Chapter 922: Violent color but soft heart
"Brother Tang, why are you doing this..."

"Even if you have a disagreement, there is no need to draw swords. Moreover, is it really a 'loyal thing' for you to challenge Liu Xunyi so openly?"

Just as Tang Afu was pressing forward and Liu Xunyi was in a dilemma, a clear and pleasant laugh suddenly rang out from the darkness.

"Xunzhen?"

When they saw the person coming, Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu were both startled and looked suspicious.

"You are known as a ruthless swordsman. You always keep your word and follow through on your actions. Starting something but not finishing it... is not your style." Xunzhen walked closer, looking at Tang Afu with interest. "Before you met Liu Xunyi, you thought you could be heartless and kill him. But unexpectedly, after meeting Liu Xunyi, you found that you were not as hard-hearted as you imagined, especially when facing Liu Xunyi, who was imprisoned and in dire straits. Even though you had countless opportunities to take his life, you couldn't do it anyway. On the one hand, you couldn't break your promise, and on the other hand, you couldn't make up your mind, so you were in a dilemma and were extremely entangled. From Tianyuan Inn to the Tiger's Cave and Dragon's Pond, you have been hesitant and procrastinating until today."

After Xunzhen revealed his thoughts in just a few words, Tang Afu's face gradually became embarrassed.

"Now that you see Liu Xunyi has turned a disaster into a blessing, you should be regretting the missed opportunity, but instead you feel relieved. Why? Because you finally found a solution that has the best of both worlds. In this way, you don't have to break your promise to your 'employer', nor do you have to kill Liu Xunyi who has the same suffering as you. To be honest, you did not kill innocent people in this matter, and you are indeed a hero who can distinguish right from wrong."

"What do you mean?" Liu Xunyi frowned and hesitated, "What is the best of both worlds solution?"

"Tang Afu knows that he is no match for you, but he still challenges you. This is like a moth flying into a flame or an egg hitting a stone." Xunzhen's beautiful eyes turned and she asked back with a smile, "He knows very well the consequences of a head-on fight with you, but he is still determined to move forward. What do you think is the best solution for both sides?"

"Could it be..." After Xunzhen's reminder, Liu Xunyi suddenly realized and was immediately shocked, "Could it be that he wants to die on his own initiative?"

"Other than that, I can't think of a second answer. Unless... you are not his opponent. Imagine, if Tang Afu died in your hands, or was seriously injured, then he would not be considered to have broken his promise, nor would he have acted against his conscience. Isn't that the best of both worlds?" Xunzhen smiled with no denying, "Of course, he may have another concern for not killing you. He is worried that he will collude with Jin Fuyu and bring unnecessary trouble to Jueqing Valley and Xiao Zhirou. After all, Wuqing Swordsman's other identity is Xiao Zhirou's beloved disciple, the dignified Jueqing Valley's eldest disciple."

"You mean... this matter has nothing to do with Valley Master Xiao?" Liu Xunyi looked thoughtful.

"I was unsure at first, but now I can make a firm statement." Xunzhen said confidently, "Tang Afu is the beloved disciple raised by Valley Master Xiao. He is loyal to her and has devoted his life to her. If this matter is related to Valley Master Xiao... or if Valley Master Xiao ordered you to be killed, Tang Afu would definitely follow orders and would never hesitate like he is today. In his heart, although he has feelings for you, he is far from being comparable to Valley Master Xiao. Therefore, I assert that Valley Master Xiao must have no idea about this 'deal' between him and Jin Fuyu."

"This...what is this?" Liu Xunyi looked at Tang Afu, whose face was uncertain, in disbelief, and said in amazement, "You chased me without telling Master Xiao about Jin Fuyu, a stranger, and then you died for no reason tonight. Is it really worth it?"

"Whether it's worth it or not, let's just talk about Tang Afu's move..." Xunzhen raised his eyebrows, a hint of disdain emerged between his eyebrows, and said in a sarcastic tone, "It seems to have the best of both worlds, but in fact it's too biased. He didn't do what he always said, 'Be loyal to the people who trust you.'"

"What did you say?" Tang Afu seemed to be irritated by Xunzhen's repeated "meddling" and said in a deep voice, "Xunzhen, don't think that just because you are a woman, you can speak nonsense without restraint."

"If what I said is false, you can kill me or chop me up as you please. But if I hit your soft spot, you must not get angry." Facing Tang Afu's threat, Xunzhen was not afraid at all. Instead, he walked leisurely to Liu Xunyi's side, hinting that he had someone to back him up, and his words became more and more fearless. "If you really want to be loyal, you should chop off Liu Xunyi's head when he is at his weakest and report back, instead of waiting and waiting until you lose all your advantages and then jumping out with a high-sounding attitude. Such an obvious "act", do you think Jin Fuyu can't see it?"

"you……"

"Since you have already made your choice, why do you have to deceive yourself?" Xunzhen did not give Tang Afu a chance to quibble, and asked in a barrage of words, "Did you overestimate your own decisiveness and ruthlessness? Or underestimate your own compassion? Or... you misjudged Jin Fuyu's character. Do you think that if you risk your life to work for him, even if you die, he will fulfill his promise to you? If so, I can only say that you are blinded by greed and do not understand Jin Fuyu's cunning and deceit."

"I……"

"Tang Afu, I guarantee it with my life. Not to mention that Jin Fuyu will not be grateful if you die, even if you live and bring back Liu Xunyi's head, he may not keep his promise. Maybe... your final fate will be...

Listening to Xunzhen's undisguised revelation, Liu Xunyi felt mixed emotions and quickly advised, "Brother Tang, you are no longer a rookie, how could you not see Jin Fuyu's sinister intentions?"

"Wrong!" Xunzhen corrected him firmly, "He didn't fall into a trap by mistake, but was relying on luck."

"What?" Liu Xunyi went from being shocked to angry, feeling indignant, "Why? What benefits did Jin Fuyu promise you that are worth taking such a big risk?" "I..."

"You're not even afraid of death, so why are you shrinking back?"

Until this moment, Liu Xunyi finally realized that Tang Afu's stubborn behavior tonight was not because he was greedy for profit, on the contrary, he was sacrificing his life for justice.

However, the reason for his willingness to sacrifice his life was not his "trust" in Jin Fuyu, but his "infatuation" with the reward Jin Fuyu promised him.

But what Liu Xunyi couldn't understand was what kind of benefit Jin Fuyu gave that made the arrogant Tang Afu even give up his own life?

"I..." As Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen asked him again and again, Tang Afu's expression gradually changed. After hesitating for a while, he answered vaguely, "I don't want to kill Liu Xunyi for emotional, rational, public and private reasons. But I can't ignore what Jin Fuyu promised me. Even if he only has a 10% chance of keeping his promise, I will give it a try..."

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen looked at each other in disbelief and fell into deep thought.

"It is rumored in the martial arts world that the Merciless Swordsman does not seek fame or profit, and has little interest in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling." Xunzhen's mind was calculating rapidly, but he remained calm on the surface, and carefully tested, "I guess the reason why you are willing to wait for Jin Fuyu's orders is nothing more than 'coercion' or 'bribery'. Coercion... seems unlikely. After all, the 'Merciless Swordsman' is a stubborn person who is ready to die. People like you who have already put life and death aside often respond to soft tactics rather than hard ones. As for bribery... it is somewhat possible, but Jin Fuyu's 'profit' should not be the glory and wealth that ordinary people care about, otherwise you would not risk your life. You must know the principle of earning money with a life, but not spending it with a life. Forgive me for guessing that Jin Fuyu's 'bribe' to you is probably a kind of friendship, and a favor."

"Favor?" Xunzhen's words seemed to bring back some memories for Liu Xunyi. When he pondered over it carefully, he suddenly realized it and subconsciously exclaimed, "Shen Dongshan!"

In fact, Tang Afu's childhood experience is no longer a secret in the underworld. After all, he has publicly sought revenge on Shen Dongshan more than once or twice, and it has long been known to the world.

I remember that Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu became acquainted through fighting. The cause of the acquaintance was an incident in Quanzhou where Tang Afu assassinated Shen Dongshan in Sushu Pavilion.

After Liu Xunyi revealed the secret, Tang Afu's expression became more complicated.

Seeing this, Xunzhen, who was as clear as day, and Liu Xunyi, who was meticulous, knew that they had guessed the key point, and they looked at each other again.

"Brother Tang, did Jin Fuyu agree to help you deal with Shen Dongshan?"

"It's not just that!" Before Liu Xunyi finished speaking, Xunzhen spoke up, "Dealing with Shen Dongshan alone doesn't seem to be enough to make him fight so hard. I guess there should be other conditions besides this, such as..." At this point, Xunzhen's deep and bright eyes suddenly burst out with a mysterious light, as if to penetrate Tang Afu's body and look directly into his heart, "For example, find out the culprit and avenge the Tang family."

"hiss!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu were immediately in uproar.

The difference is that Liu Xunyi was surprised and suspicious of Xunzhen's bold speculation. On the other hand, Tang Afu's eyes became more and more obscure when he looked at Xunzhen.

It seems like surprise, astonishment, suspicion, fear...

"People in the martial arts world say that Xunzhen is a cunning witch from the Western Regions. I never believed these lies before, but today I personally experienced it and felt the horror of the 'witch'. She figured out my thoughts clearly while chatting and laughing, which made me feel ashamed and speechless. I admire her! I really admire her!"

"I am humbled by your kindness, Wuqing Jianke! But from what you implied, it seems that the benefit Jin Fuyu promised you... was guessed by me by chance?" Xunzhen stared at the depressed and exhausted Tang Afu, and was silent for a while. Suddenly, his expression changed, his eyes fixed, and he asked word by word, "If I say... without Jin Fuyu's help, Liu Xunyi can help you find the culprit and avenge the 63 men, women, old and young who died tragically in the Tang family. Do you... believe it?"

……

(End of this chapter)