Lu Chengfeng did not rush to accept the gifts from Elder Xiao that night. The recent killings had left him physically and mentally exhausted. After venting it all on Luo Suyi, he slept deeply with his beloved wife in his arms and did not wake until noon the next day.
"Husband, you’re awake?" Luo Suyi had already gotten up sometime earlier. Seeing him awake, she hurried over to attend to him.
"I was thinking about whether to wake you. Just now, Senior Brother Zhou Tong came looking for you. The maid had just served tea and came to tell me."
"Zhou Tong? Why is he here at this time?" Lu Chengfeng said with a bit of confusion. After stretching lazily, he felt completely refreshed.
"Suyi, you stay here. I’ll go out and see."
After putting on his robe, Lu Chengfeng stopped Luo Suyi from continuing to arrange his hair, "Letting Senior Brother Zhou wait outside isn’t very polite, besides, he’s a fellow brother, no need to be so formal."
Luo Suyi took the warmed handkerchief and wiped his face, "At least wash your face, otherwise it’ll be as if..."
Lu Chengfeng, hearing her tease him, liked her playful demeanor and kissed her on the lips, "Be good, wait for me here. I’ll go out and see."
Luo Suyi responded and helped him straighten his clothes.
"Alright, go quickly now!"
Lu Chengfeng smiled and walked out of the room.
When he reached the front hall, he saw Zhou Tong sitting firmly on a chair, with tea placed beside him, but he hadn’t taken a sip.
"Hahaha, Senior Brother Zhou, why do you have free time to visit today? How was the harvest from this tide of beasts?" Lu Chengfeng asked with a smile as he briskly approached.
Zhou Tong’s face showed no laughter, and he spoke in a somewhat stiff tone, "Junior Brother Lu, find a secluded place, I have something to say to you."
Lu Chengfeng sized him up and only then noticed that Zhou Tong’s face looked terrible, his eyes carried a complicated expression, and his fists were unconsciously clenched.
He was taken aback, knowing something must have happened, so he said, "Alright, Senior Brother, follow me."
Lu Chengfeng led the way, and Zhou Tong followed.
Normally very straightforward, Zhou Tong was silent all the way, his face gloomy, appearing very repressed.
When they reached the bamboo grove where he and Junior Sister Zhao Ling’Er had built a bamboo hut together, Lu Chengfeng stopped. It was very quiet here, with normally no one coming.
Especially now with fewer people on the mountain, apart from Lu Chengfeng occasionally coming to repair the bamboo house, no one else visited. Updates are released by novel✦fire.net
"Senior Brother Zhou, what on earth happened?" Lu Chengfeng turned around, looking at Zhou Tong and asked in confusion.
"Xiao Qi, the First Seat of Azure Dragon Peak, died last night, along with one of his concubines, two close maidservants, and two direct disciples." Zhou Tong did not look at Lu Chengfeng and spoke in a somewhat cold tone, "The killer was very arrogant, coming under cover of night and rain, killing everyone with just one sword strike, beheading them, causing a sea of blood."
"Upon leaving, they even set a fire to destroy the evidence."
"Oh?" Lu Chengfeng’s face showed a look of shock, "Who is so bold to do such a thing?"
After he spoke, a cold sneer appeared on his face, "But it’s good that he’s dead. Xiao Qi harbored much hostility towards me and had previously tried to harm me. If not for Senior Brother’s rescue, I would have died."
"So it’s truly for the best that someone has killed him."
"Otherwise, if I had perfected my swordsmanship in the future, I would not spare him from my sword blade."
Zhou Tong then slowly turned his gaze, meeting Lu Chengfeng’s eyes. "Xiao Qi, you were the one who killed him, right?"
Lu Chengfeng was momentarily stunned, then scoffed, "Senior Brother Zhou, why are you talking nonsense?"
"You know well that a month ago I was almost killed by Xiao Qi. Even if my swordsmanship has improved over this month, how could I kill him with one sword strike?"
"Furthermore, I was with Senior Brother Tan Xiong and others yesterday in the depths of the Enchanted Swamp hunting Demon Beasts. I returned utterly exhausted and slept till midday."
"How would I have the time and energy to kill Xiao Qi?"
Saying this, he added with some dissatisfaction, "I know I have grievances with Xiao Qi and wish to kill him with one sword, but Senior Brother doesn’t need to suspect me , right?"
Zhou Tong stared at him for a long time without speaking. After a moment, he spoke in a gloomy tone, "Last night, I was right outside Xiao Qi’s house."
Lu Chengfeng’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, but he kept a calm demeanor and said, "Senior Brother Zhou, what are you implying?"
"You say I killed Xiao Qi, but do you have proof?"
"And why were you at Xiao Qi’s place in the dead of night?"
Zhou Tong sighed, "Xiao Qi has committed many evil deeds over the years, and it’s tied to a sect secret I’ve been investigating all this time."
"Had I not wanted to catch the big fish behind him, I’d have killed him already."
"It’s one thing for you to kill him, but why did you not spare the innocent?"
"His two direct disciples got what they deserved, but how about the concubine and the two maidservants?"
Lu Chengfeng’s heart was sinking. Zhou Tong seemed genuine, like he truly witnessed the scene in person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so certain.
"I had thought I found a fellow brother capable of inheriting our master’s legacy, greatly admiring your talent and capability."
Zhou Tong looked conflicted, "But I never thought you’d be hiding such depth, possessing such exquisite swordsmanship, and such sophisticated lightweight technique, not even the Seven Heroes of the sect were ."
"At twenty, having such talent and martial arts prowess, the Three Elites of our sect were not as good as you then."
"I should feel proud, but I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless, resorting to such unscrupulous means."
"I’m even starting to suspect now, who really caused Zhao Changzhen’s death?"
"Senior Brother..." Lu Chengfeng frowned deeply.
But before he could speak, Zhou Tong cut him off by raising his right hand, "You don’t need to say more, Zhao Changzhen’s death had nothing to do with me."
"I won’t report last night’s incident to the sect. As you might have already anticipated, without concrete evidence, the sect will do nothing to you."
"But remember, while people do as they may, Heaven is watching. Aren’t you afraid of having a guilty conscience?"
With that, he swung his sleeve forcefully, and Sword Qi erupted from his fingertips, shredding half of his sleeve, which fell to the dust below.
"I came here to make it clear that the sect is no lawless place where you can kill and burn as you please."
"From now on, I will watch you closely. If this happens again, even at the cost of my life, I will cut you down with my sword."
"From today, we cut all ties and connections, never to meet again. You... take care!"
With that, he turned, his sleeve brushing past, and left without looking back.
Lu Chengfeng watched his departing back blankly, his eyes momentarily dark and cold, but then quickly reduced to calm, "How can you understand what I’ve been through?"
"If you don’t eliminate the roots, trouble will grow."
"This is something I understood ten years ago.
"Zhou Tong, you are so naive; one day, it will be your undoing."
He muttered coldly, as if speaking to Zhou Tong, or perhaps warning himself.
Lu Chengfeng stood there for a long time, before suddenly unsheathing his sword. A sharp Sword Light flashed, Three-foot Sword Qi swept out, slicing seven or eight green bamboos around cleanly in half.
Feeling inexplicably agitated, he sheathed his sword and headed back to his courtyard.
Just as he entered, he heard the maid say, "Master, a guest has arrived, claiming to be a direct disciple of the Great Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall."
Lu Chengfeng’s face turned completely cold, "Today is just a fine day, with everyone rushing to me in droves."