madnovel Chapter 96 Protecting One's Own
Chapter 96 Protecting One's Own
Chapter 95 Protecting One's Own
In front of the Xu residence.
Xu Jinjiang slowly lowered his finger. "The martial arts academy disciples directly arrested my Xu family patriarch. Am I not allowed to intervene?"
"Make a move?"
Lu Bingchen laughed, then sneered, "Xu Jinjiang, have you gotten confused from your seclusion? Or has the fact that my Martial Academy hasn't made a move in so long that you've forgotten some things?"
He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over Wu Zhenshan, whose expression was shifting, before finally settling back on Xu Jinjiang's face. His voice suddenly turned stern: "Liang Cheng is a true disciple of my martial arts academy!"
"Your Xu family is suspected of colluding with a cult to plunder mineral resources, and you even dared to frame us. Liang Cheng, the garrison commander of Dongshan Mine, was just following the law to arrest people. What wrong has he done?!"
"You shameless old codger at the peak of the True Qi Realm, you have the nerve to personally attack a disciple of my Martial Academy who has only been a student for two years?!"
As Lu Bingchen stepped forward, the gentle and refined aura of a martial arts academy teacher vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp and domineering presence that made people's blood run cold!
"Has Linwu City forgotten that the Martial Academy has been established for over three hundred years, adhering to rules and laws, but never fearing trouble, much less death!"
"If disciples within the academy fight to the death or maim, it's because they're not skilled enough!"
"But if outsiders want to break the rules, bully the weak, or intimidate others," Lü Bingchen stared at Xu Jinjiang, his eyes icy, enunciating each word clearly, "then everyone in my martial arts academy, from the dean to the lowest servant, is happy to remind certain people of this—"
'
"The reason why the Martial Academy has stood firm for three hundred years is not because we are good at reasoning, but because we know best how to shut up unreasonable people forever."
His voice suddenly turned cold: "Thirty years ago, the Li family lost a True Yuan Realm elder, the direct line was ruined, and most of the family property was lost. Now the grass on their graves is three feet high."
"Xu Jinjiang, do you want the Xu family to become a second example?"
"No, you're not a True Essence Realm expert, that's too kind of you."
"Whoosh—!"
These words caused an uproar in the room!
Many of the younger generation looked bewildered, but some of the older martial artists and the managers of various families who were gathering information turned pale instantly, their eyes filled with fear.
Martial Arts Academy madman!
Thirty years ago, the previous generation of martial arts academy disciples was training outside when they were ambushed and killed by a direct descendant of a powerful clan.
The then-dean of the martial arts academy, along with three disciples and four instructors, blocked the Li family's gate for three days and three nights.
Finally, the Grand Elder of the Great Clan, who was at the True Essence Realm, died in battle and was forced to hand over all the disciples involved in the matter. The Martial Academy immediately crippled their martial arts, and the clan head also cut off one of his arms and gave up half of his family fortune before the matter was finally settled.
At the time, some people even asked the city lord's mansion to mediate, but when the then city lord came to mediate, the dean of the martial arts academy only gave one sentence in response.
"The Martial Academy is merely seeking justice and revenge for its disciples. Is the City Lord's Mansion trying to alienate the Martial Academy and cause it to part ways with them by interfering like this?"
Ultimately, the city lord's mansion conceded.
Since then, the name of the Martial Academy's madman has spread far and wide, and no one has dared to touch the Martial Academy's sore spot of protecting its own.
Normal competition and sparring are fine, but if someone tries to bully the weak, the martial arts academy will not allow it.
At this moment, Lu Bingchen brought up the old matter again, his intentions were self-evident, and Xu Jinjiang's face also turned completely gloomy.
If today's matter were merely a personal feud between the Xu family and Liang Cheng, and he were to punish a junior, the Martial Academy might have shown some understanding of the situation.
However, now that the Xu family is suspected of colluding with a cult to steal mineral resources, and Liang Cheng is acting in accordance with the law, if he were to forcibly take action against Liang Cheng, it would not be teaching a junior a lesson, but rather openly trampling on the authority of the Martial Academy and provoking its bottom line.
Those lunatics at the Martial Academy are absolutely capable of wiping out the entire Xu family, especially when they have the moral high ground to justify it!
silence.
Repressed.
However, the oppressive aura that had previously permeated the Xu residence was completely swept away.
Xu Jinjiang stood there, his body gaunt and thin. Lü Bingchen stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, but the cold light in his eyes made people afraid to look directly at him.
Liang Cheng stood behind Lü Bingchen, his heart filled with turmoil.
He knew that the Martial Academy usually didn't interfere with competition among its disciples, but he never expected that after entering the True Qi Realm, they would be so protective of their own when outsiders bullied the weak.
Only now did he truly understand the weight of the words "True Inheritance of the Martial Arts Academy".
The Martial Academy showers you with love and warmth, but the essence is that you must be recognized as a successor of the Martial Academy. The true teachings are the foundation of the Martial Academy and cannot be lost.
Leaving aside Liang Cheng's complicated thoughts, on the other side, Xu Jinjiang slowly closed his eyes. After a few breaths, he opened them. He didn't say anything, but turned around, waved to Xu Feng who was supporting him, and then staggered back into the deep shadows of the Xu family's inner courtyard.
His back was hunched, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Xu Feng moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing.
This means that the Xu family has admitted defeat.
In the world of martial arts, the strong prey on the weak, and that is all there is to it. Today, Liang Cheng learned another lesson, and then buried all his insights in his heart.
Liang Cheng wanted to thank Lü Bingchen, but Lü Bingchen gestured to him with his eyes not to do anything, and then, ignoring everyone present, drifted away.
At this moment, Liang Cheng issued orders to his personal guards.
"Surround the Xu family's residence. No one is allowed to enter or leave until this case is thoroughly investigated."
"yes!"
When Liang Cheng escorted the seriously injured Xu Tianxing away from the Xu residence, the entire long street was silent. Everyone watched the young figure in black with a sword on his back, their eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions.
Wu Zhenshan left in a hurry.
This development was unexpected and needs to be reported as soon as possible.
Deputy City Lord's Mansion.
"Snapped!"
A fine celadon teacup was smashed to pieces on the ground.
Situ Lang's face was gloomy as he looked at Wu Zhenshan, who stood below with his head bowed.
"waste!"
He rarely lost his composure like this, but today's events truly infuriated him.
"I told you to clean up that Xu family's supply chain long ago, and this is how you cleaned it up?! Leave behind the invoices, leave behind witnesses, and even have them pull them out in public?! What is your Military Equipment Hall doing?!"
Wu Zhenshan's forehead was covered in cold sweat: "This subordinate has failed in his duty. That Second Hand was hidden too well; our men haven't been able to find him—"
"Didn't you touch it? Then how did Liang Cheng touch it?!"
Situ Lang sneered, "He's only been back in the city a few days, and he's already managed to dig up the Xu family's dirty laundry? Is this how the Martial Academy operates?!"
He stood up and paced around the study.
The Martial Academy always operates by having evidence in hand and striking swiftly to convict someone. They rarely resort to tricks like hiding evidence beforehand and then revealing it at a crucial moment.
"Behind Liang Cheng, there are probably more than just the Martial Academy."
Situ Lang stopped in his tracks, a cold glint in his eyes. "I'm afraid someone is using this opportunity to push the Xu family forward, both to curry favor with the Martial Academy and Liang Cheng, and to cleanly and efficiently sever our connection with the Zoroastrian Church. Killing two birds with one stone, a brilliant tactic."
Wu Zhenshan asked cautiously, "Then who does the gentleman suspect?"
Situ Lang's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Qian Wanjin of Jubao Pavilion is adept at playing both sides and selling favors is his specialty."
"That young man from the Lu family, Lu Qingzhou, is close to Liang Cheng. The Lu family has been trying to leverage the power of the Martial Academy for quite some time."
O
"Even the one in the city lord's mansion, who has always wanted to reorganize the Armed Forces Hall, might use Liang Cheng as a tool to cut off one of my hands. It's not impossible."
He rubbed his temples: "But whoever it is, this technique is too clean, not like a novice. There are probably still big fish lurking beneath the waters of Linwu City that we haven't caught yet."
"The Xu family is already a discarded pawn, so there's no need to worry about them anymore. Let's make sure we clean up any mess ourselves. After that, you can thoroughly investigate how Liang Cheng obtained that evidence."
"If all else fails, let those people take action. Since they dared to rob the mine, they should be prepared to sacrifice some of their manpower. In any case, we can't be implicated."
"yes!"
The Qiao residence, the mourning hall.
Qiao Zhi is back.
Dressed in plain white, her face as pale as paper, her eyes red and swollen, she was supported by a maid as she walked, and her lower abdomen was already slightly protruding.
She knelt before the coffin, not wailing, but staring blankly at her mother's memorial tablet, her eyes empty, as if her soul had been taken away.
Yang Wei sat on a small stool beside her, also without saying a word, simply burning paper money silently.
The father and daughter were separated by less than five feet, yet it seemed as if an invisible chasm separated them.
One felt guilty but didn't know how to speak.
-
One was utterly despondent, a mixture of resentment and bewilderment.
Liang Cheng stood outside the mourning hall, watching this scene, and remained silent for a moment before ultimately not going in.
Some knots in one's heart need time to untie; interference from outsiders can actually make things worse.
He instructed Zhao Yuan to leave some men to help look after the situation, and also ordered someone to guard the gate of the Qiao residence, just in case.
Late at night, at the Mingxin Pavilion of the Martial Arts Academy.
"Student Xie Fuzi stepped in to defend us today."
Liang Cheng bowed respectfully to Lü Bingchen.
Lu Bingchen waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, his face already regaining its usual gentleness.
"No need to thank me. You are a true disciple of the Martial Academy, and it is only natural for the Martial Academy to protect you. The Martial Academy did not intervene in the matter of the River-Turning Dragon, so do not hold a grudge."
"Without true qi, you are ultimately not a true disciple of the Martial Academy. We are aware of the bullying you suffered after entering the Martial Academy. As long as it is not direct murder, the Martial Academy will not interfere."
"The Martial Academy's patriarch once said, 'If you're a prodigy, then fight your way out. If you can't show yourself, then you're not a prodigy!'"
With that, he poured himself a cup of tea and pushed it toward Liang Cheng. "But from today onward, you'll need to be more careful, since you were still a bit reckless."
Liang Cheng took the teacup and nodded, "I understand, but today's situation is special. My master has never asked for this before, so how can I not protect him?"
"Your sincerity is commendable, but next, you must ensure this is an ironclad case." Lu Bingchen looked at him, his expression becoming more serious.
"Don't worry, Master, but I have a feeling that something is not right about this matter, as if there is a dark hand pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"It's good that you're so vigilant. In that case, I have a suggestion, but I don't know if you'll take it in."
"Please speak, Master."
"Don't go back to Dongshan Mine for now."
Lu Bingchen said directly, "The Dongshan Mine robbery is too complicated now, with various forces involved. You are now at the center of the vortex. Going to the Dongshan Mine would only increase the danger."
"But mining—"
"The mining operations will be taken over by the Martial Academy and the City Lord's Mansion. Your share of the allowance will be paid. To be honest, we didn't expect you to do such a good job. It's fine if you don't go now."
"That's what the dean thinks too. You're too sharp and need to step back for a while to calm down and digest your emotions. Besides, you should focus all your energy on dealing with the Xu family in case something goes wrong."
He paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Liang Cheng, you have exceptional talent and a decisive nature, which is a good thing, but the path of martial arts is not something that can be achieved with mere momentary courage."
"Your foundation in the True Qi Realm is already extremely solid. If you calm down and step outside the situation, you might see things even more clearly."
"Disciple understands."
"Go ahead and investigate the Xu family matter thoroughly. That way, we can have a clear explanation to the outside world."
"Yes."
The Martial Arts Academy prison.
When Xu Tianxing woke up, he found that his acupoints had been sealed, and his cultivation was restricted. He was in pain all over his body and couldn't help but groan.
At this moment, a mysterious person wearing a cloak appeared outside the prison door. Xu Tianxing looked up and saw the person, and his expression changed.
The mysterious man didn't say a word, but simply threw in a dagger. At that moment, a sound came from the dungeon, and he immediately hid in the shadows and soon disappeared from the dungeon.
The next day, early in the morning.
A message spread throughout Linwu City.
Xu Tianxing committed suicide out of fear of punishment while in the martial arts academy prison!
He died in a solitary confinement cell in the Military Equipment Hall prison.
When the guards found him, he was already leaning against the cold stone wall, a three-inch-long black dagger stuck in his chest, the blade completely submerged, blood soaking through his coarse prison clothes, congealing into a dark red pool on the ground.
He gripped the dagger hilt in his right hand, and with his left hand outstretched, lay a suicide note written in blood. The handwriting was hasty, yet powerful, each stroke carrying the trembling and resolute determination of someone on the verge of death.
"The last words of the sinner Xu Tianxing:"
Driven by greed, I colluded with the Zoroastrian cult, stole mineral resources from Dongshan, and framed the Qiao family. My sins are heinous and deserve a thousand deaths to atone for.
Now that my crime has been exposed, I have no face to live on. The only way out is death to atone for my sins.
The Xu family's century-old legacy has been destroyed by my own hands, a pain that pierces my heart.
However, most of the elderly, women, and children in the clan were innocent.
We earnestly request the City Lord's Martial Academy to consider the Xu family's generations of contributions to Linwu and grant them leniency, allowing the Xu family to continue its lineage.
The sinner Xu Tianxing kowtows and bows twice, hoping to atone for his sins even in the afterlife.
When the news reached the Martial Arts Academy, Liang Cheng immediately went to the prison.
How could Xu Tianxing have died in just one night?
Upon arriving outside the prison, Wu Zhenshan and Shen Wenyuan appeared together. Wu Zhenshan's face was grim, while Shen Wenyuan nodded slightly to Liang Cheng.
Wu Zhenshan glanced at Liang Cheng, his tone unfriendly: "Xu Tianxing committed suicide in prison. What happened? Where are the guards?"
Shen Wenyuan then took over the conversation, asking the jailer beside him, "When did this happen? And how did he die?"
Liang Cheng took the detailed report handed to him by the jailer and said as he read it, "It should have been around midnight last night when he stabbed himself in the heart with a short dagger and died on the spot. He also left a letter written in blood."
Wu Zhenshan glanced at Liang Cheng. "Liang Zhenchuan, you personally escorted Xu Tianxing to prison. Did you search him before he entered the cell?"
The question was asked casually, but the meaning was self-evident. Liang Cheng looked up at him and said, "Of course we searched. The jailers and my personal guards checked the items together. Apart from clothing, there was nothing else."
"Where did this dagger come from?"
Wu Zhenshan pressed on, "Could it just appear out of thin air?"
Shen Wenyuan then spoke softly, "Treasurer Wu, Liang Zhenchuan is only responsible for escorting the goods. Does he have to check the prison every day? In my opinion, the most urgent task is to find out the source of the dagger, who was on duty last night, and whether there were any oversights."
Wu Zhenshan was stumped by these words, and his expression turned sour, but he still insisted: "Then we will gather all the guards who were on duty last night and interrogate them separately to check where the dagger came from. I don't want the reputation of the Martial Academy to be tarnished because of this, so as to show fairness."
After saying that, the three of them went to the prison together, looked at Xu Tianxing who was already lifeless, and fell silent.
The three investigated but found nothing unusual. After the coroner examined the body, there was still no evidence. Xu Tianxing had indeed committed suicide.
At this moment, Liang Cheng took the initiative to speak, looking at Wu Zhenshan: "Although Xu Tianxing is dead, the case is not over yet. It concerns the Zoroastrianism, and we cannot wipe the slate clean just because one person died."
Wu Zhenshan's eyes darkened.
Shen Wenyuan then took over the conversation, continuing, "What Liang Zhenchuan said makes sense. Xu Tianxing confessed his crimes and committed suicide because he knew his crimes were unforgivable, but the network behind him still needs to be thoroughly investigated. As for the Xu family—"
He paused, then looked at Liang Cheng: "Since Xu Tianxing has been executed, and his blood-written letter was earnest, there are indeed many members of the Xu family, young and old, who are unaware of the truth."
According to the law, the principal offender is dead, and the accomplices should be prosecuted. However, the Xu family has indeed rendered meritorious service to Linwu City, so it is not appropriate to implicate too many others. What does Liang Zhenchuan think?
Liang Cheng remained silent for a moment.
He knew what Shen Wenyuan was implying: with Xu Tianxing dead, many clues were lost.
Further investigation may implicate not only the Xu family, but also touch upon deeper issues within Linwu City.
However, the Xu family is a century-old family with deep roots in the city. If they are truly wiped out, the backlash will be significant.
Xu Tianxing's choice to commit suicide was probably to protect his family.
"Debts are settled upon death."
Wu Zhenshan suddenly spoke, his tone softening, "Since Xu Tianxing has confessed and been executed, the main culprit in this case is clear. The remaining assets of the Xu family can be confiscated as a warning to others. As for the other clansmen, if there is no concrete evidence of their involvement, then we shall deal with them as Lord Shen suggested."
He looked at Liang Cheng, a conciliatory smile appearing on his face: "Young and promising, Master Liang must also understand that everything in excess is as bad as deficiency. The Xu family has already paid the price, and it's time to stop."
Both men's eyes fell on Liang Cheng, with a hint of worry in Shen Wenyuan's eyes. He was afraid that Liang Cheng, being young and impetuous, would insist on pursuing the matter to the end, which would only put him in the spotlight.
But to my surprise, Liang Cheng just nodded.
"Can."
He only said one word, and Shen Wenyuan was slightly taken aback, then his eyes showed admiration.
Wu Zhenshan also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Liang Zhenzhen is truly a talented and insightful person. In that case, I will take my leave to handle the follow-up matters."
"I will go as well."
Shen Wenyuan stood up and nodded to Liang Cheng, "Master Liang, you handled this matter well. After the Xu family's property is confiscated, the City Lord's Mansion will calculate the amount according to the law. You will receive your share without any shortfall."
"Thank you, Lord Shen."
The two left one after the other.
Zhao Yuan entered from outside at this moment, his face somewhat pale, and said in a low voice, "Senior brother, it was my oversight. I should have sent another team to keep a close watch on the cell last night—"
"It's none of your business."
Liang Cheng interrupted him and patted him on the shoulder, telling him not to feel too much pressure.
"Since someone is determined to kill Xu Tianxing, it's impossible to prevent. After all, the person behind this has extraordinary connections to easily smuggle a dagger into the Martial Academy's prison."
This is a martial arts academy; one can imagine the strength of the opponent to have achieved such a feat.
He walked to the window and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside.
"Moreover, Xu Tianxing is a smart man. He knew he was going to die and that the Xu family couldn't keep all of its assets, so he used his life to save the family."
"The phrase 'add bricks and tiles' in the blood-written letter wasn't meant for us, but for all the noble families in Linwu City, and for the elders in the City Lord's Mansion."
Zhao Yuan immediately understood Liang Cheng's meaning. No wonder Liang Cheng did not pursue the matter further. The Martial Academy held a superior position, but it could not go too far.
It’s too late.
Some things are better left unsaid.