Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 152 Duan Er's Responsibility

Duan Zhengchun never expected that Bai Shijing would actually attack him. He quickly jumped back and shouted, "Brother Bai, let's talk this out!"

However, Bai Shijing followed closely behind, his armor-piercing spikes whistling wildly, and he unleashed all his grappling techniques and sweeping kicks.

This man was among the top three in martial arts within the Beggars' Sect, and he quickly overwhelmed Duan Zhengchun.

The four guards roared in unison, about to step forward to protect their master, but Qiao Feng shouted, "Stop!"

Qiao Feng strode forward, grabbed Bai Shijing's wrist with a grappling move of his right hand, and pushed him back several steps, frowning as he shouted, "Elder Bai, why are you so impatient today?"

Bai Shijing's expression changed slightly. He forced himself to remain calm and gritted his teeth, saying, "Chief, this Prince Duan's lustful nature has nothing to do with me. However, Brother Ma's body is barely cold before he wants to take Madam Ma away. I really can't stand by and watch."

Qiao Feng shook his head and said seriously, "That's not how it is. If Sister-in-law Ma is willing to remain chaste for Second Brother Ma, we brothers will naturally be happy and grateful for Second Brother, and do our best to ensure that she has enough to eat and wear for the rest of her life. However, she and Second Brother have no children. If she really wants to change her chastity and remarry, we shouldn't interfere."

Bai Shijing was so angry he almost exploded. After enduring it for a long time, he finally said resentfully, "What the gang leader said is true."

Qiao Feng released him, looked at Madam Ma, and said stiffly, "Sister-in-law, I won't ask about your private matters, but what exactly did you write in that letter you gave Elder Xu?"

Jiang Mingzhe also stared intently at Madam Ma, wanting to know how she would answer, desperately trying to recall the plot of the original novel.

He remembered that Madam Ma harbored hatred because Qiao Feng ignored her at the Hundred Flowers Gathering. Later, she accidentally discovered Chief Wang's will and forced Ma Dayuan to use it as evidence to overthrow Qiao Feng. When Ma Dayuan refused, she seduced Bai Shijing, killed Ma Dayuan, and then asked Bai Shijing to harm Qiao Feng.

Unexpectedly, Bai Shijing also refused to do this, so she simply seduced Quan Guanqing and Elder Xu, finally revealing Qiao Feng's identity and framing him for killing Ma Dayuan in order to destroy evidence, successfully driving him out of the Beggars' Sect.

Madam Ma did this evil deed not only to harm Qiao Feng, but also to put Bai Shijing on the throne of the Beggars' Sect leader, and then to try to make the Beggars' Sect and the Dali Duan family enemies, in order to take revenge on Duan Zhengchun who had abandoned her!

Recalling these details, Jiang Mingzhe secretly slapped his thigh, realizing he had completely remembered them—

It was when A'Zhu disguised herself as Bai Shijing and tried to get information out of Madam Ma that she was exposed by the woman, who then turned the tables on her by saying that Duan Zhengchun was the leader of the Battle of Yanmen Pass. This led to the tragedy of Qiao Feng mistakenly killing A'Zhu and regretting it for the rest of his life.

But now things have changed, and Duan Zhengchun has appeared in the apricot grove ahead of schedule!
Jiang Mingzhe's original plan was to expose Madam Ma's facade as a chaste widow, but Duan Zhengchun did not play by his plan at all. He did not care about Madam Ma's promiscuity and was willing to lose face in order to protect her to Dali.

In the context of this era, Duan Zhengchun's actions were tantamount to tearing off his own face, and even the face of the Dali Duan family, and throwing it into the mud. It was a sacrifice that could not be underestimated.

Therefore, Jiang Mingzhe was extremely curious about Madam Ma's reaction.

Then Madam Ma gave a slight smile, which she quickly suppressed.

She said calmly, "It's nothing. After Elder Xu opened the envelope, I also read it. There were two letters inside. One was written by someone else to your former gang leader, Wang, and the other was left by gang leader Wang for Ma Dayuan. He said that if you ever do anything pro-Liao or anti-Song, the entire gang should join forces to kill you."

His words caused an uproar.

Qiao Feng's expression suddenly changed, and he said in horror, "Why would my master say such a thing? How could I, Qiao Feng, a dignified Han Chinese, possibly collude with the Liao Kingdom? No, I don't believe it. You... you must be lying, aren't you?"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and suddenly reached out to grab Madam Ma's arm.

Seeing that he was moving with lightning speed, Duan Zhengchun assumed he was going to harm Madam Ma and hurriedly shouted, "Have mercy!"

He pointed a finger at Qiao Feng's Shenmen acupoint on his wrist.

In his rage, Qiao Feng had no time to think. He withdrew his right hand and then struck out again, delivering a powerful palm strike to Duan Zhengchun.

Duan Zhengchun shouted and swiftly pointed with his left finger.

The moment their fingers touched, Duan Zhengchun felt a powerful palm force surge forth, instantly shattering his One-Finger Divine Skill. He was utterly shocked: He was doomed! This person's martial arts were so advanced!

Just as he was about to close his eyes and await death, Qiao Feng suddenly withdrew his palm. His palm strike was so quick to come out and so quick to come back that it was as if he had taken a blow from himself.

He immediately staggered back a few steps, and after a long while, he managed to suppress his boiling blood. He looked at Duan Zhengchun with a pained expression and forced a smile, saying, "I am really sorry. I lost my mind just now. Fortunately, I did not hurt you, Uncle."

Duan Zhengchun shook his head repeatedly and said in a low voice, "I'm fine, but if you withdraw your palm like that, you might suffer internal injuries. Are you alright?"

Qiao Feng smiled wryly and said, "I'm tough as nails, it's nothing."

Duan Zhengchun nodded gratefully, looked at Madam Ma with deep affection, and said, "Xiao Kang, this matter is of great importance, you must not hide anything from me."

Madam Ma chuckled softly, her eyes playful: "You don't trust me? Yes, you don't trust me, but I've always trusted you. Back then, when I asked you to take me to Dali, what did you say? Oh, you said it was hot and humid there, filled with miasma, and that I wouldn't be able to adapt to the climate and would get sick..."

At this point, she suddenly smiled gently, like a tree full of flowers blooming in the snow, incredibly gentle and radiant.

“I believe everything you say. So now you say you want to take me to Dali, is it just a passing fancy, saying nice things to make me happy, or... is it your true intention? Duan Lang, tell me, and I will believe you.”

She spoke these words in public, her tone incredibly soft and sweet, her eyes fixed on Duan Zhengchun without blinking.

Upon hearing this, the members of the Beggars' Sect all turned ashen-faced, especially Elder Xu and Bai Shijing.

Bai Shijing's lips moved incessantly, and if someone got close, they could clearly hear him cursing: "Bitch, bitch!" Duan Zhengchun's face showed a troubled expression.

He had just said he would take this woman to Dali, which was indeed a momentary impulse. He was anxious because he saw her involved in the internal strife of the Beggars' Sect, and he blurted it out without thinking.

When the other party formally asked her this question, all the difficulties that would arise after taking her back immediately came to mind.

As Duan Zhengchun struggled, Bai Shijing, feeling incredibly frustrated, unconsciously blurted out, "You slut, you bitch! Your old lover doesn't care about you anymore. Just wait and see how I deal with you..."

Duan Zhengchun's heart skipped a beat. He remembered Jiang Mingzhe saying that Madam Ma had a new lover. A thought flashed through his mind, and he pointed his halberd at Bai Shijing, shouting, "It was you! It was you who bullied Xiao Kang!"

Bai Shijing was shocked, his mind returning to normal in an instant. He immediately waved his hand and said, "No, no, I didn't bully her at all. It's just that Brother Ma's body is barely cold, and this slut is already trying to elope with someone. As an elder in charge of law enforcement, how can the brothers be satisfied if I don't bring her to justice?"

Duan Zhengchun had no more doubts at this moment, and decisively took Madam Ma's hand and said, "Xiao Kang, you know that Duan Er is a fickle and untrustworthy man. Today I will tell you what's on my mind. In the martial world, I am just a martial artist, but back in Dali I am a prince. My brother has no sons, so I will surely inherit the throne. If I act recklessly, I will not be able to win the support of the people. Therefore, after much consideration, I decided to prioritize the greater cause. But just now I suddenly realized that if anything happens to you, even if I become an immortal, let alone an emperor, I will not be happy. Come with me now. At worst, I will not become an emperor. In short, I will never be separated from you in this lifetime."

Madam Ma was shocked and stared at Duan Zhengchun in disbelief. After a long while, she finally said, "Young Master Duan, you're not lying to me?"

Duan Zhengchun said with a wry smile, "My children are all behind me. Even if Duan Er is shameless, he would not lie to people in front of his children."

Madam Ma was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears, grabbing Duan Zhengchun's collar: "I...I'm no longer pure, you...you don't mind?"

Duan Zhengchun laughed heartily: "I'm not some naive young man, don't you mind?"

Madam Ma, her tears still wet on her face, burst out laughing. She wiped her tears away, looked at Qiao Feng, and felt that all her previous plans were utterly meaningless.

She said urgently, "Chief Qiao, everything I said is true. Chief Wang's letter is absolutely genuine. As for the reason, I don't want to say it in public. It's clearly written in another letter. Go and ask that old scoundrel surnamed Xu for it and you'll know. Duan Lang, take me away!"

Without hesitation, Duan Zhengchun pursed his lips and let out a whistle. His four guards mounted their horses and led them to him.

Bai Shijing shouted angrily, "Duan Zhengchun, how dare you take away our Beggars' Sect's women?"

The beggars behind them were itching to attack, but Qiao Feng stopped Bai Shijing and shouted, "Let them go!"

Duan Zhengchun didn't hesitate. He leaped onto his horse, reached out and pulled Madam Ma onto the horse, galloped to Jiang Mingzhe's side, leaned down and whispered, "Hua Situ is at the Yuelai Inn. He will cooperate with you. You brat, I'm entrusting Yu'er and these precious daughters to you. After you've finished your business, bring them back to Dali properly. If even a single hair is missing, I'll never forgive you."

Jiang Mingzhe's expression was extremely strange. He glanced at Madam Ma, who gave him a charming smile. Her eyes swept over Mu Wanqing and the others, and she said with a grin, "Son-in-law, thank you. You scolded me very harshly today, but since you brought Duan Lang along, I won't hold a grudge against you."

Like a young delinquent thug, Azi glared coldly at Madam Ma and said, "If you dare to hold a grudge against him, even if I don't want this father anymore, I'll still poison you to death!"

Madam Ma glanced at her, and for some reason, a sense of fear arose in her heart, so she quickly lowered her head.

Mu Wanqing coldly replied, "Me neither! If you hold a grudge against him, I'll shoot you dead!"

Zhong Ling stood behind the two of them and mouthed: Me too, if you hold a grudge against him, I'll kill you!

Duan Zhengchun looked embarrassed, coughed, and said in a low voice, "Alright, alright, my dear daughter, don't scare Aunt Xiaokang. Nephew, I'll leave this to you."

Jiang Mingzhe's expression became even stranger. He thought to himself, "Duan Zhengchun hasn't even called me son-in-law yet, but this bitch has already done so."

Shaking his head and ignoring her, he stared at Duan Zhengchun and sighed, "I am a junior and cannot interfere in your affairs. However, for the sake of my third brother and Azi, I will warn you, old man, that this Madam Ma is no pushover. Be careful that she doesn't deceive your heart!"

Duan Zhengchun laughed heartily and said arrogantly, "There is no Madam Ma here, only Kang Min. I knew she was no pushover when she was seventeen, but so what? Aren't men's hearts always deceived by women? Hahahaha!"

With a loud laugh, he turned his horse around, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and shouted, "Duan Er is frivolous and immoral, and today he has disgraced the heroes of the Beggars' Sect. I feel extremely ashamed. However, a true man has things he will and will not do. Xiao Kang has been with me since she was seventeen. If Brother Ma Dayuan were still alive, I would never have seen her. Now that Brother Dayuan is dead, I was really worried that she would be homeless, so I took her in. I am sorry to all the heroes. The mountains are high and the rivers are long, and the road of the martial world is long. I will repay this debt slowly! Farewell!"

Having said that, he flicked the reins and left.

The Beggars' Sect members were completely silent, except for Zhao Qiansun, who waved his hand excitedly and said, "Have a safe journey! You must all live well!"

After being glared at fiercely by Granny Tan, he reluctantly lowered his hand.

The four guards bowed to Jiang Mingzhe in unison and whispered, "Please take good care of the young master and the princesses."

He immediately spurred his horse and rode off closely after his master.

Bai Shijing's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Qiao Feng and said, "Are we just going to let them go like this?"

Before Qiao Feng could speak, Lü Zhang said irritably, "That bitch wanted to go with him herself. Are we her father or mother? What right do we have to stop her? Damn it, what bad luck!"

Qiao Feng also sighed, feeling that there was no more absurd thing he had ever experienced in his life than this.

He turned to Elder Xu and reached out his hand, saying, "Elder Xu, please give me the letter."

(End of this chapter)