Why do I have so many masters?

Chapter 165 Every Step is Difficult, There Must be a Bright King with a Sword! (2/2)

The atmosphere in the room became oppressively silent for a moment, as everyone fell into deep thought without speaking. At this time, Wang Anfeng's thoughts swiftly turned as he slightly furrowed his brow, also noticing something amiss. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. He turned to look at Chuan Lian and said,

"Brother Chuan."

Chuan Lian looked up, his face full of panic and confusion.

Wang Anfeng opened his mouth but, seeing his state, he felt at a loss for how to communicate with him.

He couldn't help but feel a sliver of disappointment in his heart.

Meng Yuexue kicked Chuan Lian hard on the shin without holding back, causing him to cry out in pain and retreat half a step, looking at his junior sister with an expression of hurt and confusion. Meng Yuexue glanced at Chuan Lian with a look that spoke volumes of her disappointment and then turned to Wang Anfeng, clasping her fist in the other hand to salute him and said, solemnly,

"My brother has lost his composure, causing you amusement."

"I hope you will not take offense."

"He and I grew up together in the valley and know each other well. What my senior brother knows, this junior sister is also aware of to some extent. If there is anything you wish to ask, feel free to do so. As long as I know, I will not conceal a single detail."

Her words calm, though only fourteen or fifteen years old, she remained composed even in the face of great trouble, dealing with matters without panic, far surpassing Chuan Lian, whose martial arts skills were superior.

Wang Anfeng shook his head and said,

"Miss, you speak too seriously."

His voice paused briefly, as he gathered his thoughts, then he continued,

"I just thought of something."

"Since it was a locked room, how could Wei Qi have died so easily..."

"With the Fire Refining Sect's esteemed reputation and being a major sect in the world, Wei Qi, being the Young Master, must have had guards around him, and it wouldn't be strange for him to have protective martial artists from Jianghu. I'm merely a Lower Third Rank martial artist; how could I have broken through the layered guards and killed Wei Qi."

At this point, Meng Yuexue's eyes sparkled with realization and she exclaimed,

"Exactly! Exactly!"

"Ah, in the panic of hearing this news, I didn't think of that. Even if you, sir, are an exceptional martial artist capable of entering the locked room, Wei Qi was also skilled in martial arts. There must have been a fight. The house of Fire Refining Sect is affluent and surely has many servants and maids. During a clash of swords lasting over a quarter of an hour, did those maids really not notice anything unusual?"

"Indeed, there are many suspicious points!"

Chuan Lian, standing to one side, felt his head was spinning from what he heard. Having grown up in the quiet of the valley, he was naturally a calm person, but now he was in such a state of disorder that he could hardly grasp what Wang Anfeng and Meng Yuexue were saying. All he understood was that the tension lightened somewhat, easing his own anxiousness.

Meng Yuexue took a deep breath as she let out a sigh of relief.

They had been with Wang Anfeng yesterday, and they had also had a confrontation with Wei Qi. If martial artists from the Fire Refining Sect came looking, it could spell trouble for them as well. Feeling more relaxed and returning to her true self, she looked at Su Wenchang, who had fallen into a deep sleep on the bed, and joked softly,

"What a pity that this gentleman has been put to sleep by a single tap of Brother Wang, otherwise we could have asked him about the situation there."

"Eh, upon a closer look, this Su gentleman is quite handsome."

Wang Anfeng felt a bit embarrassed, but he was resolute in his decision to visit the Fire Refining Sect to look for clues that would clear him of suspicion. He could have asked people like Baili Feng or Xue Qinshuang for help, or even gone with Master Fu Mo, but he did not want to drag his friends into trouble. Therefore, he decided to go alone. His thoughts settled, he looked up and said,

"No matter what we suspect, we need to see the scene to find the flaw."

"What are your thoughts on this?"

Chuan Lian blinked, his face showing a sign of reluctance as he averted his gaze and stammered,

"This, Brother Wang, is it really necessary..."

"Right now, there are those outside who think you killed Wei Qi."

Meng Yuexue frowned slightly, raising her voice as she spoke,

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"What do you mean 'Brother Wang killed Wei Qi'?!"

"We were with Brother Wang yesterday and even had a fight with Wei Qi. In the eyes of those people, we're now in the same boat."

"If you're scared, then I shall accompany Brother Wang!"

With a stamp of her foot, Meng Yuexue turned back to face Wang Anfeng, drawing a thin, sharp short sword from her waist and holding it before her. Though fear was evident in her eyes, she was not without a certain vigorous flair, as she called out crisply,

"My senior brother is too soft-hearted, Brother Wang, I will go with you."

"Even if my martial arts are not as good as yours, I can still handle the sword and kill the thieves."

Wang Anfeng nodded slightly and said,

"Then let's be on our way..."

In their urgency, the two of them quickly turned to leave. Chuan Lian remained frozen, his mind conjuring up the image of his junior sister's smiling face and the crisp sound of 'Brother Wang'. His complexion flushed green, and after a moment's thought, he stomped his foot firmly, then hurried to catch up with the leaving pair.

"Brother Wang, Junior Sister, wait for me..."

.........................

Rushing to the entrance of the Academy, Wang Anfeng's gaze grew solemn.

At the entrance of the Academy, there was a several-hundred-meter-long path that led straight to the main road outside, flanked by high green walls on both sides. Because the Academy was the only place here, it was not frequented by ordinary people, and its quiet, secluded atmosphere matched well with the sounds of earnest study.

At this moment, where one's eyes could see, the area near the Academy, usually devoid of people at this time, was surprisingly crowded with Jianghu clients, their backs bearing knives and swords, some with bulging muscles like tigers and wolves, others clad in long robes, elegant and refined. Small groups formed, talking in whispers and eyeing each other with wary suspicion.

The moment Wang Anfeng stepped over the Academy's threshold,

the bustling corridor, formerly abuzz like whispering insects, suddenly fell into deathly silence. The warriors wielding battle axes and the scholars holding longswords, dozens of people whose number was not immediately known, all turned their heads in unison to look at Wang Anfeng and his companions, their expressions odd, as if they couldn't believe he had the audacity to step out of the Academy.

Even Meng Yuexue, who had remained relatively calm until now, had her little face turn pale with fright at this display of force.

Chuan Lian's legs were already trembling, yet he still managed to position his junior sister behind him, his fists slightly raised and Qi Force surging.

Wang Anfeng closed his eyes.

At this time, the people from the Academy had no idea about this situation, and the only person who knew, Su Wenchang, had been put to sleep by Wang Anfeng's acupoint striking, so now, looking around, there were only ill-intentioned people and no one to help.

The youth raised his right hand, gripping the hilt of his Wooden Sword.

His five fingers moved rhythmically.

Gripping the longsword firmly, a faint clicking noise was heard as he slowly drew an inch of the blade.

The people before him were all ordinary martial artists, at most of the commonplace Eighth Rank.

Simply because the fog had not lifted, the experts were choosing to be fishermen waiting for an easy catch, while these people, though only hoping for some soup to sip, were not willing to prepare wedding dresses for others. Therefore, when Wang Anfeng drew his sword, they uniformly took a step back, their expressions shifting microscopically.

The youth held the sword in his right hand, the sword edge pointing diagonally toward the ground.

A circle of sharp Qi Force spread out from where the sword pointed.

Wang Anfeng looked up at these Jianghu guests.

They were faces he had never seen before, but he could discern their greediness. He was framed, and if he couldn't clear his name, he would die on the spot, while these people were only waiting around, strong and robust, waiting to suck the filth from his dead body.

Wang Anfeng suppressed his emotions and said softly,

"I have no grudges with any of you in recent days, no enmity in the past, and I haven't even seen you before."

"There are still doubts about this matter, please step aside."

No one moved back.

But in their eyes, the color of greed intensified, and in each of their minds, thoughts surged.

They just felt that even though the young man before them was an Eighth Rank martial artist, with vigorous Qi and strength,

he had not yet connected with Heaven and Earth; he was like water without a source, bound to run out eventually.

He wasn't unkillable, either!

With that notion, a growing murderous intent began to breed.

Meng Yuexue, who had never experienced a fight to the death, turned even paler because of this murderous aura.

Even Chuan Lian swallowed several times, his palms slightly trembling.

Wang Anfeng closed his eyes in silent contemplation, suddenly moved his shoulder, and the straps of the Sword Scabbard on his back shattered. The scabbard flew toward Meng Yuexue behind him, landing in the hands of the girl who still didn't understand.

The sword sang lowly, rising languorously.

Beneath the watchful gaze of dozens of Jianghu guests brimming with malice and intent to kill, the young man in a blue robe slightly opened his black pupils, tilted his head, and looked sideways at her. His forehead's black hair fell loosely, veering to the side, making his features seem even more gentle. He said softly, with a smile,

"Miss Meng, please do me a favor."

"What, what is it?"

"Please keep my Sword Scabbard for me."

Meng Yuexue was slightly stunned and instinctively held the Sword Scabbard tightly. Wang Anfeng smiled again and turned around, standing tall with his right hand holding the sword, his index finger gently bending to tap the blade lightly. The sound of the sword humming vibrated subtly. The young man began to walk slowly, his aura gradually building. He spoke again, slowly saying,

"I have no old grievances with anyone here, nor any recent ones."

"The battle today is not of my choosing."

"Yet since I am in Jianghu,"

He paused, his face showing complexity, as though enlightened.

Then he laughed lightly:

"Let us enjoy a rousing fight to the death!"

Amidst the laughter, suddenly, golden Buddhist Scripture spread from his forehead, burning fiercely like flames.

The right index finger curled up, tapping the blade lightly.

The resonant sound of the sword,

suddenly exploded!

PS: Second update...