Farce

As if to confirm Qu Yang's words, several staggering figures entered from a side door of the Liu residence. Someone recognized them: "Aren't those the Songshan Sect's Great Songyang Hand Fei Bin, Sha Tianjiang, Deng Bagong, and Gao Kexin, the three Imperial Guards?"

Fei Bin and the three Imperial Guards from the Songshan Sect entered the Liu residence. They appeared to have dark complexions, as if poisoned. Fei Bin, at the head, angrily rebuked Qu Yang: "Demonic Cult fiend, you dared to attack sneakily!"

Qu Yang glanced dismissively at Fei Bin and said, "You gathered your disciples and hid outside the Liu residence to ambush me. It's merely a case of you striking first, so I'll strike second."

Everyone's faces turned grim. Qu Yang's Black Blood Divine Needle was notoriously vicious. Since only these four could forcefully endure the poison and reach the front hall, one could easily imagine the fate of the other Songshan disciples.

However, at this moment, Liu Zhengfeng seemed to notice a loophole and looked at Fei Bin with confusion: "Why didn't Alliance Leader Zuo tell me about this plan?"

Fei Bin opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. Should he admit they were targeting Liu Zhengfeng, not Qu Yang? He could only change the subject: "Fellow disciples of the Five Great Sword Sects, please help me kill this scoundrel!"

Wang Jingyuan rushed to the back, picked up the golden basin, and darted towards Liu Zhengfeng: "Uncle Liu, don't be afraid. He's alone. Besides, he's just an old rabbit who only knows how to lie and sneak attack.

He's not letting you wash your hands? Uncle Liu, wash your hands now, wash them for him to see. Once we capture him later and bring him before you, you can wash them repeatedly in front of him.

Wash your hands, then your feet, then take a bath. Let him see... Cough, cough, Uncle Liu, don't overthink it, I mean no harm."

Liu Zhengfeng, his face ashen, glared fiercely at Wang Jingyuan. But he also seized the opportunity to place his hands into the golden basin. Fei Bin and the others standing in front heard Wang Jingyuan's voice and were about to shout a warning.

But someone was faster than them. Qu Yang roared: "Dog thief, stop! You're not allowed to wash!!!"

With that, he unleashed a large handful of Black Blood Divine Needles indiscriminately. Perhaps because the quantity released at once was too large, the force was somewhat insufficient, and the Sect Leaders and high-ranking members of the various sects present easily blocked them with their swords. Only a few with weaker martial arts were hit by two or three needles.

The Songshan Sect members who moved to block the Black Blood Divine Needles naturally had no time to stop Liu Zhengfeng from washing his hands. When they turned their heads, they found Liu Zhengfeng had already scrubbed his hands several times. The Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony was now a foregone conclusion.

Fei Bin was furious, his expression shifting between anger and disbelief as he looked at Liu Zhengfeng. Qu Yang, realizing he had failed to "stop" Liu Zhengfeng's Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony, felt as if he had been drained of all energy. He gave Liu Zhengfeng a ashen look: "Good... very good!"

Then, he turned and fled directly.

Wang Jingyuan frowned: "Why did he come all this way with such a grand plan, only to leave so anticlimactically?"

Yue Buqun seized the moment to explain to his disciple: "That's because Brother Liu has just completed his Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony. Once he withdraws from the Jianghu, all past grievances and enmities in the Jianghu are naturally settled."

Wang Jingyuan was greatly shocked: "Isn't he from the Demonic Cult? Why is he so law-abiding? Shouldn't he have taken the opportunity to hide and then launch a surprise attack after we leave?"

Yue Buqun shook his head: "The Demonic Cult is called the Demonic Cult because their actions are ruthless and they disregard Jianghu code. However, there are some fundamental Jianghu rules that both the righteous and unrighteous paths acknowledge. After all, if even the most basic rules are gone, the Jianghu will descend into chaos."

The many Jianghu figures present nodded in agreement. This was indeed the current state of the Jianghu. Furthermore, one point Yue Buqun didn't explicitly state was that if the Jianghu lost its order, its members would become bandits in the eyes of the imperial court. At that time, the court's attitude would be far from turning a blind eye.

Wang Jingyuan nodded as if he understood, but not quite: "I understand this, Master, but there's still one thing I don't quite grasp."

Yue Buqun stroked his beard and smiled: "Feel free to ask."

"I remember that Uncle Liu's..."

"Cough, cough!" Liu Zhengfeng interrupted Wang Jingyuan, saying to him, "I have now withdrawn from the Jianghu, so you can no longer call me Uncle Liu."

Wang Jingyuan readily agreed: "I remember that Old Man Liu's family seems to be in the back hall, while everyone is here in the front. Why didn't that Demonic Cult fiend go and kidnap Old Man Liu's family first? If the other party had hostages, they could have coerced Old Man Liu, and he wouldn't have been able to perform the Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony?"

The Jianghu figures present were somewhat stunned. He can't call him Uncle Liu, so he calls him Old Man Liu? And he can't call him Uncle, but he can call him Old Man? Also, what do you mean by kidnapping family members? Is that a tactic a righteous disciple should come up with?

Not only the crowd, but Yue Buqun thought the same. However, since Wang Jingyuan had asked, he could only brace himself and answer: "The people of the Demonic Cult, relying on their status as leaders of the unrighteous path, might annihilate an entire family. But they would disdain to resort to kidnapping family members to coerce someone."

Hearing this, Wang Jingyuan happily congratulated Liu Zhengfeng: "Then, does this mean you're safe from now on? Congratulations, Old Man Liu."

Liu Zhengfeng's mouth twitched as he replied, "That's true for you. But shouldn't you be calling me Uncle Liu?"

"Tsk, you have so many demands. Fine, Uncle Liu."

Seeing this, the Brocade Lion Gao Kexin wanted to say something, but Fei Bin stopped him. It was truly a step behind, and every step after. The conversation between the Mount Hua Sect master and disciple just now, their tactics, were probably no longer applicable in the open.

Suddenly, two gunshots rang out from outside the door, followed by loud music and the sounds of gongs and shouts. Liu Zhengfeng sneered and ordered the disciple beside him: "Go to the back hall and invite Commander Chen."

Hearing the clamor outside and seeing an Imperial Guard in a Flying Fish Robe emerge from the back hall, Fei Bin's face changed drastically.

A government official in official robes, followed by many yamen runners, walked in with grace. He saw Liu Zhengfeng standing upright in the hall and not coming out to greet him.

He immediately showed some displeasure: "General Liu, why aren't you coming to receive the imperial decree?"

"Receive the decree? Who are you? What is your rank? Since when are imperial decrees proclaimed by anyone other than the Hanlin Academy or eunuchs? Furthermore, why was I, an official, unaware of an Imperial Envoy's arrival in Hengyang?!" Before Liu Zhengfeng could answer, Commander Chen stepped out and asked sternly.

Seeing the Imperial Guard, the official in the brocade robe immediately trembled and fled out the door. Fei Bin, who was by the door, frowned: "Something is amiss. Where is that scoundrel running?"

Saying that, he dragged his heavily wounded body and chased out the door. Then, only his voice was heard from outside: "Demonic Cult fiend! How dare you!"

And then there was silence.

When everyone rushed out, they found Fei Bin collapsed outside, and the official also lying by the roadside. Daoist Priest Tianmen of Mount Tai stepped forward to examine them. He saw that a Black Blood Divine Needle was deeply inserted into the Jade Pillow Acupoint on the back of the official's head.