The deepest affection in Gu Long's world

Chapter 170 Li Xunhuan and Fang Yunhua (13,000 words, 13 monthly votes)

On the other side, Li Xunhuan had taken to heart Tie Di's words, but as he talked with Long Xiaoyun, he put aside the doubts that had arisen in his mind.

In just a few words, Li Xunhuan felt deeply ashamed, realizing that it was all because of his return that Xingyun Manor had been turned into this mess.

Long Xiaoyun repeatedly said, "We are all brothers, so why worry about trouble?" He also clearly stated that no matter what happens, he will stand by Li Xunhuan's side, even if it means breaking ties with his other sworn brother, Zhao Zhengyi.

This immediately moved Li Xunhuan so much that his little pearls almost fell off again.

It must be said that Long Xiaoyun is indeed quite talented in playing the role of a caring older brother. He also knows how to make good use of the available resources and improvise brilliantly at any time.

For example, at this moment, he frequently looked at Tie Chuanjia, his face showing a hesitant expression, but he didn't say anything, which made it easy for Tie Chuanjia to make some connections.

And gradually, he attributed the problem to himself, thinking that he might have become a burden on his young master and would bring negative impacts to Xingyun Manor, which was already in dire straits.

This is actually a silent strategy of division.

When the two of them moved back to their original Cold Fragrance Cottage under Long Xiaoyun's arrangement.

Tie Chuanjia immediately expressed his intention to leave.

Although Li Xunhuan offered a few words of advice, he always respected other people's choices. After Tie Chuanjia showed his firm opinion, all he could do was respect it.

However, Tie Chuanjia's quiet departure could not escape the notice of the people in Xingyun Manor.

Upon learning this news, Long Xiaoyun revealed a sneer of triumph. He immediately informed Zhao Zhengyi, as eliminating Li Xunhuan's support was of great importance to him.

Then there's Fang Yunhua, who, after a long night's work, is yawning as he admires the plum blossoms in the back garden.

He simply nodded to indicate that he understood, and then watched as Ah Fei continued to slash at the plum tree with his sword.

While staring at A Fei, he suddenly remembered something: according to the original storyline, Tie Chuanjia was captured by the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains.

Next, they pressed Tie Chuanjia for the truth about the death of Weng Tianjie, the leader of the Eight Righteous Men. Then, they invited the impartial Zhao Zhengyi, the storyteller, and Afei to uphold justice.

The honest and straightforward Tie Chuanjia chose to confess his guilt and was almost executed on the spot by the others, but was rescued by Afei, who sensed that something was wrong.

But now A-Fei is still stabbing the plum tree with his sword. What will happen to the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains? Could Tie Chuanjia really be unjustly killed because of his little wings?

Moreover, the reason why Tie Chuanjia was able to be captured by the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains was because they threatened him with the life of Mr. Mei.

However, the reason why Tie Chuanjia cared about the other party's life was because this Mr. Mei had saved Li Xunhuan's life in the previous incident of fighting for the Golden Silk Armor.

However, the current situation is that Li Xunhuan did not encounter the Golden Silk Armor incident, nor did he have any contact with Mr. Mei Er, which means that Tie Chuanjia and Mei Er are completely unaware of each other.

If the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains want to capture Tie Chuanjia again, even with Zhao Zhengyi's prior contact, it will likely take more effort than in the original storyline.

"The fate between people is truly wondrous."

After uttering this sigh, Fang Yunhua looked toward a path leading to the plum grove. Afei also stopped practicing his swordsmanship, gripping the hilt of the Soul-Stealing Sword, and solemnly looked toward the gradually emerging figure.

It's Li Xunhuan.

After a restless night's sleep, Li Xunhuan woke up feeling somewhat aimless.

He knew that his elder brother was still cleaning up the mess caused by yesterday's events. Although Qiu Du's death was, as he had said, his brother would take the blame alone, and even if the Green Demon Hand Yi Ku came knocking on his door, he would handle it himself.

But Long Xiaoyun still said he would think of a way. Seeing this, he couldn't say anything more. He was only moved by his elder brother's kindness.

loyalty!

This also caused him to suppress his desire to meet his sister-in-law.

As for his newly adopted son, according to Long Xiaoyun, the boy had fallen behind in his studies because he had traveled to the south, and now he was being tutored by a teacher he had hired.

Good job studying.

Li Xunhuan, who was able to pass the imperial examination with the rank of Tan Hua, naturally believed that pursuing both literary and martial arts was the right path. Therefore, as his adoptive father, he was even less likely to become an obstacle to his adopted son's progress.

In this vast Xingyun Manor, who else could he possibly see?

In the original storyline, the reason he kept an eye on Lin Xian'er was because Lin Xian'er took the initiative to expose herself as soon as she arrived, and deliberately stayed at the Cold Fragrance Pavilion where the other party originally lived. In addition, the interactions between Qiu Du and You Longsheng and the other party were too conspicuous.

This is why Li Xunhuan remained highly vigilant towards him.

The two have not had any contact at the moment. As far as Li Xunhuan knows, as Lin Shiyin's sworn sister, she is just a pitiful person who came to Xingyun Manor seeking protection. Given Li Xunhuan's style of doing things, he would not take the initiative to drive her away.

As for the title of the most beautiful woman in the world, if it were more than ten years ago, he would probably have been very curious to go and see for himself, but now he no longer has those youthful thoughts.

Thinking about this, Li Xunhuan suddenly felt that although he had returned to his home, everything here was actually out of place for him.

Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind.

Those were the white-clad gentleman and black-clad youth he had seen in the front hall last night, and his previously dejected mood seemed to have been infused with new vitality at this moment.

After questioning the servants and learning of their whereabouts, he hurriedly headed towards the plum grove.

Along the way, he also encountered some martial arts practitioners who were temporarily staying at Xingyun Manor. However, their aloofness and wariness towards Li Xunhuan made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He knew it was all because of a misunderstanding last night.

He misunderstood the reason why he killed Qiu Du.

He mistakenly believed that he might be the Plum Blossom Thief.

He also mistakenly believed that his servant had suddenly gotten into a fight with the highly respected Zhao Zhengyi.

Some misunderstandings that cannot be clarified on the spot will gradually settle into suspicious points that make people wary and cautious.

Even if the opponent is Li Xunhuan, ranked third on the weapons list, and even if the opponent wields the famous Li Xunhuan Flying Dagger, this increasingly powerful martial force, under the deliberate promotion of some rumors, will only increase its own threat.

It is said that Long Xiaoyun, who came up with this scene, was greatly inspired by the incident in which You Longsheng was unjustly accused and had to flee.

After all, even with the background of Cangjian Manor, You Longsheng was still able to be framed by Qin Xiaoyi to the point of being unable to explain himself.

Wouldn't it be even easier to target Li Xunhuan, who is all alone and helpless?

The ten-year hiatus from the martial arts world in the Central Plains had already diminished much of his past reputation. It was only the recent high-profile weapon ranking that made his third-place ranking so prestigious and drew attention to him.

This is actually the best time to take action against Li Xunhuan. If we drag this out any longer and he regains his prestige, it will become extremely difficult to resolve the situation by framing him.

But Li Xunhuan has yet to face his current predicament.

Because the one who orchestrated this whole scheme from beginning to end was his beloved older brother, the one he least expected to do it.

As long as Long Xiaoyun is by his side, he will automatically cause this Li Tanhua, whose thinking ability is not weak, to fall into a weakening aura that causes his IQ to drop by 70%.

But without Long Xiaoyun's influence, his IQ immediately returned to its high level.

For example, right now, after finally seeing the white-robed young man and the black-robed youth, the first thought that came to mind was, why are there experts of this level in Xingyun Manor?

He couldn't discern Fang Yunhua's true nature before he made a move, but he could sense from the tree next to A Fei that had some marks on it that the other party was practicing a terrifyingly fast sword technique.

At this moment, Fang Yunhua had already withdrawn his gaze, as if Li Xunhuan, who had deliberately come to his door, was just an insignificant passerby in his eyes.

Fang Yunhua maintained a casual attitude towards his interactions with the protagonist.

Because the protagonists of ancient stories are mostly accomplished as soon as they emerge from seclusion, and their life experience tends to be at an extremely mature stage, they have beliefs that will not be shaken by anyone, and their own persistence.

Some of these ideas may conflict with Fang Yunhua's philosophy of doing things.

Therefore, compared to these main characters, he prefers the supporting characters that he can personally mold into the way he wants them to be, such as A Fei and Long Xiaoyun.

This also meant that he didn't seem particularly enthusiastic when interacting with these so-called main characters.

In his previous life, Old Chu came directly to him because he suspected him, and eventually, through a series of coincidences, he became his best partner, Tie Tie.

Now, Li Xunhuan's situation is somewhat similar.

Both men took the initiative to strike up a conversation; after all, Fang Yunhua was just such an attention-grabbing man.
"Don't be too nervous."

With Fang Yunhua's reassurance, A Fei also withdrew his wary gaze from Li Xunhuan, but he still kept his right hand on the hilt of the Soul-Stealing Sword and included Li Xunhuan within his sword-drawing range.

He already possesses a certain level of professionalism in security work.

Li Xunhuan didn't care about the other party's wariness. After all, he had seen even more outrageous martial artists along the way, whose eyes always revealed obvious hostility.

He then immediately sat down opposite Fang Yunhua as if they were old friends.

"My name is Li Xunhuan."

Fang Yunhua.

Fang Yunhua poured him a cup of tea. Although the tea had cooled down due to the approaching winter, Li Xunhuan picked up the cup and took a sip without a care.

"Good tea."

Clearly, Li Xunhuan had indeed tasted fine tea, but noticing Fang Yunhua's unique demeanor, he wasn't surprised that the other party could produce such excellent tea.

"Are you a friend of my elder brother?"

With just the third sentence, Li Xunhuan had already begun to probe Fang Yunhua's background.

But Fang Yunhua's answer was unexpected.

"I doubt many people would want to be my friend."

"Hmm?" Li Xunhuan blinked, his expression full of curiosity.

After all, just looking at the other person's demeanor gives one a sense of pride and vanity in befriending them. If the other person is willing to make friends, probably 99% of people in the martial arts world would not refuse.

"You are being dishonest."

"That's the truth, because I'm sometimes not good at speaking and my behavior can be a bit capricious, especially towards my friends."

"Can't speak?"

This answer left Li Xunhuan bewildered again. He looked at A Fei, who remained wary. In comparison, he preferred to believe that A Fei seemed less talkative. On the contrary, the person in front of him, despite only exchanging a few words, gave him a long-lost sense of amusement.

There's also a hidden desire for challenge.

"What if I wanted to be friends with you?"

"why?"

Fang Yunhua looked up at Li Xunhuan, who exuded a relaxed aura, and thought to himself that this guy was really carefree.

Of course, it could also be described as extreme confidence. Even with the brain-depressing buff inflicted by Long Xiaoyun, Li Xunhuan genuinely felt that no schemes or tricks could harm him.

To say that he hadn't noticed the eerie atmosphere that had permeated Xingyun Manor since last night would be a lie, but he was certain he could handle whatever came his way.

After all, in the original storyline, there was a Lin Xian'er who immediately self-destructed, and the malice she displayed was much stronger, yet Li Xunhuan remained confidently within this encirclement.

He still has too many weaknesses.

As long as Lin Shiyin is here, as long as Long Xiaoyun is here, and now Long Xiaoyun should also be included, he will definitely not leave the Baoding Prefecture area before resolving those hidden troubles.

At this moment, Li Xunhuan also quietly discovered something.

That was his test of Fang Yunhua. From the very first question, Fang Yunhua shifted the focus with a peculiar way of answering, and now he was being led by the nose.

This made him find it even more interesting.

"Do you need a reason to make friends?" So he chose to ask the question in return.

"Yes, because I'm not good at speaking. Whenever I say something that might upset a friend, they need to remember why they wanted to befriend me in the first place. This will help them convince themselves, since it was their own choice."

Li Xunhuan chuckled a few times, clearly thinking of a friend of his who couldn't speak from beyond the Great Wall.

Every time they talked about their romantic experiences, the other person would either say that they would send someone to kidnap Lin Shiyin, or they would criticize and subtly mock Long Xiaoyun as a "good older brother". He had heard these kinds of things so many times that he had started to just laugh it off without caring.

Therefore, he really didn't think the person in front of him could say anything more offensive.

"Perhaps your friends were too young and lacked magnanimity. Once they've experienced enough, they'll realize that verbal abuse is the most feeble and powerless attack in the world."

Li Xunhuan sighed. Compared to the pain of longing he had to endure every day, what did a few words matter?

He then looked up and stared intently at Fang Yunhua.

"I've figured out why I wanted to be your friend."

"Oh?"

"I want you to understand that true friends don't mind saying some harsh or unpleasant things. True friends understand each other's whims and help each other become better."

Fang Yunhua smiled.

He found that Old Li was quite stubborn, so he didn't say anything more, but simply raised his teacup. Li Xunhuan understood and raised his teacup as well.

With the tacit understanding of using tea instead of wine, the two lightly touched hands, and it was Li Xunhuan who took the initiative to speak.

"So, are we friends now?"

"perhaps."

"Then I have a question for you. As a friend, you should answer honestly, right?"

A sly glint flashed in Li Xunhuan's eyes. He was not as easily fooled as he seemed. By using the fact that they had become friends, he regained the initiative!

"Correct."

Fang Yunhua nodded calmly.

This made A-Fei, who had been keeping his eyes fixed on Li Xunhuan, raise his eyebrows in surprise.

He began to look at Li Xunhuan seriously.

He knew in his heart that if the other party asked about the current unusual situation in Xingyun Manor, Fang Yunhua would really tell the truth.

But Li Xunhuan asked.

"What are you doing here at Xingyun Manor?"

"For the Plum Blossom Thief."

This is the truth!

After staring at the other person for a few seconds, Li Xunhuan nodded.

"I believe you, but I never expected someone like you to be interested in the Plum Blossom Thief."

"I'm more interested in that secret technique."

That's the truth!
"Can a seventy- or eighty-year-old man maintain the peak performance of a twenty-year-old? Does such a secret technique really exist?"

Li Xunhuan looked somewhat surprised, after all, he had always treated this rumor as a joke.

"Perhaps it's not that exaggerated, but it does have some special effects."

For men to become closer, it's either through a drink or by talking about something suggestive. Regardless of whether Li Xunhuan did it to spite Lin Shiyin, he certainly had a rich history of indulging in a life of debauchery in brothels.

As for Fang Yunhua, needless to say, in his previous life he had a romantic affair with the most beautiful courtesan in a certain capital city.

As the conversation between the two men went further and further off track, the inexperienced A-Fei, who resembled a raw recruit, began to look at Li Xunhuan with a different gaze.

There was a hint of disappointment in his tone, because if the other party had tried a little harder and asked a more crucial question, they might have been able to break through the deadlock that had almost reached a dead end!

But what the hell are they talking about right now?!

Which brothel has the best wine? Which courtesan offers the best service? And which place has the best value for money fruit platter?
Ah Fei felt dizzy and speechless after listening to this.

But he never let his guard down around Li Xunhuan; that was the principle of being a bodyguard!

It was at this moment that Qin Xiaoyi, led by a servant, also arrived at the plum grove in the back garden.

The other party looked somewhat surprised when he saw Li Xunhuan, but at Fang Yunhua's prompting, he still told the truth about something.

As he listened, Li Xunhuan, who had been speculating about the relationship between Qin Xiaoyi and Fang Yunhua, became restless. He then learned that his buddy had just left Xingyun Manor when Zhao Zhengyi, whose identity had been exposed, led the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains to ambush him on the way, even without Mr. Mei as a hostage.

But after being pressured and questioned, Lao Tie still chose to cooperate and confess.

The Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains did not want to be held accountable for their actions, so they invited three witnesses to interrogate Tie Chuanjia.

The first one is Qin Xiaoyi. Her influence in the Hebei area has now surpassed that of Zhao Zhengyi. Moreover, the story of Zhao Zhengyi's fight with Tie Chuanjia in Xingyun Manor has also spread.

Although the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains were able to successfully stop Tie Chuanjia only after Zhao Zhengyi's notification, they still felt that it was somewhat inappropriate for Zhao Zhengyi to take the lead.

Zhao Zhengyi, however, was indifferent and had already left. He knew that Tie Chuanjia would not fare well if he fell into the hands of the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains. After all, the latter had been hunting him down for seventeen years. Next, after going through some procedures, they would probably scatter his ashes.

The second person, just like in the original storyline, hired a local storyteller. The Eight Righteous Men hoped that after the truth of the matter came to light, the storyteller would tell the whole story to the world.

However, this person is now a member of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

Or to put it another way, ninety-nine percent of the storytellers in the world either officially join Tianji Tower or are unofficial members of Tianji Tower, since their profession is very much in line with the business of Tianji Tower.

The third place was Fang Yunhua.

It wasn't himself, the master of Tianji Tower, but rather Young Master Fang, a figure shrouded in mystery in the Baoding area, who received an invitation from the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains.

Speaking of the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains, Fang Yunhua had shared a cup of tea with Yi Minghu, the second brother, and had a drink with Zhang Chengxun, the fifth brother.

He hadn't been staying at Xingyun Manor all the time; he occasionally went out for a stroll, which made the legend of Young Master Fang even more popular among the people of the martial arts world.

Of course, there were also those who disdained to question it. However, as some of the veteran swordsmen from the north who had received favors from him during the battle at the summit of Mount Lu began to travel around Baoding Prefecture, some people took the initiative to stand up and fight against his haters.

They all tacitly kept the secret that Young Master Fang was the master of Tianji Tower. Or rather, the feeling of being the only one sober while everyone else was drunk made them feel quite comfortable. Not to mention, Qin Xiaoyi had already arranged everything in secret.

After listening to Qin Xiaoyi's story, Fang Yunhua nodded.

Since we're just killing time anyway, we might as well go and see what's going on.

He then stood up and looked at Li Xunhuan, who was also about to follow.

"Are you going too?"

"Can't I go?"

"Of course not. They clearly know that your servant has separated from you, which is why they dared to make a move. What would it be like for you to go there now? Are you just going to start a fight? If fighting could solve your servant's problem, would he keep hiding?"

Or are you going to try to reason with them?

But have you figured out the specifics?
It's strange, really. Although he's your servant, he's also one of the closest people to you over the past decade or so. Don't you have any intention of learning about his past at all?

"I...I...I..."

Li Xunhuan hesitated for a long time, unsure how to answer. He always respected the other person's choices and was unwilling to pry into anyone's privacy.

"This is his private matter, and it's his decision."

"Since it's his private matter, why did you still go?"

"If I don't go, he'll die!"

"Didn't you say this was his decision?"

Li Xunhuan didn't know what to say. He now understood one thing: when the other party said he couldn't speak, he was absolutely honest!

But the problem is, why the hell are you trying to bully me?!
I never imagined things would turn out this way!
Li Xunhuan also admitted that while he was focused on enjoying the pain of missing his loved ones, he did neglect the people around him. He only knew that there was some conflict between Tie Chuanjia and the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains, but he had no idea to what extent the conflict was, whether it was a serious misunderstanding, or whether Tie Chuanjia had really done something wrong.

"I must go!"

Li Xunhuan started acting like a rogue. He stared at Fang Yunhua and then saw the other party strike his pressure points with lightning speed.

This caught him completely off guard, because the other party did not reveal any malice or show any killing intent. Moreover, the speed of the attack was so fast that even with his full concentration, he could only choose to respond by attacking back.

A master! A top-tier master!
Li Xunhuan was completely numb!
Suddenly, Afei, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.

"If I were to stab him now, would he die?"

"Yeah, just die."

"A dignified third-ranked weapon on the weapon ranking list, dying so easily?"

"You can try."

The moment the words left his mouth, the tip of the Soul-Stealing Sword was already an inch away from Li Xunhuan's throat. The sharp sword intent, which was not yet fully controlled, made the hairs on Li Xunhuan's body stand on end!

He has exhausted all his means to try to release the pressure points.

But they discovered that the opponent's pressure point technique was so exquisite that it could be called the best in the world!

Why would there be such a powerful expert in this small Xingyun Manor?
This time, he was completely stunned.

The thought even crossed my mind that I might actually die here for no reason.

Fang Yunhua found Li Xunhuan's frequent blinking quite amusing.

In those few short seconds, the other party had probably considered all sorts of possibilities, but relatively speaking, their expression remained calm enough. Although a hint of worry and anxiety flashed in their eyes, they did not show any fear of death.

Perhaps Lao Li has become more open-minded now.

After all, he was almost killed in the original Golden Silk Armor incident, but he still maintained a calm demeanor.

"You've learned something, haven't you?" Fang Yunhua looked at A Fei, who had already sheathed his sword.

The other party nodded solemnly.

"We must never be careless. Even someone as strong as the third-ranked weapon on the list could die unexpectedly at the hands of some unknown nobody."

Qin Xiaoyi, who was still confused about what was going on, started rolling her eyes.

What does it mean to have no reason at all?
What does it mean to die at the hands of some unknown nobody?

Even for a master like Li Xunhuan, who could successfully ambush him, it's not something an ordinary person can do. Even if someone is prepared but not prepared, they might still make a mistake.

However, seeing the formidable enemy that Long Xiaoyun and his group had been discussing for over half a month to defeat so easily pinned to this spot, he couldn't help but feel a sense of indescribable emotion.

Even if one is to resort to intrigue and trickery, a certain level of strength is required. At the very least, the stronger the expert, the more methods and approaches they can employ.

Of course, if someone is both strong and cunning, then they are truly invincible.

He then glanced at Fang Yunhua discreetly.

Fang Yunhua, oblivious to Qin Xiaoyi's impolite gaze, continued speaking to Li Xunhuan, who was lost in his own thoughts.

"From now on, follow my instructions. If you agree, I'll take you with me. If you don't, I'll leave you here alone. If you understand, blink."

Li Xunhuan blinked obediently.

At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the other party's sudden halt to his methods was somewhat unreasonable, thinking back to his own actions of insisting on following them despite being in the wrong, it was also a bit willful.

So in just one question and answer session, he had managed to console himself.

"If you agree that I will arrange everything from now on, then keep blinking."

Li Xunhuan blinked obediently again.

After Fang Yunhua decisively released his acupoints, he simply stretched his muscles and bones, without making any of the retaliatory actions that A Fei had expected.

Fang Yunhua then called over a servant and gave him a few instructions. The servant ran off to prepare a complete set of clothes. In addition, Fang Yunhua handed Li Xunhuan a disguise mask, and Li Xunhuan immediately understood the identity he was to play.

While he was immobilized by Fang Yunhua, his mind was highly active. He was not only thinking about whether the other party would kill him, but also deeply considering the situation that Tie Chuanjia was facing.

Finally, he had to admit that relying solely on force to resolve the matter would only be a temporary solution, unless all eight heroes of the Central Plains were killed, but Li Xunhuan was not one to do such a thing.

Therefore, after all this back and forth, it is actually more important to first understand the event itself.

If there's really no other way, he'll side with his relatives regardless of right or wrong.

However, if Tie Chuanjia insists on making a different choice, he will respect that decision.

As Li Xunhuan obediently went to change into the attire of an old servant, Fang Yunhua did not forget to resolve some potential problems for his trip.

He summoned the head steward of Xingyun Manor, gave him a few instructions, and confirmed that Long Xiaoyun would not be contacting Li Xunhuan today. Even if Li Xunhuan suddenly decided to meet him, he would be held up by some unexpected events.

Similarly, the other party would not know that Li Xunhuan had met with them, nor would they know that Li Xunhuan was about to leave Xingyun Manor.

If a few months ago, Fang Yunhua had only quietly taken control of a small part of Xingyun Manor, then after returning this time, he only needed to use some money to ensure that the entire Xingyun Manor was under his surveillance.

Qin Xiaoyi had seen all of this and was already aware of the situation. After all, until now, Long Xiaoyun still thought that he and this Young Master Fang had only traveled south together for a period of time and had not had any further contact.

In fact, every two days, he would personally come to Xingyun Manor to report his situation and the progress of Long Xiaoyun's plan to Fang Yunhua.

This also taught him one thing: he must ensure that he has a few absolutely loyal servants in his household, or give more responsibilities to those servants who have been trained since childhood.

Otherwise, someone like Long Xiaoyun, who took over Li Garden halfway through and then completely replaced its servants, would be a different story.

These servants, whom he recruited along the way, coupled with the hidden dangers caused by Long Xiaoyun's previous beatings and scoldings of servants, made it impossible for him to cultivate absolutely loyal servants.

This resulted in the vast Xingyun Manor being like a funnel, allowing anyone to come and go as they pleased, while Long Xiaoyun, the owner of this place, remained completely unaware.

Soon, Li Xunhuan, now with a changed appearance, appeared before the three of them.

He was in his early forties, with a somewhat stern face, and his simple servant's attire gave him the air of a quiet and reserved servant.

Of course, this is on the premise that he cannot speak.

"That'll be no problem."

“If there’s a problem, when you get there, talk less, or just shut up. You can learn from Afei in this respect.”

Li Xunhuan glanced at A Fei, whose right hand was still resting on the hilt of his sword, and who remained vigilant. He nodded helplessly.

"Now I need to ask you a question: do you consider me a friend?"

Fang Yunhua's words startled Li Xunhuan, but he didn't hesitate and nodded directly.

"Of course you are my friend."

"Then you must choose to trust me. Since the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains have invited me to witness this old case, I will give the fairest answer. Let me tell you the brief account of what happened."

The incident itself is very simple: the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains believed that Tie Chuanjia had secretly colluded with some of the enemies of Weng Tianjie, the leader of the Eight Righteous Men, seventeen years ago, and broke in at midnight to kill Weng Tianjie and burn down Weng Family Village.

Weng Tianjie's wife was lucky to survive, but she was seriously injured, while everyone else was killed.

"So do you think Tie Chuanjia would do such a thing?"

Li Xunhuan shook his head.

"So from now on you need to trust me."

"it is good."

Fang Yunhua's few simple words made Li Xunhuan abandon his plan to overturn the table at the slightest disagreement. Of course, after witnessing Fang Yunhua's acupuncture technique, he also knew that if Fang Yunhua, as a witness, really sided with the other party...

He probably wouldn't be able to completely overturn the table.

Unless he used a flying knife on Fang Yunhua, but if he really did that, and actually killed a witness who was impartially trying an old case, then he wouldn't be Li Xunhuan.

He then suppressed his curiosity about why Fang Yunhua was so strong, and his mind was filled with worry and confusion about Tie Chuanjia.

He trusted the other person's character, but that also made him even more confused as to why the other person would choose to take all the blame and use the method of running away for seventeen years as an explanation to the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains.

With heavy and complicated thoughts in their hearts, the group of four arrived at a dilapidated temple outside Baoding city.

A storyteller, who is also a witness, was already waiting here.

He was visibly taken aback when he saw Fang Yunhua. Being invited by the Eight Heroes of the Central Plains clearly meant that Fang Yunhua had a certain reputation in the storytelling industry in the Baoding area.

This also shows that he at least had a certain status after being recruited by Tianji Tower.

As for Baoding Prefecture, which was an important location chosen by Fang Yunhua, the middle and senior managers of Tianji Tower who were assigned there had all met with him privately.

This made him eager to step forward and pay his respects to his master.

Upon seeing Fang Yunhua shake his head slightly, the perceptive storyteller subtly rubbed his hands together, pretending to be a little cold due to the weather.

He also politely nodded slightly to Fang Yunhua and the other three.

With just a glance, he conveyed his unwavering belief in following the Lord's lead.

Qin Xiaoyi, who also pays great attention to detail, was somewhat exasperated to see a storyteller so adept at social maneuvering.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chengxun, the fifth-ranked of the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains, who had been waiting outside the dilapidated temple, respectfully came forward to greet them.

"Young Master Fang, Third Master Qin, it's really kind of you to make this trip."

In fact, the order in which Zhang Chengxun greeted Fang Yunhua showed that the other party respected him more. Li Xunhuan also noticed this detail, but when he heard the shouts and curses coming from inside the dilapidated temple, he focused more of his attention on Tie Chuanjia.

After explaining the situation, Zhang Chengxun took the initiative to welcome everyone into the dilapidated temple.

The first thing that catches the eye is Tie Chuanjia, who is tied to a pillar. He doesn't have any external injuries, but he looks somewhat dejected. He just heard that the Central Plains Eight Righteous Men Association invited three witnesses to judge the old case from seventeen years ago.

He never expected to see the white-robed young man he had briefly met at the Xingyun Manor banquet last night.

However, after considering his own situation, the curiosity in his eyes was quickly replaced by more dejection.

It didn't matter to him who came.

Fang Yunhua's gaze swept over the others in the dilapidated temple. Apart from Zhang Chengxun, the fifth-ranked young master of Anle who brought them into the temple, the other seven were Weng Tianjie's wife who had survived by chance, and Weng Da Niang, who only had one eye left.

Yi Minghu, who ranked second and was known for his lightning-fast eyes, is now blind.

The third-ranked player is BMW Sharpshooter Bian Hao, the fourth is Medicine to Cure All Diseases Jin Fengbai, the sixth is Power to Split Mount Hua Qiao Hong, the seventh is Gale and Rain Gongsun Yu, and the eighth is Going Through Fire and Water Ximen Lie.

Despite their impressive nicknames, they were all dressed like ordinary peddlers, indicating that they hadn't been doing too well over the years. In particular, the young master Anle, who had led them into the dilapidated temple, was now nothing more than a street vendor selling wine.

"Why are there more people here?"

The one-eyed old woman frowned slightly, and Fang Yunhua took the initiative to speak.

“One of my servants is…”

He pointed to Li Xunhuan, who was staring intently at Tie Chuanjia.

"And there is one of my guards."

Afei's right hand never left the sword hilt. He didn't care about the bunch of oddballs in this dilapidated temple; he was always on guard against Li Xunhuan, after all, the opponent's throwing knife technique last night was truly amazing.

The old lady wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Yi Minghu, who had once had tea with Fang Yunhua.

"Your presence here to witness this event is already a tremendous honor for us."

"Old Yi, are you determined to resolve this matter once and for all?"

"I need an explanation before I can truly let go."

"Alright."

Fang Yunhua nodded. Through his conversation with Yi Minghu, even the usually tough-minded Aunt Weng didn't say another word.

They had been in Baoding Prefecture for some time, and because they were living among the lower classes, they had heard more mysterious rumors about Young Master Fang. Just as Yi Minghu said, the fact that he would come all this way for them, the Eight Righteous Men of the Central Plains who had long been eliminated from the martial arts world, was a huge favor to them.

With Young Master Fang as a witness, this matter will inevitably spread throughout the entire Hebei region, an influence that no amount of money can buy.

Not to mention the second and fifth brothers who had the good fortune to have met Young Master Fang once, they privately praised him to the extreme. However, when the other brothers questioned Young Master Fang, even the usually mild-mannered Second Brother Yi turned cold.

(End of this chapter)