Chapter 99: Inn Night Talk

The dim firelight wavered precariously in the profound stillness. The inn was exceptionally quiet. The bonfire emitted a faint warmth, and the flames crackled. In this almost suffocating silence, every crackle was strikingly abrupt.

The waiter was still puzzled, wondering why such a large group of martial arts heroes would be so unusually silent; not a single person spoke.

However, the innkeeper, standing nearby, had already turned pale, his body beginning to tremble slightly and uncontrollably.

Unlike the young waiter, the innkeeper was well-versed in the ways of the world. Although not a martial artist himself, having operated the inn at Fenming Ferry for many years, he was quite knowledgeable. He was fully aware that this was the calm before the storm.

He knew well that these martial arts heroes would fight and kill without hesitation over a single disagreement. While he would feel pained if things were destroyed, it was certainly better than losing his life there. However, he wanted to leave but dared not. In such profound silence, if he were to depart without a clear reason, it would attract too much attention. These martial artists each possessed peculiar temperaments, and if he drew their notice, there was no telling what trouble he might face.

Just then,

a faint voice suddenly came from a corner: "Innkeeper, please go to the back kitchen and warm a pot of wine for me. Waiter, you may serve the dishes. The wine must be warm, and the dishes must be fresh. I'm in no hurry, and neither should you be!"

Instantly, everyone in the inn turned their gaze towards the corner. Three people were seated there, two men and one woman. In the dim corner, their faces were unclear; only their genders could be distinguished.

At that moment,

the innkeeper finally recognized the true source of today's great trouble. He also understood the hidden meaning in the young man's words from the corner, realizing the youth was giving him and the waiter a chance to get away. A wave of gratitude rose in his heart.

"Please wait a moment, honored guests!"

Immediately, the innkeeper grabbed the waiter and roughly pulled the bewildered young man out of the main hall.

Meanwhile,

the main hall remained silent.

The cold wind howled, and a suffocating stillness permeated the inn.

Only the roaring bonfire occasionally crackled, its dancing flames reflecting on everyone's faces, casting an eerie, deathly silence. The cold wind outside blew in a few snowflakes, and shadows flickered. There were also people outside the door, but it was impossible to tell how many.

Suddenly,

a tall, burly middle-aged man broke the silence, asking, "Have any of you heard of Gu Xiazi, the Blade-for-Hire of Linjiang?"

Immediately, someone echoed, "Of course! He's known as Yunzhou's top blade-for-hire, hating evil like fire. No fugitive can escape his pursuit."

"Heh heh,"

beside the burly man sat a sallow-faced, scholarly-looking middle-aged man. He was gaunt, with prominent cheekbones and deeply sunken eyes, appearing as if he had indulged excessively. Leaning on the table with a cup of wine, he said, "My friend, are you joking? How can someone as sinister and despicable as Gu Mo be called someone who hates evil like fire? Isn't he the greatest evil himself?"

"Please elaborate!" a sword-carrying Taoist spoke.

The scholar took a sip of wine, then slowly rose and said, "Are there any good people in the Moon-Worshiping Demonic Cult? Can someone who colludes with Yang Qingtong, who betrayed and murdered her own father, truly be called one who hates evil like fire?

When Master Liu of Wutong Sect led his thirty-three disciples to attend the martial arts conference, they happened to encounter the evil villain Yang Qingtong, who had betrayed and murdered her father. They intended to eliminate this menace for our righteous martial arts world, but then they unexpectedly ran into that Gu Xiazi.

In the past, Gu Xiazi had a reputation as a hero, so Master Liu had no suspicions and warmly welcomed him. Yet, unexpectedly, Gu Xiazi ruthlessly slaughtered them. Of the thirty-four members of Wutong Sect, only two managed to escape with their lives. Is thirty-two lives of fellow martial artists not enough to prove Gu Xiazi's evil?"

The sword-carrying Taoist slammed the table and said, "Evil, indeed evil enough! He's also a contemptible traitor who seeks glory!"

"Not so, not so," the scholar continued. "The Alliance of Trustworthy Heroes investigated and found that Gu Xiazi did not betray the righteous path, because he was originally a member of the Moon-Worshiping Demonic Cult. He had merely been hiding within our righteous martial arts world, harboring malicious intentions and secretly committing who knows how many evil deeds. Now, the Alliance of Trustworthy Heroes has issued a bounty on Gu Xiazi, with his head valued at ten thousand taels!"

The burly man who had spoken first roared angrily, "Damn him, damn him! He deserves to die, just like that vile woman Yang Qingtong!"

The scholar drained the wine in his cup, seemingly a little drunk. He swayed, steadied himself on the table, looked towards the corner, and said, "My three friends, won't you share your thoughts on this matter?"

Everyone's gaze once again turned to the three people in the corner.

Gu Chudong did not move, but her hand rested on her saber hilt.

Yang Qingtong also made no move, but her hand was similarly on her sword hilt.

Only Gu Mo, slowly sipping his wine, remained silent.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and the hall remained very quiet.

The sound of wind and snow outside the door seemed to grow louder.

After a long time, Gu Mo finished the wine in his pot, then slowly spoke and asked, "Has Nie Dongliu arrived?"

The burly man said, "Alliance Leader Nie is a hero of what stature! Do you, a villain, even deserve to see him?"

"Ha!"

Yang Qingtong suddenly let out a mocking laugh, full of derision and disdain. "How ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" she said.

The burly man immediately grew furious, pointing at Yang Qingtong and cursing, "You vile woman who betrayed and murdered your father, what right do you have to laugh at me? Do you know who I am?"

Yang Qingtong said, "Of course I know who you are, Fan Yixiong, leader of the Iron Fist Gang!"

"Since you know me, how dare you laugh at me?" Fan Yixiong raged. "I, Fan Yixiong, have lived an honorable life. What right do you, this vile villain, have to laugh at me!"

"I laugh at your blindness," Yang Qingtong stood up, pointed at the assembled heroes in the room, and declared loudly, "I don't just laugh at you, Fan Yixiong; I laugh at every hero in this room, all of you blind, mistaking true heroes for villains and villains for heroes!"

"Nonsense!" Fan Yixiong roared.

Yang Qingtong said in a deep voice, "I fled all the way from Donglin County to Taian County, enduring hardships, only to clear my name. But the heroes of Yunzhou are all blind, recognizing that despicable villain Nie Dongliu as a hero. My father, Yang Shentong, what a heroic figure he was! Now, he has been murdered by that traitor Nie Dongliu, leaving me alive only to be pursued and killed by all of you. How many of you present here once received my father's kindness, yet now disregard the truth of his murder and come here to kill me, to kill me?"

Fan Yixiong was indeed one of those who had received great kindness from Yang Shentong. Hearing Yang Qingtong's words, he was momentarily stunned, especially after her last two questions, which made his mind waver.

Just then,

from the crowd, a thin, reedy voice emerged: "You vile wretch, you're on the verge of death and still trying to argue! You even dare to spout such wild words and falsely accuse Alliance Leader Nie, how shameless! You truly are a wretched hussy, a lustful slut! Can those villains from the Moon-Worshiping Cult satisfy you?"

Yang Qingtong's face turned ashen. These words were truly vicious. Even though Yang Qingtong was a martial artist who didn't usually fuss over details, she was still a young woman, and to have her integrity publicly slandered was truly malicious.

Gu Mo, sitting on his small stool, could no longer bear to listen. He slowly said, "My friend, in this kind of situation, if it comes to it, people will die. But to insult a young woman with such words, isn't that inappropriate?"

The thin, reedy voice spoke again: "Heh, what a pair of adulterers! You dog bastard, defending that wretched slut like this, could it be that you've taken over Chen Yushan's leftovers? You beasts, you're worse than animals, you probably didn't even spare your own sister..."

Gu Mo hadn't been particularly angry initially, but when he heard the person's words insult his younger sister, Gu Chudong, he immediately flew into a rage. He abruptly stood up and roared, "You cowardly hiding scoundrel, get out here!"

This roar was astonishingly powerful. The inn itself seemed to shake, feeling as if it might collapse. Many felt their ears ringing and their heads spinning. Their chests felt as if they'd been struck by a heavy hammer, their qi and blood surging uncontrollably. Their faces instantly turned paper-white, their steps became unsteady, and they scrambled backward.

Immediately after, Gu Mo swung his right arm, and the invisible force of the Dragon Catching Skill surged forth. An invisible giant dragon seemed to roar and weave through the air, as a long and powerful dragon's cry resonated.

Before the crowd could recover from that mighty roar, they saw a man with a sharp chin and monkey-like cheeks involuntarily fly out from the crowd.

His limbs flailed wildly, his face filled with terror. He tried to struggle but was tightly bound by that mysterious force, only able to let himself be pulled straight towards Gu Mo, like a kite with a broken string.

The man landed directly in front of Gu Mo, his face deathly pale. He swayed unsteadily, as if heavily drunk.

"Shan Zheng," Yang Qingtong exclaimed furiously upon seeing the man. "In the past, when we were in the Alliance of Trustworthy Heroes, I treated you kindly. When you owed three thousand taels and faced having your hand chopped off, I protected you. When your old mother was seriously ill, I paid for her medical treatment. Yet today, you dare to insult me like this?"

"Is this man from the Alliance of Trustworthy Heroes?" Gu Mo asked.

Yang Qingtong nodded and said, "Yes, he's a branch leader from the headquarters."

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "You ungrateful wretch, have the guts to repeat what you just said, right in front of me!"

The man looked at Gu Mo, utterly speechless with fear. He was so terrified that he simply crumpled to the ground.

"Useless!"

Gu Mo kicked the man, sending him flying directly out of the inn's door. While in the air, he spewed blood violently. He crashed onto the ground and rolled a few times, blood gushing from his mouth. Clearly, he wouldn't survive.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Immediately, some people in the inn drew their weapons. They were precisely some members of the Alliance of Trustworthy Heroes who had been with Shan Zheng. One young man among them pointed at Gu Mo and the other two, roaring, "How dare you, villain! First, you slandered Alliance Leader Nie in front of all these martial arts heroes, and now you dare to injure someone? Do you really think there's no one left in Yunzhou's martial arts world? Fellow martial artists, what else is there to say about such a heartless, disloyal, and unfilial villain? Let's go together and kill them!"

Just then,

suddenly, screams erupted from the crowd. It turned out that an unknown group of people had been hiding within the crowd and suddenly launched a surprise attack on the righteous martial artists, catching them off guard. Instantly, screams and angry shouts intertwined. Tables and chairs flew, cups and dishes shattered, and the inn became a chaotic mess.

In the chaos, the attackers tore off their outer garments, revealing the attire of the Moon-Worshiping Cult. Their leader shouted towards Yang Qingtong and Gu Mo, "Hall Master Yang, Hall Master Gu, we have plenty of brothers! Are we afraid of this rabble? Quickly, let's act and slaughter these self-proclaimed righteous hypocrites!"

The man was tall and burly, his face covered in hideous scars. A long saber scar stretched from his forehead, across his left eye, down to his cheek, leaving his left eye blind, a mere dark, hollow socket. His gaze was fierce and brutal, inspiring dread in anyone who saw it.

"It's Faceless Ghost Pang Mingshan!"

"Gu Mo, you dog villain! Yang Qingtong, you dog villain! As expected, you're colluding with the Moon-Worshiping Cult!"

After the burly man tore off the mask on his face, he revealed a grim and highly recognizable countenance. It was indeed a prominent master of the Moon-Worshiping Cult who had been very active in Dongshan Prefecture recently, a branch leader under the Amorous Young Master Chen Yushan, who had been previously annihilated by Yang Shentong.

Instantly, a melee broke out. Throughout the inn, shouts of battle, clanging of weapons, and crashing of tables and chairs intertwined into a chaotic mess. Smoke filled the air, and blood splattered as everyone engaged in a life-and-death struggle in the confined space.

"Yang Qingtong, Gu Mo, you vile villains!"

"Yang Qingtong, you villain, you still tried to deceive us!"

"Kill them!"