Il arrive souvent des choses désagréables

Chapitre 24

Huh? So they're all my allies...

Qingfeng gave a half-smile, and I turned my face away and remained silent.

So all that talk was just to mock me. Didn't you get tired of going through all that trouble?

...

Hai: Ping An, aren't you tired of traveling around like this?

Ping An: Mo Li, she's here again. Go on a rampage, just go on a rampage...

Chapter 63

As soon as they settled down, several people came out to challenge them, directly targeting Mo Li.

"You villains! Chief Jin's spirit is not far away. Today we will act on behalf of Heaven and eliminate you evil people who are harming the martial arts world."

Mo Li sneered and spoke only to Wen De.

"Wen De, I sincerely invite you to a battle. Is someone trying to overstep their bounds and take your place?"

Seeing that Mo Li had no reaction to them, those people were furious. One of them jumped out and said, "How dare you call yourself the Alliance Leader? The Alliance Leader is kind and even agreed to a battle with you. In fact, when dealing with your kind of crooked and evil sects, there is no need to talk about morality. We should just rush into your evil manor and capture you all in one fell swoop. Brother Tie, don't you think so?"

The man who jumped out had a rugged appearance and a booming voice. Beside him, a man in a red robe responded with an even louder voice, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

"That's right! In my opinion, we should have blown our way in that day so that the brothers could have a good fight."

The men in purple and gold robes beside them looked displeased, and one of the younger ones added in a sinister tone, "Do you two gentlemen think that the Lei family's thunderbolts are an inexhaustible and cheap resource?"

Are they... turning their backs on each other right before the battle?

I was stunned for a moment, and then I heard faint laughter coming from the people around me.

Cheng Ping couldn't stand it anymore. He moved, but the white-clad figure was Wen De who stepped out from the crowd. His steps weren't particularly large, but the surrounding area naturally quieted down as he passed by. When he reached the front of the formation, he gathered his sleeves, making him appear as majestic as a jade mountain. Even my side couldn't help but fall silent.

As expected, when a master makes an appearance, it's all about their aura.

There are rules in the underworld. When bosses meet, no matter how tense things get, they always have to exchange a few words, and in a refined and polite manner, going through the motions. They have to play their part completely; that's what you call professional. I glanced again at those loudmouths from before, a hint of disdain in my eyes.

Drawing a knife upon meeting someone is something only low-level thugs do; it's utterly disgraceful.

Wen De spoke to Mo Li, "It is my good fortune that the Right Envoy has agreed to a battle; there is no need to rely on others."

Mo Li also stepped out slowly and stood face to face with him, cupping his hands in greeting. "Mr. Wen, you are too kind. I live in a remote place and it is rare for such distinguished guests to grace us with their presence. I should have invited you all into the manor to receive you, but you have come in a hurry and my manor is not prepared. This place is simple and I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Not at all." Wen De was even more polite than him. "Your manor is full of traps and mechanisms, easy to enter but difficult to leave. I am grateful that you were able to leave the manor for a battle and arrange to meet here. I thank you in advance."

I understood clearly that the traps in that manor were formidable; even Wende almost couldn't escape yesterday. How could these people know how much face Mo Li was giving them by being willing to leave the manor?

I glanced at Mo Li again, somewhat puzzled. With a formidable enemy at hand, why was he so confident? Then I looked down and despised myself.

Oh no! I've only been with him for a few days, and I'm already completely unable to tell friend from foe. I don't even know which side to worry about anymore. If this continues, they'll drive me crazy sooner or later.

Wen De continued, "I have long admired the Right Envoy's name. It is an honor to have the opportunity to fight him today. However, I have been entrusted by my brothers in the alliance to investigate one matter first. I ask for the Right Envoy's cooperation."

Mo Li smiled, but his mask was menacing, inspiring fear even in the sunlight. "Mr. Wen, are you referring to the Jin family of Dinghai?"

“Exactly.” Wen De nodded, then called out to Cheng Wei, “Cheng Wei, could you explain the situation to the Right Envoy?”

Cheng Wei stepped forward, followed by several people. Their steps were heavy as they carried a dark object, which they placed on the ground with a thud. I looked closely and felt a chill run down my spine. It was a coffin.

Someone opened the coffin lid, and a putrid stench immediately wafted out. Everyone around covered their noses, but Cheng Wei remained unfazed as he squatted down and turned the corpse inside the coffin over.

"The body was discovered when Boss Jin was murdered. At the time, Boss Jin was inspecting the canal on a boat when he was suddenly attacked. All fifteen people on the boat perished, and each of them had such a palm print on their back."

"Fiery Mark." I heard someone exclaim in a low voice beside me. Although the stench was unbearable, my curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't help but cover my mouth and nose with my sleeve and peek out. The back of the dead man was charred black, with a flame-shaped mark, exactly the same as the one I had seen in the Azure Wind Palm.

"What is the Fiery Seal?" Since Qingyi had already left, I had no choice but to ask Qingfeng.

Qingfeng rolled his eyes at me. "Haven't you seen it before? This is the mark of my sect, you idiot."

I ignored the last word he said and asked again, "I've seen it on your hands, but Qingyi and the others haven't."

Qingfeng blushed slightly, "Lord Qingyi is of such a high level, the mark naturally won't appear on your hand."

Not on his hand? Then where is it? Could it be that the higher the level, the more hidden the mark's location? Thinking this, I couldn't help but imagine again the mark somewhere on Mo Li's body, and then my face turned red…

The man in green stepped forward, looked down at the corpse carefully, and then said, "Indeed, this is the Fiery Seal of our sect. Such power can only be unleashed by someone above the level of a deputy hall master of our sect."

"It really was you!" A scream came from behind Wen De. I instinctively wanted to cover my ears and looked up. Sure enough, it was Miss Jin.

Unexpectedly, even after many days apart, Miss Jin's captivating voice was still so powerful.

The man in green rose and said, “Wait a moment, everyone. Please be patient and let me demonstrate an experiment for you.”

"Alliance Leader, they've all admitted it themselves, so what are we waiting for? Let's charge in!" A commotion erupted on the other end of the line. Wen De raised an eyebrow slightly. "Gentlemen, this matter is of great importance and needs to be thoroughly investigated. Anyone who disrupts the scene will be dealt with according to the alliance rules."

Before he finished speaking, Cheng Ping had already stepped out, holding a black iron token in his hand, which exuded a chilling aura.

I immediately recalled the scene three years ago in that underground stone chamber, when the crowd was in turmoil, and Cheng Ping threw out this token, instantly blinding someone. The horrific sight was still vivid in my mind.

Sure enough, once the token was shown, the crowd quieted down considerably. Qingyi didn't waste any time and leaped out in full view of everyone. With a flick of his palm, he imprinted it on a large tree. With a loud bang, a charred palm print and a clear flame were left on the thick tree trunk.

"Lord Qingyi is amazing!" Qingfeng clapped his hands beside me. I glanced at him and thought to myself, "Envious, aren't you? That's because you can't do it, right?"

“This is the mark.” Cheng Wei nodded.

The man in green walked back to the coffin and suddenly reached into his robes. The men carrying the coffin were all skilled in martial arts and knew how dangerous he was. Before, they hadn't taken him seriously because of his slender build and refined manners. But now, their gazes were different, filled with more apprehension. As soon as he moved his hand, everyone except Cheng Wei took a step back in unison and raised their hands in defense.

The man in green just smiled and took something out of his pocket. I stood on tiptoe to look and saw that it was another flame with a thin iron rod attached to the bottom.

"The Fiery Mark is a punishment used by our sect to punish those who violate the rules. Only those at the level of deputy hall master can use it. Those struck by it will have their skin charred and their flesh rotten. Even if they survive, they will have to live with this mark for the rest of their lives. However, this mark is very easy to imitate. You can leave such a mark on the skin simply by burning it with a flame-shaped branding iron. If there were a furnace here, I could make the same mark on a tree right now."

As I watched Qingyi speak eloquently, I couldn't help but swallow hard and asked Qingfeng, "How...how come he carries this thing with him?"

Qingfeng rolled his eyes at me again, "Lord Qingyi came from the Hall of Punishments. He can do everything from branding to skinning people, let alone branding them."

...

I recalled the refined face beneath the blue-robed mask. The old saying is indeed true: one cannot judge a book by its cover. I glanced at him again and felt a chill run down my spine.

"What need is there for a stove? No need for such trouble." A voice in red rang out, accompanied by a sweet laugh as she floated over, then asked Mo Li for permission, "Your Excellency, may I?"

Mo Li nodded, and the woman in red cupped her hands together to hold the iron flame. Soon, the iron flame faintly turned red, and wisps of blue smoke rose from it. She then stepped onto the big tree and waved her hand to press down the iron flame. In the blink of an eye, the tree bark cracked and a burnt smell filled the air. In the blink of an eye, an identical fiery imprint appeared next to the palm print of the woman in green.

The woman in red displayed her skills beautifully. When she gracefully returned, cheers erupted around me. I was stunned. Just a few days ago, I thought she was a pretty but brainless human vase. Now it seems she was kind enough not to slap me, who was blind to her true worth, into a charred mess.

There was a deathly silence behind Wen De. The loudest men all had grim expressions. The man in green reached out and pressed the mark on the corpse, saying slowly, "Gentlemen, if such a person was struck to death by someone above the level of the deputy hall master of our sect, then all his internal organs must have been shattered. Mr. Cheng, have you opened their bodies to look at them?"

Cheng Wei replied in a deep voice, "These corpses all belong to members of the Golden Tide Gang. Using even one of them is already a great disrespect to the deceased. Without the consent of their fellow members and their families, how could I possibly further damage their remains?"

The Jin family members shouted, "Who dares to desecrate the remains of our sect's members?"

Cheng Wei glanced at Wen De, hesitating to speak. Wen De nodded slightly, "Mr. Cheng, please speak frankly. As long as the facts are clear, there is no need to hold back."

Cheng Wei then turned the body over again. “Excuse me for speaking frankly, but please look around. If all the internal organs and lungs were shattered, there would definitely be internal bleeding. After death, the body would swell and turn purple. In severe cases, blood could seep from the five sense organs. However, none of the fifteen people who died on the ship had this symptom. Therefore, we can rule out the possibility that they were killed by internal force.”

As soon as Cheng Wei finished speaking, a commotion broke out on the other side, and some people even pointed at him and cursed.

"Whose side are you on, kid? You're talking nonsense. They were clearly killed with a single palm strike."

Miss Jin swayed to the front and spoke only to Wen De.

"Alliance Leader Wen, on the day my father had his accident, I was helping other boats on the river. When I heard the screams, I rushed to the scene and saw several dark figures flying away. There were no boats nearby to help, and no place to heat up a branding iron."

Mo Li suddenly spoke up, "The canal is wide, and since there were no boats to help, did those dark figures walk on the water?"

Mo Li's mask was ferocious, and his voice was hoarse and strained. As soon as he spoke, Miss Jin dared not look him in the eye and avoided his gaze. A young man walked out from behind her, and judging from his tone, he was also a member of the Jin family.

"Alliance Leader, may I say a few words on behalf of my young lady?"

...

Hai: I'm working very hard to finish this draft, remember to leave a comment!

Chapter 64

Wende nodded, and the man stepped forward. He had a long, rectangular face, and although he wasn't handsome, his features were quite regular.

"I am Jin Zheng of Jin Chaotang. On the day the old gang leader was attacked, I was on a boat in the vicinity and was one of the first people to arrive at the scene. That day, the old gang leader was inspecting the Qiantang to Pinghu section of the Grand Canal. This section is the most complex and narrow part of the Grand Canal route. The current is rapid, but the channel is not wide. Where the old gang leader's boat stopped, the channel was only about fifty zhang wide."

This man speaks clearly and logically. I glanced at him again and felt happy for Jin Chaotang.

It turns out that not everyone in Jin Chao Tang is an incompetent fool. Thank goodness.

Mo Li nodded slightly. "Is that boat traveling along the riverbank?"

"No, the old gang leader's boat is large and has a deep draft. The river is narrow, and if it were to approach the shore, it would be very easy to run aground. Therefore, the boat was traveling along the middle of the river that day."

"If we proceed along the central line, there should be a distance of twenty zhang to the left and right from the riverbank. Qingyi, can you walk on the water for twenty zhang without external assistance?"

Qingyi had already shown off her skills in front of everyone, flying from the center of the field to the unfortunate tree. Although the distance was far, it was only about ten feet round trip, which was already quite impressive. Now, hearing Mo Li's question, she immediately gathered her sleeves and bowed, "This subordinate is not capable, I cannot."

"And you all?" Mo Li raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

The crowd remained silent. I may not be good at other skills, but after three years of hard training, my lightness skill is still passable. However, to walk on water for twenty feet without external force is already a divine skill. Even Cheng Ping, who is extremely arrogant, cannot do it, let alone me.

Mo Li smiled again, turning to Wen De, "Mr. Wen, as far as I know, when it comes to lightness skills, none in the world surpasses Qingcheng Zongyun. A distance of twenty zhang might be inconceivable to others, but for Mr. Wen and his prized disciples, it is a piece of cake. Now, some people have concluded that Elder Jin was killed by members of our sect based solely on the Fiery Seal. May I infer that those black figures walking on water all belong to the Qingcheng sect?"

I was stunned, especially by the sentence, "But for Mr. Wen and his prized disciples, it was a piece of cake..."

Okay, I know I'm not exactly my master's favorite disciple, but does he have to announce it to the world so openly when I'm around? It hurts my pride.

Mo Li's voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced the ears of the listeners. A commotion arose on Tianshuiping, with all sorts of opinions. When I came to my senses from my shame, I saw that everyone's expressions were varied and fascinating. Qingfeng, who was standing next to me, was even more excited, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes were fixed on Mo Li with blind worship.

Cheng Ping's voice rang out amidst the noise, "The Right Envoy is right, but after Elder Jin passed away, someone sent a message by carrier pigeon to Qingcheng Mountain. The Alliance Leader then widely distributed martial arts notices, ordering us to gather in Dinghai. Qingcheng is remote, and even traveling day and night, it would take three days to reach Dinghai. The Alliance Leader has traveled this far, and all the sects along the way can testify to this. Three days to travel between Qingcheng and Dinghai, let alone the art of cloud walking, even riding the clouds would require some effort."

Cheng Ping's words made sense, and someone else jumped out and shouted, "Damn evil cult, how dare they slander the leader's reputation!"

Someone else spoke even louder, "Why waste so much breath on them? Demons and evil spirits deserve to be killed by everyone. Let's just go and kill them."

I suddenly remembered that I was also a member of the Three Villages and Nine Schools, and I felt ashamed.

Master, how come you have so many such people under your command? Even though I am not very talented, I feel quite ashamed...

Cheng Ping's face darkened, probably annoyed that someone was making noise while he was speaking. When he spoke again, he added some internal force. As soon as he spoke, everyone around felt their eardrums vibrate and involuntarily stopped talking. The scene immediately became quiet.

"There is another matter that our alliance should verify with the Right Envoy. Jin Chaotang has been in charge of the canal transport in Jiangsu and Zhejiang for many years, but in recent years, various factions have gathered together. Old Master Jin often mentioned that the waterway has been damaged and that there have been incidents of unidentified people blocking the river and hijacking passing ships. Recently, the gang members joined forces to ambush and capture several people. Their identities have been verified and they are indeed members of your sect."

As soon as Cheng Ping finished speaking, someone pushed out a man in black who was tied up hand and foot. The man was beaten black and blue, and his facial features were no longer recognizable. The flesh below his knees was torn up, as if it had been soaked in water for too long and was already rotting. His appearance was too gruesome to bear.