Chapter 21

In the apricot grove, the scene where Jofeng's true identity was revealed was a combination of conspiracy and tragedy. A great hero of his generation, he was often trapped in the dilemma of being Khitan or Han, which was truly lamentable.

Since ancient times, it has been said that beautiful women bring disaster, and the most venomous heart is that of a woman. This is not an exaggeration, at least not for Kangmin in "Demigods and Half-Devils." Just because Jofeng did not pay her enough attention, she orchestrated the scene in the apricot grove, which once led to Jofeng's downfall and left him in a miserable state.

At the same time, Kangmin was also very skilled at using her advantages. She seduced Bai Shijin and Quan Guanqing, using Bai Shijin to kill Ma Dayuan and Quan Guanqing to reveal Jofeng's true identity.

If Bai Shijin killed Ma Dayuan out of passion, then Quan Guanqing's revelation of Jofeng's true identity, besides being instructed by Kangmin, also involved his own calculations.

Quan Guanqing was a person who was skilled in scheming and had a strong desire for power. Revealing Jofeng's true identity, if successful, would establish a high reputation for him in the Beggar Sect.

Indeed, after Quan Guanqing succeeded, his influence in the Beggar Sect surpassed that of the sixteen elders.

At this point, the situation was somewhat unfavorable for Quan Guanqing. He pointed a blood-stained knife at his chest, but it was just a show; he did not dare to commit suicide.

Quan Guanqing chose to take off the cloth bag on his back, placing them one by one on the ground. Just as he was about to open the fifth bag, the sound of hooves was heard, and horses were galloping from the north.

In a moment, the horse had galloped to the edge of the grove. A man dismounted, walked to the leader of the Daxin branch, and respectfully presented a small package, saying, "Urgent military news..."

The leader of the Daxin branch did not open the package but presented it to Jofeng, saying, "Urgent military news from Western Xia. The messenger followed Yi Dabiao to Western Xia."

Jofeng took the package and opened it, seeing a wax ball inside. He crushed the wax ball, took out a piece of paper, and was about to unfold it when the sound of hooves grew louder, and a horse galloped into the grove. As soon as the horse's head appeared in the grove, the rider leaped off, shouting, "Jofeng, the wax ball contains military news; you cannot read it."

The man had a white beard and wore a patched beggar's robe, an old beggar of advanced age.

The two elders in charge of martial arts and law stood up and said, "Elder Xu, what brings you here?"

Jofeng tightened his left hand, holding the paper, and bowed, saying, "Elder Xu, greetings!" Then he opened his palm and presented the paper to Elder Xu.

Elder Xu said, "I apologize," took the paper from Jofeng's hand, held it in his left hand, and scanned the group of beggars, saying loudly, "Ma Dayuan's widow, Lady Ma, is about to arrive and has something to say to all of you. Please wait for a moment."

"Pity, pity."

At this point, with Jofeng's true identity revealed, there was no room for turning back.

Actually, Li Wuchang had considered trying to keep this matter a secret, but even if he had the means, the fact that Jofeng was Khitan could not be changed.

As a modern person, Li Wuchang found it hard to empathize with the enmity between the Khitans and the Han, and he found it difficult to understand the feelings of many in the Beggar Sect.

However, revealing Jofeng's true identity and making him leave the Beggar Sect might not be a bad thing for him. In this era, his identity was awkward, and it would be best for him to stay out of the conflict between Song and Liao.

After Elder Xu, Tan Gong and Tan Po from the Chongxiao Cave in the Taihang Mountains, Zhao Qiansun, and the "Iron-Faced Judge" Shan Zheng and his six sons arrived one after another.

Finally, Kangmin arrived.

After Zhao Qiansun, Tan Gong, Tan Po, and Shan Zheng and his sons had a bit of a ruckus, Elder Xu coughed and said, "Brothers Shan from Mount Tai and the Taihang Mountains, and this gentleman, have honored us with their presence today. Lady Ma, please start from the beginning."

Kangmin had been standing to one side, head bowed, facing away from the group. Hearing Elder Xu's words, she slowly turned around and said softly, "My late husband passed away, and I can only blame my fate. I am even more saddened that he left no children to continue the Ma family line. After burying my husband, I sorted through his belongings and found a letter sealed with hot wax in the place where he kept his boxing manual. The envelope read: 'If I die a natural death, burn this letter immediately. Opening it will desecrate my body and make me restless in the afterlife. If I die an unnatural death, this letter should be immediately handed to the elders of the sect to open together. It is of great importance and must not be delayed.'"

As Lady Ma spoke, the apricot grove fell silent, so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard. She paused and continued, "Seeing the seriousness with which my late husband wrote this, I knew it was of great importance. I was about to seek an audience with the leader to present this letter, but fortunately, the leader and the elders went to Jiangnan to avenge my late husband, so I did not get to see this letter."

If Kangmin's words formally initiated the revelation of Jofeng's true identity, the arrival of Master Zhiguang further clarified the battle at the foot of the Yanmen Pass.

Master Zhiguang recounted the events at the Yanmen Pass and pointed out that the Khitan infant was raised by the farmer Qiao Sanhu. Jofeng could not help but understand the implications of Master Zhiguang's words.

However, he could not believe it and did not want to believe it. He shouted loudly, "No, no! You are lying and fabricating this nonsense to defame me. I am a proud Han, how can I be a Khitan barbarian? I... I... Qiao Sanhu is my biological father, stop your lies..."

Suddenly, he spread his arms and rushed to Master Zhiguang, grabbing him by the chest with his left hand.

Shan Zheng and Elder Xu both shouted, "No!" and rushed forward.

Jofeng moved extremely quickly, carrying Master Zhiguang and dodging to the side.

Shan Zheng's sons, Shan Zhongshan, Shan Shushan, and Shan Jishan, all lunged at him from behind. Jofeng grabbed Shan Shushan and threw him far away, then grabbed Shan Zhongshan and threw him, and finally grabbed Shan Jishan and threw him to the ground, stepping on his head.

Shan Zheng shouted, "Leader Jofeng, let's talk things out. There is no enmity between my family and you. Please release my son." For the "Iron-Faced Judge" to say such words was equivalent to begging Jofeng.

Elder Xu also said, "Leader Jofeng, Master Zhiguang is respected by everyone in the martial world. You must not harm his life."

Jofeng's blood boiled, and he shouted, "That's right, I, Jofeng, have no enmity with your family, and I have always respected Master Zhiguang. You... you... want to remove me from my position as leader, that's fine, I will step down. Why do you fabricate such lies to defame me? What have I done to deserve such relentless persecution?"

Seeing Jofeng's current state, Li Wuchang could not help but sigh. A great hero and righteous man had been driven to such a desperate situation, on the brink of collapse, which left him feeling extremely uncomfortable.

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