Wei Xun's breathing quickened. He clenched his fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands, while towering waves swept through his heart.
He refused to believe Zhou Qingyang's words and struggled like a cornered beast to find a flaw in them. "That makes no sense! If this chain of murders was Master's lifelong obsession, how could he have died without explaining it clearly? If I hadn't come to Xiangzhou to find you, wouldn't I have died of illness in Guanzhong without ever knowing about killing people to refine elixirs?"
Zhou Qingyang sighed. "Your master's greatest flaw throughout his life was his arrogance. He thought himself supremely clever, his calculations flawless. In his final years, his illness grew too severe, and he had little life left. Having lost the ability to vindicate his path and take revenge, he painstakingly gathered a band of madmen with no family to depend on and no ties to hold them back, taking them as disciples because he thought they were promising seeds of rebellion.
"Before he died, he deliberately spread rumors through the Rivers and Lakes about 'overthrowing the Great Tang.' That would make the Setting Sun Courtyard a target for everyone, in court and beyond, forcing it into rebellion. The eldest would take the lead, and those who followed would rise at your command.
"But in truth, as long as people have a mouthful of food and a skill to live by, who wants to rebel? Isn't it better to live a decent life? Every one of you disciples did as you pleased. You couldn't even be bothered to listen to his last words, so why would you obediently carry out his dying wishes? Once you had learned your skills and your master died, you all went your separate ways on the spot.