Chapter 261: A Secret That Shook the World
Chapter 261: A Secret That Shook the World
“Path of Heaven?”
The entire Qingjiang Prefecture instantly plunged into chaos.
The chilling aura of that sword only seemed to scatter downwards from mid-air when Second Young Master Fang, hovering above, was struck. Blood dyed his white robe red. The citizens within the city suddenly felt the intense coldness radiating from the sword’s intent, triggering sheer terror and fear within them. Screaming, their legs went weak, causing them to stumble and fall. Crawling and scrambling on the ground, they frantically pushed backwards…
Assassins!
Assassins? Right under everyone’s watch? How dare they?
As the terrified citizens scattered in panic, the surrounding Qi Refiners reacted with stunned alarm. They rushed forwards, but their first instinct was to frantically scan their surroundings, searching the crowd for any more flashes of lethal sword light.
Meng Zhixue, He Zhenzhang, Meng Qing’er, and the others were consumed by horror. Ignoring everything else, they desperately shoved through the swarming masses, charging towards where Second Young Master Fang fell. They caught his form. Seeing his white robe soaked dark, their terror reached its peak: “Who on earth? Who would dare strike so cruelly at Second Young Master Fang?”
Right behind them, Qi Refiners from the various sects hurried over, stepping through the air, their faces filled with shock and doubt.
This matter had exploded!
Long ago, Immortal Master Fang Chi had been hunted by Path of Heaven assassins after exposing how the life force of commoners across three thousand li of Lingzhou was stolen. That event had seared the dreadful memory of Path of Heaven deep into the minds of the Qingjiang sects. Who could imagine the Path of Heaven assassins were back?
The very assassins who had chased Immortal Master Fang Chi dared to strike at Second Young Master Fang now?
So… who had hired Path of Heaven’s assassins?
……
Questions like these raced through the minds of countless citizens amidst the chaos below.
Some storytellers from teahouses, or idle gossips who lived in taverns, cried out in fearful recognition: “Path of Heaven! I heard that’s a death squad! Why have they suddenly appeared to kill?”
“Didn’t someone say Old Master Fan knew Path of Heaven assassins?”
Just a few months prior, even before the Demon Hound was slain, a rumor had spread through Qingjiang Prefecture. It told of how, years ago, when Immortal Master Fang Chi was pursued by Path of Heaven assassins, it had been Old Master Fan who intervened to save him. Driven by certain parties, this story became popular gossip, twisting into slander…
How had Old Master Fan persuaded assassins to stop hunting Immortal Master Fang Chi?
Even if it was small-minded to think such thoughts… could the one who made the assassins back down be the very person who hired them?
Back then, such theories were instantly denounced as slander.
This gossip hadn’t gained much traction and was quickly suppressed.
But now, out of nowhere, with the Path of Heaven assassin striking, it detonated like a hidden bomb suddenly exploding.
Panicked citizens saw Second Young Master Fang confronting Old Master Fan, seeming about to expose some secret… only to be cut down by an Path of Heaven assassin! Suddenly, voices cried out from all over the city: “Who hired the assassin?” or “Heavens! How dare Old Master Fan hire assassins?” The chaos intensified instantly.
……
“Cruel old thief!”
Amidst the turmoil, the two elders of the Shoushan Sect, Cold Stone and Green Pine, were stunned, visibly shocked. They looked anxiously towards Fang Cun. But reminded hastily by a red-robed woman beside them, they snapped into action. Tears filling their fierce eyes, they rushed towards where Fang Cun lay while turning their heads to curse at Old Master Fan: “Our Shoushan Sect labors for the people, risks everything for the divine kingdom investigating you! How dare you hire killers to silence us?!”
Their loud accusations drew the shocked gazes of countless citizens and Qi Refiners towards Old Master Fan.
Not just the ignorant citizens; even many Qi Refiners in the air looked at the prefect with a mixture of shock and fury.
The sword of Path of Heaven… no one could imitate it, and none dared try. They all recognized the true sword art of a Path of Heaven assassin in that blow. After that flash of steel, they had desperately searched the crowd below, finding nothing. The assassin had struck once and vanished completely. Only Path of Heaven could be so efficient and untraceable; only they could strike and vanish without any of the gathered experts catching the faintest trace.
……
“What is going on?”
Old Master Fan, seeing Fang Cun pierced by the sword and falling, was dumbfounded.
Just then, he witnessed the chaos erupting below him. He saw the citizens’ terrified, accusing eyes fixed on him. He noticed the surrounding Qi Refiners looking at him with profound suspicion.
His heart sank hard: “This is bad!”
……
“I’ve always said your methods for gaining fame are too crude!”
Simultaneously, inside the protective ring formed by Meng Zhixue and the others and Shoushan Sect disciples, Fang Cun inwardly sneered coldly.
He slowly sat up, looking through the mass of people.
He managed to catch sight of a black-robed figure holding a cat.
The figure looked directly at him, expressionless, then raised a hand, showing five fingers. He turned and vanished into the seething crowds.
“You dare kill me?”
Fang Cun took a deep breath and shouted hoarsely. Those around him supported him as if he were grievously wounded, barely able to stand. Yet, as his voice rang out, the frantic crowd strangely stilled. Everyone raised their heads towards the figure amidst the throng, the gravely wounded Second Young Master Fang whose robe was soaked through with blood on one side.
He was still alive…
His injury looked severe, all that blood… even if he wasn’t dead, he must have lost half his life.
An eerie silence descended. It felt like everyone could hear their own frantic heartbeat, as if the sky itself had collapsed and crushed their chests.
“Even if you kill me… I must speak!”
Under the terrified stares of thousands, Fang Cun clutched his wounded chest, seeming to summon his last strength to make his voice carry across the city. With his other hand, he pointed tremblingly at Old Master Fan, who still seemed shell-shocked high above: “Who could have imagined… this paragon of righteousness, this living saint of Qingjiang overflowing with morality… is himself the vile… the utterly vile…”
“…Ghost Official!”
“……”
“…the Ghost Official!”
“……”
“What?!”
A deathly silence gripped the world… then chaos exploded like thunder.
The minds of the common people felt like a boiling, muddled mess. Even the gathered Qi Refiners stared, dumbfounded, their eyes shifting between Second Young Master Fang and Old Master Fan as if struck stupid.
Old Master Fan was the Ghost Official?
Impossible! Utter nonsense!
……
Old Master Fan felt like he had been struck by lightning under the weight of so many disbelieving gazes. He was stunned, utterly speechless.
“You… utter nonsense!”
In that desperate moment, he could only force those five words out.
It wasn’t because he lacked words to refute it. At that precise moment, the accusation felt too utterly absurd to even warrant a defense.
It was utterly beyond belief!
……
“Woe and alas! Our Shoushan Sect’s Young Elder Fang possessed unparalleled talent and a loyal heart! Assassins struck him down, grievously wounded! Yet even near death, he remembered the need to deliver justice to the people of Qingjiang! What do two old fossils like us have left to fear?”
Amidst this stunned silence, the voices of the two Shoushan Sect elders tore through the air, filled with distress and fierce determination. They turned to address the masses: “Fellow citizens! The world-shaking secret uncovered by our Shoushan Sect is this: The Ghost Official is none other than Fan Wu! Fan Wu is the Ghost Official! This old man, serving as Prefect, parades himself as benevolent and wise while committing atrocities in the shadows! All his crimes, all the evidence, we have it here, verified and ready!”
Their powerful voices became a stark confirmation of Fang Cun’s accusation, stirring a wave of frantic panic.
Old Master Fan was almost laughing with rage. He thrust two fingers towards them, shouting: “Shut your mouths! How dare you?!”
“Correct! We dare indeed!”
Elder Cold Stone roared back, his voice resonating fiercely, his face grim: “If you have the means… kill all of us too!”
Behind them, Young Master Bai Huaiyu clenched his teeth furiously. He remembered the words Lin had spoken to him earlier. He recalled the agony of the Life-Death Sigil’s activation. He acknowledged his desperate situation – exiled from the Bai Family, one slight misstep could plunge him into an endless abyss. He stepped forward with a shout: “I am Bai Huaiyu, true heir to the Bai Family! I can no longer endure Fan Wu colluding with the Seven Clans, consorting with Demons! Betraying my relatives for the greater good, I expose these vile criminals!”
The crowd abruptly parted. Several Secretaries pushed carts piled high with paper records. They toppled the Dossiers onto the ground before shouting towards the sky: “We are Secretaries for the County Mansion! Moved by Second Young Master Fang, we will no longer stand with this evil! Citizens! See here…”
“These are Dossiers on the Ghost Official… all linked to Fan Wu!”
“……”
“I confess!”
A woman in a red coat burst from the crowd, her hair disheveled. She pointed accusingly at Old Master Fan high above: “Back then… this Ghost Official murdered my husband… then he seized me! I feared his power and stayed silent! But today… I expose him!”
……
The accusations rained down like a storm. Old Master Fan trembled with rage, hands and feet shaking uncontrollably.
He spun around, furious: “Are you all just going to stand there? Letting these fools slander me?!”
“HOW DARE YOU!”
Spurred by his master’s furious roar, Old Master Fan’s trusted old servant shot forward, his face contorted with rage.
He rushed towards where the accuser stood, halfway there… Then he stopped. He turned back, facing his master. His expression turned one of profound sorrow.
“Master… the matter is exposed. It’s best to surrender…”