Chapter 17 (1/2)
Chapter 17
FRS: Chapter 17 – Unknown Truth (8)
Translator: Momoe Pom
TLC: Puissansa
Editor: Isabelle
Quality Check: Kai
First Published on Ainus.h.i.+.
After Wu ChangBo finished settling the disciples of the Mount Tai Sect and the Longxu Sect down, he saw Song BoLin s.p.a.cing out as he sat by the table as soon as he returned to his room.
“How did you come in?” He remembered that he had definitely closed the doors when he had left.
Song BoLin said, “I want to ask you about something.”
“I just asked you something as well,” Wu ChangBo said irritably.
Song BoLin ignored him and continued by himself. “If, I’m saying if, I found out that the murderer who killed Bu LouLian was Fan JiJing, what should we do?”
Wu ChangBo was stunned and after quite a while, he asked, “Bu LouLian’s murderer is Fan JiJing?”
“I’m saying — if.” Song BoLin shouted, trying to sound strong although he was in fact weak.
Wu ChangBo closed the doors behind him and sat face-to-face with Song BoLin. He lowered his voice and asked, “But no one uses this sort of thing to make an a.s.sumption for no reason. How did you find out?”
Song BoLin sighed, “I guessed.”
“…” Wu ChangBo believed that his expression must have looked ridiculous now.
Song BoLin added, “But he didn’t deny it.”
“Fan JiJing didn’t deny it?” Wu ChangBo looked at him in astonishment.
Song BoLin impatiently replied, “You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not like I don’t believe you, but according to Fan JiJing’s character…” ‘He should have refuted the claim with severe and categorical terms.’ Wu ChangBo stared at Song BoLin in suspicion, and a thought suddenly flashed across his mind. ‘Could it be that he regrets handing over the position of zhangmen to Fan JiJing and therefore is trying to get it back by all means?’
Song BoLin answered without even lifting his head. “I know what you’re thinking about, but what I want to tell you is that the Fan JiJing you formerly knew is not the real Fan JiJing.”
“Your incoherent speech lost me completely.” Wu ChangBo shrugged. “Be concise. What happened?”
Song BoLin hesitated for a moment and then relayed every detail to Wu ChangBo, no matter how big or how small, of his visit to Fan JiJing today one by one in order.
Wu ChangBo’s curious expression in the beginning gradually changed into a grave look. In the end, he was so shocked that he was left speechless.
Song BoLin let out a breath: “Now let’s come back to the first question. What should we do if the murderer is Fan JiJing?”
Wu ChangBo blurted out, “Punish him according to the sect rules!”
Song BoLin looked in askance at him.
Only then did Wu ChangBo realize how much impediment there was behind his words. First of all, the claim that Fan JiJing was the murderer was only a one-sided statement from Song BoLin. Fan JiJing had never admitted it throughout the entire conversation between the two of them. Not to mention, he also had Hua HuaiXiu as his witness, which made him much less likely a suspect than any other person on Mount Jiuhua. Secondly, since Fan JiJing was able to kill Bu LouLian in secret, it was obvious how high the level of his martial skills was. It was probable that even if he joined forces with Song BoLin, they still might not be Fan JiJing’s match. If Fan JiJing’s true colors were real
ly like what Song BoLin had said, then it would be as difficult as ascending the heavens for the Jiuhua Sect to punish him. Finally, it was true that murdering one’s master was a grand crime of disobedience, but Bu LouLian had killed both Fan Ying and his wife in the past. Since killing one’s parents was an absolute irreconcilable grudge, it could be said that Fan JiJing had a good pretext to kill Bu LouLian.
Adding up all of these things, he finally knew why Fan JiJing dared to act so openly without fear.
Seeing Wu ChangBo remain speechless for a long time, Song BoLin knew that this difficult problem baffled him as well. “In fact, I was thinking why he decided to tell me.”
Wu ChangBo responded, “Perhaps, he has repressed himself for too long.”
Song BoLin turned his head and looked at him.
“For someone carrying the deep b.l.o.o.d.y debt of the murders of his parents ever since he was young, and to be extremely deferential in front of his foe, putting on a filial appearance as if nothing had happened — would not be an easy thing to do in the first place.” Wu ChangBo sighed. After he calmed down, he even had some sympathy for him.
Recalling the Fan JiJing in the past and then thinking about the Fan JiJing today, Song BoLin shook his head. “If it was me, I would’ve said it straight out.”
“Moreover,” Wu ChangBo paused for a second before continuing, “I’m afraid that there was half a sentence of his that was real.”
Song BoLin frowned, “Half a sentence?” ‘Are you saying that all the others are fake?’
“He wanted to bring the Jiuhua Sect to a higher level in order to comfort the spirits of his Master and his father in heaven.” Wu ChangBo paused for a moment. “Of course, he only comforted the Fan Ying’s spirit in heaven.”
Song BoLin asked, “What do you mean?”
Wu ChangBo replied, “If he really thinks this way, then he must obtain support from both of us.”
“By means of threatening?”
“If not so, how can he show his ability?” Wu ChangBo imagined Song BoLin’s look when he was threatened and thought it must have been quite a good scene.
Song BoLin coldly humphed, “It was not you who was there at that time.” Had he not experienced it himself, who would have thought that Fan JiJing was that frightening?
Wu ChangBo only smiled but did not say anything.
Song BoLin was also too lazy to explain: “Then what should we do next?”
“Wait and see.” Wu ChangBo gave it a few thoughts then said, “In fact, besides waiting and seeing, there is nothing else that we can do.”