Chapter Fifteen: Hiding Evil Intentions

  Who is the traitor

  Hong Shangu spoke up to this point, Yun Xiangtian asked nervously: "Who is she? Is she human or ghost?" He believed that it was definitely a person disguised as such, but he couldn't help asking. Hong Shangu looked at Yun Xiangtian, she didn't answer his question, instead continuing to speak:

  The leaves of spring raised the torch and shone it towards the woman. When he saw her face clearly, he only felt his legs go weak and his back turn cold. The woman's face could no longer be called a face. The skin on the left side of her face had all been turned to the right, leaving only the cheekbone stained with fresh blood. Her nose hung from the flipped skin, dripping with blood droplets. She gently pressed her eyes, which were about to fall out of their sockets due to lack of eyelids, and said resentfully: "Don't you recognize me? I'm Xiang Er! I've been waiting for you for so long!" As she spoke, she floated down from the wall of the stockade. Yezi Chun was shocked out of his wits and ran towards the gate of the stockade. The woman shouted as she chased after him. Yezi Chun didn't dare look back and ran onto the suspension bridge. When he reached the platform on the other side of the gate, he threw the torch at the female ghost behind him with all his might. All that could be heard was the ghost's "Ah yo" cry, followed by the sound of the torch falling onto the suspension bridge. The bridge erupted into a raging inferno. The female ghost was blocked by the flames and continued to shout: "Wait for me! Why are you so heartless? Abandoning me again!" Yezi Chun was frightened out of his wits, drenched in cold sweat, and scrambled back to Lingfeng City. It's said that it took him more than half a month to calm down from the terror.

  After Hongshan girl finished telling the story of Yezi Spring, she looked at Yunxiang Tian and said seriously: "Yu'er, the ghost village is really not peaceful, I hope you don't sneak in privately, lest you get hurt. Auntie is really worried that something unexpected will happen to you? In the future, under the nine springs, there's no way to explain it to Yu Da Ge." The words were sincere and full of concern, which cannot be expressed in words.

  Yun Xiang Tian nodded respectfully, but in his heart he had a different idea. He stood up and said: "Yes, Auntie, Yu Er will not be reckless." He left his seat with both hands clasped together and continued to say: "The sky is already late, Yu Er won't disturb Uncle and Auntie's rest anymore, Yu Er takes leave."

  Yun Xiang Tian returned to his residence, his mind preoccupied with thoughts related to the Ghost Village. From their conversation, it was not difficult to discover that the Ghost Village and An Min Village had a complex connection, yet they each governed themselves without interfering with one another. He also wondered where Wang Yuan Wai's family and the widow of the deceased victim killed by the mountain bandits lived. For an entire night, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, until just before dawn when he finally dozed off in a daze. It wasn't until someone knocked on his door that he woke up, realizing it was already high noon. The person knocking on the door was one of the brothers from the village, who said that the village master had invited him to have breakfast together. Yun Xiang Tian silently scolded himself: "How useless I am, sleeping in until this hour?" Then, he hastily washed up and headed to the assembly hall.

  After breakfast, everyone was chatting idly. A brother came to report that Zhen Shantiger had come to pay his respects. Hong Shangu smiled coldly and said, "Please come in." Then she walked to the entrance of the main hall to welcome Zhen Shantiger.

  Zhen Shantiger walked into the hall, and both sides exchanged pleasantries. Zhen Shantiger then said: "Shan Guzhai master, do you still remember our agreement?" Hong Shangu smiled and said: "Of course! How could I, a junior, dare to forget the agreement with Tiger Master? It's just that I don't know if Tiger Master has found the culprit."

  Zhen Shantiger didn't answer Hong Shannü's question, but instead shouted loudly towards the outside of the hall: "Bring them in for me!" Along with Zhen Shantiger's shout, two people who were tightly bound by ropes were pushed into the room. After they entered, Zhen Shantiger roared: "Kneel down for me!" Then he turned around to face Hong Shannü and said: "Mountain Mistress, I have not disgraced your mission, and have finally caught the murderer who killed Shan Gen's brothers. Today, I will hand them over to you to deal with. I also hope that Mountain Mistress will keep her promise and return my Zhen Shan token."

  Hong Shangu looked coldly at the two culprits and asked, "Was it you two who killed Wang Shan Gen?" One of them glanced at Hong Shangu and snorted, saying, "It was us who did it, what's it to you?" Hong Shangu asked again, "Do you two have a grudge against Wang Shan Gen?" He replied, "No." Hong Shangu's eyes widened in anger and she said, "No grudge? Then who told you to kill Wang Shan Gen?" The man sneered, "We've already killed him, what's the point of making a fuss? Wouldn't it be more satisfying to just kill us off with one knife?"

  The foolish monk sitting beside him slapped the table and shouted loudly, "You damn it! The Buddha can't kill or give birth. Today, the Buddha will deliver you and settle the cause and effect with my mountain master." As he spoke, he raised his Zen stick and was about to rush over.

  Yun Xiang Tian burst out laughing and said: "Uncle, don't be impatient, don't scare your two masters, it will ruin the good things that Tiger has in store."

  Zhen Shantiger was stabbed in the butt by a poisonous thorn and suddenly jumped up from his seat, pointing at Yun Xiangtian and stuttering: "You, what do you mean? Don't spout nonsense! They are the real murderers of Wang Shan's root. Why did you say it would ruin my good deed?"

  Yun Xiang Tian's words not only caused a violent reaction from Zhen Shan Hu, but also left Hong Shan Gu and the monk bewildered. Hong Shan Gu furrowed her brow and said: "Yu Er, what's going on?"

  Yun Xiang Tian bowed his head and said: "Aunt, Tiger Da's master, can I ask you a few questions?" Zhen Shan Hu seemed extremely excited and loudly said: "You just ask, Laozi doesn't do anything shameful, what are you afraid of?" Hong Shan Gu also followed up and said: "Yu Er, you just ask. Humph, if there's something going on, Aunt will take the blame for you, don't be afraid."

  Yun Xiang Tian chuckled and said, "Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Hu Daren. Then I'll ask!" Zhen Shan Hu grunted and turned his head to the side, while Hong Shan Gu nodded with a look of doubt.

  Yun Xiang Tian, who had obtained permission, walked to the front of the two bound men and said to the man with a rugged face who had answered Hong Shan's question earlier: "You're indeed a good fellow, you have guts, you have spirit. You have a sense of justice. I'd love to befriend heroes like you. What a pity! What a pity! But I wonder what the great Tiger thinks?" He didn't wait for Zhen Shan Hu to speak before continuing: "Hero, how many years have you been with the great Tiger? What do you call him?"

  The man tied up was called Po Feng Dao, a single knife that danced with precision. Of course, outlaws loved to hear others praise them as heroes and men of great righteousness. And indeed, Po Feng Dao could be considered a hero - in a year of famine before he became an outlaw, he had used his single knife to kill the ruthless and wealthy Hu Da, opening up Hu's granary and distributing food to the starving people. He was then forced to flee and join the Tigers of Zhen Shan after being wanted by the authorities. Today, hearing Yun Xiang Tian call him a great hero and a man of righteousness made his heart feel extremely pleased. And when he heard Yun Xiang Tian say that he wanted to befriend him, he felt even more delighted. He twisted his body and showed a joyful expression, saying: "I'm Po Feng Dao, I've followed Hu Da for over ten years, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to help him achieve great things - it's a regret in my heart. However, I've lived a life of swift revenge and settling scores, the only thing that would be a greater regret is not being able to befriend you. Alas, today I mistakenly killed Wang Shan Gen, and I know I won't be able to escape death. But if we can meet again in the next life, become sworn brothers, join forces, and rid the world of evil - wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"

  Yun Xiangtian was shocked when he heard that he was Po Feng Dao, a person who could be entrusted with one's life. Yun Xiangtian said with a strange expression: "Brother Knife, you killed the evil tyrant, distributed food to save people, what a heroic spirit, how many good men admire you. But as a chivalrous person like you, why would you do such a despicable thing? Alas, it's a pity that you buried your reputation for a lifetime. If you want to kill someone, just kill them, why steal the sacred object of Hei Hu Feng and leave it next to Wang Shan's corpse, framing Hu Da Dangjia and making him bear the infamy of being unrighteous? Wouldn't that make our Jianghu friends laugh out loud?"

  Po Fengdao suddenly stood up, his emotions extremely agitated, and said: "Nonsense! When did I ever kill Wang Shangren? Stealing the token and framing him is even more absurd. Back then when I was at a dead end, Montiger took me in and gave me a chance. I would have been grateful to give my life to repay his kindness, how could I do such a despicable thing?"

  Just as everyone was amazed, Yun Xiangtian patted the shoulder of Po Fengdao and said: "Brother Knife, you are indeed a heroic figure. I have made friends with you for this life." He turned to face the crowd and said: "Tiger Big Master, how can you bear to treat someone who is so loyal to you like this? Doesn't it make the brothers in the fort feel cold-hearted?"

  Po Feng Dao suddenly woke up and hastily said: "You, you, Shan Gu Zhai Zhu, Wang Shan Gen was indeed killed by me, and has nothing to do with my family's village master. Please, Shan Gu Zhai Zhu, kill me and avenge the Wang Shan brothers. Return our village's sacred object." He spoke and then bowed his head, knocking it loudly on the ground.

  "Alright, alright. The plan has been exposed, there's no use saying more. Let's go back. Don't make a fool of ourselves, get up, let's return to the camp."

  Yun Xiang Tian hastily went forward to support Po Feng Dao, and Po Feng Dao twisted his body and said: "Yun Xiang Tian, you are so poisonous. You always use cunning tricks, making me unable to be loyal to the mountain stronghold, causing our sacred object to fall into someone else's hands."

  Yun Xiangtian leaned on the broken wind knife and smiled lightly, saying: "Brother Knife has something to say, don't get hurt by your own body." Turning his head to Hong Shangu, he said: "Auntie, Yu'er has an unreasonable request, I hope Auntie will fulfill it."

  Hong Shanguo greatly appreciated the chivalrous act of Po Feng Dao, and she also knew what Yun Xiang Tian was going to say. However, she still said: "Yu'er, just speak freely. Whatever it is that Auntie can do, Auntie will promise you."

  Yun Xiang Tian burst out laughing and said: "Auntie, this matter is neither big nor small. Just now it was I who ruined Knife Brother's heroic feat of sacrificing himself for the Black Tiger Peak to retrieve the sacred object, which greatly hurt Knife Brother's feelings. Today, I'd like to ask Auntie to take into account Knife Brother's sacrifice for the Black Tiger Peak and return the command token, so that the brothers of the Black Tiger Peak will no longer be worried about losing the mountain's sacred object. What do you think?"

  Hong Shangu smiled magnanimously and said, "Alright, today I'll return the Black Tiger Token to you in consideration of Yu'er and Po Feng Dao's brotherly relationship. You'd better treasure this Black Tiger Token, it was exchanged with Po Feng Dao's life." As she spoke, she handed over the token.

  Zhen Shantiger was excited and felt like he was in a dream for a moment, he couldn't believe it was real. He took the token with both hands, his eyes brimming with hot tears, and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Master of Mountain Village, thank you, Yun Gongzi."

  On the other side, Po Feng knife made a loud noise and knelt down to Yun Xiang Tian, knocking his head and saying: "Master Yun, I'm an unrefined person, I don't know how to speak polite words. From now on, I'll be your servant, going through fire and water at your beck and call."

  Yun Xiang Tian hastily helped up Po Feng Dao and said: "Brother Knife, you're being too polite. As brothers, there's no need for such formalities." One sentence made Po Feng Dao feel so delighted that he couldn't help but laugh with his mouth wide open.

  Yun Xiangtian looked at the other bound person and said, "Who is he? Why did he come with Knife Brother? Is he also a hero who can insert two knives into his armpits?"

  Po Feng kicked the man and said, "This useless thing is Hu Sancai, who was supposed to be guarding the Buddha's temple. He lost the Black Tiger Token because he was lazy and fell asleep at night, causing all this trouble."

  Yun Xiang Tian was taken aback, thinking: "Hei Hu Peak is heavily guarded with watchtowers and checkpoints everywhere. Who could have such skills to climb the mountain and steal the Hei Hu Command? Could it be that the truth behind Wang Shan Gen's murder will fall on this person?"