Chapter 186

Fu Xiang stood by the window, her pure white mourning clothes stained with incense ash.

She removed her sword, placed her hands on the window frame, her fingers unconsciously gripping the wood. Her nails snapped, tiny, sharp splinters of wood piercing her flesh, drawing blood. She expected it to be painful, but she remained unmoved, her calm, expressionless face devoid of any extra emotion.

There was no bright sunlight in Jinhuai City. Today, the first rain of early spring fell. The dark clouds were low, heavy and dense. The incessant sound of rain and thunder intertwined and rose and fell, making it hard to breathe.

Outside the building, there was a commotion, and no one knew who was making the noise. Fu Xiang let the cold rain beat down on her. The increasingly vibrant flowers of early spring faded from her eyes like dust and mist, leaving only the fluttering white banners and the pale figures of her disciples dressed in mourning clothes.

The world lost all its bright colors, leaving only a desolate white expanse. Grief and gloom enveloped the entire Mingyue Tower, casting an indelible shadow over the place.

"Master Fu's tragic death in the suburbs is utterly horrifying! That mechanism was created by the Nine Immortals Hall. Fellow heroes, let's go to the Nine Immortals Hall and find out the truth!"

"How much more can we ask to get a clear answer? They already replied yesterday! That mechanism was sold months ago during the Mozi Terrace era, and the buyer claims it was stolen before the new year. Both sides have their own explanations! This is a conspiracy that someone has been plotting for a long time. It's no use for us to keep pressing Jiuxiantang!"

"Indeed, the Nine Immortals Hall has always enjoyed a good reputation and has no grudge against the Bright Moon Pavilion. Why would they do something so damaging to their reputation? The buyer is just an ordinary person who doesn't frequent the martial arts world. He's just wealthy and enjoys studying mechanisms. He bought it for his own enjoyment, and he doesn't even know when it was stolen. The real culprit is determined to frame someone, so he's made sure everything is done cleanly. This matter involving Pavilion Master Fu is going to be difficult to investigate now!"

"But we can't just sit idly by! Mingyue Tower is the second largest sect in the martial arts world. Even Master Fu has run into trouble. Who knows if we will all be targeted in the future? Do you all understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'? If someone wants to stir up trouble and disrupt the martial arts world, and we don't work together to find out the truth, this fire will eventually burn us all!"

"Then tell me how you're going to investigate? In my opinion, who else has the ability to kill even the Master of Mingyue Tower? Maybe it's Nangong Min pulling the strings behind the scenes again!"

“That’s right! The Ziwei Sect has committed numerous evils and killed countless people. After the refugees in the major cities before the New Year, they have been silent. Isn’t that strange? It must be the Ziwei Sect’s doing again!”

...

Through the door, the voices of the Taoist priests could be heard clearly. Fu Xiang heard everything they said, but she did not react at all.

Since Fu Cen's body was discovered, the news has spread, attracting many martial arts heroes from other sects to the building. The crowd has been arguing about the matter for two days and two nights without stopping.

Upon hearing the news of Fu Cen's death, Steward Zhao immediately released Fu Xiang from the confinement room. When the disciples of Mingyue Tower arrived at the scene, they were all shocked. Fu Xiang ordered people to bring the body back and put it in a coffin, which was then placed in the mourning hall. She remained very calm and did not utter a single word until now.

The rain pattered loudly, and the outside noise continued unabated, disturbing the peace of the entire world. Afu huddled in a corner, silently watching Fu Xiang's retreating figure. After a long while, she finally mustered the courage to call out, "Senior Sister..."

Fu Xiang stood motionless, ramrod straight.

Seeing her like this, Afu felt as if her heart was being fried in oil, the pain so intense she couldn't speak. After much deliberation, Afu finally walked towards Fu Xiang, tugging at her sleeve and saying, "Senior Sister, please say something."

Fu Xiang seemed to have lost her soul, her gaze unfocused, unable to utter a sound for a long time, yet the pressure on her hands grew heavier and heavier. Afu, tears welling in her eyes, quickly took a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Fu Xiang's face, and called out again, "Senior Sister...?"

Fu Xiang then turned to look at her and asked, "Did my father... leave any message?"

Afu wiped away her tears and shook her head.

“It’s strange. When he was alive, I would think of my father’s bad points whenever I thought of him,” Fu Xiang murmured. “Now that he’s dead, I think of his good points. I can’t remember any of the bad things about him at all.”

Upon hearing this, Afu burst into tears. She lowered her head and cried out, "Senior sister, I'm sorry... You hate me, but from now on, my life is yours. You can come after me whenever you want. I... I'm sorry."

Fu Xiang turned around, slowly sat down at the table, and said in a low voice, "I hate you... I can't disobey my master's orders, how could I hate you?" After saying this, she said wistfully, "When my master took me as her disciple, she made it so clear to me. Over the years, she has reminded me countless times what will happen in the future. I had long anticipated the current situation and knew it all too well. I originally thought that I had no real feelings for the Fu family. I came back to collect a debt from my father. But after spending several years together, blood is thicker than water, and I still felt compassion. Now it's too late to turn back. How can I blame others? I can't escape the blame myself. I was also an accomplice."

That day, when she met Fu Cen for the last time in the confinement room, Fu Xiang originally thought she would choose one of the two paths given by the Luo family. As long as she was willing to settle privately and leave Mingyue Tower, the Luo family would let it go, and Mingyue Tower would retreat from the eye of the storm to a safe place. Meng Wugui would not kill Fu Cen anymore, since she was gone. Even if Fu Cen was beheaded, Meng Wugui could not bring her back to Mingyue Tower to succeed as the tower master.

But she really didn't expect Meng Wugui to act so quickly, without even meeting her to make any plans.

Recalling Fu Cen's heartbroken and distraught appearance that day, Fu Xiang felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She asked blankly, "I've been locked up in the solitary confinement room for so long, have you and Master really not come to see me even once?"

Afu was too ashamed to meet her gaze and could only bury her head and say, "I came here before, on the day that Master Fu last spoke with you."

Fu Xiang was taken aback for a moment, then said knowingly, "So, what did we say that you and Master heard?"

Afu said, "I heard you..."

“That’s it,” Fu Xiang said. “When she heard that I wanted to protect Mingyue Tower, she knew that I was going to back down, so she was bound to make her move before I left.”

Afu hurriedly said, "Senior Sister, don't hate Master. Hate me instead. I drugged Master Fu's wine. Otherwise, even if Master set a trap, he wouldn't have been able to kill him. You know, Master has waited so many years for revenge. Now that person and Nangong Min are both targeting her, she had no choice but to do this. Killing Master Fu and taking his place was a last resort that Master had mentioned many years ago. She didn't have many people she could rely on to begin with. When she heard that you were leaving and breaking your vow, how could she calmly watch you walk away? Senior Sister... if you want revenge, come at me. Please don't hate Master..."

Fu Xiang looked at her, her lips moving, her eyes gradually filling with hot tears.

Afu felt a pang of sorrow and immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly to Fu Xiang, saying, "I took these things too lightly. Over the years, although I followed my master around, I never faced any danger directly. My master always protected me. She raised me to this age, but what have I done for her? In fact, I haven't done anything. I only know how to eat and have fun, and I only know how to mess up everything my master entrusted to me."

"Only now do I realize that my master was never exaggerating. I just ignored her words. I thought... I thought revenge would be easy. I wouldn't have to face any choices or go through fire and water. I would just do whatever my master said. Only now do I realize that I was too naive. How could I have known that things would really develop to the point of killing Master Fu?"

"If I had been so aware from the beginning, I wouldn't be so confused and aimless as to be here today. Senior sister, I'm not trying to speak for Master, but we're both alive today because of Master's kindness. You either hold me responsible for this blood debt, or you should harden your heart and think about whether Master Fu really treats you well. If it weren't for Master's painstaking guidance, even if you found Mingyue Tower on your own, he wouldn't even glance at you. He might keep you in the tower because of public opinion, but he would never give you any important position. He always wanted a son; otherwise, why would he have sent you to Yunhua Palace in the first place? Senior sister... hate me, please hate me..."

Fu Xiang was in a daze, and suddenly remembered the day Meng Wugui found her.

It was a snowy day. The county was poor and the place was remote. Fu Xiang, dressed in tattered clothes, was playing in the woods with a few neighborhood children, digging in the mud. The children were all young and had never been to school, so they didn't understand reason. They got into a fight over a small matter. Fu Xiang originally tried to mediate, but somehow, she ended up being the one who was ganged up on and verbally abused by the two children.

"Mind your own business! You think you're so good at talking? We're arguing, what right do you have to interfere?"

"Exactly! No wonder your dad doesn't want you. Let's not play with her anymore!"

"You orphan girl, get out of here! Let's go!"

Even though they were only a few years old, their words were incredibly sharp and knew how to hit a nerve. Fu Xiang had only tried to mediate, but she hadn't expected to offend both sides. She stood there dumbfounded, still holding the clay figurine she had just made, not knowing how to retort after being insulted. A few children walked a short distance away, repeatedly turning back to make faces at her, throwing mud at her. Fu Xiang was hit a few times and had to hurriedly dodge, but after only a few steps, she bumped into a warm embrace. A woman in purple caught her and gave her a gentle smile.

"Would you like me to teach them a lesson?" Meng Wugui asked.

Fu Xiang looked at her with teary eyes and said, "How should I discipline her?"

The children were quite surprised to see Meng Wugui suddenly appear, and they all stood at the other end watching with curiosity. Meng Wugui bent down and picked up a few pebbles. Before Fu Xiang could even see what she was doing, the children all clutched their heads and screamed in pain. Bumps quickly rose on their foreheads, and they fled the place crying and screaming, not daring to look back.

Fu Xiang's eyes lit up, and she asked curiously, "How did you do that?"

Meng Wugui said, "You can do it by practicing martial arts."

Fu Xiang said, "Like those chivalrous heroes in stories? How can one learn martial arts?"

Meng Wugui looked her over for a while and said, "If you become my disciple, I will teach you martial arts."

Fu Xiang asked, "Who are you?"

Meng Wugui said, "Never mind who I am for now. Answer me first: do you want to learn martial arts?"

Fu Xiang said, "I've thought about it, but I need to discuss it with my family first. How much do you charge for taking on apprentices? I'm afraid they won't agree."

“I don’t charge for taking on disciples,” Meng Wugui said, “but I have another question for you: after you learn martial arts, will you be willing to go back to Mingyue Tower to find your father?”

Fu Xiang was stunned for a moment, then said dejectedly, "He doesn't want me anymore, why should I still look for him?"

Meng Wugui said, "Once you've mastered the kung fu, he'll naturally want you."

Fu Xiang said with some doubt, "Really? I heard from others that he only likes sons and not daughters. Even if I learn kung fu, he definitely won't want me. People in the village say that girls are useless. My father must think so too."

Meng Wugui said, "But I don't think so."

Hearing this, Fu Xiang felt a warmth in her heart, as if she had unexpectedly received a kind of recognition she had never felt before. She asked in confusion, "Are you someone sent by my father? If you are, please tell him for me that I hate him to death. He doesn't want me, and I don't want him either. Even if I learn good kung fu on my own in the future, I will not go back to Mingyue Tower to curry favor with him. Although I am young now, I have a lot of backbone. I don't care if he takes me back."

Meng Wugui laughed and said, "Don't worry, it wasn't your father's idea for me to come here to find you."

Fu Xiang said, "So you came all this way to find me just to teach me martial arts? But we don't even know each other."

“If you are willing to learn martial arts from me, we will get to know each other,” Meng Wugui said. “But there is one thing you need to understand: if you become my disciple, you will have to stand on the opposite side of Mingyue Tower and help me take revenge. You will have to learn to kill and face many unimaginable dangers. You may even become enemies with your father. Now that I’ve said this, are you still willing?”

Fu Xiang thought for a moment: "Whom are you killing, and when did you start killing?"

Meng Wugui replied, "Kill those who deserve to be killed. When the time is right and you are needed to kill, I will tell you."

Fu Xiang said, "That's it? There are no other conditions?"

"You think it's simple?" Meng Wugui raised an eyebrow slightly. "What if I asked you to kill your father? Would you still think it's simple?"

Fu Xiang was startled and said in fright, "Although I hate my father and have no feelings for him, I still can't bring myself to kill him, such a heinous thing is... So you have a grudge against my father?"

“I have a grudge against someone, and killing your father is only a possibility. I don’t necessarily have to kill him,” Meng Wugui said. “But the prerequisite is that you must learn kung fu well and take over the position of leader from him. If you can’t do that, then your father may die at my hands. As the saying goes, it’s better to be clear beforehand so that things don’t get chaotic later. After hearing what I’ve said, you should consider it carefully. I will come to find you again in three days, and you must give me a definite answer then.”

After she finished speaking, she disappeared into the forest like a wisp of smoke. Fu Xiang didn't even catch a glimpse of her shadow before she vanished without a trace.

For the next three days, wherever Fu Xiang went, she was followed by a group of children who were unusually enthusiastic towards her.

"Fu Xiang, who was that person that day? Was she your mother?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Fu Xiang's mother died a long time ago, okay? Her father probably remarried later!"

"Good Fu Xiang, she's so skilled, should she teach you kung fu? Let her teach us too, and we'll never bully you again!"

"Yes, yes! We acknowledge you as our leader. If you tell us to go east, we would never dare to go west!"

Having been the leader for three days, Fu Xiang deeply realized how important it was to have excellent martial arts skills. Meng Wugui had only taught these people a lesson on her behalf, and they were already respectful and obedient to her. If she could be like Meng Wugui, perhaps not only these people, but even her father would kneel down and apologize to her in person. How satisfying that would be!

Three days later, Fu Xiang went to the woods early in the morning to wait. When the sun climbed to the top of the mountain, Meng Wugui arrived, but she did not come alone. She brought a girl who was about the same age as Fu Xiang.

"Who is this? Your apprentice?" Fu Xiang asked.

“Her name is Afu. I rescued her from a refugee camp last month,” Meng Wugui said. “If you don’t agree to become my disciple, then I will teach her kung fu and find a way to get her into Mingyue Tower.”

"Would you let her kill my father?" Fu Xiang looked at Afu, her eyes revealing a hint of unwitting hostility.

Meng Wugui said, "I told you three days ago that I might not necessarily kill your father; it depends on how things develop. I sent her to Mingyue Tower so that she would become your father's disciple and then gradually rise to become the young master. In other words, she will follow the path you should have taken. I could have found a boy, but I wasn't lying. I don't think girls are inferior to boys. I won't say more; now it's up to you to decide."

Fu Xiang thought to herself: Why should someone else have such a good opportunity to learn kung fu and become the owner of the Mingyue Tower? Her father won't die anyway. As long as she works hard, masters the kung fu, and takes over Mingyue Tower from him, everything will be fine. She doesn't care what happens to her father after Mingyue Tower is gone; after all, her father doesn't care about her life or death.

“Alright, I promise you,” Fu Xiang thought for a long time and finally made up her mind. “I understand what you mean. I don’t care about Mingyue Tower at all. I just want to learn martial arts from you. My father is still my father. I can’t just watch him die. So I will work hard to become the tower master.”

Meng Wugui said, "But if you don't become the leader, and the situation becomes unfavorable, I will choose to kill your father and then promote you to the position. Do you understand this?"

"Understood!" Fu Xiang said confidently, patting her chest. "However, I won't give you that chance. I'm sure I can become the sect leader based on my own abilities!"

From then on, Fu Xiang and Afu became disciples of Meng Wugui on the same day, embarking on a martial arts journey that she never dared to imagine.

Meng Wugui said, "Once you become a disciple and take an oath, you must be responsible for your words. But you are still young, so I will not take your words to heart. In a few years when you are older, I will ask you again. If you have any thoughts of backing out and do not want to participate in these things, as long as you tell me, I can let you go."

Fu Xiang thought this person was quite good. He taught her kung fu for free and gave her a way out. Fu Xiang believed that her luck had turned around and she had met a benefactor. She said with high spirits, "Although I have never been to school, I know that a teacher for a day is a father for life. I will not forget the oath I made. Don't worry, I will work hard!"