Book 15: Chapter 102
The question that came out of left field compelled Feng Jiutian to first go silent before losing his composure. His composure was a front built to hide his roused emotions. The extreme panic was also an act to eventually build a lie off. In order to convince the listener that he was honest, he had to create the impression that they successfully forced him into spilling the truth.
Feng Jiutian was weighing the pros and cons of being honest versus hiding the truth, and he concluded that the consequences of telling Ming Feizhen the truth were scarier. In contrast, that put Ming Feizhen’s mind at ease for the reason that Feng Jiutian’s act was a sign that he knew something. Unlike how he frantically cried innocence when Shen Wuzheng’s death was mentioned, it was self-evident that Feng Jiutian knew something this time.
Trying to look and sound apologetic, Feng Jiutian expressed, “You are making it difficult for me, Brother Ming.”
“Go into detail. Your life rides on your answer.”
Feng Jiutian finally started realising he was in a real pinch, but that also reminded him that, if he truly didn’t know, then there was no dilemma. He didn’t know what he didn’t know, even if he was beaten to death; that simplified the situation.
“You can lead me on with lies, and I can leave you with an ugly corpse. It’ll be fair on both of us.” Ming Feizhen was scary without having to pull any faces. “Speak.”
Feng Jiutian felt as if his determination was being dug out from him.
It had been seven years since the battle and Ximen Chuideng vanished off the radar. Combined with time and wisdom from others, Ming Feizhen had stopped being hung up on the conflicts and his own stubbornness from back then. As for the definitions between good and bad, the regret of arriving late, the regrets that couldn’t be made up for, and his past self were left behind in the cottage on the mountain four years ago, leaving behind the current Ming Feizhen. Nevertheless, there was one thing he couldn’t let go of – the reason behind Ximen Chuideng’s defeat.
Even today, Ming Feizhen couldn’t comprehend how it was possible for Ximen Chuideng to have been defeated. At the time, the Seven Champion White Princes and various sects had formed an alliance. The Ultimate Three and Seventeen Hidden Dragons also participated in the skirmish. Hence, there was reasonable ground for Ximen Chuideng to lose; in fact, the fact that they put together that force to challenge Ximen Chuideng was praise for him. It was just that Ming Feizhen couldn’t figure out who defeated Ximen Chuideng. It was Ximen Chuideng, after all. Even if all the greats teamed up against Ximen Chuideng, Ming Feizhen still had to know who defeated Ximen Chuideng.