No

Fang Wen understood what Ye Feihua meant. If she was bent on leaving and did not tangle with Wu Lingxiao, it would be very difficult for him to catch her. Conversely, if she coveted the Seven-String Ancient Chapter and became entangled with him, she likely wouldn't be leaving at all. As for snatching the Seven-String Ancient Chapter first and turning on her heel to flee—Wu Lingxiao was no fool. If he harbored malice, how could he possibly grant her such an opportunity? Thus, rather than negotiating with a tiger like Wu Lingxiao, it was far better to cooperate with Wu Changzai. At least by working with Wu Changzai, she could run or slip away if things went awry. Even Wu Lingxiao might not be able to stop her, let alone Wu Changzai. In fact, if Wu Changzai went back on his word and an actual clash erupted, she, Ye Feihua, would actually hold the upper hand. When all was said and done, this transaction depended on who had the harder fists. Integrity itself was built upon the foundation of strength. When one's fists were weaker than the other party's, there were simply far too many ways for them to make trouble. After hearing this, Fang Wen could not help but sigh. The jianghu was truly perilous at every turn. Moreover, if roles were reversed and he genuinely wanted the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, he would probably make the same choice as Ye Feihua. So he asked one final question: "Is Wu Lingxiao truly dead?" "He might be dead." These words hardly stirred Fang Wen, but hearing them made Wu Changzai extraordinarily agitated. "He is dead! He is absolutely dead! "This old man personally severed his head from his corpse! There is no way in hell he could be alive!" Murong Qingchen's eyes widened. "If Wu Lingxiao is dead, then so be it! Why could you not even leave his corpse in peace?!" "Leave it in peace? Of course I couldn't!" Wu Changzai gnashed his teeth. "I wish I could drink his blood, eat his flesh, and tear him into ten thousand pieces!" This was by no means the hatred a father could harbor toward his own son. Fang Wen suddenly thought of an unthinkable possibility and voiced it: "Wu Lingxiao couldn't possibly... not be your son, could he?" The moment those words were spoken, Wu Changzai's agitation ground to an abrupt halt. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but with the words on the tip of his tongue, he simply could not bring himself to speak. "...Holy shit." At this moment, even though Fang Wen had transmigrated here nearly twenty years ago, that quintessential curse involuntarily slipped from his lips. Even Ye Feihua's eyes widened. She had assumed this was a struggle between father and son; though cruel, such things were not unheard of in the jianghu. Who would have guessed there was such massive gossip behind it? Murong Qingchen was even more incredulous. Without a word, Chen Yan whipped out his notebook and began scribbling furiously. Fang Wen felt as though he had unearthed a monstrous secret, and for a moment, he did not know whether he ought to press further. Wu Changzai, on the other hand, suddenly burst into loud laughter. His laughter was laden with misery, and the sorrow etched into his face sank to the bone, though what showed through even more was madness. He gritted his teeth and said, "You are right... Wu Lingxiao is not my son! "He is... he is the bastard that slut conceived from an illicit affair!" Footsteps echoed as Xiao Yanyu and her party arrived outside the stone chamber. When Fang Wen had reached the chamber earlier, he had not slain many people, but they had all been experts. Without those foes pinning them down, the balance of power had shifted; the others had rallied their strength to finally wipe out the rest. Even so, it had cost them considerable effort. Having dealt with that, they had rushed over. Yet the moment they arrived, they heard these exact words. For a time, everyone looked at each other in astonishment. Xiao Yanyu was already calculating how much silver this piece of news would sell for at the Golden Bell Tower. "Old City Lord... y-you, what nonsense are you babbling?" Commander Liang stepped out from the crowd, his lips trembling as he spoke. "With such words, wouldn't you deny the City Lord peace even in death? "And how is Feixue City supposed to hold its head high in the jianghu from now on?!" "I didn't want to say it either..." Grief colored Wu Changzai's face. "But who told this kid to see right through it? "Do you think... this sort of thing is dignified? "Though a grown man may inevitably suffer an unfaithful wife and an unfilial son, still... still..." As Wu Changzai spoke to this point, his teeth were clenched tight, and his hands shook. He trembled all over with fury, shaking uncontrollably. Right then, Chen Yan, who was still scribbling away, suddenly shook his head. "Such baseless claims carry no weight and are hardly convincing. "Since you speak with such certainty, tell us: who on earth is Wu Lingxiao's biological father?" Fang Wen glanced at him in surprise. This kid was truly shameless. Yet Wu Changzai had already spoken this far and had no intention of concealing it anymore. "That bastard's biological father is—" Before he could finish, a thunderous boom erupted. A stone wall to the side shattered, and a figure strode out from within. Everyone turned toward the source of the noise. Murong Qingchen squinted once more, finally unable to resist asking, "I can't see clearly. Who has arrived?" "City Lord!" Commander Liang's face beamed with sheer delight. Hearing this, Fang Wen found it rather comical. Murong Qingchen had twice mistaken him for Wu Lingxiao, yet now that the real Wu Lingxiao had appeared, he didn't dare recognize him. The others wore varied expressions, dark and uncertain. Only Wu Changzai blinked forcefully, thinking he was hallucinating. But after staring for a few moments, he had no choice but to believe the reality before his eyes: "...Wu Lingxiao?!" *He really isn't dead.* Fang Wen cast a quiet glance at him. With this man's emergence, the web that had loomed before Fang Wen ever since the battle at Autumn Moon Nunnery had finally revealed its true form. And the mastermind behind all of it was Wu Lingxiao. During his debrief with Lu Guiyan earlier tonight, Lu Guiyan had proposed several possibilities. Either the Lu'an Escort Agency was being used as a pawn, or Jinghua Pavilion was repairing the walkway in open view while sneaking across Chencang in secret. At the time, Fang Wen had thought of an unexpected possibility— Perhaps all of this was a play! A play deliberately orchestrated by someone. Especially when that red-robed figure mentioned that Ye Feihua was also inside Feixue City, the likelihood had jumped past eighty percent. With Ye Feihua's mystical prowess—neither flower nor fog—if she wished to bring someone quietly into Feixue City, it would hardly be difficult. There was no need to make it so complicated. Back then, Fang Wen had not yet known that Ye Feihua and Wu Changzai were also in league; he had assumed this was a web woven in collusion between her and Wu Lingxiao. Now, however, he realized that was not the case. The reason she had acted this way was twofold: on one hand, she did not trust Wu Lingxiao, so she would not show herself openly, making an unremarkable small escort agency a remarkably effective cover. By shadowing them in secret, she could ensure nothing went wrong. As for the safety of the escort agency, why would she ever care about that? On the other hand, since she was also colluding with Wu Changzai, she could not let Wu Lingxiao know she was arriving in person, or she would lose the element of surprise. Wu Lingxiao, in turn, had seized upon this, taking advantage of the situation to spread word of his severe injuries so those with ill intent would come knocking on his door. Only, at that time, Fang Wen had not understood: if Wu Lingxiao was the one orchestrating everything... What was his purpose in doing so? Now he understood. Feixue City harbored a massive hidden threat. Wu Lingxiao had used his supposed severe injuries and the Seven-String Ancient Chapter as bait to draw Jinghua Pavilion into the open, root out Feixue City's internal crisis, and gather all the external threats coveting the Seven-String Ancient Chapter here in one place. This scheme could only be described as brilliant. And as the architect of the game, how could he possibly die within his own trap? Thus, Fang Wen had been certain that Wu Lingxiao was definitely still alive. Only... Wu Lingxiao probably hadn't expected Fang Wen to see through the secret Wu Changzai was hiding and raise that unthinkable possibility, which had led to the present situation. There was one other detail Fang Wen still did not understand: Someone had bribed Sun Qian of the Lu'an Escort Agency to sell intelligence to the Fierce Tiger Gang. As things stood, that move seemed somewhat superfluous. He didn't know the reason for it—though at present, that point hardly seemed important. With Wu Lingxiao's appearance, everyone turned their eyes upon him. His complexion looked somewhat pale. Though getting on in years, he remained very handsome. He truly bore no resemblance to Wu Changzai. His gaze toward Wu Changzai was complex. After glancing around the chamber, he sighed. "That name... you cannot say it." Wu Changzai no longer cared about exposing secrets, staring at Wu Lingxiao in utter disbelief. "How could you still be alive? This old man clearly... clearly..." Mid-sentence, his gaze whipped toward Ye Feihua. Yet the moment Ye Feihua saw Wu Lingxiao, her figure had already vanished from the spot. Her Feihua Guidance was bizarre to the extreme; she disappeared without a trace or warning. Fang Wen cast an intuitive glance, but quickly lost her trail as well. If he were closer, however, he should still be able to sense her. Whether she had fled or was lurking nearby waiting for an opening was hard to say. Right then, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, "Today's matter will not end well! Now that we know such secrets, Wu Lingxiao will never let us leave Feixue City alive! "In my opinion... his severe injuries might not be fake, otherwise why go through all this trouble? Why don't we strike together and seize a chance at survival! "If we win, we can discuss who gets the Seven-String Ancient Chapter then!" Fang Wen was taken aback. The Seven-String Ancient Chapter was inside his own robes; what right did they have to discuss who got it? Yet those words stirred a massive commotion. The gathered martial artists exchanged glances, each seeing the temptation in the other's eyes. Fang Wen wanted to explain—after all, this matter couldn't stay hidden—but then someone suddenly roared, "Kill!" The mob instantly surged toward Wu Lingxiao. Chen Yan hastily edged to the side to avoid getting splattered with blood. He was still scribbling furiously, writing with great gusto. Wu Lingxiao sighed. Before he could make a move, Commander Liang and the other two commanders stepped forward to intercept them, and Feixue City guards rushed to Wu Lingxiao's side, shielding him in their midst. Liu Qi stepped before Wu Lingxiao and dropped to one knee. "Subordinate pays respects to the City Lord!" Bowing his head, he did not notice the profound look in Wu Lingxiao's eyes as he looked down at him. He only felt a hand rest on his shoulder as Wu Lingxiao reached out to support him. "Rise quickly. This time, you have labored—" Before he could finish, Liu Qi flipped both palms. In an instant, a layer of frost coated his hands, and he thrust them violently toward Wu Lingxiao's sea of qi acupoint. *Bang!* The strike came without the slightest warning. As the blow landed, intense frigid energy instantly washed over the entire stone chamber. "City Lord!" Commander Liang and the other two were holding off the attackers, never imagining such a betrayal from behind. Looking back, they saw Liu Qi land the strike and immediately leap back over thirty feet, retreating almost to the edge of the stone chamber. Seeing that Wu Lingxiao did not pursue him, Liu Qi burst into wild laughter. "Wu Lingxiao, how does the Great Cold Classic taste?" Before Wu Lingxiao could respond, Commander Liang flew into a towering rage. "Liu Qi! You dared secretly practice the Great Cold Classic and ambushed the City Lord—you deserve death ten thousand times over!" With that, he kicked off the ground, his Clear Frost Falling Snow Palm already arriving before Liu Qi. Shedding his former servile demeanor, Liu Qi countered with a backhanded palm strike. The moment their palms met, Commander Liang's expression warped drastically. As if struck by lightning, he was sent flying backward in an instant. Yet Wu Lingxiao reached out and drew him back, neutralizing the force. Even so, Commander Liang had sustained heavy internal injuries. Seeing this, Liu Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. "You were struck by the Great Cold Classic, yet you still dare use internal force? Aren't you afraid your meridians will rupture and kill you?" "I consider myself to have treated you well. Why do this?" Wu Lingxiao spoke softly, his demeanor unnervingly calm throughout. Liu Qi frowned, faintly sensing that something was amiss. But at this moment, his emotions were too turbulent, leaving him in no state to ponder the reasons. He declared with manic excitement, "Treated me well? A bastard like you usurped the seat of Feixue City's Lord, reducing me, the true Lord of Feixue City, to your chief steward! "What right do you have to say you treated me well?!" Watching coldly from the sidelines, Fang Wen's eyes widened. *There's more gossip?!* Just how much dirt was hidden in this little Feixue City? Wu Lingxiao was not Wu Changzai's biological son, and judging from Liu Qi's words... was Liu Qi Wu Changzai's actual son? Otherwise, how could he claim to be the true Lord of Feixue City? As he pondered, he glanced sideways at Chen Yan, who had somehow sidled over. Chen Yan hadn't even looked up, still scribbling furiously in his notebook. Fang Wen took a closer look and couldn't help a peculiar expression. The previous paragraph read: *"Shocking secret unearthed: Wu Changzai secretly conspired with Jinghua Pavilion to assassinate Wu Lingxiao! All because Lingxiao is not his flesh and blood—does his biological father belong to another?"* And now he was writing: *"Wu Lingxiao appeared, terrifying the heroes contending for the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, who rose in violent revolt to seek life through death. Suddenly, Liu Qi ambushed Lingxiao from behind; upon Lingxiao's questioning, he arrogantly claimed to be Feixue City's true master!"* Seeing this, Fang Wen couldn't resist pointing at the words "ambushed Lingxiao from behind." "He clearly struck his sea of qi acupoint on his front. How did that become his back?" Chen Yan cast Fang Wen a look reserved for the illiterate, paid him no further mind, and went right back to staring fixedly at the center of the room. Fang Wen felt that look strongly resembled the way Huoshao, Chen Yan's donkey, looked at Chen Yan. *So when you spend enough time together, is it really hard to avoid becoming like each other?* Meanwhile, Wu Changzai, still planted waist-deep in the ground, looked at Liu Qi with concern. "Qi'er, are you all right?" "All right? How could I not be all right? Never in my life have I felt as invigorated as I do now!" Having repressed himself for so long, Liu Qi's emotions erupted completely the moment he shed his disguise. Unable to rein them in, his face twisted into an expression caught between tears and laughter. "Thirty years... for this day, I have waited a full thirty years! "I am the legitimate bloodline of Feixue City! I am Wu Changzai's biological son! Yet you, a bastard, usurped my lordship for all these years... "You stole my life! "Wu Lingxiao, you deserve to die!" At this moment, the frenzied martial artists knew this was their final chance. Earlier, they had fought in desperation, unsure of their odds. Now, at this crucial juncture, Liu Qi's sneak attack with the Great Cold Classic had undeniably handed them an unprecedented opportunity. Their assault grew even fiercer! The Feixue City guards and the remaining two commanders were utterly overwhelmed. In the end, an attacker found an opening and surged right before Wu Lingxiao. A man leaped high into the air, his single-edged saber whipping up layered ripples of blade-light as he hacked viciously toward Wu Lingxiao's head. "Die!" Loyal to the end, Commander Liang tried to scramble up to defend him, but the Great Cold Classic had frozen his meridians stiff, leaving him unable to rise. Watching the blade descend, excitement flashed in Liu Qi's eyes. Wu Lingxiao merely sighed and tapped the blade with a single finger. With a sharp *ding*, the blade shattered to pieces. The force of the finger did not abate, pressing instantly into the center of the man's brow. Without so much as a groan, the man flew backward and crashed to the ground, dead. In that instant, the entire stone chamber fell dead silent. Liu Qi's face drained of color. "How is that possible? You clearly..." "Clearly took a hit from the Great Cold Classic?" Wu Lingxiao gave him an indifferent glance. "Relying on an incomplete Great Cold Classic to harm me? "You are being a bit whimsical!" His gaze swept across the surrounding crowd before finally coming to rest on Fang Wen. "Young brother, would you return the Seven-String Ancient Chapter to me?" The moment he spoke, the stunned martial artists turned their gazes toward Fang Wen. They had arrived late, so they had no idea the Seven-String Ancient Chapter was currently in Fang Wen's hands. Chen Yan had sidled next to Fang Wen earlier to avoid getting splashed with blood. He had never imagined Fang Wen was actually the eye of this vortex. Immediately, Chen Yan began stealthily inching away. Fang Wen smiled faintly and drew the Seven-String Ancient Chapter from his robes. Truth be told, he still could not see what magical power this thing possessed to make these jianghu figures disregard their very lives for it. Yet in the very next instant, he tucked the Seven-String Ancient Chapter back into his robes and shook his head flatly. "No."