Chapter 883 Pretending

"Stubborn and self-righteous? Harbouring filth?"

Hearing Qingfeng's evaluation of Xiao Zhirou being so "vicious", even though Teng Sanshi wanted to make peace, he couldn't help but feel angry at this moment. The smile on his face gradually froze, and he said in a deep voice: "What leader Qingfeng said... is a bit exaggerated. As far as I know, my daughter has always been proud of the wind and moon, floating on the rivers and seas, calm and indifferent, and quiet. Although she is nominally the leader of a sect, she rarely participates in the affairs of the martial arts world. Even in the past... she only had occasional friction with the Xianwang Mansion, and she didn't have much grievances with other sects. What you just said about 'stubborn' and 'harbouring filth', I beg you to disagree with me."

Facing the furious Teng Sanshi, Qingfeng remained calm and responded calmly: "Patriarch Teng, please be patient. This matter is not something I said out of thin air. It was admitted by your daughter herself."

"What did you say?" Teng Sanshi frowned, looked around at the defeated soldiers, and asked suspiciously, "What happened just now? What did my daughter admit in person?"

"Xiao Zhirou was so bold that she attempted to assassinate the Deputy Privy Envoy, and nearly brought disaster to the Central Plains martial arts community." Gu Yue said sarcastically, "If we hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid she would have made a big mistake. Little did she know that the Deputy Privy Envoy was the emperor's most trusted minister. If he met with an accident, it would surely cause unrest in the court and the country. If the city gate catches fire, the innocent will suffer. Once the court retaliates, it will not only be Jueqing Valley that will suffer."

"This……"

"Not only that!" Before the surprised Teng Sanshi could sort out his thoughts, Gu Xing took the opportunity to ask, "Chief Teng, do you know why your daughter tried to assassinate the Deputy Privy Envoy?"

Teng Sanshi felt something was wrong and asked cautiously, "Why?"

"Because of Liu Xunyi!"

"Liu...Liu Xunyi?" Teng Sanshi was horrified. He stared blankly at Gu Xing and Gu Yue who were filled with righteous indignation, then looked at Xiao Zhirou who was silent. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked hesitantly, "What... does this mean?"

"Just before Chief Teng showed up, Master Xiao swore to us that she had no grudges against the Deputy Privy Envoy, and that she only tried to stop him to fight for Liu Xunyi." Qingfeng spoke righteously and endlessly, "Chief Teng has always been very clear about justice. Who is Liu Xunyi? What does he mean to Luo Tianjin? What does he mean to the Central Plains martial arts world? What does he mean to the people of the three prefectures of Xingyuan? I think Chief Teng should know it well. It was such a rat crossing the street that everyone wanted to beat, but Ling'e insisted that he was a loyal minister who was framed. Not only did she willingly avenge him, but she also turned a deaf ear to my persuasion and even bit back, slandering me as a traitor who helped the tiger and abetted the tyrant. With such a confusion of right and wrong, and turning black and white upside down, I wonder if she still has the morality of the rivers and lakes in her heart? Are there any heroes in the world? Are there any Central Plains martial arts world? What does she regard me, the leader of the martial arts world, as?"

"This……"

Faced with Qingfeng's barrage of questions, Teng Sanshi, who didn't know the truth, was confused and speechless.

"Therefore, I hope that Valley Master Xiao can explain everything clearly, so that I can give an account to the heroes of the world. What's wrong with that?" Qingfeng stared at Teng Sanshi who seemed to be thinking about something, and asked, "Chief Teng, you are not only the father of Valley Master Xiao, but also the chief of the Teng tribe in Xiangxi, and the deputy leader of the Central Plains martial arts world. You cannot stand idly by and let things go, both for public and private reasons, and for emotional and rational reasons. I firmly believe that even if I don't investigate this matter, you will definitely get to the bottom of it."

"This……"

At this moment, Teng Sanshi's mind was filled with mixed feelings. Facing Qingfeng who "persuaded him with emotion and reason", he didn't want to sacrifice his own relatives for the sake of justice, but he also didn't want to let it go. For a moment, he was hesitant and in a dilemma.

"May I ask, Leader Qingfeng, why are you here?" Seeing that the situation was not good, the indignant Chang Wuhui started to attack, "And... with so many people?"

"I'm here for Liu Xunyi, too, but I'm not here to defend him, I'm here to take his life." Qing Feng retorted calmly, "Why? Didn't Jue Qing Valley receive the 'Jianghu Killing Order' I sent out?"

"Since you are hunting down Liu Xunyi, why are you hanging out with people from the imperial court?"

"Who do you think you are? The leader of the martial arts world is responsible for the survival and prosperity of the Central Plains martial arts world. What's so strange about dealing with the imperial court?" Gu Yue scolded, "In the past, Yuwen Xiu used the banner of the 'imperial court' to stir up trouble in the Central Plains. Who among the sects has not dealt with him? Even the previous leader Luo Tianjin was a guest of honor of the Prime Minister of the East Palace, and Liu Xunyi beside him was an insider planted by the imperial court. So what? Everything is for the stability of the Central Plains martial arts world and for the heroes of the world to settle down. Do you want to be labeled a 'bandit' by the imperial court and be hunted down day and night by the government?"

"you……"

"enough!"

The upset Teng Sanshi shouted, interrupting the argument between Chang Wuhui and Gu Yue, and at the same time startled the people around them.

"Rou'er!"

After a moment's hesitation, Teng Sanshi, who had assessed the situation, finally made up his mind. He cast a puzzled look at Xiao Zhirou, who was worried, and said hesitantly, "What the leader of Qingfeng just said... is it true?"

"This..." Xiao Zhirou wanted to find an excuse to evade, but she saw Teng Sanshi's eyes full of worry, and she couldn't help but feel pain in her heart, and couldn't bear to lie. After struggling for a long time, she reluctantly nodded slowly.

"hiss!"

In an instant, Teng Sanshi's face turned extremely ugly. All the disciples of Jueqing Valley were shocked. However, Qingfeng, Guxing, and Guyue all showed a cunning look in their eyes.

"Why?" Teng Sanshi frowned and said in disbelief, "You and Liu Xunyi just met by chance, why are you standing up for him? You should know his current situation. Getting involved with him at this time is tantamount to asking for trouble."

"Chief Teng, although you and Valley Master Xiao are father and daughter, you have been separated from each other for more than 20 years." Gu Xing reminded, "During this period, what has Valley Master Xiao experienced? Who has he been associated with? Even the past and present lives of Jueqing Valley, and what he did in the martial arts world... I'm afraid you know very little." "What do you mean, Taoist Gu Xing? I don't understand!" Teng Sanshitou did not respond, his tone was quite impatient.

"Please don't misunderstand me, Chief Teng. What I mean is...Mrs. Xiao is no longer the eldest daughter of the Teng clan more than 20 years ago. She is now smart, resolute, determined, and ruthless. She would never do anything on impulse, let alone without a purpose. Therefore, her standing up for Liu Xunyi is definitely not just a simple act of chivalry. There must be some unknown reasons and ulterior motives behind it."

"I would like to ask, what exactly is my daughter's intention?" Teng Sanshi suddenly turned around and looked at Guxing with a sharp and fierce gaze.

"This……"

"We want to know too." Qingfeng stopped the fearful Lone Star and said with a half-smile, "Patriarch Teng and Valley Master Xiao are blood relatives, why don't you... find out for the heroes of the world?"

Looking at Qingfeng, who was smiling but hiding a knife, Teng Sanshi was contemptuous in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface. He cast a solemn gaze at the uneasy Xiao Zhirou, and asked word by word: "This matter is of great importance, and I don't need to say much about the pros and cons. If you are determined to oppose the leader of Qingfeng, your father... has nothing to say, and is willing to risk his life to stand with you. But if you don't want to fight to the death with the Central Plains martial arts world, especially for a notorious Liu Xunyi... then tell me why you stood up for him?"

"father……"

"If you want to lie to me, you might as well not tell me."

Teng Sanshi has always been upright and hates evil. If today was just Xiao Zhirou's private matter, he would definitely fight Qingfeng to the end. But Liu Xunyi suddenly appeared, catching Teng Sanshi off guard and making him more curious about the truth of the matter.

As for Liu Xunyi... the various rumors in recent days have made Teng Sanshi's impression of him take a sharp turn for the worse, and he even feels a sense of sympathy towards him. If he turned against Qingfeng for his precious daughter, he would have no regrets. But if Liu Xunyi, who persisted in his evil ways, caused the Xiangxi Teng clan to be ostracized by the Central Plains martial arts world, Teng Sanshi would feel somewhat...uncomfortable deep in his heart.

How could Xiao Zhirou not know what Teng Sanshi was thinking?
However, facing Qingfeng's aggressiveness, she could turn a deaf ear to him, or even disdain him. But facing Teng Sanshi's worried questioning, she could not remain calm no matter what, and she could not lie or deceive.

After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Zhirou, who was at a loss, simply made up her mind and decided not to play tricks anymore. She held her breath and concentrated, saying righteously: "I stand up for Liu Xunyi because..."

"Because I was entrusted by someone!"

Before Xiao Zhirou could make her relationship with Liu Xunyi public, a dry and hoarse laugh suddenly came from deep in the woods.

Immediately afterwards, five or six black shadows flashed over like ghosts and landed in front of Qingfeng, Xiao Zhirou and Teng Sanshi one after another.

The leader had a golden mask on his face and was wrapped tightly in a black robe. He was the Holy Lord of Longxiang Mountain, Yun Zhuiyue.

Along with Yun Zhuiyue came Si Wudao, the "Godless Monk" wearing a linen robe and a clear water Zen staff. Tang Xuan, the "Ghost Hand Rakshasa" with sunken eyes and skinny as a mummy. Shao Yuanqing, the "Nanshan Evil Tiger" with a sturdy back and a copper hammer. Wuming, the "Ten Steps One Blood" with a sinister look and a dagger.

Outside Longxiang Mountain, the Holy Lord and the four Dharma Protectors were all present. Such a grand scene was almost unheard of and unseen in the world of martial arts.

In addition, there was a depressed and timid young man, who was none other than the "Invincible Arrow" Li Haitang who was knocked unconscious by Liu Xunyi in front of Zhao Yuan's tomb.

"Chief Teng, Master Xiao, how are you?"

I don’t know if it was intentional, but Yun Zhuiyue only bowed to Teng Sanshi and Xiao Zhirou, but ignored Qingfeng who was so close to her.

Seeing this scene, Guxing and Guyue subconsciously took a step forward, one on the left and one on the right, protecting Qingfeng, who was holding his breath and covering his face with pale face, behind them.

Yun Zhuiyue's sudden appearance surprised everyone present, especially Qingfeng, whose face became extremely gloomy.

"What did you just say?" Facing the sudden appearance of Yun Zhuiyue, the uneasy Teng Sanshi had no intention of greeting and asked impatiently, "You said that Rou'er was asked by someone to stand up for Liu Xunyi?"

"Exactly!"

"Who is so ignorant of the current situation that he dares to be an enemy of the heroes of the world and protect Liu Xunyi with great fanfare?" Gu Yue asked in a deep voice, half believing and half doubting.

"It's far away, yet it's right before our eyes." Yun Zhuiyue's eyes were filled with contempt, and her tone was even more rebellious, "The person who protected Liu Xunyi... was me!"

……

(End of this chapter)