Chapter 61 Madam Ma, You Cannot Leave Just Yet

The revelation that Yanshanhe was actually Murong Fu sent shockwaves through the crowd, like a boulder plunging into a calm lake and stirring up a thousand ripples!

The murder of former Beggars' Sect Deputy Chief Ma Dayuan two years ago remained an unsolved mystery in the martial arts world to this day. And one of the prime suspects was none other than this very Murong Fu!

Who could have imagined that, in just two short years, Murong Fu would not only infiltrate the Beggars' Sect but even become a contender for the position of the sect's next leader.

If anyone claimed there was no conspiracy behind this, and that no one within the Beggars' Sect had been colluding with him from the inside, nobody in their right mind would believe it.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhang Fang gave a majestic wave of his hand and issued a direct order: "Gusu's Murong Fu disguised himself as Yanshanhe and infiltrated the Beggars' Sect, plotting to usurp the position of sect leader and leverage the sect's power to fulfill his own unspeakable ambitions and motives."

"Now that his identity has been exposed, there is no need for him to leave."

"Take this man into custody immediately! Today, I am determined to get to the bottom of this matter!"

According to their prior agreement, defeating "Yanshanhe" made Zhang Fang the sole successor to the seventh generation leadership of the Beggars' Sect. However, until the official succession ceremony was completed, he was still technically only a Nine-Bag Elder.

Issuing commands right then and there was, strictly speaking, somewhat contrary to protocol.

Yet, not a single person stepped forward to object to the very first order he gave upon his victory. The elders of the main sect who had consistently backed him needed no mention, and the leaders and elders of the various branch divisions certainly dared not cross him at a time like this.

After all, the fact that Yanshanhe had been able to stand here today and compete with Zhang Fang for the leadership meant that every single branch leader who had previously supported him shared the blame for failing to judge a person's character correctly.

When reckoning came after the fact, none of them would be able to escape.

Of course, given the traditional ways of the Beggars' Sect, such misjudgments in alignment might not necessarily lead to harsh liquidation afterward. But if anyone dared to stand up and sing a different tune at this exact moment, Zhang Fang would certainly not mind branding them as Murong Fu's accomplices and settling accounts on the spot.

Anyone who managed to climb to the position of a branch leader in the premier martial arts sect under heaven was naturally no fool. The implications were clear to everyone, and even the leaders of the Great Benevolence and Great Righteousness branches, who had previously been the most fervent supporters of Yanshanhe, now behaved with utmost docility, looking terrified lest Zhang Fang should notice them.

Only Quan Guanqing suddenly sprang to his feet, pointing directly at Murong Fu and shouting: "This man is not Elder Yan of our Great Wisdom branch! This so-called Elder Yan must be Murong Fu in disguise!"

"Murong Fu, confess honestly! What on earth have you done to Elder Yan?"

Hearing Quan Guanqing's clamor, the elders of the main sect could not help but wear expressions of mocking contempt.

The fact that Murong Fu had appeared under the alias of Yanshanhe to contest the leadership was something the other branches could claim ignorance of, but since Yanshanhe ostensibly hailed from the Great Wisdom branch, Quan Guanqing, as its leader, could not wash his hands of the matter no matter what.

In the eyes of the elders, his current shouting was nothing more than the pathetic, dying struggle of a clown.

Not a single person paid any attention to Quan Guanqing's self-righteous uproar and nonsense. The elders of the main sect had already swarmed toward the heavily wounded and fallen Murong Fu.

Seeing this, the corner of Zhang Fang's mouth beneath his mask curved into an amused smile.

If he guessed correctly, Quan Guanqing was probably not lying about this particular point. From the very beginning, the "Yanshanhe" who had shown his true face to Zhang Fang was, in all likelihood, none other than Gongye Qian, the master of the Chixia Manor and one of Murong Fu's four loyal retainers.

The two men possessed almost identical physical proportions, and the latter likely mastered some special skill to alter his voice. By wearing the same clothes and donning matching masks, it was virtually impossible for outsiders to tell them apart.

Many puzzling details only made sense if there had indeed been two Yanshanhes existing simultaneously!

However, the current situation was overwhelmingly favorable to his side, so Zhang Fang had no intention of stopping to explain anything for Quan Guanqing in the name of so-called truth.

Watching the Beggars' Sect elders rush forward together to capture Murong Fu alive, Yan Qingyun, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally let out an angry roar and leaped forward to block their path, palms raised to shield Murong Fu.

This man's true identity was Deng Baichuan, master of the Qingyun Manor, who held the highest status and martial arts prowess among Murong Fu's four great retainers. His cultivation had already pushed close to the upper echelon of the martial world, and as he braced himself to fight to the death, the Beggars' Sect elders, despite their superior numbers, found themselves temporarily unable to pierce through his defense.

Realizing that it was once again time for him to shine, Zhang Fang tapped his toes sharply against the ground, his body surging forward like an arrow. He slipped straight between Elders Bai Shijing and Chen Guyan—who had been forced back by the opponent—and unleashed a strike from the "Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms": "Proud Dragon Repents." The sheer force sent vibrations tingling through Deng Baichuan's arms and forced him to stagger back seven or eight steps involuntarily.

Deng Baichuan's combat strength was quite formidable, matching even Gongye Qian, the Reincarnator, each with their own distinct strengths. In a fair, one-on-one duel, even if Zhang Fang wanted to defeat him, it would take at least ten moves to secure an opportunity.

Yet, this moment was by no means a chivalrous duel of martial arts.

Facing life-and-death enemies from the Murong household who intended to swallow the Beggars' Sect whole, nobody was going to observe knightly conventions or fair play with him.

Just as Deng Baichuan was blasted backward by Zhang Fang's palm strike, Elder Lü Zhang of the Law-Enforcing division lashed out with a kick, squarely striking the back of Deng's knee joint. The impact caused the retreating Deng to drop onto one knee, while the residual, unspent force of the Dragon-Subduing Palm swept him sideways onto the ground.

Seizing the moment, Elder Song and Elder Xi rushed forward, crossing their weapons to press ruthlessly against Deng Baichuan's throat, while Elder Lü took the opportunity to rip the blue veil off his face.

Murong Fu had already been stripped of his combat capability by Zhang Fang's earlier palm strike, and now, having lost Deng Baichuan's protection, he was predictably swarmed by the Beggars' Sect elders and captured without suspense.

After that, this master and servant duo were bound tightly with thick ropes by the disciples of the sect.

At that moment, an older Beggars' Sect disciple pointed at Deng Baichuan and exclaimed, "I recognize this man! He is the eldest of Gusu Murong's four great retainers, Deng Baichuan, master of the Qingyun Manor!"

In truth, while the Murong family had maintained a relatively low profile over the years and had little contact with the Beggars' Sect, how could someone who had earned a reputation in the martial arts world rivaling that of Qiao Feng—known as the "Southern Murong"—fail to be recognized by anyone?

With disciples of the Beggars' Sect scattered across the entire realm, bounder-like wanderers were bound to have crossed paths with them before.

Those who had seen them might not necessarily hold positions of real power like branch leaders or elders, and they usually lacked a voice in sect affairs. But stepping forward now was undoubtedly a glorious opportunity to make a name for themselves, prompting even more Beggars' Sect disciples to stand up and verify the identities of Murong Fu and his servant.

If Doctor Xue Shenyi was, after all, an outsider whose words—though unquestioned to his face—might require further verification later, then as the number of people identifying Murong Fu and his servant grew steadily, the identities of the pair were thoroughly set in stone, rendering any further investigation unnecessary.

Seeing that the general trend had collapsed beyond retrieval, Quan Guanqing subconsciously cast a pleading look toward Madam Ma, Kang Min.

The latter, however, refused to meet his gaze. With a swift roll of her eyes, she had already made up her mind. Giving a subtle glance to her personal maid, she prepared to slip away quietly while everyone's attention remained transfixed on Murong Fu.

As long as she managed to escape this vortex of trouble and destroy all incriminating evidence in time, there would still be room for maneuver.

Even if Murong Fu and Quan Guanqing both fell, she was confident in her ability to protect herself thanks to the network of illicit relationships she had previously cultivated.

As for Zhang Fang, who had ruined her grand plans, she could slowly settle accounts with him later when the opportunity arose.

She believed that since she had used her own methods to pull down Qiao Feng, bringing down You Tanzhi would be just as effortless!

Kang Min's mental abacus clicked away noisily, but Zhang Fang had no intention of letting her retreat scot-free. Seeing the woman getting ready to skedaddle, he immediately spoke up: "Madam Ma, just where do you plan on going?"

Kang Min felt her heart skip a beat at the question, but she feigned composure on the surface and replied, "The duel has already been decided. Since that Yanshanhe turned out to be Murong Fu in disguise, I presume Sect Leader You and the elders must have many important matters requiring interrogation."

"As a mere woman, it is truly inappropriate for me to linger in such a setting. I shall take my leave now and await good news from you all."

With those words, she offered Zhang Fang another respectful bow and readied herself to continue slipping away.

Zhang Fang smiled coldly and said, "Madam Ma, you cannot leave just yet." Pausing slightly, he added, "Didn't Madam Ma just ask me to find out the murderer of the late Deputy Chief Ma after defeating Yanshanhe?"

"There is no need to wait another month. I shall investigate the matter thoroughly right now and bring justice to the spirit of the late Deputy Chief Ma in heaven!"