Chapter 110: Suspicion

One should not live with too much clarity, and there are some things that are even less worth thinking through.

Did Wu Zetian know about the existence of Helan Minzhi and Wu Ning all along? If she had known, why keep this uncle and nephew around? Was it out of kindness, or some other hidden agenda? These were questions one simply could not afford to pursue. To think any further was to walk down an ever-narrowing path until it reached a dead end.

Because, at present, Wu Ning was simply not in the same league as Wu Zetian. If he kept digging, he feared he would collapse long before the old empress even had to lift a finger. Therefore, at this juncture, Wu Ning realized he had to stop and start "playing dumb."

What else could he do? Wait for death? Run? Could he even run? The entire Great Tang belonged to that old woman. The only thing he could do was manage what was within his reach, avoid causing trouble for himself, and live his life well. As for the rest, he would have to rely on the mercy of the Buddha.

In his past life, whenever Wu Ning faced a desperate situation, he would always tell himself to stay calm, slow down, do what was in front of him, and leave the rest to fate. Just as he was doing now, he could only ensure there were no flaws within his own capabilities; as for everything else, he was truly powerless.

...

"Huh?"

At this thought, Wu Ning was startled. *Past life?* Had he truly faced a desperate situation in his past life? In his mind, from the moment he could remember until the twenty-some years leading up to his transmigration, everything seemed to have been smooth sailing. He had never encountered any true dead ends. Yet, why did he remember such a phrase, and why did his subconscious feel as if he had truly experienced such despair?

He shook his head, just as little Guo'er finished her bowl of yogurt and tugged at his sleeve. "More..."

Wu Ning offered a bitter smile, deciding not to dwell on it for now. "Too much is not good for you."

But Guo'er insisted, putting on a pitiful expression. "More."

"Alright, alright." Wu Ning had no choice but to scoop her another half-bowl.

---

In the afternoon, just before the banquet began, Old Daoist Xiao and Meng Cangsheng arrived. This had been pre-arranged, and Li Xian had been informed. Since Princess Taiping was in Fangzhou, it was only natural to observe the etiquette of their sect and invite her uncle-disciple and fellow student to celebrate the New Year. Li Xian, naturally, raised no objections.

The Tang imperial family was largely infatuated with Taoism. Being able to share a table with the disciples of the Maoshan immortal Wang Yuanzhi did not make Li Xian feel as though he were lowering his status; on the contrary, he felt a sense of honor.

However, when Old Daoist Xiao and Meng Cangsheng stepped into the Wu courtyard, Li Xian froze. To be fair, five years ago, Wu Ning had been a ten-year-old child; he had grown and matured significantly in the intervening years, so it was understandable if he were hard to recognize. But Meng Cangsheng... he was the immortal who had delivered his wife’s baby, the savior of his entire family. How could Li Xian forget him?

Before Taiping could even introduce them, Li Xian and Lady Wei both stood up. "This Taoist master..."

Meng Cangsheng was also taken aback. A look of disbelief crossed his face, followed by a bitter, head-shaking smile. "The ways of the world are truly unfathomable." He looked toward Taiping. "The Junior Sister did not mention that the Prince of Luling was also here."

This remark was, in effect, an admission of Li Xian’s suspicion.

Wu Sansi, who had been welcoming Old Daoist Xiao, noticed the expressions on Li Xian and Meng Cangsheng’s faces and asked in surprise, "Does Your Highness have a prior connection with Daoist Meng?"

"This..." Li Xian felt embarrassed. He regretted it now; while it was true that Meng Cangsheng had been a savior, how could he speak of such a debt to outsiders? Tell them this Taoist had delivered his wife’s baby? While it wasn't exactly a state secret, it was not something Li Xian wanted to voice aloud.

Seeing Li Xian stuttering, Wu Sansi became even more curious. "What is it, Your Highness?"

"This..." Li Xian was even more flustered, but Lady Wei, seeing her husband's predicament, stepped in. She walked before Meng Cangsheng and bowed deeply. "My benefactor, please accept this bow from me."

Meng Cangsheng hurriedly gestured for her to rise. "You are too kind, Princess! It was merely a small effort; I cannot accept such a grand gesture."

Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi were completely confused, and even Taiping feigned ignorance.

Lady Wei continued, "I must. We have been separated for five years, and my husband has thought of your kindness every single day. He always says that if you had not saved us, mother and daughter, I would have long since become a ghost in the underworld."

"..."

Watching from afar, Wu Ning felt sweat prickle his palms. He thought to himself that if Lady Wei hadn't stepped up, this situation would have been much harder to handle. It was clear from her words that Lady Wei was far more capable than Li Xian; she had thanked Meng Cangsheng while obliquely explaining the event. Neither she nor Li Xian lost face, and Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi were given enough information to stop prying further.

"Oh."

Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi both nodded with understanding. No wonder Li Xian was stuttering—so that was the matter! Five years ago, saving Lady Wei and her daughter—what else could it be? Outsiders might not know, but how could they not know that Lady Wei had given birth to Li Guo'er on the road to exile?

They both took a long look at Meng Cangsheng. *They say the one who delivered the baby was a Taoist, and the one who ambushed Qiu Shenji that night also seemed to be a Taoist...*

To keep up appearances, they stopped mentioning the events of five years ago, but their attention remained fixed on Meng Cangsheng. They didn't care much about the death of Qiu Shenji, but if Meng Cangsheng was indeed the same Taoist, then that man had been involved in a shocking, monumental event fifteen years ago.

Maintaining their composure, everyone took their seats and began to chat pleasantly. Li Xian learned from Meng Cangsheng that this Xun Cui Residence had been built by that same uncle and nephew, and he hurriedly called Wu Ning and Helan Minzhi over.

Upon seeing them, it was confirmed. Li Xian still remembered Helan Minzhi’s grotesque features, and even the fifteen-year-old Wu Ning overlapped with the ten-year-old child he remembered. Recalling the past, he couldn't help but sigh.

He called Li Guo'er over and pointed at Wu Ning. "Guo'er, you may not know, but it was this young gentleman who wrapped you in his robe when you were born—that is where your name comes from."

Li Guo'er was still young; she didn't understand what her father meant and simply let him guide her. She looked at Wu Ning with curiosity, thinking, "His yogurt is delicious."

Li Xian, eager to show his gratitude, insisted that Wu Ning and Helan Minzhi sit at the table to celebrate the New Year. Wu Sansi, however, was calculating. A hideous man, a fifteen-year-old boy, and a Taoist—it was all becoming increasingly coincidental.

As they waited for the New Year's Eve dinner, listening to music and drinking, Wu Sansi suddenly remarked, "The world is truly full of wonders." He gestured toward Meng Cangsheng. "Daoist Meng is a disciple of Immortal Xiao and a fellow student of the Princess, while this young Master Wu and his uncle-grandfather share blood ties with the Assistant Governor, Wu. It seems as if destiny has guided all of you to encounter His Highness in his time of hardship—it is truly remarkable!"

Li Xian did not catch the underlying meaning and nodded repeatedly, thinking Wu Sansi was making a profound observation. Lady Wei, however, sensed something wrong and tried to stop Li Xian, but it was too late.

Wu Sansi continued, "So, did Daoist Meng and the young Master and his uncle also come to Fangzhou from the capital?"

Li Xian couldn't answer this, so Wu Ning spoke up. "If I may inform the Minister, I am originally from Xitao Village in Guanyou. My parents died when I was five, and I survived only thanks to my uncle-grandfather's care. Later, the Luo River flooded for two summers, and we could barely survive, so we traveled to Fangzhou to seek out our ancestors. We never expected to have this encounter with the Prince of Luling."

"Oh," Wu Sansi nodded, showing a look of pity, though he had already made a mental note of Xitao Village.

"However..." Wu Sansi began again, holding up his wine cup. "I have one thing I do not understand." He looked at Wu Ning. "Since the three of you were benefactors to the Prince's family and were all traveling to Fangzhou, why did you... why did you go your separate ways and leave without a word?"

"..." Wu Ning didn't speak, only cast a faint glance at Li Xian.

Li Xian, however, missed the look entirely. Wu Ning’s intention was: *Are you going to handle this? Why are you asking me, a child, when you have Helan Minzhi and Meng Cangsheng right there? Are you trying to bully me for being young?*

Wu Ning truly didn't want to be the center of attention; he didn't want Wu Sansi or Wu Chengsi to realize he was articulate. Unfortunately, he had overestimated Li Xian. When Li Xian heard Wu Sansi's question, he didn't find it inappropriate at all; instead, he perked up his ears.

"I am also curious. Since you were all heading to Fangzhou, why didn't you travel with us? I could have taken care of you and shown my gratitude."

"Exactly!" Wu Sansi pressed on. "Why leave so quietly?"

Wu Ning rolled his eyes. *I can't rely on him.*

Meng Cangsheng, understanding Wu Ning's intent, interjected, "It is nothing, really. The Prince's entourage was quite inconvenient. Besides, there was that incident that night. It happened that my senior master, Pan Shizheng, passed away, and I was in a rush to attend the funeral. I dared not delay for other matters, so I had to leave. I hope you will forgive our rudeness."

"Oh," Li Xian realized immediately. "So that’s it."

Wu Sansi feigned confusion. "What incident?"

Li Xian replied, "The night the 'Left-Handed Sword Demon' attacked the relay station and General Qiu died for the country."

"Oh, I see," Wu Sansi nodded repeatedly. "So that’s it! Daoist Meng was afraid that others would mistake you for that left-handed demon, so you left to avoid being delayed!"

Meng Cangsheng said, "My senior master was deeply trusted by the late Emperor and the Empress; he was far away in Chang'an when he passed. I had to escort the Wu uncle and nephew to Fangzhou and then return to Chang'an. There was no time to lose."

Wu Sansi nodded. "That is true. The authorities are often slow, especially when a palace general is killed. If a Taoist were to get caught up in that, it would have been difficult to clear your name."

Meng Cangsheng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Clearing my name would not have been difficult; the innocent are always clear. It is just that, as one who lives outside the secular world, I truly dislike worldly affairs. If I wanted to prove I am not that left-handed swordsman, it would be as easy as flipping my hand."

"Oh?" Before Wu Sansi could speak, Wu Chengsi laughed heartily. "How would you prove it? None of us are experts in the blade, but why not tell us?"

"Could it be that Daoist Meng intends to perform a set of sword moves to prove you are not a left-handed swordsman?"

The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Even Li Xian realized something was wrong and looked at Meng Cangsheng with a changed expression. Initially, because Meng Cangsheng had saved his wife and daughter, Li Xian had never associated him with the left-handed sword demon. Now, however...

Wu Chengsi had effectively boxed him in. Regardless of how Meng Cangsheng intended to prove it, after Wu Chengsi’s comment, he had no choice but to demonstrate his swordsmanship. Yet, anyone with any sense knew that there was a fundamental difference between left-handed and right-handed swordsmanship. Even if Meng Cangsheng could use his right hand, an expert could immediately tell if it were his natural hand or a temporary act.

Li Xian never imagined his benefactor would be linked to such a dangerous figure. "This..." he said, feeling distressed. "It is the New Year; performing with blades is not appropriate. I think we should let it go!"

...

Taiping was also panicked. She knew Meng Cangsheng had intentionally led the conversation toward the left-handed swordsman, likely at Wu Ning’s direction. But she hadn't expected Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi to push so hard. If they tried to stop it now, it would only make things look worse.

Just as she was feeling flustered, Li Xian spoke up. Taiping thought, *Perfect!* She stood up abruptly, glared at Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi, and walked out.

...

Seeing his sister leave in anger, Li Xian realized Taiping was truly furious. Meng Cangsheng was her fellow disciple, after all, and the Wu brothers had been incredibly rude. He hurried to smooth things over. "Enough, enough. It's the New Year; let's not dwell on old matters."

But Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi couldn't let it go. Wu Sansi wanted to distance himself. He had formed an alliance with Taiping and visited the Wenxian Temple; if this Meng Cangsheng turned out to be the "Left-Handed Demon," he wouldn't be able to explain it to Empress Wu. Therefore, he was desperate to expose Meng Cangsheng to show his own ignorance of the matter.

Wu Chengsi, on the other hand, was the opposite. He was suspicious of Wu Sansi’s recent behavior and wanted to use this opportunity to strike at the Wenxian Temple. He ignored Li Xian’s suggestion and said calmly, "It is just for entertainment during the holidays; Your Highness is overthinking it."

He looked at Meng Cangsheng. "I have long heard that the Maoshan sword style is exquisite. Why not show us a few moves, Daoist Meng?"

"Exactly," Wu Sansi added, as if he hadn't seen Taiping’s anger. "Before Immortal Pan passed, I heard he had a nephew-disciple who was skilled in both literature and martial arts. Please forgive my rudeness, but I must insist you show us."

Meng Cangsheng chuckled coldly. "I think the performance is a lie, and testing me is the truth, isn't it?"

Everyone fell silent. They hadn't expected the Taoist to turn hostile so quickly—and toward the Wu brothers, no less. Little did they know, while others treated the Wu brothers as powerful figures, Meng Cangsheng didn't care. His grandmaster was the Zijing Guanglu Grand Master and Shengxuan Immortal Wang Yuanzhi, personally bestowed by the Empress; his senior uncle was the imperial teacher Pan Shizheng; and his master was the Maoshan ghost-diviner, Xiao the Mad. *Why would I fear you?*

However, the more Meng Cangsheng acted like this, the more suspicious the Wu brothers became. On the surface, they remained polite, but they had already decided to report the matter to the Empress.

"If you do not wish to perform, you don't have to. Why use such harsh words?"

"Perform?" Meng Cangsheng gave another cold laugh, perfectly acting the part of a hot-headed youth. "Is a performance even necessary?" He spread his palms out. "Let any martial artist look at my hands, and it will be clear at a glance!"

...

*(Author's Note: Don't worry, everyone. There is no heart disease or anything else, so don't scare me. I've just been feeling a bit unwell, and with the constant rain in Dali, I've been feeling a bit stifled. I'll be fine in a couple of days. No worries.)*