Phoenix Destiny

006 - Spreading Rumors Can Confuse Right From Wrong

Even though ‘right and wrong’ had been discussed, things had yet to be settled.

When the people from Seven True Platform showed up at the Nine Jade Mountain, Lu Mingshu, Ah Sheng, and Hui Niang were with them.

Lu Mingshu remained in a blank daze throughout the entire journey as she guarded Lu Qingyi’s corpse.

When they reached the Nine Jade Palace, Lu Mingshu, Ah Sheng, and Hui Niang were asked to temporarily stay in a hall to await proper arrangements.

Meanwhile, in the Main Hall, Fu Shangqing had just sent Young Master Lian Zhen away, and was just about to leave himself, when he was stopped by Yu Wen Shi.

“Sect Leader, what are your plans regarding this matter?”

Fu Shangqing thought for a moment before asking, “Senior Yu Wen, are you asking about my daughter Lu Mingshu?”

“That’s right.” Yu Wen Shi smiled. “By right, I should not be meddling in Sect Leader’s family affairs. However, considering the fact that the Jiulu Province’s citizens served as witnesses, the news is bound to spread sooner or later. For the sake of both the sect leader and the Nine Jade Palace’s reputation, I need to know what your plans are.”

Fu Shangqing felt contempt in his heart when he heard this. You speak with such awe-inspiring righteousness, yet aren’t you just trying to catch my shortcomings? Lu Mingshu’s existence would undoubtedly harm his reputation despite his previous excuses. As such, Yu Wen Shi somewhat supported the idea of Lu Mingshu remaining. It’s fine even if Lu Mingshu is solely kept just to disgust Fu Shangqing.

“I promised her Mother that I’d take good care of her, which I will. Furthermore, she’s my daughter. I a.s.sure you, Senior Yu Wen, that you can rest a.s.sured on this matter.”

“Oh?” Yu Wen Shi asked while smiling, “Does this mean that the Sect Leader intends to let her stay in Nine Jade Palace?”

“This…”

However, he didn’t wait for Fu Shangqing to answer as he said, “It wouldn’t be a good idea to send her away. She is, after all, the sect leader’s daughter. Wouldn’t you simply be reaffirming the Lu Family’s servant’s words if you don’t keep her by your side? Besides, a Sect Leader who has a large amount of resources yet doesn’t teach his own daughter Martial Arts would inevitably become a popular gossip topic.”

Fu Shangqing laughed in a somewhat forced manner. “Senior Yu Wen is right. Of course I have to keep her at my side.”

“Who does Sect Leader plan to send her to? Or will Sect Leader teach her personally?” Yu Wen Shi pursued this matter relentlessly, intent on getting Fu Shangqing to arrange a place for Lu Mingshu immediately.

Even though Fu Shangqing felt unhappy, he didn’t show it on the surface. He answered after a while, “I’d like to personally teach her, but I have too many c.u.mbersome issues in my household, and I have my own practice to oversee. I’d only delay her practice if I were to teach her, so it would be better to find another teacher for her.”

“Then you’ll have to pick wisely. So, does Sect Leader have any specific person in mind?”

Fu Shangqing thought, What candidate could I possibly have? I’ve only just met my daughter for the first time today! Can’t you let me breathe a bit? However, he couldn’t say what he was thinking.

As he was thinking, Zhou Yinru—who’d come back with them—suddenly said, “I have someone in mind.”

“Oh?” Yu Wen Shi looked at Zhou Yinru in surprise. “May I know who Junior Sister Yinru has in mind?”

A light flashed through Zhou Yinru’s eyes as she gave him a fake smile. “Liu Jizhen, Senior Brother Liu.”

Yu Wen Shi was stunned when he heard this. “This isn’t appropriate.”

“What’s not appropriate about it?” Zhou Yinru raised her head. “His family background isn’t lacking; one of Senior Brother Liu’s ancestors was a Grandmaster! As for his talent, Senior Brother Liu is a rare talent for Nine Jade Palace; he’s someone that only appears once every hundred years! He even entered the Spirit Realm when he was only 24 years old. Others wouldn’t even be able to dream of having someone such as him as their Master!”

“But, Senior brother Liu has now…”

“Senior Brother Yu Wen,” Zhou Yinru gazed at him with a smile, “since you’re so concerned, why don’t you take her in as your disciple?”

Yu Wen Shi replied, “I’m currently facing a bottleneck, hence I’m afraid that I wouldn’t have the time to properly take care of her.” What a joke. He still needs to practice and he has his own disciples; does he even have to teach Fu Shangqing’s Daughter now? Wouldn’t he be asking for trouble if this chess move was made wrongly?

“That’s understandable,” Zhou Yinru said softly, “how could an outstanding master such as Yu Wen Shi—who’s busy with their practice—have the time to properly teach her? Giving her a somewhat inferior old master would also cause Senior Brother to feel like she’d been dishonored. Furthermore, their training styles would be different, as they’re generations apart.”

Yu Wen Shi was left speechless.

“Moreover, even though Senior Brother Liu is currently facing some difficulty, his martial experience is real. With his level of experience, do you really need to doubt his teaching ability? Senior Brother Yu Wen, you shouldn't look down on Senior Brother Liu!”

These words were akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as they left Yu Wen Shi thoroughly dumbfounded.

At this moment, Lu Mingshu was kneeling on the ground in the hall and was watching Hui Niang tidy up Lu Qingyi’s appearance.

A heavily battered Ah Sheng stood guard to the side.

There was no one else besides the three of them in the hall. In fact, the servants hadn’t even bothered to send a cup of water in.

Rather, they were all gathered outside the hall and whispering to each other as they faced the hall.

“They’re the Sect Leader’s previous wife and daughter?”

“That’s right!”

“How could they still have the face to come here? You despised Sect Leader back then, so don’t come here if you don’t have the ability!”

“Right! If it wasn’t for the Sect Leader’s good insight, he’d still be an abject hero today!”

“They really are blind, it serves them right!”

Their voices suddenly stopped when they realized that a youth in a wheelchair had appeared at the door of the hall.

The crowd hurriedly rushed over. “Young Master Lian Zhen, what do you need…”

Young Master Lian Zhen waved his hand. “It’s nothing, I’m just here to see this child. After all, we were brought together by destiny.”

“This….”

The two Seven True Platform Disciples attending him didn’t wait for them to answer as they lifted the wheelchair and headed into the hall.

Hui Niang and Ah Sheng knew that this Young Master had an extraordinary ident.i.ty, hence they all stood up when he entered. Only Lu Mingshu remained kneeling and unresponsive next to the stretcher, still in a daze as she gazed at Lu Qingyi.

The wheelchair stopped at the other side of the stretcher, and Young Master Lian Zhen looked down, but he didn’t speak.

Hui Niang felt apprehensive. What exactly did he want to do?

After a stretch of silence, Young Master Lian Zhen spoke warmly, “Why didn’t you speak up? You knew that they were framing your elders.”

Hui Niang looked towards Young Master Lian Zhen in surprise when she heard what he’d said. Previously, when she’d seen Young Master Lian Zhen testify for the divorce papers, she’d thought that he’d believed Zhou Yinru.

Lu Mingshu’s eyelashes moved as she lifted her head to look at Young Master Lian Zhen with a stupefied expression on her face.

Lian Zhen leaned down slightly and gazed at her condescendingly before he repeated himself, “Why?”

Lu Mingshu shifted her gaze away from his to her Mother’s body. “Because we only have three mouths, yet they have thousands of them. It’s useless to fight them.”

“Is that so?” A gleam appeared in Young Master Lian Zhen’s eyes when he heard this. However, it was unknown whether it was one of compa.s.sion or heartlessness. “Then when will you speak?”

Lu Mingshu held onto her Mother’s cold hand as anger gradually appeared in her cold eyes.

She then said, “When it’s not useless for me to speak; when everyone beneath the Heavens has to listen when I speak.”

Young Master Lian Zhen smiled as if it was currently the beginning of spring when he heard this.

“Remember your words today. I hope that I can be there on the day you do speak.” He then loosened a jade pendant, rolled up it’s ta.s.sels, and leaned down to place it next to her hand.

The two Seven True Platform Disciples then pushed the young master in the wheelchair towards the hall’s door.

Hui Niang and Ah Sheng kneeled down, while Hui Niang said with a sorrowful voice, “Thank you for your words today, Young Master!”

The wheelchair left the hall and gradually went further away.

The date on the divorce papers had indeed been Xuan Ping of the 5th year. However, the paper had been the silk floss paper that was commonly used in Xichuan—not the fine writing paper that people from Dongyue used. Furthermore, the ink didn’t look like it had gone through the wear and tear of eight years.

It only took a glance to know who’d told the truth and who’d lied.