Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 194 Completion Reward: Mastery of Tai Chi (4k4)

Huo Shuyan was not trying to cover up the fact that he had spent the night in a brothel or to conceal his personal misconduct.

If Huo Shuyan were to reveal that he had spent the night in a brothel, at worst he would lose his position as the next sect leader, or at most be expelled from the sect. For Kongtong, it would only mean that he had not been strict with his followers and that the sect's reputation had been damaged.

Now that he's said this, he's become the murderer who slaughtered the Mount Tai Sect, dragging the entire Kongtong Sect into an abyss of no return—to cover up a small mistake and admit to the heinous crime of wiping out an entire family.

Even the dumbest person wouldn't do that.

Unless the other party did it intentionally, but why would he do it?

What benefit would he gain from doing this?

For some reason, Li Fu frowned and looked again at Huo Shuyan, the Flying Rainbow Swordsman and a senior disciple of the Lingdong Sect, who was on the stage with a flustered expression and evasive eyes. He had a different feeling.

At this moment, the crowd was in an uproar, like boiling oil being poured over water!

"Punish the real culprit and avenge the Mount Tai Sect!"

"The Kongtong Sect is a scourge on Taoism!"

"Capture Chunyangzi and eradicate the Kongtong Sect!"

The shouts were deafening. Many sects that were on good terms with the Taishan Sect, especially the leaders of Huangshan Sect's Hemingzi and Hengshan Sect's Yuhengzi, were already furious and their faces turned ashen. They roared and were about to rush forward.

"Chunyangzi, prepare to die and avenge my hundreds of fellow disciples from the Mount Tai Sect!"

Upon being suddenly accused, Chunyangzi, the leader of the Kongtong Sect, was struck dumb. His face turned deathly pale, then flushed red. He pointed at Huo Shuyan on the stage, trembling with anger, his voice shaking.

"You traitor, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Why would you slander our sect like this?!

My Kongtong Sect is completely innocent! You—you—"

His usually strict master was extremely agitated, and it seemed his instinct was to rush onto the stage to question Huo Shuyan and teach this nonsensical disciple a lesson.

Liu Changzhen suddenly stood up, his face cold and stern, and shouted sharply.

"Protect the witnesses, don't let Chunyangzi kill them to cover it up!"

The perpetrator of the massacre of the Taishan Sect has confessed, and the evidence is beyond doubt!

"Capture Chunyangzi, the leader of the Kongtong Sect, and all its members; eradicate this scourge from the Taoist sects, rid the martial world of this menace, and avenge the Taishan Sect!"

Huangshan Sect Leader Hemingzi was even more furious: "Chunyangzi, do you still want to act violently?"

Fellow warriors, help us capture this beast!

"Chunyangzi is going to kill us to silence us! Stop him!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

Chunyangzi paused, filled with shock and anger. He turned to look at the surging crowd of heroes surrounding him, feeling as if he were in a predicament he couldn't clear even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

"I didn't. I didn't mean to silence him. I just wanted to teach this traitor who was spouting nonsense a lesson!"

"Our Kongtong Sect is innocent! Absolutely innocent!"

However, at this moment, the crowd was indignant, and Huo Shuyan's confession was irrefutable. Who would listen to his explanation?

At Liu Changzhen's command, the Quanzhen Sect disciples drew their swords and surrounded them.

Masters from the Laoshan, Huangshan, and Huashan schools also drew their weapons, exuding a murderous aura.

Seeing that their sect was surrounded and the enemy was filled with murderous intent, the members of the Kongtong Sect were terrified and turned pale. They hurriedly drew their swords to protect themselves and tried to argue, but their voices were immediately drowned out by a chorus of shouts of "Catch the murderer!" and "Avenge the Taishan Sect!"

Just as the masters of Quanzhen, Huangshan and other sects were about to capture and besiege Chunyangzi, the disciples of Lingdong sect were also forced to resist. The scene instantly became tense and chaotic!

The so-called "taking over Dong" could very well turn into a bloody massacre amidst such chaos and hatred!

Once a fight breaks out, it becomes a brutal brawl, where swords and spears have no eyes and can easily escalate into a heated argument.

Moreover, capturing a group of people who know martial arts is always more difficult than killing them, and much more difficult indeed.

In a life-or-death struggle, who would dare to show mercy?

To others, this was a confession from the real culprit, justice being served, revenge about to begin—a logical and satisfying outcome.

But in Li Fu's view, there must be a huge conspiracy behind Huo Shuyan's lies. "This sudden confession and the ensuing riots are very likely the situation that the mastermind behind it all, whether it's the Mongol Yuan or someone else, wants to see: internal strife and bloodshed among the major sects in the Central Plains and the North!"

We cannot let things proceed as the people behind the scenes wish!

Just then, a celestial book appeared before Li Fu's eyes, and amidst the flowing light, lines of ink-wash characters emerged.

[Someone is suspected of intending to harm the Northern Underground Sect of the Central Plains, attempting to incite infighting among the various factions and cause bloodshed.]

The key witness in the bloody case suddenly changed his story for some unknown reason. With a fierce battle about to erupt before the hero's eyes, how could he allow the mastermind behind it all to succeed?

[Please, sir, intervene! Stop this pointless fighting, investigate the truth, and quell the unrest.]

[Completed. Reward: Mastery of Tai Chi.]

"Tai Chi?"

The profoundness of Tai Chi Chuan needs no further explanation. It is a unique skill created by Zhang Sanfeng when he was nearly a hundred years old. Even the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the White Rainbow Palm Force, which are also martial arts, cannot match this style in terms of depth and mystery.

Just as the two sides were about to make contact, a bloody melee was about to break out.

"stop!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out.

Li Fu moved swiftly, using the Lingbo Weibu technique, leaping up like a wisp of green smoke, instantly traversing a distance of eight or nine zhang, and landing in the center of the open space between the various sects and the Kongtong Sect!

He was like a boulder thrown into a raging sea, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

However, some masters from the Quanzhen, Huangshan, and Huashan sects only hesitated slightly. Seeing the real culprit, the Kongtong sect, right in front of them, they were unwilling to listen.

Still roaring, they charged forward, determined to capture the Kongtong Sect members and ignite the chaos.

"Take down the Kongtong Sect and rid the martial arts world of this scourge!"

Li Fu's face darkened, and he suddenly shouted.

"Stop it, all of you!"

This sound was no longer just a clear shout; on Zhongnan Mountain, it was like a thunderclap or a grand bell, with the powerful internal force carrying the sound waves, spreading out with a roar!

Om-!

Those younger disciples from various sects who were closer and had slightly weaker martial arts skills felt as if their ears had been hit by a heavy hammer, their heads were ringing, their vision went black, their legs went weak, and they were unable to stand, staggering backward or even falling to the ground!

Even experts like Yunxizi, Yuhengzi, and the Huangshan Sect Leader were shaken by the sudden loud noise, their minds trembled, their blood surged, and their forward momentum involuntarily slowed down, their faces showing horror.

The hundreds of people in the audience were stunned for a moment by this loud shout!

All the noise, roars, and the sounds of weapons cutting through the air came to a halt.

Everyone was stunned and looked at Li Fu, who had suddenly appeared in the room and single-handedly stopped them, with suspicion and uncertainty.

Liu Changzhen, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, frowned, drew his sword, and asked in a deep voice.

"Officer Li, what are you doing?"

Huo Shuyan has already confessed, the truth is out, and we are about to capture the real culprit to avenge the Taishan Sect. Why are you telling us to stop?

Everyone present was also puzzled as to why Li Fu suddenly stepped in to protect the Kongtong Sect.

Facing hundreds of gazes filled with doubt, dissatisfaction, or shock, Li Fu possessed an air of unfathomable composure, like an invisible anchor that calmed the restless crowd.

"Because there's something very fishy about this,"

His expression was calm as he slowly turned to Huo Shuyan, whose face involuntarily showed a hint of nervousness. "Huo Shuyan is lying."

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Liu Changzhen frowned even more deeply: "Officer Li, what evidence do you have that Huo Shuyan is lying?"

Not only him, but also the leaders and elders of various sects present, as well as those who came with Li Fu, such as Master Yunqi of Laoshan Sect and Wang Woyun, all showed puzzled expressions.

In their view, Huo Shuyan's initial attempts to evade the issue and his evasive statements eventually led him to reveal the truth under severe torture. This truth was hard-won and could not possibly be false.

Especially given Huo Shuyan's status, if it weren't true, why would he destroy his own defenses?

Just when things seemed to be settling down, Li Fu suddenly raised questions, which was truly puzzling.

Li Fu ignored the crowd's doubts and coldly questioned them.

"Huo Shuyan, should you say it yourself, or should I say it for you?"

Where were you on the night the Mount Tai Sect was massacred?

Huo Shuyan's body trembled, and he made a pained and regretful expression on his face, as if he did not understand what it meant.

"That night I—I was indeed on Mount Tai, and I participated in that massacre—it was my master Chunyangzi who forced me to do it!"

I cannot disobey my teacher's orders, and I—I have been filled with guilt and unease ever since—”

His repentant attitude, coupled with his previous guilty conscience, evoked sympathy from some people, making it seem as if he was truly forced into it and felt uneasy afterward.

Li Fu snorted coldly.

"How dare you tell such a colossal lie to my face without batting an eye?"

Since you recognized me just now, and were so nervous and evasive when you saw me, you must not have forgotten that night when I saw you come out of the brothel across the street at Zuixianlou in Yanzhou!

Yanzhou is more than a thousand miles away from Mount Tai. How could you, after spending the night with a courtesan, participate in the massacre of the Mount Tai sect in one night?

"What?!"

"Yanzhou, brothels?!"

"What... what's going on?"

Li Fu's words were like another thunderclap, stunning everyone and causing a burst of discussion to erupt again!

What does that mean?

On the night that Constable Li Fu was massacred by the Taishan Sect, he happened to have seen Huo Shuyan. Moreover, this disciple of the Kongtong Sect leader had actually spent the night in a brothel in Yanzhou.

Normally, if the top disciple of the Dong Sect leader, or the next candidate for Dong Sect leader, were to spend the night in a brothel, it would certainly cause a huge uproar in the martial arts world, and others would instinctively doubt whether the matter was true or false.

However, after Huo Shuyan personally admitted to participating in the massacre of the Taishan Sect, such a heinous act seemed insignificant in comparison, and few people believed that Huo Shuyan could not have done such a thing.

Everyone was extremely surprised and doubtful: Did Li Fu really run into Huo Shuyan that night?

Li Fu recounted the story he had never told anyone before. During the banquet, while leaning against the railing enjoying the breeze, he happened to bump into her.

"It's quite a coincidence that on the night the Taishan Sect was wiped out, I bumped into Huo Shuyan."

After that, the next news I heard about this Flying Rainbow Swordsman was that he was suspected of participating in the Taishan Sect's attack and massacre that night, and was captured and sent to Zhongnan Mountain for a public trial.

To be honest, I have never been too involved in the affairs of the martial arts world. One of the reasons I accepted the invitation from the Quanzhen Sect to participate in the public trial was that I suspected there was something fishy about it.

Huo Shuyan and the Kongtong Sect might have been framed. I just didn't expect that after I arrived here and saw the conference progress to this point, I would discover that Huo Shuyan, having infiltrated the scheme, was also starting to frame the Kongtong Sect.

This was someone else's private matter, and he didn't want to gossip about it in public before. But now the situation is different. He never expected that Huo Shuyan, who seemed to be innocent and wronged, was not an honest person at all.

This public trial was very likely a long-planned conspiracy, and Li Fu had no choice but to speak out.

"What? Is that so?"

Everyone was shocked.

"Yanzhou is more than a thousand miles away from Mount Tai."

If that were truly the case, how could Huo Shuyan have traveled from Yanzhou to Mount Tai overnight to participate in the massacre of a family?

"Li, the head constable who was invited by Quanzhen to participate in the public trial of Huo Shuyan, happened to see Huo Shuyan being tried in Yanzhou that night."

"This...this is too much of a coincidence!"

Didn't you understand?

Officer Li said that he was invited because he found something suspicious!

He had never been seen to actively get involved in these kinds of underworld affairs before.

"Really?"

"If someone else had said these words without any evidence, I wouldn't have believed them, but since it was Master Li Fu who said them, I believe them."

Li Fu's identity, his martial arts skills, and his past actions, even without presenting any evidence, were enough to shake the faith of many who had initially believed the Dong Sect was the true culprit in the massacre of the Taishan Sect. They began to doubt his words.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow. Although Li Fu never meddles too much in the affairs of the martial arts world, he has long been a respected and admired figure in the martial arts world, especially since his reputation for chivalry has spread far and wide and is famous throughout the world.

"Indeed, Constable Li is no ordinary man; he is a member of the public service and a renowned constable throughout the land!"

He once disregarded taboos and feared no powerful figures, barging into the mansion of a eunuch, a former favorite of the emperor, and forcibly killing the eunuch who had stolen disaster relief funds and caused hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in the north to starve to death.

His reputation in the North was like that of a living Buddha or Bodhisattva; many places and people erected shrines and memorial tablets in his honor. Would such a person speak nonsense?

"good!

Officer Li is renowned throughout the land for his chivalrous deeds and upright character; if he says so, it's most likely true!

"Could it be that Huo Shuyan is really lying?"

Is the Kongtong Sect truly innocent?

Li Fu's words alone swayed the hearts of most people in the room in an instant!

That is the power of fame.

This is why the Mongol Yuan dynasty went so far as to send four Dharma Kings to intercept and kill him on the road.

With Li Fu as a witness, one person is more convincing than a hundred or a thousand witnesses. A single sentence from him could overturn the entire situation!

Of course, there are still some cautious and prudent people, especially the leaders and elders of various sects, who dare not draw conclusions based on only one side of the story.

They shone their sharp lights at Huo Shuyan and demanded an explanation.

"Huo Shuyan, tell the truth. Is what Constable Li said true?"

Where were you that night?

Was the killer actually a member of the Kongtong Sect?!

Huo Shuyan's expression turned slightly unpleasant as he spoke.

"Officer Li—you must have mistaken me for someone else!"

That night was dark, and you had just drunk wine—I wasn't the only martial artist using a black-sheathed, red-tasseled ancient sword!

"I—I did participate in the Mount Tai massacre, but it was my master who forced me to. As a Taoist disciple, I have always maintained a pure and upright character, and I would never have done anything as vulgar and filthy as spending the night in a brothel!"

"ridiculous!"

Li Fu coldly said, "Have you forgotten that I wasn't the only one who saw you that night?"

My many constables and officers can all attest to this!

From Yanzhou to Zhongnan Mountain, it's only a few days' journey at full speed. A single transfer order can summon them for questioning. How will you maintain your lies then?

Hearing that there were many witnesses from public officials, people were more inclined to believe Li Fu.

Huo Shuyan gritted his teeth and said, "Your constables will naturally obey your orders. Just as my master could force me to kill, you can also force them to give false testimony!"

Although his words were somewhat plausible, the panic and sophistry in his tone revealed his true intentions to many discerning people.

Li Fu brought this matter up, and given his influence, his words could not be ignored; the outcome of the public trial was bound to be postponed.

It only takes a few days to thoroughly investigate Huo Shuyan's whereabouts in Yanzhou that night, and to find other commoners and brothel people who may have seen him, so that the truth can be easily discerned.

Even if some people didn't recognize Huo Shuyan when they met before, they could still ask him.

Huo Shuyan's stubbornness was pointless, but he just wouldn't budge, which inevitably made people a little angry.

Li Fu had no patience to wait a few days and wanted the truth to come out immediately. He took a step and used his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to shrink the distance between people. Many people only saw a blur before Li Fu appeared in front of Huo Shuyan and grabbed him with his big hand!

"They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin, and they still dare to argue!"