The few of them sat in the hall, Ming Jue and Wen Si both looking worried, while only Song An appeared unconcerned.
Clang!
The hall door was pushed open from outside, emitting a loud bang.
"Song An, get out!" Accompanied by an angry roar, Zhu Baiqi's figure appeared outside the hall.
He was followed by a group of disciples from the Discipline Hall, who strode in menacingly, clearly hostile.
Song An turned his head. "Zhu Haojie, you're really something else. You've truly mastered the art of running to Daddy and whining."
Zhu Haojie, one hand clutching his nose, pointed at Song An with the other. "Dad, look how arrogant he still is."
Seeing him complain like that, everyone found it quite embarrassing to watch.
"Song An, you resorted to violence again during your period of reflection. What do you have to say for yourself?" Zhu Baiqi glared at Song An, his face full of accusation.
Song An snorted coldly. "Nothing to say. I didn't leave the Three Sages Hall; he came here asking for a beating himself."
Zhu Haojie pointed at Song An. "Dad, he has food to eat and a quilt to cover himself with! How is that sincerely reflecting on his mistakes?"
Song An stood up and said, "Senior Brother Zhu, please don't falsely accuse me with your bare words. Where are these quilts and food? I froze all night, and my stomach is empty right now."
He had already had Ming Jue take those items away before they arrived.
Zhu Haojie hadn't expected him to be so shameless. "You dare to do it but not admit it? We all saw it!"
"That's right, Master, we all saw it."
"Exactly, he was eating when we just arrived."
Song An smiled. "You're all from the Discipline Hall, so naturally, you speak with one voice. Everything requires evidence, so where is your evidence?"
Zhu Haojie pointed at him. "You... you... you rogue!"
Seeing how troublesome he was, Zhu Baiqi shifted his focus to Ming Jue and Wen Si. "The Three Sages Hall of my Daoist temple isn't a place just anyone can enter. Why are you two here?"
Ming Jue was about to speak when Song An interrupted, "Oh really? So this Three Sages Hall isn't a place just anyone can enter?"
Zhu Baiqi said coldly, "Precisely! Unless you have a Master's command."
"Then how could Zhu Haojie bring people in? If he hadn't come in, he wouldn't have been beaten."
Zhu Haojie immediately said, "Can you compare yourselves to me? My dad is—"
"Haojie!" Zhu Baiqi interrupted him.
Then, looking at Song An, he said, "He came to the Three Sages Hall under the orders of this True Man."
Song An nodded. "Oh, is that so? What a coincidence, my Senior Brother and Wen Si also came under my Master's orders to supervise me."
"Sharp-tongued!" Zhu Baiqi gnashed his teeth.
Song An smiled slightly. "You flatter me, you flatter me."
Zhu Baiqi snorted coldly. "No matter what you say today, you must take a trip to my Discipline Hall!"
"You laid hands on someone in front of the Three Sages; even if True Man Dao Guang were here, you would still have to endure this punishment!"
"If there's punishment to be given, my Master is here for that. You have no right to discipline me."
"Then I'll teach you a good lesson on behalf of your Master! Guards, take him away!"
Just as both sides were about to come to blows, a disciple rushed in.
"True Man Zhu, True Man Chang Feng asks you to quickly bring Senior Brother Zhu to the Front Hall."
"What does Senior Brother want with me?" Zhu Baiqi asked.
"I don't know, but it looks like it's something important."
Zhu Baiqi looked at Song An and said, "After I've seen Senior Brother, I'll settle this score with you!"
The disciple quickly added, "True Man Chang Feng also asked for Senior Brother Ming Jue, Senior Brother Ming Yang (Song An), and Junior Brother Wen Si to come along."
Ming Jue and Song An exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Everyone hurried to the Front Hall and found True Man Dao Guang and True Man Chang Feng seated at the head.
Several other True Men who rarely appeared were seated on either side. This grand assembly immediately silenced Zhu Haojie and Song An, who had been bickering all the way.
The few of them stepped forward and bowed.
Zhu Baiqi asked, "Senior Brother, why have you called us here?"
"Junior Brother, I heard you took your disciples to the Three Sages Hall. What was the purpose?" True Man Chang Feng asked, his expression unreadable.
"Senior Brother, look how badly Song An beat Haojie!" Zhu Baiqi pulled his son forward and said indignantly.
Zhu Haojie, clutching his nose, spoke in a muffled, nasal voice, "Senior Uncle, please seek justice for me!"
True Man Chang Feng lifted his eyelids, his voice calm and unruffled. "Why did you go to the Three Sages Hall? And why did you get into a conflict with my young disciple Ming Yang (Song An)?"
Zhu Baiqi looked at True Man Chang Feng with a puzzled glance. What was wrong with his Senior Brother? Yesterday, he was helping them, but today, he seemed to have changed?
Song An stepped forward and said, "This disciple was reflecting on his mistakes perfectly well before the Three Sages statues when Senior Brother Zhu came in with a group of people, ready to strike at the slightest disagreement.
This disciple naturally couldn't just let himself be bullied without fighting back. There were many of them, and the scene was chaotic, so... But they also attacked this disciple with fists and feet; it's just that this disciple's injuries are hidden by his clothes, so they're not visible."
"You're lying! Although there were many of us, we didn't even lay a finger on you! You—" Zhu Haojie was just short of pointing at Song An and bursting into curses.
"Enough!" one of the True Men seated to True Man Chang Feng's right frowned and said.
Twenty or so of them couldn't even lay a finger on the other person, yet after being beaten, all they knew was to come back and complain.
Zhu Baiqi also found it a little hard to save face. He blamed himself for having indulged Haojie too much over the years.
True Man Dao Guang glanced at his disciple, a subtle warning in his eyes.
Song An knew when to quit while he was ahead, retreating to stand beside his Senior Brother.
True Man Dao Guang lightly coughed, then looked at True Man Chang Feng and said, "True Man, this matter can be set aside for now."
True Man Chang Feng nodded and looked at Zhu Haojie.
"Wen Si, step forward."
Everyone looked at Wen Si with confusion, unsure why True Man Chang Feng was calling his name.
Only Zhu Baiqi and his group's faces paled. With such a grand setup today, could it be...?
Wen Si stepped forward, bowed his head, and saluted those seated at the head.
True Man Chang Feng said, "Wen Si, this Daoist will ask you one more time: Why did you come to the Daoist temple? Who wants to kill you? And why do they want to kill you?"
"I, I..."
"Senior Brother, why are you dwelling on this matter again? If you want to know, just leave it to Junior Brother to investigate." Zhu Baiqi interrupted Wen Si.
True Man Chang Feng said coldly, "I am asking Wen Si. Don't interrupt."
"Wen Si, speak!"
Wen Si said softly, "This disciple heard that the Daoist temple provides food and lodging, and since this disciple's family is poor, I came. As for those who want to kill this disciple... I, this disciple truly does not know."
True Man Chang Feng snorted coldly. "You don't know? Then we'll invite someone who does know to speak!"
Wen Si looked up in confusion. Just then, an old man and a woman entered from outside the main hall.
Upon seeing the two, Wen Si quickly turned away, lowering his head even further.
"Wen Si, lift your head. See if you recognize these two?"
The two looked over and exclaimed in surprise, "Wen Si? Are you Wen Si? How are you here? And dressed like this?"
"That's right, we all thought you had married into a good family and became a pampered lady."
Everyone was completely confused.
'Married'? 'Pampered lady'?
"Wen Si, you're a woman?!" Song An looked at her in surprise.
"No, I don't know them! They've mistaken me for someone else!" Wen Si shouted loudly.
Zhu Haojie and his companions' faces were as white as a sheet, looking only at Zhu Baiqi, counting on him to find a solution.
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