The document is clear to the world

Chapter 93

"This aroused public outrage, and Qiu Ming stepped forward to take charge of the situation," I added.

As soon as he finished speaking, a disciple came up to the pavilion, panting, and reported, "Palace Master Mu sent me up to report that things are strange and we've been dragged into this mess. The assassin has been captured alive and confessed, but they're pinning the blame on us. Now the Murong and Situ families are out of control, and only Manor Lord Qiuming is managing to keep things in check. The Palace Master asked the Manor Lord what he meant."

The three of us looked at each other, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. The little boy blinked and looked at us with a puzzled expression.

Nangong stood up, fanning himself. "Of course the master should stay here. How could those vagrants below the stage possibly catch his eye?" After saying that, he glanced at me and said, "Mianye, the master is sending you down to inquire about the situation."

I responded, and the boy looked at me, then at the sitting "Master" Mianye, and seemed even more puzzled. I quickly pulled him over and said, "You lead the way."

When I reached the west pavilion, a large crowd had already gathered. The young servant pushed through the crowd for me, and the four palace masters of Nalan Manor saw me and were about to come over to greet me. I stepped forward first, walked up to them, and bowed. "I am Mianye, who serves the master. The master asked me to find out what's going on."

The four of them, slightly startled, nodded in understanding and ushered me inside. Murong and Situ had already been carried in for treatment. Besides the few people from the manor earlier, only Qiu Minghao and Murong Qi recognized me. Qiu Minghao smiled at me, clearly understanding my intention. Murong Qi, however, looked at me with confusion but ultimately didn't expose me. Murong Qi possessed a heroic spirit, seemingly incompatible with Nangong's delicate charm. Yet, her fierce nature could overshadow all of Nangong's maternal aura—something I couldn't envy!

"Master Qiuming, our master has sent me to deliver a few words to the assassin."

Qiu Ming pulled the leader of the group to my feet. I glanced at the man in black on the ground and smiled slightly. "Do you know our master?"

The man in black was taken aback. "Of course, the alliance leader personally entrusted the matter to me, and even gave me the stone seal himself."

I turned around and took the stone seal that Qiu Ming handed me. Looking at the two characters "Nalan" imprinted on it, I glanced at the man in black. "Not bad, the one you have is a genuine piece from our master."

Before he could reply, I said, "Since you have met our master, you must know about Mianye, right?"

The man in black rolled his eyes. "That's right, you were serving the master back then."

"Can you see clearly that it's me?"

The man in black hesitated for a moment, but then nodded.

I smiled and said, "Yes, I remember you. I was with the owner at the time and served you tea. Do you remember me?"

The man in black breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, you even handed me some tea back then."

"You have a good memory." I smiled, looked up at Qiu Ming who was smiling broadly at me, and casually instructed, "Qiu Ming, please take this man to the jail. The Nalan family will not let him off so easily."

Qiu Ming nodded, then pointed at me and said, "This is Master Nalan. You just said she was a water-serving maid and that you were personally entrusted by the Alliance Leader, but you can't even recognize the Alliance Leader in front of you. That's utter nonsense."

The crowd knelt down in twos and threes. I glanced at them coldly and whispered, "Take this person away."

"Wait—" a muffled voice came from the side.

I glanced at the middle-aged man who slowly walked out. He had a noble air about him, and under the brocade robe that was as bright as the clouds, he looked even more noble and refined, as if he were born into royalty.

A smile flickered across my face as I clasped my hands in greeting and said loudly, "Uncle Yuan, how have you been?"

The man raised his head and said with a smile, "The little girl is becoming more and more beautiful."

This man is He Yuan, a protector of the Situ family. I saw him entering and leaving the Nalan family when I was a child, but I have no memory of him after that. However, his innate noble and refined demeanor is still vivid in my mind. I heard that he lives a secluded life and rarely appears in the conflicts of the martial arts world.

"Your Uncle Situ said that this person is probably a member of the traitorous Luo Feng faction. He has come here to cause trouble and incite various villages. He told you to be careful when interrogating him."

"Is Uncle Situ awake?" I asked.

"He just woke up, and the poison in his body has been neutralized. It was Luo Feng poison."

A member of the Situ clan behind him quickly gripped his sword, saying, "How dare he poison our manor lord! We must teach him a lesson!"

On the other side, the Murong family members were equally resentful.

I glanced down at the man in black. He was no longer as flustered as before; instead, he was calm and composed, seemingly acknowledging his identity as a member of the Luo Feng faction.

A servant rushed in from inside the room to report, "Master Murong's condition is not good."

Murong Qi had lost his composure and angrily raised his sword at the man in black. The man in black did not dodge, but instead saw a white-clad woman flash in front of him and block Murong Qi's sword. Murong Qi was startled and took two steps back, coldly shouting, "Nangong, you're causing trouble again."

Nangong smiled and said, "Qi'er, this person cannot be killed yet."

"Meddlesome—" Murong Qi dodged Nangong, rose into the air, and pushed with his wrist.

Sword light!

Murong's sword light was extremely sharp and bright, embodying the integrity of a gentleman and a righteous spirit.

Nangong's expression changed slightly. He instantly drew his sword, leaped up lightly, and blocked Murong Zhizhi's sword. The sword light that flashed up was extremely beautiful, like a stunning woman who could make even a gentleman lose his integrity with just a glance!

Nangong's sword is indeed so exquisite. If the two of them were to clash head-on, it would probably result in... mutual destruction.

I shook my head and sighed, but then realized I had no weapon in my hand. In desperation, I reached out and touched Qiu Ming, the only white jade hairpin holding his hair up. The two cold swords met in mid-air. With a "crack", the sword light flashed in the air, and both swords shattered and fell to the ground.

The two landed gracefully.

Nangong pulled the man in black to stand in front of Murong Qi, ten steps away. Everyone immediately made way, staring in fear at the two lifeless figures before them.

Neither of them spoke, and the broken swords in the air fell down one after another. With a "crack," the white jade hairpin that had been swung out in desperation landed on the ground!

The white jade hairpin, shattered into pieces by the broken sword, lay silently on the ground amidst Qiu Ming's extreme grief!

Qiu Ming, with one hand holding his wind-blown hair, created a beautiful scene. He then looked up and pointed at me. I knew that because of his status, he couldn't say those words—"You good-for-nothing!"

Nangong threw down his subordinate's sword, tossed the man in black to my feet, and walked over. I whispered in his ear, "Can't you be a little more dignified? Fighting your future wife in front of so many people, aren't you afraid of driving her away?"

Nangong's eyes flashed, and his face suddenly turned deathly pale. I followed his gaze and saw that the man in black was slumped on the ground, not even struggling. Nangong, who was always cheerful, finally lost his composure and his face turned grim. He clenched his fist and said, "Damn it!" He turned and left before I could even grab him. I just looked at the corpse on the ground and frowned slightly. It was such a mistake that someone had taken such a drastic step in such a short time! I coldly surveyed the crowd around me. The murderer was among them, or perhaps the mastermind was among them.

Qiu Ming, no longer concerned about arguing with me over a hairpin, looked at me with a hint of worry.

"Bury him." I simply said, and Qiu Ming, who was behind me, squatted down and found something on the corpse. He was slightly startled and reached out to hand me a piece.

The jade plaque bore the gleaming character "Mo". In an instant, members of the Murong family drew their swords and pointed them directly at the Yuan Cult members in the crowd. The Yuan Cult members were clearly startled by the sudden incident and stood there dumbfounded.

He Yuan stepped forward and comforted Murong Qi, "Qi'er, go inside and check on your father's condition. The Alliance Leader is here, and your Uncle Yuan will take care of things for you. Don't worry, no one will escape."

Murong Qi then put down his sword, nodded slightly, and turned to return to the palace.

I frowned slightly, feeling as if I had walked into a trap, as if every step had been meticulously planned. A chill ran down my spine, and I glanced at He Yuan indifferently, "Uncle Yuan, I'm leaving this to you."

He Yuan nodded and ordered the men from Situ Village behind him, "Take down the Yuan Cult—"

The leader of the Yuan Cult, Mo Yao, remained completely calm and offered no resistance. I wearily waved my hand, signaling them to take the person away.

He flicked his sleeve and whispered to Uncle Shui, "Let's go down too." Everyone quickly bowed and respectfully saw him off.

The group led by the Yuan Sect had been imprisoned in Situ Manor for five days without any sign of trouble.

"Girl."

I turned around and smiled, "Master Wujing."

Standing behind me was an old monk in white robes, a senior master who had been cultivating in seclusion on the Cliff of Contemplation, and also a rare chess friend of mine.

"With a troubled mind, escaping to my Cliff of Repentance is of no use. Even if you are far from the mortal world, you are still in the human realm." Master Wujing spoke in a calm tone, as if he were speaking casually, yet every word struck a chord with me.

“Master has cultivated on the Cliff of Contemplation for decades, and must have eliminated many calamities.” I forced a smile. “But now I have encountered a task that I can both ignore and manage. Managing it will not bring any benefits, while ignoring it will implicate innocent people. In short… it is very troublesome.”

Wu Jing looked at the chess pieces on the board and shook his head. "Your moves today were very chaotic and evasive. It's been a long time since you've played like this."

"That's right."

"This sin will ultimately be put to rest by the young lady."

"What is the meaning of your words, Master?"

"Only you can settle the sins of those three men."

I pondered for a moment, "One is Situ Yuan, another is Mo Yao, so the third one..."

"The third one is called Pear Blossom."

Chapter Twelve: The Beauty of Pear Blossoms

"Pear Blossom—absolutely not!" Nangong slammed his fist on the table, protesting loudly.

"Why not?!" I found Nangong's unusual behavior strange.

"If you insist on stepping into this muddy water, can't you just take a break?"

"The Situ family wanted to harm me, and when that failed, they found the Yuan Cult to be their scapegoat. Isn't that what you were thinking too?"

"This is none of your business! Haven't you ever thought about why, out of so many factions, it's the Yuan Sect? It's because they already have a grudge against each other, and a pretty big one at that."

"What do you know?" I asked tentatively. "Is it related to that pear blossom?"

Nangong gave me a helpless look. "I told you, and you're not allowed to be surprised."

"good."

"This is a debt of love between three men."

"Every man falls for that guy named Rika?!"

"Lihua was originally an actress at Situ Manor. The Situ family has always had a penchant for male concubines, and Lihua used to be very favored. Three years ago, Lihua disappeared without a trace, and Old Master Situ was extremely anxious. Until recently, someone secretly discovered someone who looked like Lihua in the Yuan Cult. So no matter what, they were bound to reach this point."

I was in a daze for a long while. I stared fixedly at Nangong. "I want to see this pear blossom."

“No. Absolutely not—” Nangong shook his head.

"Why?!"

“He’s so beautiful,” Nangong sighed. “It’s said that anyone who sees him will fall in love with him. That’s why he always wears a veil.”

"I've seen plenty of people as beautiful as you. What are you afraid of?" I suddenly found it laughable. Could there be any face in the world beautiful enough to warrant Nangong's praise?

“He’s different—” Nangong frowned. “Back then, it was because I saw him once that I forced myself to cultivate in seclusion for three years before I was able to get out of this situation.”

"So you have such a glorious past, huh? But I'm not a man. If I fall into this situation, I'll just bring him to my side." I smiled and took a sip of tea. "I refuse to believe I can't compete with those two men. Women have an advantage!"

Nangong looked at me helplessly. I walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, if I get it, I'll share half with you."

late at night.

There was no moon, and the stars were sparse.

The desolate mountains west of Yangzhou were pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Few people live in the wooden houses on the mountainside, and the old tables and chairs are covered in dust.

Footsteps approached from afar, and Pear Blossom, dressed in white with a white veil covering her head, pushed open the door and entered. Her voice was cold and clear, "Master Nalan, why would you want to see Pear Blossom?"

The lamp wick flickered with a warm yellow light. I pulled up the chair next to me. "Pear Blossom, come, sit down."

He was neither humble nor arrogant; he walked over and sat down beside me with composure.

I gently pushed a cup of tea towards him. "Are you aware of what happened to Master Mo?"

"This is common knowledge." He nodded slightly.

"I'd like to hear your opinion."

"Master Mo is innocent..."