How dare you! Is the Mount Song Sect plotting rebellion?

Hengshan City, Liu Mansion.

Many martial artists had gathered under one roof, exchanging greetings.

Liu Zhengfeng stood at the entrance in person to welcome every guest, observing every courtesy.

"Master, the auspicious hour is almost here. You should go inside."

Liu Zhengfeng nodded. "Keep welcoming the guests here on my behalf. Be sure not to slight any of our seniors in the martial world."

Inside the hall, everyone was standing except for one young man, who sat brazenly in the only chair. With a handful of shelled nuts, he ate as he looked the others over.

Everyone was watching Lin Lang as well. They had no idea who he was, though he seemed to be another guest.

Lin Lang was also studying the others, especially the groups from the Hengshan School and the Huashan Sect. Linghu Chong avoided his gaze, apparently unwilling to have much contact with him.

Yilin had also hidden behind Dingyi, but Lin Lang continued looking over the other Hengshan nuns.

Tsk. None of the other Mount Heng disciples were as pretty as Yilin.

Even a thing for uniforms came down to looks in the end.

After entering, Liu Zhengfeng addressed everyone. "Thank you, fellow martial artists, for attending my Golden Basin Handwashing Ceremony. My thanks also to Hundred-household Lin of the Jinyiwei for joining us."

An uproar erupted.

The hall buzzed with shocked voices. That young man was actually from the government?

People of the martial world dreaded dealing with government officials more than anything. What was Liu Zhengfeng thinking?

Even some of those standing beside Lin Lang quietly moved away, as though being too close to him was an ordeal.

Once the murmurs had subsided a little, Liu Zhengfeng cupped his hands. "Everyone, I have grown weary of the bloodshed of the martial world. From this day onward, I have decided to wash my hands in the golden basin and retire."

"From now on, the affairs of the martial world will have nothing more to do with me. I ask you all to bear witness."

Liu Zhengfeng's eldest son carried in a bronze basin half filled with water and set it down. Liu Zhengfeng was just about to approach it when a shout came from outside. "By order of the Five Mountains Alliance Leader, Liu Zhengfeng of Hengshan must postpone his Golden Basin Handwashing Ceremony!"

Everyone looked toward the entrance as the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians filed in, led by Fei Bin, the Great Songyang Hand.

The crowd cleared a path. It was not merely out of respect for Zuo Lengchan; the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians were all Martial Arts Masters, each capable of leading many a smaller sect.

Dingyi, Yue Buqun, Tianmen, and the others frowned slightly. Never mind the Mount Song Sect arriving late-why was Zuo Lengchan invoking his authority as alliance leader to stop Liu Zhengfeng from washing his hands of the martial world?

Liu Zhengfeng froze as well. Hundred-household Lin had been right: the Mount Song Sect really would come to stop him.

Lin Lang tossed the nuts into his mouth and casually gave Liu Zhengfeng a gentle push, sending both his hands straight into the basin.

Holding the Five Mountains Command Banner, Fei Bin was haughtily preparing to announce Liu Zhengfeng's collusion with Qu Yang of the Sun Moon Demon Cult when he suddenly heard a splash.

Liu Zhengfeng was already lifting his hands from the basin, water still dripping from them.

"How dare you! Liu Zhengfeng, didn't you hear what I just said? Who gave you permission to wash your hands?!"

Fei Bin was furious. He had displayed the Five Mountains Command Banner, yet Liu Zhengfeng had completely ignored it and washed his hands anyway.

Liu Zhengfeng dried his hands with a silk handkerchief. "Do I need anyone else's permission to wash my hands in the golden basin? From this moment onward, I am no longer a man of the martial world."

Fei Bin sneered. "Liu Zhengfeng, as an elder of the Hengshan School, you colluded with Qu Yang, an elder of the Sun Moon Demon Cult. Did you think washing your hands would settle everything?"

"By order of the Five Mountains Alliance Leader, Liu Zhengfeng, you will return to Mount Song with us and explain yourself."

Liu Zhengfeng sighed. Just as Lin, the Hundred-household Office's Lin, had said, the Mount Song Sect would not let him go even after he washed his hands of the martial world.

Especially now that his connection to the demon cult elder Qu Yang had been exposed, he saw the members of the Huashan, Mount Heng, and Mount Tai sects all take a step back.

"And if I refuse?" Liu Zhengfeng asked.

Fei Bin declared harshly, "Then no one in Liu Mansion will live! Anyone who colludes with the Sun Moon Demon Cult deserves death at the hands of all!"

As his words fell, a group of Mount Song Sect disciples emerged, holding Liu Zhengfeng's family captive.

Dingyi of Mount Heng snorted. "The Mount Song Sect has gone too far, dragging Junior Brother Liu's family into this."

Only Dingyi spoke up for him. All his other fellow martial artists remained silent.

Utterly disillusioned, Liu Zhengfeng turned to Lin Lang for help. Didn't you say you could handle this?

Lin Lang lifted his teacup and rinsed his mouth, then suddenly smashed the cup onto the floor. "How dare you! Is the Mount Song Sect plotting rebellion?!"

Fei Bin looked utterly bewildered. When had the Mount Song Sect ever said anything about rebelling?

He had come only to seize Liu Zhengfeng and damage the Hengshan School's reputation in the martial world.

"Who are you? What nonsense are you spouting? I am acting on Alliance Leader Zuo's orders. Liu Zhengfeng colluded with the Sun Moon Demon Cult and intended to harm our fellow martial artists-"

Lin Lang stood up. "Alliance Leader Zuo? What alliance does he lead? What official rank does he hold, and which government office does he serve?"

"Liu Zhengfeng is a Small Banner in our Jinyiwei, an official of the imperial court. Yet your Mount Song Sect dared to send men to surround an imperial official's residence and threaten to murder him and his family."

"As I see it, Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song clearly holds the imperial court in contempt and intends to rebel!"

Humiliation turned Fei Bin's face angry. "Hmph! You think you can frighten me all by yourself, with nothing but empty words?"

Lin Lang displayed his Jinyiwei Hundred-household identification token. "Fei Bin, thousands of eyes are watching here today. If your Mount Song Sect touches anyone in the Liu Mansion, we will have both witnesses and evidence."

"I will report to my superiors that a certain Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song has gathered a mob to foment unrest, proclaimed himself alliance leader, fashioned a Yellow Robe Command Banner, and treated his every utterance as an imperial decree, with the intent to rebel."

"Can your Mount Song Sect withstand an army of a hundred thousand? Can it withstand the Red-Coat Cannons? Can it withstand the overwhelming might of the throne?"

Lin Lang kept slapping accusations onto them. Alone, he had cowed nearly a hundred members of the Mount Song Sect.

Cold sweat streamed down Fei Bin's face. He looked to Ding Mian and the others for help, but his fellow disciples would not meet his eyes. None dared make a decision at that moment.

They had thought capturing Liu Zhengfeng would be a sure thing. Even if he refused to obey the Five Mountains Command Banner, they could hold his family hostage, stop his handwashing ceremony, and force him to go to Mount Song.

They could also damage Hengshan's prestige in the process, laying the groundwork for the future merger of the Five Mountains sects.

But who could have imagined that Liu Zhengfeng would not only complete his handwashing ceremony, but also throw his lot in with the imperial court?

The court had sent this young Hundred-household, whose mouth overflowed with righteous causes and reckless accusations, leaving Fei Bin no opening to act.

"Put down your weapons and get out of the Liu Mansion!" Lin Lang glared arrogantly at Fei Bin. With powerful backing, he really could do as he pleased.

Fei Bin gave Liu Zhengfeng a long look. "Liu Zhengfeng, your collusion with the Sun Moon Demon Cult is a fact. This is far from over! We're leaving."

The Mount Song Sect departed in as much disgrace as it had arrived in arrogance.

Not only had they failed to suppress the Hengshan School this time, they had substantially diminished the prestige of both the Mount Song Sect and Zuo Lengchan.

After they left the Liu Mansion, Lu Bai quietly sidled over. "Senior Brother Fei, are we just leaving like this? With so many people watching, it was difficult to act-but what about after they leave?"

"Liu Zhengfeng and his family must not survive!"

Fei Bin looked at the other members of the Thirteen Guardians and nodded firmly. "Prepare yourselves. As soon as that Hundred-household leaves, or Liu Zhengfeng leaves, we strike!"

After the Mount Song Sect departed, the other martial artists left as well. Not one was willing to stay for a cup of wine.

It was all because Liu Zhengfeng was now a member of the Jinyiwei. A martial artist who dealt with the government would find himself without friends.

Lin Lang looked at Liu Zhengfeng. "What did I tell you? There was no need to waste money preparing wine. From now on, you and they are no longer walking the same road."

"You've finally seen the martial world for what it is today, haven't you? All you did was share music with Qu Yang, yet they wanted to kill your entire family, and no one said a word in your defense."

"Things will be different from now on. We in the Jinyiwei are all brothers. If anyone so much as touches you, I'll slaughter his whole family!"

"Before you take up your post, would you like to vent a little more of that anger?"