Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 235 The Secret Kuang Zhenyue Would Rather Die Than Reveal (4k2)

"good."

Ouyang Jin nodded hesitantly.

"I know what you're thinking."

Li Fu's voice turned even colder.

"Kuang Zhenyue just now made a veiled threat to you."

You worry that if you speak out, he will tell you how you threatened him to fake a defeat in the duel so that you could enter the final showdown unscathed.

The plot to seize the position of chief dock master was revealed to the public.

You're scared.

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately filled with surprise and doubt.

"What?"

Recalling the scene of their duel during the day, and thinking about the details of Kuang Zhenyue's defeat, the crowd whispered among themselves.

"Could it be that he deliberately lost?"

"Only the two of them probably know the answer to this."

"Speaking of which, in the past duels between the leaders of Seven Star Linked Docks, very few have made it to the final stage unscathed."

"Master Ouyang, is this matter true or false?"

Zhu Tinggao's gaze sharpened and shot towards Ouyang Jin.

A barrage of suspicious and angry glances fell upon him. Ouyang Jin flicked his sleeve and said...

"What? I threatened Kuang Zhenyue? And Kuang Zhenyue is threatening me? I don't understand what you're saying, Officer Li!"

"You don't understand?"

Then I'll say something you can understand.

Li Fu snorted coldly and took out a token from his pocket.

Under the moonlight and lamplight, the four characters "Imperial Edict" on the token shone brightly, dazzling the eyes.

"Master Ouyang, do you recognize this?"

Everyone secretly gasped.

Even those in the martial arts world who are accustomed to breaking the law with their martial arts have an instinctive awe for the words "before the emperor".

"An imperial edict?"

Ouyang Jin exclaimed in surprise, "Rumor has it that—the Dragon-Slaying Constable Li possesses an imperial edict, a gift from a descendant of the former King of Chu, granting him the power to execute first and report later—"

"It's good that Master Ouyang recognizes this token."

Li Fudao.

"Master Ouyang's scheming is nothing more than wanting to become the head of the main stronghold and restore the reputation of the Ouyang family."

Let me tell you, if you continue to conceal the truth now, you are obstructing the investigation and covering up for the thieves, and that makes you an accomplice!

"I possess an imperial edict and token, which allows the Jiangnan government to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all the forces, personnel, and businesses affiliated with your Ouyang family."

Ouyang Jin's expression changed instantly.

The Ouyang family is one of the four major branches of the Seven Star Linked Fortresses in Jiangnan, and is a family of outlaws.

The businesses of these outlaw families inevitably involve smuggled salt, casinos, pawnshops, money lending, tenancy, and brothels. Even some of these businesses that appear legitimate often involve shady dealings and illegal activities.

How could it withstand an investigation by the government? If the government were to conduct a thorough investigation, it would surely lead to utter destruction!

"Officer Li, you—you're threatening me?"

His voice trembled; he couldn't believe it.

"good.

"So what if I'm threatening you?"

In front of everyone, Li Fu calmly admitted it.

If Kuang Zhenyue can threaten, why can't Li Fu?

Now Ouyang Jin has two choices: one is to accept Kuang Zhenyue's threat and keep quiet, which would bring annihilation to the Ouyang family; the other is to accept his threat and tell everything. Although this would enrage Kuang Zhenyue and expose his manipulation of the duel, disqualifying him from the position of Chief of the General's Mansion and ruining the Ouyang family's reputation, it would not lead to the family's decline and destruction.

"Choose the lesser of two evils, and choose who you are threatened by."

I believe you won't have a hard time choosing Ouyang Wu.

In reality, you didn't have a choice.

Ouyang Jin was both shocked and furious. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Li Fu, but she could only stammer "You—you—" for a long time before she could speak.

Faced with Li Fu, whose martial arts skills far surpassed his own, and with that token that, in a sense, represented imperial power, he was utterly powerless to resist.

Many of the guests present were also from bandit backgrounds. Li Fu's actions, which targeted the bandits' weaknesses and made threats, would likely make some of the less wise people uncomfortable.

But Li Fu didn't care.

He never cared about what others thought when he did things.

Moreover, he came to solve cases and apprehend criminals, not to make friends.

Kuang Zhenyue, who was forced to kneel on the ground, watched helplessly as the situation rapidly deteriorated. His eyes were bloodshot as he struggled desperately, but because his acupoints were sealed, he could not move and could only let out hoarse gasps from his throat.

Ouyang Jin's face turned ashen, and he finally said dejectedly.

"Okay—alright."

Officer Li simply wanted to know why I said that Master Kuangwu couldn't possibly be the master thief who washed himself—I can tell you.

But to save face for Master Kuangwu—I'd like to inform you separately.

Kuang Zhenyue's eyes were bloodshot, but he was helpless.

"Nephew Li, be careful."

If Ouyang Jin had suggested being alone with someone else and being honest, Zhu Tinggao might have suspected Ouyang Jin of playing tricks. But since it was Li Fu alone, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He simply gave him a brief reminder.

Zhu Tinggao and the others had not forgotten that Ouyang Jin and Kuang Zhenyue, who had sneaked into this villa in the middle of the night, were also forced into a sorry state by Li Fu, and were so frightened that they had no choice but to ask for help.

Li Fu had anticipated that the reason was probably not something that could be revealed in public, otherwise Kuang Zhenyue wouldn't have been so agitated, so it wasn't surprising.

"Come with me."

The two went into a side room next door and closed the door.

The people in the courtyard outside the gate waited in silence.

Li Fu said, "Speak."

"I apologize for any offense I may have caused, Officer Li."

Following him in, Ouyang Jin closed the door to prevent others from hearing. After hesitating for a moment, he took two steps closer and, where no one else could see, became much more respectful and bowed.

"Enough with the nonsense."

Li Fudao.

Ouyang Jin finally whispered the fatal flaw that could clear Kuang Zhenyue of suspicion.

"Officer Li is wise."

There are indeed reasons why I say that Master Kuangwu could never be a notorious thief.

It's because Master Kuangwu—he has homosexual tendencies and prefers men.

Li Fu was taken aback upon hearing this.

"What, homosexuality?"

Does Kuang Zhenyue prefer men?

He frowned slightly, staring at Ouyang Jin. "Are you serious?"

Li Fu had considered many possibilities, such as why Kuang Zhenyue could not possibly be the master thief, but he never expected it to be for this reason.

"Absolutely true."

I saw it with my own eyes—”

Ouyang Jin looked serious and then explained the reason.

That happened in early spring this year. One evening, he saw Kuang Zhenyue alone, without his men, sneaking towards a villa in the city.

Kuang Zhenyue is usually known for his bold and unrestrained behavior, so it is quite rare for him to act so secretly.

Ouyang Jin became suspicious and secretly followed him.

Kuang Zhenyue arrived at a secluded courtyard in the city.

"I crouched on the wall, peering inside by the moonlight, and what I saw startled me so much that I almost fell off the wall—"

A young man in white, about seventeen or eighteen years old, sat by a stone table in the courtyard. He had red lips, white teeth, and delicate features.

Kuang Zhenyue walked to the boy's side and gently stroked his cheek, a gesture completely different from his usual gentleness. The boy looked up and smiled, and Kuang Zhenyue leaned down, his face—

He leaned down and pressed his face against hers—in short, they were as intimate as a man and a woman.

Ouyang Jin paused here, her expression strange, unable to continue.

As Li Fu listened, his expression became subtle.

He simply couldn't imagine what it would be like to see Kuang Zhenyue, that burly man with a full beard, embracing a man with rosy lips and white teeth, being intimate.

Li Fu quickly stopped himself from thinking about it, but then he thought again, "A bushy beard, a full beard?"

Liking men doesn't seem so strange anymore.

Ouyang Jin continued, "I personally witnessed the two of them being intimate and affectionate; it was absolutely not fake."

Li Fu nodded.

A man could never act out something like this unless he truly had this fetish.

The attraction between men and women has existed since ancient times.

This term originated from Lord Longyang during the Warring States period.

Legend has it that one day, King Wei and his male favorite, Lord Longyang, were fishing together in a boat. After catching more than ten fish, Lord Longyang suddenly burst into tears.

King Wei asked him in surprise why, and Lord Longyang replied: "I was very happy when I first caught a fish, but the fish I caught later got bigger and bigger, so I threw away the smaller ones."

This made me think of myself, and I realized how many beauties there are in the world. I fear that Your Majesty might find a new favorite and abandon your old one, hence my sorrow.

To appease the king, the King of Wei issued an order banning the discussion of "beautiful women" throughout the country, with violators facing execution of their entire families.

This event is recorded in historical records, indicating that it already existed in the court during the Warring States period.

In later generations, from ordinary people to emperors and generals, it was not uncommon to hear of people who were fond of this art.

As a normal man, Li Fu found this path difficult to understand, and even felt an instinctive aversion to it.

But he also knew that everyone has their own preferences and desires in this world.

For those with a penchant for male homosexuality, it is probably a sweet pleasure, and the depth of their affection may not be inferior to that of romantic love.

There are even stories of crown princes who quarreled with the emperor over male favorites, rebelled, and were eventually deposed. Although these are unofficial historical accounts, they are still widely circulated.

"even so,"

Li Fu, digesting this astonishing news, spoke slowly.

"Kuang Zhenyue's homosexuality does not absolve him of suspicion that he was a notorious thief."

He paused, then continued.

"Some emperors had both male favorites and three thousand concubines in their harem; many wealthy young men had affairs with boys, but they still married and had children later."

These two are not contradictory.

Ouyang Jin shook her head.

"Officer Li is unaware of this."

Based on my observation and the intimate manner he displayed with the boy, I suspect that Master Kuangwu is not that kind of person.

Ordinary men who indulge in homosexuality usually treat male lovers or young boys as playthings to be defiled and abused, but he seemed to have genuine feelings for that young boy.

He then went on to describe what he did after discovering the matter.

Upon learning this secret, Ouyang Jin was incredulous and deeply shocked, yet secretly delighted, for this was the perfect leverage to control Kuang Zhenyue.

A few days later, he specially hosted a banquet to invite Kuang Zhenyue. During the banquet, he summoned several popular courtesans, who surrounded Kuang Zhenyue, serving him wine and dishes, and speaking to him tenderly.

"I observed in secret,"

Ouyang Jin recalled.

"Although he tried to remain calm, he was actually very uncomfortable."

When the women approached, he stiffened, his eyes darting away. He looked like a normal man being intimately groped by a group of strange men, feeling indescribably uncomfortable.

Even when his favorite century-old vintage wine was placed before him, along with a table full of fine dishes, he found them tasteless and couldn't swallow a bite.

At this point, Ouyang Jin's expression became complicated.

"I was watching and secretly laughing to myself. After I had laughed enough, I dismissed everyone and confronted him."

Upon hearing this, he immediately slammed the table over his shoulder and jumped up, his face ashen, as if he wanted to fight me to the death.

Unfortunately, I discovered this deadly matter, and after a few words, I managed to coerce him into submission.

When talking about this experience of being blackmailed, Ouyang Jin's expression was somewhat complicated.

He had initially teased Kuang Zhenyue on purpose, observing and secretly laughing at the same time. But today, seeing Kuang Zhenyue willing to die to keep this secret, and even willing to admit that he was a master thief, he felt a strange sense of sympathy for him.

"Oh?"

Li Fu pondered deeply.

Some people are indiscriminate in their sexuality, actually because they have no shortage of women and then turn to curiosity, engaging in child molestation.

But some are probably born that way, completely disliking women and only liking men.

Based on what Ouyang Jin said, Kuang Zhenyue should be the latter.

Now that Ouyang Jin has confessed, there is no reason for her to lie.

The previous comment that Kuang Zhenyue was like a woman explains his strong reaction.

Furthermore, Kuang Zhenyue's martial arts skills were indeed far inferior to those of the legendary "Bandit Who Washed His Body".

If he were a master thief, he would probably rather stop pretending than have this kind of thing exposed.

"If Kuang Zhenyue only liked men,"

Li Fu suddenly asked, "Then what about his wife, Zhou Qiutang?"

"I didn't ask any further questions about that."

Ouyang Jin said, "After I threatened him with this matter, I saw that his face was extremely ugly, he was gritting his teeth, and his eyes were about to burst. I was afraid that if I provoked him any further, he would really fight back."

"But it's not surprising."

Many men who practice homosexuality will marry a wife as a cover.

He paused, then suddenly realized.

Yes!

Kuang Zhenyue's forced marriage to his wife Zhou Qiutang was known to many people.

Looking back now, that was a brilliant move.

Who would suspect a man who is so lustful as to forcibly abduct women of questionable sexual orientation?

Li Fu was suddenly shocked upon hearing this!

A flash of inspiration cleaved through the fog of confusion in my mind, and a previously overlooked point suddenly became clear.

"wrong!"

He blurted it out.

"If Kuang Zhenyue wasn't a notorious thief, why would he set fire to the house and destroy the evidence?"

Whom is he risking everything to protect?!

Kuang Zhenyue is nearly forty years old. His parents have passed away long ago, and he has no children or daughters. His only close relative is his wife. Who else would he risk his life to protect?

He hadn't considered suspicious candidates before because it was still uncertain whether Kuang Zhenyue was the real culprit. Li Fu had thought about this issue, but hadn't thought about it deeply.

Now that his suspicion has been cleared, this issue can no longer be avoided.

Ouyang Jin was only worried about being dragged down with him. He felt that Kuang Zhenyue could never be the master thief who had washed away his clothes, but he couldn't say it outright. He was so anxious that stamping his feet was useless, and he hadn't even thought about this question.

"yes----"

Ouyang Jin was also stunned. "Who is he protecting?"

Upon learning the secret that Kuang Zhenyue would rather die than reveal, Li Fu considered a startling possibility and quickly said, "Bring Kuang Zhenyue in immediately, I have questions for him!"

In the blink of an eye, Kuang Zhenyue was taken into the room.

He knew his biggest secret had been exposed. His face turned ashen, and he stopped struggling, becoming like a walking corpse.

"Master Kuangwu,"

The door wasn't closed properly, and under the curious gazes of the people outside peeking inside, Li Fu's expression was solemn, his eyes sharp as lightning, staring intently at Guo Zhenyue.

"At this point, it's no use hiding it anymore. You risked everything to set the house on fire; who were you trying to protect?"

He spoke very quickly, without wasting a word, and demanded answers in a stern voice.

"But for your so-called wife, Zhou Qiutang?!"

Ouyang Jin, who had just released Kuang Zhenyue's speech acupoint so that he could answer, was stunned upon hearing this: "Zhou Shi? How is that possible! Does Officer Li suspect that Zhou Shi is a man?"

But she clearly—"

Zhou Qiutang has a slender figure and a well-defined chest; how could she be a man?

Li Fu said in a deep voice, "You've forgotten that there is a type of person in this world, a hermaphrodite, or a person with two forms."

The so-called hermaphrodites or people with two forms are people who are born with deformities and possess both male and female characteristics.

While this is not common knowledge in the eyes of ordinary people, it is not uncommon.

This condition is recorded in many medical books and is known to all medical practitioners.

Buddhist precepts also explicitly mention this, such as the Mahasanghika Vinaya, which stipulates that "two types of people" are not allowed to leave home and receive ordination.

Kuang Zhenyue shuddered, the last glimmer of light in his eyes extinguished, and he murmured, "Since you've already guessed—why ask?"

"not good!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Li Fu's expression changed drastically. Without further delay, disregarding everything else, he turned and rushed out of the room, heading straight for the villa where the women lived!