Why do I have so many masters?

The Fire Refining Sect was located quite far away from the Academy in Fufeng County City.

Wang Anfeng did not sheathe his longsword, his right hand gripping the sword as he paced forward deliberately.

Dressed in green, Meng Yuexue stood with an adorable face to his left rear side.

The girl held the wooden sword scabbard in both hands.

The three of them walked down the path and stepped onto the main road, flanked by Jianghu folks with swords slung on their backs, still hesitating about making a move just because they hadn't made up their minds earlier and thus were unaware of what had just transpired in the small path before the Academy.

As the young man in the blue shirt walked past them slowly, their expressions changed subtly, their grips tightening on their weapons, intending to strike, but for some reason, a faint sense of fear and horror crept up in their hearts, making their bodies stiffen, preventing them, unable to draw their swords.

Looking again at the young man, his features remained as calm as ever but with an intense sharpness that no one could look directly at, only allowing Wang Anfeng and his companions to pass by, watching as their figures gradually receded into the distance.

Only then did they release their palms from the sword hilt or knife handle.

In the center of their palms, unbeknownst to them, was already full of fine sweat.

The crowd felt a surge of regret, resenting themselves for not having acted earlier. Some curious ones walked to the small path in front of the Academy and looked inside, their expressions changing drastically, their palms trembling and no longer able to grip their weapons tightly, letting them fall to the ground with a resounding clang that did not cease.

And the martial artist's face had already turned deathly pale.

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

Wang Anfeng advanced with leisurely steps.

In the eyes of those around him, he was confident, unhurried, and calm.

But only he himself knew that, although the confrontation had been brief, he had employed all his unique skills, and with his Inner Strength barely at the Eighth Rank, he had already used up almost seventy percent of it and was now seizing the opportunity to regulate his breath and recover his Inner Strength. The mental methods of Buddhism operated, gradually calming his mind with each step and each breath, causing the Inner Strength to surge within him.

The surrounding martial artists did not move an inch, watching the trio move forward.

Chuan Lian unconsciously puffed out his chest, his complexion turning slightly red.

Meng Yuexue looked at the figure of Wang Anfeng ahead of her.

Her expression was a bit dazed.

The towering Iron Spear Banner of the Fire Refining Sect was already visible in the distance.

The young man continued his slow pace.

One step,

Three steps,

He came to a halt.

Looking up, breathing steadily, as he exhaled the turbid air, the Inner Strength of the Golden Bell Shield had already filled the channels of his body.

Having been nurtured by the three-thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng, the backlash of the Dragon Qi had vanished, and his inherent talent became evident. Although he was only an Eighth Rank Martial Artist, his meridians were extended and the Zhou Tian flowed ceaselessly, incomparable even to those who meditated for just one day, which equaled others' hundred days of progress, a natural disposition for Inner Strength cultivation, regathering Qi, and breathing regulation, a supreme advantage that others found difficult to match.

By the time he came to a stop, there were already an unknown number of inquisitive martial artists on the streets around him, each with a different expression.

These people did not harbor much ill intent towards him. Those who would swarm him for gain were only a minority. In the Jianghu, there were also many who wielded their swords in the name of chivalry. They were merely curious to see this Guardian of the Scriptures, embroiled in a whirlpool of murder, walking upright towards the Fire Refining Sect, hence the curiosity in their hearts.

So they gathered nearby, intending to watch the excitement.

They also wanted to understand the situation.

Wei Qi of the Fire Refining Sect was no ordinary person, having died violently inside the Quiet Room, and these martial artists were extremely interested in that.

Before that towering Iron Spear that shot into the sky at the Fire Refining Sect, sat an old man with gray hair, his eyes slightly closed, his aura as powerful as a lion, his face stern and righteous.

Before Wang Anfeng could speak, the old man opened his eyes.

One eye was clouded, as if unable to see, but the other was sharp and piercing, chilling to behold.

Next to him lay a hammer, upside down.

It was pitch-black, with simple patterns and a faint glow of flame. Even though it was the deep autumn season and the weather was getting colder, the heat around it surged, comparable to the blazing sun in June.

The old man's gaze swept over Wang Anfeng and he spoke slowly, saying,

"The Guardian of the Scriptures comes forward, presumably to prove his innocence."

Wang Anfeng, recognizing the man's dress and weapon, knew he must be a great master of the Fire Refining Sect.

Upon hearing the words, he nodded slightly and said,

"Indeed."

The old man cracked a smile, his voice dry and grating as he said,

"Interesting!"

"Truly interesting. My Sect's Young Master died from a sword wound, with traces of thunder on the wound."

"Among those who clashed with our Young Master and could manage that feat, I'm afraid only Young Master Wang could do it!"

Wang Anfeng shook his head and said evenly,

"It wasn't me."

The old man narrowed his eyes, resting his large hand on his knee, and said slowly,

"Very well, then may I ask where you were before this morning's hour?"

Chuan Lian's hand trembled slightly, and his face showed a clear sense of nervousness.

Even Meng Yuexue felt unease in her heart.

Having gone to a place unknown to anyone the previous night was a question Wang Anfeng absolutely could not explain clearly, greatly to the youth's disadvantage, because without evidence, he could not assert himself in this confrontation and hence would be at a disadvantage regarding his momentum.

At this moment, however, Wang Anfeng showed no fear, reversing his hold on the wooden sword to thrust it into the ground.

He lifted his robe and sat down cross-legged opposite the old man, as if ready to argue while seated.

His eyes opened slightly, and he spoke faintly,

"What's the point of asking that?"

The old man couldn't help but let out a cold laugh upon hearing this and said,

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"If you can't produce any evidence, then surely, it must have been you! Could it be that the Master of the Archives is trying to say that even though you were at some unknown place last night, and even though my Young Master died from a lightning-attributed sword wound, it has nothing to do with you?"

"Hahaha, truly laughable! How laughable indeed!"

Meng Yuexue clearly felt the surrounding martial artists' increasingly suspicious gazes, and among those gazes, there was something that made her feel very uncomfortable. Her heart tightened with nervousness as she involuntarily clutched tighter at her sword scabbard, as if this ancient scabbard could offer her a bit of peace.

Wang Anfeng closed his eyes slightly and said:

"Sword marks, thunder, they have old grievances with him."

"Even I thought it was my doing."

"Then, senior, do you know why Wei Qi bore a grudge against me?"

Without waiting for the old man to answer, Wang Anfeng had already begun speaking on his own:

"Because he coveted this wooden sword of mine..."

"This sword was a gift from my master."

"First, they tried to ambush and kill me unsuccessfully, and later, they put my wooden sword on the so-called famous weapons list, attracting assassins and killers. With such a grudge, even if I killed him..."

As his voice dropped off, the young man flicked the sword edge with his finger.

The whistling sound of the wooden sword began to rise.

"What of it?!"

Chuan Lian was taken aback and stammered:

"Wang, Brother Wang?!"

The surrounding martial artists' expressions changed dramatically, as if they couldn't believe their own ears, while the old man was also slightly startled, then burst into an angry but mocking laugh, shouting loudly:

"Good, good, good, I have traveled Jianghu for more than a decade and have never seen someone as arrogant as you!"

Wang Anfeng's eyes widened slightly, and with his aura undiminished, he retorted loudly:

"So he's allowed to kill me, but I'm not allowed to kill him?!"

The old man was furious and said:

"Fighting to the death in Jianghu is, of course, up to the individual!"

"If you were a person of Jianghu, I would say you killed him splendidly! Killed him with relish!"

"But he was the Young Master of my Fire Refining Sect, and since you are a person of Fufeng, you naturally know that killing our Young Master allows all the disciples of my sect to seek revenge against you."

"To the ends of the earth, relentlessly until death!"

"Today, I shall kill you to avenge our Young Master!"

These words from the old man came from the depths of his heart, full of wrath, and the surrounding martial artists could sympathize.

Amidst the sound of his words, the old man suddenly leapt up, swinging the heavy hammer behind him. Just at that moment, a slash of lightning-like knife light cut down diagonally from one side, striking the Iron Hammer to the ground and raising a shower of sparks that lit up Wang Anfeng's eyes.

The youth's expression did not change; his eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly yelled out:

"Indeed, I am well aware!"

"Of course, I know that the Fire Refining Sect is the number one great sect of Fufeng, with vast wealth and influence!"

"Of course, I know there are many masters in the Fire Refining Sect!"

"And I am even more aware that if I killed Wei Qi, it would surely provoke crazed retaliation from the Fire Refining Sect! I would surely have no place to rest in death! So let me ask again..."@@novelbin@@

"Knowing all of this, why would I still go and kill Wei Qi?!"

"Knowing that, why would I kill him with a sword?!"

"Knowing that, why didn't I destroy the corpse and erase the traces after killing him?"

"Knowing that..."

"Why would I come here!" Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

His words were like a heavy hammer striking the air.

It was precisely because the old man's words had resonated with the audience that Wang Anfeng's questions now seemed even more powerful, shaking the minds of the martial artists of Jianghu around them and leaving their thoughts slightly rigid.

Previously, the people did not understand the situation. Martial artists of Jianghu who loved spectacles most enjoyed watching the excitement, but rarely contemplated deeply, falling into the 'darkness beneath the lamp'; but now, by Wang Anfeng's shouted questions, directly addressing the crux of the issue, they gradually came to their senses, their gazes shifting.

Standing beside Wang Anfeng was Mi Xingfa, a Sixth Rank Martial Artist who had left the Ministry of Punishment merely to avenge his own family, dressed in the garb of a Jianghu figure, with a gloomy expression, holding a sword and standing to the side. It was precisely because Wang Anfeng had seen this expert following behind him that he had dared to take such a risky move.

He then leapt to his feet, his right hand grasping the longsword.

Stepping forward, he looked at the old man who had been unable to answer, his voice rising and his eyes widening, as he demanded forcefully:

"You just asked me, where did I rest last night?"

"If I name a place, you will say there are no witnesses; if I slept in the same bed with someone, you will say I struck in the middle of the night. Even if someone testifies that I did not sleep all night, you could say that I was in collusion with that person."

"When you wish to place blame, there's no shortage of excuses!"

"Senior, you've asked me many questions just now, and I also would like to pose a question in return."

Wang Anfeng paused.

He now stood as tall as the old man, with only one step separating them. The young man stared at the latter's bloodshot eyes and exhaled.

He spoke softly:

"Senior must be a Sixth Rank Martial Artist."

"Where were you when Wei Qi was killed?!"

PS: Second update...

Thanks to fisher慢渔夫 for the generous contribution, thank you