Chapter 236: with translation of chapter title

Xiao Feng looked around, and under the sunlight glints flashed everywhere on the mountains and fields; the heroes drew their weapons, and he was a hundred people unwilling to get entangled with them.

Duan Yu saw that so many people were going to make things difficult for his elder brother, and he prepared to live and die together with Xiao Feng, to fulfill their sworn brotherhood.

Duan Zhengchun also whispered to his subordinates Hua Hegen, Fan Hua, and Ba Tian Shi: 'Xiao Feng once came alone to the gathering at Zhu Xian Manor for my daughter's sake; when danger comes later, we will rush into the crowd and help him escape.'

Fan Hua said, 'Yes!' He glanced at the thousands of heroes brandishing weapons and asked, 'The enemy is numerous; I wonder what clever plan my lord has?'

Duan Zhengchun shook his head and said, 'A true man distinguishes gratitude from grudge; he does his utmost and repays with his life.'

The Duan officials all shouted in unison, 'That is exactly how it should be!'

'Qiao Feng!' You Tan Zhi stepped forward, raised his palm and shouted angrily, 'The grudge against my parents is irreconcilable; your martial prowess is formidable, but I am not afraid. Even if I must spill my liver and brains on the ground, I will avenge my family—let's fight now!'

Xiao Feng pushed aside Duan Yu and A Zhu, preparing to meet the challenge.

Feng Yi suddenly looked at Xiao Feng and said, 'Brother Xiao, this lad is a raw recruit; pay him no mind. You should first seize the time to recover your inner strength; the real fierce battle will come later.'

Xiao Feng was startled by a thunderclap; he had just exchanged palms with You Tan Zhi, but out of deep sympathy for what had happened at Zhu Xian Manor, he had held back.

But after exchanging a move, he had already found out that the opponent's inner depth and fist power were indeed beyond his expectation; however, the force came straight and simple, with little variation, showing a lack of experience. Even though he had just fought a great battle with Kumozhi, expending much inner strength, You Tan Zhi was nothing to fear.

But Feng Yi is a martial arts connoisseur; how could he not know? Saying this must have a reason, Xiao Feng immediately sensed something unusual, stopped paying attention to You Tan Zhi, and seized the opportunity to regulate his breath and restore his power.

Suddenly a clear whistle rang out; a yellow shadow flickered, and a figure drifted onto the field—it was none other than Murong Fu of Gusu.

Murong Fu spoke loudly: 'Brother Xiao, you are a Khitan hero who regards the Central Plains heroes as nothing; this humble Murong Fu of Gusu today wishes to learn your high skills. To die under your palm would also be to contribute a small measure to the Central Plains heroes—though dead, still glorious.'

The heroes' spirits were lifted, and they instantly felt it was splendid.

Although Xiao Feng is formidable, the saying 'North Qiao Feng, South Murong' has long been renowned; even if they are not two tigers fighting, there will be injury. Even if Murong Fu loses, he can still drain much of Xiao Feng's inner strength, making him easier to kill. In an instant, cheers rose and echoed through the wilderness.

Xiao Feng was both startled and angry; out of regard for A Zhu's face, he did not seek Murong Fu for revenge, but who would have thought he would take advantage of the danger, silently cultivating his profound skill? This surge of anger almost sent his true qi astray; his heart tightened, and he hastily steadied his mind, thinking: 'With Brother Feng here, the most urgent thing now is to quickly recover my inner strength.'

A Zhu was worried about the grudge between the Xiao and Murong families; seeing Murong Fu appear, she was overcome with inexplicable grief, her body flashed forward, tears streaming uncontrollably as she cried, 'Master, no—how can you strike Elder Brother Xiao?'

Duan Yu also shouted, 'Yes, Brother Murong, this is your fault. When my elder brother first met you, there was no grudge between you; why then take advantage of his peril? Moreover, when everyone wrongly accused you, my elder brother once spoke up for you.'

It turned out that earlier, Murong Fu and his companions had also been whispering among themselves. After Public Ye Gan had dueled palms with Xiao Feng in a drinking contest in Wuxi, he had become deeply impressed and advocated lending a hand to help.

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e also greatly admired Xiao Feng; moreover, having spoken of A Zhu and Xiao Feng's affair, the two sides were essentially one family, eager to test themselves and rush forward to lend aid.

However, Murong Fu thought that his father had constantly instructed him before his death: aside from the great revival of Yan, there was no greater matter in the world; if it were for the great cause, fathers and brothers could be slain, sons and kin killed, even close friends and lovers forsaken—Wang Yuyan herself held little affection, let alone the Murong household's maid A Zhu, which he did not care for at all.

Seeing the heroes intent on killing Xiao Feng, how could he, because of Xiao Feng alone, stand opposed to the Central Plains heroes? Naturally, he would win over people's hearts as he had done at the Spirit Vulture Palace, making them his own.

This time he had no fear of again making a wedding dress for Feng Yi, because Xiao Feng, the Southern Court Prince of Liao, is a public enemy of the Han people; if Feng Yi again lends him support, that would be treason to the Han.

The so-called 'death is still glorious' rhetoric is merely meant for the ears of the Central Plains heroes; thus, regardless of victory or defeat, they will naturally regard the Gusu Murong clan as friends unto death.

Murong Fu also ignored A Zhu, gave Duan Yu a cold smile, and said, 'Brother Duan, if you wish to be a hero who upholds justice, then come forward together and receive my instruction.'

He had long been impatient with Duan Yu's entanglement with Wang Yuyan, and now he seized the moment to let it out.

Duan Yu was about to speak when A Zhu gathered her courage, trembling as she said, 'Master, after all, it is our Murong family that owes an apology to Elder Brother Xiao…' Having spoken those words, she burst into loud sobs.

Murong Fu raised his brows and shouted sternly, 'A Zhu, what are you saying?'

'My mother raised you as her own daughter, and I have treated you as my own sister; yet you, for your own love, utter such words?'

'Could it be that Xiao Feng, being a Khitan, the beast who murdered his master and parents, was done at my Murong family's behest? How then could we be at fault?'

Most of the heroes did not know the relationship between A Zhu, Murong Fu, and Xiao Feng; hearing this, they murmured in disagreement—some felt regret, some anger, and most did not approve of A Zhu's conduct.

'No, it's not for me.' A Zhu said with a trembling voice, 'If it weren't for your father's false report to Abbot Xuanci back then, which led him to rally the heroes to besiege Elder Brother Xiao's parents, how could he have lacked parental care, been born in Song, and found it hard to have both? And where would today's martial world's rights and wrongs come from…' The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she became, tears pouring down like rain, impossible to stem.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.

All the heroes knew that Xiao Feng became the public enemy of the martial world because his sworn brother was deceived by a jianghu charlatan, leading to the Yanmen Gate tragedy.

Later, when Xiao Feng's Khitan identity was exposed, a series of vengeful killings ensued; no one expected that the sworn brother was Abbot Xuanci, nor that the person who spread the false rumor was Murong Bo!

Murong Fu himself was greatly astonished, his eyes widened, his mind in a daze.

Bao Butong was both startled and angry, shouting sternly, 'A Zhu, what nonsense are you spouting?'

'Amitabha!' Abbot Xuanci pressed his palms together, uttered a Buddhist chant, clear and vigorous, and said, 'Miss A Zhu, your words are true. All today's grudges originated from the battle outside Yanmen Gate years ago; I, the old monk, mistakenly believed hearsay, made a grave error—those brothers who sheltered me all perished one by one, and the innocents caught up in it also lost their lives; all this sin rests upon me.'

At this moment the heroes finally realized it was Abbot Xuanci who had led the deed; yet as the abbot of Shaolin, concerned for the Song realm and his temple's scriptures, he had devoted himself, originally deeming it his duty.

Someone shouted loudly, 'Could the one who spread the false rumor possibly be Murong Fu's father, Murong Bo?'

Duan Yu immediately recalled what Fan Hua and others had told him about their discovery in the Murong household, and he exclaimed, 'Abbot Xuanci, if this person truly is Murong Bo, his coffin is empty; if he is indeed the chief culprit, he likely faked his death to escape.'

In an instant, the crowd was startled again.

Today these pieces of news came one after another, exploding.

The journey to Mount Shaoshi was not in vain!

Feng Yi said, 'A Zhu, come back now; you have made your choice, and the rest is up to others.'

A Zhu closed her eyes; tears continually seeped from the corners and slowly slid down. She drew a breath, opened her eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, 'Master, you had better leave quickly!'

Murong Fu heard but did not heed.

Feng Yi furrowed his brows and said, 'Today everything needs to be settled; you fathers who have harmed your sons should also show up, shouldn't you?'

This remark was quite abrupt, and everyone was puzzled.

Suddenly a long laugh rang out, the laughter shot to the heavens, the valley trembled, and birds and beasts scattered from the hills.

Hearing it, everyone turned pale; they saw a black silhouette flash across the sky, sweep toward a large boulder, plant its feet, hands on hips, and burst into loud laughter.

Only then did they see clearly that he was holding a long rope in his hand, the other end tied to the top of a large tree more than ten zhang away.

The visitor was tall and sturdy, his movements peerless; his whole body was clad in black, a black cloth covering his face, revealing only a pair of eyes like cold lightning—no one knew who he was.

Among the heroes gathered on Mount Shaoshi, quite a few had attended the Zhu Xian Manor assembly that day; however, that black-clad giant had merely flashed by then, and no one had seen his movements clearly, so naturally they still did not recognize him now.

Xiao Feng was both startled and delighted, crying out, 'Father!'

The crowd trembled with emotion; even the perpetually composed Abbot Xuanci changed his countenance.

The black-clad man grabbed and pulled off his own veil.

The heroes exclaimed in astonishment; they saw he had a broad face, large ears, a beard like tangled bristles, his appearance extremely formidable, about sixty years old, yet he seemed cast from the same mold as Xiao Feng—everyone knew he was Xiao Feng's father, secretly thinking, 'No wonder this man could slay more than twenty martial arts masters outside Yanmen Gate; his bearing is indeed extraordinary, his divine might awe-inspiring.'

'Amitabha!' Abbot Xuanci pressed his palms together and said, 'Old Hero Xiao, long time no see!' His voice at this moment, however, was very tranquil.

Xiao Yuanshan's eyes flashed like lightning, striking Abbot Xuan Ci's face, and he said: "Old Abbot Xuan Ci, you never expected that? That day I leapt off a cliff to kill myself, but my fate was not to die; I fell onto the branch of a big tree at the valley bottom, and actually survived."

"Now that I'm alive, my wish to die is gone, and thoughts of revenge arise. It's a pity you now admit to being the eldest brother—too late!"

Abbot Xuan Ci pressed his palms together and said: "The Buddhist teaching says: 'Round, penetrating, still, wise.' We laypeople, because of love we damage our nature, because of lust we disturb our minds, because of hatred we indulge in killing, and mistakenly fall into demonic obstacles without realizing it."

"I have made a grave mistake; I once bound my hands and bared my chest, ready to die, hoping you would kill me to avenge your mother, but your kind heart refused to kill me, letting me live to this day."

"But you, because of hatred, disguise yourself and commit atrocities, causing him to be misunderstood and his reputation ruined everywhere—aren't you afraid that one day you'll wake from a dream to find this body no longer yours, and regret will come too late?"

Abbot Xuan Ci, extremely perceptive, immediately upon seeing Xiao Yuanshan still alive, thought of all the bloodshed: why, although it clearly wasn't Xiao Feng's doing, everyone says it was him, and Xiao Feng himself even admitted it.

Upon hearing this, everyone was surprised but quickly understood everything: it turns out this killer looks exactly like Xiao Feng and is also blood-related, which is why Xiao Feng willingly takes the blame.

Xiao Yuanshan sneered: "What's there to regret? You Southern martial artists are all sneaky and deceitful—what good is there?"

"My son is kind-hearted; if you don't let him know that in this world no one treats him as a person, he will someday taste bitter fruit! Son, today is a perfect day for us father and son to take revenge!"

Xiao Feng said slowly: "Father, Abbot Xuan Ci was deceived by rumors, not his intention; he has now repented. Moreover, Father is safe and sound today, and our great enemy is already dead—I think we should write off this grudge."

"\"How can we write it off? \" Xiao Yuanshan bellowed like thunder, his gaze sweeping around."

He was naturally imposing; now his facial muscles twitched, his beard bristled angrily, his tiger eyes gleamed with divine light, making his aura even more awe-inspiring, unsurpassable.

Even the heroes who hadn't participated in the Yanmen Gate affair were left breathless, daring not to meet his icy, lightning-like gaze, fearing they'd provoke a fiery disaster.

After all, no matter how formidable Xiao Feng is, he's still just a person.

This is outright a lunatic!

And a lunatic with supreme martial arts!

Too terrifying!

Xiao Yuanshan's gaze suddenly fixed on Xiao Feng, pointing at You Tanzhi and saying: "I destroyed the Villa of Gathering Heroes, but spared this boy's life; now he has mastered a full set of martial arts. If you can show mercy to him, you can write off the grudge, but what about these Southern people? They repeatedly spoke rudely, hurled extreme insults, and when they attacked you, did they show even a shred of leniency?"

"Son, listen to your father and join me in avenging your mother!"

"\"Old coot! \" You Tanzhi's eyes turned red as he shouted angrily: \"So it was you who killed my whole family! \"

"\"Not bad! \" Xiao Yuanshan sneered: \"The Villa of Gathering Heroes dared hold a heroes' assembly against my son; he didn't kill your father or your uncle, but as a father I cannot let them off. \"

I merely saw that you, this lad, have a passionate heart, are a true man, and the sole heir of the You family; moved by compassion, I spared your life.

"Heh, you're just as blind as the little monk of Shaolin Temple, but you're right about one thing: a grudge against one's parents admits no coexistence; if not avenged, what's the point of being human?" Shouting, his visage twisted, his expression already showing madness.

As in the original plot, the Villa of Gathering Heroes saw Qiao Feng launch a massacre, the You twins committed suicide, You Tanzhi's mother died by striking a pillar in loyalty to her husband, yet the grand Villa of Gathering Heroes was still burned to a blank expanse by someone; the You twins had sons, nephews, and many disciples—who set the fire is obvious.

This time Feng Yi prevented Qiao Feng's great battle at the Villa of Gathering Heroes, but Xiao Yuanshan was still displeased and went on to destroy the Villa, leaving only You Tanzhi alive.

You Tanzhi also felt his emotions surge, recalling past events.

After his family was exterminated, You Tanzhi wandered in a daze until he reached a scenic valley near the Villa of Gathering Heroes, where he saw traces of former habitation; while looking for a place to rest, he discovered a cave.

Inside the cave were carved the Divine Illumination Scripture, the Blood Blade Scripture, and the Nine Yin True Scripture—three supreme teachings—plus a message from the God of the Wind, claiming he had defeated all under heaven and urging his juniors to inherit his will; this made You Tanzhi believe he was blessed by heaven to obtain this fortune, especially since the Wind God's tone was so grand, truly inspiring.

This valley was originally where Feng Yi descended; he left these three martial arts in the stone cave, at first fearing he'd forget them, later not destroying them out of whimsy, hoping to leave them for a predestined person.

You Tanzhi had studied martial arts with his father since childhood, but his frail body and weak strength made him utterly unsuited to the You twins' hard external style; after three years of study, his progress was minimal, showing no trace of a scion of a prestigious family.

By the time he was twelve, You Ju had lost heart and consulted his brother You Ji. Both said: "Our You clan descendants putting forth such three-legged cat skills would only make people laugh; if others hear he's a descendant of the You twins of the Villa of Gathering Heroes, they'll either not attack or, if they do, go all out and kill him with the first move. Better let him study literature obediently to preserve his life."

Thus, at age twelve You Tanzhi stopped studying martial arts; You Ju hired a learned scholar to teach him reading. Yet he refused to apply himself to his studies, constantly driving teachers away; You Ju didn't know how many beatings he gave him, but the more he was beaten, the more stubborn and mischievous he became.

Seeing his son good-for-nothing, You Ju sighed and could only leave him be; thus You Tanzhi grew to eighteen, of noble birth yet illiterate and unable to practice martial arts.

The Divine Illumination skill and the Nine Yin True Scripture are extremely profound; You Tanzhi naturally wouldn't know where to begin, but the Blood Blade Scripture was laid out by Feng Yi with diagrams of movements and the routes of true qi circulation carved into the stone walls.

You Tanzhi played instead of studying; though his nature wasn't wholly pure, he was ultimately an honest youth, while the path of martial arts splits into external and internal schools; some start with external training, which yields no accomplishment—for example, Guo Jing, taught ten years by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, made no progress.

After two years of internal instruction from Ma Yu, movements he previously couldn't perform became easy.

You Tanzhi couldn't master the You twins' external martial arts, but his aptitude for internal energy was exceptional; following the diagrams, after just a few months his internal force reached a modest level. Relying on the Blood Blade Scripture to cultivate internal force, he was no longer a martial arts novice—he naturally understood meridians and acupoints, and by circulating true qi along the Divine Illumination's practice routes, his internal flow surged like a river, requiring no effort, flowing naturally.

Know that Feng Yi was of average talent; without the system, his aptitude fell far short of that of honest individuals like You Tanzhi.

Feng Yi had the Divine Illumination and Blood Blade Scripture powers stripped by the system, which is why he could cultivate the Nine Yin Divine Art in just two years.

This is because the Divine Illumination and Blood Blade Scripture are the supreme internal arts of the orthodox and heterodox paths, and they have a wonderful mutual fostering effect; the true qi generated by Feng Yi's body after fusing these two divine arts long nourished him, laying a solid foundation.

Moreover, the Nine Yin True Scripture is the grand synthesis of all martial arts, able to embrace the middle way; thus linked into a cycle, they mutually generate and blend, their strengths and weaknesses complementing each other, which allowed Feng Yi, in just two years in the valley, to achieve the Nine Yin Divine Art.

You Tanzhi first studied the Blood Blade Scripture's internal energy, then the Divine Illumination skill; he felt his whole body light and buoyant, rather uncomfortable, and immediately thought the Wind God truly deserved his title as a divine being.

As for the Nine Yin True Scripture? His curiosity stirred, and he went on to study the Nine Yin Divine Art.

He also differed from Feng Yi: Feng Yi had average aptitude but rich experience and profound martial arts knowledge.

You Tanzhi, ignorant and fearless, unaware whether fools have blessings or not, through this continual cycling, actually penetrated the Great Dao, saw through the notion of 'self,' harmonized orthodox and heterodox, and indeed cultivated a first-rate divine internal force.

And since the foundation of all martial arts practice lies in internal force, possessing such divine internal force made practicing the fist, foot, and weapon techniques of the Nine Yin True Scripture and Blood Blade Scripture as easy as reaching into a bag.

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In the valley, when hungry he ate wild fruits and roasted fish, oblivious to time; seeing his own strike shatter trees and split rocks with boundless power, he thought such martial arts should be used to seek Qiao Feng for revenge; after leaving the valley he learned two years had passed, and hearing Beggars' Sect disciples at a Henan gathering say they were going to elect a chief.

He knew Qiao Feng had once been chief of the Beggars' Sect and had fallen out with them at the Villa of Gathering Heroes, so he went straight to find them, had a few clashes with the sect's disciples, and with casual strikes injured several.

Several elders of the Beggars' Sect had seen him once at the Villa of Gathering Heroes, learned his identity, and heard him personally say his whole family had been killed by 'Qiao Feng'.

Some who supported Qiao Feng said, "Couldn't someone disguise themselves and frame him?" But that was immediately rejected. For while disguise is possible, who could fake Qiao Feng's supreme martial arts at the prestigious Villa of Gathering Heroes?

This made everyone think Qiao Feng was untrustworthy, and at that moment the Beggars' Sect members learned that Qiao Feng had helped Yelü Hongji suppress rebellions and become the Southern Viceroy of Liao.

Almost everyone considered Qiao Feng harboring sinister intentions, a true archvillain, and everyone was deceived by his outward appearance.

Coincidentally, the Beggars' Sect was about to elect a new chief; Lü Zhang and others saw that You Tanzhi was young and his martial arts extraordinary, and intended to let him take the position.

You Tanzhi only knew martial arts and understood nothing else, but Lü Zhang and the other elders merely gave him a nominal title while they handled the affairs; You Tanzhi originally wanted to kill Qiao Feng for revenge, but now being able to become Beggars' Sect chief—a post formerly held by Qiao Feng—he just went along with it.

At the Beggars' Sect Mount Kun summit, he defeated over ten sect masters in succession, dominating the event, and no one objected to his taking the chief's seat.

Lü Zhang and the others also thought of the scandals of the Beggars' Sect figures Xu Chongxiao, Bai Shijing, Quan Guanqing, etc., which Qiao Feng knew all about. Since he wasn't a sect member but had become the Liao Southern Viceroy, sooner or later he would turn on the Song state; once exposed, what face would the Beggars' Sect have left?

Better to strike first: first, go to Mount Shaoshi to suppress Shaolin Temple's prestige; second, inform the world of Qiao Feng's current identity, so that later his words may not be believed by everyone—thus they preemptively invited heroes to rush to Mount Shaoshi.

Who would have thought that with Xiao Yuanshan's appearance, everything would be mistaken?

Qiao Feng remained a man of deep feeling and righteousness.

He willingly bore the blame for his father, taking the punishment upon himself. It was their petty minds measuring a gentleman's belly.

Yet besides feeling ashamed, he also thought that this couldn't be blamed on them.

Who could have imagined that in this world there truly existed someone who looked exactly like Qiao Feng and likewise possessed supreme martial arts skills?

You Tanzhi also never imagined that father and son could resemble each other so closely; that night, when Xiao Yuanshan struck, it was dark, and he only saw the assassin's facial outline— as for the voice, in the midst of extreme anger and terror, how could he notice every detail?

You Tanzhi thought, "This old scoundrel owes so many lives; let's first see how the Shaolin Temple deals with him." He then remained silent, coldly observing.

Abbot Xuanci pressed his palms together and said, "Old Hero Xiao, if you seek revenge against this old monk, no matter what, it is only natural."

"Yet my junior fellow monk Xuanku and the couple Qiao Sanhuai died— do you truly feel not the slightest guilt?"

"Guilt?" Xiao Yuanshan gave a cold snort: "You Southern Dynasty people regard us Khitans as worse than swine and dogs, arbitrarily slaughtering us, snatching my child and handing him over to others to raise as their own. The Qiao couple impersonated my child's parents, not only depriving me of familial bliss but also never revealing the truth to him— they deserve death."

"As for Xuanku, hehe, you Abbot Xuanci merely wanted to forever conceal this bloody crime, turning my son into a Han, making him take my mortal enemy as his master, and inherit that enemy as the leader of the Beggars' Sect."

"Hehe, after I slapped Xuanku that evening, I hid nearby; soon my son went to pay respects to that bald thief."

"Seeing our father and son's similar appearance, he assumed it was my son who struck, and even the young novice monk beside him could not tell us apart."

"Son, don't blame your father; we Khitans have suffered enough false accusations and bullying from the Southern Dynasty people, haven't we?"

Xiao Feng had long known all this, his face grim, and he uttered not a word.

The Shaolin monks chanted in unison: "May the Buddha be compassionate, may the Buddha be compassionate!" Their voices filled with sorrow and indignation, though for a moment no one stepped forward to challenge Xiao Yuanshan.

Yet the deep sorrow contained in the monks' chanting clearly held great resolve; they could not simply let him off the hook.

Xiao Yuanshan sneered, "Abbot Xuanci, you led the Central Plains martial artists outside Yumen Pass, causing my family's ruin and death, yet you raised my son—I, Xiao Yuanshan, have acted most justly!"

Saying this, he gazed toward the cliff and shouted loudly, "Everyone, come up here!"

Everyone followed his gaze, and in a moment the sound of horse hooves clattered at the cliff's edge.

Everyone's hearts jolted as they saw that the riders were all feeble old men, or women with tear-streaked faces, plus eight or nine middle-aged men, but their movements were sluggish, obviously not martial artists, and they all asked, "What are these people doing?"

Feng Yi's thoughts flashed, and he silently wondered, "Could these not be the victims of Lady Ye Erniang?"

In that instant, Xiao Yuanshan pointed at them and said, "These people are all families whose children were snatched by the utterly wicked Lady Ye Erniang; she toys with an infant each day, and over decades she has victimized thousands of families, depriving them of familial bliss. I, Xiao, have merely sought out a few of them. But do you all know why Lady Ye Erniang does this?"

Someone in the crowd said, "We are mere martial men; we like to speak plainly and get straight to the point, Old Hero Xiao— don't beat around the bush!"

Xiao Yuanshan laughed heartily and said, "Abbot Xuanci, as the leader of the martial world you know all the news in the jianghu; then, facing these victims, may I ask whether you know why Lady Ye Erniang abducts others' children?"

Hearing this, everyone felt both laughter and tears, thinking, "Although the Shaolin Temple is the leader of the martial world, it cannot know everything, especially a matter concerning a woman."

In the blink of an eye, looking over, one saw the Shaolin monks' faces dark and grim, indeed extremely furious.

Feng Yi silently thought, "Oh dear," and reflected that Xiao Yuanshan's move was far more vicious than in the original plot.

He thought this must be the result of his having killed Lady Ye Erniang— since there is no party involved, he must bring the victims forward to force Abbot Xuanci to admit guilt!

However, he was quite curious about Abbot Xuanci's reaction.

After all, Lady Ye Erniang is already dead, so Abbot Xuanci could simply deny it to his death!

So, will he admit it or not?

Abbot Xuanci said, "Old Hero Xiao, today everything should come to an end; if you have anything to say, I sincerely hope you can speak freely, and I here listen with respect."

The heroes seemed not to have expected that the venerable Abbot Xuanci of the Shaolin Temple would, at this moment, speak with such humility and courtesy, leaving them all feeling somewhat puzzled.

Faced with Xiao Yuanshan's proper conduct, should we not summon all the temple's monks and immediately annihilate the Xiao father and son here?

Xiao Yuanshan spoke slowly: "Everyone probably doesn't know that the utterly wicked Lady Ye Erniang was originally a lovely young lady— gentle, beautiful, dignified and chaste."

But at age eighteen, she was seduced by a man of high martial prowess and status, lost her virtue to him, and bore a child— that man not only gave her no explanation, but also had that child snatched away by me!

Duan Yu interjected, "So she snatches a child each day to play with, then hands it over to someone else at night— but why do you abduct her child?"

"Good question!" Xiao Yuanshan replied slowly, "If the woman you love is killed before your eyes and your child is made to call others father and mother, what would you do?"

Duan Yu stared, then said, "I don't know."

"I forgot you're not yet married, and the woman you love doesn't love you."

Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan's faces both turned red.

Xiao Yuanshan paused, then said, "Feng Yi, though you are young and worldly-wise, you once sneered at my actions; so I ask, before all the heroes under heaven, if your woman were killed, what would you do? Would it merely be a single palm strike to shake him to death, and then everything would be settled?"

All eyes turned toward Feng Yi in unison.

Feng Yi's body trembled slightly, but in an instant he regained composure, gave a faint smile, and said, "Your question makes my heart quake and my spirit tremble. I dare not even imagine such a thing, but if it truly happened, perhaps with my beloved dead, right and wrong would no longer matter to me, and I could sum up everything in that."

Not to mention exterminating his clan—I would even have to scatter the yolks of his chickens' eggs and pour boiling water over his ant nests!

Speaking such vicious words on Mount Shaoshi, everyone thought Feng Yi was even more of a madman.

Feng Yi knew that Xiao Yuanshan's question stemmed from lingering resentment over his past actions, a typical case of speaking easily while standing idle.

Now that he has A Zi by his side, regardless of whether he can carry it out, he must spread these words.

Let fewer people come to provoke me!

"Haha..." Xiao Yuanshan laughed wildly: "A man, a man avenging his wife and child, whatever he does is normal."

"I abducted Lady Ye Erniang's son to take revenge, while she snatched others' children as revenge as well! Haha..." He seemed pleased with himself, laughing loudly to the heavens, his laughter piercing the firmament.

The crowd felt a sudden shock, for some clever individuals had realized the implication.

"Good, good— having sown the cause, one reaps the fruit!"

But seeing Abbot Xuanci press his palms together, his countenance solemn and dignified, he spoke while stepping forward.

Suddenly Wang Yuyan cried out in alarm, "Cousin, be careful!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Abbot Xuanci leapt up, his palms striking toward Murong Fu, while at the same time his great red kasaya resembled a red cloud, suddenly enveloping Murong Fu.

Murong Fu, who had been dazed, had faintly guessed the truth; upon hearing Wang Yuyan's sudden cry, he felt a wave of hot wind rush at him, and before he could look closely, he tapped his toes and floated three zhang away.

Murong Fu dodged the palm strike, saw clearly who had attacked, and his face changed: "Abbot Xuanci, you…"

Before his words finished, a palm struck toward Abbot Xuanci's kasaya,

Feng Yi suddenly shifted his body, darting forward, flicked his sleeve, and a strong gust rushed into Murong Fu's mouth and nose.

Murong Fu instantly felt his breath reversed; he tried to channel his qi to retreat, but Feng Yi's jade‑like hand, emerging from his sleeve, had already seized Murong Fu's pulse point.

Xuan Ci floated down and landed, his kasaya returning to his body.

Xuan Ci, Murong Fu, and Feng Yi exchanged moves too fast; before the crowd could react, they heard A Zi chuckle and clap, saying: "Big brother's divine skill—who could match it?"

The crowd also didn't expect such a turn of events—how could the renowned Gusu Murong, whose name shakes the world, be so unable to withstand a single blow?

Does he even deserve to be mentioned alongside Qiao Feng?

Just moments ago, he still wanted to challenge Qiao Feng?

Thousands of heroes, who knows how many came to Shaoshi Mountain just to glimpse the Gusu Murong's divine skills, only to be seized alive with a single outstretched hand?

Murong Fu's pulse point was sealed, his internal power unusable, his face flushed from holding his breath.

Only heard Feng Yi coldly say: "Others kill Xiao Feng, either because he is a Khitan, or due to vengeance for kin, or out of chivalry and righteousness!"

You, a Xianbei foreign barbarian, still want to win people's hearts, to strive for the restoration of Yan for you; as a member of the Han, I will send you to meet the ancestors of the Great Yan!

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and with his other hand pressed toward Murong Fu's head; the palm wind swept everywhere, his hat already shattered into fine fragments, turning into butterfly-like pieces that fluttered in the wind.

"No! Cousin!"

Wang Yuyan's face changed in shock.

(End of chapter)