PFC Chapter 96 The Old Alliance Leader
Chapter 96 The Old Alliance Leader
Silence, dead silence.
Before Shen Yulin could say anything, the Xuanzhen Sect leader covered his mouth and dragged him away.
But Xie Yan felt that they might as well say something.
It's not like Shen Yulin turned back twenty-five times with a look of astonishment along the way, the Master of Zixiao Manor turned back fifteen times with a tight grip on his beard as if he wanted to say something but couldn't, and even the Xuanzhen Sect Leader, who was used to seeing the world, turned back to look at them three times.
The only one who could be considered calm and composed was Xiang Qingsheng, who was leading the way and didn't know much about them.
Xie Yan rubbed her temples and turned to look beside her. Sure enough, she saw Chu Ling tapping his palm with his fan with an innocent expression, a smile still lingering on his lips.
...He finally realized that he had used that one method out of countless ways to avoid it. Who would believe that he didn't do it on purpose?!
"Your Highness." Xie Yan took a deep breath, deciding to maintain his image as a straight-laced, unyielding man.
Chu Ling lazily hummed in response.
His voice was a little deep, with a lazy quality, soft and slow, like a cat's paw gently scratching at one's heart.
He turned his head to the side, his eyes asking: What's wrong?
Sunlight fell on his angular face, casting a soft shadow under his eyes that trembled gently with each blink.
A trace of affection, which Xie Yan could not quite discern, seemed to linger in her pupils.
Looking into those eyes, Xie Yan suddenly paused, momentarily forgetting what she was going to say.
Chu Ling wasn't in a hurry; he just watched him quietly, as if waiting for something.
A gentle breeze blew by, bringing a touch of coolness, dispelling the strange atmosphere and calming the restlessness in Xie Yan's heart.
A few breaths later, he suddenly came to his senses, said nothing, quickened his pace, and increased the distance between himself and Chu Ling.
Watching Xie Yan flee in panic, Chu Ling's smile faded, and he thoughtfully tapped his palm with his fan.
This time, the group hadn't walked far, and before Shen Yulin could even turn around for the thirtieth time, Xiang Qingsheng stopped and turned to them, saying, "Gentlemen, we've arrived."
Instead of taking them to the reception room or a room, he led them to a training ground.
The training ground was quite spacious, with various weapon racks on both sides. Swords, spears, halberds, and all kinds of weapons were on display, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
At this moment, there is still one person standing on the field.
The man had white hair and beard, a hunched back, and looked to be about sixty or seventy years old. He wore a long blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back, and exuded an imposing presence.
Even when he heard a noise, he did not turn around.
Seeing this, the group remained silent, stopped, and stood aside.
The old man took a few deep breaths, then suddenly took a step forward. His figure appeared hunched and frail, but his footsteps shook the ground.
Then he slowly began to punch.
The punch seemed light and powerless, and even the footwork appeared slightly hesitant.
But as he moved, the surrounding air seemed to flow with the force of his punches, and the sound of wind breaking could be faintly heard.
After finishing a set of punches, the old man stopped and stood still, exhaling a breath of stale air.
But as he exhaled, his neck and back suddenly slumped, and he began to cough violently.
"Master!"
Xiang Qingsheng's expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward to support him, gently patting his back to help him catch his breath.
"Cough cough, it's nothing." The old man waved his hand.
He took the handkerchief Xiang Qingsheng handed him and wiped his mouth. After regaining his senses, he turned around and looked at everyone.
His eyes were sharp, and though he was old, they were not clouded. His gaze swept over the group of people, finally settling on Xie Yan and Chu Ling.
But he quickly looked away from them and turned his attention back to the Purple Cloud Manor Lord and his group.
He laughed loudly and said, "I apologize for not welcoming my old friends properly."
Upon hearing this, the Master of Zixiao Manor quickly said, "Brother Dongfang, what are you saying? We came to disturb you before the conference, please don't take offense."
As the group exchanged pleasantries, Xie Yan also took a good look at the old man.
Judging from their titles, this must be the famous martial arts alliance leader, Dongfang Shuo.
Although Xiang Qingsheng had mentioned before that the old alliance leader wasn't in good health, it seemed at this moment that it was no minor ailment.
Xie Yan hadn't noticed anything amiss while he was punching, but now that he had stopped, she realized his complexion was quite unpleasant.
Her face was pale with an unnatural flush, resembling the appearance of someone who was seriously ill.
Moreover, when he coughed just now, Xie Yan also keenly noticed that there was a faint trace of blood on the handkerchief that had been put away.
Meanwhile, the small talk among the group was coming to an end.
Dongfang Shuo sighed and said, "I never imagined that Cheng Nanchun would be such a despicable person. If Song Yunzheng hadn't exposed his true colors, I'm afraid the martial arts world would have been kept in the dark for who knows how long."
"Yes."
The leader of the Xuanzhen Sect was also quite disappointed, especially since he had been on good terms with Cheng Nanchun for so many years but had never discovered his true character.
The group was momentarily filled with emotion, but the Master of Zixiao Manor quickly regained his composure and said to Dongfang Shuo, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Brother Dongfang, actually, we have another matter to discuss with you today."
"Oh?"
"Actually, when the riot broke out at the Cheng family, it was these two who helped us, which allowed us to escape this disaster."
As he spoke, the Master of Zixiao Manor turned to the side and raised his hand towards Xie Yan and the other person.
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Shuo turned his gaze back to the two of them.
This time he lingered a little longer, squinting his eyes, and said with a rather meaningful tone, "I see that these two young friends are both extraordinary, but they are quite unfamiliar. May I ask which family's juniors they belong to?"
Upon hearing this, the Master of Zixiao Manor did not introduce Chu Ling first, but instead raised his hand specifically to Xie Yan, saying, "Actually, this young friend is Xie Yan."
"Xie Yan?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qingsheng's expression changed slightly, and even Dongfang Shuo was taken aback.
The two of them looked Xie Yan up and down several times.
Unexpectedly, the culprit who had caused such chaos in the martial arts world in recent months was standing right in front of them.
But the Master of Zixiao Manor remained calm and continued, "Thank you, young friend, and your friends for your courage in the face of danger at the Cheng family and for saving us from dire straits."
"Furthermore, based on our observations along the way, we believe that he is by no means the kind of wicked thief who would do such a thing."
"Therefore, I have come here today to ask Brother Dongfang to take charge and clear the name of my friend Xie in front of everyone."
The other two also nodded in agreement to vouch for Xie Yan.
But after hearing their words, Dongfang Shuo did not respond; he continued to look at Xie Yan with a sharp gaze.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, but he called out a name, "Qingsheng".
A knife slashed towards Xie Yan—