Mu Feiyu was taken aback, then exclaimed joyfully, "I haven't seen Lord Zhan for many years! What wind blew him here today? Everyone, come with me to greet him!" But then an aged voice outside the hall said, "No need." After that, several people entered the hall, the leader being a tall, imposing old man with piercing eyes and a dignified face. Upon seeing him, Mu Feiyu quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said with a smile, "Brother Zhan's arrival at Shadow Mountain is an honor; I have failed to greet you properly, and this is truly impolite."
Li Feiqing's heart pounded with anxiety, and she inwardly cried out in alarm. Stealing a glance, she saw Zhan Zichen standing beside Lord Zhan, glaring at her with hatred.
Zhan Hengye said in a low voice, "Sect Leader Mu, I have lost face today and have come to ask you for justice."
Mu Feiyu was taken aback by the tone of his voice and quickly said, "Brother Zhan, you are too kind. Who is so bold as to offend you?"
Zhan Hengye did not answer, but pointed to the people behind him and said, "Today, I am accompanied by Master Yichen of Beiyuan Temple, Bi Jianchun, the head of Yujian Sect, Wang Tiezheng, the chief镖头 of Weiyuan Escort Agency, Master Ye of Fuliu Valley, and Young Master Situ Qing, the 'Breaking Cloud Divine Sword'..." He introduced them one by one, and Mu Feiyu greeted them with pleasantries. He then had his disciples bring chairs and invited them to sit down and have tea.
Zhan Hengye took his seat in the middle and asked, "Brother Mu, are you aware of the recent resurgence of the Demonic Sect in the martial world?"
Mu Feiyu pondered, "The Demonic Sect?" Then he suddenly realized, "Could it be that the attacks on our righteous members over the past few days are the work of the Demonic Sect?"
Zhan Hengye said, "Exactly. May I ask, Sect Leader Mu, how should we deal with the rampant evil forces of the Demonic Sect?"
Mu Feiyu said solemnly, "I will do my best to fight against them."
Zhan Hengye nodded and said, "If someone in my righteous sect colludes with the demonic sect and harms fellow practitioners, how should we deal with it?"
Mu Feiyu said, "Such traitors should be severely punished without exception."
Zhan Hengye praised, "Good!" Pointing at Zhan Zichen, he said, "In that case, Zichen, tell everyone what happened that day again. I'm sure Sect Leader Mu will uphold justice for us!"
Zhan Zichen said, “Yes. Five days ago, my brother received news of the murder of Uncle Xing of the Kongtong Sect, so he rushed to Wuzhou to meet with the disciples of the Kongtong Sect and search for the whereabouts of Young Master Fu Mingyu. However, he accidentally discovered traces of the Demonic Sect outside Wuzhou City. My brother tracked them all the way to Zuiyufang in the city, where he met this demon... met Yingshan disciple Li Feiqing and a man. The man admitted that Young Master Fu had been killed by them, and that he and this demon... joined forces with her to injure my brother. Now my brother is unconscious and his life is unknown. I beg all my senior uncles and masters to uphold justice for my brother!”
After he finished speaking, Mu Feiyu was so angry that his face turned ashen. He stood up abruptly and shouted, "Feiqing, is this true?"
Li Feiqing had never seen her master so angry. She stepped forward, knelt down, and said in a trembling voice, "Master, there are many misunderstandings between us..."
Mu Feiyu angrily said, "Let me ask you, what kind of place is this Drunken Jade Pavilion!"
Li Feiqing lowered her eyes and murmured, "It's... a brothel."
Before he could finish speaking, he received a stinging slap to the face, and heard his master's voice trembling with anger: "Brothel! Good! My good disciple!"
Li Feiqing's left cheek was swollen high. She felt wronged and scared, and two lines of tears flowed down her cheeks.
Shen Luo said, "Master, Junior Sister Li mentioned this matter to me. There were many misunderstandings. Junior Sister and that man were just strangers who met by chance. Someone else killed Young Master Fu Mingyu. Junior Sister did not harm Junior Brother Ziyang at all."
Zhan Hengye sneered, "You're making it sound like you're clearing her name? Could it be that my son is fabricating lies to deliberately frame your junior sister?"
Shen Luo said, "Junior Brother Ziyang is seriously injured and unconscious, so it is understandable that Uncle Zhan is so angry. However, we cannot make a judgment based on only one side of the story. We must give my junior sister a chance to explain, otherwise how can we talk about 'fairness'?"
Mu Feiyu scolded from the side, "Luo'er, don't be rude!"
Shen Luo walked to Li Feiqing's side, knelt down beside her, and said loudly, "Please, Master, let Junior Sister Li tell the truth."
Zhan Hengye's eyes seemed to spit fire as he stared intently at Shen Luo, saying, "What a fine truth!...Fine, let her speak! I want to see what kind of truth she can come up with!"
Shen Luo was not afraid at all and met Zhan Hengye's gaze calmly, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Zhan."
Just then, a servant from the mountain hurried into the hall and whispered, "Reporting to the sect leader, a group of people from the foot of the mountain have come to pay their respects." He then presented a visiting card. Mu Feiyu took it, and seeing the servant's uncertain expression, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
The servant stammered, "They said they were from Feihua Manor."
Feihua Mountain Villa
Upon hearing the words "Feihua Manor," the members of the Yingshan Sect were all taken aback.
Zhan Hengye thought to himself: Feihua Manor and Yingshan Sect have a deep-seated grudge, and their intentions must be ill. This is heaven's help. He smiled and said, "I have long heard of Feihua Manor's reputation. Why doesn't Sect Leader Mu invite them in to witness this matter?"
Mu Feiyu hesitated without answering, but then heard footsteps outside the hall, followed by a commotion: "The Shadow Mountain Sect's hospitality is wrong! How can they keep their guests at the foot of the mountain like that..." "We don't need to be greeted; we can find our way ourselves..." "Shh, the Master instructed us not to make a sound..." "You're the loudest one here! I've been very polite the whole way..."
Shen Luo and Li Feiqing exchanged a glance, wondering: Why did this group of people come up the mountain too?
As expected, the group of people encountered at Qifeng Inn filed in, automatically parting to make way for them upon entering the hall. Two young men followed. One was expressionless, none other than the deadpan "Iron-Tongued Poison Doctor" Hua Liran, while the other was pale-faced and strikingly handsome—the black-clad man Li Feiqing had rescued in the forest.
The man in black spoke softly, his voice no longer hoarse like it had been on the day he was injured; it was warm, deep, and incredibly pleasant to hear: "I apologize for my unauthorized visit to Feihua Manor, and I hope Sect Leader Mu and everyone else will forgive me."
Everyone rose from their seats to greet him. Master Ichichen of Kitahara Temple put his palms together and said, "Manor Lord Hua Wuying of Feihua Manor and I became friends through chess many years ago and talked for three days. May I ask how this young master addresses Manor Lord Hua?"
Hua Liran said from the side, "The old master passed away last month. This is Gu Qingyun, the new master of Feihua Manor."
These words shocked everyone present.
Feihua Manor has always maintained a low profile, and apart from a few senior martial arts practitioners, few people present had ever heard of Hua Wuying. Therefore, what shocked everyone was not Hua Wuying's passing, but the name "Gu Qingyun".
Ye Hongyun, the master of Fuliu Valley, couldn't help but ask, "Is it 'God of War' Gu Qingyun?"
Hua Liran seemed to think the question was idiotic, glanced at her sideways, and said coldly, "Exactly."
Everyone was astonished: How could the "God of War" Gu Qingyun be such a sickly and handsome man?
Four years ago, at the tender age of eighteen, Gu Qingyun, a newcomer to the martial world, single-handedly annihilated the twelve guardians of the Xuan Yi Sect from a thousand miles away, severely crippling the sect's morale. This battle catapulted him to fame, making him the most renowned young swordsman of the year, revered as the "God of War" in the martial world. He even forced the Demonic Sect leader, Mo Zhu Gongzi, to challenge him to a duel atop Kunlun Peak. In that battle, Mo Zhu Gongzi was defeated and wounded, dying from his injuries after descending the mountain. From then on, the name "God of War" Gu Qingyun was known to all. Unfortunately, Gu Qingyun's whereabouts became elusive; after his battle with Mo Zhu Gongzi, no further news of him emerged. Unexpectedly, he has appeared here today as the master of Fei Hua Manor.
After the group from Feihua Manor entered the hall, Mu Feiyu had been staring intently at Gu Qingyun's face. Suddenly, he asked, "Who is 'Green-Clad Rakshasa' Hua Wushuang to you?"
Gu Qingyun said calmly, "It is indeed my mother."
Mu Feiyu's expression changed slightly, and he murmured wistfully, "No wonder...they look so alike..."
The martial arts masters present all thought to themselves: No wonder.
Hua Wushuang, the second young lady of Feihua Manor, was recognized as the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world more than twenty years ago. Because of her penchant for wearing green and her ruthless methods, she earned the nickname "Green-Clad Rakshasa." Countless young heroes in the martial arts world admired her, but she remained indifferent to all of them. However, for some unknown reason, she disrupted the wedding of Mu Feiyu, the leader of the Yingshan Sect, and then disappeared from the martial arts world. Hua Wuying, the master of Feihua Manor, searched everywhere for his sister but could not find her, naturally blaming the Yingshan Sect for this, thus beginning the long-standing feud between the two sects.
Hua Wuying never married or had children. Since Gu Qingyun is Hua Wushuang's son, it is not surprising that he succeeded as the head of Feihua Manor.
Zhan Hengye was secretly delighted: Gu Qingyun had just taken over as the head of the manor and then led everyone to Shadow Mountain, most likely to avenge his mother. So he said, "Master Gu, you've come at the right time. Sect Leader Mu is interrogating his disciples about their collusion with the Demonic Sect to injure people. Everyone from your manor can be here as witnesses."
Gu Qingyun lowered her eyelids slightly and coughed softly. Hua Liran asked, "Is the young lady kneeling on the ground that Lord Zhan is referring to?"
Zhan Hengye said bitterly, "That's right, it's Li Feiqing, the traitor of Yingshan."
Gu Qingyun said softly, "Our manor has come here today specifically for Miss Li's matter."
Hua Liran said, "Just a few days ago, my master was ambushed and seriously injured by the Demonic Sect outside Wuzhou City. It was this Miss Li who saved him. How could she collude with the Demonic Sect? Sect Leader Mu's actions are always erratic. Don't wrong an innocent person."
The disciples of Yingshan initially held some goodwill towards him when he spoke up to defend Li Feiqing, but when he suddenly changed his tone and insulted their master, they couldn't help but glare at him angrily.
Hua Liran didn't care and continued, "I heard that Lord Zhan has invited many martial arts figures to Ying Mountain to cause trouble for Miss Li. My master's injuries have not yet healed and he needs to rest for several days, but he still insisted on coming to Ying Mountain. Alas, what if this delays his injury?" She shook her head repeatedly, "Lord Zhan, your meddlesome actions are really harmful to people."
Zhan Hengye's face grew increasingly grim as he listened, but he refrained from lashing out due to the prestige of Feihua Manor and Gu Qingyun. Situ Qing, who had been invited by him, however, loudly proclaimed, "Whether Li Feiqing is innocent or not can only be determined after careful questioning! How dare you, a mere brat, speak so disrespectfully before Lord Zhan!"
Suddenly, a man stepped forward from among the people of Feihua Manor who were standing to the side and said to Situ Qing, "You are 'Breaking Cloud Divine Sword' Situ Qing? I've been looking for you."
Everyone stared intently, and saw that the man was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a black iron sword hanging at his waist, his face ashen, and he looked listless.
Situ Qing didn't recognize the person in front of her. She paused for a moment, then asked, "You know me?"
The man shook his head and said lazily, "It's one thing for you to boast all the time in Sichuan, but you even have to give yourself the title of 'Cloud-Breaking Divine Sword,' which is extremely disrespectful to my master. Today, I'll have a swordsmanship contest with you. If you lose, I'll take away your title and you won't have to use a sword anymore."
Situ Qing has gained a great reputation in Sichuan in recent years for his Seventy-Two Styles of Cloud-Breaking Sword Technique. Although he is not yet thirty years old, he is on par with Zhan Hengye. He has always been arrogant and conceited. Hearing the man's words, he laughed angrily: "What if you lose? What can you lose to me!"
The man did not answer, but slowly drew his long sword from his waist.
With a single sword strike, Situ Qing knew he had encountered an unprecedentedly formidable foe. His Cloud-Piercing Sword Technique was already known for its sharp and powerful swordplay, but this man's sword strikes were incredibly swift and unparalleled, seizing the initiative with every move. Eventually, each strike carried the sound of wind and thunder, making Situ Qing's ears ring. With a clang, the two swords clashed, and Situ Qing felt his longsword vibrate violently, almost slipping from his grasp. He gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt tightly, blood immediately gushing from his tiger's mouth. But then he felt the force from the other man's sword suddenly shift to a more subtle and yielding power. The longsword circled his blade, gently twisting it, and with the clash of the two forces, the longsword in his hand could no longer withstand the force and broke in two.
Among those present were many renowned swordsmen. Seeing this man seamlessly switch between strength and gentleness in his swordplay—a feat far more difficult than simply pursuing speed and ferocity—they couldn't help but nod in admiration. Shen Luo exclaimed, "Excellent swordsmanship!"
Situ Qing still held half a broken sword in his hand, blood dripping from his tiger's mouth down his drooping wrist to the ground, his face already deathly pale.
The man fastened his sword back to his waist, his whole demeanor becoming listless again: "Twenty years from now, your swordsmanship may have reached a high level, what a pity." With that, he shook his head and slowly walked back.
Situ Qing said in a hoarse voice, "I will no longer use a sword from now on. Please tell me your name so that I may know who I was defeated by." The man seemed not to hear him and continued walking back to his original spot without stopping.
Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, suddenly said, "A sword without a name."
Everyone was astonished. This "Nameless Swordsman" was an elusive swordsman whose swordsmanship was said to be unparalleled. However, he preferred to use an iron sword, the more worn and tattered it was, the better. He often said, "A nameless scholar uses a nameless sword." If this was meant as humility, he also loved to seek out famous swordsmen to challenge them. Once he won, he would forbid others from using their swords, saying, "If I lose to the Nameless Swordsman, what face do I have to continue using a sword?"
Situ Qing, known as the "Cloud-Piercing Divine Sword," not only violated Gu Qingyun's name but was also renowned for his divine swordsmanship. Having run into him, Gu Qingyun had no choice but to accept her misfortune. But when did this man enter Feihua Manor?
Situ Qing tossed aside the broken sword in his hand and laughed loudly, "What a fine 'Nameless Sword'! Only today do I realize that there are heavens beyond heavens. Situ used to consider himself a 'divine sword,' but he was truly a frog in a well!" He bowed to the crowd, turned around, and gracefully left the hall, heading down the mountain.
Master Yichen clasped his hands in praise and said, "Amitabha, it is possible that Benefactor Situ may have gained insight into fame and fortune through this experience, and that he may have even turned misfortune into blessing."
Zhan Hengye coughed with a stern face and said to everyone, "Although Li Feiqing saved Master Gu, it cannot prove that the deaths of the Kongtong Sect members were unrelated to her. Those who were there to escort the wedding witnessed Fu Mingyu being abducted by a beautiful young woman, and my son also heard the sorcerer who colluded with her admit that Young Master Fu Mingyu was killed by her! Sect Leader Mu, why don't you ask your disciple if he can produce any evidence to prove that she was wronged?"
The disciples of Yingshan Sect looked at each other in silence, all glancing at Li Feiqing kneeling on the ground. Li Feiqing was annoyed: Where could she find evidence to prove something she hadn't done? It was a pity that Murong Wuhen had disappeared after chasing Lou Yan; if he were here, he would at least have a chance to clarify the misunderstanding from that day.
Hua Liran rolled her eyes and said, "With my Feihua Manor here to testify for Miss Li, does Lord Zhan not believe it?"
Zhan Hengye coldly said, "Although Feihua Manor's methods are clever, relying solely on skill to intimidate others is probably not enough to win people's respect. Besides, this is a matter within Yingshan Sect itself, and it must be decided personally by Sect Leader Mu!"
Mu Feiyu remained silent for a moment, when a gentle voice from outside the hall replied, "That's right, evidence and proof are the only way to convince the public."
Li Feiqing's eyes lit up, and she quickly turned her head to look towards the entrance of the hall. Sure enough, she saw that familiar figure appear before her: a simple gray long gown, a slender and upright figure, and a handsome and resolute face.
Li Feiqing felt a warmth in her heart and softly called out, "Senior Brother." Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
A Twist of Fate
The newcomer was none other than Yi Feng, the eldest disciple of the Ying Shan Sect. The disciples of the Ying Shan Sect had always trusted him, and they were all delighted to see him return. They also saw two other people entering the hall with him. One was a middle-aged man with an extraordinary bearing, whom everyone recognized as Lü Zhan, a master from the Kongtong Sect. The other was a plain-looking young man.
Yi Feng entered the hall with a smile and greeted everyone.
In recent years, Yi Feng's reputation in the martial arts world has grown increasingly prominent. He is chivalrous, highly skilled in martial arts, and humble in nature. He has many friends from various sects. Mu Feiyu has also entrusted him with most of the affairs of the Yingshan Sect. When Zhan Hengye and others see him, they do not dare to underestimate him and return his greetings.
Yi Feng then reported to Mu Feiyu, "Master, I was ordered to go down the mountain to investigate the attacks on people from various sects, and I have made some progress. Senior Lü Zhan of the Kongtong Sect is also investigating this matter, so I invited Senior Lü to come up the mountain with me."
Zhan Hengye chuckled and said, "Brother Lü, you've come at just the right time. Xing Nachuan and Young Master Fu are both from the Kongtong Sect. Your sect naturally has the right to inquire about how to deal with the murderer who killed them."
Lu Zhan said, "Brother, I came here today precisely because of this murderer." He paused, then continued, "I have already discovered that the woman who killed Senior Brother Xing and Junior Nephew Mingyu has a great connection with the Demonic Sect. Since this matter is a conspiracy of the Demonic Sect, it is no longer a matter for our Kongtong Sect. We must discuss countermeasures with everyone and deal with it together."
Zhan Hengye chimed in, "Exactly! Sect Leader Mu, this matter is of great importance. If you don't speak up and give the Kongtong Sect an explanation, it won't just be a matter of lax discipline, but rather condoning your disciples' violent acts!"
Lu Zhan was taken aback and said, "Let your disciples commit violence? This... what are you talking about? On that day, my disciples were surrounded and ambushed by the demonic cultists. Fortunately, Brother Yi Feng came to our aid. In fact, Ying Shan has done a great service to my Kongtong Sect. Why should Sect Leader Mu give me any explanation?"
Zhan Hengye's expression changed, and he said, "So Brother Lü doesn't know that the murderer who harmed people is this Yingshan disciple, Li Feiqing?" After saying that, he pointed at Li Feiqing, who was kneeling on the ground.
Yi Feng glanced at Li Feiqing's swollen cheek, his gaze tightened, but he still had a gentle smile on his face as he said to Zhan Hengye, "Uncle Zhan says that my junior sister is the murderer. What evidence do you have?"
Zhan Zichen interjected, “I am a witness to this matter. The people who came to fetch the bride that day all said that Young Master Fu was abducted by a courtesan. My brother and I were suspicious at the time: how could a young and beautiful woman with martial arts skills be an ordinary prostitute? Later, we tracked the demonic cult members all the way to Zuiyufang, the largest brothel in the city, and met Li Feiqing. We also heard her companions admit that she killed Young Master Fu. We then realized that she was pretending to be a courtesan to secretly harm the people of the Kongtong Sect in order to cover up her true identity and prevent her shameful collusion with the demonic cult from being exposed. But the net of heaven is vast, and we were eventually discovered. My brother was also poisoned by them because of this…” He thought of his brother’s life being in danger, and his voice choked up. He could not continue and stopped speaking with resentment.
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out, "My junior sister has never left Shadow Mountain alone before, so how could she have colluded with the Demonic Sect to plot against the people of Kongtong Sect?" The speaker was Mu Feiyu's daughter, Mu Linlang. She was the fourth-ranked disciple of Shadow Mountain, usually taciturn and aloof. Although Li Feiqing was a girl, she, like the other disciples, held her in high esteem and dared not get too close. Unexpectedly, today she would speak up in defense of Li Feiqing.
Zhan Hengye said coldly, "Your junior sister went to a brothel as soon as she came down the mountain, and even spent time alone with a man from the Demonic Sect. This shows that she is wicked. Perhaps she was seduced by a demon from the Demonic Sect as soon as she came down the mountain, and she may be willing to become an accomplice of the Demonic Sect in harming people."
The disciples of Shadow Mountain had always doted on Li Feiqing like a little sister, and now, hearing Zhan Hengye speak so ill of her, they were all indignant. Just as Shen Luo was about to speak, Yi Feng raised his voice, "May I ask Young Master Zhan, did you personally witness my junior sister kill Senior Xing or Young Master Fu?"
Zhan Zichen paused for a moment, then said, "Her companions have all admitted it..."