“A bit of a stretch.”
Xun Wu You shook his head: “Ni Shen Yang’s foundation is too strong, far exceeding mine. To say I retreated unscathed is a bit of an exaggeration, especially during the incident at Xia Xing Dao. He nearly killed me!”
“Why are you being modest this time?” Mu Ling Feng was surprised: “I thought you’d be bragging again.”
Xun Wu You shook his head again: “I’m a straightforward person, I like to hear the truth.”
“Sect Master Mu said I’m your prized disciple, and that’s true. Why should I be modest? Ni Shen Yang really is difficult to fight, and I don’t need to exaggerate. I can’t beat him, I can’t beat him.”
He was honest and direct. He felt he deserved the compliments, and readily accepted them, but he wasn’t a fool who boasted about himself. He knew his own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone, especially after six days of intense training.
With his current cultivation, he could probably fight most top-tier Xian Tian to a draw. But Ni Shen Yang, a top-tier Xian Tian among the best, was no less formidable than the formidable figures of the Xuan Huang Three Vehicles. He was still no match for him.
Even with his newfound understanding from the rock climbing! He still couldn’t win.
“Indeed, to be ashamed of one’s shortcomings and yet brave, that is the true spirit of a man.” Mu Ling Feng assumed the posture of an elder: “If you encounter difficulties on your journey, the 3,000 Confucian scholars of Yi De Xi Tian can assist you.”
Lin Tian Xing’s intentions were not hidden from Mu Ling Feng and the others. They knew that the Emperor Confucian intended to groom Xun Wu You as his successor.
Moreover, Mu Ling Feng also knew that during Xun Wu You’s six days of training, there was a powerful figure watching over him.
Whether it was Gui Qi Zhu or Ni Shen Yang, that person always stood behind Xun Wu You.
However, as Xun Wu You’s cultivation grew stronger, that person became wary of revealing their presence and dared not follow too closely.
Lin Tian Xing was domineering, but his concern for this disciple was sincere. Fearing Xun Wu You might encounter danger while traveling, he arranged for Yin Xiao Shen, the fourth guardian of Hao Zheng, the Righteous Martial Artist without Trace, to protect him.
Just then, a melodious bell echoed through the mountains.
“The Single-Edged Criminal has been apprehended. Go to Cuisin Hall for the hearing!” Mu Ling Feng declared, stepping on the Mysterious Step, and rushing toward Cuisin Hall.
Xun Wu You, who had returned for Jian Zhi Chi, quickly followed Mu Ling Feng’s figure.
…
Cuisin Hall! De Feng Ancient Path Trial Hall.
The place was packed with martial arts practitioners, both Daoist and Buddhist, including Gui Qi Zhu’s spies.
Jian Zhi Chi’s eyes were vacant, the Tian Ke Ming Jian on his chest was a chilling sight, and his body was shackled with hundreds of pounds of chains.
Yu Li Jing and other senior members of the Confucian School sat to one side, three meters away from Jian Zhi Chi stood a powerful, imposing Xian Tian.
This man was dressed in white robes and had white hair, holding the Law of Balance and Harmony, and his back was adorned with a four-foot-long green blade.
His expression was three parts cold, three parts indifferent, and four parts concealed yet undeniable power.
The first guardian of the five paths of Hao Zheng, the Lawful Confucian without Prejudice, Jun Feng Tian!
【Fans lovingly call him Lawful Confucian Dad!】
“The Single-Edged Criminal has been caught. Whether the Lawful Confucian is truly without prejudice remains to be seen in how he judges the case!”
“Are you kidding? How could Jun Feng Tian be biased?”
“That’s because you don’t know Jian Zhi Chi’s identity. This kid has deep ties with Jun Feng Tian.”
“How so?”
“Jun Feng Tian has a disciple named Sui Yuan, Sui Yuan’s wife is Xi Duan Hong, and Xi Duan Hong is the Single-Edged Criminal’s mother!”
“Are you kidding me? Sui Yuan and Xi Duan Hong’s son isn’t Sui Wu Duan? How is he related to the Single-Edged Criminal?”
Whispers of gossip filled the air, seemingly directed at Jun Feng Tian and the Confucian School.
Whether these rumors were intentional or not was unknown, but spreading them at this time certainly cast some doubt on the Confucian School in the eyes of the public.
The melodious bell rang thirty-six times, shaking the mountains and forests.
Jun Feng Tian’s white eyebrows rose slightly, his gaze, sharp as a blade, swept around the crowd, instantly silencing them.
His gaze was sharper than any blade, even his peripheral vision could make people’s pupils sting!
The so-called rumor wasn’t entirely false. Jian Zhi Chi’s biological mother was indeed Xi Duan Hong, and he was half-brother to Sui Wu Duan.
As for why Xi Duan Hong abandoned her sons and married Sui Yuan, that was an old story that few cared about.
Either she was cheating, or she found true love and abandoned her husband and children.
Decades ago, Xi Duan Hong and Sui Yuan were tasked with guarding the Three Teachings’ sacred artifact, Tian Ke Ming Jian. One night, it mysteriously disappeared.
This was a major crime. The Tian Ke Ming Jian, a divine weapon of the Three Teachings, was jointly owned by all three, and even if it were a private possession of the Confucian School, its loss would cause an uproar.
Besides, besides Xi Duan Hong and her husband, there were also Daoist and Buddhist masters guarding the sacred artifact at the time.
But except for Xi Duan Hong and her husband, all the other masters died.
Faced with the questioning of the Three Teachings, Sui Yuan committed suicide to prove his innocence, Xi Duan Hong's cultivation was sealed, and she was banished to fend for herself. The matter should have ended there.
But then Jian Zhi Chi appeared, wielding the Tian Ke Ming Jian and killing indiscriminately.
That’s the story. The missing Tian Ke Ming Jian, the past grievances, and the souls lost to Jian Zhi Chi’s blade, were all set to be unveiled today.
Jun Feng Tian’s expression remained impassive as he asked in a deep voice: “Criminal! Name the thief and the killer!”
It was a simple question, but everyone present felt their souls vibrate, and they couldn’t help but want to reveal their own secrets. They were shocked to the core.
This was Jun Feng Tian, the guardian of the five paths of Hao Zheng? Truly worthy of his reputation.
A few simple words, yet they held the power to stir the depths of one’s mind.
And they weren’t even aimed at them. What kind of pressure was Jian Zhi Chi, standing in the middle of this, facing?
“Sword… Sword…”
Jian Zhi Chi’s internal energy surged, the chains on his body rattled violently.
Jun Feng Tian’s voice was like a key unlocking the seal on his memories. Jian Zhi Chi trembled violently, his mind flooded with a painful past.