CH 75

That night, Fang Ping laid down on his bed while deliberating the Stronghold Master’s case. When he first discovered the Stronghold Master’s body, he could not believe his eyes and was too startled to do anything. Only after some time had passed did he come back to his senses and called someone for help. He remembered clutching the Stronghold Master’s body tightly until almost every inch of his robe was stained with his blood, unable to accept that such tragedy had occurred. He recalled peering around the study aimlessly, while his mind was filled with muddled thoughts. The servants and disciples had reached the study soon after, while Lady Lee was the last to arrive.

The study is not far from her courtyard. Why did she arrive so late?

Initially, he did not delve further into the matter. Now, after his suspicions of her grew, the more he recalled the events of that day, the more skeptical he felt toward her. Moreover, a long time had passed since the Stronghold Master last mentioned his wife to him.

Could it be that their relationship had fallen apart?

He envisaged the scene of the murder in his mind, recalling how he knew the Stronghold Master was dead when he hugged his cold body. But at the time, he stubbornly refused to let him go as if he was afraid that he would really be gone forever if he did. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he remembered there was a clamour of voices, asking what had happened. Fu Yan had ordered a few capable disciples to join him and inspect the stronghold grounds, while Lady Lee was in tears, shrieking and hollering incessantly, “Who had done such a thing? Is it the Jiuling Taoist?”

She continued and spoke of the longstanding enmity between the Stronghold Master and the Jiuling Taoist which had worsened in recent days. She also mentioned that the Stronghold Master intended to have a showdown with him, to settle the score once and for all.

Fang Ping remembered Lady Lee standing before him, with tears streaming down her face, interrogating him, “Did you see anyone?”

He shook his head in response. At the time, he was still feeling rather confused about what had happened, tears that welled up in his eyes clouded his vision of her face. He did tell her, however, that after he pushed open the door, he had spotted the Stronghold Master lying on the ground, unmoving, and that he blamed himself greatly for failing to see the murderer.

“But this had just happened! How could you not have seen anything else?” Her shrill tone was like a sharp needle, punctured deep within his memory. “You must have heard something! If someone attacked the Stronghold Master, you must have heard them shouting, or the at least sound of their weapons clanking against each other! Uncle Fang, you definitely would have heard something!” The grief and despair in her voice prompted him to think he should have heard or seen something. He would be disappointing the Stronghold Master, as he was the earliest to reach the murder scene, but had failed to obtain any clues.

“It must be him! The Jiuling Taoist!” That was what Lady Lee said while sobbing. She even repeated the same sentence several times. When Fu Yan and the group of disciples came back from patrolling the grounds, she rushed forward to question if they had seen the murderer and if it was truly the Jiuling Taoist that had killed the Stronghold Master.

Fang Ping closed his eyes. This must be it. That is why I hallucinated. I believed I had truly heard the sound of bells from the weapon of the Jiuling Taoist. Because the bells were so unique, I was so sure of it.

Just as Miss Su had claimed, when he continued to recall further, after some time, he suddenly ‘remembered’ seeing the hem of a Taoist robe.

T/n: The FL had talked about the ‘lost in the mall’ experiment at the end of Chapter 72, about how another’s suggestion would prompt someone to conjure up a piece of memory and believe it, despite it not happening previously.

Fang Ping jerked up into an upright position. How embarrassing, he thought. He was not sure how to tell others about this. If he did, they would probably laugh out loud at him. How could he wholeheartedly believe assumptions made by others? He even envisaged the scenario of the assumption and gave evidence to accuse an innocent! It was his own mistake! How could he blame others for his own blunder? No one asked him to lie nor accuse the Jiuling Taoist. He did it all by himself.

Melancholy swelled in his heart. It was all his fault. He implicated an innocent, worsened the entire situation, and stirred up great disturbance and unrest across the Wulin. It was all due to his own idiocy.

I must not repeat my own mistakes. But how did she kill the Stronghold Master? He possesses great martial art skills far beyond anyone, how could he be harmed by her? And what about those blade wounds on the Stronghold Master’s body? Was there someone else assisting her perhaps?

Fang Ping could no longer sleep in peace as his doubt of Lady Lee grew more intense. He was glad he did not speak of this to anyone just yet.

But, Su Xiaopei knew I was hiding something from her. Perhaps…the true reason she showed off her skills earlier today was to assure him that she has the necessary skills to help him find the killer. Yes, that must be it. When she said that people could think better at night, does she actually mean for him to visit and discuss the matter with her during nighttime?

Fang Ping got out of bed and hastily wore his shoes. His heart raced as he paced around in his room, contemplating whether he should listen to her advice and go to her.

No matter what, I still cannot punish that bitch. The Stronghold Master’s son, the Young Master, is still a child. First, I need to find out how she managed to kill him, then probe for any inconsistencies in her story. I could offer to help teach the Young Master how to read and write and try to stay close by his side. Once the dust settles, I will avenge the Stronghold Master myself.

For now, Fang Ping decided to listen to Su Xiaopei and meet her. He would refrain from discussing what he had just planned, but he could learn the art of questioning someone from her. She mentioned certain tricks about asking the right questions and observing the person’s expression and eye movements. As this was her area of expertise, Fang Ping wished to learn more to supplement his own investigations of the Stronghold Master’s murder. He was determined to crack the case and he must find clues without anyone realising.

After he wore his robe and smoothed out the creases in his sleeves, he left his room. Suddenly, Fu Yan’s warning of the Shensuan Sect rang clear in his ears. He pondered for a moment and turned to the side houses, where he called upon two servants, Dingzi and Ma’er to follow him. All of them brought their swords, rode on their respective horses, and headed toward Su Xiaopei’s guesthouse.

When they were halfway there, they had to pass through a narrow street that was shrouded in pitch darkness. Abruptly, a group of masked men donned in black attire appeared from the dark. One of them hollered, “Bastard Fang! You have finally shown yourself! Your blood debt must be repaid with blood! An eye for an eye!”

What did he mean by blood debt? When did he ever kill someone? Fang Ping was baffled.

When the masked men raised their swords to attack, his momentary confusion caused him to react more slowly than usual. Fortunately, Dingzi and Ma’er rushed to his side to deflect the masked men’s swords.

As they fought, their weapons clanged loudly, jolting Fang Ping back to his senses. He realised one of the masked men had sneaked up behind him, intending to slash him from the side. Before it was too late, Fang Ping swiftly turned around and ducked.

At the same time, Ma’er thrust his sword at one of the masked men who leaped away at the very last moment, but the tip of Ma’er’s sword had torn through his black garment, revealing a Taoist robe that he wore underneath.

Dingzi shouted, “They are from Shensuan Sect!”

Ma’er glanced over at the masked men and hollered angrily, “How despicable! How dare you ambush us! If you have any grievances, speak before all the righteous sects across the Wulin! How could you come up with such lowly tricks?”

The leader of the masked men chuckled sardonically. “Righteous? What a great choice of word for men like you.” As he spoke, he brandished his sword and rushed forward, aiming straight at Fang Ping.

It was late at night, and out of the six paper lanterns hanging from the entrance of the Qisha Stronghold, only three were still brightly lit, suggesting that everyone within the stronghold was asleep.

Suddenly, a horse galloped at full speed toward the entrance, stopping just by the door, and its rider hopped off and pounded on the door.

“I am Xiao Qi, the eldest disciple of Xuanqing Sect. I have urgent matters to inform Great Swordsman Fu.”

When the doormen heard who he was, he quickly opened the door and let him in. Then, the doormen ran off to find Fu Yan, who arrived soon after. 

Xiao Qi bowed toward Fu Yan and spoke, “Great Swordsman Fu, I am here to tell you that Great Swordsman Fang of your respected stronghold was ambushed while he was walking through a street. He was greatly injured and sought help at the guesthouse where my fellow disciples are staying. My master had rescued him and ordered me to come here to inform you.”

Fu Yan widened his eyes in shock. “How could this happen?” He rushed back to his house, gathered a few disciples, and followed Xiao Qi to the guesthouse.

When they arrived at the guesthouse, they noticed it was rather noisy in the backyard. This was because Jiang Weiying had brought along quite a number of men, who were all assigned to stay overnight in the backyard to prevent disturbing other guests on the upper floors of the guesthouse. At present, his arrangement was helpful to the situation. After Fu Yan greeted Jiang Weiying, the latter guided him into a small guestroom, revealing a sickly-looking Fang Ping who was resting inside. His eyes were closed and his face was pallid. There were multiple wounds on his body that were already properly bandaged and treated, but crimson-red blood could be seen seeping through the cloth.

Fu Yan’s face darkened, his expression a mix of fury and shock at the sight. “What happened? Who harmed him? He was alright earlier today, why did he end up like this?” He bellowed.

“Great Swordsman Fang told us that people from Shensuan Sect had ambushed him on his way here. Apart from him, two other disciples of your stronghold were also badly injured. Great Swordsman Fang risked his life to defend them and managed to kill all of the ambushers. As he was already near the guesthouse, he rushed over here to seek help.” Jiang Weiying gestured to the guestroom next door. “The other two wounded disciples are resting in another room. We have already examined the dead bodies of the attackers. They are, indeed, wearing the robes of Shensuan Sect.”

“What else did Uncle Fang say?”

“He only managed to speak of what I have mentioned before collapsing to the ground. After we tended to his injuries, we asked a few disciples for the exact location of the incident to rescue the other two disciples and bring back the bodies.”

“Where are the bodies now?” Fu Yan asked.

“By the entrance of the woodshed at the back.”

“Please take me there, Sect Leader Jiang.”

Jiang Weiying wasted no time to bring him there. The bodies were placed in front of the woodshed and the collars of their black garments were ripped apart, uncovering their Taoist robes underneath. Fu Yan frowned as he looked over the corpses, then he berated in a deep, angry tone, “Bastard men of Shensuan Sect! I warned Uncle Fang earlier today that he must take utmost caution if he leaves the stronghold. I did not expect he would still fall right into their trap.”

Jiang Weiying said, “Do not worry, Great Swordsman Fu. As I bear witness to this case, I will surely not stand by and do nothing. I have asked my disciples to make the necessary arrangements to bring these bodies back to Wu Town, in order for me to interrogate Shensuan Sect directly in the name of Xuanqing Sect. Rest assured, Great Swordsman Fu, I will ensure they give a satisfactory explanation for all of this.”

Fu Yan bowed to him in response. “Sect Leader Jiang, since this is a blatant attack against us, the Qisha Stronghold, do let us settle this matter instead.”

Jiang Weiying disagreed. “We all know about the complicated history between Qisha Stronghold and the Shensuan Sect, Great Swordsman Fu. As Shensuan Sect insists that Jiuling Taoist was wrongfully accused, they must have come to avenge him by attempting to assassinate Great Swordsman Fang. If I do not interfere, I am afraid that this matter would result in great unrest across the jianghu and relentless conflict between various sects, which is something all of us do not wish to see happen. I offer my sympathies to you, Great Swordsman Fu, for the troubles you have gone through, but please be patient and persuade the other sects to not act rashly as well. I, representing Xuanqing Sect, will strive to seek justice on behalf of Great Swordsman Fang with the help of other sects. We will definitely see to it that Shensuan Sect gives a proper explanation for this matter.”

Upon listening to Jiang Weiying’s words, Fu Yan could not find the right words to object, nor insist on his own plans any longer. Later, he followed Jiang Weiying to visit the injured Dingzi and Ma’er. Both of them lost consciousness after each taking a blow in their heads and had just woken up not long ago. They were ecstatic to see Fu Yan and immediately reported about the ambush by Shensuan Sect. Fu Yan comforted them and said he was fully informed of the matter already. Then two disciples began to worry about Fang Ping. They anxiously asked where he was and whether he was alright. Fu Yan told them that Fang Ping was gravely wounded and is being treated in the room next to them.

Fu Yan spent some time talking to the two disciples until they had calmed down. When he left the guestroom, he glanced over at the courtyard and noticed a few disciples of the Xuanqing Sect were lifting the corpses up into a horse carriage.

“Are they leaving now?” Fu Yan questioned.

Fu Yan nodded as well and said a brief word of thanks to Jiang Weiying. Then, he repeated his thanks again, for rescuing Fang Ping in the nick of time. He also stated that he wished to bring Fang Ping and the two disciples back to the Qisha Stronghold, to which Jiang Weiying had agreed.

But, Jiang Weiying suddenly said, “I am worried that there will be more disturbances at your esteemed stronghold now that we know Shensuan Sect is determined to kill to get what they want. So, I have a favour to ask of you, Great Swordsman Fu. Will it be alright for you to also bring along two of my own disciples to stay over at your esteemed stronghold for two days? With my disciples stationed there, no other sects would stir up trouble, for my sake. What do you think, Great Swordsman Fu?

Fu Yan politely said, “I am beyond grateful for Sect Leader Jiang’s kindness. But, such unfortunate events had happened and I do not think we would be available to take in guests.”

“No need to treat us as proper guests. You may simply provide us with a place to stay. I must interfere in this matter concerning your esteemed stronghold, Great Swordsman Fu. I will also need to discuss this with several friends of mine. There will be times when you and Great Swordsman Fang are needed to join the discussion as well. So, if I continue to stay here in the guesthouse,  it would cause great hassle to the both of you to travel back and forth.”

Fu Yan did not wish to refuse his offer publicly in a stubborn manner. While he was contemplating how he should respond, Jiang Weiying interrupted his train of thought. “The others will continue to stay here. Only my eldest disciple, Xiao Qi, and I will stay at the stronghold.”

After pondering for another moment, Fu Yan finally agreed to Jiang Weiying’s terms.

In another guestroom, Su Xiaopei, Ran Feize, and Ji Jiawen were waiting for updates from Jiang Weiying. Suddenly, Xiao Qi entered the room. “Fu Yan has agreed. My Master and I will go back to the stronghold with them.”

Ran Feize said, “I knew it. He would lower his guard if it was just the two of them. He assumed nothing would go wrong since Sect Leader Jiang is a highly respected man revered by many. Well then, Xiao Qi, do keep in mind what we have discussed earlier.”

Xiao Qi frowned at him. “Of course. I will definitely keep my word and complete the task. It is not difficult after all.”

Bai Yulang chimed in, “Brother Xiao, do be careful and avoid making any mistakes!”

Xiao Qi and Ran Feize continued their playful bickering, ignoring the younger Bai Yulang. The latter was not discouraged and shifted his attention toward Ji Jiawen, who was looking rather disappointed in himself. Bai Yulang placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Why the sad face? It is not your fault to be terribly bad at lying. Anyone would be able to tell when you are not speaking the truth.”

Ji Jiawen shrugged off Bai Yulang’s hand and retorted, “To be able to lie and cheat others is not a skill to be proud of anyway.”

Xiao Qi and Ran Feize swiveled around and glared at Ji Jiawen. What did he just say? They both thought angrily.

Ji Jiawen immediately lowered his head and pretended he was counting the lines on his cloth shoes.

Before everyone galvanised into action, Su Xiaopei specially had them undergo a simple training session to quickly improve their lying and acting skills. Initially, they had planned for Ji Jiawen to inform Qisha Stronghold when Fang Ping was attacked, but they had abandoned that thought after hearing him practice the lines “Fang Ping was ambushed on his way to the guesthouse and his life is in danger”. Ji Jiawen had failed to lie convincingly to the point everyone could almost see an imaginary sign on his head, with the phrase “I am lying, do not trust me” written on it. Naturally, Ji Jiawen felt disheartened and even more so when he witnessed his own Master, Jiang Weiying, who could lie flawlessly and pass Su Xiaopei’s test with flying colours. 

In the end, it was Ran Feize and Xiao Qi who could lie better than the rest of them. But, Ran Feize was not a good choice as Fu Yan would be immensely wary of whatever he said. So, Xiao Qi was the best option.

Afterward, they rehearsed the entire sequence of events and Su Xiaopei further reminded them to make certain eye movements and gestures to avoid being exposed. She had no choice as she had indirectly taught Fu Yan how to determine when a person is lying when she showed off her skills earlier. So, she needed to train them with further techniques to be stronger than the opponent, to ensure that their plan would be successful.

“Is this really appropriate?” Ji Jiawen said sullenly as he could not bear but to show a little distaste at the older men who seemed to be having so much fun learning how to lie. When he spoke out loud, he had accidentally forgotten the fact that his Master and Eldest Shixiong were in it too. Then, Ji Jiawen was kicked out of Su Xiaopei’s lesson for daring to look down on others despite being the youngest of them all.

After the brief intensive training, each of them went off to execute their respective tasks. Fu Yan had reacted just as they expected and the group had achieved their first goal. The next step was to wait until Jiang Weiying and Xiao Qi had entered the stronghold, and then act according to plan.

Later, Fu Yan led a few disciples to bring Fang Ping back to Qisha Stronghold. Once he had arranged a place to stay for Jiang Weiying and Xiao Qi, he quickly summoned a few loyal subordinates and instructed, “Make your move after exiting Hulu Town. I have checked that the ones transporting the bodies are merely ordinary disciples and they are not heavily guarded. All of you must get changed into Shensuan Sect robes. Do not speak nor show your face to anyone. Leave one or two alive for them to inform the others. Burn all the corpses once you successfully retrieve them and bury the ashes without leaving any traces.”

The men nodded and left to make preparations.

When Fu Yan returned to his room, one of his other subordinates came to report, “Rest assured, Eldest Gongzi. There are enough men keeping a close watch on Sect Leader Jiang and Sir Xiao. Until now, they have remained in their respective rooms.”

Fu Yan nodded. “Pay full attention to them. Do not let them wander around the stronghold. Inform me if anything happens.”

After the man left, Fu Yan summoned Dingzi for questioning. “Speak! What happened?”

Dingzi plopped down to the ground and kneeled before Fu Yan. “Eldest Gongzi, it is my fault for being incapable. Halfway to our destination, those men came out of nowhere. We tried our best and risked our lives to defend Great Swordsman Fang. No one would have known it was all just an act. But, I accidentally got hit in the head and fainted. When I regained consciousness, I was already in the guesthouse.”

“Did you give him enough dosage of the drug?”

“I did. I noticed Uncle Fang seemed more lethargic than usual. When the masked men appeared, he reacted more slowly than he normally would and his movements were sluggish. To keep up the act, I had to try my best to fight back. I have no idea what happened after I was hit. I believe Uncle Fang fought with all his might at the very last moment and then seized an opportunity to seek help by riding on his horse to the guesthouse, which was not far away from the place where we were ambushed.”

Fu Yan’s expression was grim. He gritted his teeth and forcefully shoved all the teacups on the table to the floor. “Useless! All of you! You cannot even complete a single task!” Now, he had to carefully deal with the mess they all left him with.

Those corpses must not reach Wu Town! And that darned Fang Ping! Who knows what that demoness had told him? Sooner or later he would ruin everything, as long as he is alive! He must no longer come in contact with members of the Xuanqing Sect anymore. With his injuries, if he thought that he was going to die soon, who knows what he might say to the others? Judging from how he spoke to me earlier, I am sure he has not suspected me just yet. But, with that demoness prowling nearby, it would not be long until the truth is revealed. I need to make sure that he would not be able to speak another word again!

All these thoughts raced through Fu Yan’s mind anxiously. Uneasiness and desperation sprouted roots in all corners of his mind as he knew it would be tricky to think of a solution now that things had gotten rather out of hand. He truly hated this feeling of vulnerability.