Shocking! The Reason Li Xunhuan Left the Central Plains for Ten Years! The Mystery of Old Scholar Li's Life and Death Exposed!

Inside the study, Pei Ju wore a scholar's robe, his posture upright and rigid. He held a scroll in one hand, righteousness radiating from his entire body.

To all appearances, he was the very model of a gentleman, a great Confucian scholar of the age.

No one would have imagined that this man was the famed martial Grandmaster of the jianghu, Evil King Shi Zhixuan!

"Your son greets Foster Father."

"Mhm, you're back..."

Pei Ju set down the scroll and sighed. "Why did you go so far this time? You even brought trouble to me."

"Huh?"

Zhou Ming froze. "Foster Father, I only went to watch the excitement, investigate the Plum Blossom Thief, and see Little Li Flying Dagger. I didn't do anything. How could I have caused trouble?"

"The very fact that you went was enough to cause me trouble..."

Pei Ju said, "Do you know why Li Xunhuan resigned from office and left fourteen years ago?"

Zhou Ming said, "Because his elder brother died of illness, and his father later died of grief, so he..."

Pei Ju said, "His elder brother did indeed die of a terminal illness, but his father... The Li family was a family of both scholars and warriors. Though his father did not possess much talent for martial arts, he had trained since childhood and possessed acquired cultivation. Would someone like that truly die of grief?"

Zhou Ming was startled. "Was there some other hidden reason?"

"Think carefully. What happened fourteen years ago?"

"This..." Zhou Ming thought it over carefully. The Li family had all passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom. If it had anything to do with them, it must have been a matter of the imperial court rather than the jianghu.

His eyes suddenly lit up. "Could it have been when the imperial princes came of age and began fighting for power and profit?"

"Correct!"

Pei Ju nodded. "He became involved without realizing it, and that cost him his life!"

Hiss!

Zhou Ming had not expected there to be a hidden truth after all!

Li Xunhuan's father had died because of a struggle within the imperial court!

Wait...

"Foster Father, the one who acted back then... it wasn't you, was it?"

Pei Ju said irritably, "I hadn't even chosen a side at the time. How could it have been me?"

That was good...

"However, I did give things a push."

Damn!

Zhou Ming could not help covering his face.

In that case, although his foster father had not been the mastermind behind Li Xunhuan's father's death, he had been one of those who pushed it along.

And he, as his son, had jumped out in front of Li Xunhuan years later to mock him openly, and had even offered incense at the Li family ancestral hall.

What kind of villain behavior was dancing on someone's grave?

If Li Xunhuan learned the truth and sent a flying dagger at him, that would be perfectly normal.

Right!

"Foster Father, does Li Xunhuan know the truth?"

"He probably does not. However, the man is exceptionally intelligent. He must have noticed something, which was why he resigned and withdrew from office. He also diligently trained in martial arts to strengthen himself, spent money generously, and made friends with heroes of the jianghu."

Pei Ju said, "As his personal strength and his connections in the jianghu steadily grew, the one who had acted against his father sensed Li Xunhuan's threat and struck again!"

"So that means... Li Xunhuan back then..."

Zhou Ming could not help recalling that Li Xunhuan had met his sworn elder brother, Long Xiaoyun, because he had suffered an extremely dangerous assassination attempt.

While gravely wounded, Long Xiaoyun had saved his life.

That was why he later became sworn brothers with Long Xiaoyun.

And because Long Xiaoyun fell in love with his cousin, Lin Shiyin, he became unable to eat or sleep.

In order to fulfill his elder brother's wishes, Li Xunhuan had deliberately begun associating with all kinds of disreputable friends. He often lingered among brothels and beauties, leaving Lin Shiyin utterly disappointed in him.

Only then had she turned to Long Xiaoyun.

Hiss! Thinking about it this way, could Li Xunhuan's actions at the time have been meant to show weakness to the enemy and make them lower their guard?

At the same time, he had severed ties with his cousin Lin Shiyin to keep calamity from reaching the woman he loved?

His departure from the Central Plains and ten years beyond the frontier now had an explanation as well.

Naturally, he had been enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens.

A gentleman's revenge could wait ten years.

"Now do you understand why I said that your involvement in this matter was trouble in itself?"

Pei Ju said, "Li Xunhuan returned suddenly after ten years beyond the frontier. Who knows what his purpose is? Perhaps he truly found out something... And then you appeared. That is what caused trouble."

Zhou Ming gave an awkward laugh. "Please do not blame me, Foster Father. I truly did not know there were such secrets involved. Besides, with your strength, Foster Father, do you still need to fear Li Xunhuan?"

Pei Ju said, "Naturally, I do not fear him. But needlessly making an enemy is an act of utter foolishness. Besides, why should I take a blade for Zhu Wushi?"

"Zhu Wushi? Foster Father, do you mean that the one who acted against Li Xunhuan's father back then was Zhu Wushi?"

"Correct!"

Zhou Ming nodded.

Zhu Wushi was of the Zhu imperial clan, the current emperor's uncle, and bore the title Iron Gallant Divine Marquis. His Dragon Guard Manor held authority surpassing every imperial institution, and he possessed both an imperial pardon plaque and the Emperor's Sword.

Fourteen years ago, Dragon Guard Manor had not yet been established, but Zhu Wushi had already been made a marquis and wielded immense power.

He was versed in both civil and martial affairs, proficient in political schemes, and had assisted the late emperor. He was a pillar of the court and also the late emperor's most trusted man.

But he also harbored ambitions of ascending the throne. In the end, however, the late emperor had passed the throne to his son rather than to Zhu Wushi, his younger brother.

With such ambitions, when the imperial princes gradually came of age fourteen years ago and began vying for power and the throne, he naturally refused to fall behind.

At the time, Li Xunhuan's father had wanted to support one of the princes, and thus he offended Zhu Wushi.

But he himself had not known it.

In truth, almost no one knew of Zhu Wushi's true ambitions.

And so, he died without ever understanding why.

Pei Ju had been one of those who gave matters a push because, at the time, he intended to become the leader of the civil officials at court, while Old Scholar Li stood on the opposing side.

Thus, when he detected a trace of the situation, he secretly lent a hand.

If Li Xunhuan had returned suddenly after ten years away and, because of Zhou Ming's actions, mistakenly believed that Pei Ju was the true murderer of his father—

Then Pei Ju would be taking the blade for Zhu Wushi.

That would be far too great a loss!

"Foster Father, from what I observed, Li Xunhuan does not seem to know much about this matter."

"It had better be so!"

Pei Ju said, "However, if I end up taking a blade for Zhu Wushi because of you, then you will have to resolve the problem of Li Xunhuan as well."

Zhou Ming said, "Yes, Foster Father. If I caused this problem, I will certainly resolve it."

"Good!"

Pei Ju clapped his hands. "Since that is the case, you can conveniently solve another problem as well."

"Huh?" Zhou Ming froze. "There's another problem? Foster Father, I only went out once!"

Pei Ju said irritably, "I also never expected that you brat would go out once and forcibly bring me so much trouble!"

"Please enlighten me, Foster Father!"

"You know Bai Xiaosheng, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

Zhou Ming was speechless. "But Foster Father, Bai Xiaosheng was tricked by Lu Xiaofeng and killed by Li Xunhuan with a single dagger. What does that have to do with me? Besides, Bai Xiaosheng is dead. What trouble could he possibly bring us?"

"Heh... Then tell me, why did Lu Xiaofeng see through Bai Xiaosheng's disguise within a single day?"

Zhou Ming did not find it strange that Pei Ju knew the details. He merely gritted his teeth and said, "It was all Lu Xiaofeng's fault!"

"Oh, it was all Lu Xiaofeng's fault, so you bear no responsibility at all?"

"Mm... probably a little... But Foster Father, what does Bai Xiaosheng have to do with us?"

Pei Ju asked, "Do you know where Bai Xiaosheng obtained the intelligence to compile the Weapons Ranking, information that allowed him to know so much about so many hidden experts across the realm?"

"I... do not."

"That is because Bai Xiaosheng belonged to the Azure Dragon Society, and he was one of the Seven Dragon Heads—the Fourth Dragon Head!"

"The Azure Dragon Society? Then... Foster Father, you mean..."

"Correct!"

Pei Ju said, "They say I hold the imperial court in one hand and the jianghu in the other. Leaving the court aside, the jianghu I hold in my hand is precisely the Azure Dragon Society!"