Xin 'an Temple
The mountain was shrouded in mist, and there was a temple in the mist.
Xin An Temple.
The abbot of this temple was called Hui 'an, and he was only thirty years old. No matter how many temples you visit, you won't be able to find such a young abbot.
More than twenty years ago, when Xin An Temple was just a dilapidated house with only two monks inside, Hui 'an was already here. The other monk at that time was Hui 'an's master, Jingxin.
More than twenty years had passed, and the small dilapidated wooden house had now transformed into a true temple.
Xin 'an Temple now had a main hall and incense. The wooden Buddha statue that had lost its paint had now become a solemn Buddha statue. The most important thing was that Xin An Temple now had dozens of disciples. They were like Hui 'an in the past, representing the inheritance.
Before the fog in the morning dispersed, Yu Mu had already come up the mountain.
To his surprise, there was a monk standing at the entrance of the monastery. He seemed to be waiting for Yu Mu to come up the mountain.
"Benefactor, are you here to offer incense or to look for someone?" the monk asked with his palms pressed together.”
"So what if it's incense?" Yu Mu asked. So what if he's looking for someone?"
The monk said,"If you are here to offer incense, please return the way you came. It is not yet time to offer incense in this temple." If you are looking for someone, please come with me. The abbot of our temple is already waiting for you.”
"I don't think your abbot is a monk, but a Taoist who knows how to read fortunes. Otherwise, how could he have predicted that I would come looking for him?" Yu Mu said.”
The monk smiled and didn't mind Yu Mu's slightly rude joke. He turned around and said,"Man's plan is ultimately not as good as God's plan. Patron, please.”
The fog and the quiet forest intertwined, and the freshness of the morning dew blended into the air. Everything was so peaceful and peaceful. Yu Mu pushed open the gate of Xin An Temple with a trace of calmness on the mountain.
In the front yard, a few monks were sweeping the withered leaves on the ground. Although the small front yard was not very imposing, compared to the two shabby thatched cottages back then, the current Xin An Temple could indeed be called a temple.
The monk led Yu Mu through the front yard, and behind the front yard was the main hall.
A group of monks in the main hall was reciting the Shurangama Sutra of the Ten Thousand Bodhisattvas of Righteousness. A monk in a kasaya stood in the open space in front of the main hall. He was the person Yu Mu was looking for, Zen Master Hui 'an.
The monk who had led the way had already left, leaving Yu Mu alone as he walked towards Zen Master Hui 'an.
The two of them looked at each other, just like the scene when Yu Sheng met Master Jingxin.
Zen Master Hui 'an put his palms together and said,"Amitabha. Hui' an has been waiting for you here for a long time."”
Yu Mu also put his palms together and bowed.”
Hui 'an said," This Penniless Monk is lacking in talent and virtue. How can I bear the title of Master? Patron, you can just call me Hui' an."”
"When the old man addressed Master Jingxin as 'Master', Master Jingxin also declined in the same way, right?" Yu Mu laughed.”
Hui 'an seemed to recall the scene from back then. He smiled and said,"Exactly."
"They're masters, and we're disciples. Disciples always resemble their masters."”
"Benefactor, what you said makes sense.”
"Grandmaster, you predicted that I would come to Xin An Temple. I wonder if you can predict why I'm here."”
Hui 'an fiddled with the Buddha beads in her hand and said,"Relax, relax. I came to Xin An Temple to seek peace of mind."
"I have thousands of knots in my heart. Please answer them for me, Master." Yu Mu put his palms together again.”
"Please speak, Patron," Hui 'an said.
"I had countless questions, but you suddenly asked me to tell you what my questions were." Yu Mu said.”
"If you don't mind, benefactor, please come with me to the backyard for a chat," Hui 'an said.”
"That's better." Yu Mu nodded.”
"Patron, please," Hui 'an said.
"Please, Grandmaster," Yu Mu said.
The backyard of Xin An Temple was empty and desolate. There was only one stone table and two stone stools in the entire backyard. However, compared to the main hall, this place was much quieter.
There were already two cups of hot tea on the stone table. Hui 'an led Yu Mu to sit on both ends of the stone table.
Hui 'an raised her teacup and said,"Patron, please have some tea."”
"Thank you, Master." Yu Mu said.
Hui 'an had already noticed that Yu Mu was a little restrained. He smiled and said,"Benefactor, you don't need to be overly formal. If Benefactor can be more casual, This Penniless Monk can also be more casual.”
"If Grandmaster had told me earlier, I wouldn't be so nervous." To tell you the truth, this is my first time in a temple with such a solemn atmosphere.”
Hui 'an said," The temple should be the most relaxed place in the world because it can accommodate anyone in the world."”
"Including bad people, bad people, bad people?" Yu Mu asked.”
Hui 'an nodded and said,"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately." As long as they could turn over a new leaf, Buddha would be lenient.”
"It's always like this," Yu Mu said. Master, don't you think Buddha is too forgiving towards evil people? No matter how many heinous things they had done, as long as they said 'put down the butcher's knife and become Buddha', they could turn from black to white. As for those good people? No matter how many good deeds they had done, they often did not receive any good rewards. Didn't Buddha think that this was unfair? If they always focused on turning bad people into good people and ignored the people who were originally good people, wouldn't this indirectly encourage good people to become bad people? Grandmaster, please give me an answer."
Yu Mu's question was aggressive, but Hui 'an smiled.
"Whether it's Taoism or Buddhism, whether it's Buddha or the Three Pure Ones, they're all people's sustenance and not actual existences," Hui 'an said. Good people suffer while bad people enjoy happiness. There would not be Buddha or immortals who suddenly descended from the sky to change it. Everything was decided by heaven, and everything depended on man's efforts. Nothing was absolute. Buddhism was not written by Buddha, but by humans. The principles were profound, but they could not explain everything. If a group of bandits rushed into the temple with bloodlust, then no matter how well I cultivated the Buddhist Dharma, I wouldn't be able to stop them. What we should do is to decipher the useful words from the Buddhist scriptures or books. One thing, one principle. No matter how good it was, one could not blindly follow it. The only thing I can tell you is that karma has its own reincarnation. No one can stop it.”
Hui 'an's words seemed to be a lot and complicated. She didn't answer Yu Mu's question directly, but every sentence answered Yu Mu's question. However, the real answer wasn't given by Hui 'an, but by Yu Mu himself.
Yu Mu said helplessly," You monks and eminent monks, you only know how to play tricks and say a lot of obscure words. Let me guess by myself. If my comprehension is so profound, why would I come to Anxin Temple to look for you?"”
Hui 'an smiled and said,"It's better for you to drink some tea first to calm your heart." If his heart was not calm, he would not listen to anything and would not be able to do anything well.”
Yu Mu sipped his hot tea and agreed,"This is the most useful sentence I've heard since I entered the temple."”
"You and your father are two completely different people. As father and son, your personalities are very different.”
"I'm afraid this old man and I are the most unfather-and-son duo in the world." Yu Mu said.”
"Don't you have a good relationship with your father?" Hui 'an asked.”
"Ah…" Yu Mu said. Let's put it this way, I haven't called him father in all these years. Do you know my father?"
"I can't say that I understand him, but I've been with your father for a period of time." Your father is a good man, but he is a little shy and too introverted. I think he might not be good at expressing his feelings.”
" Yeah," Yu Mu said." He is indeed not good at expressing his feelings. The only way he can get close to me is to talk about his past when we are eating." Ah, casually mentioning the past in a few words, wanting to share himself with me, wanting to use this to show that he cared about me. Heh, how could I understand all this when I was so young? I always replied with the words 'none of my business' in response.”
As he spoke, Yu Mu laughed. When he was young, he was not very polite to his father's only way of expressing his feelings.
"Do you hate your father?" Hui 'an asked.”
Hearing this question, Yu Mu paused for a moment, then said,""Of course I hate you. However, my hatred for him is divided into two parts. I hated it because I was adopted by my foster parents when I was young. After their accident, I wandered the streets for two years. Then my father found me and brought me back to that island. I didn't enjoy any late fatherly love. Every day on the island, other than practicing my sword, I practiced my sword. Because he only knows how to use the sword, he can only teach me how to use the sword. At that time, I hated him because he did not appear when I was suffering. I felt that he was useless. He couldn't save my mother either, so I didn't even get to see my biological mother. Shouldn't he feel guilty? He should feel guilty, but he never showed it. He never said a word of apology or explained what had happened. He forcefully imprisoned me on that island and forced me to learn the sword. Don't you think he should apologize for this?”
"Has your mother passed away?" Hui 'an asked.”
"He died a long time ago, before my father found me."”
"Amitabha." Hui 'an put her palms together.
"Perhaps Benefactor Yu feels guilty in his heart," Hui 'an said.”
"I know he feels guilty." Yu Mu looked away.
"Every time I resist him, he will go to my mother's grave and cry. A grown man was kneeling there, crying silently. Every time I didn't practice my sword well, he would whip me. I noticed that his expression would change slightly every time he hit me. Perhaps he was just not good at expressing his feelings. But to me, this is not a reasonable reason.”
Hui 'an smiled and said,"Isn't there still hatred?"”
"When I returned to this Jianghu, I found that it was even darker than when I left." There were no more evil ways in the martial world. Because all the bad things had been done by those righteous sects. The pugilistic world is neither black nor white. Looking at the people who are suffering because of this, I realize that the pugilistic world needs a chivalrous man, a true chivalrous man, to lead it and change everything.”
"Do you think your father should have done this?" Hui 'an asked.”
"Shouldn't I?" Yu Mu asked. In the battle of Happycloud Heights, he had pierced a hole in the entire Jianghu. For a time, his name was known by everyone. He should have used this opportunity to change those sects and the atmosphere of the martial world. If that was the case, there would be fewer innocent deaths in the martial world. But what about him? They would spend the rest of their lives on an isolated island overseas. He was living a peaceful life, but what about the martial world? Who did he leave it for to change? I hated him for his weakness and his escape.”
" In my opinion," Hui 'an said," former hatred is emotional hatred. If you really hated your father so much, you wouldn't have come here today."”
Yu Mu glanced at Hui An. He neither admitted nor denied it.
Hui 'an continued,"As for the hatred, I don't want to defend your father. However, in order to become a chivalrous man who led the martial world, it was definitely not enough to only have good martial arts. He couldn't even handle his relationship with his own son, so how could he lead the world to disperse?”
"Yeah, the old man really can't be the second Luo Wei." Yu Mu sighed.”
Hui 'an took a sip of tea and said,"Luo Wei."。。”
"Master, you know Luo Wei too?" Yu Mu asked.”
Hui 'an said," I've heard of him. In the past, the elders said that he was the number one hero in Jianghu for hundreds of years."”
"Master, do you know how to become a hero like Luo Wei?" Yu Mu suddenly asked.”
"Patron, do you want to become a chivalrous man like Luo Wei?" Hui 'an asked. Change the world like him?”
"I don't even know what a chivalrous man should do, so how can I become a chivalrous man like Luo Wei?" Yu Mu laughed at himself.”
"Benefactor, the fact that you were able to say those words earlier proves that you already have the heart of a chivalrous man.”
"Please enlighten me, Grandmaster," Yu Mu said.”
Hui 'an said," I'm a monk who lives in a monastery deep in the mountains and forests. How can I tell you how to become a chivalrous hero?"”
"Master, you're not going to say anything," Yu Mu said helplessly,"I'm afraid you're making fun of me."”
"Although neither of us know the answer to the question, perhaps we can explore it together," said Hui 'an with a smile.”
"Oh?" Yu Mu asked. How?"
"I wonder what you think a real chivalrous man should do, benefactor?" Hui 'an asked.”
What should a real chivalrous man do?
This question made Yu Mu fall into deep thought.
Luo Wei was a real chivalrous man.
Luo Wei would help a famished village build a new waterwheel, and he would also lead the orthodox martial arts world to destroy the demonic sect.
Did a chivalrous man do things for his reputation?
Definitely not!
All heroes had their own creeds and pursuits.
Although the people of the Seven Heroes Stockade were not chivalrous warriors, they shone with the brilliance of chivalrous warriors.
Sword Immortal Lu Jiang was a well-known 'chivalrous sword', but what he did was not the work of a chivalrous sword'.
What exactly was a chivalrous man supposed to do?
Carry forward chivalry.
How to promote chivalry?
"Punish evil and promote good." Yu Mu murmured.
Hui 'an smiled and nodded." Well said. What a chivalrous person does is to punish evil and promote good!" However, many people did not understand the principle of punishing evil and promoting good. What many people did was counterproductive. Don't you know the principle of the golden mean?”
"Doctrine of the mean?" Yu Mu asked. Master has read the golden mean? Isn't that a scholarly book?"
"Can't Buddhists read Confucian books?" Hui 'an asked. The Buddha can tolerate all things. Although I'm not as good as the Buddha, how can I not be able to accept the doctrine of the mean? Although the doctrine of the mean was a Confucian principle, it was crucial to enlighten people. The solution to many things is actually the golden mean, including what you said about punishing evil and promoting good.”
"Please enlighten me, Grandmaster," Yu Mu said.
"Don't you think punishing evil and promoting good is one thing or two?" Hui 'an asked.”
Yu Mu opened his mouth and wanted to answer, but he felt that it might not be right. He thought about it and couldn't give Hui 'an a definite answer.
"This question is too difficult. It's even more difficult than the chicken or the egg question." Yu Mu said helplessly. Master, you're playing the game again. Can't you make your words clearer?”
"It's one thing, but it's also two things," Hui 'an said with a smile. This is the golden mean."
Yu Mu suddenly thought of something. He sighed and said,"Master, aren't you still playing the game?”
"Punishing evil and promoting good can be said to be one thing. However, punishing evil and promoting good were two kinds of influences. To become a true chivalrous hero, you must grasp the balance between these two. If one only focused on punishing evil and not on promoting good, it would only vent violence and would not change the minds of the world. It was a good thing to be partial to the good and not to punish the evil. However, in the eyes of others, it was weak. If you want to be a chivalrous man like Luo Wei, you must be like him and find the golden mean in punishing evil and promoting good.”
Although Hui 'an was still trying to be clever, his words had already made Yu Mu understand some of the truth.
Yu Mu had only focused on punishing the evil in the matter of Sword Immortal Lu Jiang, but he had forgotten that promoting the good was the reason why he did it.
What about the Seven Heroes Stronghold? Could Yu Mu do a better job in this matter?
Perhaps he could have done more back then.
Yu Mu looked up at the white clouds in the sky and suddenly smiled.
"You monks are really good at fighting.”
" You can't learn the truth in a short time," Hui 'an said." You need to experience it on the road and constantly comprehend it.”
Yu Mu nodded and said," Yes, you can't learn the truth just by talking. You will always understand the truth in the process of doing things."”
As the two of them talked, it was almost lunchtime.
"Don't you have any interest in eating a vegetarian meal made by This Penniless Monk?" Hui 'an asked.”
"Master can cook?" Yu Mu asked.”
Hui 'an smiled." Of course he will. Back then, Almsgiver Yu also ate the vegetarian meals I made."”
"I can't believe this old man ate your vegetarian food. How old were you then?" Yu Mu asked in surprise.”
"Ten years old," Hui 'an replied.
"What did the old man say about your vegetarian food?" Yu Mu asked.”
Hui 'an pondered for a while and said,"Alright."”
Yu Mu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Alright, I'm also lucky enough to taste the vegetarian food made by Master today. I'll have to trouble Master.”
"Patron, please," Hui 'an said.
"Please, Grandmaster," Yu Mu said.
At this moment, a horse was galloping on the official road of Yuzhou.
The man reined in his mount and wiped the sweat off his face. He identified the direction and tightened the grip on the long saber under his saddle. Then, he sped in the direction of Xin An Temple.
"Master's vegetarian food is indeed delicious. I didn't expect this old man to have the honor of tasting such delicious food." Yu Mu praised.”
Yu Mu was originally a person who would not be happy without meat. He only treated Hui 'an's vegetarian meal with the attitude of tasting it. He did not expect that he would not stop after the first taste.
Hui 'an's vegetarian dishes tasted light but incomparably delicious. They looked like two or three ordinary vegetarian dishes, but when they were eaten, one would understand that there was a reason behind it.
Hui 'an smiled and said,"The vegetarian food back then definitely wasn't as delicious as the vegetarian food today." Cooking was similar to reciting scriptures. The more he recited, the more he understood the principles in the scriptures. The more he cooked, the better the taste of the dishes would naturally be.”
Yu Mu said," You're all experts. Masters are like this. You can say a lot of profound principles about such a trivial matter." Admirable, truly admirable."
Hui 'an said," Patron, you are a little impatient. I think Patron, you might as well stay in the temple for a while. Eat vegetarian food with This Penniless Monk for a few days and recite Buddha for a few days to get rid of the impatience in your heart." This might be twice the result with half the effort for what you're going to do after you leave.”
" I don't have the patience to sit down and recite scriptures," Yu Mu said with a smile." Aren't you afraid that I'll stir up the entire monastery?"”
Hui 'an put her palms together and said," Amitabha. The monastery is a pure land that can accommodate everything. Why would they be afraid of trouble from their guests?"”
"Master, are you willing to cook such vegetarian meals for me every day?" Yu Mu asked.”
Hui 'an said,"Patron, if you're willing to eat, how can This Penniless Monk not be willing to cook?"”
"Master, do you think I'll gain anything by staying here?" Yu Mu asked.”
"How can sharpening a knife delay the work of chopping wood?" Hui 'an asked.”
"That makes sense," Yu Mu nodded.
He looked through the door at the bluestone floor and said,""We just finished eating. Why don't you take me around the temple?”
Hui An led Yu Mu through the solemn and solemn Hall of Great Strength, past the eastern and western wing rooms where the monks lived, past the front yard where the pilgrims were welcomed, and past the backyard where the two of them were chatting just now.
Xin An Temple could not compare to those big temples with a long history, but it had its own remote and secluded place.
"Have you seen Xin An Temple from a high place?" Yu Mu suddenly asked.”
Hui 'an was about to answer when Yu Mu grabbed his arm. He felt dizzy. When he regained his senses, he found that he had reached the highest point of Xin' an Temple.
On the roof of the hall.
Hui 'an quickly chanted Amitabha.
"Is Master afraid of heights?" Yu Mu laughed.”
Hui 'an smiled and shook her head.”
From where Yu Mu and Hui 'an were, they could see every inch of the monastery. They could even see the village at the foot of the mountain and the small path up the mountain.
"I heard from the old man that the Xin An Temple used to be just two shabby little thatched cottages?" Yu Mu asked.”
"Yes, twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. With the accumulation of bricks and tiles here, Xin 'an Temple had already become a true monastery. So fast."
"Master, you were the only one in Xin An Temple back then. Now that it has so many monks who have inherited the legacy, Xin An Temple will become better and better."”
"Then I'll have to rely on Benefactor's auspicious words."”
"Grandmaster Hui 'an," Yu Mu said.
"Hmm?" Hui 'an asked.
"Do you hate the old man?" Yu Mu asked.”
"Because of my master?" Hui 'an asked.”
"Shouldn't I?" Yu Mu asked.
Hui 'an smiled and said,"The rise and fall of fate are destined. I'm a disciple of the Buddhist Sect, so how can I say that I hate him?”
"I do know that there's a saying in Buddhism that says 'Monks don't lie.'”
Hui 'an looked at Yu Mu and said," Master died to save people. This is Master's wish. It is also Master's best home. What do I have to hate?" I only hate Master for leaving too early. He didn't teach me more and accompany me for a while. This wasn't hate, but rather some regret.”
"It seems that Master also has seven emotions and six desires." Yu Mu teased.”
Hui 'an said," Cultivation isn't about wiping out the seven emotions and six desires. It's about cultivating a restrained heart." Humans are not plants, how can they be heartless?"
"Master is indeed a master," Yu Mu said.”
"Patron, do you know what is the most difficult thing to do?" Hui 'an asked.”
"What is the hardest thing to do?" Yu Mu repeated.”
He thought to himself, could it be that Jingwei is trying to fill the sea and Kuafu is chasing after the sun?
Or would he go up to the nine heavens to grab the moon and go down to the five oceans to catch turtles?
"Is there really an answer to this question?" Yu Mu asked.”
"Of course there is." Hui 'an smiled.”
"I can't think of anything." Yu Mu spread his hands.”
"Forgive me," Hui 'an said.
"Forgive?" Yu Mu asked.
Hui 'an said,"Forgiveness is the most difficult thing to achieve since ancient times. As I said earlier, humans are not plants. Since he had feelings, it was extremely difficult to forgive. Forgive others, forgive yourself. This was easy to say, but when it came to doing it yourself, you would find that it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.”
At this moment, a monk ran over from the hall. He raised his head and realized that Hui 'an was actually on the roof of the hall.
"Abbot, Abbot, why did you go up there?" he shouted.!”
"What happened?" Hui 'an asked.
"There's a man called Pei Shengxin outside the temple," the monk said.”
"Invite him in," Hui 'an said.
Yu Mu knew that this was not good. Pei Shengxin was probably not looking for Abbot Hui 'an this time, but himself.
"Abbot, I'll hide for a while. Don't tell anyone I'm here." Yu Mu said.”
"Don't tell me you've committed some crime that caused the Iron-masked Constable to come here to arrest you?" Hui 'an laughed.”
"I didn't mess with the case, but I know that he's probably here to find me, and he's definitely up to no good." Yu Mu said.”
Hui 'an said,"Monks don't lie. Patron, have you forgotten this?"”
Yu Mu said," How can this be considered a lie? At most, it's just a joke. Please, Master."”
Without waiting for Hui 'an's reply, Yu Mu turned around and hid behind the eaves.
A moment later, the monk who led the way brought Pei Shengxin to the main hall.
"Amitabha," Hui 'an said loudly,"I wonder why Iron-masked Constable has come to our temple.”
Pei Shengxin bowed respectfully and said," Greetings, Abbot Hui 'an. I'm here to look for a person called Yu Mu. I wonder if he's been to your temple."”
Hui 'an said," There are about seventy to eighty people who came to my temple to offer incense today. This Penniless Monk doesn't know if there is a benefactor named Yu Mu among them."”
"Since you haven't met me before, I'll take my leave. But before I leave, I'll have to ask you a question."”
"Please speak, Divine Constable," Hui 'an said.
"How did you get to the roof of the hall, Grandmaster?" Pei Sheng asked.”
Hui 'an looked to the side and smiled." Patron, This Penniless Monk has already tried his best. If you continue, This Penniless Monk will really have to lie."”
Yu Mu's head slowly emerged from the roof. He looked at Pei Shengxin with a smile and said,""What a coincidence. Is Great Divine Constable Pei also here to offer incense?”
Pei Shengxin had already seen through Yu Mu hiding behind the eaves. He said helplessly,"Come down first. I have something important to tell you.”
Yu Mu looked at Hui An and smiled bitterly." Master, I'll go down and send him away first. Wait for me upstairs."”
He tapped his toes lightly and turned around in the air before landing in front of Pei Shengxin.
Yu Mu hugged Pei Sheng and said,"Great Divine Constable Pei, are you here to give me money?"”
"Silver?" What silver?"
"Last time I helped you catch Jia Xian, didn't the government give you any reward?" Yu Mu asked. You should at least give me half, right?"
"I'm not in the mood to joke with you. I'm here to ask for your help."”
"You want my help?" Yu Mu asked. Help with what?"
"I want you to work on a case with me."”
"I'm working on a case." Don't you have two constables working with you? Why didn't you look for them to solve the case with you? Why did you come all the way here to look for me?”
"This is a case in the martial arts world. I don't want to drag them into it." Moreover, with their martial arts skills, they could not help much in this case.”
"Wait, you said that this case is related to Jianghu. What case is it?" Yu Mu interrupted.”
Facing Yu Mu's question, Pei Shengxin was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Seeing Pei Shengxin's troubled look, Yu Mu immediately understood what case Pei Shengxin was talking about.
"You don't want me to work with you on a case for some righteous sect, do you?" he asked tentatively.”
Pei Shengxin did not deny it. He immediately admitted,"It's indeed as you said."
"Pei Shengxin, you weren't even drunker than me when we drank last time, were you?" Yu Mu asked in disbelief.”
"No." Pei Sheng replied.
"Then you should remember what I told you." You want me to help a bunch of pompous animals? Are you kidding me?"
"I'm not joking," Pei Shengxin said calmly.”
Yu Mu said with a puzzled look,"Tell me a reason. Give me a reason to help you with this case.”
"Because this case is related to you."”
Yu Mu became even more confused.
"Is it related to me? I don't remember doing anything recently.”Although Yu Mu said that, he suddenly remembered that he had dealt with a few disciples of the Iron Palm Sect who had followed them back in the Seven Heroes Stockade.
"Do you know who died in this case?" Pei Shengxin asked.”
"Who is it?" Yu Mu asked.
"Song Wanxiao," Pei Shengxin said.”
"What does his death have to do with me?" Yu Mu asked. Do you think I care about losing an opponent on September 7th? Four great young masters, three great young masters. It doesn't make any difference to me."
"It seems like you don't know what's happening in Jianghu recently."”
"Tell me what happened in Jianghu recently."”
"Fang Mengjue and Liu Changting had a public duel, and the result was that Fang Mengjue was no match for Liu Changting."”
"Fang Mengjue lost to Liu Changting?" Yu Mu was a little surprised.”
"You didn't expect Fang Mengjue to lose to Liu Changting?" Pei Sheng asked. You didn't expect Liu Changting to be so strong either?”
Yu Mu really didn't expect this.
"It's precisely because Liu Changting defeated Fang Mengjue that everyone in Jianghu knows that his kung fu is far more than just being one of the Four Great Young Masters." But you, Yu Mu, want to fight against four people on the seventh day of the ninth month, this is more like a fool's dream. Therefore, the rumors in the pugilistic world say that you knew that it was impossible for you to fight against four people alone on Weiwei Mountain Peak, so you secretly killed Song Wanxiao. It doesn't matter if you're the murderer or not, you're already the murderer now.”
Yu Mu was speechless. He laughed and said,"How can this be related to me? Then let me ask you, when and where did Song Wanxiao die?”
"Ten days ago, Hangzhou."”
"But I've been in Yuzhou for a long time. Can I kill him from thousands of miles away?" Yu Mu said. Do you think that's possible?"
"I believe you, but they won't believe you."”
"I don't need them to believe me," Yu Mu said. Why should I care about what a bunch of hypocritical gentlemen think of me? If they think I killed them, then I killed them. I don't care what they think.”
"Don't you care about your reputation?" Pei Shengxin asked.”
"I don't care." Yu Mu raised his head.”
"Didn't you say that you wanted to become a chivalrous man like Luo Wei?" But if you carry this rumor, who will care about a despicable person from now on? Even those sanctimonious sects looked down on you, so who would listen to your words? How are you going to change this world?"
"You... You're not a good person. Heh."
Yu Mu raised his hand to say something, but he put it down again.
"Why are you acting like a woman?" Yu Mu asked. Every time I talk to you, you're always the one who makes sense. It was as if I was the narrow-minded villain and you were the broad-minded hero. Why can't I win against you? I feel that something is wrong."
Pei Shengxin stared at Yu Mu's eyes and said,"Are you going or not?"
Yu Mu also stared into Pei Shengxin's eyes, and the two of them stared at each other in a stalemate.
Finally, Yu Mu couldn't help but sigh.”
"Alright, let's go now."”
Yu Mu suddenly grabbed Pei Shengxin's hand and said,"But let's make this clear first. I'm not going to help a righteous sect solve a case, nor am I going to clear my name. I'm just helping a friend.”
Pei Shengxin was silent for a moment.”
"I don't have a mount right now," Yu Mu said.”
"I rode two fast horses."”
"You're quite well-prepared." Yu Mu said.”
The two of them walked to the front yard, and Yu Mu suddenly stopped.
"It's over." He looked at Pei Shengxin.
"What's wrong?" Pei Shengxin asked.
Yu Mu turned his head and looked at the roof of the hall."I forgot that Master Hui 'an is still up there.”
When Yu Mu went up the mountain, the mountain was still shrouded in clouds and mist. When he went down the mountain, the clouds and mist had dispersed, and it was clear and bright.
On the way, Yu Mu asked about Song Wanxiao.
"Song Wanxiao's mother is a daughter of a local noble family in Hangzhou." That day, he was invited to a gathering of Hangzhou's talents. The gathering was held in the number one building in Hangzhou. There were countless people watching from downstairs and the surrounding tall buildings. At the gathering, everyone was drinking and composing poems. At that time, Song Wanxiao was in high spirits. He walked to the railing and took out a jade flute to play the song 'Phoenix Seeking Phoenix'. In the end, he fell off the building halfway through and died on the spot. Initially, they thought that Song Wanxiao had fallen from the building due to drunkenness. However, when the coroner examined her body, he found a finger-sized steel needle under her armpit, piercing Song Wanxiao's heart. He was assassinated."
"You still don't know who the murderer is?" Yu Mu asked.”
"After Song Wanxiao fell off the building, the crowd scattered like birds and beasts. I wasn't there at the time." I don't even have a clue who the murderer is, let alone who he is.”
"No way, Blackface." You dragged me to investigate the case without any clues. You're too confident. You really are the world's number one hunter."
"If this case was simple, I wouldn't need your help." There were no clues about the murderer, and naturally, there was no motive for the murder. If he wanted to find clues to solve this case, he could only start with the victim.”
"Song Wanxiao," Yu Mu said.
"I only have two clues regarding Song Wanxiao." Firstly, it was his identity. He was one of the four famous young masters in the pugilistic world. This might be the reason why he was assassinated. Secondly, he had revealed that he was going to appear in public before he died, which gave the assassin the opportunity to assassinate him.”
"I can't find any clues to solve the case based on these two points." Yu Mu sighed.”
He immediately realized that something was wrong." We don't seem to be heading in the direction of Hangzhou. The fastest way to get to Hangzhou should be to take a boat by the Yangtze River." You mean…"
Pei Shengxin said slowly,"I speculate that there might be a second person who was assassinated."”
One of the four great young masters had revealed his whereabouts in advance.
Yu Mu felt that this case was not simple. He asked,""What other news have you heard recently?”
"On the 15th of August, Liu Changting will take over as the leader of the Twin Peaks Sect in Hu Province!" Pei Sheng said.”
"Today is already the ninth day of the lunar new year."”
"So we still have five days to reach Hu Province.”Pei Shengxin's gaze was cold.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。