Bat Prince, roaming the heavens

"Xiaoyun! My son!"

Lin Shiyin held Long Xiaoyun, who was lying on the ground howling in agony and whose face was covered in blood, and she seemed to have gone mad.

With her husband dying tragically before her eyes and her son's eyes being gouged out, this usually gentle and delicate extraordinary woman was finally driven to the brink of despair.

She suddenly raised her head, her originally sorrowful and melancholy eyes now burning with overwhelming hatred as she stared intently at Yuan Suiyun, who was dressed in black.

Lin Shiyin completely turned against Yuan Suiyun. She trembled all over, her voice shrill like a cuckoo crying blood, "Yuan Suiyun, Young Master Yuan! He's just a child! You killed his father, and then you crippled him and blinded him! How are you any different from that wicked Plum Blossom Bandit, with your brutality?!"

Lin Shiyin's denunciation resounded like thunder within the Cold Fragrance Pavilion.

"A doting mother often spoils her son," Yuan Suiyun couldn't help but sigh softly.

Long Xiaoyun started killing people at the age of seven. He was ruthless and cruel, indiscriminately killing innocent people. He didn't even take the 'Blood Sword' Yin Wuji, who had killed countless people, seriously.

Lin Shiyin must have played a significant role in raising such a scourge.

In Lin Shiyin's eyes, it seems that no reason in this world is as important as her son's safety. No matter what heinous crimes Long Xiaoyun has committed, he will always be just a pure child who needs protection.

Zhao Zhengyi and Gongsun Moyun, who were standing to the side, were so frightened by Lin Shiyin's audacity to confront this god of death that their faces turned pale and their eyes almost popped out.

"Madam Long, you are mistaken." Zhao Zhengyi suddenly stood up. "That shameless scoundrel Long Xiaoyun colluded with Lin Xian'er to frame Li Tanhua, and even deceived us. Even if Young Master Yuan doesn't kill him, I, Zhao Zhengyi, will be the first to not let him go."

As for Young Master Long… how dare he plot against Young Master Yuan! What a vicious heart he possesses! Young Master Yuan spared his life despite past grievances—that's already an immense act of kindness! Madam Lin, how can you be so ungrateful and slanderous?!

Gongsun Moyun hurriedly echoed, "Hero Zhao is absolutely right! Young Master, you are truly righteous! You are ridding the martial world of a scourge; your merit is immeasurable! Lin Shiyin, stop your nonsense here!"

These two are truly masters of opportunism.

Seeing that the situation was now settled, he immediately chose to stand on Yuan Suiyun's side, even going so far as to bully Lin Shiyin and Long Xiaoyun, a pair of orphans and widows.

Even though Yuan Suiyun knew the true nature of these "heroes," he was disgusted by this sudden fawning.

There are plenty of hypocrites in the world, but there are very few spineless people who can be so smooth in their changes of heart and so shameless in their greed.

"I can understand Madam Lin's protectiveness of her son. But you people who bully orphans and widows are truly disgusting."

Before he finished speaking, Yuan Suiyun flashed and appeared in front of Zhao Zhengyi and the other man.

Zhao Zhengyi and Gongsun Moyun's expressions changed drastically. Their fawning smiles were still frozen on their old faces, and their pupils didn't even have time to contract before they felt the air in front of them suddenly become suffocated, and an overwhelming pressure rushed towards them.

Bang!Bang!

A heavy impact suddenly rang out.

Before anyone could even see how Yuan Suiyun made his move, Zhao Zhengyi and Gongsun Moyun, who had been pointing and gesturing just moments before, were now like two helpless dead dogs, flung into the air by Yuan Suiyun's powerful palm strike, coughing up blood.

"He deserves to die!" Ding Chengfeng said indignantly.

"Amitabha."

Just when everyone in Xingyun Manor thought Yuan Suiyun was about to unleash a massacre, a loud and steady Buddhist chant suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

The chanting of Buddhist prayers, like the morning bell and evening drum, instantly silenced the noise and restlessness of everyone in the courtyard.

"Amitabha--"

The Buddhist chants, like the resounding toll of a bell, rolled in from outside the courtyard, instantly calming the tense atmosphere of impending conflict within the Cold Fragrance Pavilion.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw five gray-robed monks wearing straw sandals and white socks slowly walking in from outside the hall.

The man in the lead had white hair and beard, resembling silver threads, but his face was still rosy with a hint of white, and his eyes were bright and piercing, exuding a powerful aura.

He is none other than Master Xinmei, who is currently ranked second among the seven chief monks of Shaolin.

Xinmei entered the courtyard, not even glancing at Zhao Zhengyi and the other man who were lying on the ground. Instead, she went straight to Yuan Suiyun, who was dressed in black, put her hands together, and bowed slightly.

"This humble monk, Xinmei, greets Master Yuan."

Upon hearing this address, Yuan Suiyun was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "This is the first time I've heard this address."

The group seemed to have already experienced enough shocks tonight, and even when they heard Xinmei, the Dharma protector of Shaolin Temple, refer to himself as a humble monk, they did not show any unusual expression.

"I had the honor of meeting the former master of the manor thirty years ago. Although he has passed away, I see today that you, young master, possess an extraordinary demeanor and have the same charm as the former master. The rise of Wuzheng Manor is unstoppable, so I must address you as master." Xinmei lowered her head slightly, her tone calm and polite.

Ding Bai and Peng Qihu exchanged a glance, inwardly cursing. This Shaolin monk really knows how to talk. Why didn't they think of that way of addressing him? This old monk Xinmei beat them to it and flattered Yuan Suiyun and Wuzheng Manor.

Yuan Suiyun, however, remained unperturbed, saying, "Master, you've traveled a hundred miles from Mount Song; surely you didn't come just to tell me that I'm old enough to inherit the family business?"

"Amitabha, Master Yuan is a man of few words." Xinmei put her hands together and bowed deeply. "This humble monk has come on the orders of my senior brother, the abbot, to express my gratitude to Master Yuan."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Yuan Suiyun was slightly puzzled, after all, in the original work, Xinmei appeared because she received a message by carrier pigeon, and came because her lay disciple Qin Chong was seriously injured.

"Amitabha, the former master of the manor is unaware of something."

Master Xinmei clasped his hands together, sighed deeply, and his old face was full of compassion and lament: "Our temple has suffered a great calamity this time, all because of that Bai Xiaosheng who harbored evil intentions. This thief has been eyeing our Shaolin's most precious treasure, the 'Damo Yijinjing,' for a long time, and has secretly used his schemes to steal the scripture and wreak havoc on Shaolin!"

Now that Bai Xiaosheng has fallen into the hands of the former master, the entire Shaolin Temple is filled with gratitude. This humble monk has come not only to express gratitude to the former master, but also to ask, with great shame, whether the former master ever saw the original copy of our temple's *Damo Yijinjing* on that villain's person.

Hearing Xinmei pin the blame on Bai Xiaosheng, Yuan Suiyun smiled slightly, knowing what was going on.

Presumably, it's a family scandal that shouldn't be aired in public. Xin Jian, one of the seven chief monks, has become a traitor, and this matter would severely damage Shaolin's reputation if it were to be revealed.

Moreover, Xinmei's actions demonstrate her deep understanding of the ways of the world.

If Xinmei insists that the scriptures were taken from Xinjian of Shaolin Temple by Yuan Suiyun, then Yuan Suiyun would become a thief who provoked Shaolin.

But now Xinmei insists that the scriptures were stolen by Bai Xiaosheng, and that Yuan Suiyun was just "double-crossing" Bai Xiaosheng, so the nature of the crime has completely changed.

Shaolin not only cleared Yuan Suiyun of any involvement in his nighttime intrusion, but also elevated him to the position of benefactor who "helped Shaolin recover its lost property."

Shaolin Temple gave him so much face simply because they hoped that Yuan Suiyun would respect the rules of the martial arts world and return the scriptures.

As for whether Yuan Suiyun had "seen" the contents of the document, Shaolin Temple can pretend not to know.

This Tai Chi move was incredibly skillful, befitting a master who has led the martial arts world for centuries. Even if the strength of the contemporary generation is slightly weaker, the wisdom of the martial arts world is certainly not lacking.

As soon as Xinmei finished speaking, the air in the entire Lengxiang Xiaozhu seemed to freeze instantly.

The righteous figures in the martial arts world around them looked at each other in disbelief, their hearts filled with a tremendous upheaval.

What shocked and amazed them was not only that Shaolin's treasures had once been stolen, but also that Bai Xiaosheng, the world-renowned "martial arts strategist," had actually committed such a heinous crime behind the scenes!

Does this confirm that Lin Xian'er is the Plum Blossom Thief?

Everyone was even more curious whether Yuan Suiyun would hand over the secret manual he had obtained.