Chapter 372 Like a fish in water
"Xiaoxiao, what is the connection between Tianjin and the Lord of Jueqing Valley?"

At this time, Qingfeng, Ling Xiaoxiao and Luo Ningyu were the only three people left in Zixiao Palace.

Ling Xiaoxiao was in a trance, absent-minded, and did not respond to Qingfeng's questioning. Luo Ningyu saw it and was anxious. She was worried about her mother and her father who was far away in Luoyang. She didn't know the truth, and when she heard that Luo Tianjin might have had an affair, she was inevitably nervous and timid, with mixed feelings, and it took her a long time to recover.

"Xiaoxiao!" Seeing Ling Xiaoxiao's absent-minded look, Qingfeng couldn't help but be secretly surprised and asked in astonishment, "Could it be... that you knew about this?"

"I..." Ling Xiaoxiao looked serious and shook her head slowly, "No! I don't believe that Brother Jin would let me down."

"I don't want to believe it either." Qingfeng sighed, "But the rumors in the martial arts world are so true that even Shaolin is shaken. If it is really groundless, how could it cause such a stir?"

Luo Ningyu's eyes changed, and she hurriedly asked, "Grandpa, do you suspect that my father is unfaithful to my mother?"

"At this point, it is no longer a private matter between your parents. It will affect the life and death, honor and disgrace of the entire Xianwang Mansion, and even the outcome of the September 9th Martial Arts Conference." Qingfeng said in a deep voice, "Regardless of whether this matter is true or false, don't forget that people's words are terrible and that a lot of gossip can melt gold. Once your father is accused of colluding with a heretic, I'm afraid he won't be able to clear himself even if he jumps into the Yellow River. At that time, for the sake of self-preservation, Shaolin, Kongtong, and Kunlun will definitely stay away from Xianwang Mansion, and my Wudang..."

Having said this, Qingfeng's voice stopped abruptly, and his face showed a conflicted look.

Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly raised her head and asked, "What about Wudang? Is Wudang also going to abandon us?"

"You are my biological daughter, Ningyu and Hongxuan are my grandchildren. As for Tianjin, he is not only my son-in-law, but also my disciple who I raised. How can I bear to abandon you?" Qingfeng said bitterly, "However, the ancestral motto of Wudang is to 'be chivalrous and righteous, and support the orthodox'. As the head of Wudang Sect, how can I turn a blind eye? Ignore the reputation of Wudang?"

"Dad, this must be a conspiracy. You must be more careful." Ling Xiaoxiao advised, "I believe in Brother Jin! Xianwang Mansion and Jueqing Valley have been fighting for many years. The hatred between the two families is as deep as the sea and they cannot reconcile. How could Brother Jin have a private affair with the Lord of Jueqing Valley? It is simply ridiculous."

"Except for Jinjianwu and Kunlun Sect, Qingcheng, Emei and the four great families all witnessed the events in Jiangzhou. Although they have a rift with the Xianwang Mansion, they are at least a reputable and upright sect with a bottom line. If you are making a fuss without a purpose, how dare you spread rumors?"

"The Kunlun sect has personally admitted that the 'stealing of skills' incident is completely false," Luo Ningyu explained. "Dad intervened in this matter in order to protect the Kunlun sect from unwarranted disaster. It has absolutely nothing to do with Jueqing Valley!"

Seeing that Ling Xiaoxiao and Luo Ningyu both "believed in Luo Tianjin", Qingfeng was suspicious, but he didn't say anything more at this moment. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said lightly: "It doesn't matter if it's true or not! In any case, on the Dragon Boat Festival in May, Tianjin must give everyone in the world a clear explanation and stop the gossips as soon as possible to avoid repeated mistakes."

After that, Qingfeng cast a loving gaze towards Ling Xiaoxiao, and said helplessly: "There is one more thing... Your father wants to remind you. Right now is a time of trouble, the situation in the martial arts world is changing rapidly, and the martial arts conference is about to be held. The Xianwang Mansion must not have any mistakes. Therefore, no matter whether Tian Jin and Xiao Zhirou have a private relationship or not, you must... You must put the overall situation first, and you must not act like a spoiled child, let alone spread the family's dirty laundry. Everything... needs to be discussed after the martial arts conference."

Qingfeng's words seemed to be very righteous at first, but in fact they were very cold and ruthless. His implication was that there must be a love affair between Luo Tianjin and Xiao Zhirou. But even so, he still wanted Ling Xiaoxiao to swallow her anger, not only to preserve Luo Tianjin's status in the martial arts world, but also to maintain his own reputation and that of the Wudang Sect.

The outcome of the affair is often that the woman "sees the big picture" and "considers the overall situation" and endures the pain of betrayal alone. The world only allows men to have three wives and four concubines, but does not allow women to have an affair. With the world going downhill and moral principles being lost, who can she complain to?
When? Ling Xiaoxiao's tears fell silently. She looked at Qingfeng with tears in her eyes and said with a forced smile: "My daughter has listened to your father's teachings since she was young. How can I not know the principle of considering the overall situation? In fact, there are some things that you don't need to say. I also know how to choose. You, old man, have made it clear, and I don't know how to deal with it..."

"Xiaoxiao, I'm sorry for wronging you." Qingfeng felt bitter, but helpless and could only sigh repeatedly.

"Who exactly is that Xiao Zhirou?" Facing the distraught Ling Xiaoxiao, Luo Ningyu felt as if her heart was broken. She said indignantly, "If Dad is really bewitched by a vixen, I..."

"shut up!"

As soon as Luo Ningyu finished speaking, Ling Xiaoxiao's face suddenly darkened and she rebuked, "You are Luo Tianjin's daughter. How can you be deceived by rumors and criticize your own father? Such disloyal and unfilial words are something I never want to hear from you in my life!"

"But……"

"No buts!" Ling Xiaoxiao said sternly, "Even if your father really has something to do with the Lord of Jueqing Valley, that is a matter between us and our husband and wife, and has nothing to do with you! As a son, filial piety comes first. Don't say that your father has been upright and chivalrous all his life. Even if he has committed many evil deeds and brought disaster to the world, you can't harbor evil thoughts and repay kindness with enmity!"

"Then the greater good will will be destroyed..."

"Going against human ethics is the greatest injustice in the world. How can you claim to be 'righteous'?" Ling Xiaoxiao said angrily, "From now on, if I hear you speak rudely to father again, mother will never forgive you!"

"Mother, calm down. I'll remember this."

Luo Ningyu knew that Ling Xiaoxiao's harsh words were out of consideration for the overall situation, so she did not feel any resentment in her heart. Instead, she admired her mother more and more, and also felt more and more distressed for her.

"Don't worry, Yu'er! On the Dragon Boat Festival, grandpa will make your father swear an oath in public." Qingfeng said in a secretive manner, "After the martial arts conference, he will personally destroy the Heartless Valley and kill Xiao Zhirou, to give your mother justice and clear his name."

……

April 15th, noon, Luoyang City.

Lin Fangda hosted a party and invited Liu Xunyi, Xunzhen, Abaolu, Xu Heng, Ling Qing, the Liao brothers, "Fu Shou Kang Ning" and others to gather at Tianxiang Tower and get drunk.

"Today is a double celebration, it's worth celebrating!"

In Tianxianglou, the high-spirited Lin Fangda ignored the strange looks from the diners around him, jumped onto the table, raised his wine bowl high, and laughed: "The first happy event is Brother Xu Heng..." At this point, Lin Fangda suddenly waved his hand and slapped his mouth, then changed the topic, "It should be Sect Master Xu, who has recovered from his injuries and officially took over the position of Sect Master of Death Sect. Brothers, is this a big happy event?"

"Calculate!"

"Fu Shou Kang Ning" and the Liao brothers took the lead in making a scene, and the atmosphere became more and more excited. On the other hand, Xu Heng, who was always generous, seemed a little shy at this moment. He hadn't even drunk yet, but his face was already red. "Lin Fangda, stop making trouble, come down!" Xu Heng urged with embarrassment in his eyes, "If you want to drink, just drink. Why are you at the table? The restaurant is open to welcome guests. Aren't you disturbing their business by making such a fuss? Besides, your brothers are happy, why do you have to make a fuss and let the world know?"

"That's right!" Ling Qing echoed, "You are so flamboyant. People who know you are taking over as the 'Lord of the Death Gate', but those who don't know might think you are taking over as the 'Leader of the Martial World'?"

"Ha ha……"

Ling Qing's words immediately caused a burst of laughter from Liu Xunyi and others. Xu Heng couldn't help laughing and said jokingly: "If I am the leader of the martial arts world, I will appoint you brothers as vice leaders. Let's take turns to sit on the chair of the Twelve Heroes of the Central Plains Martial Arts World! Haha..."

"What are you afraid of?" Lin Fangda pouted nonchalantly, "Since it's a happy event, we are not afraid of the noise! ​​Anyone who doesn't like it can leave at any time. As for the loss of Tianxiang Tower, I will compensate him."

"That's right!" Liao Chuan said proudly, "It's a rare happy day, how can I not have fun?"

"Shut up, everyone, and listen to me!" Lin Fang waved his hand and said, "There is another happy event today. My sworn brother Liu Xunyi went to Tubo and became famous in one battle! Hehe... Have you all seen the letter that Longxiang Mountain gave to the mansion master? Xunyi has been regarded as one of the top ten new masters in the martial arts world by Longxiang Mountain, ranking seventh on the Longxiang List! Is it a big happy event?"

"Calculate!"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately attracted a round of applause.

"No, no!" Liao Hai waved his hands in dissatisfaction, "That 'Nine Lives No Return' was clearly ranked fourth on the Dragon Elephant List. The Sect Master killed him, so he should have taken his place at fourth. Why is he ranked seventh? He ranks behind Tang Afu, Qin Ku, and Wu Chan. I don't accept it!"

"That makes sense!" Xu Heng nodded and said, "In my opinion, Brother Liu's martial arts skills are even better than Tang Afu's, so why can't he be ranked fourth?"

"Fourth place? Humph! The third place Lu Tingxiang is a useless waste who only knows how to seek fame and reputation and put on airs." Liao Chuan said contemptuously, "If he hadn't inherited his father's family business, how could he be ranked third? Pah! In my opinion, it's fine for the sect leader to be ranked third!"

"That's wrong!" Liu Xunyi retorted, "I defeated Jian Zhong by sheer luck. To be honest, on that day in Tanggula Mountain, Jian Zhong fought hard against the four purple-robed masters of the Jokhang Temple and killed them all. As for me, I took advantage of his weakness when his internal energy was almost exhausted. Although I won, it was not a fair victory, so it can't be counted!"

"Yes, it's rare that you have self-knowledge." Xunzhen smiled teasingly, and then changed the subject to explain to everyone, "Although Sect Master Liu is highly skilled in martial arts, Longxiang Mountain doesn't know much about him. All those on the list are well-known figures in the martial arts world. The seventh person before him was a Zen master who practiced the Yi Jin Jing for more than ten years before he achieved this. As for Tang Afu and Qin Ku, they struggled in the bloody storm for many years before they were selected by Longxiang Mountain. On the other hand, Sect Master Liu has only been famous in the martial arts world for a year or so, so he is inevitably short of resources compared to the others on the list. Therefore, it is a great honor to rank him seventh."

"But……"

“Forget it!” Lin Fang shook his head like a rattle. “No matter if he’s seventh or sixth, the most important thing is that he’s on the list. Happy event! A big happy event!”

"Yes, it's a happy event!" Ling Qing laughed, "Brother Lin said it well, today is a double happiness, we must drink to our heart's content! Come on, cheers!"

"Wait a moment!"

Just as everyone picked up their wine bowls and were about to drink, Liu Xunyi suddenly stood up and said solemnly, "This first bowl of wine should be dedicated to Sect Master Chen Yong. If it weren't for Brother Chen risking his life, I'm afraid Brother Xu... wouldn't be here today."

"Yes!" Xu Heng was shocked and said in a concentrated voice, "The first bowl of wine is for Chen Yong! Master Chen, have a safe journey!"

"Master Chen, have a safe journey!"

The lively atmosphere suddenly turned serious. Everyone raised their wine bowls to the sky and then poured the wine on the ground to pay tribute to Chen Yong.

"The second bowl of wine is for Tang Cong!" Liu Xunyi said sadly, "If it weren't for Tang Cong, I wouldn't have been able to see through Jian Zhong's trick, and I wouldn't have been able to come back alive from Tubo! Tang Cong, goodbye!"

"Tang Cong, have a safe journey. We'll be brothers in the next life!" Xu Heng's eyes were filled with tears. He raised the wine bowl tremblingly, and his voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Tang Cong, good going!"

With everyone shouting in unison, another bowl of liquor was poured onto the ground in honor of Tang Cong.

"The third bowl of wine is for the brothers who died in the Palace of Respect Xian!"

Three bowls of strong liquor, the dead are gone. The excitement that had just lingered on the faces of several people had long disappeared, replaced by a deep sorrow and indescribable depression.

Swords flash, blood rain and wind. Who will win and who will lose? Who will live and who will die?

How many of us who used to clink glasses and chat happily over wine are left today?
Today’s heroes are high-spirited and singing to the wine, but can they do the same tomorrow?

The storms of the martial arts world are everywhere, and the storms of the world are all in the martial arts world.

The straw raincoat is used to protect against wind and rain, and the wind and rain make the straw raincoat bloody.

……

(End of this chapter)