Chapter 70: East Arrival Cave Master (8)
This was what Song Fu and his group wanted to ask, but having someone else ask it first, they instead looked at each other, and were clearly unaware of what was going on, so how could they answer?
Miao Yi immediately dashed towards the place where the loud noise originated from, and Yan Xiu and his group instantly followed suit.
Song Fu’s group looked at each other, also following behind to see what had happened.
Everyone had reached the mountain gates, and under the moonlight, they could see that the large stone memorial arch that had the words ‘East Arrival Cave’ carved onto it was left shattered to just pieces on the ground. Everyone was shocked to find out that someone had actually destroyed the mountain gates of East Arrival Cave.
Miao Yi suddenly turned his head, and giving Song Fu and his group a vicious look, he said coldly, “Good! I’ve just arrived today, and it seems like someone was anxious to knock me down a peg! Very good!”
Song Fu and his group were taken aback—they understood what the other party meant, but this incident was not their doing. They’d just been sitting together and holding their own gathering, discussing precisely on how to teach Miao Yi a lesson from now on, and had only run out after hearing the strange noise.
At first, they suspected whether Miao Yi and his group were the ones that did it, but after looking at Miao Yi’s reaction, they felt he had no need to destroy his own mountain gates to teach himself a lesson. After all, Miao Yi was the East Arrival Cave Master, and having your sign destroyed right after your promotion was a very humiliating affair.
They had to make things clear, otherwise if they were blamed, they wouldn’t be able to shoulder the responsibility. Song Fu cupped his fists and declared, “Cave Master, this incident was definitely not our doing!”
The others also followed suit in cupping their fists and assuring Miao Yi, as though it was the first time they’d honestly treated Miao Yi as Cave Master.
“Lies!” Miao Yi glared at Song Fu and shouted, “I’ve only just assigned you to watch the mountain gates today, how could you not be aware if someone had destroyed it? It can only mean you let them do it on purpose!”
“This… ” Song Fu stuttered, he hadn’t even been there, and now was not a good time to say that he’d been absent from duty because he didn’t even regard Miao Yi as Cave Master, so he could only cup his fists and respond with ‘honesty’. “Cave Master has just arrived and so is probably unaware, but East Arrival City has yet to send its servants here, so our meals have to be taken care of by ourselves. To sate my hunger, your subordinate had to leave temporarily, but I couldn’t have imagined that something like this would happen.”
Wang Zifa and the rest also cupped their fists and reassured Miao Yi, “Cave Master, we can assure you, Senior Brother Song Fu was having a meal with us just now.”
Miao Yi pointed to the fallen sign and said angrily, “Then are you telling me this fell by itself? Don’t tell me it was blown down by the wind!”
“……” Song Fu was lost for words, and could only raise his hand and say, “Cave Master, I can swear in the name of all the masters from past generations of the School of Blue Jade, this was definitely not our doing. If I’ve uttered a single lie, then let me, Song Fu, die a miserable death!”
Miao Yi’s eyes flashed as he swept his gaze at everyone around him, and said solemnly, “Could it be that someone is seeking trouble at my East Arrival Cave?”
Everyone was shocked—this truly was a possibility, and they began to survey their surroundings.
“What are you all still waiting here for? Don’t tell me you’re waiting for someone to off you in your sleep? Spread out and search for clues, hurry up!” Miao Yi voiced angrily.
“Yes!” Yan Xiu and his group were the first to cup their fists and acknowledge the order, and quickly spread out towards the surrounding mountain forests.
“Hmm?” Miao Yi snorted loudly, and glared at Song Fu and his group, as though asking—since this was not your doing, why are you still not searching? Do you know something?
Right now they had to prove they’d had nothing to do with the incident. Song Fu quickly turned his head around and remarked, “Hurry up and follow the Cave Master’s orders to search!”
They all cupped their fists at Miao Yi, and quickly dispersed.
But Song Fu was stopped by Miao Yi. “Song Fu, you follow me!”
Song Fu was taken aback, he cupped his fists in acknowledgement, then followed behind Miao Yi.
Just when all of them had left, a hazy silhouette, like a watery reflection, appeared out of thin air. It was none other than the figure of the ever-graceful Lao Bai.
He was looking at the fallen stone memorial arch, and lightly shaking his head, he smiled. “The affairs of the world are like a game of chess; a hot-blooded young man should not only have the bravery of a normal man! Brat, I’ve always been worried that you were too kind-hearted, and easily taken advantage of… A boy must rampage with wit, a reckless brute will not reach the heavens. I am now quite reassured.”
As he said this, his figure’s shape oscillated like waves, and he quietly disappeared amidst the oscillations, with not a trace to be seen.
The candles in the East Arrival Grand Hall danced about as Song Fu followed behind Miao Yi and stood still within. Outside, Charcoal had already stood up, and as though sensing something was about to happen, it sneezed loudly.
Miao Yi expressionlessly glanced at his own prized seat, his hands behind his back as he faced Song Fu. He stood there without uttering a sound.
The atmosphere between the two was slightly tense, and Song Fu waited for a moment, before finally asking, “What does Cave Master ask of me?”
Miao Yi asked in a solemn tone, “Song Fu, are you aware of your sins?”
Song Fu had a trace of mockery on the corner his lips. Looking at the dishes on the short table to the side, he said indifferently, “This incident was not my doing, what sin do I bear?”
“I am not asking about this!” Miao Yi suddenly turned around and glared at him. Word by word, he asked coldly, “I ordered you to guard the mountain gates, so why did you leave your post? Do you not regard my Cave Master’s orders with any importance?!”
Song Fu was thinking—what do you think? I never held it in any regard in the first place.
Obviously, he would not say that out loud. “Song Fu has already clarified to the Cave Master. I could not help it, and only momentarily left my post to sate my hunger. I do not want to see something like this to happen as well.”
Miao Yi asked, “Do you think if I were to report this to the superiors, Manor Head and Mountain Chieftain, that they would believe your explanation?”
Song Fu chuckled. “A human’s mouth has two layers, so if Cave Master insists on framing me, then please do as you wish. But Cave Master, please do not forget, I also have a mouth to dispute you, and I am not mute.”
Miao Yi laughed. “It seems as though you really will not learn!”
As he said this, Yan Xiu, Dan Biaoyi and Qiu Shaoqun, one after the other, quickly appeared outside the door. They came inside and cupped their fists towards Miao Yi. “Cave Master, for the moment we have not found any suspicious persons.”
Miao Yi replied, “The suspicious person is right in front of you, why do you say you have not found him!”
Dan Biaoyi and Qiu Shaoqun, as though receiving a signal, quickly moved to close the doors to the hall.
Song Fu was shocked upon hearing this, and he quickly turned around, only to find Yan Xiu already angrily swinging forth his broad axes like a reaper.
Song Fu quickly pulled out the sword he always carried, a cold gleam dashed out from the scabbard, a cling-clang as he hastily blocked.
Dan Biaoyi and Qiu Shaoqun also immediately thrust their spears out, attacking Song Fu in unison.
Yan Xiu and Song Fu’s cultivation base was pretty much equal, so the two of them were matched in the first place, but with the addition of Dan Biaoyi and Qiu Shaoqun into the fray, Song Fu’s circumstances immediately became precarious.
“Shameless thief! To dare frame—”
Being surrounded and unable to escape, Song Fu, who could only wave his sword to desperately come to a draw with Yan Xiu, had not even finished bellowing, before two frantically thrusting spears pierced through his transcendence protection, brutally stabbing his chest.
Song Fu’s eyes widened as he desperately turned his head to look at Miao Yi, his lips trembling—the hatred in his eyes was indescribable.
He finally understood that this was a plot, the mountain sign falling was not just to pin the blame on him, but also to separate him from his comrades and to prevent him from retaliating together with them—the main objective was to take his life.
