The Ghost of Fog
Chapter 23. Gathering

The night has come, and it is time for the meeting of the six families to be held as planned several days ago.

That night was the night of the full moon. Seen in the sky there are hundreds of stars that accompany on the right and left of the moon. There are no clouds that show the weather is in good condition.

The night breeze blows from North to South, very comfortable and soothing.

But it was much different from the atmosphere in the Xiao family meeting room. Currently in the room had gathered all the representatives of each of the invited families.

They all sat in a circle facing a round table made of marble that was quite large.

Unlike the meeting in the Hu family some time ago. If at that time they only send family representatives to attend the meeting, this time the representatives came not only but the leaders of each family who deliberately personally left the task for a while in order to attend this important meeting.

Because a leader, of course they do not come alone. Each family came with several elite bodyguards and at least fifty more senior bodyguards. Some even hired a warrior.

This family is the Chu family. They deliberately hired seven high-ranking warriors because the one who came was not only the leader of one family, but together with the emperor himself. The ruler of the Southern mainland left his throne to attend the meeting tonight. I can imagine how important this meeting was.

But of the five families present in the Xiao Family residence, none of them looked like royalty. They deliberately disguised their true identities in order not to attract the attention of the other party, especially the Hu Family.

Like the entourage of the imperial family, the Chu Family, they disguised themselves as a refugee troupe whose clothes were dirty and dirty and whose hair was deliberately not styled to give the impression of being a difficult person.

Unlike the Jiang family, they were even more severe than the Chu family. How not, this family disguised itself as a group of beggars whose clothes were clearly much dirtier and dirtier than the refugees.

Some are just wearing clothes without clothes, some are wearing butut clothes and caping hats that have been perforated here and there. There are also those who wear clothes but one of the sleeves is missing so that it makes the person dressed strangely as well as funny. One hand is long-sleeved, the other hand is short-sleeved.

Even better, in order to maintain a true identity, this Jiang Family was willing to become real beggars in the villages where they stopped. Even they only stay silent when they get abuse and abuse from the surrounding population.

Indeed, all of this was Xiao Li's plan to write in his invitation letter to not expose their true identity. However, this man never expected it would be this severe disguise made by them to keep their identity secret.

What astonished Xiao Li was the entourage of the Tan family. They disguised themselves as a group of mountain bandits.

They came to the Xiao family residence in thick mountain clothes complete with cleaver and fat, and their faces were polished with charcoal to make them look ferocious and creepy.

Of course Xiao Li was surprised and could not believe seeing their arrival. But when the leader of the Tan family showed me the pure gold plates that were the identifying mark of every ruling family, Xiao Li knew that they were really from the Tan family.

Currently in the meeting room of the Xiao family already sat the six family leaders plus the emperor himself and the ten elite bodyguards from each family.

They deliberately only brought ten people to the meeting room because the rest were spread throughout Batu City to maintain security during the meeting.

In Batu City tonight it does look as mediocre as the previous days. But no one knew that in the middle of the city there were hundreds of high-level guards who were always on standby with all possibilities. They were all always patrolling around the city clandestinely without anyone knowing.

But another story with the bodyguards of the Chu family and the Jiang family. Because they disguised themselves as refugees and beggars, so that the guards were watching by sitting or falling on the side of the road while pretending to sleep.

There was also Xiao Mei and her two daughters. Because only the three of them saw firsthand all the words and discussions in the Hu family meeting the other day. There was also the presence of Hao Yu who stood tall beside his young Miss.

"Well, can I start the meeting now?" Finally Xiao Li as the host spoke up.

All the leaders of each family nodded their heads in agreement.

"In that case, I'll tell you first the beginning of all this strangeness."

After that Xiao Li started his story. This man told her all the things he knew about the content of the discussion of the Hu family meeting back then. Of course all these stories are exactly like his wife's.

Everyone present there listened carefully to every word that came out of Xiao Li's mouth. Therefore the atmosphere became quiet and tense, only the voice of Xiao Li who was busy telling stories sounded. Hao Yu even breathed slowly, worried that the sound of his breathing would interfere with the course of the meeting.

"That's the story. Then when all the representatives had already left the Hu family residence, as we know, they were all attacked by the bandits." Xiao Li.

Chu Shen, the Chu family leader sitting next to the emperor nodded his head in agreement.

"So, fortunately we all sent a spy to watch the Hu family's movements one week before, so that they could know about the attack. If not, maybe now we just realize that all the representatives have been killed." Her speech.

The Emperor himself also nodded in agreement to the statement.

"You are right, Mr. Chu. Then I'll move on to the next problem, so after my wife's son comes home..."

Xiao Li returned to tell. He said everything without exception about the arrival of the 'messenger' who wanted the merger of two families and the spread of the news right the next day.

He also explained all the oddities that Lin Tian described about the 'messenger' that the Hu family had prepared to follow each family troupe as they left the Hu family residence.

Xiao Li had been briefed by Lin Tian about this information not during breakfast together that morning. But this morning, Lin Tian had just returned home after picking up his new sword.

But of course he did not say if all the information came from Lin Tian's thoughts. Because it was the desire of the young man who asked Xiao Li not to let everyone in the meeting tonight know of its existence.

The young man said that he did not want to stand out and attract attention.

"So, does anyone want to give an opinion, gentlemen?" Xiao Li asked after ending the story.

There was no answer to Xiao Li's question, the atmosphere became very quiet and awkward. Everyone dissolves in their own thoughts.

Suddenly someone answered the question.

"Hm..hm. It turns out that we are all fools who are easily fooled by people. Huh..really pathetic." Said a fifty-year-old man while sighing a few times.

This person was wearing thick clothes made from tiger fur, on his back was a large cleaver in shiny black. He is the leader of the Tan family who is under the disguise of being a bandit, he is named Tan Hui.

"What do you mean, sir?" Said the emperor who was a little uncomfortable hearing that answer.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor, but only stupid words are appropriate to describe the situation we are all in today." Answer the man while giving his respects.

"Try explaining!!" The emperor's orders were firm.

"alright. Then I'll ask, didn't we agree to send a spy to watch every move of the Hu family?" Tan Hui's question was serious.

"true."

"Then after a few days our representatives left the Hu family residence, they all died by bandits. And I'm sure we all got that news from our spies who sent messages through pigeons, didn't we?"

As commanded, everyone nodded their heads. Except for Xiao Li who did not get any news.

"And if Mr. Xiao's words are correct, about the messenger who has been following our family's representative since they left the Hu family's residence. Why can their actions escape the surveillance of our spies? While we've also agreed to send a spy the best?"

Hearing this question, everyone who was there fell silent unable to speak.

"We from the Tan family's side have still not given orders to our spies to return. Are you gentlemen the same as us?"

"Yes, we from the Jiang family have also not sent our spies back because I thought it would be better for now if the Hu family continues to be watched." Answer the Jiang family leader, Jiang Shi.

They all nodded their heads in agreement with Jiang Shi's remark.

Tan Hui paused for a moment to take a breath, then continued to say seriously, "I'm sure none of them will come back."

"Because they're all dead." Further.

"Braaac!!"

The sound of a table shake, it turned out to be the leader of the Chu family.

"Don't joke you, Mr. Tan!! What do you mean they're dead!?" Said fiery.

Spontaneous this made ten of Tan Hui's bodyguards prepare with hands that had touched each machete's handle.

"Quiet..quiet..." Tan Hui said patiently as he raised his left hand to calm his guards.

"According to my estimation, the message sent to us at that time was not a message from a spy, but a message written by the Hu family himself." Tan Hui said continuing his explanation.

"So, I'm sure our spies already know about the bandit's secret, which is actually the people of the Hu family. However, the Hu family first realized this and killed them so that we all would not know about this truth."

"Then they played the role of our spies and sent out a message that all the representatives had been killed. If it's really our spies, there's no way they're just sending a letter to this whole thing, it's definitely the guy himself who's gonna come report to us."

"Then, they continued the next charade, which was the arrival of the messenger to the Xiao family." Tan Hui was obviously at length.

"But Mr. Tan, I didn't get any messages from my spies at all." Said Xiao Li.

Tan Hui nodded his head then said, "That means.The Xiao family has indeed been targeted from the beginning."

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