“What’s so difficult about that? First, check whether Miss Cao is still a virgin. Then we’ll have a fairly definite answer as to whether Sect Leader Pei is telling the truth.”
Hearing this, Cao Hui let out an instinctive cry of protest. She hurriedly covered her upper body with her hands and backed away in panic. “Why should I?”
At this moment, she hated Pei Liang to the bone, glaring at her as though she could flay the flesh from her body with her eyes. “Just because she says so?”
“Besides, even if Young Master Jiang and I were involved, what business is it of yours? Who do you think you are, humiliating me under the cover of your own influence?”
Although the Cao family was the weakest of the three clans, it was still one of the Four Great Families and Eight Major Sects—without question, a prestigious sect.
Naturally, respectable sects would never engage in such humiliating conduct. However, among those who had come to the Pei family funeral today were all sorts of people from across the martial world.
As long as they had brought funeral offerings, could the Pei family really turn them away at the door? With both of the Pei family’s former heads having been murdered, countless people were eager to take advantage of this colossus.
Naturally, they had to come and investigate, to see what condition the Pei family was in now.
The person who had suggested verifying Miss Cao’s chastity was naturally from one of those disreputable sects—or perhaps a wandering martial artist.
The other prestigious sects would never have joined in such jeering. Some even rebuked the speaker. “Nonsense! A woman’s reputation—how can you humiliate her like this?”
That was what they said, but the looks they cast at Jiang Xun and Cao Hui were deeply suggestive.
It was obvious that Miss Cao was hopelessly in love with Young Master Jiang. If what Sect Leader Pei had said was true, then the poisonous oath Jiang Xun had just sworn would be worthless—nothing more than a fart.
The Jiang family was a renowned household that placed the utmost importance on family honor and propriety. Their earlier reaction to the so-called “debt” dispute with the Pei family had already been rather intriguing. If it were now confirmed that Jiang Xun, their Young Sect Leader, was the sort of petty man who treated poisonous oaths as casually as passing gas, the Jiang family would surely be subjected to contempt and scorn from then on.
After all, people naturally held gentlemen to a higher standard than villains. The same was true in the martial world: people would rather deal with a genuine villain than guard against a hypocrite.
Thus, everyone’s gaze returned to Pei Liang.
As Young Master Jiang’s fiancée, Sect Leader Pei had no reason to deliberately slander him merely to call off their engagement. Jiang Xun himself was a peerless talent of his generation, outstanding in looks, martial prowess, and ability. So, simply because of Pei Liang’s identity, people instinctively leaned toward believing her when she made such a claim.
The only ones who refused to believe her were the female warriors who admired Jiang Xun and regarded him as the moonlight in their hearts—or those who worshiped him and had absolute faith in his character.
In the past, Jiang Xun had taken great pride in his ability to rally people to his side. No matter what he said, there would always be people who followed him blindly.
Today, however, those very people had become the ones pushing him into an awkward predicament.
A female warrior stood up angrily and pointed the hilt of her sword at Pei Liang. “Sect Leader Pei, I respected your difficult circumstances and tolerated your humiliation and resentment toward Young Master Jiang just now.”
“Who would have thought you were so utterly deranged? In front of everyone, you slandered Young Master Jiang’s good name. What kind of noble and proper gentleman is Young Master Jiang? How could you bear to do this to him? You’ve actually fabricated such an ugly scandal out of thin air. Have you no conscience? From the moment he entered, he has done everything he could for your sake. Even when you insulted and struck him, he remained steadfast and devoted.”
“Other women would give anything to have such a devoted lover, yet you treat him with such contempt and humiliation. Pei Liang, do you even have a heart?”
Pei Liang glanced back at the female warrior. Her expression was astonishingly similar to that of the mindless fans who blindly defended their idols in her previous world.
Then again, in the martial world, Jiang Xun really had cultivated the air of a wuxia idol adored by countless young women and married ladies.
Pei Liang felt no shame whatsoever at the woman’s accusation. Instead, she turned back to look at Jiang Xun, her eyes filled with malicious satisfaction, as though everything had gone exactly according to plan.
Jiang Xun’s heart went cold. If they had not been in front of everyone, he would have loved nothing more than to cut the idiot down with a single stroke.
As expected, once that female warrior had taken the lead, Jiang Xun’s other supporters seemed to draw strength from her example and stood up one after another.
Indignant, they demanded that Pei Liang give an explanation. They would not allow their Young Master Jiang to suffer such an unjust accusation.
Most of these people were junior disciples from various sects. Their elders could still reprimand one or two of them, but with so many people joining in, it was difficult to deal with the situation.
What was more, those elders themselves wanted to see how this drama would unfold. They were therefore quite happy to let the younger generation stir things up and make the matter worse.
For a time, the area before the funeral hall descended into noisy chaos. Some of the more complicated-minded female warriors had placed Jiang Xun beneath the filter of an idol. To them, no woman was worthy of him.
Amid the clamor, one of them blurted out, “Cao Hui is merely average-looking. Her features are plain, and her figure is nothing special. What makes her worthy of Young Master Jiang’s favor? Why would he have an affair with her? If Young Master Jiang so much as said the word, countless beautiful women would willingly throw themselves into his arms. Why would he spare a thought for someone like Cao Hui? It’s laughable.”
The remark was rather vicious. Though Cao Hui could not compare to the original host, the breathtaking beauty renowned throughout the martial world as “Xi Shi Beneath the Moon,” calling her plain and ordinary was still an outright lie.
Even so, those words struck a chord with many of Jiang Xun’s admirers.
“Exactly. Otherwise, why would the Jiang family, among the Cao, Jiang, and Pei families, rather have Young Master Jiang marry Pei Liang—even after breaking off their engagement—than choose Cao Hui? It proves that Cao Hui is only fit for someone like Young Sect Leader Pei.”
“Mind your words. How can you be so disrespectful in front of Young Sect Leader Pei’s memorial?”
Both the Jiang and Cao families were utterly bewildered. They could not understand how the situation had spiraled into this.
But Pei Liang, who had been the head of an entertainment empire in her previous life, understood this sort of shift in public opinion all too well.
Since Jiang Xun had deliberately crafted an “idol” persona for himself in this wuxia world, he had enjoyed countless benefits from it. No matter what dispute he became involved in, public opinion would always side with him.
Whatever he said, even if he twisted right and wrong completely, there would always be people who believed him without question.
Just as in the original story, when Han Weiliu returned after mastering his divine technique and single-handedly stormed the Jiang family to take revenge.
Because of the Jiang family’s influence built over many years, their reputation as a household of upright gentlemen, and Jiang Xun’s popularity among countless women of the martial world, the outcome was astonishing.
Although Sect Master Jiang was killed, Jiang Xun managed to escape and then spread rumors everywhere, distorting the truth. He transformed himself from the perpetrator into the victim.
Meanwhile, Han Weiliu—whose ordeal had originally been tragic and deeply sympathetic—was portrayed as a deranged demon who killed indiscriminately. In no time, he became infamous, hated by the entire martial world, and hunted down by all.
Jiang Xun had probably always taken pride in his charm and ability to rally people to his side.
But today, Pei Liang intended to teach him a lesson.
Kid, you’re still far too green.
In the modern entertainment industry, were there really so few stories of fans placing their sincere trust in an image that had been carefully manufactured—only to demand evidence, get exactly what they asked for, and end up destroying their own idol?
It wasn’t blind faith that frightened her. What was frightening was indifference.
As expected, the entire funeral hall was now in an uproar. It was as though Pei Liang had committed some heinous crime if she failed to produce evidence immediately.
Pei Liang put on a bewildered expression. “Humiliation? The misunderstanding between Senior Brother Jiang and me has already been cleared up. How could this be humiliation?”
“From now on, there will be no more discord between Senior Brother Jiang and me. I’ve also come to understand the depth of his feelings for me, so I can wait peacefully for our wedding at home. How did that become humiliation in all of your mouths?”
Seeing that she had not said anything even more damning, Jiang Xun secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Trying to smooth things over with a few polite words and put the matter to rest only showed that Pei Liang had been dreaming.
Pei Liang had said nothing of substance while taking every advantage, slandering Young Master Jiang and then implying that she was magnanimously willing to let bygones be bygones and live a good life with him. Her words nearly made Jiang Xun’s admirers burst a blood vessel.
Jiang Xun tried to speak, but his voice was so thoroughly suppressed that he could not even force it out. It was clear just how skilled Pei Liang was at fanning the flames.
On top of that, the way Pei Liang’s words seemed utterly unsupported only further emboldened them. They became even more certain that this shameless woman was making things up.
She had slandered Young Master Jiang, yet now wanted to walk away unscathed and force him to marry her?
Hah! Where in the world did she think she could find such a good deal?
One female hero who had always hoped the two would break off their engagement seized the opportunity to press her aggressively. “Sect Leader Pei, there’s no sincerity in what you’re saying. You’re the one being narrow-minded and suspicious.”
“Young Master Jiang is practically cutting out his heart and placing it before you, yet all you give him is a dismissive ‘I’ll reluctantly believe you,’ before turning around and accusing him of engaging in an indecent act with Miss Cao.”
“Sect Leader Pei, what has Young Master Jiang ever done to wrong you? Why do you insist on humiliating him like this?”
She then turned to the elders of the Jiang family. “Sect Master Jiang, the marriage alliance between your Jiang family and the Pei family is indeed none of our business. But Young Master Jiang has always been upright and honorable as he traveled the martial world, and many of us have benefited from his kindness.”
“We truly cannot bear to see Young Master Jiang suffer such humiliation. Please, Sect Master Jiang, do not let Young Master Jiang be bullied simply because of his current circumstances—or because your Jiang family wishes to preserve the bigger picture.”
Sect Master Jiang opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say a few righteous yet conventional words, as he usually did to smooth things over and claim the reputation of being magnanimous.
But then Pei Liang’s displeased voice rang out.
“What do you mean by that, heroines? You may call me unreasonable, or say that I was momentarily blinded and let my imagination run wild. But are you accusing me of slandering him and fabricating lies?”
“Could I really have mistaken the red mole on Junior Sister Cao’s chest and the birthmark on Senior Brother Jiang’s buttocks?”
After all the bickering, she had whetted everyone’s appetite long enough. At last, the heavy hammer came crashing down.
The mourning hall fell silent once more. Those who had just been filled with righteous indignation, denouncing Pei Liang and demanding justice for Young Master Jiang, now fell silent like ducks with their necks caught.
The younger generation, who had been allowed to make a commotion, reacted quite differently. Their brows rose, their teacups paused halfway to their lips, and even the sound of cracking sunflower seeds grew louder.
Physical features could not lie. Cao Hui was a woman, so perhaps one could argue that Pei Liang had happened to bathe with her. But what about Jiang Xun?
Now that matters had escalated this far, Cao Hui might still have been able to escape by claiming that she had merely been humiliated. But Jiang Xun was a man, and his supporters had just pushed him to the very crest of the wave with their righteous, forceful arguments.
How could the matter be brushed aside so lightly?
Jiang Xun looked at Pei Liang and saw an expression of dismay appear on her face.
“I never intended to pursue this further. Since Senior Brother Jiang put it that way, then no matter what I saw, I’ll believe him. You were the ones who kept pressing me.”
Those words might have placated the fools she had incited into shouting and fanning the flames, but if she had truly wanted to let the matter go, why would she have brought it up again?
Pei Liang was utterly destroying the Jiang family. Everyone else could only speculate about her reasons, but the Jiang family understood perfectly.
They had reached out a hand, so she intended to chop off the entire arm at the root.
It was only fair. Even the Cao family, which had merely stood by and watched, had been forced to pay out a huge sum and offer up a daughter in marriage.
The Jiang family had taken the initiative to interfere. If they were not beaten half to death, the distribution of blame would make no sense.
It seemed they had still underestimated the ruthlessness of this young girl, Pei Liang.
Father and son gritted their teeth, but the Jiang family was no pushover either.
Jiang Xun stepped forward. Knowing full well that the situation had already been led around by the nose by Pei Liang, he nevertheless admitted decisively, “That’s right. I did have intimate relations with Junior Sister Cao.”
A collective “Oh!” rose from the crowd. The onlookers were inwardly crying out at how thrilling the spectacle had become.
The supporters who had been waving banners for Jiang Xun moments earlier now looked as though their faith had collapsed. They stared at him in utter disbelief.
But Jiang Xun immediately unleashed an even more powerful counterattack against Pei Liang.
“Junior Sister Liang, I had no intention of bringing this matter up again. Junior Sister Cao and I agreed to pretend that nothing had happened.”
The statement made everyone draw a sharp breath. Overnight, the image of Jiang Xun as a refined and proper young gentleman seemed to crumble.
But Pei Liang knew it could not be that simple. People often said that if Jiang Xun had lived in the modern era, he might have become an exceptionally talented public-relations professional. Unfortunately, the simplistic public opinion of this ancient world had limited his imagination and stunted his growth.
Those two sentences made him sound like a lustful, heartless libertine who refused to take responsibility, but they were merely laying the groundwork for what came next.
Sure enough, Jiang Xun continued, “The dead are dead, and I was unwilling to let Brother Pei leave this world carrying a reputation covered in filth.”
“It would be one thing if I alone had suffered this injustice. But since this concerns the reputation of my Jiang family, I can no longer afford to hold back.”
“That day, Brother Pei invited all of us to enjoy the mountains, drink wine, and spend a pleasant time together. But in the afternoon, when everyone was tired and returning to their rooms, Brother Pei dismissed the servants and entered the hot spring. He intended to commit an improper act against Junior Sister Cao.”
“I happened to be passing nearby. When I heard the cries, I thought some villainous criminal had broken in, so I entered without worrying about propriety. That was when I discovered Brother Pei attempting to violate Junior Sister Cao.”
“Though Junior Sister Cao was engaged to Brother Pei, that did not mean she should simply endure his humiliation. I therefore fought Brother Pei, knocked him unconscious, and threw him over the wall.”
“As I was about to leave, I discovered that an incense burner beside the pool had already been filled with aphrodisiac incense by Brother Pei. During my fight with him, I circulated my internal energy, and the drug had already spread throughout my body. By the time I realized what was happening, my entire body had gone limp, and I could no longer control myself.”
“It is true that what happened between Junior Sister Cao and me cannot be undone, and it is deeply shameful. But since it has already happened, Junior Sister Cao is also a victim. If anyone is to blame, then blame the two men involved—Brother Pei and me.”
“Do not mention Junior Sister Cao again. She is a delicate woman and should not, after suffering such misfortune, be subjected to everyone’s judgment and ridicule as well.”
The moment those words were spoken, another uproar swept through the crowd.
How many times had the truth reversed itself today? No one had expected there to be yet another hidden layer to the affair.
Yet as soon as Jiang Xun finished speaking, his admirers seemed to find their support restored.
Not only did they no longer think his involvement with Cao Hui was shameful, but by comparison, Pei—who had drugged his own fiancée and attempted to violate her—was the true culprit. Jiang Xun himself was also a victim, yet he had chosen to shoulder the responsibility alone and protect Cao Hui, a mere woman.
Even Cao Hui herself was so moved that she could barely contain her emotions.
Seeing this, the crowd became several times more inclined to believe Jiang Xun.
After all, everyone in the martial world knew that Young Sect Leader Pei was lecherous. He had a history of harassing female heroes and bullying others through his power.
He had countless concubines at home, and several illegitimate sons and daughters despite not yet being married. He was mean-spirited and vindictive. Given his character, drugging his fiancée and attempting to violate her before the wedding was entirely something he might do.
His admirers seemed to have been injected with fresh strength. Once again, they looked at Pei Liang with confidence and began to jeer.
“Though Sect Leader Pei did indeed witness what happened, it’s understandable that a woman would be unable to bear seeing her fiancé intimate with another woman. Still, since you were at your own estate, shouldn’t you have investigated the whole story first?”
“Besides, you have a brother like that yourself. Is it really possible that you had no suspicions? You could have simply asked Young Master Jiang in private. Given Young Master Jiang’s honesty and sense of responsibility, he might not have concealed anything from you.”
“Did you really have to make such a spectacle in front of the memorial hall? Your brother’s already vile reputation may be beyond saving, but Young Master Jiang and Miss Cao still have to live with theirs.”
Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow at Pei Liang, only to find that she showed no sign of panic despite being condemned by everyone around her.
Instead, her gaze fell upon the Cao family—
Jiang Xun’s heart jolted. He suddenly realized why Pei Liang had dug a pit for the Pei family and made them give up a daughter while Pei Ye was still alive.
Though it had allowed her to vent her anger, Cao Hui herself was the sort of woman who would bring unrest to any household. Even if she entered the Pei family carrying a grudge, how could that possibly benefit her?
Not to mention that the Cao family would certainly pull strings and find a way to dissolve the engagement.
Now he understood why Pei Liang had been so insistent.
Sure enough, after Sect Leader Cao openly admitted that Jiang Xun and Cao Hui had been intimate, he immediately seized upon the pressure surrounding them as though he had grabbed a lifeline.
He sighed. “Nephew, such a serious matter—why didn’t you discuss it with your elders?”
“You… sigh. How am I supposed to put this nicely?”
As he spoke, he turned back and bowed to Pei Ye. “Brother Pei, you saw it yourself just now. The Cao family is willing to honor the engagement.”
“It’s just that Young Nephew Pei’s conduct while alive was truly outrageous. The mistake has already been made, and my daughter and Young Nephew Jiang have long since become husband and wife in all but name. The matter must therefore be handled differently.”
With that, he looked toward the Jiang family. “Brother Jiang, what do you say?”
The Jiang family felt as though they had just been dragged into a dogfight. In truth, an alliance with the Cao family would not have been a bad thing. The two families were evenly matched, and if not for Pei Liang, the Jiang family might genuinely have considered it.
But was this fool from the Cao family blind to the situation, or what?
The three ringleaders behind the destruction of the Pei family had already died. Even if the matter came to light, the Jiang family and the Cao family only needed to hand over a few disciples and cut off the rotten limb to save themselves, leaving them with no cause for worry.
By contrast, Pei Liang still held the fatal leverage over both families.
That girl clearly intended to sever ties with both families completely. How could they possibly let her have her way?
Yet it was not only Sect Leader Cao who was delighted. Cao Hui was overjoyed as well. She gazed at Jiang Xun with a face full of surprise. “Senior Brother, we—”
Jiang Xun, however, said coldly, “Uncle Cao, please choose your words carefully. I wronged Junior Sister Cao. If enduring a thousand lashes could appease the Cao family, I, Jiang Xun, would accept them.”
“But I have already said this: the only woman I will ever recognize as my wife is Junior Sister Liang.”
Cao Hui’s face went white, and her entire body swayed as though she were about to collapse. Sect Leader Cao pointed at the Jiang family. “You… you people!”
Seeing his family forced into such a corner, Jiang Wu was furious with both Pei Liang and the Cao family.
He slammed the table and rose, shouting angrily, “Enough! This is a matter between our three families. Young Niece, shouting about it before everyone—what kind of behavior is that?”
“Look at what you’ve accomplished. Miss Cao’s reputation is ruined, my nephew has been wronged beyond measure, and your brother’s name after death is stained beyond recognition. Are you happy now?”
He then cupped his fists toward those around them. “We have made a spectacle of ourselves before all of you. As for what happened today, I hope everyone will show some restraint. After all, both children were victims of a scheme and cannot truly be considered at fault. If you insist on judging their character based on this, then there is nothing more we can say.”
Regardless of what they might gossip about in private, everyone had to show the proper stance in public. The onlookers hurriedly expressed their understanding and sympathy.
Pei Liang was inwardly laughing herself sick at the spectacle. She did not even need to say much. As long as the situation was guided in the right direction, events would naturally develop as she wished.
Still, she had underestimated just how cooperative Jiang Wu would be. The key point was that the Jiang family was actually looking at him with approval.
Pei Liang nodded as well, putting on an apologetic expression as she said to Jiang Wu, “I understand. Uncle Jiang is right. This was originally a private matter among our three families, and I shouldn’t have shouted about it until everyone knew. Even if I felt wronged and misunderstood, I should not have brought it before the public for unrelated people to discuss.”
Jiang Wu nodded, wearing an expression that seemed to say she had finally recognized her mistake and turned over a new leaf. He was just about to lecture her a little more and smooth over the farce when Pei Liang suddenly continued:
“It’s no wonder, then, that when Young Master Jiang and your nephew’s wife committed adultery, Uncle Jiang, as the injured husband, never showed the slightest sign of it in public.”
“Your forbearance, magnanimity, and concern for the bigger picture are truly admirable, Uncle. Indeed, I am nowhere near your level of restraint.”
“Whoosh—”
“Good heavens—”
“My word—”
Everyone had thought the day’s gossip had nearly reached its limit. No one had expected the earlier revelations to be nothing more than an appetizer.
A young aunt by marriage committing incestuous adultery with her husband’s nephew—this was far more thrilling than some romantic entanglement between young people of the martial world. And the fact that Jiang Wu, the cuckolded husband, was willing to endure it while repeatedly defending them made it all the more shocking.
Jiang Xun’s scalp went numb. He and Huo Shiliu stared at Pei Liang in disbelief, unable to understand how she had learned of it.
For one fleeting moment, neither of them even remembered to hide their expressions.
Jiang Wu was slow to grasp the implication behind her words. By the time he realized it, the way everyone around him was looking at him had already made him feel as though he were sitting on pins and needles.
Consumed by rage, he struck out at Pei Liang with his palm. “You shameless wretch! How dare you?”
But before the force of his palm could even touch Pei Liang, his body was sent flying through the air. He crashed into a pillar and spat out blood.
Everyone around them was startled. When they turned, they saw that it was Pei Ye, seated in the place of honor, who had made the attack.
Jiang Wu might have been a fool in temperament, but his martial talent was exceptional, even surpassing Jiang Xun’s. He was a renowned figure in the martial world. Although Pei Ye was a generation older and his cultivation was certainly far deeper, no one had even seen him move before Jiang Wu was gravely injured.
It was clear that in the more than ten years since Pei Ye’s disappearance, not only had his martial arts not deteriorated, they had instead reached an unfathomable level.
As a result, no one dared look down on the Pei family now.
Pei Ye slowly shelled a melon seed and said, “Liang girl is a junior. Ordinarily, if Uncle Jiang wished to discipline her as an elder, she would merely need to stand straight and listen.”
“But she is now the Sect Leader of the Moon Severing Sect, the head of an entire sect. It would therefore be inappropriate for her to be reprimanded by Uncle Jiang. I hope you will understand.”
After saying this, he glanced at Pei Liang. He had no desire to involve himself in worldly affairs, but watching this spectacle was rather entertaining.
With Huo Shiliu supporting him, Jiang Wu struggled to his feet. He was naturally too frightened to provoke Pei Ye.
But he was unwilling to let Pei Liang slander him, so he glared at her hatefully. “What a vicious-tongued girl, making accusations without a shred of proof. Does anyone who fails to please you have to suffer the destruction of their reputation?”
“My nephew may be a man who has gotten himself involved in some romantic scandal, but my wife is a woman—and she is his aunt by marriage. You’re trying to drive her to her death!”
For the first time, Jiang Xun hated his uncle’s stubborn nature so deeply. He almost wished Pei Ye had struck him dead just now; that would have been much easier to deal with.
Since Jiang Wu refused to stop, Pei Liang naturally played along.
With Pei Ye protecting her from behind, no one dared attack her or prevent her from speaking.
And so, an even greater scandal was exposed.
Pei Liang wore a faint smile. “How could that be? Uncle, you yourself have shown such remarkable tolerance. With a husband as accommodating as you, how could Aunt be anything but free and happy? Why would she seek death?”
“You—”
“Uncle, have you forgotten?” Pei Liang looked at him as though he ought to know perfectly well. “It was also at the hot-spring estate. That day, you were drunk out of your mind after my brother and Senior Brother Jiang plied you with liquor, and your wife dragged you back to your room.”
“Senior Brother Jiang used taking care of Uncle as an excuse to leave for a while. That was when the two of them indulged themselves right beside Uncle’s drunken, sleeping body.”
“I used to think Uncle had some unusual tastes and was simply into that sort of thing. Since you, as their elder and husband, turned a blind eye, I, merely his unmarried fiancée, naturally had no place to say anything.”
“So I could only settle matters concerning Senior Brother and Junior Sister Cao. Unexpectedly, Senior Brother claimed there was another explanation. Never mind. My brother is dead now, and the dead cannot speak up to defend themselves. For the time being, I’ll assume things happened as Senior Brother said.”
What the hell was the point now? How was this still about that damned business involving her brother?
The spectators around them had gorged themselves on gossip until their eyes practically glowed red. Forget them—even the members of the Pei family, including Sect Leader Pei’s sons’ concubines and illegitimate children, had forgotten all about mourning and were staring fixedly in this direction.
Jiang Wu was furious, glaring at Pei Liang with venom, yet his mind could not help recalling what had happened back then.
That time, he had gotten dead drunk and passed out. When he woke the next morning, he found his naked wife lying beside him, the sheets beneath them in a filthy mess.
He had still been rather bewildered when he woke, but his wife had blushed and complained that he had gone wild in his drunkenness the night before. However, since he had performed so manfully, she had decided not to hold it against him.
His wife had always been cold toward him in bed. Now that she had finally shown such a seductive, radiant side, Jiang Wu had genuinely believed that even drunk, he had still been virile enough to satisfy her.
Although he had no memory of it, her praise had sent him floating, and he had not thought much more about the matter.
But now he remembered the details. His wife had been completely naked, her body covered in unmistakable marks—the evidence of a fierce struggle—yet apart from his loosened belt, his own clothes were perfectly intact. He certainly did not look like a man who had just engaged in a passionate tryst and then failed to tidy himself up.
Nor did he feel the slightest trace of having climaxed. There had been stains on his manhood, but the area beneath his own body was completely clean. Instead, near the edge of the bed on his wife’s side, there had been dried traces of liquid everywhere.
The more Jiang Wu thought about those details, the more wrong everything seemed. His face filled with murderous rage. He turned around and saw guilt flicker through Huo Shiliu’s eyes.
At that moment, no matter how stupid he was, how could he fail to understand?
He slapped Huo Shiliu across the face. “You bitch!”
Pei Liang hurriedly spoke up. “Uncle, please be gentler. Aunt is pregnant. Judging by the timing, the child should have been conceived that very night.”
“No matter what happened between the adults, the child is still a member of the Jiang family. Be careful.”
Jiang Wu stared at Huo Shiliu and Jiang Xun in disbelief. “You two—”
Huo Shiliu waved her hands frantically. “No, that’s impossible! I’m not pregnant. No—I’ve never had an affair with my nephew. She’s slandering me!”
A divine physician from Medicine King Valley was present, however, and spoke up. “Madam Jiang is indeed pregnant. I noticed it first thing this morning, but the pregnancy is still in its early stages, so she herself may not have realized it yet.”
“I was just planning to inform the two of you afterward.”
So how had Pei Liang known about something even the woman herself did not know?
And every piece of gossip she had exposed involved matters of the utmost privacy. It seemed this Young Miss not only possessed formidable methods, but also had eyes and ears everywhere.
That boy from the Jiang family had seriously underestimated her. He had dared to behave recklessly on her territory, and now she had caught him with his entire string of misdeeds exposed.
She knew everything with such frightening clarity that even those who had finally found a reason to continue trusting Jiang Xun now began to waver.
As for the many men who had never bought Jiang Xun’s act in the first place, seeing Jiang Wu’s reaction, what else was there left to argue?
Jiang Wu wished he could strangle Huo Shiliu. Then, catching sight of Jiang Xun nearby, he immediately drew the long sword at his side and swung it at his nephew with a murderous expression.
“We grew up together. From childhood, we studied and trained side by side. We may have been uncle and nephew by name, but we were as close as brothers. I never thought you would treat me as less than human—having an affair with my wife and humiliating me. What am I to you, then? What does your uncle mean to you?”
Jiang Wu’s words truly made people sigh. Jiang Xun could no longer hope to explain his way out of this. No matter how eloquently he put it, the truth had been peeled back layer by layer, like an onion. Where was there any innocence left in the Jiang family?
“Bah! So-called Jade-Faced Young Master? He’s nothing but a shameless degenerate who flouts human morality.”
“I seem to remember that before Huo Shiliu married into the Jiang family, she openly pursued Jiang Xun for some time. Could it be that she married into the family for Jiang Xun?”
“Of course. What was her background? With the Jiang family’s status, how could they possibly have chosen her as the next matriarch?”
“An adulterous pair! Shameless degenerates who violated every moral boundary. Bah!”
“If that’s the case, then whether Jiang Xun and Miss Cao were really involved because he was under the influence of an aphrodisiac is still up for debate.”
“Regardless, as Sect Leader Pei said, the former Young Sect Leader Pei is dead. The dead cannot leap up and defend themselves.”
“So the Jiang family’s Jade-Faced Young Master is actually such a sanctimonious hypocrite. Then perhaps his acknowledgment of the debt note on behalf of the Pei family earlier had nothing to do with the reason they claimed.”
“More than that. If that fellow Jin is properly interrogated—or if someone investigates the Jiang Sect’s current situation—who knows what other surprises they’ll uncover?”
The Jiang family members went pale. All their schemes had been dragged into the sunlight, leaving them utterly exposed and humiliated. The reputation the Jiang family had spent years building was destroyed in an instant.
Sect Master Jiang was so furious he nearly vomited blood. He gave Pei Liang a deep look.
Then he struck out, forcing Jiang Wu back, and barked, “Enough! Have you no shame left? If there’s a problem, go home and settle it there. Stop making a spectacle of yourselves in public.”
Jiang Wu let out a bitter laugh. Shame? What face did he have left?
After today, the entire world would know that Jiang Wu was a cuckold.
A cuckold whose wife had been having sex with another man right beside him.
The Jiang family could no longer remain there. They turned and prepared to leave.
Pei Liang, however, still refused to let them off. With her usual sharp tongue, she said, “Uncle Jiang is right. You should go home, Uncle.”
“Senior Brother is already this old and still drinking milk from his own mother, yet his father never objected.”
“Whoa—”
“Ha—”
“Oh—”
By now, everyone had stuffed themselves full in this field of gossip, but no one had expected that even after reaching this point, the Jiang family could still offer them another surprise.
Sect Master Jiang stared at Pei Liang in disbelief. The words he was about to say died in his throat. He was afraid that if Pei Liang opened her mouth again, she would say something even worse.
But Pei Liang had no reason to hold back when she had one final drop left to spill.
She said, “Uncle Jiang, don’t look at me like that. If Aunt had not indulged Senior Brother so excessively, he would never have developed a fixation on older women—or a taste for the thrill of challenging moral boundaries. In the Jiang family, from Madam Jiang downward, every female relative has shown Senior Brother plenty of ‘affection.’”
What a deeply suggestive use of the words “shown him plenty of affection.”
Pei Liang had not lied. In the original story, among all of Jiang Xun’s female elders, there was not a single one with whom he had not been involved.
Sect Master Jiang was obsessed with martial arts and constantly occupied with family affairs, leaving his wife neglected and indifferent to her needs. After giving birth to a son, Madam Jiang had lived like a widow for years, so it was only natural that she regarded her son, Jiang Xun, as her sole emotional support and the only thing she could rely on.
Just as happens with many widowed mothers in the real world, once her son grew up, he was no longer merely her child in her eyes. He became the center of the household, even taking the place of a spiritual husband.
Such mothers treated their sons as possessions, using them to fill the void left by their husbands and viewing their daughters-in-law as romantic rivals.
Jiang Xun’s mother had controlled him from a young age, deliberately fostering his dependence on her. The reason he was so fond of challenging moral boundaries naturally lay there.
In the original story, the heroine married into the Jiang family and found herself surrounded by women who were, for all intents and purposes, her rivals in love. It was no wonder she had been tormented to death.
Even Sect Master Jiang, who had been trying to keep the bigger picture in mind, could no longer bear it. He turned to Jiang Xun, his face trembling.
“Is— is what she said true?”
Jiang Xun hurriedly denied it, of course, but few people present believed him.
The Jade-Faced Young Master, once renowned for his noble and immaculate bearing, had now become, in everyone’s eyes, a shameless pervert guilty of incest.
Jiang Xun turned around and glared at Pei Liang, his eyes venomous.
Pei Liang, however, remained completely unfazed. “Why is Senior Brother Jiang looking at me? If you’re worried about being held accountable when you return home, you’re welcome to stay at Slashing Moon Manor for a few days and take refuge.”
If Jiang Xun accepted, it would be tantamount to confirming every accusation against him.
The Jiang family fled in utter disgrace.
Watching them disappear into the distance, everyone felt rather reluctant for the spectacle to end. If not for the need to observe basic etiquette, they would all have hurried down the mountain already, eager to share the gossip with their fellow disciples and friends.
At that moment, Pei Liang’s gaze shifted to the Cao family.
Sect Master Cao shuddered all over. He was truly afraid now.
Before coming, even if he had racked his brains, he could never have imagined that a mere young girl could possess such terrifying destructive power.
At first, he had been indignant. The Jiang family had been the ones to stick their claws in—so why was it his Cao family that had suffered the worst of the consequences?
Now, he no longer cared about any of that. He did not even dare pursue the matter of his daughter’s ruined reputation. All he wanted was for Pei Liang to show mercy and spare them.
The Cao family had no desire to become the laughingstock of the entire world overnight, as the Jiang family had.
For years to come, the Jiang family’s young disciples would probably have to walk outside with their necks tucked in.
Fortunately, Pei Liang’s gaze merely swept over them, and she said nothing. Sect Master Cao let out a deep sigh of relief.
After the funeral ended, everyone descended the mountain. It would have been improper to openly discuss gossip in front of the mourning hall, so after holding it in throughout the ceremony, they could finally let loose.
Thus, for the next few days, conversations like these could be heard throughout the martial world—
“Did you attend the Pei family funeral? You didn’t? You lost big.”
“I paid a single funeral offering and got to hear a whole bellyful of unheard-of, scandalous gossip. I only regret that I didn’t grab more melon seeds.”
“Did you attend the Pei family funeral? You have a grudge against the Pei family? Then you lost even more.”
“What does an old grudge matter? A single funeral offering won’t leave you unable to put food on the table. You got the full experience, beginning to end, with one climax after another. Even the theater couldn’t put on something this thrilling.”
“Did you attend the Pei family funeral? You didn’t want to run into Jiang Xun because the heroine you fancy once hacked you up for him?”
“Good grief! Then you lost your ass off. For the price of one funeral offering, the Pei family welcomed you with open doors, provided tea, snacks, and a banquet—and you got to watch Jiang Xun make a complete fool of himself from beginning to end. Your dream heroine was there too, so you could even take advantage of her disappointment and make your move. What a loss! What a terrible, terrible loss!”
As gossip about the Jiang family spread far and wide and storytellers happily gained new material, Jiang Xun—who should have been staying behind closed doors at the Jiang residence—appeared at Slashing Moon Manor.
