Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: The Successor of Bodhidharma

Page 37

"This...how is this possible?!"

Countless gazes, filled with astonishment, disbelief, and disdain, focused on Qiao Feng like countless sharp arrows!

"Abbot Xuanci! Eminent monks! Heroes of the world! My husband, Ma Dayuan... he died under mysterious circumstances!"

Tears streamed down her face, her voice was shrill, and her acting was incredibly realistic:

“That night…that night my husband was found dead in the room. It just so happened that Elder Bai Shijing came to discuss gang affairs with my husband. It was me and him…it was the two of us who discovered the scene together!”

She deliberately emphasized the word "together," thus bringing Elder Bai Shijing, the law enforcement officer, into the witness stand as well.

“My husband’s throat was shattered; he died from his own signature move, the ‘Throat Lock Grappling Hand’! And right next to his body… right next to his body!”

As Kang Min recounted this, she seemed to recall an extremely terrifying scene. Her whole body trembled violently, and she suddenly pulled out a seemingly ordinary folding fan from her bosom. With a "whoosh," she unfolded it and held it high, making the fan clearly visible in the sunlight!

"We've found this! This folding fan that Chief Qiao Feng never parted with!"

Her gaze was fixed on Qiao Feng's face, which had frozen in shock. Her voice rose, carrying a heart-wrenching accusation:

"Qiao Feng! You villain! You must have been afraid my husband would reveal your secret, so you cruelly murdered me to silence me! And then you even tried to frame the Murong Clan of Gusu! You...you have such a vicious heart! Heaven has eyes, and Elder Bai and I have discovered this irrefutable evidence against you! What else do you have to say?!"

"Om-!!"

Qiao Feng was struck dumb, frozen in place! His resolute face, still bearing the gleam of youthful vigor after a fierce battle, instantly drained of color, turning deathly pale. His fierce eyes widened, filled with utter shock, bewilderment, and an indescribable pain—the pain of being stabbed in the back by the person he trusted most! He subconsciously shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake this absurd accusation from his mind. Murder his sworn brother, Brother Ma? He was a Khitan? This… how could this be?!

"You vixen! How dare you slander the gang leader!!"

A thunderous roar shattered the suffocating silence! Xie Xiaoyu, like a provoked lion, took a step forward, blocking Qiao Feng's path. His aura was murderous, his eyes icy cold, fixed on Kang Min, his gaze almost wanting to tear her to pieces! His fists clenched, knuckles cracking, and a surge of violent inner force gathered at his knuckles; he was about to kill this venomous woman who spoke such lies with a single blow!

Qiao Feng's deep, powerful voice rang out, and a large hand firmly pressed down on Xie Xiaoyu's fist, which was poised to strike. The strength and warmth emanating from that hand momentarily halted Xie Xiaoyu's ferocious momentum.

Qiao Feng slowly pulled him back behind him, once again facing all the doubting and hostile gazes. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the assembled heroes. Although his voice was slightly hoarse from the previous fierce battle, it was still deep and powerful:

“Madam Ma, this folding fan is indeed one of my personal belongings, Qiao Feng. I lost it a few days ago.”

He readily acknowledged the existence of the folding fan, then abruptly changed the subject, his tiger-like eyes flashing with a sharp light, like two bolts of cold lightning shooting towards Kang Min, his tone suddenly becoming extremely fierce:

"But you accuse Qiao of murdering Brother Ma and killing one of my gang members—a crime that abhors both gods and men! You think you can convict me based solely on this mere folding fan? That's far too frivolous! Where is the evidence?!"

He took a sudden step forward, and the entire plaza seemed to tremble! The immense aura he had just unleashed in his battle against Xuan Cheng surged forth once more, though not as intense as before, it carried an inviolable majesty and fury:

"And another thing! You said I, Qiao Feng, am a Khitan?!"

His voice was booming, carrying an air of domineering arrogance that resounded through the heavens:

"Based on your own words, with your own words and credible pronouncements, you think I, Qiao Feng, and all the heroes of the world, would believe your utterly absurd claims?!"

"You—have you asked me, Qiao Feng, whether my iron palms agree! Have you asked my 100,000 Beggar Clan brothers whether they believe it! Have you asked the people of the world whether they accept it!"

These words, spoken with force and conviction, moved many previously skeptical江湖豪客 (jianghu heroes).

"Hmph!" Facing Qiao Feng's imposing aura, Kang Min did not back down at all. A cold smile of triumph appeared on her face. She took out a yellowed letter from her bosom again and held it high. "Qiao Feng! Don't try to deny it! This is a personal letter from a master of the age to the former leader of the Wang Gang! It clearly and plainly explains your origins as a Khitan bastard!"

Her gaze swept across the room, her voice sharp: "Words alone are not enough to convince the public! We request that a respected elder examine this letter in public to verify its authenticity!"

"Amitabha." A Buddhist chant rang out, and Master Zhiguang from Mount Wutai stepped forward from the crowd. His face was compassionate, but his eyes held a world-weary look. "I, Zhiguang, am willing to bear witness to this."

Kang Min handed over the letter. Master Zhiguang took it, slowly unfolded it, and read it carefully. As he read, the compassion on his face gradually transformed into profound solemnity and pity. Finally, he sighed deeply, and to everyone's astonishment, he reached out and tore off a corner of the letter with his signature at the end, put it in his mouth without hesitation, and swallowed it!

"Senior Brother Zhiguang! You!" Abbot Xuanci's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, seemingly wanting to stop him but it was too late. Looking at Master Zhiguang's resolute yet pained expression, he seemed to understand something. His entire being seemed drained of strength, and he slowly lowered his head, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and said no more. But his slightly trembling white eyebrows revealed the complex emotions and turbulent emotions he was experiencing at that moment!

Master Zhiguang swallowed the letter, as if swallowing a painful memory. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Qiao Feng. His voice, filled with endless sorrow and remorse, began to recount the bloody case that had been buried for thirty years:

"Amitabha... This matter must be traced back to the tragedy that occurred thirty years ago outside Yanmen Pass..."

His voice was low as he recounted how he had been misled, how he had ambushed a Khitan couple outside Yanmen Pass, how he had mistakenly killed innocent people, and how only an infant had survived. He did not reveal who the messenger was, nor did he disclose the identity of the leader, but the regret in his words and the concrete details made everyone understand that what he said was true.

As he recounted the story, Zhao Qiansun burst forth from the crowd like a madman, letting out a manic laugh and cry: "Heh heh... ha ha... dead, all dead!" Tan Gong and Tan Po also emerged with grave expressions. Tan Po sighed, "Master Zhiguang's words... are all true. That child... was indeed taken back to the Central Plains and entrusted to the Qiao couple at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain to raise..."

One by one, witnesses emerged, firmly establishing the identity of the "Khitan infant" on Qiao Feng!

"Qiao Feng! You Khitan traitor! Now that we have both witnesses and evidence, what else do you have to say?!" Quan Guanqing seized the opportunity, suddenly jumped out, and pointed at Qiao Feng with a fierce voice, "You killed Vice Chief Ma because you were afraid he would reveal your background! Today, all the heroes of the world are here, let's see how you can still deny it!"

"Amitabha!" Master Xuannan's face was also ashen. He stepped forward and said sternly, "Qiao Feng! If you are truly a Khitan and have committed the heinous crime of fratricide, even if your martial arts are unparalleled, Shaolin will not tolerate you!"

"You Khitan traitors! Get out of the Central Plains!"

"Kill him! Avenge Vice Chief Ma!"

"We trusted you so much! Bah!"

The crowd was instantly stirred up to a boiling point! Countless angry, accusatory, and contemptuous gazes shot towards Qiao Feng in the center of the arena like sharp arrows. The crowd, who had just been impressed by his heroic spirit, now wished they could tear him apart! Many Beggar Clan disciples also showed hesitation, pain, and even anger on their faces; former brothers were now exchanging insults!

Qiao Feng stood there, stunned, his ears filled with the angry curses and accusations of his former brothers and fellow martial artists. He looked at those distorted faces, filled with anger, contempt, and hatred; he saw Master Zhiguang's compassion, Abbot Xuanci's silence, Kang Min's venomous pleasure, and Quan Guanqing's cold smugness…

He felt a bone-chilling cold rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head! It was colder than Xuan Cheng's palm strike, and more painful than the recoil from the Vajra Body! This cold reality was more cruel than any martial art, pinning him to the spot.

"Chief!" Xie Xiaoyu suddenly stepped forward, blocking Qiao Feng's path. Facing the accusations of thousands, there was no fear in his eyes, only unwavering loyalty and protection for Qiao Feng. He roared hoarsely, "Anyone who dares to touch the Chief will have to step over my dead body first!"

Amidst this desperate situation filled with accusations and boiling murderous intent, Qiao Feng suddenly raised his head!

He looked around, taking in everyone's faces. His initial shock, confusion, and pain were gradually replaced by an overwhelming sense of sorrow, anger, and finally, a burning, arrogant arrogance that looked down on everything!

He suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter!

"Hahaha...hahahaha...!!"

The laughter, initially low and deep, grew louder and louder, like the roar of a wounded lion that shook the mountains and forests, filled with sorrow, resentment, and anger, and even more so with a kind of world-weary, resolute, and unrestrained heroism! The laughter was so powerful that it actually drowned out the noise of the entire audience!

Everyone was stunned by the sudden burst of laughter, and for a moment, the shouts and curses subsided.

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Qiao Feng's tiger-like eyes flashed with power and sharp light as he swept across the entire scene. His voice, like the clanging of metal, was resounding and powerful.

"Good! What a bastard Khitan! What a crime of murdering one's own brother!"

"Throughout my life, Qiao Feng has only sought to act with a clear conscience! To be worthy of heaven and earth, worthy of my parents, and even more so, worthy of the code of the martial world and the bonds of brotherhood!"

"Today, you believe this woman's one-sided story, this letter of dubious origin, and these old tales, and thus conclude that I, Qiao Feng, am a Khitan barbarian, a heartless traitor who slaughtered his brothers!"

"Hahahaha!"

He suddenly stepped forward, gently pushing aside Xie Xiaoyu who was blocking his way, and faced the accusations and encirclement of thousands of people alone! The domineering aura around him was not weakened by this desperate situation, but instead became purer and sharper, like refined steel that had been tempered!

"You keep saying I'm a Khitan and that you want to kill me!"

"I, Qiao Feng, am right here!"

"Who among you wants this flesh and blood—"

His voice, like thunder, resounded in everyone's ears, carrying with it an unparalleled heroic spirit and resolute determination to go against the tide, even if it means facing millions of people:

"Come on up and give it a try!!"

The sound shook the surrounding fields, and its power soared to the heavens!

A lone hero stands alone, facing a thousand troops!

Chapter 118 Chief Qiao, would you please have a drink with Qiao Tian?

At Shaoshi Mountain Square, murderous intent surged, and thousands pointed their fingers at him!

At the summit of the pagoda, Xiao Yuanshan, his black robes billowing, resembled a lone wolf ready to devour its prey. He looked down at the enraged crowd of so-called "heroes" who sought to kill his beloved son. His fists, clenched behind his back, cracked so hard his knuckles turned white, and a terrifying aura seemed about to burst from his body! He forced out a chilling whisper, a curse imbued with deep-seated hatred:

"You... all deserve to die!"

The atmosphere in the arena had reached freezing point, yet it was also like a volcano about to erupt!

Seeing that the time was ripe, Murong Fu's eyes flashed with an undisguised smugness and calculation. He straightened his clothes, stepped forward from the crowd, and bowed to the assembled heroes. His voice was clear and resonant, yet every word he uttered was designed to incite conflict:

"Esteemed seniors, fellow martial artists! I am Murong Fu from Gusu!"

His gaze swept across the entire scene, finally settling on the isolated and helpless Qiao Feng, his tone becoming sorrowful and impassioned:

"Chief Qiao...! In the past, we respected you as a hero and honored you as the leader of the Beggars' Clan. The name of Qiao Feng of the North resounded throughout the martial arts world! But now, with witnesses and evidence in hand, your identity as a Khitan barbarian is confirmed! What is even more outrageous is that in order to cover up your true identity, you actually murdered your sworn brother, Vice Chief Ma Dayuan. Such an act is an outrage against heaven and earth and cannot be tolerated by gods and men!"

He suddenly raised his voice, with a tragic air of "If I don't go to hell, who will?"

"Although I, Murong Fu, am not talented, I know that the words 'chivalry' are heavier than Mount Tai! If we allow such treacherous and unjust people to roam freely in the world, what will become of the reputation of the Central Plains martial arts world? What will become of justice?!"

"Murong Fu is willing to disregard his personal safety and boldly volunteer to join forces with all the heroes to seek justice for Deputy Chief Ma and to eliminate this scoundrel from the Central Plains martial arts world! We must never allow these Khitan barbarians to defile our beautiful land again!"

His words were grand and righteous, and extremely inflammatory, instantly igniting the already indignant emotions of the crowd!

"Young Master Murong is right!"

"Except for that Khitan traitor!"

"kill him!"

The crowd surged with emotion, countless swords were drawn, their cold light reflecting in the sun! The crowd, like a receding tide, slowly approached Qiao Feng and Xie Xiaoyu in the center of the arena, the air thick with killing intent, a great battle about to erupt!

"Cousin!" Wang Yuyan cried out in alarm, her face pale. She instinctively tried to find A'Zhu for comfort, but was shocked to discover that A'Zhu had disappeared without a trace. Her heart was filled with a sense of foreboding.

Xie Xiaoyu's face was as cold and stern as he stood guard in front of Qiao Feng, his fists clenched, his eyes like ice, scanning every approaching enemy, ready to fight to the death.

At this critical moment——

Qiao Feng's deep and majestic voice rang out, seemingly carrying a strange magic that caused the surging crowd to pause.

He slowly raised his hand, his gaze no longer sharp and intimidating, but filled with a deep, indescribable sorrow, as he slowly swept over the Beggar Clan elders who had once fought alongside him, drunk wine with him, and entrusted their lives to him—Elder Lü Zhang, who passed on his skills; Elder Bai Shijing, who enforced the law; and the four elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu… Their faces were filled with pain, struggle, doubt, and even a trace of anger at being deceived.

Qiao Feng felt as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart, causing him excruciating pain. A bleak yet resolute smile appeared on his face.

"Elders, brothers..." His voice was hoarse, yet clearly reached the ears of every Beggar Clan disciple, "Given the current situation, Qiao Feng has no way to defend himself. The road of the martial world is long, but we are brothers. Whether I am Han or Khitan, I will remember this friendship in my heart."

He paused, a glint of moisture flashing in his tiger-like eyes, which was quickly replaced by a resolute expression.

"Get the wine!"

"When the fight breaks out, fists and feet will have no eyes, and weapons will have no mercy! If you drink this bowl of wine, it will not be considered unrighteous of you to kill me! If I hurt you, it will not be considered unkind of me! From this day forward, all ties are severed, and life and death will be left to fate!"

These words were so poignant and sorrowful that they moved everyone who heard them! Many Beggars' Sect disciples couldn't help but have tears well up in their eyes and lower their heads.

The elders exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, Lü Zhang sighed deeply and ordered in a hoarse voice, "...Fetch the wine!"

Immediately, Beggars' Sect disciples carried out wine jars and large bowls from the horse team.

Just as the drinks were about to be poured, a shrill, piercing voice rang out:

"Good! You Khitan traitor, you've got some guts! I, 'Seven-Step Snake' Zhu Jiu, will also offer you a bowl of wine to send you on your way!"

A short, wretched-looking man stepped forward from the crowd. It was Zhu Jiu, a notorious figure in the martial arts world known for his poisoning and kidnapping. With a fawning yet malicious smile on his face, he raised a bowl of wine and offered it to Qiao Feng in a perfunctory manner, attempting to ride the coattails of the "Farewell Wine" and gain a false reputation for being "unafraid of the Khitans."

Qiao Feng held up the bowl, his gaze not even glancing at him, but coldly, as if looking at an ant.

"I, Qiao, am here to drink a final toast with my former brothers."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority and disdain.

"Who do you think you are, to dare drink with me, Qiao Feng?"

Before he finished speaking, Qiao Feng grabbed at the air with his left hand!

An invisible force instantly enveloped Zhu Jiu! Zhu Jiu felt an irresistible suction force coming towards him, cried out in alarm, and felt as if he were being pulled by invisible ropes, his feet leaving the ground, flying straight towards Qiao Feng!

"Watch out!" someone cried out, but it was too late!

Qiao Feng caught Zhu Jiu flying towards him with his right palm as if supporting Mount Tai, and then pressed it onto Zhu Jiu's chest—without even using the power of the Dragon Subduing Palm, but simply releasing his immense internal energy!

"puff--!"

Zhu Jiulian didn't even have time to scream before his chest caved in, his eyes bulged out, and he vomited a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, dying instantly! Qiao Feng casually tossed his body to the ground, as if discarding a piece of trash.

The whole audience fell into silence!

Everyone was stunned by Qiao Feng's thunderous methods and his domineering aura that treated the villains as nothing! The originally noisy scene was temporarily frozen by the power of this palm strike!

Murong Fu's cold smile deepened.

Quan Guanqing and Kang Min exchanged a smug yet sinister glance.

Duan Yu anxiously tugged at his father's sleeve: "Father! Look at them! Chief Qiao is such a hero, how could they..."

Duan Zhengchun's expression was solemn. He pressed down on his son's hand and said in a deep voice, "Yu'er! Silence! This is an internal matter of the Beggars' Sect, and it concerns the great issue of right and wrong between the Khitan and the Central Plains! As an external vassal, the Duan family must not interfere!"

At this moment, the wine was filled to the brim.

With tears welling in his eyes, Wu Changfeng stepped forward first, picked up a bowl of wine, and said in a choked voice, "Chief... take care!" Bai Shijing, Lü Zhang, and the others also stepped forward with pained expressions and raised their bowls.

Looking at his former brothers, Qiao Feng's last trace of warmth turned into resolute determination. He raised his large bowl and said loudly, "Brothers, please!"

Having said that, he tilted his head back and gulped down the large bowl of strong liquor, along with his endless grief and desolation!

The wine bowl was smashed violently on the ground, just like the shattered friendship.