Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5: 5
FRS: Chapter 5 – Unknown Murderer (5)
Translator: Momoe Pom
TLC: Puissansa
Editor: Isabelle
First Published on Ainus.h.i.+.
Fan JiJing lived up to his words. The next day, he went to see Guan Xing and the others to learn about the details.
When Hua HuaiXiu hurried over after finis.h.i.+ng his breakfast, Zhu LiaoDa was glaring at Fan JiJing fiercely, as if burning with rage.
Guan Xing and s.h.i.+ JiZhong sat aside in silence.
ShangGuan DingNing stood anxiously behind Zhu LiaoDa. She wanted to pull him back, but she hesitated as if she had some doubts.
Fan JiJing said solemnly, “Second s.h.i.+xiong, could you please tell me clearly where you were at that time, so we can clear you from suspicion.”
Zhu LiaoDa sneered: “Are you saying that if I don’t tell you where I was, you’ll incriminate me of murdering my master?”
“That wasn’t my intention.” Fan JiJing paused for a moment. Just as Zhu LiaoDa thought he was going to give in, he continued, “Still, could second s.h.i.+xiong please tell me where you were?”
Zhu LiaoDa was so angry that his face paled. “There must be a motive to kill someone. Why would I kill Master?”
“Indeed. Why?” Hua HuaiXiu walked this way casually, then stood in front of him. He looked at him seriously and asked, “So why is it like this?”
“I. did. not. kill. Master.” Zhu LiaoDa enunciated each word slowly.
Hua HuaiXiu said, “The murderer will certainly say that as well.”
Zhu LiaoDa’s face suffused with a purplish red, with his eyes popping as he glared. “What do you mean by that?”
Hua HuaiXiu replied calmly, “Just judging by what you are saying.”
Guan Xing finally stepped out and said, “Second s.h.i.+di, since Master has already pa.s.sed away, if you have anything you could not say before, you can just say it now.”
The blue veins on Zhu LiaoDa’s forehead protruded out as he furiously threw out a sentence: “It’s up to all of you to believe me or not!” then left for his room.
ShangGuan DingNing watched him depart, then looked at everyone else that remained; she hesitated, unsure what to do.
Guan Xing said, “s.h.i.+mei, you should go take a look.”
ShangGuan DingNing looked relieved and went to go catch up with him.
Hua HuaiXiu said, “Perhaps…” as if he had thought of something.
Guan Xing nodded in reply: “Indeed.”
…
Fan JiJing looked at them in bewilderment: “Perhaps what?”
s.h.i.+ JiZhong raised his left hand and said, “Second s.h.i.+xiong.” He raised his right hand and said, “Fourth s.h.i.+jie [1].” Then he clapped his hands together.Fan JiJing suddenly said, “They hit it off?”
s.h.i.+ JiZhong gave him a thumbs up.
“But,” Fan JiJing’s eyebrows remained furrowed, “what exactly did they hit off?”
“…” s.h.i.+ JiZhong bent his thumb back.
Hua HuaiXiu helplessly explained: “One man and one woman, hitting it off, two becomes one…”
“Cough. Cough.” Guan Xing gave a few dry coughs.
Fan JiJing finally realized what they meant. He was stunned.
Guan Xing said, “If I’m not wrong, second s.h.i.+di was with fourth s.h.i.+mei at the time.”
Fan JiJing recovered from his surprise and asked, “Then why d
idn’t second s.h.i.+xiong just make that clear?”
s.h.i.+ JiZhong replied, “Master had always been against second s.h.i.+xiong going out with fourth s.h.i.+jie.”
Hua HuaiXiu asked in surprise, “It’s human nature for people to go after their own hearts. Not to mention that they are also fellow disciples, which is like adding flowers to brocades. Why was Bu Zhangmen against it?”
s.h.i.+ JiZhong looked at Guan Xing and dared not to speak at the moment.
Guan Xing slightly frowned.
Hua HuaiXiu looked at Fan JiJing and said, “Do you know?”
Fan JiJing shook his head: “I don’t. When I was young, I rarely practiced martial arts with them.”
Hua HuaiXiu raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, “Why?”
“Master said that the Hua Family was one of the n.o.ble families in the Jiangnan Area. As a descendent of the Hua Family, I should be versed in both the pen and the sword. Therefore, Master hired a lot of teachers for me ever since I was young,” answered Fan JiJing.
Hua HuaiXiu sighed, “Now I know where that pedantic aura of yours comes from.”
s.h.i.+ JiZhong murmured, “He’s a disciple of the Jiuhua Sect. Why bother studying archaic literature?”
Something came to Hua HuaiXiu’s mind.
What Bu LouLian said seemed to make sense; however, if one pondered upon it carefully, it seemed to be a misguided method of childcare. Whether it was martial arts or literature, specializing in only one of them was the cornerstone to expertise. Trying to be jack-of-all-trades like Fan JiJing, unless they possessed astounding natural talents, one would easily end up empty headed in both fields, achieving nothing.
It reminded him of how Fan JiJing was sent to Wudang to congratulate longevity [2] right as Bu LouLian chose his mantle disciple. The unspeakable scheme behind it was self-evident.
He immediately pulled a long face and scorned lightly, “It must have been hard for him to be so thoughtful.”
As if Fan JiJing found a confidant in Hua HuaiXiu, “Master and my father were like close brothers. Throughout these years, he paid respects to my father at his tomb every year, rain or s.h.i.+ne. His kindness towards me was unmeasurable as well. I will find the murderer for him, no matter what it takes.”
Hua HuaiXiu looked extremely unhappy as if he had just eaten a fly.
Fan JiJing said to Guan Xing, “Eldest s.h.i.+xiong, if you know anything, please tell me immediately.”
Seeing Guan Xing’s eyebrows become somewhat less furrowed, s.h.i.+ JiZhong instantly opened his mouth and said, “Master never liked fourth s.h.i.+jie.”
“Why is that?”
Hua HuaiXiu and Fan JiJing asked simultaneously.
In their minds, a female disciple in a group of male disciples was like a flower growing in weeds that deserved to be treated like a precious gem. Why did he dislike her instead?
s.h.i.+ JiZhong explained, “Master often disdained fourth s.h.i.+jie for her clumsiness, but from what I know, fourth s.h.i.+jie took care of all of Master’s daily life. Even Master’s birthday parties were arranged by s.h.i.+jie every year.”
Hua HuaiXiu had always been prejudiced against Bu LouLian, not to mention after the conclusion he made not long ago. Without running the words through his head, he blurted out, “Deep inside, your master might have been hoping for someone who would beat and scold him everyday just to make him feel high.”
Fan JiJing exploded in rage: “Cousin!”
Hua HuaiXiu realized that he had gone too far right after he said it, but seeing Fan JiJing glaring daggers at him, his anger immediately superseded his chagrin. He responded coldly, “And so?”
Fan JiJing glared at him so hard that his eyes became round; his cheeks were puffed from anger as well. It seemed like he wanted to say something but failed to think of anything.
They looked at each other eye-to-eye for a while, then Hua HuaiXiu suddenly felt he looked cute. His face became less tense as he spoke, “Let’s hold on and not talk about other things for now. Regarding your Zhu…s.h.i.+xiong and ShangGuan s.h.i.+mei, if they were really together at that time, maybe you can find something through your s.h.i.+mei.”
Fan JiJing was still staring at him with puffing cheeks.