At that moment, Hong Sihai finally broke free of Qian Chen's entangled qi. He spoke calmly, "Dragon Head, Red-Buttocked Lord, did you really think you could frame me with a performance by three monkeys? You underestimate our fellows of the martial world far too much.
"A baseless accusation like this, resting on nothing more than a stolen sworn brotherhood knot?
"To name me as Dragon Head...
"It is utterly absurd and laughable... Who can prove it? Red-Buttocked Lord, lurking in the shadows... are you willing to come forward and testify?"
At this point, Qian Chen finally spoke. Dropping the tone of Mist-Riding Lord, he said in his own voice, "I can prove it!"
Qian Chen's right hand abruptly pulled away the mask, revealing his true features. Below, Kang Qiandeng, Li Qianqiu, and even Bai Yuanliang—who had just been wondering why they were unaffected by poison—stood up in shock.
Bai Yuanliang cried out in horror, "I knew it... I told you he was Dragon Head!"
"I am not Dragon Head!" Qian Chen said calmly. "How old am I, and what is my station? Before yesterday, how many people had ever heard of me? How could an unknown nobody be Dragon Head, the mastermind behind countless earth-shaking deeds and endless bloody slaughters? Dragon Head must possess astonishing audacity, an empire spanning the realm, formidable martial arts, and staggering wealth.
"Which of these do I possess? At best, my martial arts are merely passable.
"If I were Dragon Head, did I plunder such vast riches just to remain all by myself, fighting for a living with nothing but my bare fists?"
"By that logic, I fit the description of Dragon Head quite well," Hong Sihai remarked, shaking his head. "Yet you have only conjecture and cannot produce a shred of evidence. What everyone did see with their own eyes was you murdering my sworn brother, Tu Beihai, right in front of me. So no matter who you are, and regardless of whether you once fought alongside me against the Twelve Yuan Chen...
"...we are already irreconcilable enemies.
"As for that Red-Buttocked Lord, he is an infamous scoundrel of the Twelve Yuan Chen.
"Is there a single word from either of you that can be believed?"
"This poor monk is willing to hear him out..." Chan Master Kongming suddenly looked up and said. "My junior brother, Laughing Maitreya, spent three years infiltrating the Twelve Yuan Chen and learned something of those villains. Forgive this poor monk for speaking plainly, but Benefactor Qian's words are not without reason. Dragon Head is certainly an individual of monstrous influence in the martial world; he could never be a complete unknown.
"For a peerless expert like Dragon Head, remaining unknown for thirty years would simply be too difficult!
"If Dragon Head truly possessed such patience, he would never have needed to establish the Twelve Yuan Chen in the first place."
Hong Sihai smiled faintly and said, "Very well. Since Chan Master Kongming agrees, I would like to hear what brilliant deductions Mister Qian has to offer."
"The first time I suspected you was when I examined your wounds. Back then, your injuries were nowhere near as severe as you made them appear. In fact, your true strength far exceeded what you showed." Qian Chen looked toward Hong Sihai's right fist, which had previously displayed its terrifying power.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, the power of Hong Sihai's right fist in their brief clash just now had still surpassed Qian Chen's expectations.
"With the Twelve Yuan Chen's assault imminent, if I hadn't kept a trump card hidden, wouldn't I have easily fallen into your schemes?" Hong Sihai said with his hands clasped behind his back.
Qian Chen smiled. "That was why I only suspected you at the time. However, another matter deepened my suspicion... On my way here, I encountered Mist-Riding Lord and slew him after a fierce battle. From him, I learned certain secrets—such as the fact that the Twelve Yuan Chen attacked Four Seas Hall for the Demonic Cult's Everlasting Secret Treasure.
"The Demonic Cult hid its hoard—countless divine weapons and secret manuals—inside a secret vault. The last time the Twelve Yuan Chen mobilized in full force was to ambush and slaughter the Demonic Cult Master's kin to seize the secrets of that vault. After obtaining part of the secret, they learned that the remaining key was held by the cult master himself. And once the Demonic Cult Master was slain by the righteous path, the key he held naturally fell into righteous hands.
"Yet for ten years, the Twelve Yuan Chen made no move at all, as though they had forgotten about it entirely. That is, until recently, when Dragon Head sent word that this missing key was in the hands of the Martial Alliance Leader—Hong Sihai, the Old Hall Master of Four Seas Hall. Only then did the catastrophe of the Twelve Yuan Chen attacking Four Seas Hall come about."
Divine Monk Kongming nodded. "Indeed, that is so."
"The first question is: why did the Twelve Yuan Chen, bold enough to slaughter the Demonic Cult Master's family, take no further action regarding the Demonic Cult's secret vault for an entire decade? None of the righteous seniors who had slain the Demonic Cult Master ever vanished or met foul play. To claim that Dragon Head spent all that time conducting quiet, peaceable investigations hardly fits the style of the Twelve Yuan Chen.
"Furthermore, to conduct such secret investigations and uncover that the item was in Hall Master Hong's hands proves that Dragon Head must hold tremendous power within the righteous path.
"Regarding this, I have a theory...
"The Demonic Cult's secret vault fell into Dragon Head's hands long ago. For ten years, he has been absorbing the gains from the vault until he believed his martial arts had reached full mastery. Only then did he begin hatching new schemes. Believing his power and influence were already supreme, he no longer needed the Twelve Yuan Chen. He could now dominate the jianghu openly and rightfully.
"And gathering the Twelve Yuan Chen this time was likely just to eliminate future troubles and slaughter every last person who knew the truth.
"It was also to use their severed heads to elevate his renown even further, while eliminating stumbling blocks on his path to dominating the martial world.
"And because he suspected that over the course of thirty years, some of the Yuan Chen must have deduced his true identity, he decided to test them. He wanted to see if any of the Yuan Chen knew that Hong Sihai was Dragon Head and had noticed something amiss about this mission.
"And he did indeed hook such a fish..."
Qian Chen pointed at the monkey performance on the stage. "That fish was Rafter-Troubling Lord. That clever, cunning rat must have sensed something. As a result, you, Dragon Head, kept a watchful eye and caught him. You decisively murdered Rafter-Troubling Lord, which was why he never appeared during this raid... But what you did not realize was that your action alerted another cunning Yuan Chen—Red-Buttocked Lord!
"Red-Buttocked Lord investigated the cause of Rafter-Troubling Lord's death. In doing so, he uncovered the clues hidden by Rafter-Troubling Lord and confirmed your identity. He immediately fled far away, arranging only this monkey opera at the very end. I believe he has further moves prepared against you, but Red-Buttocked Lord is too cautious. Knowing that showing himself would mean death at your hands, he could only hide behind the scenes, manipulating the situation from afar to bring you down."
Divine Monk Kongming suddenly added, "Rafter-Troubling Lord must be the jianghu's foremost master thief, Si Zhaixin. When the monkey representing the Rat stole the sworn brotherhood knot from the monkey representing Dragon Head just now, it used Si Zhaixin's signature technique—the Empty-Handed Wonder."
Qian Chen continued, "Of course, these are afterthoughts and could sound somewhat forced. What truly made me suspect you was the death of Huang Yuhan! Huang Yuhan was meticulous and left nothing to chance. Even if he went to the mourning hall and walked into a trap laid by the Twelve Yuan Chen, he should not have died so easily. Unless the person who sent him there was someone he deeply trusted and respected... Only one person could ensure the mourning hall would become the sole flaw in Huang Yuhan's defenses.
"And that was you, the master of Four Seas Hall, Huang Yuhan's benefactor.
"Furthermore, there is something very few people likely know. Huang Yuhan's martial arts were already on par with any grandmaster. Even in a sneak attack, he would never have died abruptly without even sounding an alarm. Unless he was willing... Unless he chose to die.
"When Sun-Chasing Lord struck in the mourning hall, Huang Yuhan must have already pieced together the entire truth.
"And what he realized most clearly of all was who the mastermind wanting him dead was. It was you... Hong Sihai. Huang Yuhan was too intelligent! He was also too close to you. Most importantly, while he was loyal to you, he also possessed a righteous, chivalrous heart... You knew that many of your future ambitions to dominate the martial world could never be concealed from him. You also knew he would never wallow in the mire with you...
"So this time, by the hands of the Twelve Yuan Chen, you wanted him dead!
"Once Huang Yuhan realized this, an agonizing conflict must have torn through him. With loyalty and righteousness irreconcilably pitted against each other, he chose suicide. He willingly let Sun-Chasing Lord kill him.
"That was why, when I saw his corpse, I found his expression so serene. At that moment, I understood, and my genuine suspicion of you began...
"How did Huang Yuhan discover that his benefactor might be Dragon Head?
"Because he knew a secret... Ten years ago, the Demonic Cult Master had an intimate, bosom friend. This person held a special status; though the cult master's confidant, his identity was unknown to anyone in the Demonic Cult except the cult master himself. One day, the Demonic Cult Master acquired a wondrous treasure and let this friend know of it. A few days later, Hall Master Hong led the righteous path to lay siege to the Demonic Cult, and the cult master sent his family fleeing.
"The one who ambushed and slaughtered the Demonic Cult Master's family was none other than his bosom friend—Dragon Head, who commanded the Twelve Yuan Chen.
"Given the foul notoriety of the Twelve Yuan Chen, how could the Demonic Cult Master have ever taken Dragon Head as a bosom friend? What kind of person would command such trust from him, yet require his identity to be kept secret? Even in the Demonic Cult, friendship is bound by loyalty and honor... Therefore, this person had to be a prominent figure of glowing reputation from the opposing faction—none other than the future Martial Alliance Leader, Hall Master Hong Sihai.
"If everyone here recalls the battle that besieged and wiped out the Demonic Cult all those years ago, wasn't the Demonic Cult Master on the verge of madness at the final moment? And who among you ever witnessed his duel with Hong Sihai?
"Regrettably, the Demonic Cult Master believed you had betrayed your friendship only out of the divide between righteous and evil. Though heartbroken over the murder of his family, he never once suspected that you, his bosom friend, were the Dragon Head who butchered them. Even in death, he kept your secret."
Only now did the veterans and elders of the righteous path truly begin to doubt Hong Sihai.
Back then, the battle between Hong Sihai and the Demonic Cult Master had indeed carried an uncanny feeling... It was as if the two shared a strange tacit understanding. At the very end, when the cult master was dying, the way he looked at Hong Sihai was far too strange.
In his eyes, there had seemed to be something more than just hatred...
Hong Sihai remained calm. "All of this is your conjecture, coupled with the one-sided claims of Red-Buttocked Lord... It may sound plausible on the surface, but in substance, it is mostly far-fetched."
"I, too, can prove it!"
At that moment, someone wheeled out slowly from behind the hall in a wheelchair. The newcomer had disheveled hair and hideous scars marring his face, yet an elder recognized him after a careful look and cried out, "Sword Absolute Liu Duxing... You are the fourth brother of the Four Absolutes, One Lord—Sword Absolute Liu Duxing!"
Liu Duxing gave a sorrowful laugh. "I suppose no one expected that the dashing, uninhibited Liu Duxing of the past would end up looking like this?
"Twenty years ago, I was hunted by the Twelve Yuan Chen, suffering grave, near-fatal wounds time and time again, until I was reduced to this miserable state. It was Si Zhaixin, the Rat of the Twelve Yuan Chen, who thought I might be a valuable asset possessing a major secret concerning Dragon Head's identity. Only then did he steal me from death's door and hide me away in a secret place."
A gloomy chill clung to Liu Duxing. Deep, bone-deep hatred gleamed in his solitary remaining eye as he glared at Hong Sihai.
"For twenty years, I constantly turned it over in my mind. Although I sensed something, I could never confirm that person's identity.
"Not until Red-Buttocked Lord found me did we confirm Dragon Head's true identity—and the truth behind my eldest brother's death all those years ago.
"My eldest brother died so bizarrely! Back then, Eldest Brother obtained an extraordinary treasure that offered hope of forging a divine weapon. We, the Four Absolutes, One Lord, were thrilled for Eldest Brother Qu Hanjun and drank heavily through the night. After that drunken night, Eldest Brother vanished without a trace.
"Even back then, I never believed Eldest Brother would abandon us over a mere divine weapon... I always believed someone had murdered him!
"And that someone was one of our own brothers!
"For forty years, there has not been a single word of Eldest Brother. Now, I can finally confirm it: someone murdered Eldest Brother! And that person was you! That is why, all these years, you never dared to reveal that divine weapon. That is why you were the only one among us to forge such immense renown. And that is why... you wanted to kill me!
"Because that was likely the first wicked deed you ever committed, leaving behind far too many flaws."
Clutching a weathered sworn brotherhood knot, Liu Duxing declared, "This is the proof!
"This is the sworn brotherhood knot that belonged to Eldest Brother when we took our vows... You moved Eldest Brother's body, but you never dreamed you had inadvertently left this knot behind in his old residence!"
The truth was laid bare!
The malice in Liu Duxing's lone eye was so searing it seemed ready to tear Hong Sihai apart and crush him to dust! At this moment, Hong Sihai's image of towering righteousness came crashing down. The brotherly loyalty he had so painstakingly cultivated had become the fatal nail in his coffin.
With his hands still behind his back, Hong Sihai said faintly, "Originally, I did not intend to dominate the jianghu through sheer, absolute force, for I knew countless people would rise in opposition. I believed that with my prestige, I could diminish that resistance and truly unite the martial world under my hand.
"Yet your stubborn obstinacy has wasted my good intentions!"
He let out a deep sigh, as though lamenting the outcome. "This time... the martial world will run red with blood!
"No one can stop me, and the blood spilled for this will be tens of times greater than what was originally planned!
"Those who submit shall prosper; those who resist shall perish!"
Hong Sihai clenched both fists and laughed with domineering arrogance. "The fist is power! The strongest fist is supreme authority! Under my fists, none can stand as my match! I have long surpassed great grandmaster and attained the realm of Martial Supreme!
"Why did you insist on spurning my goodwill? Wouldn't it have been better to remain deceived?"
As he spoke those words, Hong Sihai finally revealed his true colors. His voice boomed like thunder, his aura radiating an astonishing, tyrannical might that swept in all directions!
In his fury, Hong Sihai struck a fist into empty air.
In an instant, the surging fist wind tore the entire Five Lakes Hall to shreds! The overwhelming force swept everyone back, while the grandmasters directly facing the brunt of the strike coughed up blood and flew backward. Even the great grandmasters blanched in sheer horror.
This had fundamentally transcended the boundaries of a great grandmaster, reaching a realm of unfathomable wonder.
Chan Master Kongming raised his nine-ringed monk's staff and lunged toward Hong Sihai.
Yet Hong Sihai simply raised a fist and slammed it into the staff. The nine rings clattered before countless bronze rings shattered and flew in all directions. Divine Monk Kongming coughed up blood and was sent hurtling backward, unable to halt his momentum even after dozens of paces.
His feet carved deep furrows into the hard granite floor...
Only now did Hong Sihai reveal his true power. His fist was truly like the supreme tyranny of the heavens—boundless as the sky, deep as an abyss, unfathomable... Several great grandmasters paled one after another, their faces filled with shock and fury.
At this moment, Hong Sihai was truly like a living legend of the martial world!
Invincible!
Chapter 34