Mu Yuandao asked, "Palace Master, where are we going now?"
"Since we're not leaving and we'll be going to Shaolin Temple in a few days, let's find an inn nearby to stay."
At this moment, on Zhenxing Island, the moon rises above the tower.
Shangguan Tou had just convened a meeting, mobilizing almost all the disciples of Yue Shang Valley to search for "Lotus Wings." Before they had even left, someone suddenly entered the hall.
The visitor was still Liu Hua.
"Valley Master Shangguan, it would be best if you attended the Shaolin Temple meeting in a few days."
Shangguan Tou sat in the chair and slightly raised his head:
"Why?"
"Since everyone is framing you, if you don't go, they will believe it even more."
“I have said that no one is falsely accusing me.”
Liu Hua waited all night, but to her surprise, he still gave her the same answer.
"I have something I want to discuss privately with the Valley Master; it's very important."
"Alright, Miss Liu, please come with me."
The two entered the reception room in the backyard of Yue Shang Lou together. Shangguan Tou invited Liu Hua to sit down, then ordered someone to pour her tea. After settling her in, he sat down beside her. He hadn't slept all night and didn't look very well, but his elegance remained.
"May I ask what advice you may give me, young lady?"
"If I were to say that I could clear your name, what would you think?"
Shangguan Tou immediately smiled: "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Liu."
"You're unwilling to accept it?"
"yes."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to make the same mistake again."
Liu Hua put down her teacup and leaned forward a little: "You probably think I was sent by someone to test you, but to be honest, this is a deal, and I'm offering a pretty high price. You have to agree to three things."
"If that's all you're looking for, young lady, then I'm afraid I won't keep you company any longer."
“Young Master Shangguan, there’s no need to put on an act in front of me. You’ve probably deceived so many women in your life that you can’t even remember them all. I don’t believe you haven’t lied about this.”
"You know a lot."
"Yes, a lot. I also know that Chong Xuezhi knew all along. Didn't she question you about it?"
"I don't need to answer those questions for you."
“Since you’ve already lied, no matter how you try to explain, that’s how she sees you. Why not just change the facts and make her think you’re right?”
Shangguan Tou was speechless for a moment. When Chong Xuezhi asked him about it, he had subconsciously denied the past. He had no recollection of ever touching Lin Fengzi, and thought that once no one asked, the matter would be over. However, Chong Xuezhi's calm reaction after learning the truth surprised him.
Liu Hua said, "Valley Master, there is only one way to make a name for yourself: be more ruthless than others."
"If I lie again, then I will have truly lost to her."
Liu Hua was speechless, utterly bewildered by his words.
Seeing Shangguan Tou's resolute expression and every move he made clearly indicated that he was being asked to leave, she finally couldn't help but say:
"If I were to tell you now, you actually are nothing—"
At this point, the door was suddenly kicked open.
Shangguan Tou and Liu Hua both stared in surprise at the doorway. A man in brocade robes, holding a long sword, glared angrily at Liu Hua.
"You slut, what have you been doing with other men behind my back?"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Xia Qingmei.
119
Xia Qingmei glanced at Liu Hua, then at Shangguan Tou, grabbed her wrist, and immediately dragged her towards the door. Even in his bad mood, Shangguan Tou couldn't tolerate such behavior; he flashed forward, blocking their path.
"Young Master Xia is usually so gentle and refined, why is he being so rude to his fiancée today?"
"I haven't settled accounts with you yet." Xia Qingmei glared fiercely at Shangguan Tou, gritting her teeth. "Everyone in the world knows about my marriage to this slut. You've done something shameless, do you intend to continue being shameless?"
Before she could finish speaking, she had already taken a punch from Shangguan Tou. Xia Qingmei returned the punch, but her fist technique was chaotic and her body was unsteady, as if she were drunk. Shangguan Tou quickly dodged it.
"Have you been drinking?" Liu Hua patted Xia Qingmei's cheek and said anxiously, "You should go downstairs and rest quickly, I'm worried about your health..."
Xia Qingmei wouldn't listen to a word she said, and instead pinched one of her cheeks, angrily demanding, "Tell me, what are you doing here?"
“Young Master Xia,” Shangguan Tou grabbed his wrist, “please stop.”
"I...I'm fine, Young Master Shangguan didn't do anything..." Liu Hua glanced at Shangguan Tou, her eyes brimming with tears, and she was sobbing that she couldn't speak anymore.
Shangguan Tou was suddenly stunned. Liu Hua's face was so different in public and in private, the change was too great.
This is a situation where even jumping into the Yellow River won't clear my name.
"Shangguan Tou, you've got guts!" Xia Qingmei pointed at Shangguan Tou. "You even dared to mess with my woman, you've got guts!"