Nighttime Scheme
Abbess Dingyi flashed away.
It's hard to imagine that someone as old and frail as her could unleash such astonishing speed.
With one hand outstretched, it seemed to cover all directions, leaving Qu Feiyan with nowhere to escape.
"Ah!"
Qu Feiyan screamed in terror. No matter how clever and mischievous she was, she could not remain calm under the full force of Abbess Dingyi's grab.
The little girl in the green dress was held in the nun's hand.
A section of her fair wrist was exposed, but the nun held her pulse point, preventing her from moving.
Liu Jing's pretty face was also full of worry.
"Master?"
Yue Lingshan and Yilin both looked surprised.
Only the Tiansong and the Tianbai seemed to have realized what was happening.
Upon seeing this scene, even the shrewd and worldly-wise Liu Zhengfeng couldn't help but show a hint of panic on his face.
"Master, what's wrong...?"
Liu Zhengfeng pretended not to know, barely concealing the panic on his face, and smiled as he approached, trying to smooth things over.
How could Abbess Dingyi allow him to fool her?
Already in a bad mood, the sight of Liu Zhengfeng seemingly having illicit ties with the Demonic Cult further shook her to her core.
Her eyebrows furrowed, revealing neither joy nor sorrow, but clearly concealing anger.
I was initially puzzled as to why Liu Zhengfeng would Washing Hands in a Golden Basin at the height of his fame and fortune, but now I have some guesses.
Abbess Dingyi felt only disappointment and frustration.
It seems that among the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, one of the leading righteous sects in the martial arts world, there are few who are truly clean.
"Third Master Liu!"
This sound was somewhat heavy, and also quite meaningful!
Tiansong and Tianbai also gathered around.
Both of them were furious.
Although they did not clash with these Demonic Cult cultivators in Yueyang City, and were even mocked by them for the internal strife within the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, they were not angry at all, but instead felt that they shared the same views.
But when they actually saw that Liu Zhengfeng seemed to be colluding with the Demonic Cult sect, they couldn't help but feel angry.
Daoist Master Tianmen also came over. Although he looked puzzled, he could tell that something was unusual when he saw Liu Zhengfeng's troubled expression.
Liu Zhengfeng could no longer hide the panic on his face.
It felt like I had swallowed a bitter gall bladder.
The bitter taste thickened my tongue, making it hard to speak, and I was momentarily stunned.
The two Daoist priests, Tiansong Tianbai, were hot-tempered and straightforward, and were about to continue questioning him.
Ji Boying looked at the scene before him and exchanged a smile with Yue Buqun.
He simply concealed this smile very well, letting it flash by without leaving a trace.
"Dear senior brothers and uncles, this is not the place to talk..."
Ji Boying stopped Tiansong and Tianbai from continuing to question them, saying that they couldn't reveal these things in public, or things would go wrong.
Liu Zhengfeng felt as if he had been granted a pardon.
He glanced at Ji Boying with deep gratitude.
"Senior brother, nun, let's go inside and talk."
Dingyi, Tiansong, Tianbai all snorted coldly at the same time, but they didn't say anything more. They all understood that these matters were not suitable for public debate, so as not to ruin the reputation of their Five Great Mountains Sword Sects.
The group then followed Liu Zhengfeng into the flower hall.
Five chairs were placed at the head of the table, clearly reserved for the leaders of the Sect Leader Yue.
But no one sat down at this moment; they all stood in the middle of the flower pavilion, wanting to make things clear.
Abbess Dingyi glared at the quirky and delicate little girl beside her with complicated eyes.
He grabbed her round, pink forearm with one hand, but only grasped it without applying any force.
Ultimately, this nun was also a kind-hearted Buddhist disciple.
"Third Master Liu, what else do you have to say?"
Dingyi's questioning left Liu Zhengfeng with a bitter expression.
Liu Zhengfeng's beard trembled repeatedly, but he ultimately found it difficult to speak.
Daoist Tianmen looked puzzled, only to hear his two junior brothers whispering something in his ear.
His doubts vanished, and his face turned into one of rage.
He slammed his fist on the small table beside him in a fit of anger.
"Junior Brother Liu, are you colluding with the Demonic Cult sect?"
Liu Zhengfeng was filled with helplessness.
"Senior brother, don't be anxious. Let Junior Brother Liu explain first. There must be a reason behind it."
Despite his imposing figure Yue Buqun, adorned in a tall hat and wide belt, remained elegant and composed as he offered words of advice.
Liu Zhengfeng was extremely grateful to the Mount Hua Sect.
He then bowed solemnly to the group with a bitter yet sincere expression, and slowly recounted his friendship with Qu Yang.
Before the crowd could continue their questioning and anger, Liu Zhengfeng pleaded again, "Senior Sister, although Brother Qu is an elder of the Demonic Cult, his granddaughter is not a member of the Demonic Cult Sect. Please release this girl first."
"You still call him Brother Qu!"
Dingyi was dissatisfied.
But he also knew that Liu Zhengfeng wouldn't deceive him about this matter. She was from a reputable family and practiced Buddhism, so she was naturally kind and wouldn't harm the enemy's family.
He could only sigh and let go of Qu Feiyan.
Qu Feiyan, now free, knew that these people were all highly skilled in martial arts and dared not act recklessly. She nimbly dodged behind Ji Boying.
She knew who was present. She didn't know how skilled Yue Buqun was in martial arts, but Ji Boying was definitely much better than these men who were blowing their beards and glaring at her.
The Mount Hua Sect remained calm and seemed like good people, so they hid behind Ji Boying.
If someone else makes a move, Ji Boying can naturally stop them; but if Ji Boying decides to make a move, then no matter where you stand, you can't escape it.
"Junior Brother Liu, how could that Demonic Cult cultist have good intentions in breaking off relations with you? There must be some conspiracy behind it, and he just took advantage of your obsession with music and your simple mind to deceive you."
Abbess Dingyi was moved by Liu Zhengfeng's address of her as "Senior Sister," which stirred up old feelings within her.
Liu Zhengfeng replied, "Senior Sister is not knowledgeable in music, so naturally she wouldn't know. Brother Qu and I are acquainted in music; music is the voice of the heart, just like Boyang and Ziqi, our hearts are in perfect harmony, and there is absolutely no shady dealing involved. I can also assure Senior Sister and all the other senior brothers that I will never do anything that would harm the righteous path of the martial world."
Abbess Dingyi was somewhat disappointed in her son's lack of progress.
"Junior brother, that was a trap set for you by the Demonic Cult sect members who targeted your weakness!"
She continued to persuade him earnestly.
"You've done such a thing, and now you've run into our hands. There's still room for maneuver. But if this gets out, who in the world will tolerate you? Even if you claim to be magnanimous, who outsiders can trust you? If you truly consider me your senior sister, you should heed my advice: kill Qu Yang. That will settle things once and for all. We'll pretend we don't know anything about this and won't reveal a single word."
Daoist Tianmen, with a cold face, also stated, "The Demonic Cult cultists here deserve to be killed by everyone, and you deserve severe punishment for such a wrongdoing. However, this concerns the reputation of our Five Great Mountains Sword Sects. As long as you kill Qu Yang, this matter will be considered closed!"
Liu Zhengfeng sensed the people's protectiveness and was moved, but he absolutely could not bring himself to lay a hand on Qu Yang.
Caught between his close friends and the support of his fellow disciples, Liu Zhengfeng could only feel deeply ashamed.