Chapter 917: Concealing the Truth (I)

"In fact, the person who really killed Luo Tianjin was not you, but Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao. You, Zhao Yuan, and Yun Zhuiyue are at most accomplices."

"hiss!"

Xunzhen's blunt words startled the emotional Liu Xunyi. His face suddenly changed, his unwavering gaze became a little flustered, and his condescending aura gradually waned like an eggplant hit by rain. In a trance, he staggered and slumped on the wooden block.

"Liu Xunyi, am I right?"

Facing Xunzhen's questioning, Liu Xunyi, who was full of thoughts, slowly raised his head and said hesitantly: "Where did you hear the news from?"

"There is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable. Of course someone told me." Seeing that Liu Xunyi did not deny it, Xunzhen couldn't help but raise a hint of a secretive smile. "In fact, the person who tipped me off was also the one who begged the young king of Qin to save you."

"What?" Liu Xunyi stared at Xunzhen with shaking eyes, "You mean... the person who really wanted to save me wasn't the Young King of Qin, he was just entrusted by someone? Who is that person?"

"Who is the saddest about Luo Tianjin's murder?" Facing the confused and rambling Liu Xunyi, Xunzhen took his time and asked instead of answering, "Who is the most unwilling?"

"Mansion Master Luo suffered a tragic fate. The person who is most saddened is of course... Luo Ningyu..."

At this point, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but think of Luo Ningyu. Her savagery, her wisdom and courage, her carefreeness, her deep love, her tears, her dead heart...

Especially before Luo Tianjin was killed, Luo Ningyu, who had a premonition, appeared alone in front of Liu Xunyi, begging him to spare her life regardless of her dignity as a young lady and her reserve as a woman... That scene is still deeply engraved in Liu Xunyi's heart. Whenever he thinks of it, he feels heartbroken and ashamed.

Liu Xunyi boasted that he would not lose his integrity when he was poor, nor would he leave the truth when he was rich, and that he would always distinguish between gratitude and resentment when dealing with people. However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was "ungrateful" to Luo Ningyu.

After all, Luo Ningyu had only shown him kindness from the beginning to the end, and had no other intentions. However, Liu Xunyi had repeatedly deceived her, used her, and hurt her.

It was precisely because Liu Xunyi felt deeply guilty towards Luo Ningyu that when he was framed by Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao, denounced by righteous people, and hunted down by heroes all over the world, he kept his mouth shut, swallowed his anger, and never stood up to defend himself.

Luo Ningyu was already heartbroken after losing her father. If she knew that it was her mother who killed Luo Tianjin, who knows what kind of heavy blow she would have to endure?
If good deeds go unrewarded, how could Liu Xunyi bear it?

"No!" Liu Xunyi suddenly had an idea in his chaotic thoughts and shook his head repeatedly, "Ningyu was not there at the time, so she couldn't have known the truth, and Ling Xiaoxiao couldn't have let her know the truth. So... is there someone else who informed on her?"

"There are only a few people in the Xianwang Mansion who know the truth about Luo Tianjin's murder and have the ability to tip off the young prince Qin."

"Xie Xuan!"

Before Xunzhen finished speaking, Liu Xunyi, who seemed to be thinking about something, suddenly came to his senses and subconsciously exclaimed, "Could it be that the person who informed you was Xie Xuan?"

"That's right!" Xunzhen answered frankly, "Do you think Xie Xuan betrayed Luo Tianjin and surrendered to Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao in order to save his life? In fact, it's not the case. He was just sleeping on straw and eating bitter food."

"Sleeping on firewood and tasting gall?" Liu Xunyi was horrified, his eyes full of astonishment, "You mean... Xie Xuan pretended to surrender, but was actually waiting for the opportunity to avenge Lord Luo?"

"Liu Xunyi is indeed Liu Xunyi, and he really sees through everything." Xunzhen said with a smile, "Xie Xuan has followed Luo Tianjin for many years. The two have been through thick and thin together, and have been through life and death together. They have already formed a deep and solid friendship. How could he betray her so easily? Moreover, based on your understanding of Xie Xuan, he is the kind of person who sells out his master for fame and fortune, and is afraid of death."

"This..." Liu Xunyi frowned and muttered to himself, "Second Master Xie is loyal to Lord Luo. He is definitely not a coward."

"You understand now?"

"I..." Liu Xunyi nodded, not quite understanding, "I understand Second Master Xie's wish to avenge his master, and I also understand that he is now imprisoned and powerless. He must rely on a force that is strong enough to compete with Qingfeng to achieve his wish... But I don't understand why he asked Young King Qin to save me?"

"The answer is obvious." Seeing Liu Xunyi gradually falling into his "big lie", Xunzhen became more and more confident, and his words became more and more fluent. "First, you are one of the few people who know the real cause of Luo Tianjin's death, and you don't belong to Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao's faction, and you will never be bought by them. One day, Xie Xuan will make their scandals public, and you will be the best witness. Second, you feel guilty towards Luo Tianjin, the Luo family, and the Xianwang Mansion. In the past, you were a member of the court and had to obey orders. Now you have been dismissed by the court and are no longer bound by secular dogma. Therefore, if Xie Xuan wants to avenge Luo Tianjin, you are undoubtedly a capable helper. Third, although the Central Plains martial arts world keeps saying that you will be killed without mercy, you are not alone. At least Li Haitang of Longxiang Mountain and Qin Ku of Hexi Qin have stood up for you and helped generously. For Xie Xuan, the more forces he can win over, the more chances of success he will have."

"This..." With Xunzhen's well-reasoned answer, Liu Xunyi's doubts were dispelled again. "Shao Qin Wang has promised to help Xie Xuan, and... spare no effort." Xunzhen said, "As for the agreement between Xie Xuan and Shao Qin Wang, I'm sure you can guess it even if I don't say it."

"It turns out that the ambition and plan of the Young King of Qin were not shaken by the death of Palace Master Luo. He just... changed an ally." Liu Xunyi was flustered and murmured in a low voice, "It turns out that the person the Young King of Qin had his eyes on was not me, but Xie Xuan. I was just his 'sincerity' to win over Xie Xuan..."

"What does it matter if it's sincere or not? What's important is that we really saved your life and helped you to be reborn from the ashes." Having said this, Xunzhen's beautiful eyes turned and asked meaningfully, "Why? You don't even want to interfere in the 'deal' between Xie Xuan and Shao Qin Wang, do you?"

"I can't even protect myself, so what right do I have to interfere in other people's affairs?" Liu Xunyi said bitterly, "So, the person who betrayed our ancestors' country... is Xie Xuan?"

"First, it is true that the Shao Qin King has the ambition to restore his country, but he has never thought of ruling the Central Plains. He only wants to use the power of the Central Plains to regain the territory of the Liao Dynasty. Second, Xie Xuan cooperates with the Shao Qin King, and he may not follow Luo Tianjin's example to start a rebellion. Even if he starts a rebellion and declares himself king, the Nine Provinces of the Central Plains will still be the territory of you Han people. It's just that the dynasty has changed, and the emperor's surname has changed from Zhao to Xie." Xunzhen said calmly, "The Han people are still the Han people, and the country is still the country. If Xie Xuan doesn't take it, the Mongols will take it sooner or later. The Zhao Dynasty has long been in a desperate situation and has fallen into a dead end. It is only a matter of time before it is destroyed. In this way, if you help Xie Xuan achieve his great cause, at least the Chinese bloodline will continue and the Han people will live forever. On the contrary, if the Mongolian army goes south, the Han people will be slaughtered, or even...the country will be destroyed and the race will be exterminated."

"This……"

"Liu Xunyi, you have always cared about the world and pitied the people. I think you should be able to clearly distinguish the pros and cons of this matter." Seeing that Liu Xunyi's will was wavering, Xunzhen struck while the iron was hot, "If you insist on saying that you are a puppet, then you are not my puppet, nor are you a puppet of the young Qin King, but a puppet of the Han people in the world, a puppet of the Chinese nation."

"Stop talking!" Liu Xunyi waved his hand to interrupt Xunzhen's instigation, and said in a deep voice, "Xie Xuan's rebellion is his business, and has nothing to do with me. I have no right to interfere, and I don't want to interfere. The Song Dynasty may be as you said, with accumulated problems and no way out. It is only a matter of time before it is destroyed. But whether it is a change of dynasty or a Mongolian invasion, it is all destiny and cannot be controlled by human power. If that day really comes, I can't do anything about it, but if you want me to add insult to injury and help Xie Xuan overthrow the Song Dynasty... I can never do that."

"Why?" Xunzhen asked puzzledly, "Could it be that you still miss the Song Dynasty..."

"The reasons are very complicated, and I can't explain them in a few words." Liu Xunyi interrupted Xunzhen's questioning impatiently, "But I will never help you rebel, there is no room for negotiation. If you say I am ungrateful, you can just chop off my head with a sword. You saved Liu Xunyi's life, so at worst... I will give it back to you."

"you……"

Seeing that Liu Xunyi was stubborn in his opinion, Xunzhen was angry and annoyed. He wanted to refute her, but then he thought that some things should not be rushed. Pushing too hard would be counterproductive.

Thinking of this, Xunzhen swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and then rolled his eyes and pretended to be helpless and said: "Even if the Song Dynasty court has a thousand faults, it has raised you to adulthood after all, and it is human nature for you to cherish the old friendship. That's it! If you insist on not participating in the "big event" between Xie Xuan and the Young King of Qin, I will not force you. However... you can choose not to interfere in the affairs of the court, but you can't stand idly by in the affairs of the rivers and lakes. After all, Luo Tianjin has been very kind to you, and it is only natural for you to avenge him. What's more, this matter is not only related to Luo Tianjin's hatred, but also to your own situation. I guess... you don't want to hide from the world for the rest of your life with the infamy of killing your master for fame."

"Let me think about this matter..."

"Are you worried about Luo Ningyu?" Xunzhen was so smart that when he saw Liu Xunyi's hesitation and recalled the shame and guilt on Liu Xunyi's face when she mentioned Luo Ningyu, he understood everything and said thoughtfully, "She is Ling Xiaoxiao's daughter, but she is also Luo Tianjin's daughter. Just because Luo Tianjin is dead, can she deceive herself and ignore the revenge for her father's murder?"

“That being said, but…” Liu Xunyi said in a dilemma, “No matter how wrong Ling Xiaoxiao is, she is still her biological mother. No matter how cruel she is, she will not hurt her own daughter. Ningyu is kind by nature. If she knew that her parents killed each other…”

"Ms. Luo is not only kind-hearted, but also thoughtful!" Xunzhen interrupted meaningfully, "The truth cannot be hidden. How long do you think the truth can be kept secret?"

"This……"

Xunzhen's words once again brought back Liu Xunyi's memories. Back then, Luo Ningyu could foresee that Luo Tianjin was in trouble, so she must have been able to foresee the turbulence in the Xianwang Mansion today.

"Right now, Xie Xuan, Ling Xiaoxiao, and Luo Ningyu live under the same roof. They spend every day together, so it's inevitable that... they will reveal their true feelings inadvertently." Xunzhen said quietly, "There are undercurrents in the Xianwang Mansion, and Xie Xuan and Ling Xiaoxiao are not on good terms with each other. It's only a matter of time for Luo Ningyu to know the truth."

"This……"

"Liu Xunyi, you think that 'silence' is compassionate, but in fact it is watching someone die without helping." Xunzhen's words were like a sharp knife and pierced into Liu Xunyi's heart. "Xie Xuan's will for revenge is as hard as a rock. Whether you show up or not, he will not stop. Therefore, if you step forward, you may be able to mediate. At least when the truth comes out, you can give Luo Ningyu a support and comfort, so that she will not become a lonely person and fall into an irretrievable situation. But if you stand by and watch, Luo Ningyu will be alone and miserable, and her life and death will be unpredictable, and her fortunes and disasters are hard to predict."

"This……"

"In the face of major issues, you should not give up your responsibility and should not shirk your duty! Not only for yourself, but also for Luo Tianjin, Luo Ningyu, the justice of the martial arts world, and the people's hearts."

……

(End of this chapter)