Chapter 600: A Sudden Killing
Chapter 600 -260: A Sudden Killing
Li Cheng’s face was pale. He had come, but it was as if his soul had been left behind. He hid behind Xia Weiyuan, trembling uncontrollably.
Xia Weiyuan’s fingers were also trembling slightly, but she forced herself to stand tall and speak.
“What are you all doing?
“The Eight Forbidden Areas of the East Sea are paramount existences in the East Sea. Why have you gathered to trouble a few young people?”
Fang Shuwen touched his face and nodded. ‘I really do live up to the name ‘young people’.’
He suddenly found this situation quite interesting. He moved to stand behind Xia Weiyuan and said:
“That’s right! The Eight Forbidden Lands are nothing but a bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites. They rely on their numbers and superior Martial Arts to act recklessly and bully others.
“How outrageous!
“Miss Xia, you are an expert from Celestial Prison Island. You must seek justice for us!”
Hearing this, Xia Weiyuan’s legs went weak, and she couldn’t help but glare fiercely at Fang Shuwen.
She had only dared to step forward because of her courage and her original convictions.
Celestial Prison Island was indeed extraordinary; they had recognized the leaders of the Four Forbidden Lands before them at a single glance.
The middle-aged man leading the group from Xiaoye Valley was its Third Elder, Wu Yuantong.
He had made a name for himself in the Jianghu twenty years ago with his “Silent Night’s Lasting Stillness Finger.” With a single finger, he had struck down and killed eight Demon Dao masters who once terrorized the seas, establishing his formidable reputation.
The woman from the Lingbo Sect was the Head of the Foreign Affairs Hall, Qu Laiying. Her combat record was even more illustrious; she had even exchanged blows with the Zhenyue Monarch, Shi Zhenxuan, one of the Four Saints of the East Sea, and escaped unscathed.
The man from the Profound Ice Hall was even more incredible. He appeared to be only in his thirties, but his actual age was at least sixty.
He was the current Grand Elder of the Profound Ice Hall, Wen Ruoyuan.
And the youngest was the young woman from Hengyang Island. She was none other than the younger sister of the Jiuyang Young Monarch, Huang Lie—Huang Wanting.
She was the undisputed little princess of Hengyang Island.
Although her Martial Arts couldn’t compare to Huang Lie’s, she was by no means someone an ordinary person could contend with.
The most dangerous part was that Huang Lie was said to dote on his sister immensely. Anyone who dared to harm a single hair on her head would face the full, unrestrained retaliation of Hengyang Island.
These four individuals were powerful enough to overturn half the East Sea.
That was why, although Xia Weiyuan had been questioning them, she hadn’t dared to use harsh words.
But Fang Shuwen showed no such restraint. He immediately slapped them with labels like “sanctimonious” and “reckless.” This was practically a blatant death wish.
Xia Weiyuan clenched her jaw.
“You… you, shut up.”
Li Cheng stammered even more frantically:
“Are you trying to get us all killed?”
Fang Shuwen looked puzzled.
“Weren’t you the ones who jumped out to seek justice for us?
“Doesn’t Celestial Prison Island exist to uphold justice and righteousness in the Jianghu?
“Or is it that, when faced with justice and righteousness, you would rather side with the power of the so-called Eight Forbidden Lands?
“If that’s the case, why did you jump out in the first place?”
The series of questions left Xia Weiyuan speechless.
Besides, the more she thought about Fang Shuwen’s words, the more sense they made.
The reason she had joined Celestial Prison Island all those years ago was precisely to uphold justice and righteousness in the Jianghu. She had stepped forward today because of that same conviction.
Fang Shuwen’s words had struck a chord deep within her heart.
Thinking of this, she took a deep breath.
“May I ask you all, what exactly is going on here?”
The members of the Four Forbidden Lands glanced at each other. Ordinarily, they wouldn’t have paid any mind to people from Celestial Prison Island.
But the situation now was unique. The Profound Celestial Iron Mirror had thrown the East Sea into chaos. Someone even dared to kill people from Wuyan Island and frame Fang Shuwen for it… It was clear that events were gradually spiraling out of control.
If they dragged the relatively neutral Celestial Prison Island into this mess at such a critical juncture, it would be a terrible outcome.
That was right… they didn’t actually believe Fang Shuwen had slaughtered the people from Wuyan Island.
Especially after Fang Shuwen had denied it, they could basically conclude that he had nothing to do with what happened on the Wuyan Island ship.
Fang Shuwen had dared to admit to annihilating Tingtiao Pavilion. Why wouldn’t he admit to killing the crew of a single ship from Wuyan Island?
It was just that this ready-made excuse was far too convenient to pass up.
As long as this conflict was instigated, even if they couldn’t defeat Fang Shuwen, they could still escape.
Once word of this spread, no matter what the major Forbidden Lands did to Fang Shuwen or what methods they used, it would all be seen as perfectly reasonable.
They could even stand on the side of Jianghu’s greater justice and lead all the experts of the East Sea to besiege Fang Shuwen together.
Although Fang Shuwen had already become a thorn in the side of the East Sea’s Jianghu because of the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, a disorganized mob was no threat. Arriving in separate groups would be nothing more than suicide.
If the Eight Forbidden Lands were to call upon the martial artists of the East Sea to besiege Fang Shuwen just for the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror… they would be heavily criticized.
Even the case of Tingtiao Pavilion could only be considered an isolated incident, and the matter had yet to be definitively concluded.
It was said that Fang Shuwen annihilated Tingtiao Pavilion, but had Fang Shuwen admitted to it?
Was there any evidence to prove it?
None whatsoever!
Their only option was to forge ironclad proof that Fang Shuwen had senselessly slaughtered members of the Eight Forbidden Lands.
Then, uniting the masses of the East Sea to attack him as one would be a matter of course.
They just hadn’t expected that right as the conflict was about to erupt, two upstarts from Celestial Prison Island who didn’t know their place would suddenly step forward.
It had caught the Four Forbidden Lands somewhat off guard.
Wu Yuantong of Xiaoye Valley sighed softly, shook his head, and said:
“My Xiaoye Valley has always admired the actions of Celestial Prison Island.
“Since you have questions, Miss, why don’t you turn and look at the eight large words on the sail?”