Yi Feng said calmly, "Then you didn't see it with your own eyes." He then said to the crowd, "I do have a witness here who personally witnessed the murderer of Xing and Fu." As he spoke, he stepped aside, letting the rustic-looking young man who had come with him stand before the crowd. "This is Brother Awang, one of the people in the wedding procession that day. He personally witnessed that courtesan killing the members of the Kongtong Sect. Awang, go over and take a closer look. Is the girl kneeling on the ground the same person as the murderer?"
The young man named Awang stepped forward as instructed, looked Li Feiqing carefully for a moment, shook his head, and said, "No, that woman has an oval face and slender eyes, while this girl has an oval face and round eyes. It's not her."
Upon hearing this, the disciples of the Shadow Mountain Sect breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhan Hengye replied, "She killed so many people that day. This young man is young and doesn't know martial arts. He's probably too terrified to remember it so clearly."
Lu Zhan frowned and said, "Lord Zhan, on that day, Brother Yi and I questioned each person in the wedding procession in detail. The descriptions of the murderer by everyone were indeed very different from that of this Miss Li."
Awang suddenly blushed and said, "Sir, I do remember clearly. It's just that my family is poor and I can't find a wife. When I saw that the bride was beautiful, I mustered up the courage to take a good look at her. That...that bride, besides her looks, had...that big chest. This girl...this girl..." As he spoke, his eyes darted furtively towards Li Feiqing. The implication was that Li Feiqing was far inferior to the bride.
Ye Hongyun, the master of Fuliu Valley, was sipping tea when he suddenly spat it out and coughed repeatedly. Everyone from Feihua Manor, except for Gu Qingyun and Hua Liran, wore strange smiles, and some even chuckled softly.
Li Feiqing blushed to her ears, secretly resenting: This girl is dressed as a man, and she has her breasts bound!
Yi Feng stepped forward, blocking Awang's view, and continued with a smile, "Senior Lü and I have also captured two members of the Demonic Cult. Since you are all here today, we can interrogate them together and see what the Demonic Cult intends against our righteous sects." He clapped his hands, and two disciples of the Kongtong Sect escorted two men in black into the hall. Zhan Zichen suddenly let out a soft "Eh," his gaze suspicious as he scrutinized the two men.
The two men in black were of different builds. One was burly with a full beard, and the other was short and wiry with fair skin. Both of them were unsteady on their feet with their shoulders drooping limply. It was clear that their vital points had been sealed and they had lost all their martial arts skills.
Yi Feng smiled and said, "These two are experts from the Nine Venerable Hall of the Demonic Sect. It took Senior Lü and me quite a bit of effort to subdue them outside Wuzhou City that day."
The bearded man's eyes flickered, and he remained silent, but the short man shouted loudly, "Now that we're in your hands, kill us if you want, why bother with any more words!"
Yi Feng laughed and said, "Your master has already been captured, and you still dare to be arrogant here?"
The short man was taken aback upon hearing this, and blurted out, "Nonsense! Our lord is incredibly powerful, how could you possibly capture her? She..."
The bearded man suddenly said, "Third brother, shut up!" The short man glanced at him, finally held back, and shut his mouth and said nothing more.
Yi Feng walked slowly to the bearded man, flicked his sleeve lightly, and silenced him with a pressure point. He blocked the short man's view with his body and said leisurely, "I suppose you have nothing to say. That day, the two young masters of Zhan Family Fort tracked you all the way to your lair, Zuiyufang, and even captured your master. Look, isn't she kneeling there right now?" He pointed at Li Feiqing as he spoke.
The short man glanced at Li Feiqing, a very strange expression on his face. He seemed to be desperately holding back the words that were about to come out of his mouth, but he didn't say anything.
Yi Feng looked at him and said, "The two young masters of Zhan Fortress are highly skilled in martial arts. Your master is naturally no match for them and has surrendered. After interrogating you today, we will go and wipe out the Demonic Sect in one fell swoop and rid the martial world of this scourge!"
Although the short man was fair-skinned and capable-looking, he was actually rough and boorish and hated being looked down upon. Finally, unable to bear the provocation, he laughed loudly, "You two? Bah! These two lads have been completely fooled by us, and they still have the nerve to brag about themselves!"
Yi Feng remained calm and simply said "Oh?" The short man continued, "That day, the two of us led them around the city in circles so that Elder Zhai could report back to the master. When the master left, he sent a message ordering us to lure these two lads to a man and a woman in the backyard of Zuiyufang. Look, that woman is the one kneeling on the ground. We were following orders, and these two lads, being so stupid, fell for it. Poor you two, turning against each other, thinking you had captured the master. It's truly hilarious, hahaha!"
Yi Feng asked, "Why are you attacking the Kongtong disciples outside the city again?"
The short man said, "Hmph, who told them to be unlucky and run into us when we were in a bad mood?" The Nine Venerable Hall of the Demonic Sect was originally responsible for gathering intelligence and making liaisons, but when they went to the forest to make liaisons that day, they found only a pile of corpses, and the owner was nowhere to be found. In their anger and frustration, the members of the Nine Venerable Hall happened to run into the disciples of the Kongtong Sect and surrounded and attacked them. If Yi Feng and Lü Zhan hadn't arrived in time, the Kongtong Sect disciples would probably have died unjustly.
The short man naturally wouldn't reveal the whole story. Yi Feng, seeing that his goal had been achieved, didn't ask any more questions and smiled at Zhan Zichen, saying, "It seems that Young Master Zhan has also been deceived, which has led him to misunderstand my junior sister."
Zhan Zichen was still not giving up and said sullenly, "What about my brother? He was injured by a vicious hidden weapon from the Demonic Sect and was also hit by that demon's poisonous palm. The poison is still not cured."
Hua Liran suddenly interjected, "What kind of poison did he take?"
Zhan Zichen was stunned for a moment, his face turning red. His Zhan Family Fortress was known for its traps and hidden weapons, and was naturally skilled in making poisons. Yet, he couldn't even say what kind of poison Zhan Ziyang had been poisoned with.
Hua Liran took out a pill from her bosom and said, "This pill can cure all poisons in the world. Take it and give it to him. It should keep him safe for several months."
Ye Hongyun, the master of Fuliu Valley, said with a glint in his eyes, "You have such confidence without seeing the injured person. Could you be the Flower Divine Physician from Feihua Manor?" He then smiled at Zhan Zichen and said, "Hurry up and take this pill. With the 'Iron-Tongued Poison Doctor' here, are you still worried that your brother won't get treatment?"
Zhan Zichen turned to look at his father. Zhan Hengye hesitated for a moment, but he understood that Hua Liran's willingness to give him the pill meant that she agreed to treat Zhan Ziyang's poison wound. However, once the pill was accepted, Zhan Family Fortress would never seek trouble with Li Feiqing again.
Ink Bamboo's Last Will
Hua Liran snorted heavily and was about to clench her fist to put the pill away when Zhan Zichen hurriedly said, "Thank you very much." He stepped forward and took the pill.
With a soft "hiss," before he could even touch it, the pill shattered into powder in Hua Liran's palm.
Startled, Zhan Zichen glared at Hua Liran, about to lash out. But then two sharp shouts rang out simultaneously: "Who goes there!" A figure flashed before his eyes. Gu Qingyun pulled Hua Liran behind her to protect her, while Yi Feng had already leaped out of the hall, sword in hand, and engaged in combat with the person.
A man outside the hall laughed loudly, "I have traveled a long way to pay my respects. Is this how the Shadow Mountain Sect treats its guests?"
Yi Feng said in a deep voice, "What is your intention in secretly using a weapon?"
The man laughed and said, "I meant well, believe it or not."
Mu Feiyu raised his voice and said, "In that case, Feng'er, please invite this guest into the hall for a chat." His voice was calm and gentle, each word slowly uttered, yet it made everyone's eardrums buzz. Everyone secretly admired him, thinking: Zhan Hengye is arrogant and domineering. Although Sect Leader Mu is humble and yielding, if the two sides really fight, I'm afraid Zhan Family Fort will not gain any advantage.
The man outside the door said again, "I'll count to three, and then we'll both stop fighting, shall we? One, two, three!" After the count of "three," several sounds of weapons clashing were heard. The man laughed loudly, "Yi Feng's reputation as a chivalrous knight is widespread, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a kind and honest gentleman."
Yi Feng said, "If I hadn't been wary of people, I'm afraid I would already be a corpse. Please come into the hall."
Amidst a loud laugh, two figures flashed into the hall one after the other. The one in front, dressed in white robes, was radiant with confidence. Upon entering the hall, he disregarded Yi Feng behind him, bowed deeply to Mu Feiyu, and said with a smile, "This young man was rude just now, and I hope Sect Leader Mu will forgive him." After speaking, he looked up and winked at Li Feiqing.
The two people in the hall exclaimed in surprise at the same time. Zhan Zichen shouted angrily, "You're the demon!" Li Feiqing, however, called out, "Murong Wuhen!"
The newcomer was none other than Murong Wuhen. He looked at Zhan Zichen upon hearing the voice and smiled slightly: "Is your brother dead?"
Zhan Zichen's face flushed red as he said to Zhan Hengye, "Father, it's this man! He injured my brother, and just now he even..."
Murong Wuhen said leisurely, "The one who tied the knot must untie it. The person who caused the injury is here. Why do we need someone else to give us medicine?" As he spoke, he took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom. "The antidote is here. It's not difficult to give it to you, but..." He slid a step to Li Feiqing's side, took her hand, put the porcelain bottle in her hand, and smiled at her, saying, "But we still need to ask Miss Qing if she is willing to give it to you."
Li Feiqing had been kneeling for a while when Murong Wuhen pulled her up. Her legs were numb and she couldn't stand steadily. She leaned weakly against his arm, a posture that was already quite ambiguous. Seeing him hand her the antidote and call her "Miss Qing" so affectionately, she became anxious and stammered, "You..."
Murong Wuhen gently touched her swollen left cheek with his hand, his eyes filled with pity, and said softly, "I'm late, and I'm so sorry that you were bullied by Old Monster Zhan. I think it's better not to give them the antidote."
Zhan Hengye's beard trembled with rage as he roared, "You audacious brat! You dare to speak ill of me after injuring someone!" He then turned to Mu Feiyu and said, "I didn't offend you by teaching this brat a lesson at your Shadow Mountain, did I?"
Mu Feiyu advised, "Brother Zhan, please don't be angry. Once I've found out what happened, I'll give you an explanation." His gaze turned cold as he asked Murong Wuhen, "Who are you? What is your purpose in entering my Shadow Mountain without prior notice?"
Seeing her master's anger, Li Feiqing was a little worried for Murong Wuhen and whispered, "Master, this person..." Mu Feiyu said sternly, "I didn't ask you!"
Murong Wuhen, however, seemed completely unconcerned, and cupped his hands, saying, "Junior Murong Wuhen has come here today to ask Sect Leader Mu to part with a treasure from Shadow Mountain."
Upon hearing his name, none of the people present recognized the name Murong Wuhen. They were all secretly astonished: Where did this highly skilled young man come from? He actually coveted the treasure of the Shadow Mountain Sect. Could it be that he came for the Gathering Shadow Sword? He certainly has a lot of guts.
Murong Wuhen continued, "This treasure..." He turned to look at Li Feiqing beside him and smiled, "is the precious disciple of Sect Leader Mu, Miss Li Feiqing."
Upon hearing this, Li Feiqing was stunned, and all the disciples of Yingshan were also extremely surprised. They couldn't help but look at Yi Feng, only to see that his face was indifferent and his expression was unreadable.
Mu Feiyu sighed inwardly, already regretting letting Li Feiqing go down the mountain to travel this time.
Li Feiqing stood there bewildered and speechless for a long while before she seemed to suddenly realize something. She glared at Murong Wuhen and said, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Murong Wuhen smiled and sighed, "I already told you that day that you'd have plenty of opportunities to stare at me in a daze from now on, why don't you believe me?" He ignored Li Feiqing's reaction and said eloquently, "You said your senior brother told you not to casually tell a man your maiden name, yet you told me your name, and you even accompanied me to Zuiyufang to drink and chat, gazing at me with longing every time. If I, Murong Wuhen, didn't react to such affection, I wouldn't deserve to be called a man. I'm going up the mountain to inform your master this time, and from now on, you and I will go down the mountain together and travel the world. Wouldn't that be carefree and joyful?"
Li Feiqing cried out in her heart, "No! No!" but she couldn't think of any words to refute it, and was so anxious that she almost cried. She heard Murong Wuhen say again, "Don't be afraid of being punished by your master. As my woman, Murong Wuhen, why should you fear anyone in the world?"
Weiyuan Escort Agency was within the territory of Zhan Family Fort. Chief Escort Wang Tiezheng was a shrewd and cunning man. Although he had been invited before, he dared not offend Yingshan Sect and Feihua Manor because of their great reputations. He had been sitting quietly to watch the show. Now that he saw Murong Wuhen come alone and speak rudely to Zhan Hengye, he seized the opportunity to sneer, "What a big mouth!"
Murong Wuhen glanced over and suddenly laughed, "Who do we have here? It's Chief Escort Wang from Weiyuan Escort Agency."
Wang Tiezheng thought of Zhan Hengye sitting beside him, and then thought that standing up against this young man at this moment would only benefit him. So he became bolder and said loudly, "Since you know me, you should know that Weiyuan Escort Agency and Zhan Family Fort are of the same ilk. Your rudeness to Fort Master Zhan is to look down on me, Wang!"
Murong Wuhen laughed and said, "How could I dare to look down on Chief Escort Wang? I have specially prepared a generous gift for Chief Escort Wang, which should be delivered soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, several sharp whistles came from afar. Li Feiqing found them quite familiar and suddenly remembered that she had heard the same whistles in the backyard of Zuiyufang that day. She couldn't help but look at Murong Wuhen and saw that he had a smile on his lips, but his expression looked somewhat strange and hard to tell.
Not long after, several black figures flew into the hall. Yi Feng and Mu Feiyu exchanged a glance, their faces filled with worry. Judging from their movements, these people's martial arts were unfathomable, and none of the disciples guarding the mountain had given any warning. Could it be that they had all met with misfortune?
After entering the hall, the men in black remained silent, bowing respectfully to Murong Wuhen before standing to the side with their hands at their sides.
Murong Wuhen laughed and said, "The gift for Chief Escort Wang, why don't you present it to him quickly, lest he lose his temper with me."
A man in black, carrying a burlap sack, stepped forward and approached Wang Tiezheng. He forced a laugh and said, "Chief镖头 Wang, please accept this gift." His voice was low and hoarse, with a hissing quality that made everyone who heard it feel extremely uncomfortable.
Wang Tiezheng couldn't help but take a step back. The man in black chuckled and shook the sack to the ground. Dozens of round objects rolled out of it. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be human heads, each hairless and shrunk to the size of a peach!
Wang Tiezheng's face turned ashen. Murong Wuhen then laughed and said, "It seems Chief Escort Wang doesn't quite like this gift? I always thought it would be a joy to see an old friend again."
Wang Tiezheng stared at the severed head on the ground, then suddenly hissed, "It's Chief Escort Lu! You guys!"
The man in black chuckled and said, "There are thirty-eight in total, including the escorts. See if they're all here? The shipment of red goods they escorted is a return gift from Chief Escort Wang to congratulate my sect on its return to the martial world."
The short, captured man, who had been standing to the side, suddenly shouted in a high-pitched voice, "I said, aren't you Master Pei of the Jade Leaf Hall? Where have you been hiding all these years? I didn't recognize you at first glance!"
The man in black turned his head and laughed, "Old Bian, it's been years, and you still look like a coward."
The short man, his face flushed, roared, "I'm not as skilled as you, and I was captured. I can only accept my bad luck. But how can you, the dignified Master of the Green Leaf Hall, be willing to be driven around by a mere brat?"
The man in black's face darkened, and he said, "One must not be rude in front of the sect leader!"
The short man exclaimed in surprise, "The leader?" Not only him, but everyone present was secretly amazed. Everyone in the martial arts world knew that the leader of the Demonic Sect, Young Master Mozhu, was dead. When did a new leader appear?
Murong Wuhen laughed loudly, slowly took out a black token from his robes, and held it high above his head. The men in black beside him immediately knelt down. The short man looked up and was overjoyed, shouting, "It's the Ink Bamboo Token!" He then pulled the bearded man beside him down to kneel as well.
The hall was instantly abuzz with excitement. Everyone knew that the Ink Bamboo Token was the symbol used by the Ink Bamboo Prince to command the Demonic Sect. With Murong Wuhen holding this token, he was naturally the new leader of the Demonic Sect. The issuance of this token meant that the Demonic Sect had been revived and was bound to stir up another bloody storm in the martial world.
Li Feiqing couldn't believe her eyes and whispered, "You... are the leader of the Demonic Sect?"
Murong Wuhen put away the Ink Bamboo Token, his eyes filled with undisguised amusement: "Indeed, I am the leader of the Xuan Yi Sect." He then turned to Mu Feiyu and said, "Sect Leader Mu, is it not presumptuous of me, as the leader, to come and request your disciple?"
Zhan Hengye sneered from the side, "It seems that the leader of this demonic sect has a high opinion of your disciple."
Mu Feiyu's expression shifted rapidly as he gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "The Demonic Sect! It's the Demonic Sect again!" His gaze fell upon Yi Feng, whose face was ashen and whose expression was pained. Mu Feiyu felt a pang of pain in his heart, memories flooding back, a surge of hot blood rising to his throat, which he forcefully suppressed. Mu Linlang frowned slightly, took a step forward, and softly called out, "Father." She reached out and grasped his hand.
Mu Feiyu withdrew his hand from his seat and looked at Murong Wuhen, saying slowly, "Now that you have entered Shadow Mountain, I request a battle!"
Murong Wuhen's eyes flickered, and he shook his head slightly: "Sect Leader Mu is Miss Qing's master, how could I dare to fight with you, sir?" Then he sighed: "It seems that Sect Leader Mu is not very welcoming to people from our sect. In that case, we should leave as soon as possible to avoid angering him."
Zhan Hengye sneered, "I'm afraid it's easy to come but hard to leave!" Master Yichen put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, benefactor, you have injured so many people since you first entered the martial world, I am sorry." Lü Zhan moved to block the entrance of the hall, Bi Jianchun gently stroked the blade of his sword, and Ye Hongyun stared intently at Murong Wuhen without blinking.
Everyone in Feihua Manor looked at Gu Qingyun, waiting for his instructions. Gu Qingyun lowered his eyes and gently tapped the table with his fingers, seemingly unable to make a decision for the moment.
The disciples of Yingshan were all thinking: The Demonic Sect has brought calamity to the martial world. Even if this person's feelings for Li Feiqing are genuine, he has already brought shame to our sect in front of all martial arts practitioners. We must not let him go.
Unable to defend oneself
Murong Wuhen's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, and he smiled sneer: "Do you all intend to use your numbers to bully the few and eliminate us in one fell swoop? But wouldn't that be a dishonest act?"
The leader of the Biye Hall chuckled and said, "Unfortunately, when it comes to underhanded methods, you are far inferior to my sect. At this moment, the four halls of my sect, Bi, Zhe, Qing, and Chi, have already gathered in the mountains. We are just waiting for the leader's order to storm into this hall."
Murong Wuhen glanced at the people of Feihua Manor and said with a smile, "Since the outcome is still uncertain, let's avoid hurting our feelings. Sect Leader Mu, how about I make a deal with you? I'll exchange your few guard disciples for two of my captured disciples?"
Yi Feng chimed in, "That's how it is." He patted the shoulders of the bearded man and the short man, releasing them from the pressure point blockage.
Murong Wuhen said, "Brother Yi is indeed straightforward. After we descend the mountain, we will release your disciples." He then turned to Zhan Hengye and smiled, "Fortress Master Zhan need not worry about your son's injuries. I will soon pay a visit to the Zhan family fortress."
Zhan Hengye's pupils contracted, and he said coldly, "In that case, I will await your arrival at Zhan Family Fortress."
Murong Wuhen nodded with a smile, and pulled Li Feiqing to leave. Li Feiqing flipped her hand and broke free, angrily saying, "There is no love entanglement between us, why did you plot against me?"
Murong Wuhen chuckled softly, "It's too late to sever ties now."
Li Feiqing turned her gaze and saw that the people in the hall were looking at her with either disdain or pity. Many of her fellow disciples also looked suspicious. Her heart sank. She dared not look at Yi Feng's expression and glared hatefully at Murong Wuhen.