Chapter 98 : Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Not at All—Divine Physician Ma Has Come at Just the Right Time!

“An explanation from me?”

Cheng Yu gripped the Xiuchun Saber in his hand and faced the gathered martial artists head-on, showing not the slightest fear despite their overwhelming numbers.

“Heaven’s justice sees all. You have slaughtered the innocent and amassed a mountain of blood guilt. Naturally, you must give an explanation!”

Qin Mosheng pointed his fan at Cheng Yu and spoke with righteous indignation.

The Jianghu martial artists all drew together as one, their expressions solemn and upright as they looked toward Cheng Yu, their combined presence imposing beyond measure.

It was as though a gathering of Jianghu heroes had assembled to put some demonic heretic on trial.

“An explanation?”

Cheng Yu released his own imposing aura, no weaker than that of the assembled martial artists in the slightest.

“Everyone the Jinyiwei has killed had crimes and evidence piled as high as mountains. What explanation do you still want?”

The moment the words left his mouth, numerous fully armed Jinyiwei surged out beside him, their expressions stern as they took their stand at his side.

Together, they roared, “Insolence!”

The powerful crossbows in their hands were all raised, aimed squarely at the Jianghu martial artists, ready to fire at any moment.

Qin Mosheng sneered inwardly. With two Seventh-Rank experts present, he had no fear whatsoever of the Jinyiwei’s display.

They were nothing more than a mob of insignificant underlings!

“Evidence? That is nothing but one-sided testimony! If such fabricated charges are enough to convict people, then it would be the greatest joke under heaven!”

With a mocking expression, he stepped forward.

Then he said with open ridicule, “By your logic, I could just as easily say that every last one of you Jinyiwei are bloodstained murderers!”

“So why is it that none of you are paying with your lives for the people you’ve killed?”

The Jinyiwei’s expressions changed abruptly at those words. Enraged, they shouted, “Twisted sophistry! We enforce the king’s law and kill traitors and villains—how dare you slander us like this!”

Under Cheng Yu’s leadership, the Jinyiwei of the Jiannan Circuit Thousand-Household Office had become disciplined and efficient, punishing evil and eliminating wickedness. Everywhere they went, the common people welcomed them with their whole hearts.

Their mindset was no longer that of the lowly court hounds they had once been.

How could they possibly endure such slander?

“Hahaha!” Qin Mosheng threw back his head in laughter. “You do not accept what I say, and we likewise do not accept the charges your Thousand-Household Commander Cheng has pinned on people!”

“The people of the Jianghu act for the world and for righteousness itself. Their chivalrous deeds are plain for all to see. And yet you think you can slander them as you please?”

The Jinyiwei gave ground in spirit not at all.

One of them shouted angrily, “Villains like Plum Saber Stockade committed countless acts of violence and oppression against the common people! Anyone need only read the case files to know it!”

Qin Mosheng sneered again and again. “Those case files were written by your Jinyiwei. Can you not write whatever charges you please into them?”

“If you don’t trust the case files, then the people of Mingtian Prefecture who suffered under them can also testify!”

Qin Mosheng had clearly anticipated this. Shaking his head, he replied, “Ignorant commoners know nothing of a hero’s grace. A small kindness earns gratitude; a great one breeds resentment. Their words prove nothing.”

“You—!”

The Jinyiwei knew full well that he was spouting nonsense, but they were all blunt men of the martial path. For a moment, none of them knew how to answer him.

Their momentum weakened at once.

Zuo Hong and Tie Ke exchanged a glance and nodded in satisfaction.

A scholar truly was different!

Though there was no small hint of shameless sophistry in Qin Mosheng’s words, when dealing with a devil like Cheng Yu, whose tongue was just as sharp, only equally forceful methods would do!

Cheng Yu raised a hand, stopping the subordinates who still wanted to continue arguing.

He understood now what these Jianghu martial artists intended.

They meant to whitewash men like Mei Feng.

In that way, they could prove that the Jinyiwei was guilty of slaughtering the innocent!

If Cheng Yu followed it up with his usual method of killing, raiding homes, and laying charges in one sweeping motion, they would seize the chance to strike together against the Jinyiwei under the banner of purging evil and upholding the righteous path.

And if they succeeded, all the better. Cheng Yu’s wicked reputation would be sealed beyond dispute.

The so-called great heroes of the Jianghu would naturally stand in the way of any retaliation from the Great Qian Emperor and the Jinyiwei.

Unfortunately for them, they had misjudged who truly held the upper hand.

“By your reasoning, then, how is right and wrong to be distinguished? How is truth to be judged?”

A look of helplessness appeared on Cheng Yu’s face as his hand closed around the Thousand-Forged Ice-Thunder Xiuchun Saber.

In truth, he did not care in the least about the Jianghu martial artists pressing him for answers.

What vexed him was a different problem altogether.

If he made his move now, he could naturally wipe out all of these martial artists here in one sweep.

That would certainly feel satisfying for a time.

But the reprisals afterward would be troublesome.

If it drew the attention of certain colossal forces, the old emperor might not necessarily dare support him.

“If one is truly to distinguish right from wrong, then naturally it should be someone of high virtue and great prestige, a person respected by all of Jiannan Circuit!”

After saying this, Qin Mosheng turned and looked at Zuo Hong with an ingratiating expression.

The other martial artists cupped their fists to Zuo Hong and burst into laughter.

Aside from Chief Escort Zuo, who in Jiannan Circuit would dare say he was not a man of high virtue and great prestige? Who else could qualify?

Once things reached that point, what could be said would no longer be up to Cheng Yu!

Zuo Hong’s face glowed with satisfaction as he laughed heartily.

Today, the Jianghu of Jiannan Circuit had united as one.

At last, they had properly beaten down Cheng Yu’s arrogance!

Let him see whether he still dared act so self-righteous and tyrannical!

“Ah...”

Cheng Yu let out a faint sigh, tightening his grip on the Thousand-Forged Ice-Thunder Xiuchun Saber, ready at any moment to erupt into motion and release Susu.

But just then, an aged voice rang out, calm and unhurried.

“I wonder whether this old man qualifies.”

The moment the Jianghu crowd heard this, their expressions changed drastically.

This was even more overbearing than Cheng Yu!

Zuo Hong’s face darkened. “Where did this insolent fool come from, not knowing his place—”

All at once, everyone turned to look.

A white-bearded old man with a kindly face stepped out with his hands clasped behind his back.

His bearing was gentle and approachable, giving others the feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

“You say you wish to judge right and wrong. Surely this old man is qualified?”

“How is it him?!”

Someone among the Jianghu martial artists recognized the old man immediately and stood there dumbstruck.

Why had this man come here?

“Who is that?”

“You don’t know him? That’s Divine Physician Ma!”

Zuo Hong and the others had never been to Divine Physician Mountain. The moment they heard the name Divine Physician Ma, they were equally shocked.

This was Divine Physician Ma, the top physician whose fame rang throughout the whole of Great Qian!

Didn’t he hardly ever leave Divine Physician Mountain?

Why had he come to Jiannan City?

Shock was shock, but the Jianghu martial artists immediately cupped their fists and bowed together.

“Greetings, Divine Physician Ma!”

In a Jianghu that claimed to value chivalry and righteousness, the reputations of all of them combined still did not equal this man’s.

It was said that Divine Physician Ma had an eccentric temperament.

Yet after decades of selfless medical practice, there was no one who did not revere him deeply.

Zuo Hong bent slightly and cupped his fists.

“For Divine Physician Ma to come here in person, it is our failing as juniors that we did not go out to welcome you. But may I ask why Senior Ma has come to this place?”

Ma Minnong gave a calm nod.

“Naturally, I came because someone invited me. I did not expect to find all of you here in such a tense standoff.”

Zuo Hong’s old face reddened slightly.

Had Divine Physician Ma seen them shamelessly quibbling with the Jinyiwei just now?

The shock in his heart only deepened.

Many years ago, when he had suffered over the collective incompetence of his descendants, he had even wanted to ask this man to examine whether he himself suffered from some strange ailment that caused it.

Yet even a dignified Chief Escort of the Yueshan Escort Bureau had been thrown straight off Divine Physician Mountain.

And now, what kind of person could possibly invite the old Divine Physician out of the mountain?

That person had to be someone extraordinary!

“Someone invited you to gather in Jiannan City?”

“Yes.”

Ma Minnong nodded and looked toward the gate of the circuit yamen. “Were you not invited as well?”

“I ran to the Thousand-Household Office first, only to learn the location had been changed to this place, so I arrived a little late.”

The moment those words were spoken, the entire hall fell so silent that a pin drop could have been heard.

The Jianghu martial artists in particular froze completely, the expressions of reverence and confusion on their faces turning rigid, as though they had forgotten how to move.

A storm of terror crashed through their hearts.

The person who had invited Divine Physician Ma...

Was Cheng Yu?!

Even as they stood there in utter shock, Cheng Yu himself had already abandoned his plan to launch a massacre. He had never expected Ma Minnong to arrive at precisely this moment.

This man was an invaluable talent!

Cheng Yu cupped his fists in greeting, neither servile nor haughty.

“As your junior, I ought to greet you with the highest courtesy. Unfortunately, I am wearing the Flying Fish Uniform. I hope Divine Physician Ma will forgive me.”

Ma Minnong did not care about empty formalities. If anything, he appreciated Cheng Yu’s frankness.

With a smile, he nodded. “Young as you are, your internal strength is already formidable. You must be the young hero, Thousand-Household Commander Cheng?”

“This old man came a little late. I have not delayed anything, have I?”

“Not at all. Divine Physician Ma has come at exactly the right time!”

Cheng Yu kicked Yuan Sun’s corpse out of the way and stepped forward to receive him.