The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 257: The Arrival of Fairy Lingjiang from the Heavenly Sound Pavilion

"What?!!"

The entire hall was aghast!

Only Mo Ran kept his eyes closed, as calm as still water.

Everyone was in chaos. "What on earth is going on?"

"What was that old case in Xiangtan?"

"Why did he kill...?"

Mu Yanli said, "This story is a long one, and with so much time passed, many who knew the truth are no longer with us. But secrets have a way of being revealed, and after thorough investigations, the Heavenly Sound Pavilion managed to uncover some evidence."

In the midst of the commotion and shock, Mu Yanli turned back with composure. "Have you brought the witnesses found in Xiangtan?"

A servant peered outside and replied, "Replying to the Pavilion Lord, they're all waiting outside the hall."

"Let's summon the first witness then."

The first witness entered the hall, an elderly craftsman, his back bent with age, trembling and submissive. Upon seeing the assembly of celestial lords, his initial reaction was to throw himself to the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly as he hurriedly muttered, "I pay homage to all the noble lords of the Immortals... I pay homage to all the noble lords of the Immortals..."

Mu Yanli's tone softened. "Master, you must have traveled a great distance and endured much fatigue. There's no need to be nervous. I only have some questions, and I expect straightforward answers—none or all, as it may be."

The old man trembled, unwilling to rise. A monk from the Wubei Temple approached, offered him a seat, and helped him settle onto it. Yet, overwhelmed by fear, he perched only the smallest portion of his backside on the edge, shrinking into himself as much as possible.

Mu Yanli spoke up, "Let's start with the first two questions. Sir, where are you from, and what do you do?"

The old man's teeth chattered as he spoke with a thick accent, "I... I'm from Xiangtan. I... I make lanterns by the street..."

Everyone examined him curiously, from his sparse white hair to his tattered shoes. They wondered what kind of past this lantern seller could reveal.

Mu Yanli inquired, "Sir, how long have you been selling lanterns?"

"For most of my life... at least fifty years, though the exact number escapes me..."

"That's quite a while. The matter I wish to inquire about isn't as far back as fifty years," Mu Yanli said, gesturing towards Mo Ran. "Do you recognize this person, sir?"

The old man raised his head to glance at Mo Ran. Seeing the man's towering figure and charismatic aura, he didn't dare to look for too long and quickly averted his gaze. After a while, he stole a furtive glance, eventually muttering hesitantly, "I don't recognize him."

Mu Yanli said, "It's not strange that you don't recognize him. Let me ask you another question then. When you used to sell lanterns beside the Drunken Jade Tower in Xiangtan, was there a child who often stood by your stall watching you make lanterns?"

"Ahh..." The old man's eyes were hazy, but his memory of this incident was vivid. He sighed and nodded, "Yes, there was such a child. He came almost every night. He liked the lanterns I made, but he was poor and couldn't afford them... I even had a few conversations with him back then. He wasn't talkative and was very timid."

"Sir, do you still remember his name?"

"Hmm, I think it was... Mo... Mo Ran'er?"

Everyone had been attentively listening to the old man's words, and now their gazes shifted uniformly onto Mo Ran.

Lost in memories, the old man mumbled, "I'm not entirely sure about the 'er' part. All I know is that he was someone from inside the Drunken Jade Tower..."

Xue Zhengyong interrupted with a stern expression, "Ran'er was originally the son of my late elder brother and a nursemaid in the tower. What's the point of Lord Mu summoning this old gentleman here to confirm it again?"

"Nursemaid?" The old man was momentarily taken aback before waving his hand, "Oh, no. That son of the nursemaid also had the surname Mo, but his name was Mo Nian. He was quite the notorious little tyrant on the streets back then." As the old man spoke, he bent down, pointing to an old scar on his forehead.

"I was once hit by a brick thrown by him. That child was fierce, wild, and mischievous."

Xue Zhengyong's expression shifted. "Mo... Nian?"

Madame Wang exclaimed anxiously, "Did the elder mistake his name? After all, it's just one character off. Was that woman's child named Mo Ran or Mo Nian?"

"... It was Mo Nian," the old man mused, then nodded again. "Can't be wrong. How could I forget? His name was Mo Nian."

Xue Zhengyong, who had been leaning forward slightly, froze upon hearing this. Then, he slumped back into his seat, his eyes blank.

"Mo Nian..."

Mu Yanli pressed on with her question. "Do you know what that child, who used to visit you to watch you make lanterns, did at the Drunken Jade Tower?"

"I'm not sure about the specifics, but I think he helped out in the kitchen," the old man said. "He didn't have a good reputation. They say he was dishonest and would often steal from guests." He pondered for a moment before his face changed as if he recalled something. "Ah, I remember now. That boy was no good. As he grew up, he only got worse. He even forcibly dishonored an innocent maiden. She couldn't bear it and eventually took her own life."

"What?!"

If the tale of a leopard cat replacing a prince was astonishing, then Mo Ran's previous desecration of an innocent girl was even more outrageous and infuriating.

Many of the cultivators present, being parents themselves, immediately flew into a rage. Clenching their teeth, they declared, "Who would've thought... Grandmaster Mo, a respected figure, was actually such a beast in human disguise!"

"How utterly disgusting!!!"

"It serves him right to die!"

Mo Ran remained silent, only gazing at the old performer quietly.

In his previous life, when he had caused a bloody storm in the cultivation world, the Heavenly Sound Pavilion had also attempted to stop him. This old man was brought over by Mu Yanli back then to point him out.

What had he done then?

He had laughed wildly and accepted it calmly.

Then, he had turned to look at Xue Zhengyong and Madame Wang with a twisted smile, mocking, "What do you think? Do you hate me? Disdain me? Are you going to be like my esteemed master and say that I am – inherently wicked, irredeemable?"

Back then, Mo Ran's secret learning of the precious chess game had almost been exposed, but Xue Zhengyong had initially chosen to believe in him. It wasn't until this moment that Xue Zhengyong rose in fury, so angry that he nearly vomited blood as he bellowed, "Vile beast! A true vile beast!!"

Upon hearing these words, Mo Ran burst into laughter, laughing even more wildly and joyously.

Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes from laughing.

Raping a maiden?

Xue Zhengyong believed it.

He actually believed it!

Hahahaha—Mo Ran's smile suddenly twisted into a grimace. He gave up all hope and, with a determined heart, his handsome face contorted in agony.

"Yes, I committed those heinous crimes. I killed your nephew and caused the death of that pitiful girl—so what? Are you going to uphold justice by slaying me—"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain pierced his heart.

Xue Zhengyong was a hot-tempered man. Before Mo Ran could complete his sentence, he had already lunged forward in anger, his eyes filled with hatred and tears. The tip of his fan pierced through Mo Ran's chest.

Mo Ran froze for a moment, then a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Lowering his head, he watched as blood seeped from his chest and sighed,

"Uncle, I've called you that for so many years. But in the end, you still wouldn't believe me."

"Stop it!!"

Mo Ran smiled, his shoulders trembling slightly. "In the end, we don't share the same blood. So, what is it about this false family, this Peak of Life and Death, that I still cling to?"

Blood splattered, staining his face.

He watched as Xue Zhengyong fell before him, a slight numbness creeping into his brain—he hadn't wanted to kill him—it was he who had rushed forward in a fit of anger… He had brought this upon himself. Mo Ran remained silent for a moment, then lifted his bloodied gaze to look at Madame Wang, who was in a state of utter shock and sorrow. He licked his lips and stepped over his uncle's body, walking towards his aunt.

Xue Zhengyong was still alive, gripping tightly onto the hem of Mo Ran's robe, refusing to let go.

This middle-aged man seemed to be filled with rage, but perhaps sadness and pain surpassed his anger.

At that moment, Mo Ran's mind was consumed by madness. He didn't understand, nor did he want to understand, the meaning behind his uncle's gaze or the tears in his eyes.

Mo Ran heard Xue Zhengyong say, "Don't… Don't hurt…"

"She saw it. So she must die." Mo Ran spoke calmly and politely. "But since Xue Meng isn't here, I'll spare your life… considering you raised me all these years."

What did Madame Wang's struggles mean to Mo Ran?

Besides, she was already powerless to resist. All she could do was cry, just like her husband, calling him "beast…" But as the knife pierced her flesh and blood gushed out, her consciousness began to fade. She looked at him and, in a whisper, asked, "Ran'er, why are you…"

Mo Ran's hand was trembling back then, yet he still pulled the dagger out in the end. He looked down at his palm, which was moist, with the scarlet dagger gripped within, slippery and reeking of blood.

It was hot.

But it would soon turn cold.

Just like the so-called family he had, and the so-called relatives.

From the beginning, he had been on edge because he knew that whether it was Xue Meng, Xue Zhengyong, or Madame Wang, they were not truly his kin.

Their biological nephew had long died by his own hands.

"Foolishness!"

A fierce cry interrupted Mo Ran's recollections.

He lifted his head, almost dazed, and scanned the grand hall before finally fixing his gaze on Xue Zhengyong.

It was Xue Zhengyong who spoke.

"I raised my child myself. I know his character; how could he bully an innocent young maiden? Don't you dare malign him with baseless accusations!"

"..."

Mo Ran, in a daze, suddenly felt a sourness fill his heart.

His eyelashes fluttered as he closed his eyes.

Things were different now.

In two lifetimes... many things had changed.

The old performer, terrified, tumbled off his seat and prostrated on the ground. "N-no, I didn't lie! Immortal Lord, please calm your anger. I-I just... I really..." He was merely a pitiful artisan who had never encountered such a situation before. Accused by the head of a sect, he turned as pale as a sheet and ended up unable to form a coherent sentence.

Xue Zhengyong growled lowly like a predator ready to pounce. "Get out."

"..."

"Scram!"

The old artist immediately tried to leave, but the Heavenly Sound Pavilion's people blocked his way. Trapped, he fell back onto the ground, trembling violently as he muttered, "Oh, Mother, what is this madness..."

Mu Yanli said, "Pavilion Leader Xue, don't let your anger cloud your judgment. Old Sir, there's no need to be afraid. The Heavenly Sound Pavilion only seeks to uncover the truth for those wronged in the world. We would never frame the innocent."

Pausing, she helped the old man to his feet.

"Please, continue with your story."

"I have nothing left to say..." The old man was genuinely terrified and refused to speak further. "I beg all you immortals, sages, and heroes to spare me. I truly have nothing more to say. My memory isn't good, it's not."

In the midst of the tension, Mo Ran, who had been silent, suddenly looked at Xue Zhengyong and bowed deeply.

The meaning behind this action was clear. Xue Zhengyong and Xue Meng were instantly struck speechless. Madame Wang murmured in disbelief, "...Ran-er?"

Mo Ran said, "When we were on Dragon Mountain, I already planned to confess everything to Uncle when we returned. But I never expected things to turn out like this."

"..."

Mo Ran's gaze was tranquil, so much so that it appeared lifeless. "Master Mu, you must have gathered all the evidence and witnesses today. There's nothing left for me to say. Yes, I am not the second young master of the Summit of Life and Death."

He paused, and a sighing sentence drifted through the hall, light as a feather yet stirring a thousand ripples.

"I am the son of Nan Gongyan, the ninth city lord of the Confucian Wind Sect's Seventy-Two Cities."

"What?!!" Everyone was stunned.

"Didn't you all want to hear the truth?" Mo Ran closed his eyes and continued, "…The fire at the Drunken Jade Tower back then was set by me. Dozens of lives were indeed lost at my hands."

Madame Wang said through tears, "Ran'er, how... how could you..."

"But in Xiangtan that year, the case of the tofu shop girl being raped to death," he said, pausing briefly.

In his previous life, no one had been willing to listen to the truth.

They had all angrily accused him and cursed him, so he hadn't bothered to explain. After all, he was just a notorious devil in others' eyes, and another stain of blood wouldn't make much difference.

But in this life, he finally wanted to speak out.

"In that incident, I didn't harm that girl."

The Hall of Heart's Pill was silent as everyone fixated their gazes on Mo Ran, awaiting him to reveal the long-buried secrets.

Mu Yanli raised her delicate brows. "Oh? Was there more to that case than meets the eye?"

"Yes," Mo Ran replied.

"Please, enlighten us," Mu Yanli said, ready to listen with rapt attention.

But Mo Ran shook his head. "Before we delve into the story of the young girl from the tofu shop, I wish to speak of someone more significant first."

"Who might that be?"

"A performer."

As Mo Ran spoke, his gaze wandered, looking through the open windows toward the distant horizon.

"At that time, in Xiangtan, there were two young pipa players. One was named Xun Fengruo and the other, Duan Yihan."

Many in the crowd wore nostalgic expressions when they heard those two names mentioned.

"...Xun Fengruo... Duan Yihan... Ah! Could it be those two top music instructors from years ago?"

"That must be them. I remember they were both musicians from Xiangtan, known as the Lijiang Twin Immortals."

"Yes, Fengruo's singing brought spring to the earth, while Yihan's dancing filled the sky with petals," someone said, stroking his beard. "Back then, I was only in my thirties, and their names were already well-known. But their performances were hard to come by; whenever they played, the music hall would be packed, and they were incredibly popular."

Another person added, "I heard they even had a musical duel at one point."

Mo Ran said, "They did. Xun Fengruo was two years younger than Duan Yihan and joined the music hall two years later. Back then, she was arrogant and didn't want to be ranked alongside Duan Yihan, so she issued a challenge, inviting Duan Yihan to perform three songs and dances on the Drunken Jade Tower to determine who was more skilled."

"Who won in the end?"

"It was a draw," Mo Ran replied. "But after that, they developed mutual respect for each other. Although Xun Fengruo and Duan Yihan weren't from the same music hall, they often visited each other and referred to one another as sisters."

Someone grumbled impatiently, "Enough of this rambling! Why are you talking about two women all of a sudden?"

Mo Ran glanced at him and said, "Duan Yihan is my mother."