tea. His nose felt sore. He glanced at the old man and clasped his fists, saying, "Disciple thanks the master."

"Ah."

Tang Bingwen did not say much, but just watched Dong Chang's back as he walked away until he disappeared around the corner, and he was reluctant to look away for a long time.

It is true that he is the head of the Tang Clan, but he is also Dong Chang's master. This time he approved his disciple to go out and gave him the task of assassinating the devil. For some reason, Tang Bingwen felt vaguely uneasy, but he couldn't tell the specific reason.

Dan Shi?
The path I have walked, this child should be able to walk it too
The devil?
Maybe it's not easy to deal with, but the old master always believes that his disciple can complete the mission successfully and return, but that will take half a year or even a year.

hope everything is fine.

Tang Bingwen looked quietly at the tea in the cup and sighed humorously.

(End of this chapter)