A Yuan Realm martial artist — under normal circumstances, the Four Righteous of the Meteorfall Society wouldn't have given them so much as a passing thought. If that Yuan Realm practitioner hadn't been digging into secrets belonging to the Moon God Sect, they would never have bothered to personally look into the matter.
Though they had intervened, in their eyes, it was hardly a matter of any consequence. Yet it was precisely this thing they considered insignificant that had brought catastrophic disaster upon the Meteorfall Society.
Cong Taiyan had tried to speak up several times, only to be silenced each time by Beigong Ming's glare. Clearly, Beigong Ming feared that Cong Taiyan's fiery temper would further enrage their captor, inviting even more bloodshed.
They had to swallow their pride. Endure. Wait for reinforcements to arrive.
"The next question." Liu Zhen's cold gaze swept across the Four Righteous before him. "You'd better think carefully before answering. If your answer is vague, or if I get the feeling you're lying…"
Beigong Ming called out loudly, "Ask away! I swear on my Heart Demon — no matter what you ask, I will answer truthfully and never lie. If I lie, let the Heart Demon's backlash claim my life."
The gravity of a Heart Demon Oath was no less binding than a covenant of Heaven and Earth.
Liu Zhen nodded. He had already prepared his question and was about to ask it when he caught the exchange of glances between Beigong Ming and Cong Taiyan.
An idea struck him, and a mischievous thought flickered through his mind.
A strange smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Liu Zhen suddenly asked, "This question is for you alone. You're the second of the Four Righteous. Have you ever thought about seizing power? Ever thought about taking out the boss and taking his place?"
This question was viciously cunning. Jiang Chen and the Peerless Great Emperor both nodded inwardly, quite impressed by Liu Zhen's shrewdness.
The question seemed simple, but it could directly tear apart their ranks and shatter the bond between the brothers.
As long as discord festered among them, everything would become much easier.
Hearing Liu Zhen's question, Beigong Ming's expression froze. In truth, he had always been quite deferential to Cong Taiyan.
But to say he had never once entertained the notion of being the boss — that would be a lie. After all, the difference between first and second was considerable.
From time to time, a wild thought would flicker through his mind: what if Cong Taiyan were gone, and he became the head of the Meteorfall Society…
Such thoughts had never gone beyond his own head, but having them laid bare for open discussion was an entirely different matter.
When Cong Taiyan heard the question, he fixed his gaze on Beigong Ming as well. Clearly, Liu Zhen's question had struck a nerve and piqued his curiosity.
Cong Taiyan was hot-tempered and not one for deep scheming. He had always relied on Beigong Ming's cunning mind, yet deep down he somewhat looked down on it — even resented it and felt wary of it.
Because aside from his superior strength and boldness, his intellectual gap with Beigong Ming was considerable. So he had occasionally wondered — did Beigong Ming harbor ambitions to usurp his throne?
Beigong Ming, for his part, was suffering immensely.
This question had landed him in an excruciatingly awkward position. If he denied it, he would be lying — he had indeed harbored such thoughts, if only as fleeting notions, never once taking any real action. But how could he ever admit to something like that?
If he admitted it, he would offend Cong Taiyan beyond repair. The Four Righteous would never be able to coexist peacefully again.
If he denied it, his earlier words were already binding. The Heart Demon Oath was not something he could casually break. Once he lied, the backlash would come swiftly.
He knew that once a Heart Demon Oath's backlash was triggered, death was certain.
In that moment, Beigong Ming's mind was in complete turmoil. He was utterly frustrated by Liu Zhen's question. He wanted to refuse to answer, but refusing would only prove he had a guilty conscience — and that would also offend Cong Taiyan.
The crux of it was, if he refused, the other side would simply have an excuse to kill again.
Liu Zhen wore a sly grin, staring at Beigong Ming as he said lightly, "You can refuse to answer if you like. I'll just go kill someone else then. But the blame will still go on your tab."
"Second, just tell the truth. What are you worried about?" The fourth of the Four Righteous was a straightforward man — blunt and one-track-minded.
The idea of usurping power had never even crossed his mind. In his view, the Four Righteous were brothers in all but blood, the boss was stronger than all of them, and following the boss was simply the natural order of things. How could anyone even think of usurping his position?
So he naturally assumed Liu Zhen's question was equally nonsensical.
Cong Taiyan regarded Beigong Ming with a calm gaze. "That's right, Second. Just tell the truth."
The same words, yet Cong Taiyan and the fourth spoke with entirely different tones and feelings.
Beigong Ming hesitated again and again, still not daring to gamble with the Heart Demon Oath. He would rather upset Cong Taiyan than stake his life on a Heart Demon Oath.
At last, he nodded. "I admit — I've had the thought. But I never once considered acting on it. The boss's strength and boldness far surpass mine. He is the rightful leader of the Meteorfall Society."
The moment these words left his mouth, Cong Taiyan's expression turned cold.