The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 106, 121: Master Rong Reveals the Secret: The Leader is Xuan Ci, and Murong Bo is Not Dead! [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

Snapped!
With a slam of the gavel and the unfolding of a folding fan, the storyteller in the hall began to recount his tale with great enthusiasm and eloquence:

"It is said that outside Suzhou City, in the Apricot Grove, at the Beggars' Sect gathering, the identity of the Beggars' Sect leader Qiao Feng was revealed. It turns out that the famous Qiao Feng of the North was actually a Khitan!"

"Qiao Feng then left the Beggars' Clan. To verify his origins, Qiao Feng returned to his hometown, wanting to ask his parents and his mentor, Zen Master Xuanku, for answers. However, upon arriving home, he discovered that his parents, Qiao Sanhuai and his wife, had been brutally murdered!"
"Who is the murderer? Who killed this hardworking and kind farmer and his wife who never made enemies? Qiao Feng was overwhelmed with grief. Just then, the Shaolin monks arrived and accused Qiao Feng of killing his parents! Qiao Feng was speechless and had no choice but to flee with his parents' bodies."

After burying his parents, Qiao Feng worried that someone might harm his mentor, Zen Master Xuanku, so he rushed to Shaolin to warn him. However, he arrived too late; Zen Master Xuanku had already been severely injured and, on his deathbed, believed that Qiao Feng was the murderer! Shaolin masters arrived upon hearing the news and surrounded Qiao Feng, all pointing the finger at him as the heinous criminal who had killed his father and mentor!
"In a single day, Qiao Feng lost his parents and his mentor, yet he had no idea who the murderer was. It was as if a giant black hand was manipulating his fate behind the scenes, leaving him powerless and constantly on the run! Why? Why is Heaven so unjust?"

Just as we were saying this, a young man in fine clothes angrily said:

"Who exactly is framing Qiao Feng? Tell us now!"

The storyteller laughed and said:

"Why the rush, young master? Wouldn't it be rather dull to reveal the answer all at once?"

"Stop your damn nonsense! Your story is making me furious, I can't wait any longer!"

He strode over to the storyteller's desk and slammed a small silver ingot heavily in front of the storyteller:
"Tell me, who exactly is framing Qiao Feng? What's the story behind Qiao Feng's background? Who the hell is the ringleader? And who is spreading false information, accusing that Khitan warrior who brought his wife back to her parents' home of going to Shaolin to steal the secret manual?"

The storyteller looked at the silver ingot and said in a deep voice:
"Although I am just a storyteller, I have read books and know the principle that wealth and honor should not corrupt one..."

Snapped!
Another, even larger ingot of silver was sold.

The storyteller's face immediately broke into a wide smile:

"But this old man knows better than anyone that those who are pragmatic are the true heroes... Thank you for the reward, young master!"

He then stuffed the two silver ingots into his pocket, slammed the gavel again, and said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please listen carefully to my explanation: Who do you think killed Qiao Feng's adoptive parents? It was none other than Qiao Feng's biological father, the Khitan warrior Xiao Yuanshan! Qiao Feng's mentor, Zen Master Xuanku, was also killed by Xiao Yuanshan! He even deliberately impersonated Qiao Feng to kill people, leaving Qiao Feng unable to defend himself and gradually becoming the public enemy of the Song Dynasty's martial arts world!"

Upon hearing this, not only was the young master stunned, but all the guests in the hall were also dumbfounded.

After a long while, someone finally shouted:
"Nonsense! What kind of father would betray his son like that? Those Qiao Sanhuai and his wife did help him raise their son with great difficulty, and Zen Master Xuanku laid the foundation for Qiao Feng to become 'Northern Qiao Feng.' The attack on him and his wife outside Yan Pass and the killing of his wife had nothing to do with Qiao Sanhuai and his wife or Zen Master Xuanku. How could there be such a beast who can't distinguish right from wrong and repays kindness with enmity?"

The storyteller spread his hands:
“Xiao Yuanshan felt that Qiao Sanhuai and his wife raised his son but did not tell him his son’s true identity, and raised his son to be a Han Chinese. This is a capital offense.”

The young man in brocade robes scoffed.
"Absurd! He was the one who jumped off the cliff, leaving his son to the few survivors. Didn't he ever think about what would happen to his son? The Qiao Sanhuai couple had no grudge against him; on the contrary, they worked hard to raise his son. Didn't he show any gratitude at all?"

The storyteller sighed:

"Xiao Yuanshan's mind was twisted by hatred, his humanity was gone, and he became obsessed and demonic. He was even capable of harming his own son. Where was there any gratitude or righteousness in his heart?"

"What a beast!" someone shouted.

"That's right, worse than an animal!"

Everyone agreed.

The young man in brocade asked again:
"Who is that ringleader? How can he be so cowardly? And who is the villain who spread the false information?"

The storyteller smiled mysteriously:
"Let's start with the person who spread the false information. That person is no ordinary individual; he is a descendant of the Murong clan of the Yan Kingdom, and he is determined to restore the Yan Kingdom. He spread the false information precisely to seize the opportunity to provoke a war between the Song and Liao Kingdoms, so that he can reap the benefits and realize his ambition of reviving the Murong Yan Kingdom! This person is highly skilled in martial arts and also has a son who is famous throughout the world. At this point, you, dear readers, probably already know who that person is."

"His surname is Murong... He's highly skilled in martial arts and has a renowned son?"

Everyone in the hall was greatly surprised:

"Could it be... the Murong clan of Gusu who 'fight fire with fire'? That person is Murong Bo, and his son is Southern Murong, Murong Fu?"

"It's Murong Bo? This is truly an incredible secret!"

"Murong Bo spread false information to provoke a war between the two countries? So that he can realize his ambition to revive the Yan Kingdom? What a wolfish ambition! But his plan doesn't seem very reliable..."

"It's not just unreliable, it's downright absurd. How could the Song Dynasty possibly wage war against the Liao Dynasty over a feud between martial arts practitioners?"

"That's not how it works. Isn't Xiao Yuanshan a member of the Xiao clan, the royal family of the Liao Kingdom? He's also the chief instructor of the Empress's personal guard. If he were killed by a martial artist from the Central Plains, wouldn't that cause a conflict between the two countries?"

"Hey, what kind of trouble can the death of a few Imperial Guard instructors cause? Look at Xiao Yuanshan jumping off the cliff, everyone thought he was dead, did the Liao Kingdom retaliate against him? No, right? They didn't even ask the Song Dynasty for compensation for this."

"Indeed. It seems that although Murong Bo is skilled in martial arts, he really doesn't have much of a brain when it comes to matters of state and military affairs..."

"Who says it's not?"

"The Murong Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms is from hundreds of years ago! Only a fool would think about reviving that damn Yan Kingdom!"

"Indeed, the Murong Yan Kingdom is far removed from the present day. But then again, since Murong Bo wants to revive the Yan Kingdom, wouldn't Murong Fu, as his son, also..."

"Heh, the Murong family's reputation in the martial arts world was undeniable. But as for reviving the Yan Kingdom... I suggest you dream on. Anything is possible in dreams..."

"Murong Bo actually committed such heinous acts for such delusional ambition, and even dared to try to provoke a war between the two countries, completely disregarding the devastation that would ensue once the war began. He truly deserved to die young!"

"No!"

The storyteller slammed his gavel:

"Murong Bo has merely faked his death and gone into hiding. In secret, he continues his plot to revive the Yan Kingdom. Although we don't know what he has been busy with all these years, it is certain that in recent years, he has used the 'an eye for an eye' technique of the Gusu Murong clan to kill many people!"

"Hmm, a while ago, several martial arts masters died from their own signature techniques. Among them was even the Shaolin monk Xuanbei... At the time, everyone said it was Murong Fu who did it, but now it seems there might be something else going on?"

"This reader is right!" the storyteller laughed heartily, "It was indeed Murong Bo who did it!"

"My God! Another dad who's ruining his son's life!"

"Heh, with Murong Bo's brain, he still wants to revive the Yan Kingdom? He can only dream about it!"

"Tsk, first there was Xiao Yuanshan, and now there's Murong Bo. These two are equally adept at ruining their sons, like the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick."

"What's even more intriguing is that they're enemies, yet they're remarkably similar in their methods of harming their sons. By the way, their sons are also renowned figures in the martial arts world, the 'Northern Qiao Feng' and the 'Southern Murong'! They're truly evenly matched, making it difficult to determine who's better!"

The guests were all discussing Murong Bo and Murong Fu, but the young man in brocade robes persisted, saying:
"Where is the leader? Who is this leader that no one is willing to reveal his identity? And what makes him so popular?"

The storyteller smiled, took a sip of tea to clear his throat, then slammed his gavel. Once the guests had quieted down, he leisurely began to speak:

"That leader is none other than the current abbot of Shaolin Temple, Xuanci!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent; everyone stared in disbelief, their faces blank with astonishment.

After a long silence, the young man in brocade robes said with an incredulous expression:
"This...no way? It's actually the abbot of Shaolin Temple..."

"How could it be the abbot of Shaolin Temple?"

"As the abbot of Shaolin, why didn't you stand up and explain things clearly when Qiao Feng went to Shaolin to find Xuanku?"

"Exactly. The abbot of Shaolin Temple dares to do it but not admit it?"

"Perhaps they were afraid of damaging Shaolin's reputation? After all, they really did a bad job dealing with Xiao Yuanshan's family at Yanmen Pass back then."

"That's because they were misled by Murong Bo's false information. As long as they explain clearly, admit their guilt and accept punishment, people will not only not blame Shaolin, but will admire the abbot's courage and responsibility. On the contrary, this cover-up... heh..."

"Old scholar, where did you hear this news? Is it true?"

"That's right. Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo are one thing, but Qiao Feng is already a public enemy of the martial arts world, hated by everyone, and can barely protect himself. Murong Fu is also in trouble now. If Murong Bo's actions and his Murong family's wolfish ambition to revive the Yan Kingdom are confirmed, the trouble will be even greater... But we really can't spread the rumors about the Shaolin abbot!"

Seeing that the guests were questioning the source of the news, the storyteller unfolded his folding fan, calmly waved it twice, and leisurely said:

"This news was told to me personally by 'Little White Dragon' Huang Rong yesterday while we were having tea at the teahouse. It's corroborated by 'Heavenly Sword' Lu Chen, the young master. Young master Lu and Huang Rong even destroyed the Mantuo Manor. Do you think they would fabricate such a story and slander the abbot of Shaolin?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Huang Rong, nicknamed "Little White Dragon," is a very famous figure in Suzhou recently.

She was a celestial maiden, with stunning beauty, an otherworldly temperament, and extremely profound martial arts skills. She was proficient in countless extraordinary skills and knew all sorts of martial arts stories like the back of her hand. She could also speak eloquently about the masters of the world and their signature techniques.

As for Lu Chen, the "Divine Sword from Beyond the Heavens," he was even more extraordinary. Upon arriving in Suzhou, he and Lady Huang annihilated the powerful Mantuo Manor, the tyrant of Taihu Lake. Putting aside everything else, this sheer audacity was enough to earn everyone's admiration—Lady Wang of Mantuo Manor was Murong Fu's aunt!

Young Master Lu and Heroine Huang were completely unafraid of Murong Fu's reputation and openly stormed into Mantuo Manor to rid the people of this scourge. What heroic spirit they displayed!
Since the news came from the fearless young hero Lu and the "omniscient" heroine Huang, then the news about Xiao Yuanshan, Murong Bo, and even Shaolin Xuanci is probably true.

The onlookers sighed in amazement, while the young man in brocade robes looked satisfied and clicked his tongue in admiration.

"Xiao Yuanshan didn't die, yet he spared no effort to ruin his son. Murong Bo also didn't die, but he's not very bright and still has the absurd dream of restoring the Yan Kingdom. He also didn't hold back in ruining his son... Shaolin Xuanci is actually the ringleader, daring to do it but not daring to admit it, a hypocrite... Tsk tsk tsk, today's story was truly worth listening to!"

As he spoke, he took out another silver ingot and gave it to the storyteller as a tip, then asked another question:
"Who killed Ma Dayuan, the vice leader of the Beggars' Sect? Qiao Feng's identity was thus revealed. Was it Murong Bo or Xiao Yuanshan who did it?"

The storyteller thanked him for the reward and then casually said:

"Ma Dayuan was killed by his wife Kang Min, who conspired with her lover Bai Shijing, and then framed Qiao Feng."

"Oh……"

This explosive news once again drew gasps of amazement from the guests in the room.

The storyteller laughed heartily and slammed his gavel down again:

"Dear viewers, although the suspense has been resolved, which has made it a bit less exciting, the fierce battle between masters was still quite spectacular. Next, we will tell the story of Qiao Feng rescuing his maid, storming Juxian Manor alone, drinking the severance wine, and fighting a bloody battle against a group of heroes..."

Although the suspense was resolved ahead of time, which made it less interesting, the storyteller was still very eloquent and told the story of the great Khitan people's battle against Juxianzhuang in a wonderful way.

The guests listened with rapt attention, cheering continuously.

The two guests sitting in the corner laid out a row of coins on the table, got up, and left.

After leaving the teahouse, the two men walked silently through the streets and alleys with solemn expressions, until they arrived at a secluded alley and stood in front of a small, unassuming courtyard.

Of the two, a scholar in a blue robe, around fifty years old, with squinting eyes as if his eyesight had been damaged from reading too much, went to the door and knocked a few times in a peculiar rhythm.

Soon, the courtyard gate creaked open, and a pretty young girl in a green dress with an oval face peeked out. Seeing the two, she quickly came out to greet them, speaking softly in a gentle Wu dialect:
"Brother Deng, Second Brother Gongye is back?"

The scholar in the blue robe was none other than Gongye Qian, the second-ranked among the four great retainers of the Murong family.

The other tall man was Deng Baichuan, the head of the four powerful ministers.

The girl in green who opened the door was Abi, Murong Fu's trusted maid.

Even though Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian were in heavy hearts, they still smiled at the gentle and lovely Abi, greeted her, and then stepped into the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, I went straight to the main hall, where I saw a dashing young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in light robes and with a handsome face and extraordinary demeanor.

This dashing young man was none other than Murong Fu.

Two middle-aged men sat to the left of Murong Fu.

A thin man with a stubborn and unruly expression on his face was Bao Butong, the third of the four retainers.

One of them, dressed in black, was a strong and agile man, one of the four great retainers, and a whirlwind of turmoil swept through Jiangnan.

Upon seeing Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian enter, before Murong Fu could even speak, Bao Butong, who had been scratching his head and looking impatient, immediately jumped up and asked eagerly:

"Eldest brother, second brother, how's the intelligence gathering going?"

Deng Baichuan's expression was solemn as he slowly said:

"The latest revelation from Huang Rong, the White Dragon: Xiao Yuanshan is not dead; he is the true culprit who killed Qiao Feng's adoptive parents and mentor. Furthermore, the old master is still alive; the previous cases of 'an eye for an eye,' including the Xuanbei Sect at Shaolin, were all committed by the old master..."

"Furthermore, it was the old master who spread false information back then, causing Xiao Yuanshan to fight against the masters of the Central Plains. And the leader of that fight... was the abbot of Shaolin, Xuanci."

"..."

After hearing the news, the hall fell silent.

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e were dumbfounded, and even Murong Fu lost his usual leisurely composure.

Abi, who had just entered, was so nervous that she didn't dare to breathe.

At this moment, Gongzhi Qian slowly said again:
"The young master and the old lord's ambition to revive the Great Yan Dynasty has also been exposed by that little white dragon Huang Rong. Every tavern and teahouse in the city has storytellers loudly proclaiming it..."

"..."

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e stared blankly, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Murong Fu's face remained ashen, and after a long silence, he slowly spoke:
"It's alright. People in the Suzhou government know about my family's ambitions, but they've been turning a blind eye because they're afraid of my family's martial arts skills and they treat my family's ambition to revive the dynasty as a joke. Now that the common people know, it's good that they know. Those who are dissatisfied with the Song Dynasty and those who harbor rebellious intentions will naturally know who to contact in the future."

He paused, then asked the two of them:

"Was the incident at Mantuo Manor really orchestrated by Lu Chen and Huang Rong?"

Gongye Qian nodded:
"Undoubtedly confirmed."

Murong Fu's feelings were somewhat complicated.

With Madam Wang dead and Mantuo Manor destroyed, he secretly felt a sense of satisfaction.

After all, his mother had spoken ill of Madam Wang quite a bit before she died, and when he went to Madam Wang's house to study, he was often ridiculed by her. A while ago, when Madam Wang caught Azhu and Abi, she even tried to cut off their right hands, showing him no respect whatsoever.

But what could he do about his own relatives?
We can't just kill him, can we?

Now that Madam Wang is dead, and all the old women and maids in Mantuo Manor who knew martial arts are also dead, Murong Fu felt a sense of relief and satisfaction at finally venting his long-standing resentment.

It's a bit of a pity that all the manpower at Mantuo Villa is gone.

However, her cousin decided to give her all of the Wang family's wealth, books, land, and shops.

He only wanted to avenge his aunt.

But this grudge...

We still need to take a long-term approach.

If the highly skilled Lu Chen and the "omniscient" Huang Rong were willing to help him revive the Great Yan Dynasty...

It seems much more useful than my cousin's.

"Prepare a generous gift," Murong Fu said slowly. "Come with me to visit Young Hero Lu and Heroine Huang."

Although I felt that Murong Fu's decision seemed a bit unfair to Miss Wang, however...

The four retainers were fully aware of Lady Wang's attitude towards the Murong family. Abi, the person who nearly had her hand chopped off by Lady Wang, was also here, so…

No one objected.

Deng Baichuan only gave one reminder:
"Young master, judging from the way the storytellers in the city evaluate my Murong family's ambition to revive, I'm afraid that Lu Chen and Huang Rong also have a rather negative opinion about my family's revival."

Murong Fu smiled:

"It's man-made."

Reviving the Great Yan Dynasty has become his obsession.

He is willing to do anything for this obsession.

If that's the case, why not try recruiting Lu Chen and Huang Rong first?
[Two chapters today, totaling 9 words. It's the last week of June, please support me with your monthly votes!]

(End of this chapter)