187 Chapter 187 The eldest son!
Chapter 187 The eldest son!
With Uncle Ding gone, He Lingyun is the backbone of Qingyun Manor.
But everyone knows that the most useless person in Qingyun Manor is this second young master. He's good at causing trouble, but not at anything else.
Since returning to Qingyun Manor, I haven't done a single serious task.
At this martial arts tournament, neither Master He of Qingyun Manor, Master Huo, nor the eldest son He Huai'an appeared, leaving only the second son He Lingyun. Could it be that they are truly feeling guilty?
People in the audience started talking about it.
Wang Sumo also looked at He Lingyun with some concern.
"Gentlemen, we only arrived last night. Could you please explain what happened?" He Lingyun looked at He Yuan, who was being supported and couldn't even stand up. "May I ask for clarification first?"
There was a murmur of discussion all around. On one side was Qingyun Manor, and on the other side were the Four Heroes of Meizhou. No one expected the martial arts tournament to start like this.
“If the Second Young Master wants to ask, he can ask here. Let all the heroes of the world hear it; there’s no need to be secretive,” Mei San said, his face remaining expressionless.
Given He Lingyun's previous temperament, a conflict should have already broken out. But this time, He Lingyun took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, saying, "He's injured like this, he can't even stand steadily, how can he speak?"
Mei Er, filled with bitterness and resentment, said, "Second Young Master only needs to verify whether they are disciples of Qingyun Manor."
This is clearly showing no mercy.
He Lingyun frowned.
My great-uncle was known in the martial arts world for his gentle and refined manners, and was renowned as a gentleman swordsman.
People in the martial arts world generally give Qingyun Manor some face.
However, the martial arts tournament of the Four Heroes of Meizhou was aimed at Qingyun Manor from the very beginning.
However, He Lingyun frowned.
Yesterday, when Ding Bohe went to fetch the old man, and when the old man took Huo Ling to the residence of the Four Heroes of Meizhou to ask for medicine, the Four Heroes of Meizhou did not show any signs of their true feelings, and even readily gave Han Chan Bing Lu to him.
If someone had a grudge against Qingyun Manor, why would they have set up such a grand scheme and had so many people witness it? They wouldn't have given Hanchan Binglu to Uncle Ding yesterday.
Moreover, Fang Rushi and Yu An Jushi have already detoxified Huo Ling.
This means that there is no problem with Hanchan Binglu...
The Four Heroes of Meizhou were willing to give the Cold Cicada and Ice Dew to Uncle Ding, but they are here slandering Qingyun Manor. What are they up to?
He Lingyun never felt that the martial arts world was turbulent and unpredictable.
And right now, he's right here.
He Lingyun said in a deep voice, "That's right. It's precisely because he's a disciple of Qingyun Manor that we asked the four manor lords to show mercy and let me go back and find out the truth. We shouldn't let him suffer like this here without getting anything out of him."
Wang Sumo felt someone pat her shoulder. She turned around and saw Zhao Tong.
Zhao Tong winked at her.
Wang Sumo understood.
There's trouble here, and the inn might not be safe. Huo Ling, Duan Wuheng, Fang Rushi, Ding Bo, and Qingwu are all at the inn, as is Bazhenlou.
Zhao Tong was afraid something bad would happen.
Zhao Tong realized the situation as soon as things started to get chaotic.
It's a bit of a walk from the outskirts of the city to the inn, but he can go there quickly on horseback.
Wang Sumo nodded.
Right now, everyone else's attention is focused on the scene.
Qin Feng was the first to step forward: "Gentlemen of the manor, is there some misunderstanding here? Qingyun Manor has always been upright and honest. This matter is too strange and has no beginning or end. Since you are a disciple of Qingyun Manor, the Second Young Master is not wrong. Shouldn't we let Qingyun Manor take a look first, so that at least someone can speak up?"
Qin Feng took the lead, and Yang, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of Jinwei镖局 (escort agency), also stood up: "Lingxiao Sect is right. Qingyun Manor has done nothing but honorable things in the martial world for so many years. It is unclear whether there is any misunderstanding. It is not reasonable to torture the disciples of the sect like this."
He Lingyun looked grateful and bowed to the others in thanks.
But Mei Si clapped his hands, and soon, more than twenty stretchers covered with white cloths were carried forward and placed in the field.
Immediately, another uproar erupted from the audience.
Mei Laosi said, "You are all so sympathetic to the injury of a disciple of Qingyun Manor. Why not look at the disciples of the Four Heroes of Meizhou who died tragically in the past few days! They were all heroes who escorted disaster relief grain, yet they died tragically!"
"Esteemed sect leaders, you may examine the injuries." Mei Da had barely finished speaking when...
Indeed, some members of the prominent martial arts sects in the middle approached with some skepticism.
He lifted the white cloth, glanced at the wound, and was immediately shocked. He looked at He Lingyun's wound and stammered, "It's...it's the Longevity Gentleman's Sword?"
The surrounding area erupted in uproar.
this……
He Lingyun stepped forward herself, and the white cloth was lifted.
He did see it immediately; it was the wound on the Longevity Gentleman's Sword.
Moreover, He Lingyun frowned slightly.
The power of those sword strikes was beyond the capabilities of ordinary Qingyun disciples...
Qin Feng also stepped forward.
Lingxiao Sect and Qingyun Manor are close by, and Qin Feng is familiar with the disciples of Qingyun Manor. Manor Lord Huo will also invite him to spar.
Qin Feng looked at He Lingyun with surprise at the sword wound.
He saw the same thing as He Lingyun: this was something no ordinary Qingyun disciple could do.
No wonder the Four Heroes of Meizhou are so persistent.
At this level, at least the top-ranking disciples of Qingyun Manor are mostly confidants of Elder He and Elder Huo...
"Grandpa?" Wang Sumo whispered.
She was too far away to see clearly, but she noticed that the expressions on the faces of every member of the Nagato family seemed quite subtle. She was sure the old man would know the answer if she asked him.
Sure enough, the old man frowned deeply, his face looking very unpleasant. He said softly, "Girl, this is not only the Longevity Gentleman Sword, but also Huo Lianchi's sword."
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen were stunned.
How could this be?
However, Master Huo's swordsmanship is so advanced that it cannot be easily imitated by others. But, probably not only Wang Sumo and Bai Cen, no one would believe that this was Master Huo's work.
Mei Er continued, his expression full of bitterness and resentment: "I wonder what else the Second Young Master has to say after reading this?"
Those inside the arena saw it clearly, but the other sects and wandering martial artists outside were unaware of what had happened and were all discussing it and crowding into the arena.
The disciples in the manor could only reach out to stop them.
Mei Dafa said, "Gentlemen, please calm down and let us four brothers explain. In the past, we transported the grain from our rice shop, as well as the grain we bought, to the disaster-stricken areas. We also considered that the previous disaster relief grain was involved by martial arts sects, so we dared not be careless. However, in the past month or two, the disaster relief grain has been stolen one after another, and even robbed."
"The other party is very powerful and is very familiar with how the stolen disaster relief grain was transported and how it was concealed. Zhenhu Division has also heard about this! The original purpose of this martial arts conference was to find out how to work together to sever ties between the theft of disaster relief grain and the righteous martial arts world, and to select a martial arts leader so that there will be no leader if such a thing happens again in the future!"
"Unexpectedly, right after the invitations were sent out, the last batch of disaster relief supplies still ran into trouble. With the martial arts tournament approaching, the four of us brothers discussed it and decided to investigate this matter thoroughly so that we could seek justice together with all the heroes at the tournament. The bodies of these disciples were originally thrown off the cliff. We, the Four Heroes of Meizhou, did everything we could to retrieve the bodies, and that's when we discovered the sword wounds on the bodies—the Longevity Gentleman's Sword!"
These words were a wake-up call!
When the name Qingyun Manor was first mentioned, most people were shocked, and more so, they didn't believe it.
But just now, the eyes of these sect leaders were filled with surprise, and then they all looked at He Lingyun, which meant they must have recognized him!
These four heroes of Meizhou really don't need to go to the rogue Qingyun Manor!
To fight a losing battle with an egg.
Unless, of course, it's truly driven to the brink, and the rabbit bites?
Amidst the murmurs and discussions, Mei San continued, "Is there anyone among you willing to come forward and examine these wounds? These wounds are not from the ordinary Longevity Gentleman Sword. Apart from Elder He, Elder Huo, and their senior disciples, who else in the world can achieve such swordsmanship power?"
This sentence shocked the entire martial arts tournament audience.
"Let me handle this! I sparred with Master Huo before, and I recognize his sword!" someone shouted from the crowd.
The Four Heroes of Meizhou signaled for the release of the prisoners.
Upon arriving, the other party first introduced himself: "I am Yangzhou Babian Dao! I belong to no sect or school, and have no connections with anyone! I am upright and honest, as you may inquire. My words and deeds are aboveboard, and all my fellow martial artists can verify them. I had a chance encounter with Master Huo in Yangzhou before, and we sparred. I recognize Master Huo's swordsmanship. If it is Master Huo's swordsmanship today, I will not hide it; but if not, I demand that the Four Heroes of Meizhou apologize to Qingyun Manor!"
Yang Babian spoke with righteous indignation.
The Yangzhou Eight-Change Knife has a well-known reputation, and it will not be deliberately biased.
Bai Cen muttered, "Is this person reliable?"
“Reliable,” Wang Sumo replied. “He has eaten at Bazhenlou before. He is very honest and doesn’t lie. He’s a very upright person.”
"I see," Bai Cen said, relieved.
And so, Yang Babian examined the swordsmanship closely and seemed to genuinely recognize it as Master Huo's swordsmanship. He was quite surprised, but Yang Babian wasn't so hasty. Instead, he looked at the second person, the third person...
The more he looked, the closer his brows furrowed. Finally, after examining all the dead figures under the white cloths, he stood up dejectedly and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, it is Master Huo's swordsmanship."
ah! ! !
There were gasps of surprise all around!
How could this be?
Others shouted, "Master Huo is a highly respected and chivalrous man who has helped many martial arts sects. I don't believe it! Is there no one who can imitate Master Huo's sword?"
Someone immediately responded, "Yes! Master Huo would never do that!"
Even Qingyun Manor wouldn't do that!
The Four Heroes of Meizhou were no pushovers either. Mei San said, "Heroes, please calm down. The leader of the Lingxiao Sect is here. Whether Master Huo's swordsmanship can be imitated or not, just ask the leader of the Lingxiao Sect."
Yes, the Lingxiao Sect and Qingyun Manor are so close, they must often spar with each other.
The leader of the Lingxiao Sect would naturally not admit his mistake, and he also knew whether or not it was possible to imitate it.
Qin Feng turned to look at his master.
The other party could see it clearly without even having to come forward. However, the leader of the Lingxiao Sect frowned and said, "I believe in Master Huo's character, but the sword technique is too exquisite and extremely rare in the martial arts world."
Mei Da continued, "Master Huo's swordsmanship is profound. Even if one can imitate it perfectly, such swordsmanship and internal strength cannot be acquired in a short time. Don't you agree, Master Tang?"
The leader of the Lingxiao Sect frowned, but indeed, the other party nodded.
The astonishment outside the stadium goes beyond words.
Mei Da continued, "Since it can't be mastered in a short time, it must take years! Even if it's not Master Huo himself, who else outside of Qingyun Manor could master the Longevity Gentleman Sword over so many years?!"
"If it's not Master Huo, could it be Elder Master He?!"
These words certainly made everyone around them hold their breath.
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, Meng Huizhou, and Old Master Qu all exchanged glances.
What if it were He Huai'an?
It would be too easy for him to learn the Longevity Gentleman Sword. Moreover, with He Huai'an's abilities, he could imitate something that no one else in the entire martial arts world could do!
It's He Huai'an!!
When He Huai'an left the Kunlun Sect, he abandoned his status as a junior martial uncle from a prestigious and righteous sect.
He devoted himself entirely to the "Longevity Classic".
It wasn't until he met He Huai'an that he began to act in the name of the eldest son of Qingyun Manor, and only then did he gradually put his ambitions into the right place.
The martial arts world is also a place that values rules and newcomers.
Even the most skilled martial artist who suddenly appears will find it difficult to gain sufficient prestige in the martial arts world in a short period of time.
Even if this suddenly appearing expert properly handles the disaster relief grain matter, there are so many respected figures in the martial arts world that you can't count them on your fingers. If anyone takes the lead, others might even think that he is plotting something.
But He Huai'an is different.
He Huai'an is backed by Qingyun Manor, which has the prestige and reputation that Old Master He has accumulated over the decades.
He is the eldest son of Qingyun Manor.
Previously, He Huai'an had been handling many of the trivial matters inside and outside Qingyun Manor. He Huai'an had come into contact with many martial arts sects, and he was always gentle and refined, never fighting or grabbing, so no one would believe that he had any ambition.
How could someone who doesn't even know martial arts have the ambition to become the leader of the martial arts world?
He Huai'an hid himself too well from the very beginning.
They thought the events at Bewitching Town and the disaster relief grain had disrupted He Huai'an's plans. But He Huai'an was too shrewd; he used the Bewitching Town and the disaster relief grain as an opportunity instead…
With Master He absent, Master Huo was dragged into the mess. At this critical moment, he reappeared, turning the tide and showing everyone that He Huai'an had the ability to resolve these martial arts disputes and handle conflicts.
He would sacrifice his own family for the greater good and rise to power by stepping on Master Huo, because Master Huo has a major secret—the last descendant of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Wang Sumo didn't even need to doubt that He Huai'an knew.
Moreover, they will definitely make an issue of Master Huo's identity!
Wang Sumo had almost no doubt: "Master Huo has been set up."
Moreover, it's highly likely that He Huai'an knows that Master Huo is unable to appear and prove his innocence, which means that something has happened to Master Huo...
Wang Sumo reached out and tugged at Bai Cen's clothes. Bai Cen looked at her, and she whispered, "Something must have happened to Master Huo."
Bai Cen was surprised. Wang Sumo didn't know how to tell him that Master Huo's identity was actually...
As soon as he finished speaking, Mei Er continued, "Are you all questioning why Master Huo, with his current status, would do such a thing? That's right! Before this happened, the four of us brothers had even considered electing Master Huo as the leader of the martial arts world at this martial arts conference, so that he could lead all the sects in the martial arts world to revive the glory of the past! Who knew that these things would happen!!"
"But fate was kind to us. We also discovered other disciples of Qingyun Manor. We followed him to see what was going on, and then we found that this Qingyun Manor disciple was mingling with the remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect from back then. It turns out that there have been disciples of Qingyun Manor colluding with the remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect all along. I personally heard this disciple named He Yuan tell the remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect that the Manor Master had already dealt with the Four Heroes of Meizhou and told them not to give themselves away again!"
ah!
Everyone was astonished!
"You're talking nonsense!" He Lingyun was about to rush forward, but Qin Feng stopped her.
Compared to He Lingyun, who never appeared in such occasions, Qin Feng knew all too well that acting impulsively at this moment would only give Master Huo a hard time regarding these matters. Qin Feng said gently, "Second Master, this is a serious matter. You are talking about Master Huo of Qingyun Manor, not someone else! The consequences of what you've said cannot be easily dismissed with a simple 'I misheard'!"
Mei Er scoffed: "I, Mei Er, swear to the heavens that if I utter any nonsense here, may I be struck by lightning and die a violent death!"
Then Mei Da, Mei San, and Mei Si, all united against the common enemy, joined forces against him!
Such decisiveness hardly seems like someone who would risk everything to slander Master Huo!
Moreover, as Yangzhou Eight Transformations Saber just mentioned, this is indeed Master Huo's swordsmanship. The leader of the Lingxiao Sect also said that it is rare in the martial arts world to be able to imitate it so well. Could it be that it is also Master He?!
this……
He Lingyun was about to step forward when Qin Feng held him back tightly: "Second Young Master, don't be impulsive."
He Lingyun was annoyed.
Mei Er continued: "The remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect committed suicide by biting their tongues. We four brothers had no choice but to torture this Qingyun disciple before he finally confessed the whole story! Fellow heroes of the martial world, all sect leaders—Huo Lianchi is not the son of Elder He's close friend at all! Huo Lianchi is a remnant of the Xiaoyao Sect!"
ah? ! ! !
Everyone around was stunned!
This also includes the unsuspecting Grandpa Qu and Grandpa Weng, as well as Bai Cen.
Bai Cen subconsciously looked at Wang Sumo and suddenly realized what Wang Sumo had been worried about!
Wang Sumo bit her lip.
The moment those words were uttered, the entire martial arts tournament spiraled out of control!
"You son of a bitch, you're talking nonsense!" He Lingyun had already rushed forward, but instantly other sect leaders stepped forward. Qin Feng stood in front of him.
One of the sect leaders said, "The matter hasn't been clarified yet, are the Lingxiao Sect going to try and smooth things over?"
Qin Feng hesitated, and the moment he turned to look at the Lingxiao Sect Leader, He Lingyun rushed over. But how could he be a match for these sect leaders? Seeing that the opponent's palm force was about to strike He Lingyun, the Lingxiao Sect Leader stood up and pulled He Lingyun behind him with one hand.
Ling Xiao's finger collided with the palm strikes of several sect leaders opposite him, immediately exploding in the surrounding area.
"Sect Leader Tang, what do you mean by this?" Several sect leaders glared at each other.
Sect Leader Lingxiao laughed and said, "Sect Leaders, why get angry with a junior? The matter of Manor Lord Huo is not completely clear, so it's understandable that Lingyun is a little worried. Why don't we listen to what the four Manor Lords have to say before we speak?"
The group exchanged glances, but since Sect Leader Lingxiao was highly respected, they still had to be cautious about his involvement.
The Lingxiao Sect Leader smiled and looked at the Four Heroes of Meizhou, saying gently, "What the four lords said is very clear, and I also believe in the oaths of the four lords. But is it too biased to determine the identity of Lord Huo based solely on a conversation between a Qingyun disciple and a remnant of the Xiaoyao Sect? If we find any other two people today, we believe they could also be linked to the Four Heroes of Meizhou."
"That's right." Qin Feng echoed, "With Master Huo not here, not only Master Huo, but anyone present could fabricate and slander these words. Qingyun Manor has done so much for the martial arts world. If we are wronged because of such framing, wouldn't it chill people's hearts when the truth is revealed in the future?"
Immediately, someone in the audience shouted: "Qingyun Manor has always been known for its benevolence and righteousness, and Manor Lord Huo is even more so. How could he do such a thing? The four manor lords have probably been deceived and are being used as pawns!"
Some people said, "Who knows, they might be coveting the reputation of Qingyun Manor and have orchestrated this whole thing themselves!"
Many people echoed this sentiment.
"Hmph!" Mei Da flung his sleeves: "Gentlemen, Qingyun Manor came to my residence yesterday to ask for medicine. If I intended to frame them, why would I have given them the Cold Cicada Dew?!"
The crowd erupted in uproar once again. Indeed, even Wang Sumo felt that it was better to avoid trouble.
On the contrary, these four outstanding men from Meizhou are quite stubborn.
I lent you the medicine because you were poisoned.
But since you are a descendant of the Xiaoyao Sect, I will still judge you!
It was precisely these things that left those around them speechless.
Mei San stepped forward and said, "Please calm down, everyone. If we didn't have solid evidence, how could the four of us brothers dare to bring this up at the martial arts conference based solely on these sword wounds and the words of one or two people? Back then, Master He single-handedly stormed into the Xiaoyao Sect and eliminated this scourge from the entire martial arts world. Everyone applauded him! We four brothers have nothing to say about Qingyun Manor and Master He! Therefore, when Qingyun Manor asked for medicine, we four brothers did not hesitate to help."
"This is a matter of great importance. After learning the true identity of Master Huo, the four of us brothers were restless. We were afraid of falsely accusing Master Huo, and even more afraid that if it were true, Master Huo, who controlled Qingyun Manor and joined forces with Xiaoyao Sect to cause trouble in the martial arts world, would be putting more of our fellow martial artists in danger if we knew but did not speak out. We heard that Elder Master He is no longer at Qingyun Manor, and there is no time right now to travel to various places to find Elder Master He and verify it."
Mei San continued, "But by chance, the four of us brothers met Master Lingyuan."
Master Lingxu?
Wang Sumo looked at Bai Cen in surprise; she had never heard of Master Lingyuan.
Bai Cen said in a low voice, "Master Lingyuan can be considered a reclusive master. Do you remember when Liu Henshui was injured after challenging the Northern Snow-blowing Blade and the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, Master Liaochen entrusted Liu Henshui to the Flowing Light Hermit?"
Wang Sumo nodded; of course she remembered.
Bai Cen said in a low voice, "The Lingyuan Master mentioned by the Third Master Mei is the martial uncle of Liuguang Sanren."
Wang Sumo realized that it meant he was very old and had a lot of credibility.
Bai Cen nodded, "That's right."
Those in the audience whispered among themselves upon hearing the name Liuguang Sanren.
Master Lingyuan is highly respected in the martial arts world, so if he were to speak on behalf of the martial arts community, it would certainly be credible.
Mei Er continued: "The elders present should all remember that when Master He ventured alone into the Xiaoyao Sect, he encountered Venerable Lingyuan on his way down the mountain. Master He told Venerable Lingyuan that the child was an orphan of the Xiaoyao Sect, but the child was innocent, and Master He wanted to take him back to raise him. Venerable Lingyuan then told Master He that in that case, he should tell someone that the child was the orphan of a close friend, and carefully raise him while also observing his character. In this way, Master He took Master Huo back to the manor to raise him."
"Everyone, Venerable Lingyuan is advanced in years and it is inconvenient for him to come here. This is just a letter from him. Sect Leader Tang, you are acquainted with Venerable Lingyuan, so you should recognize his handwriting." After saying this, Mei Er took out the letter from his sleeve and handed it to the Sect Leader of Lingxiao Sect.
He Lingyun looked at Sect Leader Tang and watched as the expression on Sect Leader Tang's face changed from calm to slightly rippled, and then his gaze froze.
"Sect Leader Tang has already read it. Everyone, if Master Huo is upright and honest, even if he comes from the Xiaoyao Sect, the four of us brothers will not say a word. However, so many things in the martial world are related to the resurgence of the Xiaoyao Sect, and the four of us brothers cannot sit idly by! The letter was sent to Master Huo, but the Huo family has not dared to show their faces yet, and sent Second Young Master He here. May I ask, Second Young Master, can you, a person who does nothing and cares about nothing in Qingyun Manor, shoulder this responsibility?"
After Mei Er finished speaking, the audience immediately began to murmur amongst themselves.
He Lingyun's face was ashen. He wanted to argue, but it was true that since he returned to Qingyun Manor, he hadn't done a single thing for the manor, nor had he ever shown his face in the martial arts world.
On the few occasions that happened, it was always the scene where He Ping caught her and took her back.
He had never thought this was anything special before.
But right now, he felt incredibly ashamed!
Even though they knew that Qingyun Manor and Uncle Huo had been wronged, not a single person believed that he could represent Qingyun Manor!
Because no one found him trustworthy.
Because in other people's eyes, he was just a spoiled brat in Qingyun Manor who was only known as the second young master!
Even if the person standing here today is He Ping, it's still different from He Zhen!
He Lingyun gritted his teeth: "Everyone, I don't know what went wrong, but with my uncle gone, Qingyun Manor will definitely give you all an explanation..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by someone in the audience: "Young Master He, can you explain yourself?!"
"Young Master He has never done anything worthwhile! He's certainly not capable of being the head of Qingyun Manor!"
"That's right..."
The surrounding whispers made He Lingyun feel regret more clearly and truly than ever before.
Thinking back to the times when his great-uncle and Uncle Huo told him to settle down, not to be playful, and not to be willful and break his promises, he never imagined that this day would come!
Just as He Lingyun was besieged by the crowd and at a loss, a voice came from below the stage, clear and righteous, gentle and firm: "I can make the decision on this matter, and Qingyun Manor will definitely give everyone an explanation."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at He Huai'an, who had just arrived and was still covered in dust from his journey, wearing a cloak.
"He Huai'an?"
"The eldest son of Qingyun Manor?"
Even those around He Lingyun breathed a sigh of relief, as if they saw a glimmer of hope: "Young Master!"
[Author's Note]
He's here!
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