The Fool Complains First

"What did you say? How could Hao do such a thing?"

After hearing Linghu Chong's account, Ning Zhongze was shocked. She simply could not believe that disciple would do something like that.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Brother Bai merely had a little argument with him, and he tried to kill him. When that failed, he took Second Junior Brother to attack him at his own doorstep, colluded with the authorities, and had Brother Bai tortured into confessing to trumped-up charges."

Linghu Chong's face was full of hatred. He still remembered Brother Bai dying on the execution ground, screaming in agony.

Brother Bai had kindly spoken up for him against an injustice, only for that fellow to cripple one of his hands, then frame him and torture him to death.

It was truly hateful!

Had the sect's rules not forbidden disciples from killing one another, he would have drawn his sword and finished that fellow off, rather than leave him alive to bring disaster upon the Mount Hua Sect.

"The Desert North Duo?"

Yue Buqun, however, appeared quite composed, merely pondering the name of the Desert North Duo.

He had heard of the Desert North Duo, but had never met them.

If those two really were the Desert North Duo, then Hao certainly had done nothing wrong. But what if they were not?

It was not that he distrusted Tian Hao. Rather, he had raised Linghu Chong himself for nearly twenty years and knew his character well. The young man would never lie to his face.

Perhaps there was some misunderstanding.

"Let's wait a little. With something this serious happening, Hao should be hurrying back as well. Let's hear what he has to say."

Signaling his wife not to get anxious, Yue Buqun knew his youngest disciple's temperament well, too. With such a major incident, Tian Hao would certainly be hurrying back.

Once he returned, they would learn what had really happened.

Yue Buqun was right. Less than two hours later, Tian Hao and the other four returned to the Mount Hua Sect.

They had taken so long mainly because they were carrying Yang Jian and his sister on their backs. With Mount Hua's steep mountain paths, they could hardly go fast.

"Heh! Eldest Senior Brother is back, too!"

Entering his master Old Yue's courtyard, Tian Hao gave a cold laugh. He could more or less guess that the fellow had rushed back ahead of them to complain.

"Hmph!"

Zhao Bulu snorted coldly, showing his utter displeasure with Linghu Chong.

They were all working hard to restore the Mount Hua Sect's former glory. Even old bones like them, who had hidden in the Qinling Mountains for over twenty years, had come out to fight for it, yet that brat had nearly made them lose the entire game.

The only reason he had not immediately drawn his sword and slaughtered Linghu Chong was out of respect for Yue Buqun.

"Senior Brother Zhao, what's the matter?"

Zhao Bulu's expression startled Yue Buqun. He could not understand why his senior brother was acting this way.

"Master, this isn't the place to talk. Let's discuss it in the Quiet Chamber."

Looking around, Tian Hao indicated that they should go to the Quiet Chamber.

He had already discussed this with Zhao Bulu and agreed to keep the matter quiet. Otherwise, once word got out, it would inevitably undermine his master Yue Buqun's authority within the Mount Hua Sect.

At this critical juncture, they could not afford a misstep.

"Come, let's go to the Quiet Chamber!"

His expression shifting slightly, Yue Buqun began to suspect something. He shot his eldest disciple a cold glare, then led the way to the Quiet Chamber.

Once everyone entered the Quiet Chamber, Yue Buqun activated the mechanism to seal the door, then sat in the main seat and silently regarded his two disciples.

He had already guessed that there might be something wrong with Linghu Chong's account. Although the young man would not deceive him, he certainly had not told the whole story.

Hao's and Senior Brother Zhao's expressions had confirmed his suspicions. Something serious had clearly happened, or Senior Brother Zhao would not have returned in person at a time like this.

"Master, Mistress, this is what happened. That day, I went down the mountain into town. While Second Senior Brother and I were strolling through the streets, we heard that Fleeting Years had a courtesan named Dongfang Bubai. Out of curiosity, we went to take a look."

After bowing, Tian Hao began his account, but Ning Zhongze interrupted before he could finish.

"Fleeting Years? Isn't that a brothel? Hao, have you finally woken up to these things?"

A smile appeared on Ning Zhongze's face. She had been fretting over this disciple's future, yet who would have thought the boy would come around on his own? He even knew to visit a brothel now.

It was a brothel, after all, not a prostitute house.

As for the courtesan named Dongfang Bubai, she did not pay much attention to her. After all, everyone knew Dongfang Bubai was a man. Clearly, Fleeting Years had simply been brazen enough to borrow Dongfang Bubai's name to drum up business.

They really had no idea how to spell death!

"..."

Tian Hao's forehead was covered in black lines. The atmosphere had been perfectly serious a moment ago. How had it changed in the blink of an eye?

"After Dongfang Bubai finished a dance, she invited Eldest Senior Brother upstairs for a drink. Fortunately, I stopped him..."

His face dark, Tian Hao continued his account, only to be interrupted again before finishing. This time, it was Old Yue.

Crack!

Yue Buqun shattered the tea table beside him with a slap, then fixed Linghu Chong with a livid stare.

"Chong'er, you went to a brothel?"

Even Ning Zhongze's expression turned unfriendly. Unlike Tian Hao, Linghu Chong had always been treated by them as their own son and future son-in-law. He and their daughter shared mutual affection and had grown up together.

They had even been discussing when to arrange the wedding. After all, Chong'er had broken through to the Houtian Realm. Once they passed on the Violet Mist Divine Skill to him, he would be the Mount Hua Sect's young sect leader. It was time for him to start a family.

Yet now Linghu Chong had gone to a brothel. Just what are you up to, boy?

Visiting brothels before you're even married-won't you be off to prostitute houses once you are?

Did I give you money so you could go to a brothel and enjoy yourself?

"Master, Mistress, please calm down. I only went there to drink. I had no improper intentions."

Seeing his master and mistress grow angry, Linghu Chong hurriedly knelt and explained.

Heaven was his witness: he had really only gone there to drink, and had not called for any girls.

He had not even wanted to go inside in the first place. Lu Dayou had insisted on dragging him in.

"If you wanted a drink, why didn't you go to a tavern instead of a brothel? You were drinking with the girls, weren't you!"

Yue Buqun gave a cold laugh, disappointed in his eldest disciple.

As a fellow man, although he had never visited such dens of pleasure himself, he understood how men thought. Those establishments claimed to sell entertainment rather than bodies, but that only meant the price was higher.

To put it bluntly, they were simply higher-class prostitute houses.

He had thought the boy dependable. Who would have imagined he was like this?

Fortunately, he had not yet married his daughter off to him. Otherwise, would he not have ruined her entire life?

"Chong'er, tell me: when that courtesan invited you, did you accept or refuse?"

Forcing down her anger, Ning Zhongze asked in a low voice, ready to give Linghu Chong a chance.

"I... I..."

Faced with Ning Zhongze's question, Linghu Chong stammered, not knowing how to answer. At the same time, he inwardly cursed his own craving for the courtesan's free fine wine, which had landed him in this predicament.

Although he gave no answer, his reaction had already said it all.

Ning Zhongze said nothing, but she, too, was disappointed.

"Hao, continue."

Speaking coldly, Yue Buqun signaled Tian Hao to carry on. He wanted to see what other outrageous things his eldest disciple had done.

"I was furious at the time, so I went up, slapped Eldest Senior Brother, and gave him a tongue-lashing. Then White Bear, who had been drinking merrily with Eldest Senior Brother, tried to kill me, aiming his fist at my head.

"Fortunately, I was strong enough to cripple one of White Bear's hands. Just as I was about to press my advantage and kill him, Eldest Senior Brother drew his sword and attacked me, saving White Bear and letting him escape..."

"You bastard!"

Once again, Yue Buqun could not contain himself. He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword right then and cleanse the sect.

You are fellow disciples! Even if you wouldn't help your own junior brother, how could you help an outsider instead?

Is this how you act as the eldest senior brother?

With you behaving like this, how can I possibly entrust my daughter and the Mount Hua Sect to you?