The Ruan Family's Demands

"You want the murderer's life and Duàn Yì's life? The first is easy enough, but as for the second condition, this...

The sword match was proposed by Ruan Dong. Afterward, Ruan Dong himself could not bear the result of his defeat and left in shame and fury. To declare Duàn Yì guilty on that basis alone would truly be forcing an argument."

Seeing the change in Ruan Xiang's expression, Liu Zhiwei thought for a moment. Then he shifted the subject and continued,

"Alas, Master Ruan, to be honest, when I learned of this yesterday, I too flew into a rage and immediately intended to hold Duàn Yì accountable.

At that time, I felt exactly as you did. Ruan Dong was my disciple. Everyone connected to his death had to pay the price.

But this matter has far-reaching implications. Duàn Yì is a distant relative of my junior brother Bái Xī Wén, and he is exceptionally gifted and highly valued. Were it not for that, I would not have let him off so lightly.

You want his life to accompany Ruan Dong to the grave. I cannot do that. Even the Golden Cauldron Sect cannot do that. I ask for your understanding."

Liu Zhiwei's feelings toward Duàn Yì were complicated. He admired his talent, his calm and steady bearing, and his quick, clever mind, yet he also hated that Duàn Yì belonged to Bái Xī Wén and hated that Duàn Yì had brought humiliation upon both him and Ruan Dong.

Now that Ruan Xiang seemed determined to pin immense responsibility for Ruan Dong's death on Duàn Yì, Liu Zhiwei simply went with the flow. What became of Duàn Yì would depend entirely on whether Bái Xī Wén could hold his ground.

"The Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost expert?"

The moment Ruan Xiang heard the name Bái Xī Wén, his heart sank, and much of the Killing Intent filling his chest dissipated.

Though he was a merchant, he knew quite a bit about the martial world. Bái Xī Wén's great name was thunder in his ears.

The reason Ruan Dong had first developed the desire to practice martial arts was because he had heard of Bái Xī Wén's fame and exploits from the servants. His heart had been filled with yearning, and he had even wanted to directly become Bái Xī Wén's disciple.

Unfortunately, that man accepted no disciples. No matter what terms Ruan Xiang offered, Bái Xī Wén refused. Only then did he settle for second best and have Ruan Dong study martial arts under Liu Zhiwei.

"Could Bái Xī Wén's protection alone truly allow Duàn Yì to live free and easy?"

Ruan Xiang felt stifled and despondent, with a bitter chill rising in his heart.

The Golden Cauldron Sect would not let the true murderer go, so he did not need to worry about that. But Duàn Yì could not simply be left alone.

One moment, the image of Ruan Dong screaming miserably and begging him to avenge him flashed through his mind; the next, it was occupied by an incomparably powerful and domineering figure, leaving him unable to summon even the thought of resistance.

It was not as if Ruan Xiang did not know that Duàn Yì had no connection to Ruan Dong's death. But so what?

His son was dead, and Duàn Yì was the one who had humiliated his son and indirectly caused his death. He had to pay the price.

This was also a common human failing. Other than those of great virtue and saintly goodness, when faced with such matters, people sided with their kin rather than reason. They would not even consider whether their own family member had brought it upon himself.

"Master, although we cannot have Duàn Yì buried alongside Young Master, it does not mean we cannot make him pay a price.

Deputy Sect Master Liu, setting aside the fact that the Golden Cauldron Sect has received the Ruan family's support for many years, Young Master was a disciple of your Golden Cauldron Sect, yet he was defeated in swordsmanship by an outsider, damaging his reputation. Do you truly have no thoughts on the matter?"

Seeing Ruan Xiang's deep anguish and hesitation, Steward Xu could not help feeling that a hero had reached his twilight years. A thought stirred in his heart, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands as he spoke.

He had also listened to the entire matter from beginning to end and had grasped several key points.

First, Duàn Yì had practiced martial arts for barely ten days, yet he could defeat Young Master with the sword. His talent was indeed outstanding, but only in swordsmanship, not in pure overall strength.

This showed that in a true fight to the death, Young Master might not necessarily lose. He might even certainly win. Otherwise, the other party would not have proposed such terms for the match.

Second, Duàn Yì was not a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect. He merely lived and practiced martial arts on the mountain as Bái Xī Wén's distant relative. This was another point through which they could strike.

Furthermore, their Ruan family had supported the Golden Cauldron Sect with huge sums of silver for many years. That money had not been given for nothing. When trouble arose, they could seek the Golden Cauldron Sect's help on that basis.

Now their Young Master, Liu Zhiwei's personal disciple in the Golden Cauldron Sect, was dead. Before his death, he had lost to an outsider. Could the Golden Cauldron Sect truly ignore the fact that the other party had slapped its face?

Especially once word of this spread, not only would Ruan Dong become a laughingstock, but the Golden Cauldron Sect's reputation would also suffer greatly, and others would mock it as having an empty name.

"Exactly. That Duàn Yì is not one of the Golden Cauldron Sect. Now he has borrowed his defeat of my son to gain the name of a genius, yet you can still stand by and do nothing? How tragic!"

Ruan Xiang was no fool. Steward Xu's words jolted him awake, and he realized that the source of Duàn Yì's disaster lay in his status as an outsider.

If Duàn Yì had been a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, then the two would have been fellow disciples sparring within their own sect. Whoever won or lost would have been the Golden Cauldron Sect's own affair. But Duàn Yì was not a member of the Golden Cauldron Sect. That made it an entirely different matter.

"This... you people...?"

Liu Zhiwei was no slow thinker. He quickly realized that the Ruan family was baring its fangs.

The first reason was Steward Xu's remark: "Setting aside the fact that the Golden Cauldron Sect has received the Ruan family's support for many years."

That was a sarcastic remark. If he meant to set it aside, why mention it at all?

It showed that when the Ruan family had trouble, it could demand that the Golden Cauldron Sect take action.

When one took a master to study martial arts, the initial apprenticeship gift was already sufficient. Why would they need to offer huge sums of silver every year? That money was protection money.

The second reason was that Duàn Yì, an outsider, had defeated his personal disciple, and under circumstances where the gap in their training time was enormous.

If word spread, it would establish Duàn Yì's reputation as a genius and Bái Xī Wén's reputation as a famous teacher.

At the same time, the Golden Cauldron Sect's prestige and his own dignity, Liu Zhiwei's face, would be swept away entirely.

If he did not agree to the Ruan family's demands, they would likely spread the matter far and wide, turning what had originally been a trivial matter into a major event known to everyone in the martial world. Then they would be finished.

Now, the Ruan family was both using the silver they had provided in the past to request the Golden Cauldron Sect's help and using other means to threaten them.

"What do you intend to do?"

Liu Zhiwei finally spoke. He no longer dared to underestimate Ruan Xiang and Steward Xu in the slightest.

Ruan Xiang knew that his mind was now in complete turmoil, tangled by Ruan Dong's death, and that it was difficult for him to remain clearheaded. So he signaled for Steward Xu to decide. He trusted that Steward Xu would surely let him vent this resentment.

"Simple. Since Duàn Yì won against Young Master in a sword match, then let him accept another decisive battle.

If your Golden Cauldron Sect does not wish to intervene, that is fine. We will find an expert to deal with him ourselves. You need only serve as witnesses.

As for the outcome of this battle, if we win, then he must carry the murderer's head before Young Master's coffin and perform three bows and nine kowtows. At the same time, he must cut off the hand he uses for the sword as an offering. What does Deputy Sect Master Liu think?"

Though Steward Xu spoke these words in an ordinary tone, their contents were truly vicious.

Three bows and nine kowtows were nothing, but demanding one hand—especially the hand of a swordsman—was indeed an exceptionally malicious means of revenge. In some people's eyes, it was even more terrifying than death.

"Precisely. My Ruan family has already made sufficient concessions. We are not insisting on doing anything to him. We are merely having him fight another battle.

Only if he loses will he pay the price. If he wins, then he can count himself lucky. I will no longer trouble him or the Golden Cauldron Sect."

Ruan Xiang was deeply tempted by Steward Xu's proposal.

He knew his son best. Ruan Dong had been proud and arrogant. Being defeated by a boy would surely have been regarded as the greatest humiliation of his life.

If Duàn Yì were made to sever one of his own hands before his son's spirit, it would surely bring him comfort and joy in the underworld, and it would also settle a burden in Ruan Xiang's heart.

"This... I cannot guarantee that it will work, but I will return and discuss it with my senior brother, the Sect Master."

After thinking it over again and again, Liu Zhiwei felt that the plan had great potential. He intended to return and discuss it with Qū Dōng Liú, but he did not dare make his words too absolute.

If Bái Xī Wén was determined to protect Duàn Yì, could they truly fall out with him over this?

"Then we shall await Deputy Sect Master Liu's good news at the Ruan residence."

Ruan Xiang nodded, then suddenly recalled something.

"Oh, right. My household previously happened to acquire a piece of Cold Jade, which we had been preparing to present to Sect Master Qū as a wedding gift. Deputy Sect Master Liu, take this gift back with you this time. I hope you will not disappoint us."

Upon hearing of the Cold Jade, Liu Zhiwei was stunned. He had not expected such a treasure to have fallen into the Ruan family's hands, nor that they had intended to present it to Qū Dōng Liú as a wedding gift.

This was something valuable beyond price, especially for martial artists, to whom it offered immense aid.

Still, that was good. With the Cold Jade as a gift, his senior brother, the Sect Master, would surely give the matter more thought.