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Chapter 553: Lian Chenbi, on the Moral High Ground
Chapter 553: Lian Chenbi, on the Moral High Ground
"Ah!!!"
A horrific scream suddenly pierced the air from somewhere deep in the forest. Though it was distant, Li Gang's voice was filled with anguish and terror, causing countless birds to take flight in a flurry of feathers.
The scream startled Shen Bijun, and she instinctively grasped Lian Chenbi's sleeve. "What's happening?"
"I may have been a little heavy-handed, and my technique has a delayed effect," Lian Chenbi explained with a smile. "He thought he could escape, but he was mistaken."
"Will he die?" Shen Bijun asked.
"Most definitely," Lian Chenbi replied nonchalantly. "And he will suffer immensely before he draws his last breath."
The Lycoris Radiata Hand and the Bone-Corroding Palm might not be the most profound martial arts techniques, but they certainly ranked among the most venomous and insidious.
The agonized wailing continued, but its pitch gradually lowered.
Li Gang was no slouch when it came to fleeing, and in a short while, he had put a considerable distance between them. Now deep in the dense forest, his cries grew fainter and were soon muffled by the layers of foliage, eventually fading away altogether.
"It's done, let's go," Lian Chenbi said, clapping his hands together cheerfully.
Shen Bijun looked at him in disbelief. "He's dead?"
"Not yet, but he will be soon," Lian Chenbi said, turning to her. "Now do you understand why I didn't take action from the very beginning?"
Shen Bijun blinked, her expression a mix of confusion and innocence.
She wanted to say that she understood, but the truth was, she didn't have a clue.
However, the way Lian Chenbi phrased his question made it seem like he expected her to comprehend, as if it were obvious and anyone who didn't was a fool.
Realizing this, Shen Bijun's face flushed, and she stammered, "Husband~~~"
Then it dawned on her that Lian Chenbi was teasing her again, and she asked, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Why?"
"Don't you think that a man like Li Gang, who goes back on his word, is two-faced, uses force, and even resorts to killing to silence others, deserves to die to appease the people's wrath?" Lian Chenbi asked.
Shen Bijun thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding.
While she wasn't bloodthirsty, she wasn't naive either. If they let Li Gang go, who knew how many more innocent people would suffer at his hands.
"But while he can be deceitful, I, as the master of the Pure Heart Manor, cannot take justice into my own hands like a common bandit like Xiao Shi Yi Lang," Lian Chenbi continued. "There was no evidence of his previous misdeeds, and he has now found an excuse for his recent actions. The woman is unharmed, so even though I know what kind of person he is, how could I justify taking action against him?"
Shen Bijun, who had initially jumped to conclusions, now felt enlightened as she listened to Lian Chenbi's analysis.
Indeed, while Lian Chenbi had his suspicions about Li Gang's past actions, there was no concrete evidence. And this time, the incident had been interrupted by Shen Bijun before it could truly unfold, so technically, nothing had happened yet.
Now that Li Gang had found an excuse and admitted his mistake, how could Lian Chenbi justify taking action against him? After all, Li Gang was a renowned hero in the martial arts world, one of the famed Six Gentlemen of the martial arts world. To kill him without just cause would be to turn a righteous act into an unjust one.
However, if Lian Chenbi did nothing, Li Gang would continue to prey on innocent women, becoming even more cautious and careful to avoid exposure.
That was why Lian Chenbi had taken the initiative to provoke Li Gang into making a move, ensuring that even if news of this incident spread, he would still stand on moral high ground in the eyes of the public. As the master of the Pure Heart Manor, Lian Chenbi would never be accused of silencing witnesses.
"But how did you know he would make a move?" Shen Bijun asked.
Instead of answering, Lian Chenbi posed another question: "Have you ever heard the saying, 'A corrupt official is bad enough, but a clean official can be even worse'?"
Shen Bijun fell silent. Though she wanted to argue that an honest official, by conducting themselves with integrity and serving the people, would naturally rise through the ranks and enjoy a prosperous career, she couldn't bring herself to say those words.
In the past, she might have staunchly held on to that belief, but now, she found herself unable to voice it.
"So, if a villain is deceitful, a hero must be even more so." Lian Chenbi pointed to himself and then to the slowly approaching woman. "Li Gang's true face has never been exposed. How could he possibly let this young lady, who knows about this incident, leave unscathed?"
Shen Bijun's eyes lit up as she realized, "So, he'll definitely make a move!"
Lian Chenbi nodded. "He's lowering my guard, so I'm giving him this opportunity."
Similarly, Lian Chenbi had never promised Li Gang that he would keep the matter a secret, and Li Gang could certainly sense Shen Bijun's dissatisfaction with him.
And so, Li Gang made his move, and then he died.
Shen Bijun thought about it and sighed, "Husband, you've really thought of everything."
"I am a virtuous gentleman," Lian Chenbi nodded solemnly. "I do everything openly and righteously, with nothing to hide from others."
Shen Bijun couldn't help but smile at her husband's antics, feeling that she needed to redefine her understanding of a virtuous gentleman.
Her husband was indeed a virtuous gentleman—kind-hearted, talented, wise, and always conducting himself with grace and honor...
But no matter how you looked at him, he didn't fit the traditional mold of a straight-laced gentleman!
Fortunately, the outcome was positive.
Shen Bijun turned to the slowly approaching woman and walked over to support her.
...
After leaving the forest, they sent the young lady back to her cousin's house.
Lian Chenbi didn't bring up Li Gang at all, and naturally, no one else dared to ask. However, a piece of gossip that escaped the young lady's lips quickly spread among the martial arts community.
It wasn't until they returned to Huainan City that they noticed the somber expression on Lian Chenbi's face. Duan Hongzhang and Wang Xuanfei wisely remained silent, not uttering a word about Li Gang as if he had never existed.
Only Wan Chongshan sighed, "Who would have thought that Li Gang would be so foolish, not only failing to repent but making one mistake after another?"
"I already gave him a chance," Lian Chenbi said indifferently.
"Exactly, exactly!" Duan Hongzhang nodded vigorously. "We've all heard about it. As one of the Six Gentlemen of the martial arts world, Lian Gongzi, you showed great righteousness and virtue. It's a pity that Li Da... Li Gang didn't appreciate it..."
Wang Xuanfei added, "We've safely sent that young lady back to Huaiyin. Her parents wanted to come and thank you personally, but I persuaded them not to."
"Thank you, Wang Daxia," Lian Chenbi nodded.
Li Gang had been one of the Six Gentlemen of the martial arts world while he was alive, but his inglorious death prompted everyone to tacitly forget about him.
Duan Hongzhang held another banquet and invited Lian Chenbi and his wife to the seats of honor. The host and guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
The next morning, Lian Chenbi and Shen Bijun set off again on their journey to Qilu, but this time, they were accompanied by another rider—the Xiangyang swordsman, Wan Chongshan.
"It's been a while since I last saw my aunt. I'll visit her, too," Wan Chongshan said.
Lian Chenbi nodded and then whispered to Shen Bijun, "Arrange for his room to be as far away from ours as possible when we stay tonight."
"Husband~~~"
(End of Chapter)
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