Chapter 14 (1/2)
Chapter 14: A n.o.ble Gentleman – Part 6
Translated by the wonderful Kestrel
Edited by: Ritpoppy
The head shaoxia was around 5'6”, in white clothes and a feathered hat, thick brows nearly vertical as he yelled: ”Alright! So you guys were the culprits, huh!”
Yan YuNan stood up, pulling YuLou and YuLing behind him, and whispered: ”They're guys from Zhaoyao House and a few other sects – you two don't move, stand behind me.”
Ming ChangYan straightened his body; the moment the Zhaoyao House's shaoxia saw his bamboo hat and black veil, his look changed drastically, and he jumped backwards as quickly as he could: ”I-it's the n.o.ble Gentleman!”
”The n.o.ble Gentleman? Ming ChangYan? He's here too?”
”The dead were all killed with needles, do you think he did it?”
”No way, what would he kill people for, have you lost your mind!”
”If you ask me, these guards were probably purged by the 'Rain Column'!”
”You're just trying to scare us!”
”How do you know that?”
”Going as far as using old legends for your stories, there's something wrong with you! There's never been a so-called 'Rain Column' among the three troops. You're just spreading lies!”
”Who can really say, what if Ming ChangYan is the 'Rain Column'…”
The aforementioned Three Columns were troops within the army directly subordinate to the Central Plains' Imperial Court, called the Mountain Column, Fire Column, and Earth Column. They and the Thirteen Guardians each did their own separate duties, two separate squadrons protecting the imperial family in darkness and in light, carrying out secret missions, etc.
As for the 'Rain Column', it was a famous legend: an organization used by the imperial family to intimidate martial circles around the country.
It was difficult to use official law to judge homicides among martial circles in the Central Plains, meaning it was nearly impossible to handle murder and arson cases…and so the legend of the Rain Column came to be. If a martial sect overstepped their bounds, willfully slaughtering the innocent, they'd be purged immediately. When the 'Rain Column' purged a sect, it was often accompanied by pouring rain; killing people in the rain, leaving not a trace of their arrival, was also how the Rain Column had got their name. As long as you were targeted by the Rain Column, your only future was total extermination – there had never been any survivors. People's opinions around the country were therefore widely divided, and no sect dared to overstep their bounds. In the end, whether or not the Rain Column really existed was a mystery that no one had ever solved.
In other words, if the Rain Column really existed, then they were bound to be exceedingly powerful, above all martial arts in the land; otherwise they wouldn't be able to so effortlessly exterminate sect after sect the way they did. Someone with that level of power—who bragged the most about having it? The answer was obvious.
The Zhaoyao House shaoxia let out a forced laugh, cupping his fist in his hand: ”A misunderstanding, we hadn't realized you were friends from Tianqing Sect.”
Ming ChangYan offhandedly cupped his hands, counting that as having returned the greeting.
”What a rude guy! Just look at how he's acting towards us!”
”Ai, it's not like you don't know what he's like; if you've got the skills then let's see you try being number one in the country.”
”If you ask me, he might actually be the one who did it. Who else in the country's this good at using needles?”
”Alright alright, stop arguing!”
A lot of whispers, fearing Ming ChangYan might be hearing-impaired, were spoken incomparably loudly.
Ming ChangYan moved, his hand pressing lightly on the Common People's Order; at once, there was absolute silence.
Hua YuLing jumped out, saying: ”What're you putting all the blame on us for, everyone just got here, for all we know maybe you're the murderers!”
Seeing that his s.h.i.+-xiong had started talking, Zhong YuLou promptly put away his hostility, put a truce on their little conflict, and joined him in facing the enemy: ”The big influential sects sure are unreasonable! Showering people in insults the moment you show up, you think I can't insult you back!”
Yan YuNan warned them: ”Don't say any more, you're making things difficult for Da s.h.i.+-xiong.”
The two boys indignantly shut their mouths.
TianQing Sect had gained fame too quickly, taken too much of the limelight, and had an unsteady foundation, leading to them being ostracized by the older and more experienced sects. Usually most people around the country were incredibly resentful of TianQing, believing the sect was overly indolent and unrestrained. Of course, they were particularly resentful of Ming ChangYan Ming ShaoXia. But because he had the Common People's Order in his hands, the martial circles couldn't actively show their dissatisfaction towards him, instead gossiping behind his back and secretly sharing their loathing of TianQing. Ming ChangYan had never shown the least concern for such little things as this, which made it seem as if TianQing was easy to bully.
It wasn't the first time a scene like today's had occurred.
Zhaoyao House's shaoxia spoke a few words, Ming ChangYan didn't answer, and the atmosphere immediately froze.
”Young Master ChangYan.”
Another man stepped out from within the crowd. This time, when Ming Changyan saw him, he actually gave a proper greeting: ”Wan ShaoXia.”
This was Guifeng Sect's first disciple, Wan QianQiu; his relations.h.i.+p with Ming Changyan was generally rather good, and in recent years, his sect was the only one willing to work closely with TianQing Sect. Wan QianQiu had a gentle and honest personality, straightforward and upright in his actions, and was the esteemed model example of a shaoxia among the martial circles, making a distinct contrast to Ming ShaoXia's wanton and unrestrained way of behavior.
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Wan QianQiu said: ”Now isn't the time to talk about the past. Everyone, though Young Master Changyan may be skilled with the needle, the needles he has used have never once been left on the bodies of the deceased. Moreover, the needles on the Gou bodyguards are silver needles, not moondrop needles.”
Someone spoke up: ”Who knows what kind of needles he uses? Besides, if you want to kill someone, why would you use your usual needles!”
Wan QianQiu smiled: ”And who are you, good friend?”
The 'good friend' introduced himself: ”I'm Mimi Valley's Immortal Miracle Doctor, Cui ChengSheng!”
Wan QianQiu awkwardly thought for a moment, probably never having heard of any Mimi Valley or Immortal Miracle Doctor, yet still felt obliged to save the other's face, forcing himself to say: ”So you're the Immortal Miracle Doctor – I've looked forward to meeting you.”
Unexpectedly, Huai Yu very rudely laughed aloud.
The Immortal Miracle Doctor said: ”What are you laughing at!”
Huai Yu was matchlessly proud in appearance, sharp as wind and graceful as jade, and whose relations.h.i.+p with Ming ChangYan surely wasn't shallow based on how closely they stood together; no one dared to overlook him.
”Why do you care about what I'm laughing at.”
The Immortal Miracle Doctor knew he was laughing at him, and so couldn't suppress his anger, sticking out his neck as he said: ”So what if I care!”
Huai Yu had been playing with a hair tie; he twisted it a few times around his forefinger, and was about to speak when Zhong YuLou spoke up instead: ”Usually it's wives who worry about their men, what's a big guy like you being so sensitive for!”
He suddenly thought back over what he'd just said, remembering the tiny bit of news he'd heard from his fellow TianQing disciples the day before, and angrily blurted out: ”Even Da s.h.i.+-xiong hasn't–mph! Mmmph!!”
Yan YuNan covered his mouth, laughing nervously: ”Household matters, don't mind him.”
Ming ChangYan's body went rigid, having realized where the little blockhead's thoughts had gone, and said: ”I did in fact come here from XiYue Mountain to investigate the ma.s.s murder of the Gou bodyguards; has Wan ShaoXia heard of The King of h.e.l.l Adorned in Wedding Dress before?”
Wan QianQiu's face changed slightly: ”…I have.”
Ming ChangYan said: ”That is who killed the Gou family guards.”