Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, All Lovey-Dovey

Why is nobody here? Why is nobody here?

My brother Qu didn't even dare to tell Xiang Wentian death.

As a result of the imperial edict, I relinquished my position as a military officer.

Why did it go so smoothly?

Why?

Although Liu Zhengfeng had successfully washed his hands of the matter, he didn't know whether to feel joy or sorrow.

"Uncle Liu is really strange. Wasn't it his idea to Golden Basin Hand-Washing? Why is he acting like his own father has died?" Lu Dayou muttered under his breath.

He didn't want to show his face; he just wanted to stay in his room with his senior brother.

His heart was filled with resentment.

He also believed that in such a lively environment, his master would not have time to pay attention to him.

"Lu—Da—You—" Yue Buqun said, each word dripping with rage, his voice a mixture of anger and laughter. "Get back to your room and don't go looking for that beast Linghu Chong!"

Lu Dayou shifted from fear to joy, and then to sorrow.

He secretly lamented. "Sigh, senior brother, you've really offended Master this time. What bad luck! Why did Master happen to notice me, Six Monkeys?"

Little did they know, this was all because of what happened last night.

Therefore, from the moment they met until now, Yue Buqun and Liu Zhengfeng have both been secretly channeling their energy, keeping their eyes and ears open in all directions.

The former was worried about disturbing Immortal Li's refined interest.

The latter was half afraid and half looking forward to the appearance of the evil cult.

The fear stems from the fear that friends, family members, or disciples might be harmed as a result.

The hope is that with Immortal Li, fellow disciples from the Five Peaks Sword Sects, and so many friends from all over Jiangnan and the North present, this is the safest time for the Liu residence.

This is the best time to deal with the attack from the evil cult.

Even if Dongfang Bubai were to personally attack, he would certainly not fare well.

In the center of the main hall of the Liu residence.

In front of the golden basin.

Liu Zhengfeng silently urged the members of the Demonic Sect to appear quickly.

"Grandpa Liu."

Liu Zhengfeng looked toward the source of the sound.

The people who came were indeed from the Demonic Sect, but Qu Feiyan.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The backyard of the Liu residence.

Another member of the Demonic Cult appeared before Liu Zhengfeng.

"Brother Liu, I was originally prepared to leave, but..." Qu Yang's face was filled with sorrow and his eyes were filled with reluctance, "This time, it may be the last time I see you."

"Brother Qu, didn't we agree that after I Golden Basin Hand-Washing, we would stay together for life?" Liu Zhengfeng placed his hands on Qu Yang's shoulders.

At that moment, he put everything else out of his mind.

Even when Dongfang Bubai attacked, his first thought was to protect Qu Yang and help him escape.

"Who was it? And what was it?"

Liu Zhengfeng pressed for more information.

"Xiang Wentian, this concerns Sect Leader Ren," Qu Yang said after much hesitation.

"Is this what you mean?" Liu Zhengfeng turned around, picked up the brocade box that had been placed on the table when he entered the room, opened the lid, and revealed a head.

A face that both of them had seen last night.

The only difference is that one saw a living person, while the other saw a dead person.

"I have another matter to discuss with you, Brother Qu, which is to inform you of this person's death."

After seeing the head, Qu Yang had been silent, finally spoke up, "Brother Xiang... how did Xiang Wentian die?"

Liu Zhengfeng recounted everything that happened last night.

Brother Qu, I've found you an even better sworn brother. You'll be very satisfied. He's sixteen years old, and as beautiful as a peach blossom. I'll be right back.

Qu Yang was still Xiang Wentian's dying words, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Indeed, she was sixteen years old, and her beauty was like that of a peach blossom.

[Jade Faced Startled Swan] Lin Pingzhi was indeed like that.

The once-powerful Left Envoy of Light of Light lost his life in such a ridiculous way.

"Brother Qu, you mentioned Ren Woxing. Could he also be in Hengshan City?" Liu Zhengfeng asked.

His words subtly revealed a mixture of anticipation and fear.

If Ren Woxing were alive, given his domineering nature, he certainly wouldn't have tolerated it and would have attacked the Liu residence.

Ren Woxing is probably no match for Immortal Li.

At the same time, he was also somewhat afraid, because among the dead would be faces of people he knew.

"Sect Leader Ren is not here," Qu Yang said.

"Alas, it seems I have no choice but to leave Hengshan City," Liu Zhengfeng said.

"Why is it like this, Brother Liu?" Qu Yang asked in confusion.

"Although I Golden Basin Hand-Washing and have nothing to do with it anymore, Ren Woxing is not bound by conventional etiquette. With Xiang Wentian dead in Hengshan City, the Sun Moon Sect will certainly not let me, the leader, off the hook when they seek trouble." Liu Zhengfeng sighed deeply.

"Brother Liu, you don't need to worry about this," Qu Yang said after a moment's hesitation. "To be honest, I was with Xiang Wentian last night. I originally wanted to leave Hengshan City temporarily, but he stopped me."

Qu Yang said everything he needed to say except for the fact that Ren Woxing was imprisoned in West Lake.

Liu Zhengfeng finally felt relieved. "Since Xiang Wentian has been regarded as a traitor by Dongfang Bubai, his death will not cause the Sun Moon Sect to attack?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Qu Yang hesitated. "Xiang Wentian hasn't been declared a traitor yet. Before he died, he was still the Left Envoy of Light the Sun Moon Sect."

"If Sect Leader Ren were in power, he would definitely use this method."

"But the current leader of the Eastern Cult."

"I don't know how he will handle this."

In the martial arts world, sometimes the reputation of a sect is more important than the lives of its members.

However, Dongfang Bubai has not shown his face for a long time, leaving everything to Yang Lianting, and his style of doing things has become more conservative, no longer expanding outwards.

It cannot be calculated according to common sense.

"However," Qu Yang pondered, "Brother Liu, you should make preparations as soon as possible."

"Since Xiang Wentian is dead, and you didn't even take that insignificant military officer position, why don't we go to Persia or Annam together?"

"There, the Sun Moon Holy Cult has no reach, and with our martial arts skills, we can easily establish ourselves and study music."

"It wouldn't be unreasonable to come back after things have calmed down."

"Alright." Liu Zhengfeng made his decision. "Then, as Brother Qu said, we will go to Persia, which will be a good opportunity to study the music of that foreign land."

"But after the handover banquet, the other disciples of the Three Mountains Sect will surely know of Xiang Wentian's death, and I fear I won't be able to get away for a while."

"And my family, too, will need some time to be entrusted to my senior brother."

"Why don't Fei Yan also join your Hengshan sect along with Jing'er?" Qu Yang suggested, "If we stay with the Saint Aunt..."

In the future they were planning, there was no place for anyone else.

There were only the two of them.

Previously, Qu Yang thought that Dongfang Bubai gave the Saint Aunt such great power because he wanted to pass on the throne to her after he died childless.

And the Saint Aunt also had the support of Xiang Wentian.

Therefore, he was happy for Fei Yan to get along well with the Saint Aunt.

He even considered entrusting Feiyan to her.

And now.

He suspected that the Saint Aunt was merely a fisherman, catching those who were loyal to the Sect Leader Ren.

With the Five Sacred Mountains associated with Immortal Li (the Five Sacred Mountains are of one body, and Mount Hua and Mount Heng are related to Immortal Li by marriage), they became his next targets.

Liu Zhengfeng's reaction was, "That's wonderful! Feiyan and Jing'er are already close, wouldn't this make us even closer?"

He was going to continue envisioning a bright future.

But suddenly a voice came from outside the door.

"Master! Mister Yue. Yue wants you to take that box with you."

It was his disciple, Xiang Danian.

"Tell Mister Yue I'll be there right away."

Liu Zhengfeng said loudly.

He then looked at Qu Yang and whispered, "Brother Qu, I'll go—"

Qu Yang covered Liu Zhengfeng's mouth (he thought of what Xiang Wentian had said before he died), "Don't say such unlucky things, Brother Liu, I'll be waiting for you here."

Liu Mansion, Central Courtyard.

People from the Five Peaks Sword Sects gathered together, and Master Mo, who had not shown himself until now, also appeared carrying his erhu.

"Senior Brother Yue, is what you say true?" Fei Bin asked.

"It's just as true as if your Songshan Sect to infiltrate my Huashan Mountain." Yue Buqun was not polite at all.

Who is he now?

My father-in-law is a god!

What's there to be afraid of about Mount Song!

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding." Fei Bin forced a smile with his rat-like face. "Deno is just the son of my Uncle Lao Xin, the 'White Egret Hand,' and has not entered my Songshan sect."

"He became a disciple of Mount Hua because he admired the skills of Mount Hua."

"It was not assigned by us."

Mo Da and the others sighed deeply.

[The Great Yin-Yang Hand] Fei Bin is Zuo Lengchan's fourth junior brother. He has always been arrogant, but now he has changed his behavior. This shows how fortunate he is to be associated with an immortal.

"Let's just assume it's true," Yue Buqun said sarcastically.

"It was my junior brother, I was wrong." Fei Bin apologized again. "The fact that Junior Nephew Lin killed the Left Envoy of the Sun Moon Demonic Cult is a fortunate event that enhances the prestige of our Five Peaks Sword Sects."

"I was so overjoyed that I said the wrong thing."

"It's not that I don't believe it, it's that I'm so happy and can't believe that such a fortunate thing could actually happen!"

He then looked at Lin Pingzhi, "Nephew Lin, my wife's niece is also a beautiful young woman of sixteen, innocent and lovely, a perfect match for you. I wonder if I might have the honor of—"

"This is not something Pingzhi can decide on his own," Yue Buqun interrupted. "It has always been the order of parents and the words of matchmakers. Pingzhi came to the master with his skills, and his parents are still alive. If Junior Brother Fei is really willing, he should go to Fuzhou."

Yue Buqun's words were full of estrangement.

He knew that Fei Bin's move was a ruse, a feint aimed at Liu Bang.

This is hardly a matchmaking attempt for Pingzhi.

She clearly wanted to create an opportunity to get to know Immortal Li.

Moreover, even if he fails, he can still gather some information and make some good connections. Perhaps he can even settle for Pingzhi and become a couple. Even if Pingzhi doesn't work out, his other disciples might be tempted.

For example, Linghu Chong and Lu Dayou, those two beasts.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother."

Lu Dayou secretly ran into Linghu Chong's room and whispered.

"I have arranged for someone to do what you asked for. I spent one tael of silver to have someone secretly take Brother Tian's body from the mass grave and bury it."

Lying in bed, with his lips cracked and bloodshot, Linghu Chong finally stopped wearing a stern face. "Brother Tian is such a hero, yet he couldn't even leave behind a complete corpse."

In his mind, that horrific scene seemed to reappear.

The fat monk cut off two ounces of meat, which was then eaten by a large yellow dog.

"Don't worry, I, Six Monkeys, am very reliable. I found that dog too, and buried it with Brother Tian," Lu Dayou said.

"Okay, okay, okay." Linghu Chong finally stood up and placed his hand on Lu Dayou's hand.

"Senior Brother, you've lost weight." Lu Dayou's eyes reddened.

"Bring me the wine," Linghu Chong said.

Seeing Lu Dayou hesitate, Linghu Chong added, "Wine is made from grains, and drinking is like eating. Your senior brother needs wine to nourish his body right now!"

"Senior Brother, you should at least eat something. I know you don't want to eat meat," Lu Dayou pulled out a piece of oil paper from his pocket, and inside were several steaming hot sesame cakes. "These are vegetarian sesame cakes from Old Liu's family in the south of the city. They're the favorite of the monks at Fangguang Temple on the mountain. They're absolutely delicious!"

Linghu Chong took it, took a big bite, and exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Then he put it down again.

"It's a pity that Brother Tian can't enjoy such a good sesame seed cake."

"It's all because of that."

From Linghu Chong's perspective, Li Lin not only stole his childhood sweetheart, his junior sister, but also framed his best friend, whom he had fallen for at first sight, as a lecherous thief, preventing him from dying as a man.

Even so, he dared not insult him.

He had already noticed Yue Buqun's attitude towards Li Lin, whom he regarded as his own father.

"That charlatan?" Lu Dayou was different. In his heart, his senior brother was the most important. "Senior brother, let's go back first and tell Master's wife that Master has been deceived by the charlatan."

"With my master's wife's discerning eyes, that charlatan's disguise will surely be exposed!"

"What kind of immortal is he? He hasn't even grown a full beard yet, and he's already attracted to nuns!"

"Senior Brother, this is all for Junior Sister!"

Linghu Chong had remained unmoved, murmured, "Yes, we're doing this for our junior sister!"

"We are doing this for the righteous cause!" Fei Bin said. "Brother Yue, why don't you persuade Immortal Li to linger in Hengshan City a little longer?"

"Mount Hua is fraught with peril, and there is also Master Feng, who is related to Immortal Li by marriage."

"But in Hengshan City, where Senior Brother Liu is located, there are only these disciples."

"What if the Demonic Sect takes its anger out on Senior Brother Liu?"

"We can't abandon Golden Basin Hand-Washing Brother Liu just because he's retired from the martial arts world!"

Fei Bin spoke with sincerity, but Yue Buqun remained unmoved.

He could almost see the beautiful female disciples and relatives of Mount Song rushing towards Hengshan City on horseback, ultimately winning the heart of the Immortal Li.

"Actually, I'm planning to go to Persia, the legendary Arab world."

"The music there is said to be very different from ours."

Liu Zhengfeng had arrived with the box containing Xiang Wentian's head some time ago.

The Five Peaks Sword Sects are discussing how to deal with the Demonic Sect's counterattack.

Then Songshan suggested that they entertain Immortal Li for a while longer, for his safety.

But Liu Zhengfeng himself was eager to leave this place with Qu Yang and live a life where they only had each other and music.

"Different from us?" Mo Da suddenly said quietly, "My instrument is also a huqin."

Like Kiyone falling on leaves, a sound that seems like a sigh or a cry, accompanied by the faint, intermittent rustling of a huqin (a two-stringed bowed instrument).

Liu Zhengfeng sighed, "Senior brother, the erhu you played was so mournful that it brought tears to people's eyes. It was too vulgar. Good poems and lyrics should be joyful without being lewd, and sorrowful without being tragic. This is what I want to avoid the most."

Buzz—!

The string broke.

Mr. Mo's face, which resembled that of a consumptive and could be described as wretched, also became stiff.

Am I really that inferior to him?

"Is it my music? Or my person?"

"Is his affected flute playing better than my zither playing?"

Everyone was shocked to hear this.

They knew that Mr. Mo Da and Liu Zhengfeng were not on good terms, but it turned out that the two were not actually on bad terms; it was Liu Zhengfeng who looked down on Mr. Mo Da's music.

There is also a mysterious third person in their relationship.

Fei Bin was furious at this moment, and he really wanted to expose that the third person was Qu Yang.

But now that the situation has changed, they are helping to cover it up.

However, Liu Zhengfeng seemed about to blurt out Qu Yang's name in a fit of anger, as if he would never return to Hengshan in his life.

At the critical moment.

"Oh no, Master! Senior Brother and Sixth Brother have both run away!"

This person was none other than Ying Bailuo.

In the original timeline, Lin Pingzhi was killed by Yue Buqun after witnessing Yue Buqun cut him down with a single sword strike and exclaiming "Master!" He was even inexplicably disfigured by Yue Buqun, presumably to match the disfigured body of Lao De Nuo's double.