Blood Case Reappears

The person in the lead was an old man with long hair, a small gourd on his head serving as a hair bun, and a beard half black and half white, clearly distinct.

The two people behind him were clearly brothers, dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with faces that were seven to eight parts similar. Each had a shield in their left hand.

The one speaking was the old man himself.

"Father! Second Uncle, what brings you here?" Upon seeing the newcomers, You Tanzhi called out happily and went to meet them.

"We were worried about you. Elder Fan's letter mentioned that similar incidents have occurred elsewhere. We felt something major might be happening, so we rushed over," You Ji said softly, looking at his son.

"Divine Doctor Xue, what wind brings the two Village Masters You here?" Seeing Xue Muhua, Helmsman Chen immediately went to greet him.

"Divine Doctor Xue!"

"Divine Doctor Xue!!"

At this moment, greetings erupted from the crowd. Although Divine Doctor Xue had a peculiar temper and required one to teach him a bit of Kung Fu before treating them, his medical skills were superb. He had saved many fellow martial artists, earning him considerable prestige.

"Helmsman Chen, I trust you are well," Xue Muhua greeted Helmsman Chen, then approached the crowd. Facing Qiao Feng, he bowed and said, "Sect Leader Qiao, Xue has come uninvited, please forgive me."

"We are honored by Divine Doctor Xue's visit. We can't welcome you enough. We just don't know the reason for your visit this time?" Qiao Feng quickly returned the bow and asked.

"Xue had intended to ask the Beggars Sect for help with a matter of great importance concerning the people of the Central Plains. However, it seems the Beggars Sect is currently unable to attend to anything else. In that case, let's discuss another matter. Elder Bai, I, Xue Muhua, will personally vouch for it. Is that qualification enough?"

After receiving the letter from his second senior brother, Fan Bailing, Xue Muhua was eager to see Xiaoyao himself. After all, it had been thirty years. Their master, Su Xinghe, had feigned deafness and muteness, and master and disciples had been unable to recognize each other for thirty years. None of them, his eight senior brothers and sisters, could comprehend their feelings.

"Divine Doctor Xue, this..." Elder Bai was taken aback by Xue Muhua's words. Just as he was about to respond, he was immediately interrupted.

"If you feel it's inconvenient for me, as a man, to speak about this, Xue also knows other highly skilled midwives. I can even invite female medical officials from the Imperial Medical Bureau. After a woman gives birth, her skeletal structure is significantly different from before childbirth. It can be verified with a single examination."

"You, you all..." After Xue Muhua finished speaking, Kang Min's face changed drastically. She pointed at Xue Muhua and Chen Feng, uttered "you all," and then fainted.

Everyone present was a martial arts master. Even without getting close, they could tell if someone was truly unconscious or faking it just by listening to their breathing.

However, this was an internal matter for the Beggars Sect, so others did not interject. But judging by the situation, it was highly likely that this Madam Ma had given birth before her marriage.

The gazes of others turned hostile towards Quan Guanqing. After all, if Chen Feng's speculation was true, that Kang Min had colluded with her lover to kill Ma Dayuan, then the most suspicious person present was Quan Guanqing, who was currently jumping around.

Quan Guanqing was also panicking. Who would have thought that Kang Min, this seductress who had seduced him, harbored such a secret? It had completely disrupted all their plans.

They had no evidence to definitively accuse Qiao Feng of killing Ma Dayuan. They merely intended to use this suspicion and Qiao Feng's Khitan identity to force him to abdicate, which would make things much easier. However, this plan was now disrupted by the sudden appearance of Chen Feng.

"Divine Doctor Xue, let's set this matter aside for now. What exactly is this major affair concerning the people of the Central Plains that you mentioned earlier?"

At this moment, Qiao Feng had managed to level the playing field. However, if this matter were to be investigated further, it would become a major scandal for the Beggars Sect. He immediately changed the subject.

Xue Muhua glanced at Qiao Feng and remained silent. He turned and nodded at You Ji, then stood beside Chen Feng. He had come entirely for Chen Feng; he didn't want to meddle in the Beggars Sect's affairs and had no right to do so.

"Fellow martial artists, brothers of the Beggars Sect. My son previously sent me a letter stating that a village not far from here was massacred. Everyone from the elderly to infants was killed, not a single soul was left alive. They even left behind the name 'Butcher Knife'." Seeing You Ji's signal, Xue Muhua spoke immediately.

"Just after receiving my son's letter, people from my village also sent news. Near Bianjing City, two horrifying tragedies have occurred. A village and a town were respectively slaughtered by people named 'Blood Skeleton' and 'I Love A Chai', leaving no survivors."

"What! How is that possible?"

"That's Kaifeng Prefecture!"

"Who would be so insane?"

"'Blood Skeleton', 'I Love A Chai', what kind of names are those?"

Upon hearing You Ji's news, the Beggars Sect disciples erupted, discussing amongst themselves.

"Silence!" Qiao Feng roared, his face ashen. The roar, imbued with internal energy, made Chen Feng's ears ring. The surrounding Beggars Sect disciples immediately quieted down.

"These names are so strange, they must be nicknames. Does Village Master You happen to know their origins?" Qiao Feng suppressed his anger and asked slowly.

After all, the Beggars Sect's main headquarters was in Kaifeng, and they were the most well-informed sect in the world. Such a major event had occurred, and they needed an outsider to inform them. It was a direct slap in the face to the Beggars Sect.

"That 'Butcher Knife' was killed by my son. As for 'Blood Skeleton', it is said that trackers from the Imperial City Department found traces and have reportedly captured them."

"As for 'I Love A柴', there is no trace of them yet. Moreover, they are a master poisoner. The entire town's population was poisoned to death overnight. Even Divine Doctor Xue cannot identify the poison."

"These strange names make me suspect they are likely codenames for a certain organization. With the Song-Liao relations becoming increasingly tense, they are committing such bloody acts within the Central Plains, which will undoubtedly cause panic among the populace. Therefore, I deduce there must be a major conspiracy behind this matter," You Ji stated his thoughts in one breath.

He had prepared these words before coming here, specifically for this moment. He and his younger brother, You Ju, were not exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but they were reputable. Otherwise, they wouldn't have founded Juxian Village. They always treated passing Jianghu figures with utmost sincerity, doing their best to help anyone who sought their aid.

"Beggars Sect disciples, heed my command! The death of Deputy Leader Ma is highly suspicious. Elder Bai, the Law Enforcement Elder, will personally be in charge of interrogating Quan Guanqing and investigating the doubts. The other five elders will lead their respective branch disciples to fully investigate this massacre."

"Since Qiao is also one of the suspects, I will definitely not hold the position of sect leader. Whoever stole my fan to frame me, Qiao will eventually uncover the truth."

With that, Qiao Feng grabbed the Dog-Beating Staff, which represented the Beggars Sect leader, using Dragon Catching Skill and thrust it into the ground.

Qiao Feng clasped his hands and bowed to everyone, saying, "May the mountains remain, may the rivers flow. My good brothers, farewell. Whether Qiao is Han or Khitan, in my lifetime, I will never harm a single Han life. If I break this oath, may I be like this knife."

Saying this, he extended his left hand and grabbed at Dan Zheng in mid-air.

Dan Zheng felt a jolt in his wrist. He couldn't hold onto his saber, his fingers loosened, and the saber was snatched away by Qiao Feng.

Qiao Feng bent his right thumb over his middle finger and flicked it against the back of the saber. With a clang, the saber broke into two pieces, the tip flying several feet away, while the handle remained in his hand. He said to Dan Zheng, "Forgive my offense!" He then dropped the saber handle and strode away.