章 11: Chapter 41- Master Feng
Master Feng stood up from the podium, his eyes filled with disdain as he looked at Grandmaster Zhang. "You speak nonsense, old man," he sneered. "Do you truly expect anyone to believe the lies and deceit that you spew from your mouth? I became the head of the Alchemist Union in your absence, chosen by the people to lead them to greatness. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a washed-up relic from the past, clinging to whatever shred of power you still possess."
The crowd was silent, their eyes flitting back and forth between the two men as the tension in the room grew thicker. Many of them were unsure of who to believe, torn between the charismatic leader they had come to know and the respected elder who had always been a pillar of the community.
"You think you can fool these people with your words?" Master Feng continued. "You think you can turn them against me with your lies? I am the one who has brought prosperity and progress to the union. I am the one who has united the factions and brought peace to the people. I am the one who truly has their best interests at heart."
Grandmaster Zhang's expression remained calm, his eyes locked onto those of Master Feng. "You speak of unity and progress," he said. "But what you have brought is nothing but tyranny and oppression. You have enslaved the people of the Cardinal City, using them for your own gain. You have orchestrated the downfall of the Medicinal Alchemist Faction, leaving countless innocent people to suffer. You have even gone so far as to betray your own predecessor. The evidence of your crimes is clear for all to see, yet you still stand here and deny them."
The crowd was in an uproar, their voices filling the grand ballroom as they cried out for justice. Master Feng's followers tried to shout them down, but their voices were drowned out by the overwhelming cries of the people. The atmosphere was electric, as the truth of the situation became clear to all.
Grandmaster Zhang's voice boomed throughout the grand ballroom as he began to tell the story of the Massacre of the Great Seven. The crowd listened in rapt attention, hanging on his every word as he described how Master Ding Gen and the other masters of the Poison Alchemy Faction had pursued two treacherous members of their own faction, who had killed many of their own in a brutal massacre more than 80 years ago.
"They were ruthless, these two," Grandmaster Zhang said, his voice filled with anger and disgust. "They took a child hostage and threatened to kill him if Master Ding Gen and the others did not allow them to escape. But Master Ding Gen was a master of his craft, a true alchemist, and he was not about to let them get away with their heinous crimes."
With a sense of urgency, Master Ding Gen and his team had worked together to plan a daring rescue operation. They had managed to subdue the two perpetrators, rescuing the child and bringing them to justice.
"But little did Master Ding Gen know," Grandmaster Zhang continued, "that the child he had saved, the child he had taken in and raised as his own, was a trap set by a criminal organization known as the Karma Order. This child was none other than Master Feng, the man who now stands before us."
The crowd let out a collective gasp as the realization of what Grandmaster Zhang was saying sank in. They looked at Master Feng with newfound disgust and loathing, their once-admiring gazes now filled with hatred.
"Master Feng has been using us, using our trust and our admiration for him, to further the goals of the Karma Order," Grandmaster Zhang said. "He has been manipulating us, deceiving us, and using us for his own gain. But no more. Today, we will put an end to his reign of terror."
"Stop this nonsense!" Master Feng bellowed, his face contorting in rage. "You have no proof of these wild accusations. Yet you stand here and defame me with these lies. I have served this union with honor and integrity, and you dare to tarnish my name with these fabrications?"
The crowd began to murmur among themselves, others looked to Master Feng with suspicion. "You want proof?" Grandmaster Zhang said, his voice calm and steady. "I have proof. And I will present it to you all, so that you may judge for yourselves the truth of my words."
Grandmaster Zhang reached into his sleeves and pulled out a parchment. The crowd was at the edge of their seats as he began to unfold it. "This parchment contains evidence of Master Feng's treachery," he announced, his voice filled with anger and disgust. "It is a record of his communication with a member of the Karma Order, an organization of high-profile criminals from the Blank Continent. They had been working together to create a poison known as the Corruption of the River. This poison was responsible for putting the daughter of my good friend and myself into a deep slumber." The crowd gasped in shock and disgust as they listened to the damning evidence against Master Feng.
Grandmaster Ding Gen stood tall before the crowd, his voice steady and unwavering as he began to speak. "Esteemed members of the Alchemist Union, I stand before you today to tell you of a betrayal that occurred many years ago. A betrayal that I thought I had buried deep within my heart, but one that has recently come to light once again. I speak of the betrayal of Master Feng."
The crowd listened intently as Grandmaster Ding Gen recounted his story. He spoke of how he had taken in Master Feng as his own child, teaching him the secrets of Poison Alchemy and grooming him to become a powerful alchemist. But as it turns out, Master Feng had been using their teachings for sinister purposes.
"I discovered a hidden laboratory, where Master Feng was conducting experiments on innocent people, using them as test subjects for his deadly poisons," Grandmaster Ding Gen continued. "I was horrified by what I saw, and I knew that I had to put a stop to it. But before I could even leave the lab, guards from the Alchemy Union came and arrested me. Master Feng was among them, accusing me of using humans for experiments. It was all a setup, a betrayal orchestrated by Master Feng himself."
Lai Xiaoli stepped forward, his hand gripping tightly around the small vial containing a drop of the Corruption of the River. He began to speak, his voice steady and clear as he recounted his investigation into Master Feng and the other members of the Five Poisons.
"I have been watching their every move, and what I have uncovered is a trail of corruption and abuse of power." he said, his gaze flicking towards Juanxiu with a small smile of approval, as if acknowledging that Juanxiu has met the requirements for Lai Xiaoli to support him.
The crowd was in shock as one of the Five Poisons turned against Master Feng, leaving him. Master Feng's expression contorted in anger and disbelief as Lai Xiaoli continued to speak, laying bare the evidence of his wrongdoing.
After a long silence, Master Feng let out a sinister laughter that echoed throughout the grand ballroom. His eyes were filled with malice and disdain as he looked at the people in front of him. "You think you have won? You think you have exposed me? Ha! I am but a pawn in a much larger game," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
The crowd was in shock as they heard his admission. They couldn't believe that the man they trusted and respected would stoop so low. Some of them were filled with anger, while others were filled with disgust.
"You used the people of Cardinal City as test subjects for your experiments. You poisoned Li Jing and Grandmaster Zhang. You betrayed Grandmaster Ding Gen. You are nothing but a monster," Alchemist Zhou spat out, his voice filled with disgust.
Master Feng simply shrugged, a twisted smirk on his face. "I did what I had to do to achieve my goals. And in the end, I will come out victorious. The Karma Order will rise to power and the world will be ours," he said, his voice filled with conviction.
Suddenly, the members of the Poison Faction who had been by his side began to desert him, one by one, walking over to stand with Grandmaster Ding Gen.
Master Feng's laughter filled the grand ballroom, sending chills down the spines of those present. His eyes were filled with a dark and sinister light, and a twisted smile played on his lips. "You think you've won?" he sneered, his voice low and menacing. "You're all so naive, so gullible. You think you've seen the worst of me? You haven't seen anything yet."
The crowd of alchemists and cultivators present exchanged worried glances, a sense of unease creeping over them. They had thought they had uncovered the truth and brought Master Feng to justice, but now it seemed as if he still held all the cards.
Suddenly, the doors of the grand ballroom burst open and a horde of cultivators dressed in black robes flooded in. They were all emanating powerful energy, and it was clear that they were all loyal to Master Feng. The crowd of alchemists and cultivators present began to back away, a sense of panic setting in as they realized they were surrounded.
"You see," Master Feng continued, his voice now a cold, hard whisper. "I've always been one step ahead of you. I've always known who I could trust, and who I couldn't. And now, it's time to weed out the weak and the disloyal."
The crowd of alchemists and cultivators present looked around frantically, trying to find a way out. But there was none. They were trapped, with no way to escape the horde of powerful cultivators that surrounded them. The atmosphere in the grand ballroom was tense and electric, as the attendees waited for Master Feng's next move.
The grand ballroom was filled with a creeping sense of dread as Guo Yingjie raised his hand, signaling for the insects that had been crawling all over the floor to make their way towards Grandmaster Zhang and the rest of his group.
The insects, a writhing mass of chitin and legs, seemed to respond to Guo Yingjie's command, moving with a sinister purpose towards the group. The crowd of attendees watched in horror as the insects closed in, their disgust and revulsion written clearly on their faces.
As the insects reached their targets, Liao Zhengshong stepped forward, holding a strange-looking mineral in his hand. With a cruel grin on his face, he smashed the mineral against the ground, releasing a thick, sickly-looking liquid that immediately turned into a toxic vapor that filled the air.
The crowd recoiled in disgust as the vapor assaulted their senses, the acrid stench burning their eyes and lungs. The vapor seemed to cling to their skin and clothes, making it hard to breathe and think.
The scene was chaos, people were running and panicking, some were coughing and struggling to breathe. The vapor seemed to be getting thicker and more toxic by the second. It was a nightmare come true, Master Feng's trap was successful and now no one is safe inside the grand ballroom.
Meanwhile as the chaoes ensued, Zhang Wu approached Master Feng, his voice trembling as he asked, "Master, is it true? Are you a member of that criminal organization, the Karma Order?"
Master Feng gave a cold, disdainful laugh, his eyes glinting with malice. "So what if I am?" he sneered. "You think the Alchemist Union is any different? They're all just a bunch of weak, spineless cowards. With the resources and power the Karma Order can give me, I can achieve so much more."
Zhang Wu's face twisted in confusion and disgust. "But, Master, how could you do this? How could you use innocent people for your experiments?"
Master Feng's expression turned to one of annoyance. "You're still so naive, Zhang Wu. This is the way of the world. The strong survive, and the weak are trampled underfoot. If you want to survive and succeed, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes."
Zhang Wu shook his head, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I can't believe it," he whispered. "I thought you were different, Master. I thought you actually cared about the people you were supposed to protect."
Master Feng's expression turned to one of contempt. "Don't be a fool, Zhang Wu. I care about nothing but my own power and success. And I can give you that too, if you're willing to join me. Think about it, Zhang Wu. With the resources and backing of the Karma Order, you could achieve anything you want."
But despite his master's tempting words, Zhang Wu couldn't bring himself to join him. He was filled with disgust and betrayal as he realized the true nature of the man he had looked up to for so long.
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