Chapter 522: An Official Interrogation

As for Renhuang, Zhang Lie didn't expect his departure to pose much of a problem. Renhuang's administrative staff was talented and multipurpose, and they could easily handle matters without him.

Within an office designated for the highest authorities of the world federation, Amurong sighed. Despite his manipulations, he hadn't ended up with the recipe for Zhang Lie's limit-breaking potions that he had been coveting all along.

These potions were enough to shake the entire Milky Way, but trying to wheedle them out of Zhang Lie now was an illogical decision. He had no choice but to postpone his plans.

However, it was already too late. With a huge slam, the door to his office burst open, and Hong Tianqi and a group of Chinese hunters walked in.

Amurong got to his feet in rage. "Hong Tianqi, what are you up to?!"

Martial Sage Hong Tianqi smiled coldly. "Shouldn't that be my question?"

Amurong was incensed by the sudden intrusion, but he feared Hong Tianqi's strength too much to chase him away outright.

"Don't forget the mandate of the world federation—this is an office for its highest authorities. Your barging into my office is the highest mark of contempt—against me, the presiding member of the highest authorities!"

.

Hong Tianqi marched up to Amurong, lifted a foot, and stomped on his table. "You want to speak to me of contempt, of law, of common decency?!"

Amurong frowned. "No matter what your problem is, you shouldn't have barged in here like this. I know we've never seen eye to eye, but I should hope that you'll at least respect my position!"

Amurong knew that Hong Tianqi wouldn't have barged into his office without damning proof of his involvement in illicit affairs. Nevertheless, he couldn't back down now.

"I respect the highest authorities of the world federation, but I won't respect someone like you. You don't have the right to this title, and it confers you no authority to do what you've done!"

"Hong Tianqi, how dare you malign me!" Amurong thundered, slamming a fist on his table.

Hong Tianqi smirked at one of his subordinates. "Bring the detainee over. Let's see if our presiding authority knows him, shall we?"

A black-clad man was quickly brought up to Amurong. Upon seeing his identity, Amurong's face fell. The man in question was the authority whom Amurong had been working with—not only had he failed in his task, he had failed so utterly that Hong Tianqi had managed to lay his hands on him.

"Hong Tianqi, this is an authority of the world federation! How dare you restrict his freedom—how dare you detain him! Don't you know what this means to your standing in the public eye? You, Hong Tianqi, certainly can't be allowed to act in this manner as a highest authority of the world federation!"

No matter what, Amurong had to feign innocence. He was still the presiding authority, after all, and if he were to continue denying all claims, no one could countermand his authority.

Hong Tianqi chuckled coldly. "As for you, Amurong, I wonder what the world would think of the presiding authority of the world federation inciting kidnapping and terrorism?"

Amurong frowned. "Hong Tianqi, this is a serious accusation, and one that I won't take lightly. Who is this man, and what are you trying to pull?"

"You understand better than anyone else present," Hong Tianqi mocked. "You masterminded an attack on the Zenith Dojo and attempted to kidnap Zhang Hanxiang in order to obtain the recipe for Zhang Lie's limit-breaking potions."

Amurong snorted. "Slander!"

"Slander? You refuse to admit your crimes even with this witness right in front of you? The day I seized this authority, I learned of your involvement. Subsequently, I traced his bank accounts and learned that he bankrolled the attack on the Zenith Dojo and the kidnapping of Zhang Hanxiang."

The caught authority scratched his head. "I apologize, Amurong—the plan was a failure, and I was caught. Please, get me out!"

Amurong wanted nothing more than to slap his face. Just how had he failed so miserably?! Not only had he acted during an inopportune moment, he had even failed; not only had he failed, he was even about to bring Amurong down with him.

He had to have been blind to work with a fellow like him!

Amurong had completely forgotten that the only reason his ally had struck was on his insistence, that it had always been him who believed Zhang Lie incapable of beating the monarch of stars.

With Hong Tianqi right in front of him, Amurong naturally couldn't reveal any of his emotions.

Calmly and coolly, he stated, "Authority Fulong, I've never instigated you to perform such deplorable tasks."

Hong Tianqi began to laugh. "Amurong, are you truly so thick-skinned? I can't believe you think you can get away with this."

Amurong spread his arms. "Hong Tianqi, no matter what you think, I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding—"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Amurong," Fulong murmured. "I had no choice—I can't defeat Hong Tianqi, and I don't want to die, so I actually recorded one of our conversations just in case."

Amurong wasn't a good man, and Fulong knew very well that Amurong might even try to get rid of him once he had obtained his desired recipe. In order to protect himself, he had recorded his conversations with Amurong just in case—and indeed, they were now coming in handy.

This time, even Amurong's cool composure crumbled.

One of Hong Tianqi's subordinates retrieved a recording from a pocket regarding his plans to attack the Zenith Dojo.

"Well, Amurong?" Hong Tianqi asked, smirking. "Do you still intend on denying your crimes? Let me show you why no one dares to go against me."

Even so, Amurong gave a last-ditch effort. "Hong Tianqi, I don't know what this is. I've never said anything remotely like what the recording suggests—you must have falsified it!"

"Amurong, you've been an authority for so long—is this the best you can do? Aren't you even going to own up to your crimes?"