Chapter 2589 — Putting on a Show
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Although the Elder had been sent down with the intention of protecting Brother Dafeng, the man in charge above clearly did not want the Elder to conceal anything, so he dispatched a Guardian to keep an eye on the Elder and see whether he was playing favorites or bending the rules.
"What is going on here, Dafeng? By any reasonable account, Headquarters has supported you generously enough—we promoted you to Grand Steward and even sent a Heaven-tier expert as your strategist to hold down the fort. So how did you manage this? How did you let Strategist Zhuge march off to his death?" The Elder's words sounded fair and just, but in truth he knew perfectly well what Brother Dafeng's position in the branch was—how could an early Earth-tier expert possibly keep an early Heaven-tier expert in check?
If this early Heaven-tier expert had been a mere hired blade, that would have been one thing, but the crux was that he had been sent down by Headquarters and had originally been Headquarters' own strategist. There was even less chance that Brother Dafeng could have done anything to him.
"Elder Su, I am sorry. I have failed Headquarters' trust!" Brother Dafeng lowered his head, keeping his manner exceedingly humble before outsiders.
"Hmph, Dafeng, do you realize your crime? Strategist Zhuge was a Heaven-tier expert—even at our Headquarters, Heaven-tier experts are an extremely precious existence. We sent one to you to hold the fort, and you went and got him killed? I say your death would not atone for this!" The Guardian leapt out at this point, jabbing a finger at Brother Dafeng in fury. He and Strategist Zhuge had both served under that same Headquarters official, so naturally he had to demand justice for Strategist Zhuge.
"This is not Brother Dafeng's fault!" Little Tongzi flushed red at just the right moment and "could not help" leaping out. "What does this have to do with Brother Dafeng?"
"Little Tongzi, is this a place where you have any right to speak? Shut your mouth!" The Guardian had just been about to rebuke Little Tongzi for his lack of propriety when, to his surprise, Brother Dafeng beat him to it and scolded the boy first, leaving him no pretext to press the matter further.
However, Elder Su narrowed his eyes slightly, a sharp gleam flashing through them, and gave a faint snort. "Dafeng, why will you not let Little Tongzi speak? Surely you are not trying to hide something? Little Tongzi was one of the parties involved at the time—he is the one best placed to speak. Is that not so, Guardian Chen?"
Guardian Chen also knitted his brows. Though he did not know the truth of the matter, he did know that Brother Dafeng could never have commanded Strategist Zhuge, and he also knew Strategist Zhuge's temperament—how could such a man ever have been content to submit to Brother Dafeng?
He had come here merely to vent his anger. Since Brother Dafeng was willing to admit fault, there was no harm in letting him serve as the scapegoat! He had never expected that Little Tongzi, who had come down from Headquarters with Strategist Zhuge, would suddenly leap out like this!
But with Elder Su having spoken thus, what could Guardian Chen say? He could only reply, "Yes, Little Tongzi, tell us everything you know!"
"Yes! Elder Su, Guardian Chen, the truth is that Brother Dafeng has been wronged!" Little Tongzi began by crying injustice. "Though I am only a lowly underling who came down from Headquarters with Strategist Zhuge, the two of you must surely know his temper better than I do. After he arrived here, he paid no heed whatsoever to Brother Dafeng's orders. Relying on his status as a Heaven-tier expert, he simply stripped Brother Dafeng of all authority! Then he began doing all sorts of reckless things without a shred of sense!"