Dong Huai Sect said in a low voice, “This man knows he cannot escape the blame, so he’s deliberately spouting nonsense to confuse the issue. I implore Dean Liu to see through his lies.”
“I’m afraid I can’t agree with that.”
Another voice cut in.
Dong Huai Sect’s face darkened, and he glared in the direction of the voice.
And saw Yan Wushuang…
He took a deep breath.
“Leader Yan. What is your counsel now?”
“I wouldn’t dare call it ‘counsel,’ but I have heard a few things about the Death Building’s attempt on Young Hero Jiang’s life.
“The Death Building has its Five Poisons—Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt. I heard that Greed Poison himself made a move this time, only to be cut down by Young Hero Jiang.
“And on that day, Chi Lin, the Third Hall Master of the Thunderbolt Hall, was indeed present.
“I dare not make any claims about the other matters, but on this point, Young Hero Jiang is telling the absolute truth.”
Dong Huai Sect’s brow furrowed.
The Hundred Treasures Association was immensely powerful. As merchants, they would do anything and trade in everything.
They even dared to engage in the most taboo business of the martial world: selling information.
For that reason, most people tended to believe what the Hundred Treasures Association said.
Once again, the crowd couldn’t help but start whispering and pointing at the Thunderbolt Hall.
Dong Huai Sect knew that while his scheme today had been well-conceived, a single misstep could destroy the reputation the Thunderbolt Hall had spent years building.
He took a deep breath and said:
“My third brother was acting on the orders of our First Brother, intending to participate in this Tea and Zither Appreciation Assembly.
“He never expected to run into an assassin from the Death Building trying to kill that brat, Jiang Ran.
“My third brother was a man of great generosity and valor, a true hero of his generation.
“How could he just stand by and watch something like that happen? He saw an injustice and drew his sword to help, as any hero would.
“But I never imagined that in the mouth of this Jiang Ran brat, the story would be twisted into… something so sordid. It’s ridiculous!
“And to think he would lose his life over it!”
Hearing this, Jiang Ran glanced at Dong Huai Sect and shook his head with a sigh.
“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Second Hall Master.
“Let’s take a huge step back. Even if we assume the Death Building truly has nothing to do with your Thunderbolt Hall.
“And let’s say the Third Hall Master was genuinely acting out of a sincere desire to right a wrong.
“Then what does his death have to do with me? To be perfectly honest, the Third Hall Master and I parted ways after the incident at Death Town…”
“You just admitted with your own mouth that my third brother died at your hands, and now you’re denying it?”
Dong Huai Sect exploded with anger. “Besides, as I just said, my third brother was under orders from our First Brother, Gu Renlong, to attend this assembly! Why would he inexplicably part ways with you?
“You obviously traveled together, and when you reached Qiuci Posthouse, you hatched some vile plot and murdered them all!
“The proof is the aftermath of the Celestial Thunder Pearl explosions all over the ground at Qiuci Posthouse!”
“We parted ways… because I killed Chen Zixuan, the disciple of Xuanyuan One Slash from the Blood Saber Hall.”
A statement designed to stun, and it did just that.
Dong Huai Sect had been pressing his attack, but with a single sentence, Jiang Ran left everyone in the room dumbfounded once more.
Only Yan Wushuang showed a hint of a smile at the corners of her eyes.
Clearly, she already knew.
Jiang Ran shot Yan Wushuang a surprised glance. ‘The Grand Master’s Ink Pavilion really ought to exchange notes with the Hundred Treasures Association,’ he thought. ‘Their methods are way better than just tailing people to get information. Have these people secretly installed surveillance cameras all over the martial world? How else could they know everything?’
But in stark contrast to Yan Wushuang’s composure, everyone else was utterly baffled.
What was he even saying?
Ever since Jiang Ran arrived at Evergreen Mansion and took up residence in Qifeng Manor, the Blood Saber Hall had provided him with comprehensive, airtight protection from every possible angle.
There was even a fantastic rumor, almost beyond belief, that Xuanyuan One Slash had acknowledged Jiang Ran as his master.
And yet, here was Jiang Ran, admitting with his own mouth that he had killed Chen Zixuan, Xuanyuan One Slash’s own disciple.
But… that meant they were in a blood feud!
What in the world was going on?
The murmurs of discussion became impossible to suppress.
Jiang Ran then rose from his chair and began to speak softly.
“It seems everyone here, my fellow members of the martial world, is quite interested in this matter…
“In that case, I might as well tell everyone the whole story, from beginning to end.
“That way, you can all understand what’s truly at stake.
“What happened with Chen Zixuan was, in truth, an accident.
“Xuanyuan One Slash himself said that disciple of his had gone astray. I say he was just spoiled rotten, which made him arrogant and conceited.
“He coveted the Jiaowei, so he showed up at my door in the dead of night, intending to kill me and take the zither.
“Naturally, I had to defend myself. Was I supposed to just let him murder me?
“And so, I killed Chen Zixuan.
“Afterward, in Death Town, I was ambushed by the Death Building… I didn’t think much of it, to be honest.
“But to my surprise, at the critical moment when I was locked in a life-or-death struggle with Greed Poison, Chi Lin, the Third Hall Master of the Thunderbolt Hall, arrived to provide aid.
“I was so moved that I wished I could have given him the Jiaowei then and there.
“But with this assembly on the eighth of the tenth month approaching, I couldn’t very well show up empty-handed, so I had to let the idea go.
“The man had risked his life to save me, so of course, I couldn’t keep secrets from him. I told him the truth: that I had killed Chen Zixuan.
“The Third Hall Master, being a man of great character himself, listened to what I had to say. He then promptly made an excuse about having other urgent business and took his leave!
“I thought that would be the end of it, a clean break. But I never expected…
“At Qiuci Posthouse, Xuanyuan One Slash led the men of the Blood Saber Sect to seek revenge on me.
“Just as Xuanyuan One Slash and I were locked in a fight to the death, a group of masked men suddenly charged in.
“One attacker came for the Jiaowei, while another group assaulted all of us with Celestial Thunder Pearls.”