Over there, Yang Heying was still making oblique accusations, implicitly suggesting that Falling Blossoms Valley was shirking its duties.

Ning Xiaofeng smiled politely. “Is there more? Say your piece and don't leave anything out. Don't be like the gooey porridge of a toothless old crone. It's better to get it all out in one breath.”

Yang Heying’s expression stiffened, then he laughed again. “Fine, I’ll be direct then. Our Six Sects once swore an oath to uphold justice in the world, so what’s this about Falling Blossoms Valley keeping its gates closed all day? Although Nie Hengcheng is dead, there are still villains stirring up trouble in the Jianghu, yet Falling Blossoms Valley turns a blind eye and a deaf ear. Is this not a violation of our chivalrous code?”

Song Shijun felt the topic was being derailed and said irritably, “We were talking about the Grand Beginning Abbey. Younger Brother Yang, why are you bringing this up? The Cai Family has always been this way. When it comes to the Grand Beginning Abbey...”

“Sect Leader Song, don’t interrupt. He’s saying Falling Blossoms Valley refuses to help those in peril, that it’s not the chivalrous thing to do. He’s singing such a fine tune, how can we not let him finish?” Ning Xiaofeng jeered.

Song Shijun rubbed his nose and shut his mouth.

A good man doesn’t fight with a woman, and a gentleman certainly doesn’t argue with a shrew. Besides, in decades of trying, he had never won an argument against this shrew, Ning Xiaofeng, and he didn't believe Yang Heying would do any better than him. So, he decided to watch the show in silence.

On the other side, Song Maozhi saw his father being thwarted and wanted to step forward to curse, but he was expressionlessly pushed back down by Song Yuzhi.

Hearing the sarcasm in Ning Xiaofeng's words, Yang Heying, in a fit of anger, leveled more accusations of irresponsible transgressions at Falling Blossoms Valley. Ning Xiaofeng denied none of them, simply smiling and inviting Sect Leader Yang to say more. Finally, Yang Heying roared, “That’s all! There’s nothing more! Now it’s your turn to speak! If you don’t give a clear explanation today, how can Falling Blossoms Valley still have the face to call itself part of the Wulin’s righteous path!”

“Oh, you’re finished? It’s good that you’re finished.” But Ning Xiaofeng had no intention of taking the bait. She turned with a beaming smile, “Sect Master Qi, we are currently on your territory. You should be the one to speak.”

Qi Yunke sighed deeply. He knew it.

“Sect Leader Yang, this, this... Falling Blossoms Valley’s reclusiveness isn’t something new. It’s been this way for over a hundred years. Why don’t you, why don’t you...”

Seeing Qi Yunke struggling to make his case, Zhou Zhizhen couldn’t help but intervene. “Falling Blossoms Valley has never had a large population and has always lived a simple, detached life; it’s not as if Sect Leader Yang is unaware of this. Moreover, during the great wars against the Demonic Cult, the Cai Family suffered devastating casualties and needs time to rest and recuperate. We, as their brother sects, should be understanding.”

“Brother Zhou is right, absolutely right,” Qi Yunke said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Yang Heying sneered. “You can’t put it that way. Although Falling Blossoms Valley is reclusive, in the past, they would still act when they witnessed injustice. And they certainly never vanished from the Jianghu for more than a decade. Those in the know might say they are recuperating, but those who aren’t might think they are withdrawing from the Jianghu altogether!”

Zhou Zhizhen frowned, having no desire to argue with this unreasonable man.

“Sect Leader Yang, you, you...” Qi Yunke was momentarily at a loss for a rebuttal.

Yin Sulian quickly chimed in, “What ‘you’? I think Sect Leader Yang has a point. Either they withdraw from the Wulin, in which case no one will bother Falling Blossoms Valley, or they should fulfill their duties as part of the righteous path of the Wulin. One must perform the duties that come with one’s position!”

Song Shijun stifled a laugh from the side, glancing over at Ning Xiaofeng as he waited for the show.

After a moment, Qi Yunke cupped his hands and said in a heavy voice, “Brother Yang, I am not eloquent and cannot out-argue you. However, the world knows that Pingshu and I were sworn brothers who made a blood oath. Her brother is my brother, and her family is my family. As long as the Cai Family has not betrayed their masters, defied their ancestors, or committed wicked deeds, I will not tolerate anyone pointing fingers at them. If anyone thinks they can bully her family just because Pingshu is dead, I will not allow it, even at the cost of my own life. At that point, I won’t care about any bonds of fellowship within the Wulin.”

Everyone in the world knew that Sect Master Qi Yunke of the Qingque Sect was benevolent but inarticulate. No one had ever heard him speak so forcefully before. For a moment, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only Zhou Zhizhen calmly added, “Well said, Brother Yunke.”

Ning Xiaofeng glanced at Yin Sulian with a faint, unreadable smile. Yin Sulian turned away in a huff.

Yang Heying’s face darkened with anger. His hand clenched into a fist, then relaxed, then clenched again. Finally, with a heavy snort, he sat down.

Cai Pingchun looked at Qi Yunke, then at his wife, and sighed softly without a word.

Song Shijun, knowing the show was over, pursed his lips and turned to chat and laugh with others.

Maidservants and servants filed in, serving dishes and fine wine. The banquet hall grew lively once more, and people began to whisper amongst themselves—

"That's the first time I've ever heard Sect Master Qi speak so harshly! Have you?"

"Of course not. Sect Master Qi has such a good temper. Whenever a sect disciple makes a mistake, he never punishes them severely."

"Nonsense! If it weren’t for Cai Pingshu back then, it’s debatable whether there would even be a Sect Master Qi today!"

"What, what? What story do you know? Tell me, quick!"

"Uh, actually, I’m not too clear on the details myself. I just know that Cai Pingshu helped Sect Master Qi immensely..."

Witnessing this scene, Cai Zhao lamented once again. The sect master of the number one sect in the world was far too soft, allowing even the likes of the Siqi Sect to act so presumptuously. Back when Old Sect Master Yin Dai was in power, who would have dared to speak with such barbed words in his imposing presence?

Chang Ning also felt emotional, and not only did he feel it, he said it aloud, “With such a gentle temperament, how on earth did Sect Master Qi secure his position? Oh, right. My father said his martial arts cultivation is exceedingly powerful, and that he has defeated and killed many experts from the Demonic Cult.”

Fan Xingjia: “...” Please don’t praise my master in front of me.

The evening banquet began, and the food and wine were served. Fan Xingjia made a round and found everything in order. Zeng Dalou, seeing that he could manage the guests alone, told Fan Xingjia to take a seat and join the feast. Fan Xingjia’s seat was naturally in the eastern side hall.

Dai Fengchi was, as usual, fawning all over Qi Lingbo. Qi Lingbo, as usual, was all smiles, her eyes darting about. Every time she exchanged a few witty remarks with the young heroes around her, she would act coquettishly towards Dai Fengchi before casting a charming glance at Song Yuzhi. Song Yuzhi, as usual, sat as still as an iceberg, exuding a pleasant chill, only deigning to answer with a few words after being asked three full questions. Ding Zhuo, as usual, touched his chopsticks to the wine, then made a disingenuous excuse to leave and return to his cultivation...

This scene was, for Fan Xingjia, like eating a plate of salt and pepper ribs without the salt and pepper—tasteless and a chore to chew. He figured that Chang Ning and Cai Zhao, those two sarcastic and chaotic individuals, were more interesting. So, he seized the opportunity to slip away, grabbing a pot of freshly served fruit wine and making his way over to their table.

Due to the earlier friction, none of the sects dared to target each other anymore. To keep the atmosphere harmonious, the topic of conversation gradually shifted to the Demonic Cult. After all, with the Demonic Cult, everyone could join in the scolding.

One person said the Demonic Cult robbed and plundered, another said they raped and pillaged, and yet another claimed they engaged in petty theft, even exploiting common townspeople for their private savings. Song Shijun listened and roared with laughter, finding it all very amusing.

Qi Yunke shook his head slightly. “The Demonic Cult is indeed wicked, but they are not so contemptible as all that.”

Yang Heying, his face flushed from the wine, said, “The Demonic Cult today is worse than it’s ever been. Back in the day, under that scoundrel Nie, the Four Great Disciples Zhao, Chen, Han, and Lu were enough to make people tremble with fear. The Tiangang Disha Battalion killed countless people, not to mention the fearsome Seven Star Elders of the Demonic Cult, who left no living thing in their wake. But now... heheh, now they wouldn’t even startle a stray dog! Hahahaha...”

Song Shijun said, “Younger Brother Yang, isn’t that obvious? Who was the Demonic Cult’s leader back then, and who is it now? Can they even be compared? That Nie Chu may be Nie Hengcheng’s disciple, but in terms of cultivation and talent, they are worlds apart. It’s only because the Demonic Cult has no one left that it’s his turn to be the cult master!”

The gang leader of the Sand Tiger Gang interjected, “A while ago, we had a fierce battle with a branch of the Demonic Cult. A few of their followers said that Nie Chu isn’t officially the cult master yet, just the acting one. Right now, the Demonic Cult’s affairs are in chaos, with factions fighting for power, and no one has the heart to manage things properly. Forget Nie Hengcheng, it wasn’t even this bad back when the old cult master, Mu, was in charge.” He was Yang Heying’s younger brother-in-law. He hadn’t dared to say much earlier regarding the internal affairs of the Six Sects of Beichen, but now he could finally get a word in.

Song Shijun scoffed, “Pah! It’s a good thing they have no mind to manage it properly. If they did, wouldn’t the world be thrown into chaos again? By the way, how many years has that Nie Chu been the acting cult master? Why hasn’t he been made the official one yet?”

Qi Yunke said gravely, “To become the true cult master, one needs the unanimous approval of the Seven Star Elders. However, I’ve heard that the elders are now either dead or in hiding.”

From a lower seat, a member of the Yin Clan boomed, “Hahahaha! It’s just as Old Sect Master Yin predicted! The heroes of the Demonic Cult are wild and rebellious. They were only temporarily subdued by Nie Hengcheng’s might. Once Nie Hengcheng died, the Demonic Cult was bound to fall into chaos!”

“Yes, and Heroine Cai heard these words, so she went to slay the demon,” a sarcastic voice interjected. The speaker was a scruffy-looking Daoist, gaunt and short, very much like a monkey.

“It was still Old Sect Master Yin’s master strategy!” the Yin clansman retorted, unconvinced.

“If no one had gone to kill Nie Hengcheng, no amount of master strategy would have been of any use,” the man said, still in that sarcastic tone.

“Are you trying to insult Old Sect Master Yin?” The Yin clansman, seemingly emboldened by the wine, looked ready to flip the table and start a fight.

Yin Sulian could bear it no longer and shouted, “Who are you? State your name. I don’t recall the Qingque Sect ever inviting you.”

The monkey-like Daoist looked at Qi Yunke. “Back then, at Old Sect Master Yin’s command, we all rushed headlong to the Nether Bamboo Path. Of the dozen or so people from my sect—my master, martial uncles, martial brothers, and martial nephews—not a single one returned. Not even their bones were left. I myself spent many years recuperating, half-dead. It is thanks to Sect Master Qi’s benevolence and loyalty to old ties that during the ancestral ceremony, he still remembers a living dead man like me, and still remembers the Qingfeng Abbey, whose temple has been destroyed and its people lost.”

Qi Yunke shot his wife a helpless glare before rising and cupping his hands. “Your sect was chivalrous and warm-hearted, stepping forward in a time of great chaos. If my master were still alive, he certainly would not have forgotten all the righteous heroes of the Qingfeng Abbey. Daoist Master Yunzhuan, please, take your seat.”

Cai Zhao craned her neck to look for a long time. “Daoist Master Yunzhuan? He’s Daoist Master Yunzhuan? My aunt once mentioned that Daoist Master Yunzhuan was eight feet tall, imposing and handsome, and his Clear Breeze Sword Art was graceful and sharp. How... how...”

Fan Xingjia stared intently, then whispered after a moment, “It seems all the bones and meridians in his body were shattered by someone. After being paralyzed for many years, his body must have atrophied to this state.”

Chang Ning took one look. “The Bone-Rotting Meridian-Severing Palm, the specialty of Elder Tianji, Duan Jiuxiu. It’s already a miracle that this man survived.”

The guests looked at one another. The sects present either had numerous disciples or lived carefree lives; they clearly couldn’t win a contest of tragedies against the Qingfeng Abbey. Thus, Song, Yang, and the others all fell silent.

Yin Sulian, seeing that no one was coming to her aid, helplessly resorted to her infallible trump card—she immediately started to cry. “Was the Qingfeng Abbey the only one to suffer death and injury in the crusade to eliminate the Demonic Cult? Not to mention the uncle of the Cai Family and Elder Sister Pingshu, my own martial uncles, as well as Old Manor Master Zhou and the patriarch of the Song Family, also died tragically at the hands of the Demonic Cult...”

Song Shijun and Zhou Zhizhen, remembering their late fathers, both grew solemn and remained silent.

“Not to mention my father and Sect Leader Yang’s father! They thought they could live out their twilight years in peace after surviving Nie Hengcheng, but who knew... who knew they couldn’t escape the revenge of that scoundrel Nie’s disciples...” Yin Sulian cried beautifully, like pear blossoms in the rain, and everyone pitied her.

Yang Heying's expression grew heavy.

Just as the atmosphere turned sorrowful, Ning Xiaofeng suddenly let out a chuckle.

The laugh wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

Yin Sulian’s eyes flashed with venom. “What are you laughing at? Are you mocking my father, saying he deserved to die?”

“I would never mock anyone who fought unyieldingly against the Demonic Cult,” Ning Xiaofeng said calmly. “However, I was suddenly reminded of your elder sister, Lady Qinglian. She was truly resourceful and her foresight was almost divine. If not for her, I’m afraid the revenge from that scoundrel Nie’s disciples would have been endless.”

Her words were cryptic, and Cai Zhao was left completely befuddled. However, those seated at the head of the main hall all understood her meaning perfectly.

“What does that mean?” Cai Zhao asked, habitually looking to Chang Ning.

Chang Ning’s smile was a bit strange. “Your mother never told you about this? Hmm, your aunt is truly a kind and decent person.”

“Stop being so sarcastic. Are you going to tell me or not?”

“The matter is actually quite simple. After Nie Hengcheng died, his disciples were enraged and vowed to slaughter the Yin and Yang Families to avenge their master.”

Cai Zhao was even more confused. “But it was my aunt who killed Nie Hengcheng. Why would they want to kill the Yin and Yang Families?”

“Because at the time, everyone in the Jianghu believed that Old Sect Master Yin was the one who killed Nie Hengcheng, with Yang Yi of the Siqi Sect as his deputy.”

“What?!” Cai Zhao shot to her feet.

Fan Xingjia jumped in fright. Seeing the astonished gazes from all around, he quickly pushed Cai Zhao back down.

Chang Ning was completely unperturbed, his movements still gentle, the smile in his eyes like clear, flowing ice water. Fan Xingjia thought to himself that Junior Brother Chang must have been a young noble from the Chang Family Fortress, raised in the lap of luxury. He wondered what astonishing looks he must possess once his poison sores healed.

“Although the Battle of Mount Tu eighteen years ago was earth-shattering, only a handful of people were actually present.” Chang Ning lined up six small wine cups in front of him. “There was Sect Master Qi, who rushed there; your mother; the Shi Brothers, who had already gone into seclusion; and my father and Manor Master Zhou, who arrived just a step too late.”

He set out the cups, then moved them away one by one. “Mount Tu was surrounded by disciples of Nie’s faction. At the time, they still didn’t know Nie Hengcheng was dead, so Sect Master Qi had to manage the aftermath. Old Manor Master Zhou was critically injured and dying, so Manor Master Zhou had to return to the manor immediately. Of the Shi Brothers, one was crippled and the other injured, so they supported each other into seclusion to recuperate. Only your mother and my father brought your aunt back to Falling Blossoms Valley, and they rarely left the valley for several years after that.”

“Rarely left the valley for several years? Why is that?” Fan Xingjia asked, puzzled.

Chang Ning ignored him and continued, “The year after the Battle of Mount Tu, Old Sect Master Yin held a victory banquet. At the feast, that shameless old man Yang Yi, in an attempt to curry favor with the Qingque Sect, brazenly attributed Nie Hengcheng’s death entirely to Old Sect Master Yin.”

Cai Zhao was shocked. “Even if the others weren’t there, didn’t Uncle Qi say anything?”

“He spoke, but no one listened,” Chang Ning said with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, even if Sect Master Qi hadn’t said anything, wouldn’t Yin Dai himself know whether or not he had killed Nie Hengcheng?”

Fan Xingjia wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare.

Cai Zhao felt incredibly wronged. “...So Uncle Qi didn’t refute it to the very end?”

“Yang Yi never explicitly said that Yin Dai killed Nie Hengcheng, only that it was all thanks to Old Sect Master Yin’s efforts. Old Sect Master Yin then replied that Old Sect Leader Yang had also helped a great deal—after that, the rumor spread throughout the Jianghu that it was Yin and Yang who had killed Nie Hengcheng.”

Cai Zhao was speechless for a long moment.

Fan Xingjia interjected again, “How do you know this so clearly, Junior Brother Chang?” He even knew the exact words the two old men had spoken back then.

“Because my father was also at that victory banquet.”

Fan Xingjia and Cai Zhao both let out a sound of understanding.

“Why didn’t Great Hero Chang clarify the truth?” Fan Xingjia asked cautiously, hoping to redeem his own master a little.

Chang Ning smiled. “At first, my father was also very angry, feeling that they were stealing the credit for a heavenly deed. But later, on second thought, he figured it wasn't so bad...”

Cai Zhao’s large eyes blinked rapidly, and she slowly lowered her head to chew on her chopsticks.

After a few moments of thought, Fan Xingjia also understood and could only sigh repeatedly.