Chapter 21. The Beggars of the Open Sect are Curious

The next day, the rumor spread quickly.

It was rampant in the marketplaces of northern Anhui.

Not only martial artists but also those who had a foot in the Jianghu and ordinary people were talking about the blemishes of prestigious families and sects, making it rare to find someone who didn't know about the related stories.

"Have you heard the rumor?"

"It seems you have too. It's just a rumor, though. It's so absurd that it's not even worth thinking about."

Most people dismissed it as nonsense.

But doubts inevitably arose.

"There must be something to it."

"Are you suggesting you suspect the Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect?"

"No way."

"Then what?"

"Ha, you really don't think, do you? Even if the Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect are innocent, people will still say, 'If there's no smoke, there's no fire.' In this situation, the place that stands to benefit is likely at the core of the conspiracy."

"That does sound plausible. This is getting interesting. The Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect will be in a tight spot."

"Not just them. The Tianhua Archive, which has kept its distance from the Jianghu, has been dragged into this unexpectedly. They must be boiling with anger."

Through the rumor, the Tianhua Archive became the underdog, while the Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect were left to clear their names and expose the source of the conspiracy.

"Hold on, isn't the solution simple?"

"Huh?"

"The head of the Ximen Family and the leader of the Qingyue Sect could just visit the Tianhua Archive to clear up the misunderstanding. They could even meet that steward."

"Ah, that sounds good. If the prominent families nearby join in with a neutral stance, it could work out well. They could also resolve to take down the Black Gang or whatever it is together."

"Exactly."

Some people were discussing solutions, while others secretly hoped the situation would escalate.

That night, in the marketplace.

"Munch, munch, smack, smack."

At the entrance of an alley, a middle-aged beggar was sprawled on the ground, tearing at a chicken leg, while a young beggar beside him swallowed hard.

Unable to bear it, the young beggar finally spoke.

"Senior Brother, how does it taste?"

"Terrible. I never thought I'd eat chicken that tastes like garbage in my life. This is a first."

"Then, give it to me."

The young beggar opened his mouth wide.

The middle-aged beggar shook his head solemnly.

"Tsk, how can I, as a branch leader of the Open Sect, do such a heinous act? I, the branch leader, should handle the difficult and tough tasks."

Munch, munch, smack, smack.

The young beggar's face contorted.

"Damn you."

The middle-aged beggar's eyes widened.

"What did you say? Did you just curse me?"

"Me? What curse are you talking about?"

"You called me a damn scoundrel!"

"Senior Brother, you know me. I always say 'damn brat,' never 'damn scoundrel.'"

"Ah..."

The middle-aged beggar nodded, saying, "You're right. I must have been mistaken. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine."

"But, Junior Brother, I strangely become violent when I feel guilty. I don't know why, but I just want to beat up anyone I see. I want to stomp them into the ground."

"Ugh!"

The middle-aged beggar bit into the chicken leg and started stomping, causing the young beggar to roll around, screaming that he was dying.

Just then, a gust of wind blew, saving the young beggar from his predicament. As dust swirled, a small, young beggar appeared, giggling.

The middle-aged beggar greeted him, sucking on the bones.

"Ah, our cute little junior is here."

"Senior Brother, do you know what I saw?"

The young beggar's eyes sparkled.

"Tell us quickly. I'm so curious, I might go to the underworld if you don't."

The middle-aged beggar urged, and the young beggar perked up his ears.

"Those spreading the rumors entered the Tianhua Archive."

"What?"

"Why?"

Both men's eyes widened.

The young beggar giggled.

"Isn't it interesting?"

"Interesting, indeed."

"Damn, what a twist?"

The young beggar's curse made the branch leader stop laughing and glare.

"Why are you cursing so much? Our Open Sect values righteousness. It's disgraceful to spout dirty words. Don't curse in front of me again. Got it, you little brat? I'll beat you to death!"

He was ready to beat the young beggar to death.

The youngest beggar intervened, and the situation finally calmed down.

A moment later, the three beggars huddled together and whispered.

"What is the Tianhua Archive? They're a talented family, and everyone is gentle, like trees or grass. But they're spreading these rumors?"

"Hehe, they're scared."

The branch leader said, and the young beggar smirked.

The youngest beggar's eyes shone.

"It means the rumors are true. Pfft."

"Exactly. Both the Ximen and Qingyue should stop their nonsense. If anything happens to the Tianhua Archive, they'll be the first to be suspected."

"Kya, that's the Tianhua Archive for you. Scholars, indeed."

The three beggars chuckled.

The branch leader rubbed his hands, looking forward.

"If this goes well, we might catch a big fish."

"The Ximen Family?"

"Idiot, who else? I'm worried about the quality, though."

"There's no evidence, no evidence."

"The Tianhua Archive will do something. The eldest son has changed since I last saw him. Anyway, I'm on the Tianhua Archive's side!"

"Me too!"

"One more vote!"

The youngest beggar raised his hand.

***

In the residence of the Tianhua Archive's eldest son.

In the afternoon, Yun and Fumeng were venting their anger in front of their eldest brother.

"Brother, we should use this opportunity to expose the true faces of the Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect and deal them a heavy blow."

"Agreed. We can't let these hypocrites, who pretend to be noble but are rotten inside, go unpunished. They deserve divine punishment!"

Hou Gong had already taken action after spreading the rumor.

He quickly recovered the assets the steward had embezzled and received a report on the results.

The recovery process went smoothly.

If the steward had entrusted the assets to the Ximen Family or the Qingyue Sect, it would have been more difficult, but fortunately, they were stored in the Continental Battlefield, making it easier to resolve.

The Continental Battlefield's manager, when confronted with the steward, did not argue much.

However, not everything was recovered.

Three formation manuals, two scrolls of paintings, and a set of Qinghua porcelain were missing. The formation manuals were Huagong Wangzheng Formation, Bahuang Daojishu Formation, and Liuyang Jiulong Formation.

While Hou Gong and Yun and Fumeng had memorized these formations and could transcribe them word for word, the recovery was still important.

The two scrolls, Meirenduo and Huangshanyehua, and the Qinghua porcelain were invaluable.

Thus, the two younger brothers were expressing their anger as if they had been robbed.

Hou Gong, while not particularly interested in paintings or porcelain, was not willing to let it go. He felt uneasy about leaving things as they were and focusing on his martial arts recovery.

He had his own plans but, for now, he joined in with the young brothers' anger, flaring his nostrils.

"Of course! Filthy and despicable scoundrels. Let's finish them off this time! Now, how do you propose we do it?"

"..."

"..."

Fumeng and Yun, who seemed ready to kill, clenched their lips and fumed.

Their eyes darted around, searching for a solution, but their expressions grew darker.

Naturally.

Unless they were fools, the more they thought about it, the more it seemed they would be the ones to suffer. The Ximen Family's head and the Qingyue Sect's leader were formidable, not to mention the many experts in both sects.

Yun suddenly slapped his knee.

Fumeng's eyes widened.

"Brother, you have a good idea!"

"No, my knee just itched."

"You could have scratched it. Why are you fishing for attention in front of your eldest brother?"

"It really itched. You don't have any ideas either, right?"

"No, I have a brilliant plan."

"What is it?"

"Report it to the Martial Arts Alliance."

Hou Gong, who had been listening, was momentarily stunned.

'Wow... impressive.'

He hadn't thought of that.

"Isn't that what the Martial Arts Alliance is for?"

Fumeng was proud.

Yun's eyes sparkled, thinking it was a good idea.

"Ah, the Martial Arts Alliance. But, little brother, didn't you say that fat guy, the First Under Heaven, died?"

Hou Gong's expression darkened for a moment.

Regardless, the two younger brothers were excited.

"What if that fat guy is gone? The Martial Arts Alliance has many world-class experts."

"But will the report be taken seriously? They say 'crabs favor crabs.' Our words might not carry as much weight as those of the Ximen Family or the Qingyue Sect. They have strong connections."

"Hmm, that is a problem. The corrupt righteous sects are more difficult to deal with than openly evil groups. What do you think, eldest brother... Why is your expression so dark?"

Hou Gong, who had been sulking, snapped.

"What's wrong with my expression! I'm just disappointed in you two! How can you think of relying on others instead of solving the problem yourselves? If you keep this up, you'll always be prey!"

He scolded them, using any excuse to do so. Of course, it wasn't entirely baseless.

He continued, addressing the two dejected younger brothers.

"I'll handle it myself. Let's start with the Qingyue Sect. Tell me what you know about them..."

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The loud bell interrupted him.

This bell signaled an external threat. Three rings meant a warning, not an emergency.

"Could it be the Ximen Family and the Qingyue Sect attacking?"

"Eldest brother, what do we do now?"

Yun and Fumeng's faces turned pale.

Hou Gong frowned, puzzled.

'No way. In broad daylight?'

Soon, Songhua entered with news.

"Master, the Qingyue Sect's leader is here."

"Qingyue Sect?"

"Yes, he says he has something to discuss and is asking to open the gate."

"How many people?"

"Just his daughter."

"Just his daughter?"

"Yes, just her. The young lady Ban Jiaoren, whom you've met before."

Hou Gong, as well as Yun and Fumeng, were puzzled.

Bringing his daughter must be to avoid any misunderstanding, to show he only wanted a peaceful conversation.

"Hmm, we'll see."

Hou Gong stood up, and the two younger brothers followed.

***

At the cliff face on the mountain's mid-slope.

The Qingyue Sect's leader and his daughter, Ban Jiaoren, stood at the cliff's edge.

Before them was a vast sky filled with swirling clouds, and below, a deep abyss.

As a flock of birds flew overhead in a large arrow formation, Ban Jiaoren frowned.

"Father, did we come to the wrong place? This looks like a cliff."

"The entrance to the Tianhua Archive is here. It's just an illusionary formation. The cliff, the sky, and the clouds are all illusions."

The Qingyue Sect's leader replied quietly.