On the other side, seeing Gu Hai speechless, Kong Ling wished he could slap him again.
Indeed, there was no harm without comparison!
Gu Hai seemed quite capable usually, but compared to Po Xiao, he was worse than a pig or a dog!
Thinking this, his gaze flickered towards Ye Cang Tian, and he spoke, "Po Xiao, do you have anything to say about Xue He's death?"
"Regarding Xue He's death, your subordinate is not very clear."
"When he was discovered that day, he was already dead. His body bore numerous traces of fighting with demonic beasts, as well as signs of conflict with humans."
"Your subordinate speculates that Xue He first engaged in combat with demonic beasts, sustained some injuries, and was subsequently ambushed and killed."
Ye Cang Tian remained calm, feigning contemplation before answering.
It seemed this matter had nothing to do with Po Xiao!
Listening to Ye Cang Tian's explanation, Kong Ling mused inwardly.
Gu Hai had brought back Xue He's corpse, and Kong Ling had also examined it. It indeed had wounds from demonic beasts and weapons, and it was true that he was injured by demonic beasts first.
However, Xue He had not died from an ambush.
The reason was simple: the wounds inflicted by weapons on Xue He's body were all on the front, indicating he had died in a direct confrontation.
This completely contradicted what Po Xiao had said.
In his opinion, after such a long time, and without giving Po Xiao sufficient time to fabricate a lie, Po Xiao could not have possibly concocted such detailed information.
Therefore, he felt that Po Xiao was not lying.
With this thought, Kong Ling's gaze swept over them again, and he said indifferently, "This matter will be put aside for now. This seat will investigate thoroughly. Now, let's discuss the last matter: who annihilated You Jin!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cang Tian glanced at Hong Mo, then said calmly, "You Jin was indeed defeated by Hong Mo, and subsequently committed suicide. However, among those involved in this matter, neither Gu Hai nor Zi Long were present!"
At these words, Hong Mo's face flushed.
Honestly, he felt ashamed!
What Po Xiao said was the truth, but it omitted too much, such as the ten Cardinal Bishops of the Light Squad, whom Po Xiao had killed.
Moreover, the entire incident was spearheaded by Po Xiao; frankly, he had merely picked up the spoils, and it was Po Xiao who intentionally let him do so.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have even been close to receiving credit.
Therefore, he truly wanted to tell the truth, as it would bring him peace of mind. However, the glance Po Xiao had given him earlier clearly indicated that he should not say too much.
It was obvious that Po Xiao intended to give him this portion of the credit.
Similarly, after hearing Po Xiao's words, the faces of Gu Hai and Zi Long turned grim.
Initially, Gu Hai did not have high hopes for this credit. He already had the merits of defeating Bei Luo Ke and Ku Xi, so letting Hong Mo have this credit was not an issue.
He considered it a favor, especially since Hong Mo was of Ba Tian's bloodline, and Ba Tian had a good relationship with Kong Ling. Therefore, he should indeed look out for Hong Mo.
However, now that the first two meritorious deeds had clearly been snatched by Po Xiao, if he were to lose this credit as well, he would have nothing left, and he felt truly unwilling, yet unable to refute.
With this thought, he spoke, "Lord Kong Ling, what Po Xiao says is the truth, but we were not inactive. We had long seen through You Jin's feint!"
"Yes, we deliberately fell for it, to lure the Hall of Light to retaliate against the Chu family, and to let this credit go to our brother Hong Mo!"
"We had communicated this to Hong Mo beforehand!"
Upon hearing this, Zi Long quickly chimed in.
He had always followed Hong Mo and done his utmost to engage with the You Jin team. If he were to receive no reward in the end, he would truly feel aggrieved.
Therefore, he could only twist the truth.
He believed that, due to their many years of brotherhood, and with Hong Mo being Kong Ling's subordinate, Hong Mo would definitely not expose them on the spot.
"Truly shameless!"
"Zi Long, do you perhaps know why Hong Mo's injuries have healed, and when they healed?"
"If you don't know these things, how dare you claim you discussed it with Hong Mo beforehand?"
Seeing Zi Long's expression, Ye Cang Tian chuckled inwardly and shook his head with a cold sneer.
"If we don't know, do you know better!"
Zi Long glanced at Ye Cang Tian and said coldly.
Indeed, he did not know these things. He also knew that Hong Mo had some dealings with Po Xiao, but he believed that Hong Mo would make the right choice.
Firstly, Kong Ling was a Heaven-level expert, while Ye Cang Tian was merely a quasi-Heaven-level expert; there was no comparison in their status and strength.
Secondly, Kong Ling was a good friend of Ba Tian.
Therefore, if Hong Mo was not an imbecile, he should stand with Kong Ling.
In that case, Hong Mo should also help him and preserve some face for Kong Ling's faction.
"Who is right and who is wrong is not for you to decide; let Hong Mo speak!"
Kong Ling, seeing that both sides were about to argue, coughed lightly and said indifferently, while also giving Hong Mo a meaningful look, signaling him to speak cautiously.
After all, Zi Long and Gu Hai had now defected to him, and if the entire mission yielded no merit, it would be too difficult to explain.
Seeing this, Hong Mo remained silent for a moment before slowly stating, "My Lord, the reason my injuries were healed was because Po Xiao obtained a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir from Ku Xi and gave it to me to help me recover."
"As for how I was able to kill You Jin, it was because Po Xiao notified me of the news, and Po Xiao held back ten Cardinal Bishops of the opposing side, which gave me the opportunity to engage You Jin and finally get my revenge!" Hong Mo added.
Upon hearing this, the faces of Gu Hai, Zi Long, and Kong Ling all turned grim.
Hong Mo telling the truth was clearly undermining them, trampling on everyone's dignity, and openly siding with the Star Abyss faction.
It was not an exaggeration to call him a traitor.
On the other hand, a faint smile appeared on Ye Cang Tian's face. Hong Mo had finally made his decision, which meant his efforts were not in vain.
He would also not have to face Hong Mo on the battlefield in the future, which was a fitting end to Ba Tian.
"However! Your subordinate believes that the final credit awarded by the Light faction is not comprehensive."
"Zi Long has fought alongside your subordinate in numerous battles and has contributed greatly; his merits are undeniable! Gu Hai also racked his brains to eliminate the Hall of Light. Although his contribution was not substantial, it cannot be overlooked."
No one had expected Hong Mo to speak up now.
Ye Cang Tian was momentarily stunned, but quickly came to realize.
Hong Mo did not want to see the two sides become too antagonistic, and was trying to play a conciliatory role.
On the other side, after a brief moment of shock, Kong Ling, Gu Hai, and Zi Long each cast a deep glance at Hong Mo, their expressions softening considerably.
At least Hong Mo had preserved some face for their side.
In their eyes, Hong Mo's actions were merely a refusal to lie and an unwillingness to be indebted to Po Xiao, which was why he had previously affirmed Po Xiao's actions.
In reality, Hong Mo's heart still leaned towards Kong Ling's side; otherwise, he would not have added this concluding remark.
The next moment, Kong Ling scanned everyone and said, "Since you have all reached an agreement, this seat will now proceed with the distribution of rewards!"
"Wait!"
"Lord Kong Ling, your subordinate still has something to say!"
Just as Kong Ling was about to bestow the rewards, Gu Hai quickly interrupted him.
Kong Ling glanced at him, his gaze somewhat grim. He thought to himself: How could Gu Hai be so insensitive? In such a situation, he should know when to stop.
However, he could not say much at this point and merely said grimly, "Gu Hai, what else do you have to say!"
Gu Hai quickly stepped forward and said, "Previously, in Xi Yin City, more than a dozen families, large and small, had cooperated with the Hall of Light. Your subordinate and Zi Long have joined forces in the past two days and have killed them all!"
What!
At these words, Ye Cang Tian's eyes widened instantly.
He couldn't help but look at Hong Mo. Hong Mo had said he would handle the aftermath; had he done so in this manner?
Sensing Ye Cang Tian's gaze, Hong Mo showed a look of helplessness and shame, then lowered his head and remained silent.
Seeing this, Ye Cang Tian's face turned grim, and he questioned Gu Hai, "Those families had been taught a lesson and had publicly severed ties with the Hall of Light. Why did you still strike such a heavy blow!"