Tu Xiupei’s father had married into the Feng Family. Not many people—only those from the South Winds Nation—knew about this. Furthermore, they had kept this information private, so no one, except their own people, knew that her father married into the Feng Family.
“Utterly shameless!” Luo Yunzhu’s face flushed red with anger. She had seen many shameless people before but never one so shameless to this extreme!
Qi Shujie wiped the blood off his face. He planted himself next to Tu Xiupei and glared at Feng Tianlan with hostility. “The phoenix will always be a phoenix. This cannot be overlooked just because her surname is changed. Junior Sister Pei’er has always been the reincarnation of Lady Phoenix in the South Winds Nation.”
“Lady Phoenix?” The old man scrutinized Tu Xiupei who seemed gentle and kind at first glance, but whose eyes were full of schemes. He shook his head just slightly and turned to Feng Tianlan. She was calm and more receptive, with authority etched between her eyebrows, exuding an unseen royal aura.
The difference was obvious!
If he were asked to guess who the Lady Phoenix was, it’s clear his master was the real Lady Phoenix!
“Yes, Pei’er is the Lady Phoenix that people of the South Winds Nation are talking about…” Qi Shujie told him about Tu Xiupei’s glorious battle against thousands of enemies during the First Tide of Beasts, how she gave her all to stop the Riot of the Demonic Beasts without paying heed to the danger she was putting herself into.
He incited expressions of awe from the crowd. Those who heard this account of his gained deep respect for Tu Xiupei and their blood burned with righteous indignation. His talents were being wasted as the headmaster’s son. He would do well as a storyteller in a teahouse.
Luo Yunzhu’s heart leaped up and down as she listened to Qi Shujie giving his version of the story. She yearned to cut both their tongues out of their mouths with her sword. They didn’t just distort the truth; they were also taking credit for what Feng Tianlan had done.
But she recalled Feng Tianlan mentioning a killer targeting the one with the power to summon a phoenix and reluctantly, she swallowed whatever retort was rising along with her anger.
“Wonderful! That’s wonderful!” The old man found himself almost believing this account and gave Qi Shujie a round of applause. He clapped distractedly and looked to Qi Hongan. “This kid here is really good words. It’s a shame if his talent isn’t nurtured properly. We’re going to lose a viable business opportunity at a teahouse!”
“Grandmaster.” Qi Shujie felt a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. Why did the grandmaster call him a kid? Did the grandmaster doubt his words?
“Enough. You two have been testifying the whole time. Let’s hear from my mas—” Before he could say complete the word, the old man saw Feng Tianlan’s chilling glare. He quickly amended his words, “Let’s hear from her. I can’t judge from a one-sided account. Quick, strike them in their faces with the truth!”
He had been alive for many decades. He had seen every kind of scheme, every vile character under the sun. Between his master and Tu Xiupei, it was obvious who was the righteous one and who was evil to the core.
Alright, he decided. Let’s not reveal her identity just yet. He should support his master discreetly first, or he wouldn’t be able to find out why this brat and this minx were plotting against her to this extent.
Tu Xiupei cast a dubious look at the old man. There was something odd about the way he thought. Why did it feel like Grandmaster was siding with Feng Tianlan?
Gu Nansheng, who watched silently from the sidelines, also analyzed the old man’s strange way of handling this matter carefully. The grandmaster appeared to have an unfathomable affection for Feng Tianlan, some form of respect or high regard as if he wanted to bow at her feet.
Was this just an illusion?
“Forget that. I know my mas—” The old man quickly swallowed the rest of the word as he turned to Tu Xiupei, and said instead, “I know a few things about the Feng Family, so I shall just speak.”
It would be inappropriate for his master to be told by her disciple to strike them in their faces with the truth. It was better if he, her disciple, settled this annoying inconvenience for her as a show of loyalty to his master.
“Master?” Qi Hongan sensed a dark foreboding in the air.
Tu Xiupei knew the grandmaster was highly esteemed. Few people dared to doubt him, so she was certain he be on her side to protect the Flying Frost Pavilion. “May our grandmaster judge this matter for us. I believe Grandmaster will be fair.”
