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Chapter 580: Searching for Xiao Shi Yi Lang
Chapter 580: Searching for Xiao Shi Yi Lang
Early the next morning, the quartet arrived at the main branch of Hengyuan Money Shop in Changan City and received the latest news about Xiao Shi Yi Lang.
"Five days ago, the Feng family in Luoyang was visited by Xiao Shi Yi Lang. The head of the family, Feng Nanqiu, was killed by Xiao Shi Yi Lang's sword, and he took away the family's thirteen jade discs and ten thousand taels of silver tickets."
Yang Kaitai shook his head, sighing in dismay, "Feng Nanqiu's Autumn Rain Sword Technique was quite renowned in the Central Plains' martial arts world. Who would have thought that he would meet such an end at the hands of Xiao Shi Yi Lang?"
Shen Bijun curiously asked, "He's dead? Was it really Xiao Shi Yi Lang this time, or did someone else frame him again?"
As expected of a female demon who had been in the rivers and lakes for a long time, Feng Siniang provided insight, "It should be him. Before I went into seclusion, I heard that Feng Nanqiu had a peculiar hobby."
"What kind of hobby?" Yang Kaitai inquired.
Feng Siniang replied in a low voice, "He likes little girls, seven or eight years old."
Shen Bijun felt nauseated upon hearing this, and Yang Kaitai even dry heaved, finding it hard to believe, "Feng Nanqiu is that kind of person?"
Feng Siniang nonchalantly remarked, "On the surface, he's a chivalrous hero, but in reality, he's a devil who trades in women. Such things have existed since ancient times; there's nothing surprising about it."
Yang Kaitai smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Shen Bijun also fell silent, thinking of Li Gang and Tu Xiaotian. These people were once famous heroes who shocked the world, but it turned out that they were not good people behind the scenes.
"That's why a true gentleman like Brother Yang is so rare and admirable." Lian Chengbi smiled.
"Don't dare, don't dare." Yang Kaitai waved his hands repeatedly, feeling flattered by Lian Chengbi's praise over the past few days.
"Brother Lian is too kind with your words. Your righteousness, wisdom, and strategizing are akin to the ancient gentlemen. It's an honor to be mentioned alongside you." Yang Kaitai humbly smiled.
Feng Siniang felt that she had rolled her eyes more times in the past half-month than in her entire life.
"Since you're all true gentlemen, there's no need to keep reminding us about it." Feng Siniang retorted impatiently.
"We are sincerely complimenting each other, not bragging," Lian Chengbi said with a smile. "Besides, if we don't take up the mantle of gentlemen, will we let the villains claim the titles of gentlemen and heroes?"
"The more virtuous a person is, the more they should proclaim it. It's about building a positive reputation and reminding oneself of one's principles," Lian Chengbi said earnestly. "As Confucius said, 'I examine myself three times a day.' By doing so, aren't we following the teachings of the sage?"
Yang Kaitai's eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Lian Chengbi patted Yang Kaitai's shoulder, "This is where we are better than Xiao Shi Yi Lang. Although we are reluctant to associate with false gentlemen, we do not shrink back. Instead, we face the challenge and fight against them."
Yang Kaitai's eyes were gleaming, and he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, "Yes, yes, yes!"
"As the saying goes, 'slander can tarnish the reputation of even the most upright person.' Public opinion is an important battleground, and if we don't occupy it, the villains will," Lian Chengbi said calmly.
"If all good people learn from Xiao Shi Yi Lang and isolate themselves from the world, I'm afraid that all the gentlemen and heroes in the martial arts world today would be like Tu Xiaotian," Lian Chengbi continued.
Yang Kaitai's mouth curled up to his ears, his face filled with smiles, and he nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Yes, yes, yes, you..."
Feng Siniang forcibly suppressed the urge to swear, "Yes, yes, yes, you're all right. If that's the case, why don't you find out who in the Heavenly Sect framed Xiao Shi Yi Lang?"
Lian Chengbi smiled, "The fact that the Heavenly Sect framed Xiao Shi Yi Lang is just my speculation. Even when a county magistrate handles a case, he needs the plaintiff to submit a complaint. Xiao Shi Yi Lang hasn't even claimed that he was wronged, so are we overstepping our bounds by taking action? Are we worrying about things that don't concern us?"
"Then let's go!" Feng Siniang immediately said.
...
Late autumn in Luoyang.
The season for the city's famous peonies had long passed, but the streets were now adorned with blooming chrysanthemums, their golden petals brightening up the alleys and lanes, a beauty all their own.
It was the time of the harvest, when people prepared for the coming winter.
This year had been a bountiful one, and the streets of Luoyang were filled with a joyful atmosphere. Whether it was the residents, vendors, or farmers and laborers coming into the city, everyone wore a smile of contentment.
However, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the grand residence of the Feng family in the east of Luoyang.
The master of the house had met a grisly end, his body and head separated, and the family had suffered a significant loss of wealth. Now, family members were scrambling for power, and even the servants were plotting their own schemes.
With Lian Chengbi and his companions in Luoyang, it was only natural that they would pay a visit to the Feng family, hoping to gather some clues about the whereabouts of those they had once wronged.
Across the street from the Feng residence, Lian Chengbi sat at a noodle stall, slurping down a bowl of hearty Henan-style noodles.
Just then, a young servant in blue clothes and a square kerchief tied around his head emerged from the nearby alley. He hurried over to the noodle stall and greeted Yang Kaitai respectfully before reporting, "I've found out!"
"I located a servant from Feng Nanqiu's backyard and offered a hundred taels of silver. I found out the addresses of sixteen families of little girls whose lives were taken by Feng Nanqiu," the servant whispered.
Shen Bijun's face turned grim as she could hardly believe that this renowned hero of Luoyang had such a dark secret.
Lian Chengbi patted her hand gently. "As Sister Feng said, such people have existed since ancient times, and there will always be more. All we can do is take action once we know about it."
Shen Bijun sighed. "Hypocrites are indeed worse than villains. Even highway robbers wouldn't harm people so indiscriminately."
On the other side, the blue-clad servant handed over a booklet containing the addresses of the sixteen households to Yang Kaitai.
Feng Siniang stood up. "Let's go and see if these families have received compensation from Xiao Shi Yi Lang."
"Wait," Lian Chengbi stopped her.
"What is it?" Feng Siniang asked.
"Let me finish this bowl of noodles first. It's not good to waste food," Lian Chengbi said, picking up his chopsticks. "Besides, these noodles are actually quite tasty."
...
How could ordinary folk resist Lian Chengbi's subtle interrogation? With just a few casual questions, he could tell whether they had recently come into unexpected wealth.
Although it was unclear how Xiao Shi Yi Lang had gathered his information, his methods, though less direct than Yang Kaitai's approach of sending people to ask directly, had still borne fruit, leading him to the addresses of the victims.
Out of the sixteen victimized families, fourteen had already mysteriously received compensation.
That night...
The moon and stars shone brightly in the night sky, and crows flew southward as the autumn wind blew gently. In the city, the lights in the houses had gone out one by one.
On the wall of a poor household in the northern part of the city, a dark figure suddenly appeared, carrying a rather large bundle on his back.
(End of Chapter)
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