Chapter 6

Maple Forest City is located in Qinghe County. In terms of scale, it ranks last among the thirteen cities in the county, just ahead of Maocai City.

The head of the Dao Academy in such a city is usually a middle-rank Sixth Rank Daoist. Dong A, with his Fifth Rank cultivation, presiding over the Maple Forest Dao Academy, inevitably sparked rumors that he had offended someone in Zhuangdu.

But for the disciples of the Maple Forest Dao Academy, this was undoubtedly a good thing.

"So, apart from Fang Decai's testimony, before this duel, you cannot provide concrete evidence that Fang Pengju personally arranged the attack to kill you and steal your pill?" Dong A, dressed in a black Daoist robe, sat on a cushion in a quiet room.

Behind him, a portrait hung on the wall, depicting a Daoist in a noble purple robe, finely detailed and lifelike, but his face was obscured by a mist, making it hard to see clearly.

Jiang Wang stood humbly before the head, and upon hearing the question, he replied in as calm a tone as possible, "I know it was him, and that is enough. As for irrefutable evidence, he would naturally provide it before his death, and he did not disappoint."

Dong A knew he was referring to the Pulse-Opening Pill that Fang Pengju had taken.

"Was it too hasty and reckless?"

"Originally, I should have taken my time, gathered evidence, and waited for the Dao Academy to make a decision. However, in two days, the time for selecting Inner Academy students will arrive. Since Fang Pengju has already shown his Dao Pulse, he will definitely become a disciple of the head. Time was tight, so I had to take a risk. Jiang Wang dares to kill Outer Academy students, but he does not dare to kill the head's disciples."

The Outer Academy is just a preparatory stage; the Inner Academy students are the true disciples of the Dao Academy!

While speaking, Jiang Wang kept his head lowered, showing the humility and propriety expected of a disciple.

But what flashed through his mind was the sword cry that came from the west outside the Zhenzhen Temple!

That man named Li Yi had beheaded a formidable figure like Zuo Guanglie with a single sword strike. Why go through so many twists and turns?

Compared to the battle outside the Zhenzhen Temple, how weak was he! How weak was his sword technique!

Where was the time to dilly-dally, seeking a perfect way to slowly deal with Fang Pengju in the Dao Academy?

Moreover, if not for today's direct sword challenge, using other methods, he would not have had the advantage of being backed by the Fang family of Maple Forest!

"If the Pulse-Opening Pill used by Fang Pengju was stolen from you, then where did your Pulse-Opening Pill come from?"

Here it comes.

Jiang Wang's heart tightened slightly, but he showed no sign on his face. The battle outside the Zhenzhen Temple, even if no one dared to approach due to the overwhelming power of the participants, would inevitably be investigated afterward. Besides, Gongyang Bai and others set up an array within the borders of Zhuang, and they must have communicated with the powerful figures of Zhuang in advance. Even if Zhuang is a small country, it still has its dignity!

As the strongest figure in Maple Forest City, Dong A could not have been unaware of that battle.

Fortunately, Jiang Wang had no secrets in this matter. In a world with extraordinary powers, the traces he left could not be hidden.

He then described everything he had heard and experienced as objectively as possible, without any subjective bias. This included his physical condition, his thoughts and decisions, and how he retrieved the Pulse-Opening Pill from the模糊的血肉中，以及最后掩埋那些尸体的过程。

唯独略过了虚钥的事情。

在讲述过程中，除了眼中一闪而逝、喷薄欲发的愤怒，董阿始终保持着沉默。

姜望当然知道这愤怒源自何处。

枫林城郊外，真观外，这是庄国的国土！而来自秦楚的强大修者，在此悍然交战，毫无顾忌。整个枫林城甚至清河郡，也没有人敢干涉这场战斗。对庄国修者而言，这本身就是莫大的耻辱。

董阿之所以压抑这种愤怒，无非是不想暴露庄国的孱弱，避免影响弟子修行的信心。

他应该是一位好院长。

姜望默默地观察着这位将在很长一段时间内主导他修行之路的中阶强者——在此之前他从未有过这样的机会。

一边观察总结一边叙述完了早已打好腹稿的经历。

“你的脉丹来历清楚，我查阅过你在外门时的历次任务履历，有分寸，也有决断，算是难得。”董阿淡淡地扫了姜望一眼，说道：“以后在我面前，可以自称弟子。”

姜望心弦顿松，心知这关已经过去。并且他已经得到了枫林道院院长的认可，直接选入内院。

他两拇指交叉，左手在外，右手在内，负阴抱阳握拳举至胸前，微微颔首，礼道：“谢恩师。”

儒门讲究天地君亲师，而对道门而言，师更在君亲之前，因为师者传道，是阐述大道之人。

对所有的枫林道院内院弟子来说，董阿便是他们的恩师。

董阿双眸微闭，不再多说，“去吧。”

从院长打坐静室出来，与一直守在外面的凌河、赵汝成并肩而行。

三人都没有说话，气氛低沉。

姜望回来了，方鹏举却死了，“枫林五侠”仍是名存实亡。

杜野虎既然没有出现在这里，那一定是躲在哪喝酒去了。这些人里，他看起来大大咧咧，但遇到这种事，他大概也是最无法面对的。无论骂得多狠心里多恨，也无法抹去曾视方鹏举如亲兄弟的事实。

作为老大哥，凌河最先打破沉默：“你们先回宿舍，我还得把鹏举的尸体送回方府。”

枫林道院外门弟子是六人一舍，枫林五侠因为意气相投，索性搬到了同一舍里。其他人也进不了这个圈子，所以他们一直是五人住一舍。

姜望没有说话。

凌河就是这样的性格。无论方鹏举有多少不是，他也不可能不管他的尸体。

“还在恨老四吗？”凌河问。

“不要再老四老四的叫了。”赵汝成俊美的脸上露出一丝厌弃，“我耻于谈论这种谋害兄弟、卑鄙歹毒的人。”

相比年龄，凌河的面容过于老成，这大概也是他更容易得到信任的原因。在五人中，他一直扮演着老大哥的角色，对几个弟弟多有关照。

也因其稳重成熟的一面，让人常常忽视了，他其实也才十九岁，只比姜望大两岁，比赵汝成大三岁罢了。

只是穷人的孩子早当家。

看着凌河有些为难的脸色，姜望摇了摇头，出声道：“其实我不恨他。只恨我自己傻，太容易就付出信任。恨我错信罢了。”

尽管姜望表现得如此平静，凌河还是听出了那一丝无法释怀的怨气。

“信任是这个世界上最美好的事情之一。信任没有错，姜望。”我们的老大哥这样说道，“错的是那个辜负你信任的人。”

他没有再说下去，但他殷切的眼神又这样说道：

我们之间的兄弟感情也没有错，更不掺假。错的、假的，只是那个背弃这一切的人。只是方鹏举。

所以他才要把方鹏举的尸体送回去，让他不至于死后没有着落。这并非是出于对方鹏举的认可或者同情，而仅仅是对几人之间曾经拥有、以后也不应当改变的兄弟之情的尊重和维护。

这就是老大哥，这就是凌河啊。

不管暴躁如杜野虎，又或傲慢如方鹏举，都心甘情愿叫他老大，又岂止是因为年龄？

“你去吧，老大。人已经死了，恩怨两消。”姜望耸了耸肩，“不过我可做不到陪你去。”

“我更做不到。”赵汝成也冷不丁道。

“你小子！”凌河拍了拍赵汝成的肩，又深深地看了姜望一眼，便转身离去了。