Chapter 310: Legacy of Disaster in Jiangdong

Chapter 310: The Calamity Left Behind in Jiangdong

Wan Zangxin and I are truly in love!!

These words echoed through the grand hall, lingering without a reply.

All the Hall Masters in the hall were left dumbfounded.

What kind of occasion is this, Young Miss?

Who you are in love with has nothing to do with the current discussion!

Some couldn't help but feel exasperated.

Indeed, still a child at heart, always stirring up trouble.

Others furrowed their brows...

This matter seems unrelated, but in reality, after these words were spoken, the issue became significant.

Moreover, it has far-reaching implications.

Some things might be thrown into chaos because of this one sentence.

Among them, the most embarrassed was undoubtedly Li Zhongming.

He had been loudly proclaiming outside that his son and Wan Yilan were deeply in love, childhood sweethearts.

The matter of Wan Zangxin was entirely baseless.

Now, the Young Miss has come out with this in front of everyone.

If it were just in front of the other Hall Masters, it wouldn't be a big deal.

The issue is, Su Mo is also here.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard a 'pfft' sound—someone laughed.

Li Zhongming was immediately furious.

What kind of occasion is this, what kind of situation? How dare someone laugh!

Absolutely outrageous!

He immediately looked around to see who was so ignorant, and after the matter was settled, he would definitely give them a piece of his mind.

Upon seeing, he immediately backed down.

The one laughing was Yang Xiaoyun...

The deputy chief escort of Ziyang Escort Agency—is it his place to manage?

Then he noticed that Su Mo was also laughing.

Su Mo laughed while glancing at Li Zhongming, who felt awkward and, after a moment's thought, said:

"The Young Miss is naive and pure, easily deceived by villains, Chief Escort Su, please don't take it to heart."

"Hmm?"

Su Mo shook his head gently:

"Hall Master Li, your words have left Su Mo quite perplexed.

"Surely the young miss Wan, even if naive and innocent, knows whom she likes or dislikes?

"Furthermore..."

He paused briefly, glancing at Bei Zhangzhi:

"What the Northern Hall Lord said earlier now appears to be entirely mistaken.

"Since the young miss Wan and Wan Zangxin are truly in love, I have something I'd like to ask her..."

"Chief Escort Su, feel free to speak your mind."

Wan Yilan immediately nodded: "As long as I know the answer, I will not deceive you."

"Good."

Su Mo smiled, paused for a moment, and then spoke:

"At that time, Wusheng Hall reported that Wan Zangxin came to find you that night, intending to take you away.

"However, you refused.

"Thus, Wan Zangxin, in a fit of rage, set Wusheng Hall ablaze.

"When Su Mo heard the news at the time, I didn't pay it much heed.

"I merely thought that Wan Zangxin, as the Northern Hall Lord claimed, was delusional about the young miss Wan...

"Now that the young miss Wan has confirmed that you and Wan Zangxin are truly in love.

"Then I must ask, since you are truly in love, why didn't you run away with Wan Zangxin that night?"

Su Mo naturally knew the situation, as Wan Zangxin had not concealed it from him.

But since the topic has arisen today, it's the perfect opportunity to address it.

Su Mo previously lacked a suitable reason or excuse, but now that the young miss Wan has brought it up, it feels quite natural.

Wan Yilan's face immediately reflected sadness:

"Because... he never came to see me.

"If he had come to see me, I would have gone with him without hesitation.

"To the ends of the earth, never to be parted!

"But, but he was so cruel... he didn't even glance at me before leaving."

Hearing this, Su Mo felt somewhat helpless.

It wasn't that Wan Zangxin didn't want to see her, but the situation that night was far more complex than imagined.

He lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, then turned to Bei Zhangzhi:

"Northern Hall Lord, do you see now?"

"There was no infatuation, nor was there any shame-fueled rage.

"The two of them had never even met, period!"

Bei Zhangzhi was struck speechless.

Yet, his brows furrowed tightly:

"Since Young Miss has said so, we'll take it that Wan Zangxin did not meet with Young Miss that night.

"However, on that day, the Hall Master ordered his arrest.

"It makes sense that he set a fire to escape from Wusheng Hall."

Just as everyone was about to nod in agreement, a voice cut in:

"It's not reasonable."

Everyone knew without looking—it was Li Xuechun, kneeling to the side.

Li Zhongming glared at his son:

"What does this have to do with you, huh?"

"Dad..."

Li Xuechun sighed: "What’s ours, we take; what’s not, we can’t get even if we beg."

With that, he stood up, scanned the room, and smiled faintly:

"I originally wanted to bring my junior sister to catch the show, but as soon as Wan Zangxin was mentioned, she couldn't sit still.

"Well, since that’s how it is, I’ll throw in my two cents...

"Everyone’s saying Wan Zangxin set the fire, so let me ask this.

"During Wan Zangxin's time at Wusheng Hall, which hall did he belong to?"

"Of course, the Tenth Hall."

The Qilin Swordsman immediately replied. The drama was escalating, and now it involved Wan Zangxin, making him eager to see how it would play out.

"So... where did the fire start?"

"Close to the Fourth Hall."

Again, the Qilin Swordsman answered. As the Seventh Hall’s Hall Master, he knew these details inside out.

"Exactly right!"

Li Xuechun clapped his hands and laughed:

"The Fourth Hall isn’t a thousand miles from the Tenth Hall, but here’s the thing...

"Wusheng Hall’s layout is a series of concentric circles, spiraling inward."

"The First Hall is right next to the inner courtyard.

"The Second and Third Halls are arranged outward in sequence, though not necessarily in a neat order, but that's the general layout, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

These facts were well-known, but hearing this, they understood what Li Xuechun was getting at.

Sure enough, Li Xuechun said with a smile:

"Isn't that something?

"Wan Zangxin is from the Tenth Hall, not far from the mountain gate of Wusheng Hall.

"At that time, the hall master had just found out about the matter between him and my junior sister... The hall master immediately ordered him to be captured.

"Since he didn't go to see my junior sister, he should have fled right away.

"Even if he wanted to distract the disciples and slow down the pursuers by setting a fire, why near the Fourth Hall?

"If he set the fire near the Fourth Hall, it means his first move after learning of the hall master's order was to head toward the inner courtyard.

"But if he went there, why didn't he meet my junior sister?

"If he didn't go, why rush inside, set a fire, and then run out?

"I ask you, esteemed elders, who are far from ordinary, if this happened to you, would you act so... bizarrely?"

Unexpectedly is putting it mildly; in reality, it would be downright foolish.

Everyone here is sharp, right?

If something like this happened, you'd naturally run for it.

Even if you wanted to set a fire to distract, it should be near the Tenth Hall, or just burn the Tenth Hall itself.

Bei Zhangzhi frowned, about to speak, but then stopped himself.

But Li Xuechun noticed this and smiled lightly:

"Northern Hall Lord, are you suggesting he set the fire not to escape, but to steal the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra from the scripture repository?"

"..."

Bei Zhangzhi was at a loss for words.

Li Xuechun then said with a resigned smile:

"The scripture repository isn't in the inner courtyard, but it's not near the Fourth Hall where the fire was set.

"Setting a fire near the Fourth Hall, crossing half of Wusheng Hall... all while the hall master Wan Yutang had ordered Wan Zangxin's capture...

"What kind of skill would it take to move so freely through Wusheng Hall, with everyone after him?

"Is he Wan Zangxin, or is he Chief Escort Su?"

"If he truly had such capability, why would he not dare to see my junior sister?

"Whether emotionally or logically, this doesn't add up.

"So, pardon my boldness, but I have to say:

"The one who set the fire and stole the secret manuals in Wusheng Hall that night was probably someone else, definitely not Wan Zangxin. I urge everyone to look into this thoroughly."

This matter can't really hold up under close scrutiny. The reason it wasn't pursued in the past was that no one wanted to delve into it.

The situation in Wusheng Hall is complicated; one wrong move can upset the whole apple cart.

The effort simply isn't worth it just for Wan Zangxin.

All the blame was pinned directly on Wan Zangxin, and no one would say anything about it.

But now, things have changed...

Since the matter involves the assassin who tried to kill Ding Wugong, it naturally also involves Su Mo.

There's no way to keep this under wraps anymore.

But, let's face it, if Bei Zhangzhi hadn't stepped in and steered the matter towards Wan Zangxin and Yongye Valley, these issues wouldn't have been brought up.

Now, with everything being said, Su Mo gently coughed.

Although he is not a member of Wusheng Hall, his title as the First of Donghuang speaks for itself, and no one dares to underestimate him.

That cough instantly drew everyone's eyes.

Su Mo looked up at Deng Fengbai:

"Hall Master Deng, now that the situation has come to this, shouldn't you give an explanation?

"Since Wan Zangxin couldn't have been the one who went to the library that night, why did you... and Hall Master Rong insist that it was Wan Zangxin who did it?"

"Well..."

Deng Fengbai seemed to have something hard to say.

Rong Zhantang next to him also frowned deeply.

But the other hall masters were already staring them down.

After a long pause, Rong Zhantang suddenly banged the table:

"Damn it all!

"Since we're at this point, there's no use hiding anything now.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I saw that day.

"But there's not much to say... After all, Deng Fengbai and I were just drinking at the drum tower. Then, out of nowhere, the fourth hall went up in flames.

"Back then, Deng Fengbai and I..."

"Rong Zhantang, shut up!"

Rong Zhantang, once he starts talking, it's like firing off a cannon, spitting out a long string of words.

Deng Fengbai's attempt to stop Rong Zhantang only came out just now.

However, Rong Zhantang ignored him completely, waving his hand and saying:

"Back then, Old Deng and I were about to go put out the fire, but before we could reach the Fourth Hall, we spotted someone moving stealthily through the night, making a beeline for the library.

"This individual, cloaked in black and masked, was clearly up to no good, and we saw Qiu Chengli closely chasing after him.

"We tailed him right away...

"To our surprise, this person knew Wusheng Hall's layout like the back of his hand.

"As if he had grown up there.

"After a series of twists and turns, he nearly lost us.

"We finally cornered him at the library after a relentless chase.

"Qiu Chengli mentioned then that this guy had torched the Fourth Hall with bad intentions.

"Him emerging from the library was definitely fishy.

"That's why we jumped into a fight with him.

"But who could have guessed, this guy's kung fu was off the charts. The three of us together couldn't hold a candle to him, and Hall Master Qiu was killed right then and there.

"And the two of us... were badly hurt, left sprawled on the ground.

"Right then, if the Northern Hall Lord hadn't happened by and rescued us, we probably wouldn't be sitting here chatting today."

Hearing this, Bei Zhangzhi gave a slight wave, ready to offer some humble words, but then he stopped short.

Something about this didn't add up...

He suddenly looked up and noticed all eyes in the room were on him.

"What... what's going on here?"

Bei Zhangzhi's expression changed.

Then, from across the hall, the Eleventh Hall Master Lai Wenxiu spoke up softly:

"That day, flames erupted near the Fourth Hall of Wusheng Hall.

"Hall Master Deng and the crew spotted the black-clad figure and gave chase to the library.

"But... Hall Master Bei, your Second Hall's right next to the Fourth Hall. Why didn't you help douse the fire instead of running off to the library to play hero?"

"I... well..."

Bei Zhangzhi seemed to have something to say, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Then he exploded in anger:

"You... what do you mean by this?

"Are you suggesting that it wasn't Wan Zangxin who torched the place and swiped the scriptures that night, but yours truly, Bei Zhangzhi?"

At his question, everyone fell silent.

All of them were hall masters, peers in the same circle; even if they wanted to accuse someone, they at least needed some evidence.

How could they defame others with mere empty words?

Deng Fengbai sighed and said,

"Old Rong... you're being unreasonable!"

Rong Zhantang snorted and replied,

"I know why you say this. Ever since that incident, you've been saying something's amiss, suspecting an insider, insisting we can't alarm the snake in the grass.

"You thought it was a good opportunity to pin the blame on Wan Cangxin, drawing attention away, then investigate quietly later.

"But after all this time, there's still no clue.

"And now we have this situation. I simply can't hold it in any longer.

"Now that I've said my piece, let it be. If he admits it, fine; if not, can I force him to confess by holding his nose?"

Deng Fengbai was speechless, and the others present rolled their eyes.

Beizhang Zhi was so angry his face turned livid.

He couldn't help but shout in fury,

"How outrageous, truly outrageous!"

"I, Bei Zhangzhi, have always been loyal to Wusheng Hall and to the hall master.

"There is absolutely no truth to the accusations of arson and stealing scriptures!

"If you want to investigate, then go ahead and investigate.

"Now, you can send people to search the Second Hall to see if there are indeed any secret manuals."

"Good!"

The Kirin Swordsman jumped up eagerly.

He loved stirring up trouble.

Since arriving at Wusheng Hall, the chaos had been giving him a headache.

Today's turn of events was completely unexpected.

Bei Zhangzhi, pushed into a corner with no way out, had even suggested allowing a search of the Second Hall. Of course, the Kirin Swordsman was quick to seize the opportunity.

Seeing this, Bei Zhangzhi grew even angrier:

"Search! Hall Master Xing, search every nook and cranny! If you find nothing... Rong Zhantang, Deng Fengbai, you two had better watch your backs!!!"

"You think I’m scared of you?"

Rong Zhantang snorted with a huff and sat back down.

Deng Fengbai sighed repeatedly, "What are we to do... We should have investigated thoroughly before speaking, sigh..."

After speaking, he sat down as well, but the chair felt like it was lined with nails, making him fidgety.

The Kirin Swordsman turned on his heel and led his men out, but when passing by the Eleventh Hall Master Lai Wenxiu, his steps suddenly paused, and he glanced at Lai Wenxiu.

Lai Wenxiu, however, merely lifted her teacup and took a delicate sip, appearing entirely as if she were watching a performance.

The Kirin Swordsman gave a slight nod, his gaze inadvertently flicking to Su Mo again, who remained calm and composed, even smiling at the unfolding scene.

"What are you laughing at?"

The Kirin Swordsman cursed in his heart, always feeling that Su Mo had no good intentions. Only then did he lead people out.

The hall became quiet again for a while.

The assassin possessed the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra and the secret arts of the Eternal Night Valley.

But tracing the origins of the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra pointed in different directions.

Now, continuing this topic was proving difficult.

Li Zhongming pondered for a moment before suggesting to Su Mo, "Perhaps we should wait for Hall Master Xing for a bit?"

"No need for that."

Su Mo waved his hand dismissively and turned his gaze to the assassin across from him:

"You still haven't answered the question I asked earlier. Regardless of who stole the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra that night, where did you pick up the Shadowcraft of the Eternal Night Valley?"

"..."

The assassin, having rested and observed the proceedings for some time, now heard Su Mo's question again and responded without hesitation, stating bluntly:

"Naturally, I learned it from our Hall Master, Wan Yutang."

"You're spouting nonsense..."

Bei Zhangzhi, who had been suppressing a bellyful of anger, couldn't help but jump up again upon hearing this.

He was typically a composed and measured individual, but now he had clearly lost his cool.

"You... are just throwing out wild accusations, like some rabid dog, utterly despicable.

"How on earth could the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall know the secret arts of the Eternal Night Valley!?

"Your words are utterly absurd!!"

"The Hall Master of Wusheng Hall... naturally, does not know the secret arts of the Eternal Night Valley."

The assassin, however, sneered coldly:

"But, Northern Hall Lord, are you absolutely certain that the person meditating in seclusion on the back mountain is indeed your Hall Master of Wusheng Hall?"

"You..."

Bei Zhangzhi was stunned: "What do you mean?"

The assassin shook his head lightly:

"I don't know anything beyond what I've been told. Ask me anything, and I'll answer.

"My Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra was passed down to me by Hall Master Wan Yutang, and the Shadowcraft was also taught to me by this same Hall Master.

"It was he who ordered me to kill Ding Wugong.

"He was also the one who founded the Dark Hall...

"This is all I know. Beyond that, I'm merely an assassin, not Wan Yutang's trusted lieutenant.

"How could I know all that?"

After finishing his words, he simply looked at Su Mo:

"Now, I've spoken all that must be spoken, Chief Escort Su. If there's anything else you wish to know, just ask.

"If not, I implore Chief Escort Su to honor your promise and grant me a swift end!"

Witnessing this, Su Mo couldn't suppress a faint smile, his heart stirred with emotion.

What a cunning plan to shift the blame!

This Madam Wan has her eyes firmly set on Wusheng Hall.