Chapter Six, Wrongful Death

Linghu Chong hurriedly covered his mouth, and Yue Buqun shot him a glare, which made him stop. At that moment, they were both at a loss; one had no direct evidence, while the other stubbornly refused to admit anything. With Liu Zhengfeng mediating, they decided to let the matter rest.

Yu Canghai felt helpless; after all, they were just fledglings, and it was beneath him to hold a grudge against them. Upon seeing his junior brother from Tianmen harmed, his mood soured. He knew full well that the two before him had nothing to do with it, yet he couldn't help but pick at them, asking, "Then why didn't you bring back my nephew's body as well?" Upon hearing this, Yue Po became furious and replied, "Isn't it because that vegetable seller was too greedy? The rental for the cart costs one tael of silver, and the other carts wouldn't lend for less than five taels. We are a reputable sect; we can't bully the common folk, can we?"

Ding Yi has always respected Ning Zhongze, and since she is his disciple, he did not intend to hold it against her. However, upon seeing his own disciple send tofu, the fire reignited. He pushed aside Linghu Chong and struck with a palm. Yue Po raised his fists to protect his heart, half real and half feigned, and fell onto Tian Song. Under the weight of one hundred and fifty, Tian Song perished on the spot. Ding Yi naturally recognized Tian Song at once, and the four of them were left in a daze, exchanging glances. Finally, Yue Po concluded, "It is hateful that Tian Bo Guang was so ruthless; it is pitiful that Master Tian Song passed away just after leaving. Master Tian Song, you can rest assured; we will definitely report to the Taishan Sect Leader who did this. Oh! Master Tian Men will avenge you."

Tianmen was taken aback, wondering how someone could be like this. Not wanting to argue with him, he instructed his disciples, "You go and retrieve your junior brother's body." The disciple agreed, and Yue Po added, "The one selling pork at the left turn of the tavern..." Linghu Chong kicked Yue Po hard, and Yue Po, still confused, said, "I was just trying to save him some money..."

As the two returned and had not yet taken their seats, they heard someone outside shout, "The Junzi Sword, Master Yue of Mount Hua has arrived." Liu Zhengfeng was overjoyed; Yue Buqun held great prestige in the martial arts world, and his personal visit was a significant honor. Immediately, everyone lowered their ranks to welcome him. Among them, the most delighted was Linghu Chong. As soon as Yue Buqun entered, he bowed to his master and said, "Master, you have finally come." His words were filled with sorrow, akin to that of a wronged wife. Yue Po also said, "I have met the Master." Yue Buqun helped the two up, greeted the various masters, and took his seat at the head of the table. Among them, the most delighted was Linghu Chong. As soon as Yue Buqun entered, he bowed to his master and said, "Master, you have finally come." His words were filled with sorrow, akin to that of a wronged wife. Yue Po also said, "I have met the Master." Yue Buqun helped the two up, greeted the various masters, and took his seat at the head of the table.

Four people and a corpse arrived at the inner hall's flower chamber. At the upper end, five grandmaster chairs were arranged side by side, four of which were empty, with only one on the east occupied by a burly red-faced Taoist priest. On either side of Linghu Chong sat nineteen senior figures from the martial arts world, including Yu Canghai from the Qingcheng Sect and He Sanqi from the Yandang Mountains in southern Zhejiang. At the lower end, in the main seat, sat a middle-aged man dressed in a brown silk robe, short and plump, resembling a wealthy landlord; he was none other than the host, Liu Zhengfeng.

Tianmen, fearing further unpleasant remarks, waved his hand and said, "I must also thank the four of you for returning my junior brother's corpse. Since Tian Boguang dared to kill my junior brother, I will definitely not rest until I confront him." Yue Po quietly asked Linghu Chong, "Did they get along very well before?" Linghu Chong covered Yue Po's mouth with his right hand and pulled him down to sit at the lower seat. Yue Po stood up. Linghu Chong hurriedly pulled him back down, saying, "You need to talk to me first." Yue Po replied, "I need to relieve myself, are you coming?" Linghu Chong helplessly said, "I will go with you; I am just too worried about you these days."

Four people and a corpse arrived at Liu's residence. Zhang Danian, a disciple of Liu Zhengfeng, happened to be at the door. Seeing Ding Yi return, he was about to greet him, but upon seeing the corpse of Tian Song, he was at a loss for words and could only say, "Master Tianmen is in the flower hall." Ding Yi nodded. Yue Po was pushing the corpse and was about to enter when Ling Hu Chong hurriedly grabbed his collar and said, "Disciples of Huashan, Ling Hu Chong and Yue Po, have come to pay their respects on the master's orders." Zhang Danian, hearing that it was the chief disciple of Huashan, was overjoyed and said, "Please, both of you, come inside."

Yue Buqun noticed the unusual expressions on everyone's faces and understood the issue at hand. He explained, "This Yue Po is a disciple of my wife." The crowd was relieved, but Yue Buqun then said with a serious tone, "Master Yu, it has been many years since we last met, and you have become even more vigorous. I have recently taken on a new disciple, and I heard that his parents are still guests at your place. Could you do me a favor and release them?" Yu Canghai was taken aback and said, "Brother Yue, what do you mean by this?" Yue Buqun called out, "Pingzhi, come in." After a moment, a young man entered, appearing to be about eighteen years old, handsome and polite. He greeted everyone, saying, "I am Lin Pingzhi, a disciple of Mount Hua, and I have come to pay my respects to the esteemed seniors. Yu Canghai, you destroyed my Fuwei Escort Agency, imprisoned my parents, and yet you still pretend to be innocent."

Although Ding Yi was hot-tempered, he understood that the matter was complicated and that it would be best to resolve it this way. Linghu Chong, considering the situation for Mount Hua, tacitly agreed. Just as Yilin was about to speak, her determination was interrupted as Ding Yi pulled her aside to ask about the situation. Yue Po and Linghu Chong exchanged sly smiles behind them; resolving the misunderstanding between the two families by eliminating Tian Song was indeed worthwhile. Yue Po would never disclose this to anyone. Although he had no intention of harming Tian Song, he slightly altered his course out of fear of pain from falling elsewhere.

Yu Canghai angrily said, "You little brat, what evidence do you have to say that I have imprisoned your parents?" Lin Pingzhi replied, "I saw it with my own eyes." Yu Canghai responded, "I have roamed the Jianghu for many years, and naturally, I have encountered many petty people trying to frame me. Master Yue is a gentleman with a sword, and it is essential to investigate this matter thoroughly." Such nonsense was clear to everyone, yet no one was willing to directly expose it, fearing the repercussions from Yu Canghai. Yue Buqun quietly said to Linghu Chong, "From the looks of it, he must have been killed by him." Yu Canghai was furious, and Lin Pingzhi was alarmed, rushing forward to fight. Yue Buqun stood between the two, and everyone began to mediate, creating a scene of chaos. Yue Buqun chuckled and said to Linghu Chong, "Look at him acting like a thief..."

The person was naturally the leader of Mount Tai, Tianmen. Upon seeing the corpse of his junior disciple, he was greatly shocked and pointed at the body, asking Yue Po, "What happened?" Yue Po casually replied, "He’s dead." The crowd fell silent; it was evident to everyone. "How did he die?" "He was hacked to death." "What was he hacked to death with?" "A knife." "Who did it?" "Tian Boguang." "How did you encounter Tian Boguang? I don’t want your answer; Linghu Chong, you speak." Tianmen finally lost patience with Yue Po, "How did he die?" "He was hacked to death." "What was he hacked to death with?" "A knife." "Who did it?" "Tian Boguang." "How did you encounter Tian Boguang? I don’t want your answer; Linghu Chong, you speak." Tianmen lost patience with Yue Po, not realizing that Yue Po was feeling guilty and believed that saying one less word would add to his safety.

Just as he was about to set off, a tall nun rushed towards him, saying, "You, Linghu Chong, dare to abduct my disciple. I will capture you and let your master deal with you." The newcomer was Ding Yi, the abbess of the Baiyun Monastery on Mount Heng. Linghu Chong realized that someone at the tavern must have informed her about his conversation with Tian Boguang, where he referred to Tian as 'brother Tian.' This, combined with his inner agitation, prompted her to seek retribution. Linghu Chong knew who it was but did not dare to act, while Yue Po, not recognizing her, saw her reaching for his senior brother. He extended his hand and seized Ding Yi's right hand, using her momentum to throw her to the ground. Ding Yi did not expect a disciple from Mount Huashan to dare to strike. Moreover, she had not seen him draw his sword, yet the force of his grip was incredibly strong, leaving her at a loss.

This matter has escalated; Ding Yi even has to give her some face. His temper is well-known in both the righteous and demonic realms. Being humiliated by a junior now is more painful than being killed. Yilin hurriedly intervened, saying, "Master, there has been a misunderstanding; it was my two senior brothers who saved me." Now it is no longer a misunderstanding but rather a fortunate encounter. Ding Yi drew his sword and was about to step forward when Linghu Chong quickly stopped him, saying, "Master, please calm down. This is my master's wife’s disciple, and it is her first time coming out into the world. She does not know you, so please bear with her." Yue Po also hurriedly added, "Master, please do not be angry. It was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. If not, I have a few taels..." This time, Yilin knew Yue Po had a loose tongue and covered his mouth with her small hand, good and tender.

Linghu Chong recounted the events he encountered on the road, having chased them to the tavern, albeit in a rather vague manner. He shared his grievances, speaking only the truth, and since Yilin was likely misunderstood, he only mentioned the key points. Others were not particularly attentive to these details, focusing instead on the circumstances surrounding the death of Daoist Tiansong. After Linghu Chong finished speaking, Tianmen was already convinced and was about to respond when he heard Yu Canghai say, "Linghu Xianzhi, it was you who engaged in battle with that Tian Boguang; how could Daoist Tiansong have been injured alone, and how could your disciples have perished?" Upon hearing this, everyone found it reasonable.

Yue Po looked at the short man with extreme disdain and said, "We are upright individuals who believe in not using numbers to bully the few. We saw that Uncle Tian Song could defeat that lecher in a one-on-one duel, so we did not intervene. Little did we know that Uncle Tian Song, disturbed by the death of his disciple, fell into the trap. " Yu Canghai stood up angrily and said, "Are you implying that I am not an upright person?" Yue Po replied, "Who are you?" He truly did not recognize him. Yu Canghai continued, "I am Yu Canghai, the observer of the Qingcheng Sect." Yue Po then asked, "Who is your sect leader?" Linghu Chong quickly interjected, "The observer is the sect leader." Yue Po was even more puzzled, "I rarely hear about..." Yu Canghai continued, "I am Yu Canghai, the observer of the Qingcheng Sect." Yue Po asked again, "Who is your sect leader?" Linghu Chong hurriedly added, "The observer is the sect leader." Yue Po was even more confused, "I rarely hear about..." However, he was silenced by Linghu Chong, who tearfully repeated what he had said several times throughout the day, "He is my junior apprentice brother Yue Po, who has just come down the mountain for the first time and does not understand the ways of the martial world. I hope Observer Yu will be forgiving."