Chapter 390: Trying Your Best to Mediate
At noon, Xun Zaishan sent a disciple back to report to Zhongli Mu everything that had happened in the morning.

After hearing this, Zhongli Mu's gloomy expression eased a little, and he said resentfully: "Luo Tianjin finally has some conscience, he can distinguish right from wrong, he doesn't protect others, he doesn't cover up for others, and he lives up to his name of 'virtuous king'."

"It sounds better than singing." Madam Zhuang snorted coldly, "After all the talk, he still hasn't handed that beast Luo Hongxuan over to us. It's the same as if he didn't say anything!"

"Luo Hongxuan is the young master of the Xianwang Mansion after all. Even if Luo Tianjin is willing to sacrifice his own family for the sake of justice, others will try their best to stop him." Zhong Limu said, "What's more, if he really hands Luo Hongxuan over to us, what should we do with him? Are we really going to kill him with one knife?"

"Of course I have to kill her!" Madam Zhuang said sternly, "To bully Ying'er is an unforgivable crime! If we don't kill her, do we want to keep her as a treasure?"

"This……"

Zhongli Mu knew that Madam Zhuang loved her daughter dearly and had murderous intentions, so he could naturally understand.

However, Zhongli Mu is not only Zhongli Wanying's father, but also the leader of Kongtong Sect, so he has to consider the future and life and death of the sect.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhongli Mu finally spoke slowly and reluctantly: "Junior sister, now it's just you and me, there are some things... we need to be honest with each other."

Madam Zhuang was furious, but seeing Zhongli Mu's distressed face, she couldn't help but sigh and said helplessly: "Brother, I understand what you mean. You want to say that the matter is irreversible. If we insist on fighting to the death with the Xianwang Mansion, I'm afraid the result will be nothing."

"I am very pleased that Junior Sister can understand my difficulties." Zhong Limu sighed, "Ying'er is my precious daughter. For more than ten years, I have always regarded her as the apple of my eye. I have doted on her and protected her in every way. From childhood to adulthood, I have never let her suffer any grievances. Now, she has suffered this disaster. As a father, I am really heartbroken and in pain. Junior Sister, don't I want to cut that beast Luo Hongxuan into pieces and grind his bones to ashes? Don't I want to flatten the Xianwang Mansion to vent my anger for my daughter? But... I am not alone. I also shoulder the life and death, honor and disgrace of Kongtong Sect. If I act arbitrarily and impulsively, with our current strength, we are no match for Xianwang Mansion. Once the war breaks out, Kongtong Sect will definitely be the first to suffer, or even a catastrophe... Back then, Master handed Kongtong Sect to me. How can I destroy his hard work in vain?"

"What Senior Brother said is reasonable." Madam Zhuang replied without denying it, "If Dad is still alive, he definitely doesn't want the Kongtong Sect to be destroyed in our hands."

"To avenge our daughter, you have to mobilize the entire Kongtong Sect..." Zhong Limu said sadly, "Isn't this a personal revenge? If Kongtong is in trouble, even if I die, I will not be able to face the ancestors of Kongtong Sect in the afterlife. Alas!"

"If this matter is left unresolved, Kongtong Sect will also become a laughing stock of the world." Madam Zhuang retorted, "Brother, as the leader of a sect, how can you not seek justice for your own daughter?"

"That's why I invited the heads of all sects and families to come and do justice for me. Luo Tianjin would not dare to give me a perfunctory answer in front of all the heroes in the world." Zhong Limu's expression darkened and he said bitterly, "Right now, I have already made a concession. I just hope Luo Tianjin can give us a satisfactory explanation."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, which immediately perked up Zhong Limu and his wife.

"Who?"

"The poor Taoist breeze."

"So it's Taoist Qingfeng, sorry for the insolence!"

Following a brief greeting that was better than nothing, Zhongli Mu welcomed the breeze into the room.

"Master Qingfeng never comes to visit you without a reason. I wonder why you are here this time..." Since Qingfeng is Luo Hongxuan's grandfather, Mrs. Zhuang's tone is quite stiff, even a little impatient.

"Madam Zhuang is a straightforward person, so I will not beat around the bush and will just get straight to the point." Qingfeng said sternly, "I have come here with three purposes. First, I want to express my regards to Miss Ling on behalf of the Wudang Sect. I am deeply saddened and ashamed of what happened to Miss Zhongli last night."

"The Taoist priest has good intentions." Zhongli replied with a wry smile, "Wudang is a famous and authentic sect, and the Taoist priest is a senior in the martial arts world. I believe he will be able to do justice for my daughter. However, I understand that 'heartbroken' means something. But what does 'unbearable shame' mean?"

"Master Zhongli, why do you ask when you already know the answer?" Qingfeng said calmly, "I am not only the master of Wudang Sect, but also Luo Hongxuan's grandfather. Now, my grandson has committed an unforgivable crime. As a grandfather, how can I not feel ashamed?"

"Forget it!" Madam Zhuang sneered, "Good is rewarded with good, and evil is punished with evil. We just want to see Luo Hongxuan get what he deserves. There is no need for Taoist Qingfeng to feel ashamed for him. Taoist, please tell me your second purpose!"

"Secondly, I would like to apologize to you two and your daughter on behalf of my daughter and son-in-law!" After saying this, Qingfeng suddenly stood up, clasped his hands respectfully towards Zhongli Mu and Madam Zhuang, and bowed deeply.

"No need!" Madam Zhuang's face was stern and she did not appreciate it at all. "This matter has nothing to do with the Taoist priest, or even with the Lord of Luo Mansion and Madam Luo. Taoist priest, you don't have to do this great honor. My husband and I cannot afford it."

"How can a person who doesn't teach his children well be without faults?" Qing Feng shook his head and said, "They are busy investigating the truth right now. Once they catch the real culprit, they will come in person to apologize to the two of you."

"The truth? The real murderer?" Zhongli Mu raised his eyebrows and pretended to be confused. "The truth of this matter is already clear, and the real murderer is even more conclusive. I wonder what Lord Luo is still investigating?"

"That's right!" Qingfeng nodded, "The person who behaved inappropriately towards your daughter last night was indeed Luo Hongxuan. But there is another reason why Luo Hongxuan did that."

"I'd like to hear the details." Zhongli Mu and Madam Zhuang exchanged a glance, and a hint of suspicion appeared on their faces. "The Ecstasy Smoke and the Hehuan Powder." Qingfeng hit the nail on the head and said bluntly, "These two things, one is used to deal with you, and the other is used to deal with Luo Hongxuan."

"I already know about the Soul-Loving Smoke." Zhongli Mu said doubtfully, "But the Hehuan Powder... is a bit alarmist."

Madam Zhuang sneered, "Could it be that Luo Hongxuan dared not take responsibility for what he did, and deliberately brought out the 'Hehuan Powder' to cover up his beastly behavior? Who can prove that the Ecstasy Smoke was not released by Luo Hongxuan? He must have made every possible preparation for his evil plot against my daughter. As for the Hehuan Powder... it is just a one-sided story, which he fabricated to exonerate himself from his shameless behavior."

"That's not the case!" Qingfeng said earnestly, "Luo Hongxuan is my grandson. I know his character very well. He is definitely not a wicked person, nor is he a lustful person."

"You can only know a person's face but not his heart." Madam Zhuang said, "The evidence is irrefutable. Could it be that Taoist Qingfeng is still trying to confuse right and wrong?"

"Madam Zhuang, you are wrong. I have no intention of confusing right and wrong. I only want to find out the truth." Qingfeng assured solemnly, "Everything is just as Madam Zhuang said. If Luo Hongxuan really had planned for a long time and had made all the preparations, why would he easily reveal his identity? Even after achieving his goal, he still stayed in Miss Zhongli's room and slept for a night?"

"This further proves that Luo Hongxuan is a domineering and unscrupulous person, and he doesn't take my Kongtong Sect seriously at all."

"Mrs. Zhuang, please calm down." Qingfeng soothed her, "In fact, there is another person who can prove that Luo Hongxuan is definitely not the initiator of this tragedy."

"Who?"

"Kongtong sect disciple, Zhou Mu!"

Hearing this, Zhongli Mu and Madam Zhuang's eyes changed, with a strong sense of confusion lingering between their brows.

"Zhou Mu went to the bathroom late at night and happened to avoid the soul-conquering smoke." Qingfeng explained patiently, "But the place where he fainted this morning was not in his room, but in front of Miss Zhongli's door."

"So what?"

"In other words, after Zhou Mu came back from the toilet, he did not go back to his room to sleep directly, but walked towards Miss Zhongli's room, and was eventually knocked unconscious outside the door." Qingfeng asked calmly, "Is that right?"

Hearing this, Zhongli Mu and Madam Zhuang looked thoughtful, thought for a moment, and nodded one after another.

"Why did Zhou Mu go to Miss Zhongli's room in the middle of the night?"

"This……"

"The reason is very simple. When Zhou Mu came back from the toilet, he heard sounds of fighting, tearing, and even cries for help coming from Miss Zhongli's room. In short, Zhou Mu was attracted by the strange noises in Miss Zhongli's room." Qingfeng spoke each word in a sonorous and resounding voice. "May I ask you two, why would there be strange noises coming from Miss Zhongli's room in the dead of night?"

Madam Zhuang said angrily: "Of course it was that beast Luo Hongxuan who was bullying my daughter..."

"That's right!" Qingfeng's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly interrupted, "Since Luo Hongxuan was doing evil things in Miss Zhongli's room at that time, then who was the person who knocked Zhou Mu unconscious from behind?"

"hiss!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhongli Mu and Madam Zhuang took a deep breath.

"Maybe... it's the helpers brought by Luo Hongxuan..." Mrs. Zhuang speculated hesitantly.

"If Luo Hongxuan had help, how could he have ended up in such a mess this morning?" Qingfeng shook his head and said, "In fact, there is another possibility. The person who knocked Zhou Mu unconscious from behind was the culprit who spread the Ecstasy Smoke and secretly injected the Hehuan Powder. He was the instigator of the tragedy last night. And this mysterious person hiding behind is the real murderer that the Xianwang Mansion is currently pursuing with all its might."

"This..." Faced with Qingfeng's convincing words, Zhongli Mu couldn't help but frown and said hesitantly, "Even if Taoist Qingfeng is right, my daughter was indeed insulted by Luo Hongxuan last night. This is an indisputable fact..."

"Yes! This is exactly the third purpose of my coming here." Qingfeng said solemnly, "It is useless to regret now. Even if we catch the real murderer and cut him into pieces, it will not bring back Miss Zhongli's innocence and the reputation of Kongtong Sect. Therefore, I am not here for fun, but to seek a solution with you two. A solution that is good for Miss Zhongli, Kongtong Sect, and the Xianwang Mansion."

Mrs. Zhuang's eyes flashed, and she asked suspiciously, "What is the solution? Please tell me frankly, Taoist priest!"

"In a word, marriage is the way to make friends!"

……

(End of this chapter)