Chapter Sixty-Eight: Who Set the Fire?

Originally, Xiang Ao was worried that Luo Changning and Ma Qingyun would not spare the hundred or so henchmen; after all, it was they who had become enemies with these bandits. Now, seeing that Luo Changning had no intention of stopping the henchmen from leaving, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. People of the Buddhist faith should not easily commit slaughter; everyone ought to be given a chance to repent and start anew.

Of course, those like Lin Ruhai, who refuse to repent, are exceptions.

Although Xiang Ao had a kind heart, he knew full well that these henchmen had aided Tianmen Village in countless evil deeds. Who knows how many traveling merchants had lost their families, or how many women had been robbed of their innocence because of them. By sparing their lives now, he was already showing mercy, but naturally, he would not allow them to leave with the ill-gotten wealth from the village.

He would not touch the money himself, either. They had destroyed Tianmen Village out of personal vengeance, but if they took the stolen silver down the mountain to compensate the people, it would be as if they were usurping the duties of the authorities.

Thus, Xiang Ao sent a disciple to the county office to report the situation of Tianmen Village to the magistrate.

Soon, at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, only Luo Changning and his companions remained, along with a field of blood and corpses, and Peng Qinghua.

Originally, Peng Qinghua had been frustrated that Lin Ruhai would not let him join the fray, but upon seeing his own elder brother take action, he became quite excited.

He had been obsessed with martial arts since childhood, and though he endured hardship to train, he was not particularly clever. Even though Lin Ruhai had given him many elixirs, after more than ten years, he could not break through his cultivation and ascend to the innate realm.

Advancement in cultivation ultimately depended on one's understanding of the martial path; no matter how many miraculous elixirs one consumed, without enlightenment, a breakthrough was impossible. This was why, although there were many innate realm martial artists on Yaohua Continent, they were far from commonplace.

It was precisely because of his fervor for the martial path and the agony of being unable to advance that Peng Qinghua had always worshipped, admired, and followed Lin Ruhai. It was no exaggeration to say that, in the narrow and inexperienced mind of Peng Qinghua, Lin Ruhai was a deity.

Since he was a deity, he was supposed to be invincible.

Thus, even as Lin Ruhai's corpse grew cold, Peng Qinghua still stood there, dazed. Lost in a dream, unaware of anything around him, his mind replayed the image of Lin Ruhai's head being cleaved in two by a palm strike.

He muttered, "How could this happen? How could this happen? Big Brother was supposed to be invincible..."

Seeing Peng Qinghua standing there in a stupor, Luo Changning and his companions approached him. Who could have guessed that, as soon as they drew near, they would hear such a laughable remark.

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"Hahaha, that's hilarious! I never expected this third chief to be so amusing!" Ma Xue'e, still childlike in spirit, burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and bending over with mirth.

Xiang Ao, following behind her, felt his heart soften at the sight.

He scratched his head sheepishly and agreed, "Peng Qinghua really is a character, quite interesting..."

Chen Xiangru, gripping his Snake Halberd, stamped the ground impatiently and growled, "Who cares about his kindness or lack thereof? What are we going to do with him? If we're going to act, let's do it quickly. There's still a second chief on Tianmen Mountain; we can't let him escape while we're distracted. Letting a tiger return to the mountain is never wise!"

"Mm, Brother Chen is right. Let's deal with him quickly."

"That's right. Master, how should we handle the third chief? Should we hand him over to the authorities or deal with him ourselves?"

Hearing Chen Xiangru's words, two disciples from Luoyang Martial Hall spoke up in agreement, asking Xiang Ao how to deal with Peng Qinghua.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ao looked at the still dazed Peng Qinghua and sighed deeply.

"Let it be. He’s but a fool. I've heard that Peng Qinghua, though the third chief of Tianmen Mountain, is not a vicious criminal. He has never shed the blood of innocent people, and his joining the village was for a reason."

As he spoke, Xiang Ao glanced at Luo Changning, as if seeking his opinion.

It must be said, Xiang Ao was upright and gentle, never relying on his age or status. When faced with young men like Luo Changning, he would seek their counsel rather than act arbitrarily and monopolize decisions.

Luo Changning pursed his lips, clearly conflicted. He had heard tales of Peng Qinghua, the third chief, and the clarity in Peng's eyes suggested he was not a ruthless villain.

Moreover, Xiang Ao's tone showed he wished to spare the man, and Luo Changning was swayed. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something, his hesitation vanished, and his eyes brightened.

He nodded to Xiang Ao, saying, "If that's the case, then I'll let him go and hand him over to the authorities."

"But, before that, he must take the Misty Dawn Pill."

"The Misty Dawn Pill? What's that?" Ma Xue'e blinked her almond-shaped eyes in curiosity.

Luo Changning smiled and explained, "It's a new pill my aunt concocted recently. I happened to have it with me, and Peng Qinghua can take it."

"Misty Dawn disperses easily; any martial artist below the innate realm who takes it loses all their power, and for the rest of their lives cannot practice martial arts, unless they consume a mid-grade or higher Recovery Pill."

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Hearing this, Xiang Yinglong stroked his chin and said, "That’s not bad. Few physicians ever bother to refine Recovery Pills, and mid-grade pills are rare in Autumn River Prefecture. Peng Qinghua, once imprisoned, will have no opportunity for such medicine."

"Heh..."

Ma Qingyun, who had been silent, suddenly chuckled, "He's just an ordinary martial artist who hasn't broken through in over ten years. Hardly worth all this trouble."

Xiang Yinglong pursed his lips and said nothing.

In the end, Luo Changning took the Misty Dawn Pill from his sleeve and gave it to Peng Qinghua.

After administering the medicine, Luo Changning pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and said, "Come, let's head up the mountain."

"Ah, shouldn't we tie him up? What if he escapes?" the big, slow-witted Chen Xiangru asked.

"He won't have the strength to escape. After taking the Misty Dawn Pill, he'll suffer for half an hour. Even when the pain subsides, he'll be completely exhausted. For someone stripped of their martial arts, there will be no strength to walk."

"I see. Then let's hurry up the mountain, so Peng Qingcheng won't have a chance to escape. That one is truly ruthless, always urging Lin Ruhai to torment innocent merchants and travelers brought up the mountain, just to satisfy his own cruel desires!"

"Not only that, he strips the mutilated bodies and throws them into the marketplace, terrifying the townsfolk!"

"Ugh, that’s sick..." Ma Xue'e complained.

"Let’s go."

And so, the whole group marched off to the rear courtyard of Tianmen Village, searching for any remaining followers.

But upon reaching the rear courtyard, they found only women, children, and elderly people with limited mobility; not a single able-bodied man remained.

Valuables in the houses had clearly been taken, and in one room, a fire had broken out.

The flames spread rapidly, soon engulfing half the rear courtyard.

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