Chapter 111: The Right Hand of Meng Cangsheng

Meng Cang-sheng spread his palms wide and declared, "For anyone who understands martial arts, just one look at my palms is enough to tell the truth!"

Everyone was stunned. Even those with no martial arts background, including the refined and physically frail Prince Li Xian, could see that Meng Cang-sheng was certainly not the "Left-Handed Sword Demon."

Meng Cang-sheng’s left palm was smooth and fair as jade, without a single blemish. His right palm, however, was covered in a dense array of calluses and thick, toughened skin. The webbing between his thumb and index finger was marked by an exceptionally prominent, yellowish callus. It was clear that these were the marks of a lifetime of sword training with his right hand; how could he possibly be the infamous left-handed demon?

Seeing that it was impossible for Meng Cang-sheng to be a left-handed swordsman, the heavy stone in Li Xian’s heart finally fell. He immediately turned indignant, glaring at the brothers Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi.

"Why use a martial artist’s standards to judge this? Even I can tell that Daoist Meng is clearly a right-handed swordsman. Aren't you two being far too suspicious?" Li Xian thought to himself that if Meng Cang-sheng had truly been the sword demon, he himself would have been implicated. What were these two trying to achieve?

Seeing that the situation was settled, Meng Cang-sheng withdrew his hands, stood up in a huff, and said coldly, "It seems I have come to the wrong place today." He offered a sharp bow and declared, "Farewell!" With that, he turned to leave.

Wu Sansi had not expected the Daoist to be so unyielding, and he stood there, feeling incredibly awkward. Wu Chengsi, however, cast a deep, silent look at Meng Cang-sheng. He signaled quietly to a captain of the guards beside him, who immediately understood and stepped forward.

"Stop!" A thunderous shout echoed through the courtyard. "You bold demon! The Prince, the Princess, the Nayan, and the Minister are all present—how dare you be so insolent? Guards, seize him!"

With that, he and the guards rushed toward Meng Cang-sheng. With a metallic clang, they drew their swords, launching into a lethal, no-holds-barred assault.

Li Xian was shocked. He never expected things to escalate to such a point during the New Year festivities. Just as he stood up to intervene, Princess Wei tugged at his sleeve. "Do not move!"

Li Xian was confused, but seeing that Daoist Xiao, Wu Chengsi, and Wu Sansi remained seated as if nothing had happened, he suppressed his doubts and sat back down.

By now, Meng Cang-sheng was engaged with the guards. Being unarmed, he was initially at a disadvantage. While the guards had orders from their captain, they realized this Daoist was no ordinary man and held back, not wanting to go for the kill. The captain, however, seemed intent on felling Meng Cang-sheng right there, aiming every strike at vital points.

Meng Cang-sheng grew angry. Disregarding the presence of high-ranking officials and royalty, he waited for a guard to get close, then chopped down firmly on the man’s wrist. The guard cried out in pain as his sword clattered to the ground. Meng Cang-sheng snatched the blade with his right hand just as the captain’s sword swung toward him.

He parried—clang! He flicked his wrist—the blades separated. He lunged—swish! There was only the sound of a ringing blade, and then, silence fell over the courtyard.

Meng Cang-sheng stood tall, his sword tip resting less than an inch from the captain’s throat. The captain froze, paralyzed, not daring to move a muscle. The other guards dared not advance, fearing their leader would lose his life.

"Hmph!" Meng Cang-sheng let out a cold scoff. "Do you dare pit such clumsy, showy tricks against my Maoshan swordsmanship?" He raised his eyes to look at Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi. "Are you two satisfied now?"

"Stop, stop!" Wu Chengsi cried out hurriedly. "Bold guards, how dare you be so rude?" He stepped forward to separate the two sides. "Daoist Meng is an honored guest of Prince Xian; who gave you the authority to offend a guest of such standing?" His hypocritical display was nauseating.

"Enough!" A sharp voice rang out from the guest rooms. Princess Taiping stood in the doorway, her face full of fury. "Master Meng is a senior of my own sect. How dare you, Nayan Wu, treat him with such disrespect? Have you asked me, Taiping, if I permit it?"

Wu Chengsi was instantly mortified. "Princess, you misunderstand! I had no idea... no idea these guards would be so reckless!" He glared at the captain. "You fool, get out of here!" He then turned back to Meng Cang-sheng, pleading, "Daoist..."

"Forget it!" Meng Cang-sheng interrupted, showing no regard for Wu Chengsi’s face. "Things have reached this point; I cannot stay here any longer. Farewell!" Without giving Wu Chengsi a chance to persuade him, he walked out of the Wu family courtyard.

*Heh,* mission accomplished. Why would he stay?

At this, Daoist Xiao let out a long sigh and stood up. "I shall take my leave as well." The task was done; he had no interest in lingering with these people.

Princess Taiping flicked her sleeve and retreated back into her room. As for Wu Ning... well, no one had really paid him any mind anyway. However, Wu Ning was feeling a bit uneasy. *Good grief, you proved you aren’t a left-handed swordsman, why the tantrum?* In the original plan, this outburst from Meng Cang-sheng was not included. Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi were powerful figures; was it really necessary to offend them so thoroughly?

Wu Ning and Helan Minzhi quietly left the banquet. Helan Minzhi returned to his room, while Wu Ning took the opportunity to deliver tea and snacks, slipping into Princess Taiping’s room unnoticed.

The pleasant atmosphere had vanished in an instant, leaving only the Wu brothers and Li Xian’s couple. Seeing the situation, the Wu brothers realized they should leave as well. They had intended to celebrate the holiday there, but after such a scene, their continued presence was only awkward. Making an excuse, they apologized to Li Xian and slipped away.

Outside the courtyard, Wu Chengsi’s first act was to summon the guard captain. "Well? Did you see any flaws?"

The captain bowed. "Reporting to the Nayan, there were no flaws. The Daoist truly uses his right hand for the sword."

"Oh?" Wu Chengsi was disappointed but persisted. "Could he have been pretending?"

"Impossible!" the captain said with absolute certainty. "That Daoist is not left-handed by nature. Furthermore, in a life-or-death struggle, one’s instincts cannot lie. He is definitely a right-handed swordsman."

Wu Chengsi frowned deeply. *Right-handed? Then today was a total loss.* Not only had he offended Daoist Xiao, but he had also alienated Princess Taiping and Li Xian. It was a grave miscalculation.

Inside Princess Taiping’s room, she was pacing nervously, wringing her hands. Seeing Wu Ning enter, she immediately demanded, "What happened? Why did a fight break out?"

Wu Ning didn't know how to explain it either, but seeing her anxiety, he offered comfort. "Don't worry, it went quite smoothly!"

"They don't suspect Brother Meng anymore?"

"Ha," Wu Ning gave a dry laugh. "If they suspected him after that, they’d have to be brain-dead." Meng Cang-sheng had nearly killed their captain; how could they still suspect him?

Taiping felt relieved, but a question remained. "This... what is going on? How did Brother Meng suddenly become a right-handed swordsman? He is clearly left..."

Wu Ning spread his hands. "It’s simple. He *is* a right-handed swordsman. Or as Brother Meng puts it... he only uses his left hand when he’s killing someone."