“What?!”

     The entire hall was filled with faces of disbelief.

     Only Mo Ran closed his eyes, as calm as water.

     Everyone was confused. “What on earth is going on?”

     “What was the old case in Xiangtan back then?”

     “Why did he kill…”

     Mu Yanli continued, “It’s a long story, and because of the passage of time, many people who knew the inside story are no longer around. However, if you don’t want others to know, you shouldn’t do it in the first place. After several investigations, Tianyin Pavilion found some evidence.”

     Amidst the chaos and smoke, interwoven with the people’s terror, Mu Yanli looked back calmly. “Have you brought the witness from Xiangtan?”

     The attendant went out to take a look, then answered, “Pavilion Master, they’re all waiting outside the hall.”

     “Then invite the first witness to come in.”

     The first witness entered the hall. He was an old craftsman, trembling and submissive. He was very old, and his back was hunched. When he saw the hall full of cultivators, his first reaction was to kneel on the ground and kowtow repeatedly. He hurriedly said, “Greetings to all xianjun… Greetings to all xianjun…”

     Mu Yanli’s tone softened. “Lao-xiansheng, you must be tired from the long journey. You don’t have to be nervous. I’ll only ask you some questions.”

     The old man was trembling and couldn’t get up. The monks from Wubei Temple walked over and gave him a seat to sit on. They helped him sit, but he was still very afraid. He only sat on a small corner and tried his best to shrink himself to the smallest size possible.

     Mu Yanli said, “The first two questions: where does xiansheng come from? What do you do?

     The old man’s teeth chattered, and when he spoke, it was with a thick accent. “I… I am from Xiangtan. I, I sell lanterns on the street…”

     Everyone looked at him very curiously, from his sparse white hair to his broken shoes. They didn’t know what kind of past this lantern seller could reveal.

     Mu Yanli asked, “Xiansheng, how many years have you been selling lanterns?”

     “More than half my life… At least fifty years. I can’t remember exactly…”

     “It’s been long enough. The thing I want to ask you isn’t as far back as fifty years.” Mu Yanli pointed at Mo Ran. “Does xiansheng recognize this person?”

     The old man looked up at Mo Ran. Seeing that this man was tall and handsome, with a strong and mighty aura, he didn’t dare to look at him any longer and immediately turned his head away. After a long time, he glanced at him hesitantly. Then he mumbled, “I don’t recognize him.”

     Mu Yanli said, “It’s not strange that you don’t recognize him. Then let me ask you again. When you were selling lanterns beside Xiangtan’s House of Drunken Jade, was there always a child who liked to stand beside your stall and watch you build the lanterns?”

     “Ah…” The old man’s eyes were clouded, but he was very clear about this matter. He sighed and nodded. “Yes, there was such a child who came to watch almost every night. He liked the lanterns I made but was too poor to buy them… I even talked to him a little at the time. He didn’t like to talk and was very timid.”

     “Xiansheng, do you still remember his name?”

     “Hmm, I think he was called… Mo… Mo Ran-er?”

     Just now, everyone had been listening attentively to the old man’s words. Now, their gazes all fell on Mo Ran.

     The old man sank into the memories of the past and muttered, “I can’t remember clearly whether that was his name or not. I only know he was from the House of Drunken Jade…”

     Xue Zhengyong interrupted with a stern face, “Ran-er was originally the son of my late brother and a woman from the building. What is the meaning of Pavilion Master Mu asking this old gentleman to prove it again?”

     “Mother?” The old man was stunned for a moment and waved his hand. “Oh, that’s not right. Although the mother’s son was also surnamed Mo, his name was Mo Nian; he was a famous little tyrant in the streets back then.” The old man lowered his head and pointed at an old scar on his forehead.

     “Back then, he even threw a brick at me. That child was very fierce, wild and naughty.”

     Xue Zhengyong’s expression changed. “Mo… Nian?”

     Madam Wang said anxiously, “Lao-xiansheng, did you remember it wrong? After all, it’s just a single-word difference. Was the mother’s child called Mo Ran or Mo Nian?”

     “...It’s Mo Nian.” The old man thought, then nodded again. “There’s no mistake. How could I remember it wrong? He was called Mo Nian.”

     Xue Zhengyong had originally been leaning forward slightly. When he heard this, he stiffened for a moment, then collapsed in his seat, his expression blank.

     “Mo Nian…”

     Mu Yanli continued to ask, “Do you know what the child who came to see you make the lanterns did in the House of Drunken Jade?”

     “Ah, I don’t know the specifics, but I vaguely know that he helped cook in the kitchen,” the old man said. “His reputation wasn’t very good. It was said that his hands and feet were unclean, and he was always stealing from the guests.”

     He thought hard for a moment, then seemed to recall something. His expression changed. “Ah, I remember now. That child was no good. As he grew up, he became worse and worse, and later even raped a young girl. The girl couldn’t bear it and finally committed suicide in the end.”

     “What?”

     If swapping a raccoon for the crown prince was shocking enough, then the fact that Mo Ran had actually defiled a young girl was even more outrageous.

     Quite a few of the cultivators present who were parents immediately seethed with anger. They gritted their teeth and said, “I didn’t expect… that the dignified Mo-zongshi was actually a beast in human skin!”

     “It’s disgusting!”

     “His death won’t be regretted!”

     Mo Ran didn’t say a word and only looked at the old craftsman quietly.

     In his previous life, when he had stirred up a storm of blood in the cultivation world, Tianyin Pavilion had also tried to stop him. At that time, this old man was brought over by Mu Yanli to identify him.

     What had he done at that time?

     He had laughed to his heart’s content and calmly accepted it.

     Then he had turned his head to Xue Zhengyong and Madam Wang. His smile was twisted as he mocked, “What? Do you hate me? Resent me? Are you going to be like my good Shizun and say that I’m deficient by nature, beyond remedy?”

     At that time, the matter of Mo Ran’s secret learning of the Zhenlong Chess Formation had almost been revealed some time ago, but Xue Zhengyong had still chosen to believe him.

     Only then did Xue Zhengyong stand up in a rage; he was so angry that he almost coughed up blood. His tiger-like eyes were cold as he shouted, “Evil beast! You’re an evil beast!!”

     Mo Ran listened to these words, his laughter growing even more unrestrained and carefree.

     He laughed so hard that the corners of his eyes were wet.

     Rape a girl?

     Xue Zhengyong believed it.

     Xue Zhengyong actually believed it.

     Hahahaha.

     Mo Ran’s smile suddenly tightened, and he simply gave up on himself. He made up his mind, and his handsome face twisted like boiling wax.

     “Yes, I did commit these heinous sins. I killed your nephew and that pitiful girl, so what? Uncle, you want to do justice for the heavens and kill me—”

     Before he could finish his words, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

     Xue Zhengyong had a fierce temperament. Before Mo Ran could finish speaking, he had already attacked with a cry of rage, his eyes filled with hatred and tears. The tip of his fan pierced through Mo Ran’s chest.

     Mo Ran was stunned for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile. He lowered his head and looked at the blood gradually seeping out of his chest. He sighed.

     “Uncle, I have called you uncle for so many years, but in the end, you still won’t believe me.”

     “Shut up!!”

     Mo Ran smiled, his shoulders trembling slightly. “Forget it. After all, the blood flowing through our bodies is not the same. So what is there in this false home, this Sisheng Peak… that I can’t bear to part with?”

     Blood splattered all over his face.

     He watched Xue Zhengyong fall in front of him, his brain numbing slightly. He didn’t want to kill him; it was because he had a temper and rushed forward to take action… He was the one looking for death.

     Mo Ran stood quietly for a while, then raised his bloodshot eyes to look at the stunned and grief-stricken Madam Wang. He licked his lips and stepped over his uncle’s body to walk towards his aunt.

     Xue Zhengyong was still breathing. He gripped the hem of his clothes tightly and refused to let go.

     The middle-aged man seemed to be angry, but it also seemed that his sadness and heartbreak were greater than his anger.

     At that time, Mo Ran’s mind was in a frenzy. He didn’t understand what his uncle’s eyes meant. Why were there tears in his eyes? He didn’t understand, and he didn’t want to understand.

     Mo Ran heard Xue Zhengyong say, “Don’t… Don’t harm…”

     “She saw it. So she is going to die.” Mo Ran acted very kind and calm. “But Xue Meng isn’t here, so… since you’ve raised me for so many years, I’ll spare his life.”

     What could Madam Wang’s struggle mean in Mo Ran’s eyes?

     Besides, she was no longer able to struggle at all; she could only cry. Like her husband, she said, “Beast…” but the knife went in, and blood flowed. Her consciousness gradually faded as she looked at him and finally murmured, “Ran-er, why are you…”

     Mo Ran’s hand was actually trembling and shaking at that moment, but in the end, he still pulled the knife out. He looked down at his palm, and it was wet. He clutched the scarlet dagger in his hand, which was slippery and bloody.

     The blood was hot.

     But it would be cold soon.

     Just like his so-called home, his so-called family.

     From the beginning, he had been apprehensive because he knew that, in reality, whether it was Xue Meng, Xue Zhengyong, or Madam Wang—

     They were not his family at all.

     Their real nephew had died at his hands long ago.

     “Ridiculous!”

     A loud shout interrupted Mo Ran’s memories.

     Mo Ran raised his head almost blankly and looked around the hall before his gaze finally fell on Xue Zhengyong.

     It was Xue Zhengyong who was speaking.

     “I raised this child. I know very well that he wouldn’t abuse an innocent girl. Don’t throw false accusations!”

     “...”

     Mo Ran was stunned and suddenly felt his heart fill with a sour and bitter feeling.

     His eyelashes fluttered, and he closed his eyes.

     It’s different.

     Two lifetimes… many things have changed.

     The old craftsman was so frightened that he fell down from his seat and kowtowed repeatedly on the ground. “No, no, I’m not lying. Please don’t be angry, xianjun. I just… I just… I really…” He was just a poor craftsman; he had never seen such a scene. He had been reprimanded by the leader of a sect and was so scared that his face turned ashen. In the end, he couldn’t even complete his sentence.

     Xue Zhengyong said in a low voice as if he were a ferocious predator ready to attack, “Get out.”

     “...”

     “Get lost!”

     The old craftsman immediately stood up to get out, but the disciples of Tianyin Pavilion stopped him. Unable to move forward or retreat, he fell to the ground, his entire body shaking. He muttered, “Oh heavens, what’s going on?”

     Mu Yanli said, “Sect Leader Xue, please don’t be angry, and Lao-xiansheng, don’t be afraid either. What Tianyin Pavilion wants is for the world’s grievances to be redressed. We won’t frame or harm the innocent.”

     She paused and helped the old craftsman up.

     “Xiansheng, please finish speaking.”

     “I have nothing to say…” The old man was really frightened and didn’t want to say anything else. “Please, immortal cultivators and heroes, please let me go. I really have nothing to say anymore. My memory isn’t good. My memory isn’t good.”

     In this stalemate, Mo Ran, who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked at Xue Zhengyong and kowtowed.

     The meaning of his action was self-evident. Xue Zhengyong and Xue Meng couldn’t say a single word and were unable to speak. Madam Wang murmured in disbelief, “...Ran-er?”

     Mo Ran said, “When I was at Mount Jiao, I wanted to come back and confess to my uncle. But I didn’t expect this to happen.”

     “...”

     Mo Ran’s eyes were very calm. Because of this, they even seemed almost dead. “Pavilion Master Mu, since you came here today, I’m sure you’ve gathered all the evidence and witnesses. There’s nothing more to say. It’s true; I am not the Second Young Master of Sisheng Peak.”

     He paused, and his voice floated as light as a feather with a sigh, but it caused thousands of waves.

     “I am the son of Nangong Yan, the Ninth City Lord of Rufeng Sect’s seventy-two cities.”

     “What?!” The crowd was horrified.

     “Don’t you want to hear the whole story?” Mo Ran closed his eyes and said, “...I was the one who set the fire at the House of Drunken Jade, and dozens of lives were lost at my hands.”

     Madam Wang said tearfully, “Ran-er, how could you…? How could you…?”

     “But in Xiangtan, a young girl from the tofu house was humiliated to death.” He paused for a moment.

     In his previous life, no one was willing to listen to him tell the truth. Everyone angrily accused and insulted him, so he didn’t want to explain. After all, in the eyes of others, he was just a heinous devil. It didn’t matter if there was one more blood stain.

     However, in this life, he finally wanted to tell them.

     “That girl… It wasn’t me.”

     It was silent in Loyalty Hall, and everyone stared at Mo Ran, waiting for him to speak about those dusty old cases no one knew about.

     Mu Yanli raised her eyebrows. “Oh? Is there something else about the case?”

     “There is.”

     “Please speak,” Mu Yanli said. “I’m all ears.”

     Mo Ran shook his head. “Before I talk about the murder of the tofu house girl, I want to talk about an important person first.”

     “Who?”

     “A songstress.”

     Mo Ran spoke, his gaze scattered as he looked through the open window at the distant sky.

     “...At that time, there were two young pipa songstresses in Xiangtan. One of them was Xun Fengruo, and the other was called… Duan… Duan Yihan.”

     Many people in the hall were shocked when he heard him mention these two names.

     “...Xun Fengruo… Duan Yihan… Ah! Can they be the two top instructors of the music house?”

     “It must be them. I remember that they were both singers in Xiangtan. They were called the Two Linjiang Fairies.”

     “Yes, spring welcomed the earth when Xun Fengruo sang, and flowers filled the sky when Duan Yihan danced.” Someone stroked his beard and sighed. “I was only in my thirties at the time, but the fame of these two girls was widely recognized. However, it was hard to see them play a song. I heard that every time they performed, the music house would be packed. They were very popular.”

     Someone else said, “These two music fairies, I think the two of them competed back then.”

     Mo Ran said, “There was a competition. Xun Fengruo was two years younger than Duan Yihan and entered the music house two years later. She was arrogant at the time and not convinced that Duan Yihan was as famous as her. Therefore, she invited Duan Yihan to play three songs and do three dances at the House of Drunken Jade to determine who was better.”

     “Who won in the end?”

     “It was a draw,” Mo Ran said. “But from then on, the two of them cherished each other. Although Xun Fengruo and Duan Yihan weren’t performers in the same music house, they often interacted with each other and treated each other as sisters.”

     Someone said impatiently, “Why are you talking so much nonsense?! What do these two women have to do with you?”

     Mo Ran glanced at him and said, “Duan Yihan is my mother.”