Chapter 98

On the thirteenth of July, Shaolin Temple and the Beggar Sect issued heroic invitations, inviting all the heroes of the world to gather at Shaoshi Mountain on the fifteenth of August to explain the murders committed by Murong Fu and Xiao Feng.

In a world already far from peaceful, this invitation was like a thunderclap, striking the hearts of countless people and causing a great uproar. Countless people began to rush to Shaolin with their invitations.

By the beginning of August, the area outside Shaoshi Mountain had clearly become bustling. One after another, martial artists armed with weapons arrived, gathering in groups of three or five, heading towards Shaolin Temple. Among them were relatives of the deceased, major sects and famous figures from the martial world, all of whom came to this place.

In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth of August. The gates of Shaolin Temple on Shaoshi Mountain were wide open, and one monk after another walked out, lining up on the open ground outside the temple, respectfully welcoming the martial artists.

On the vast square inside Shaolin, many chairs had been set up. In front of the chairs, Xuan Ci led the Shaolin monks in welcoming everyone. Keen-eyed people also noticed the new leader of the Beggar Sect, Bai Xiaosheng, along with the six elders of the Beggar Sect and famous figures like Duan Zhengchun, the King of Zhenan from Dali.

"Amitabha!" The compassionate Buddhist voice suppressed the noise of the crowd, and everyone tactfully closed their mouths, quietly watching Xuan Ci. Xuan Ci's gaze was sharp, scanning the crowd, but in the end, he shook his head slightly and said, "Friends of the martial world, today Shaolin has invited everyone here to discuss the matters of Xiao Feng and Murong Fu. Xiao Feng is already in the temple, but it seems that Mr. Murong has not arrived."

He seemed somewhat disappointed, and the others also looked around. Indeed, behind Xuan Ci and the others, they saw a large man, none other than the famous Xiao Feng from the martial world.

In the past, everyone would have respected and admired him, but now...

"Master, Xiao Feng is also a Khitan. Has Shaolin already taken him into custody?" An out-of-place voice rose from the crowd. A few more voices followed, all questioning the matter of Xiao Feng.

Bai Xiaosheng, seeing the increasingly restless crowd, frowned inwardly. He gathered his strength and let out a cold shout, which rolled like thunder, instantly making everyone dizzy and the square silent.

In no time, everyone was surprised to look at this new leader, amazed by the depth of his internal strength.

"Friends, there's no need to repeat that Xiao Feng is a Khitan. We all know this. However, whether Xiao Feng killed Song people is worth investigating. Today, the Beggar Sect and Shaolin have invited all the martial artists to explain the details." Saying this, he looked at Xuan Ci and made a gesture inviting him to speak. Xuan Ci nodded and continued, "Beggar Sect Leader Bai is right. Today, Shaolin and the Beggar Sect have invited everyone here to explain the murders committed by Xiao Feng and Murong Fu. Since Mr. Murong has not arrived, let's discuss Xiao Feng's matter first."

He paused here to let everyone digest the information. Once he saw that people had calmed down, he continued, "At the beginning of this year, the Shan family was killed. Later, Master Tan, Master Tan, Zhao Qiansun, and Master Zhiguang of Tiantai all met their ends, shocking the martial world. Not long after these incidents, it was rumored that the murderer was the Khitan Xiao Feng, which was hard to believe."

"Khitan people are extremely cruel. What's there to doubt?" A sudden voice rose from the crowd, surprising everyone. People followed the voice and saw a man holding an iron shield, with another man beside him, also holding an iron shield.

These were the You brothers from Juxian Manor!

In "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," Xue Muhua sent out invitations through the You brothers of Juxian Manor. Judging by their nature, they were indeed very rigid and conservative. However, given the current situation, the Song and Liao people were in a state of perpetual enmity. Have you ever seen Liao warriors in the Song Dynasty? No, right! The Song people don't care if you're a great hero; if you're from Liao, you deserve to die.

As for their claim that the Khitan were cruel, it wasn't entirely baseless. After all, the annual grass raids by the Liao people had caused great harm to the Song people.

Xuan Ci shook his head slightly. If he hadn't experienced the matter of Xiao Yuanshan, he might have thought the same as the You brothers.

"Amitabha!" Xuan Ci stepped forward, walking to the side of the crowd, and said, "Friends, whether the Khitan are cruel, I can discuss later. Now, I will continue to talk about Xiao Feng."

"After the Shan family was killed, Mr. Xiao Feng had already come to Shaolin Temple, so he had nothing to do with this series of murders."

"Xiao Feng has been at Shaolin all along..."

"No wonder so many of us couldn't find him..."

Below, the crowd immediately began to chatter, discussing Xuan Ci's words. These people naturally didn't doubt Xuan Ci, but even if Shaolin cleared Xiao Feng of suspicion, what difference did it make? He was a Khitan, and his martial arts were high. It was impossible to let Xiao Feng return to Liao territory just like that.

As they discussed, they also talked about Xiao Feng's Khitan identity, which clearly mattered a great deal to everyone. In this era, it was impossible not to care. Seeing the heroes getting out of control, Bai Xiaosheng frowned and let out another cold shout, making everyone quiet again. He and Xuan Ci exchanged glances, and Xuan Ci said, "Regarding Mr. Xiao Feng's Khitan identity, I will discuss it next. Please listen to me first."

The heroes fell silent, only silently watching the people in front.

Xuan Ci stood in front of a few people, silent for a long time. Just as everyone was wondering what he was up to, he finally spoke, "About thirty years ago, an old friend sent me a message, saying, 'Khitan warriors plan to come to Shaolin to steal secret manuals and cultivate Khitan martial arts experts.' Upon hearing this, I was shocked and angry. I immediately gathered many martial friends, including the late Beggar Sect leader Wang Jian Tong, Master Zhiguang of Tiantai, Master Tan, and Master Tan. We gathered to discuss and quickly decided to ambush the Khitan warriors at Yanmen Pass's Stone Valley to thwart their plot."

At this point, Xuan Ci shook his head, with a look of guilt and regret on his face.

"One wrong thought, a lifetime of regret! The people we ambushed were not Khitan warriors at all; they were ordinary Khitan people visiting relatives."

"Master, all Khitan people deserve to die, even ordinary people!"

Clearly, someone in the crowd disagreed with Xuan Ci's words and shouted in dissatisfaction. His words received many people's agreement, making the previously calm scene noisy again.

Behind Xuan Ci, Xiao Feng's face was very grim. They were talking about his parents!

Bai Xiaosheng took two steps forward, his gaze calmly scanning the crowd. His two cold shouts had already made people fearful, and now, seeing his expression, everyone tactfully closed their mouths and stopped talking.

Xuan Ci smiled bitterly and said, "If these Khitan people were evil, I would not regret killing them. But this person was not only not evil, he was also a benefactor of our Song Dynasty!"

The Khitan were benefactors of the Song Dynasty? Was this old monk confused?

The heroes laughed derisively, clearly not believing Xuan Ci's words. Xuan Ci didn't mind and continued, "Just like the Song Dynasty, the Khitan have good and bad people. In the Khitan, there are pro-war and pro-peace factions. The pro-war faction naturally hopes for war between Song and Liao, while the pro-peace faction does not want war, to avoid the suffering of the people. Xiao Yuanshan was the leader of the pro-peace faction. He had repeatedly prevented the Liao Emperor from warring with the Song, saving countless lives. Is such a person not a benefactor of our Song Dynasty?"

This heartfelt rhetorical question left the heroes speechless. Even those who hated the Khitan the most couldn't say anything. Yes, the pro-peace Khitan were the ones preventing war. Saying they were benefactors of the Song Dynasty was entirely correct.

"Could I not regret killing a benefactor of the Song Dynasty for a lifetime?"

The old monk's face was dark with regret, making those who saw him feel a bit of pity. Some people wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but the words died on their lips.

Xiao Yuanshan died unjustly!

The heroes were not fools. They had already guessed that Xiao Feng was Xiao Yuanshan's son. But why did he come to the Song court? To seek revenge?

After a long time, Xuan Ci finally calmed his regret and guilt and continued, "I believe everyone has guessed that Mr. Xiao is the descendant of Xiao Yuanshan. On that day, Xiao Yuanshan was visiting his relatives with his wife and child. We killed his wife, which drove him into a frenzy, and he went on a killing spree. In the end, he spared our lives. Xiao Feng had feigned death and was carried by Xiao Yuanshan as he jumped off a cliff. He woke up in mid-air and cried, and Xiao Yuanshan threw him onto the cliff. At that moment, we were shocked by Xiao Yuanshan's actions and didn't pay attention to anything else. As a result, someone approached and took Xiao Feng away, raising him as a disciple."

"To speak of it, that person was also a senior in the Song martial world, who had visited our Shaolin Temple many times. By seniority, he was my uncle. Under his guidance, Mr. Xiao Feng gradually became a capable person, renowned in the martial world. When I learned of his identity, I was both worried and delighted. I was worried that he would seek revenge for his father and go on a killing spree, but I was also delighted that the evil I had done finally had a chance for redemption."

"Later, I finally met Mr. Xiao and came to understand his character and temperament, which allowed me to put my worries aside. Not long ago, I and Mr. Xiao agreed to reveal the past to the world."

At this point, Xuan Ci lifted his lowered head, gazing at the distant sky, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Xiao Yuanshan, if you are here, please show yourself! I am the leader of that day, and today I will take all my sins to the grave!"

His words seemed to be a soliloquy, leaving people puzzled. Wasn't Xiao Yuanshan dead?