The male supporting character was actually myself.

“These guys are such cowards.” Ling Xiao put down the steel needle in his hand, shook his head and sighed, “I thought they would send someone to attack on the first night, and I was prepared to capture them and interrogate them carefully to find out what happened.”

I didn't expect that it would take so long to catch a few useful ones.

They even said they sent spies into our building, pshaw! If you don't have the guts, just admit it. Ah Chen, how's your friend doing?

Jiang Chen slowly sipped his tea, poured her a cup as well, and then said quietly, "Tell me the truth, you're really not a sorceress from a demonic cult? Your interrogation methods are truly astonishing."

"Mmm, as expected of my man! Even the tea he pours smells so good."

Ling Xiao picked up her teacup, smiled sweetly, and winked at him. "Well, I don't quite understand how the martial arts world of the Central Plains defines demonic paths and heretical sects. But on our Dragon Flame Island in the South China Sea, as long as your cultivation method doesn't harm anyone, no matter how different it is, everyone can accept it and will never exclude dissidents."

As for our methods, you need to know the way Dragonflame Island operates—we will not attack unless attacked, and if attacked, we will be destroyed!

Just like the Iron Hand senior back then, if the Central Plains martial arts world hadn't been so overbearing, she wouldn't have caused such a bloodbath.

Iron Hand?

Jiang Chen searched through the original owner's memories and only knew that it was the beginning of a major upheaval in the martial arts world decades ago.

Iron Hand from Dragon Flame Island in the South China Sea almost wiped out all the well-known sects in the Central Plains martial arts world. Since then, evil cults from other regions have taken advantage of the situation and caused chaos for many years. As a result, the martial arts world now treats the words "evil cults" as a great enemy and will not hesitate to make a big fuss at the slightest disturbance, just to prevent falling into such a chaotic situation again.

"I've only heard of Iron Hand's massacre of the Central Plains martial arts world, but I don't know the details. Could Miss Ling tell me a thing or two?"

"Perhaps it's because she killed too many people back then, and almost all those who knew the truth died, so very few people know the truth." Ling Xiao played with his water glass for a moment and then explained, "Senior Iron Hand was a genius on Dragon Flame Island."

She was originally a weak and sickly little girl, and her family sent her to practice martial arts in order to improve her health.

Later, she lost her right hand in an accident, so she had a meticulously crafted iron hand attached to her severed arm, and she also created a stunning left-handed sword that made her famous overnight.

Back then, the Iron Hand Senior brought her favorite male concubine to the Central Plains on business. To avoid cultural clashes, she disguised herself as a man and addressed the male concubine as brothers. Everything was going smoothly until they stopped in Kyoto Prefecture on their return journey. The handsome male concubine went out for a stroll and was spotted by a young lady from a wealthy family, who forcibly dragged him to marry her on the street.

This was an insult to Senior Iron Hand. She went to the other party to demand the person's return, but the other party not only refused but also acted arrogantly and tried to undermine her prestige. During the dispute, she asked the leader of the Red Ridge Sect, who had a considerable reputation in the martial arts world at the time, to take sides.

As time went on, more and more things became involved.

Iron Hand Senior tried repeatedly to restrain himself, but the other party was unreasonable and refused to release him. They even quickly performed the wedding ceremony, allowing the male concubine to enter the bridal chamber with the young lady of the manor. The martial arts alliance leader at the time had strong opinions about the customs of Dragon Flame Island, and the two sides argued and fought.

When she stormed into the mansion, she learned that her favorite male concubine, who was determined to die rather than submit and could not overcome the enemy's superior numbers, had committed suicide by poisoning himself.

From that moment on, Iron Hand, grieving the loss of his beloved, harbored deep hatred for the hypocritical and righteous martial arts world of the Central Plains. He began his massacre from that mansion, wiping out all the gangs involved and sacrificing the entire Central Plains martial arts community for his man.

After Ling Xiao finished recounting the whole story, he took a sip of tea and sighed, "Back then, she was furious and massacred the Central Plains for Lan Yan. After returning to Longyan Island, she was also scolded by the island lord. After all, because of her, the evil cults from other regions took advantage of the situation and it was difficult for the South China Sea to remain unscathed."

Since that incident, Senior Iron Hand secluded himself at the Cliff of Reflection, and apart from the occasional glimpse of a left-handed sword manual he had comprehended, he never set foot in the mortal world again.

Chapter Seventeen Letter

In this light, the various connections that were not mentioned in the original story are actually interconnected.

Back then, Iron Hand's bloody massacre of the Central Plains led to the invasion and harm of evil cults into the martial arts world. After many years of chaos and entanglement between good and evil, many amazing figures emerged in the Central Plains martial arts world as the chaos gradually subsided.

Therefore, as long as someone frames another person under the pretext of a demonic cult, and as long as the other party is of high enough position and has sufficient preparation, they will be able to be utterly destroyed.

The saying "once bitten, twice shy" applies here, and the mastermind behind it all is taking advantage of the general atmosphere of fear and unease in the martial arts world to kill Huo Changyun.

The question is, why?

Who exactly did Huo Changyun offend that would go so far as to commit so many massacres to frame him?

Moreover, those sects and clans are all related to the battle of Blue Water Fortress. Is it a coincidence or are they trying to hide something?

Is the reopening of a long-dormant case really just a ploy to frame someone?

"How is your friend? Is he badly injured? Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Ling Xiao finished recounting the past before returning to the original topic, "You heard the results of the interrogation just now."

There were a total of six forces attacking Hundred Flowers Valley. How do you plan to deal with them?

After finishing his tea, Jiang Chen put down the cup and said thoughtfully, "Huo Changyun suffered severe internal injuries and is exhausted from all the running around. He needs to recuperate properly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ling Xiao immediately stared at him warily, "Don't even think that I'll help him heal his injuries with my internal energy. I've said that I only care about you and no other men, not even your friends!"

Jiang Chen: (╯－＿－)╯╧╧

"I can't possibly let you use your internal energy to heal him!" He angrily shook his fan loudly.

Hmph! How could you assume such a thing about me?

Am I the kind of person who doesn't care about anything?

Seeing that his face had darkened and he was clearly unhappy, Ling Xiao pondered for a moment and decided to appease the handsome man first before discussing anything else. "How about we discuss the wedding arrangements? We'll follow the customs of the Central Plains, so you don't need to arrange the matchmaker or betrothal. Once everything is ready, we'll have a grand wedding ceremony with eight sedan chairs to pay our respects to heaven and earth and enter the bridal chamber!"

"Not yet." Jiang Chen glanced at her, frowned slightly, and shook his head, saying, "If you want to get married, you need plenty of time to prepare for a perfect wedding."

I cannot allow a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony to be too perfunctory or casual.

Moreover, the reason for the pursuit mentioned by the three swordsmen from the White Bird Clan during our interrogation just now bothers me. We should eliminate any potential threats and ensure everything is stable before we can happily celebrate our joyous occasion.”

The White Bird Sect's swordsmen confessed that the siege of Hundred Flowers Valley was caused by the shocking massacre of various forces and clans, which stunned the major sects of the Martial Arts Alliance. Therefore, after the Martial Arts Alliance Leader convened an internal meeting and discussed with the major sects, he decided to issue a warrant for Huo Changyun's arrest. Anyone who obstructed or killed the demon was considered to be his accomplice.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!

In other words, if they didn't hurry up and clear Huo Changyun's name, they would become the targets of the entire martial arts world.

Hua Jincheng, located in a somewhat remote area, is only temporarily safe. Various forces have already received the news and are rushing to support the pursuit. Therefore, the White Bird Sect is making a desperate gamble to kill the demon and his henchmen as soon as possible so as to claim credit and rewards from the Martial Arts Alliance.

Leaving this place for the prosperous Central Plains would inevitably be a difficult journey, while staying would gradually lead to being surrounded and trapped.

“It’s really annoying if people come knocking on our door every day.” Ling Xiao frowned and thought for a moment before asking, “Have you figured out how to clear Huo Changyun’s name? Can the head of the Luo family, the number one family in the martial arts world, speak for us in the Martial Arts Alliance? Does he have enough influence? If so, perhaps we can ask him for help.”

“The Luo family is certainly influential enough, but…” Jiang Chen didn’t know much about the newlyweds, but based on the original owner’s memories, he judged that Luo Junfei was a virtuous gentleman worth befriending.

But given his complicated love-hate relationship with his new wife, will he harbor resentment towards his rival Huo Changyun?

Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Even if Shen Rumeng testifies for Huo Changyun, Luo Junfei probably won't believe it. With a rival in love and a demon whose case is supported by various pieces of evidence, he is very likely to take advantage of Huo Changyun's misfortune and kill him directly.

Ling Xiao slammed his hand on the table and declared, "Then let's set off for the Luo Family Manor as soon as possible. My master asked me to deliver a message to the Luo family patriarch, which will give us a perfect excuse to talk face-to-face. If he's willing to help, all will be well; if not, then we'll fight our way out. I'll accompany you to the end!"

The little dumpling couldn't go anywhere or do anything, so it just lay on his shoulder, purring and sleeping soundly.

Amidst the even breathing, Jiang Chen pondered for a moment and spoke softly, "Um... could you tell me exactly what message your master asked you to deliver to the Luo Family Manor? Did he give you any instructions before you left?"

The other person fiddled with the decorative ring on the scabbard for a while before shaking his head blankly and saying, "He didn't explain anything. My master is a bit of a bookworm; he's always hiding in piles of books, reading and reading endlessly. He's also very concise in his speech."

She gave me a letter and a map, and asked me to come to the Central Plains to deliver a letter to the head of the Luo Family Manor.

She didn't explain what the contents were, how important they were, or when they would be delivered. When I looked at the map, I said I wanted to travel around the Central Plains, and my master didn't object.

It shouldn't be anything serious, right? Maybe…

Her bright, sparkling eyes darted around, a sly smile playing on her lips. She turned and ran to her small bag, rummaging through it until she pulled out the letter and waved it in front of him. "My master didn't say we couldn't open it, so why don't we just take a look and we'll know everything?"

Before he could finish speaking, Ling Xiao quickly took out a thick stack of papers that had been folded and placed in an envelope.

"Isn't this inappropriate?" Jiang Chen didn't even have time to stop him before the neat handwriting was right in front of him.

"Bluewater Fortress?!" He was taken aback when he saw the handwriting, and without thinking of anything else, he picked up the letter and read it carefully.

Ling Xiao leaned on his shoulder, their faces almost touching as they read the letter together.

A faint fragrance wafted through the air, and a gentle, warm breath tickled his neck. Jiang Chen turned his head slightly but met her eyes, which were full of smiles. Seeing this, Ling Xiao simply put his arm around him, pulling them closer together, and grinned, raising his chin, "Hurry up and read the letter. Why are you looking at me? I don't have anything written on my face."

Jiang Chen tried to break free but couldn't, so she sighed helplessly and quietly read the letter.

Ling Xiao was secretly delighted and became even more unrestrained, hugging his arms tightly and starting to act restlessly.

This is a reply letter from Chang Shuyao, the Grand Elder of the Wuliang Sect on Longyan Island in the South China Sea, to the head of the Luo family. From the letter, it is learned that the former head of the Luo family provided many written archives a year ago for the Grand Elder to authenticate. After the Grand Elder, who has read extensively, carefully studied and verified them, she finally judged that the clues provided by the head of the Luo family were completely inconsistent.

After the Battle of Blue Water Fortress, the entire island was burned to the ground, and much evidence was lost, leaving only archives in some departments that specifically recorded major events in the martial arts world.

Luo Junfei's father, the former head of the Luo family, suddenly reopened the old case for some unknown reason. He used his connections to secretly gather as much evidence as possible and sent it to Longyan Island, specifically asking Chang Shuyao to authenticate it.

Chapter Eighteen: This is my man

Chang Shuyao, the Grand Elder of the Wuliang Sect, has immersed himself in various martial arts books for many years, and can be said to have read extensively and possess profound knowledge.

She also had some knowledge of demonic and cult practices and made considerable achievements. Therefore, in the Central Plains martial arts world, where people were terrified of demonic and cult practices, no one was capable of doing this job. The former head of the Luo family had no choice but to entrust the important task to her.

In his reply, the Grand Elder gave a clear conclusion: the secret manuals, the servants' testimonies, and the numerous decapitated corpses and other physical evidence found at Blue Water Fortress were completely inconsistent.

If one truly draws conclusions based on their research into those secret martial arts techniques that involve drinking human blood and using living human heads for training, then the victim's body should be emaciated and tortured, rather than the bloody mess and even bloated state of the corpses found and recorded in Blue Water Fortress.

Furthermore, based on the various clues about the three heroes of Blue Water Fortress learning martial arts and traveling the world, it is clear that they did not use any martial arts related to evil cults or demonic sects.

Therefore, although the servants' testimonies were flawless and interconnected, based on the most basic discrepancy in evidence, it can be concluded that the Three Heroes of Blue Water Fortress were framed and that they were not members of the demonic path and were indeed unjustly killed.

"Another miscarriage of justice?" Ling Xiao was completely bewildered after reading the letter. "Blue Water Fortress was framed, and now your Hundred Flowers Valley is experiencing the same thing. Nearly twenty years have passed. Who is the mastermind behind this? What are they trying to do?"

Since it's a frame-up, there must be someone behind it.

The methods used are so similar that it's hard to say they weren't done by the same person. Even if they weren't, the other party is clearly very familiar with the events at Blue Water Fortress back then. Who could this person be? And what is their purpose?

"Young Master Shangguan, the young man you arranged seems to have woken up and is shouting. Would you like to go and take a look?" Just as Jiang Chen was frowning and deep in thought, the voice of the servant came from outside the door.

As expected of the main character, his physical condition is top-notch! I gave him some medicine and let him sleep well, and he woke up now.

He tried to get up, but Ling Xiao didn't let go. His cheek suddenly bumped into soft, moist lips, and Jiang Chen heard Ling Xiao chuckle to himself, having succeeded in his scheme.

“Miss Ling…”

Hearing the helplessness in the handsome man's voice, Ling Xiao seized the opportunity and grabbed the man's wrist, which was brimming with boyfriend-like strength, and shook it a couple of times in a coquettish manner, "Come on~ let's go take a look together."

Huo Changyun felt like he had a very, very long nightmare.

In his dream, the girl he loved married someone else, and he was powerless to stop it; in his dream, the picturesque Valley of a Hundred Flowers was reduced to ashes; in his dream, all the guards and servants who laughed and played with him were slaughtered; in his dream, Shangguan Jiangchen escorted him away, only to fall off a cliff covered in blood...

"No, this isn't real, it's not real..." In his dazed state, he shouted with all his might, refusing to believe such a tragedy.

He didn't understand why he was branded a murderer, nor did he understand why Hundred Flowers Valley was involved. He couldn't figure it out and didn't want to think about it, preferring to believe it was all a dream.

When I woke up, I was still on a boat on the lake in Hundred Flowers Valley, enjoying the beautiful scenery and fine wine with Brother Shangguan.

"Changyun? Changyun?" A familiar voice echoed in his ears, and Huo Changyun's anxious heart calmed down a little. He slowly opened his eyes, panting heavily.

What came into view was Brother Shangguan's gentle and refined face, with a faint smile.

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears blurred his vision. He struggled to his feet, grasped the other man's hands, and choked out, "I'm sorry! Brother, I'm so sorry. I've dragged Hundred Flowers Valley down. I'm so sorry..."

"If you're determined to find fault, you'll always find a pretext. Although this matter arose because of you, it wasn't your true intention. Besides, when I realized there was no way to reason with them and we completely turned against each other, it was my decision to become an enemy of everyone. Those who destroyed Hundred Flowers Valley and killed my subordinates have their grievances and their debts are clear. One day, I will settle accounts with them thoroughly!"

It took Jiang Chen a while to calm Huo Changyun down from his agitated state.

After following instructions and eating some simple food, taking a bath and changing clothes, Huo Changyun appeared before them looking refreshed. Although he was thinner and looked haggard, he was still clean-cut and handsome, with a pine-like figure and the unique temperament of a spirited young swordsman.

"Oh, I thought you were a member of the Beggars' Sect before. After you cleaned yourself up, I realized you're actually quite good-looking." Ling Xiao looked him up and down and commented with a smile.