"Senior Brother Qingyuan, the two of us apologize to you for our irrational behavior yesterday.
We hope you won't hold our past offenses against us. Whether you beat us or punish us, we won't utter a word of complaint."
When he opened the door that morning, he saw the two of them standing respectfully outside. The moment they saw him come out, they swiftly formed hand seals and bowed.
The female Daoist named Bai Guangying was also holding a tray laden with an exquisite breakfast.
"Senior Brother Qingyuan, I made this early this morning. It may not be delicacies from the mountains and seas, but I hope you won't turn your nose up at it."
Bai Guangying bowed timidly, adopting an extremely humble posture.
After Sect Leader Bright Moon left Zhang Qingyuan's room last night, he had gone straight to Repentance Peak and scolded the two of them as though they were his grandsons.
He had also punished them with three years of confinement and ordered them to copy every scripture in the Scripture Library.
Zhang Qingyuan looked at them calmly, his face expressionless. They were clearly a year or two older than him, yet they kept calling him Senior Brother.
The two could not quite read him and had no idea whether he was pleased or angry.
"If you're still angry, Senior Brother Qingyuan, I'm willing to wait on you hand and foot and serve as your Daoist attendant."
Guangying hurriedly added, "Me too."
"Hmph." Zhang Qingyuan found it amusing. Both bore minor injuries and had dark circles around their eyes.
Presumably, besides taking quite a mental blow, they had also suffered corporal punishment.
"I still prefer that wild, defiant look you had at first. Bring it back."
"Huh?"
The two exchanged a glance, failing to understand his joke, and raised their heads in confusion.
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. "Just kidding. We're all fellow Daoists. I'll accept breakfast, but there's no need to wait on me hand and foot."
Hearing this, both immediately grew excited.
"Then does that mean you've forgiven us, Senior Brother Qingyuan?"
"Go back."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
The two respectfully bowed and were just about to turn and leave when Zhang Qingyuan called them back.
"Come back."
"Oh."
He had barely enjoyed a moment of happiness before being called back. Zhao Guangjie thought, I knew his anger wouldn't subside that easily.
"Do you have any other instructions, Senior Brother Qingyuan?"
Zhang Qingyuan glanced at the tray in his hands. There were steamed buns and rice porridge.
He picked up a bun and put it in his mouth. He had to admit, it tasted quite good.
As he chewed, he asked, "Yesterday, you said everyone at Cloud Dust Manor, men and women, old and young, had been wiped out?"
Zhao Guangjie nodded.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Senior Brother, you wouldn't know up here on the mountain, but that's what everyone in the martial world is saying now. We only heard it through hearsay too."
"What are they saying?"
Zhao Guangjie stammered, his gaze evasive.
"Go on. I won't blame you."
Zhao Guangjie shrank back, then gritted his teeth and leaned closer to Zhang Qingyuan.
"You may not know this, Senior Brother, but your reputation in the martial world is terrible now. They all say you're a demonic Daoist who has entered the world, working hand in glove with Green Bamboo... Green Bamboo Fairy."
"Anything else?"
"They say you have a human face but a beast's heart, that you're a demon descended to the mortal world.
Especially after Cloud Dust Manor was wiped out, even more people turned against you. A bounty has also appeared in the martial world. The price on your head has already reached two thousand taels."
"Only a martial-world bounty?"
"Yes. The imperial court hasn't gotten involved."
"Understood. You can go back."
After the two left, Zhang Qingyuan returned to his room and pondered the whole affair as he ate breakfast.
First of all, who would slander him?
He had only just entered the martial world and had made no enemies.
So whoever had pinned the massacre of Cloud Dust Manor on him definitely was not an enemy of his.
Damn it, I'm taking the fall!
As the saying went, how could anyone roam the martial world without taking a blade? Although Cloud Dust Manor was not one of the Four Great Mountain Manors, it enjoyed some renown in the martial world.
That being the case, they must have had enemies.
Those enemies would be neither too powerful nor too weak, probably on par with Cloud Dust Manor or weaker.
Ordinarily, they could do nothing to the manor, but once the manor lord and his elite disciples were dead, the young manor lord crippled, and the Seven Luminaries Sword Sect, his maternal family's sect, had also suffered heavy losses...
Those enemies of Cloud Dust Manor would seize the opportunity to strike back.
After wiping out Cloud Dust Manor, they would pin the crime on him to conceal their identities.
After all, he was the prime suspect.
It might not even have been an open enemy of Cloud Dust Manor. It could also have been someone who simply disliked them.
At this thought, Zhang Qingyuan's eyes lit up.
Everything was clear now. He was the scapegoat.
And finding out who was truly behind it was simple: look at who benefited most from Cloud Dust Manor's destruction, and that person was the culprit!
Swallowing the last mouthful of porridge, Zhang Qingyuan abruptly rose and headed straight for the sect leader's residence.
"What? You want to leave?"
In the sect leader's room, Zhang Qingyuan stated his purpose: he had come to bid farewell.
"Yes, Martial Uncle. I've been staying at your esteemed sect for over three months now. I've read quite a few scriptures, and my martial arts have improved too. It's time to visit other Daoist sects. As the saying goes, learning knows no bounds."
"But isn't this a little too sudden? Is it because of those two wayward disciples?" He grew furious again.
Zhang Qingyuan repeatedly waved his hands. "No, no, no. Both junior brothers are forthright men of feeling. It's just that I have important matters to attend to, so I won't impose any longer."
"What matters?"
"The matter of Cloud Dust Manor."
Zhang Qingyuan no longer concealed it and said frankly, "I just heard from Junior Brother Guangjie that the bounty on my head in the martial world has reached two thousand taels.
Although we cultivators of the Dao should practice nonaction, keeping our hearts as still as water and remaining undisturbed by external things,
the sage also said, 'The Dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao.'
So I want to go down the mountain and see just who is splashing dirty water on me."
Daoist Master Bright Moon sighed.
"Since ancient times, the martial world has been a place of strife. Since you've put it that way, I can hardly stop you. Being slandered never feels good, after all.
Investigating the truth and proving your innocence is indeed the most urgent matter."
"You're wise, Martial Uncle."
"When do you plan to leave?"
"Today. The sooner I go down the mountain, the sooner I can resolve it."
"Do you need our Taiqing Dao Palace to intervene?" Daoist Master Bright Moon asked with concern.
Is he worried I can't handle it?
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, Martial Uncle, but I believe I should handle my own affairs."
Zhang Qingyuan was very confident now. After these three months of cultivation, his martial arts had improved tremendously.
As long as the peerless experts on the rankings stayed out of it, he truly thought little of ordinary people.
If it would not have been too pretentious, he really wanted to shout:
Below Grandmaster, I'm invincible; above Grandmaster, I'll trade one life for one!
Seeing Zhang Qingyuan brimming with confidence, Daoist Master Bright Moon could not help praising him. "Good!"
"How about this? Which Daoist sect do you plan to visit next for secluded cultivation? I'll write you a letter.
As you know, not all of us Daoists can distinguish right from wrong. With my letter, they'll give me face and let you stay."
"Thank you, Martial Uncle Bright Moon."
Zhang Qingyuan did not turn down the offer. He was right: not every Daoist was a good Daoist.
"I want to go to the Pure Yang Daoist Sect next."
"Pure Yang?"
"Yes. To tell you the truth, Martial Uncle, the internal cultivation method I practice is the Yin-Yang Limitless Art, which I created myself. Yin and Yang complement one another in an endless cycle.
Originally, I actually planned to visit all five great Daoist sects before going to the others.
But because I've absorbed too much supreme Yin theory here at our Taiyin Dao Palace, the Profound Yin True Qi in my body now exceeds my Pure Yang True Qi. So I need to go to the Pure Yang Daoist Sect to study the principles of pure Yang and restore my balance."