Only Children Insist on Evidence!

"Because you..."

"Because what? Go on, say it. No evidence, no motive—just baseless slander." Li Xian smiled. "Deputy Gang Leader Zhang, this is no longer mere defamation. You want my life. You want an innocent man like me to be buried alongside your son!"

"Shut up! It's not like that at all!" Zhang Yangming was both furious and anxious.

"Then what is it? Is it because I'm new here?"

"Because I have no background, no one backing me?"

"Or because I'm young and honest, so you think you can bully me?"

Li Xian fired off a string of questions before finally turning to the people in the hall and shouting in a voice filled with grievance and fury.

"Are honest people just easy to bully?!"

Those in the hall who knew the truth immediately felt a pang of sympathy.

Exactly. The young man had talent and a bright future, yet first the son had bullied him and stolen his credit, and now the father was forcing him to take the blame. This father-son pair was truly vile!

Battered by this relentless questioning, and by the scornful looks from everyone else, Zhang Yangming's blood surged with rage. His mind went blank, and he lost all reason.

"Shut the hell up!"

"It was obviously because you held a grudge! Fengyuan stole your credit, so you wanted to kill him. Not only that, you killed Lu Wu'an, killed Duan Sanping, and slaughtered everyone who had taken part in stealing your credit!"

Zhang Yangming let out an almost hysterical roar.

"Oh..." Li Xian drawled, smiling. "So that's how it is."

"So Deputy Gang Leader Zhang believes that Hall Master Zhang and the others stole my credit, which is why I wanted to kill them!"

"Yes, that's right. Exactly!"

Zhang Yangming answered with absolute certainty.

Only after saying it did he realize that Something was Wrong.

He looked around and found that everyone, including Cao Xiong, was staring at him as though he were an idiot.

Who would openly say something so shameful for all to hear?

Couldn't he see that Cao Xiong had pulled him aside to whisper in private instead of saying it directly in front of everyone?

"This fool..."

Cao Xiong cursed Zhang Yangming viciously in his heart, then said to the crowd.

"That's enough for today. Everyone, go back!"

From what had happened today, Zhang Fengyuan's death was very likely a family scandal.

Though Li Xian had denied everything all along, Cao Xiong believed the kid had been putting on an act from start to finish.

Cao Xiong had already reached his conclusion.

But how was that possible?

Li Xian was so young, yet he had actually managed to kill a Hall Master along with two stewards?

How had he done it?

Watching Li Xian's departing back, Cao Xiong's heart was filled with bafflement and shock.

Cao Xiong was actually quite satisfied with today's outcome.

A few worthless fools like Zhang Fengyuan had died, but he had gained such a promising talent as Li Xian. This deal was far too worthwhile.

However, Zhang Yangming had lost his own son. How to settle this matter was still a problem.

For a while, he could not make up his mind.

After turning it over and over in his mind, he finally made a decision.

That very night, Guan Wangsheng, Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, came to Kui Shui Pier on Cao Xiong's orders.

He went straight to Li Xian and said he had something to tell him in private.

After they entered the Cultivation Room and shut the door, Guan Wangsheng looked at Li Xian with an icy expression and said, "Listen. I'll only say this once."

"Go ahead."

"You are going to challenge Zhang Yangming!"

Li Xian frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Guan Wangsheng said coldly, "Only if you kill Zhang Yangming can this matter end. Only then can you take back what belongs to you!"

Li Xian continued to play dumb. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

Guan Wangsheng gave a cold, mocking laugh. "You can keep pretending not to understand, but listen carefully: only by killing Zhang Yangming can you reclaim your credit and take back the Hall Master position that belongs to you. Otherwise..."

He paused there and looked at Li Xian.

Li Xian looked back at him.

The two men stared at each other in silence.

"What happens otherwise?"

Guan Wangsheng said, "Otherwise, you'll be Zhang Fengyuan's murderer—the enemy of the entire Cao Gang. Every Cao Gang disciple will come after you together!"

Li Xian narrowed his eyes. "Do you have any proof that I killed Zhang Fengyuan?"

"Proof?"

Guan Wangsheng said disdainfully, "Only children care about proof. If we say you did it, then you did it. You have to be!"

Li Xian understood.

"That's all I have to say. Which road you take next is your own choice!"

With that, Guan Wangsheng turned and headed outside.

Just as he reached the door, Li Xian suddenly asked, "What realm is Zhang Yangming at?"

Very good. You've made the right choice!

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Guan Wangsheng's mouth. This matter was as good as settled.

Without looking back, he said, "A mid-fourth Grade Martialist. Bronze Skin Iron Bones!"

So the Cao Gang's Deputy Gang Leader is only mid-fourth Grade.

Li Xian's eyes involuntarily narrowed into a dangerous curve.

Then I'm sorry, Deputy Gang Leader Zhang. I was forced into this—they insisted on making me kill you.

I simply can't refuse such a request.

So...

I can only respectfully comply.

Heh heh heh...

Li Xian grinned wildly in his heart.

The next day, every Cao Gang member of steward rank and above received a piece of news.

Li Xian, steward of Kui Shui Pier, would challenge Cao Gang Deputy Gang Leader Zhang Yangming!

They would determine both superiority and life or death!

Life and death were of no consequence; each would submit to Heaven's Mandate!

The entire Cao Gang erupted once more.

"Did I hear that right? A steward is challenging the Deputy Gang Leader?"

"He's gone mad. Is he looking to die, or trying to make a name for himself?"

"Looks more like he's looking to die!"

"How could a steward possibly be a match for the Deputy Gang Leader? Steward Li has lost his mind!"

"This Steward Li is actually no ordinary man. Before this, he went alone to West Ridge Mountain and killed Bai Shaofei, the Young Master of the Flying Flower Sect."

"Tch, can Bai Shaofei compare to our Deputy Gang Leader?"

"Exactly. Deputy Gang Leader Zhang is a mid-fourth Grade Martialist with Bronze Skin Iron Bones. No matter how much of a genius Bai Shaofei was made out to be, he was only mid-sixth Grade. He's no match for Deputy Gang Leader Zhang at all."

"Ah, I used to think highly of Steward Li. I thought he was a young talent with limitless prospects. But now it seems he's merely an arrogant, self-important brat who doesn't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth."

"Let's go watch when the time comes. We can consider it seeing him off on his final journey."

"Where and when is the challenge?"

"The day after tomorrow, at West Lake."

When Zhang Yangming received this news, he was overjoyed.

"Wonderful! That brat actually dares challenge me. Now I can personally avenge Fengyuan!"

One subordinate was concerned. "This Li fellow doesn't seem that foolish. Why would he want to challenge you? Could there be some trick behind this?"

Zhang Yangming rebuked him, "What the hell do you know? Gang Leader Cao must have seen through Li Xian's guilt as my son's murderer and forced him to challenge me. He's giving me this opportunity."