Chapter 123: Kindness and Righteousness

In the evening, a faint fragrance permeated the study room of Pan's mansion. Sandalwood was burning slowly in the incense burner, and the curling green smoke was soothing and calming.

At this moment, Pan Chuba looked very old. After all, he was old and had been very busy recently. He had to make all the decisions for the Pan family. If this continued, he would inevitably be exhausted both physically and mentally and would not be able to carry on alone.

Under the dim lights, Liu Xunyi, Luo Ningyu, Lin Fangda and Pan Chuba sat opposite each other. The atmosphere was quiet and their minds were peaceful.

Pan Chuba tried his best to maintain his sleepy spirit and smiled faintly: "If it weren't for the support of the Xianwang Mansion, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have the chance to fight the Qin family fairly."

Luo Ningyu smiled and said softly, "Don't worry, Mr. Pan, on the first day of March next year, my father will definitely bring people to Shaolin to personally help the Pan family."

Pan Chuba nodded gently, then turned to ask Liu Xunyi, "When do you plan to return to Luoyang? I have prepared some small gifts, and I hope you can pass them on to Lord Luo."

"Senior, you are too polite!" Liu Xunyi said with a smile, "Now that your birthday has passed and the candidate to fight against the Qin family has been decided, we have decided to set off for Luoyang early the day after tomorrow."

"Alright!" Pan Chuba nodded slightly, not trying to persuade him to stay any longer. "When I get back, I'll convey my gratitude to Palace Master Luo and say that I owe him another favor."

"take note of it."

Pan Chuba stared at Liu Xunyi with a half-smile on his face, and said with emotion: "Young people are indeed to be feared. It is a great honor for me to meet Young Master Liu. The Xianwang Mansion is really full of hidden talents. No wonder it has achieved its current prosperity."

Liu Xunyi said modestly: "Senior, your words make me feel deeply honored. It is also a great honor for me to have met a hero like you in my life."

"Ha ha……"

Pan Chuba seemed to be very pleased with Liu Xunyi's compliment and couldn't help laughing. He glanced at Liu Xunyi and the other two and suddenly asked, "Pan Wu, Pan Chun, and He Hu. This morning, the three of them have demonstrated their martial arts. What do you think?"

"Each of you has your own abilities and methods." Luo Ningyu apologized with a smile, "How could you forget, Senior? You have already asked this question this morning."

Pan Chuba laughed at himself and shook his head, saying, "There were so many people around at that time, so you couldn't help but be cautious when speaking, and you had to give them three some face. Now I ask again because I want to hear your true words."

After these words were spoken, Liu Xunyi and the other two could not help but look at each other, with a hint of suspicion in their eyes.

"Young Master Liu, I heard that you have fought against the three heroes of the Qin family. I want to hear your opinion." Pan Chuba said seriously, "How do the three people I chose compare with the three heroes of the Qin family?"

"This..." Liu Xunyi hesitated for a long time and said in deep thought, "Senior Pan Wu and Senior He Hu, their martial arts are not much different from the Qin Clan's Three Heroes, or they are on par with them. However, Pan Chun... is slightly inferior, he is no match for the Qin Clan's Three Heroes."

Pan Chuba nodded and said, "I wonder what the status of the Qin's three heroes is in the Qin family? Where does their martial arts rank?"

"Although the three heroes of the Qin family were born in a commoner family, they are half-brothers with Qin Ming after all. Moreover, the 'three heroes of the Qin family' are well-known and can be regarded as a signboard of the Hexi Qin family, so their status in the Qin family... should not be low." Lin Fangda pondered, "As for martial arts... I heard the palace master mention that the martial arts of the three heroes of the Qin family can only be ranked above average in the Qin family."

Pan Chuba pondered with concern and said, "In other words, if the three heroes of the Qin family come out next year, we will still be able to fight. But if the Qin family sends out more powerful masters, the result will be..." He did not continue speaking, and Liu Xunyi and the other two naturally did not say much, and could only sigh in unison.

Seeing Pan Chuba's gloomy expression, Luo Ningyu hurriedly comforted him, "Don't worry, Mr. Pan Ba, as long as my father is here, he will never let Hexi Qin's family embarrass the Pan family."

Lin Fang cried and added, "But 'Xuan Shui Volume 2' might be... Actually, I've been looking for an opportunity to persuade Master Ba. Since the Pan family has withdrawn from the underworld, why do you have to keep the 'Xuan Shui Volume 2'? Why not throw the hot potato to the Qin family so that you can live a stable life in the future?"

"I have thought about what Young Master Lin said, too." Pan Chuba sighed, "But 'Xuan Shui Xia Juan' is the legacy of my master, and it is related to the honor and disgrace of Guihai Dao Sect. How can I let it go easily? I have done many wrong things in the first half of my life, so I have been trying to make up for my mistakes in the second half of my life. In my heart, life and death are not a big deal, and morality is as great as heaven! If the Hexi Qin family gets what they want, where is the morality of the martial arts world? Where is the fairness of the world? How can I face my master and the successive leaders of Guihai Dao Sect after I die?"

"But as long as the Qin family doesn't get the 'Xuan Shui Xia Juan', they won't give up." Luo Ningyu advised, "Even if the Pan family escapes this time, will the Qin family really keep their promise not to harass the Pan family for a hundred years? I don't think so. To be disrespectful, if Master Pan Ba ​​was still alive, perhaps the Qin family wouldn't dare to go too far. But if Master Pan Ba ​​were to have any misfortune in the future, how would the descendants of the Pan family fight against the Qin family? The Pan family can keep the 'Xuan Shui Xia Juan' for three to five years, but not necessarily for thirty to fifty years."

"I have anticipated this. As long as I am here, I will defend it to the death. Once something happens to me, the descendants of the Pan family will not be able to protect it. Therefore, before I die, I will entrust the "Xuan Shui Xia Juan" to the hands of others. I would rather die than let the Qin family succeed." Pan Chuba said righteously.

"Others?" Luo Ningyu asked back, "May I ask what 'others' Mr. Pan is referring to..."

"Your father is the Northern Sage King Luo Tianjin." Pan Chuba said frankly, "After I retired to Yingchuan, I no longer had any dealings with people in the martial arts world, but I only made friends with your father. Your father is not only qualified to accept the "Xuanshui Lower Volume", but also has the ability to protect it. Although the martial arts world is large, there are not many forces that the Hexi Qin family is afraid of. And the Sage King's Mansion is definitely one of them."

At this point in the casual conversation, a terrible thought suddenly came to Liu Xunyi's mind. He wondered if Luo Tianjin had planned to make friends with Pan Chuba? Was he here for the "Xuan Shui Xia Juan" from the beginning?

As soon as this thought came to his mind, Liu Xunyi immediately cursed himself in his heart for 'judging others by one's own mean character'. He should never, ever, speculate about others in this way, especially about Luo Tianjin who had been so kind to him.

"Perhaps..." Pan Chuba's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Without waiting for Luo Ningyu and the other two to ask about his concern, he quietly said, "Perhaps this day will come soon." "What do you mean by this, senior?" Liu Xunyi heard a deep sense of sadness and desolation in Pan Chuba's words. At the same time, an ominous premonition gradually surged into his heart.

"You are old and strong now. If you keep your mind pure and desire few, cultivate your body and mind, you will surely live longer and be as green as a pine tree. Why do you suddenly say these unlucky words?"

Hearing Liu Xunyi's words, Pan Chuba didn't know whether he was moved by him or sad for himself. His eyes suddenly darkened, and he smiled bitterly and waved his hands, saying: "I only hope that if something happens to me in the future, the Xianwang Mansion can try its best to protect the descendants of my Pan family from the disaster of extermination under the threat of Hexi Qin's family. That's enough."

"Don't worry, Mr. Pan. You and my father are friends regardless of age. Even if... even if something happens to Mr. Pan, my father will never sit idly by and watch the Qin family bully the weak. As long as my Xianwang Mansion is here, the descendants of the Pan family will be able to rest easy." Luo Ningyu seemed to be moved by the old man in front of her, and she immediately vowed to agree to Pan Chuba's request.

"That's great! Very great!" Pan Chuba sighed as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders, and then, using the excuse of being tired, he greeted Luo Ningyu and the other two and said goodbye.

On the way out of the study, Luo Ningyu and Lin Fangda kept lamenting the hardships and difficulties of Pan Chuba. However, Liu Xunyi walked behind them without saying a word, frowning and looking thoughtful.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Lin Fangda noticed that Liu Xunyi was acting strangely and asked, "Are you still thinking about what Mr. Pan Ba ​​said just now?"

Liu Xunyi looked solemn, and slowly said, "Did you... notice anything strange about Mr. Pan tonight?"

"Strange?" Luo Ningyu and Lin Fangda shook their heads and asked in unison, "What's strange?"

"It seems like there's something else he's saying, but he's hesitant to say it." Liu Xunyi pondered, "His conversation tonight didn't seem like he was just chatting with us, especially the last few sentences, which gave me the feeling that it was more like... entrusting an orphan to someone else!"

"Trust us?" Lin Fangda exclaimed, "Are you saying that Mr. Pan is leaving us a will?"

"It's not for us, but for the Lord of the Mansion to hear through our ears." Liu Xunyi said, "Think about it carefully. With Mr. Pan's shrewdness and experience, how could he not guess how big the gap is between the Pan family and the Qin family today? The Qin family is still one of the four great families in the martial arts world, and no matter how hard the Pan family tries, it is just a merchant. The two are going to compete in martial arts to determine the success or failure, and there is no need to guess who is stronger and who is weaker. No matter how hard Pan Wu, He Hu, and Pan Chun practice, they can never compete with the masters of the Hexi Qin family. Otherwise, one of the four great families in the martial arts world today would not be the Hexi Qin family, but the Yingchuan Pan family."

"That makes sense." Lin Fangda nodded, not quite understanding. "In fact, I have never figured it out. If anyone can easily defeat the Qin family's masters after practicing martial arts for a few years, how could the Hexi Qin family stand firm in the martial arts world for so many years?"

"Let's not talk about Pan Wu and Pan Chun this morning. Just think about He Hu. Although he agreed very readily, he was absent-minded the whole time. He seemed to be unaware that he was about to face a bloody battle in which he would either die or be injured." Liu Xunyi hesitated, "But why did he act so relaxed? He is the head escort of Longwei Escort Agency and has been traveling around the world for many years. It would be fine if others didn't know about the Hexi Qin Clan, but he couldn't have been unaware of it. Since he knew that he was about to face a top-notch master, how could he be so calm?"

"what do you mean……"

"I guess He Hu has already predicted that the Pan family has no chance of winning the Shaolin battle next year." Liu Xunyi said bluntly, "And the reason why he wants to fight even though he knows he can't win can only be two reasons. First, he is willing to go through fire and water for the Pan family and face death with equanimity, but if so, he can't act so relaxed and casual. Second, he can get many benefits from this trip, and these benefits... are most likely promised to him by Mr. Pan Ba."

"What does the Pan family have?" Luo Ningyu pondered, "Master Pan will not give him the 'Xuan Shui Volume 2', right? And the Pan family seems to have money besides the sword manual. I think no matter how greedy He Hu is, he won't risk his life for money, right?"

"Money is only the first benefit. Besides that, there may be a second benefit." Liu Xunyi speculated, "Perhaps Mr. Pan has made a promise to him that his life will be safe during the trip to Shaolin next year. That's why He Hu came back, and acted so calmly. After all, He Hu is the son-in-law of the Pan family and the chief escort of the Longwei Escort Agency. He still has to have some face. Now that his father-in-law is in trouble, if he doesn't show up, it will only damage the dignity of the Longwei Escort Agency in the world."

"This..." Hearing Liu Xunyi's words, Luo Ningyu and Lin Fangda suddenly felt a chill on their backs.

Luo Ningyu asked suspiciously, "Why did Mr. Pan promise that his life would be safe? It's not that I underestimate Mr. Pan, but since he would rather die than hand over the "Xuan Shui Xia Juan", with his current abilities, it seems that he has no ability to ask the Hexi Qin family to kill or not kill people, right?"

"Even though Mr. Pan doesn't have this ability, the Xianwang Mansion does." Liu Xunyi said with a wry smile, "You might as well recall that just now in the study, Mr. Pan hoped that the Xianwang Mansion could save the lives of the Pan family's descendants from being massacred by the Hexi Qin family. And... it was you, Ningyu, who agreed to it personally."

"Hearing you say that..." Luo Ningyu frowned, thinking quickly about Liu Xunyi's words in her mind, and hesitated, "Could it be that Mr. Pan knows... that the Pan family will definitely lose?"

"That's right." Liu Xunyi nodded, "So Mr. Pan's real plan is to sacrifice himself to end the feud between the two families when necessary, and hand over the "Xuan Shui Xia Juan" to the Xianwang Mansion, and then the Xianwang Mansion will come forward to protect the rest of the Pan family."

"That's right!" Lin Fangda suddenly realized, "I now finally understand what Mr. Pan meant by 'this day is coming soon'. It turns out that he has already arranged everything. If he can fight, he will fight to the death. If he really can't win, he will die in public to show his determination, and this day is... the first day of March next year?"

"Why would he do this?" Luo Ningyu was puzzled. She shook her head and sighed, "He didn't have to die..."

"Because he doesn't want to betray Guihai Dao Sect for his family, nor does he want to harm his family for Guihai Dao Sect. If the Pan family loses, if he doesn't die and doesn't want to hand over the 'Xuanshui Volume 2', he will definitely be in the wrong, and the Palace Master will not be able to come forward and make excuses for him. On the other hand, the Qin family will definitely pursue him relentlessly, and may even massacre the entire Pan family in a rage." Liu Xunyi's eyes flashed with admiration, and he sighed bitterly, "In order to resolve the grudge, this may be the best way he can think of. By doing this, he has more or less given an explanation to the Pan family, the Qin family, the Guihai Dao Sect, and even the Xianwang Mansion!"

"If that's the case, then why send people to fight? Isn't that a waste of effort?"

"No! First, the competition is held according to the rules of Guihai Dao Sect. Mr. Pan Ba ​​is reluctant to disrupt it because of their old friendship. Second, Mr. Pan Ba ​​wants to take this opportunity to hone the descendants of the Pan family and let them experience hardships so that they can understand the principle of prosperity and decline together, so that the Pan family can be more harmonious in the future. Third, although Mr. Pan Ba ​​is ready to die, he actually has a glimmer of hope in a situation where he is doomed to die." Liu Xunyi said dimly, "That is, defeating the Qin family in an upright manner! If the Pan family can defeat the Qin family, although it cannot be worry-free forever, Mr. Pan Ba ​​can live to the end of his life in peace. In the future, if he entrusts his son to the Xianwang Mansion, the outcome will be the same. However, based on the three people selected today, Mr. Pan Ba's hope of "a glimmer of hope" is extremely slim, or even... does not exist at all."

……

　Keep working hard and hope tomorrow will be better!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)