Facing the chatter among the Qinglian Mountain crowd, and the open and hidden accusations, Wen Xin could see that whether it was against Chilan Pavilion or Bihai Shipping, Qinglian Mountain lacked the confidence to confront them directly.
She was originally a delicate woman. Born into the Wen family, the image of Qinglian Mountain in her heart had always been tall and mighty.
But this time, when she truly stood before these people, truly encountered matters together with them, she discovered that these people were not as powerful as she had imagined. They had a side that was just like ordinary people.
She quietly watched the various faces before her, taking them all into her eyes.
Ren Tianjiang glanced at Fan Wuchou beside him, whose face still looked terrible. The matter of Chilan Pavilion and Bihai Shipping coming to their door, Fan Wuchou had previously informed him about it.
Due to some concerns, Fan Wuchou had only privately told a small number of people led by him, and had not announced it publicly.
After listening to the crowd’s opinions for a while, Ren Tianjiang raised his hand to stop the chaotic noise, and asked aloud, “Why do they want to trace the whereabouts of the Tanhua Scholar?”
Wen Kui, “Unclear. They did not say.”
Someone on site said, “I heard the princess of Yin Kingdom has issued a statement that she wants to marry the Tanhua Scholar. Could it be that Bihai Shipping wants to capture the Tanhua Scholar and take him to Yin Kingdom to become a prince consort?”
Once these words came out, the heavy atmosphere on site became somewhat comical.
Wen Xin slightly tightened the corners of her mouth.
“Don’t be funny. If Bihai Shipping wants to find a prince consort, could it be that Chilan Pavilion also wants to find a man?”
“Sect Leader, this matter is probably not that simple. Both Chilan Pavilion and Bihai Shipping have set their sights on the Tanhua Scholar. I fear they have other motives.”
Ren Tianjiang stroked his beard and asked again, “Which place are they looking for?”
Wen Kui shook his head. “Don’t know.”
“Don’t know?” Ren Tianjiang frowned. “If you don’t know, did that surnamed Qin have no sense in his heart to dare commit such a ruthless act? Does he truly regard Qinglian Mountain as a decoration?”
Wen Kui, “Before parting, the Tanhua Scholar went to the Wen family’s ‘Wenshu Pavilion.’ It is unknown what he was looking for. The master later went to ‘Wenshu Pavilion.’ He should have found out what the Tanhua Scholar was looking for, but he did not inform this old servant.”
Ren Tianjiang pondered. “In other words, the answer can be found within Wenshu Pavilion.”
“It’s good that the answer can be found. We can investigate slowly later. The current problem is, people from Chilan Pavilion participated in the murder of the Wen family head. They killed our people. Could it be that our Qinglian Mountain should pretend that nothing happened?”
Suddenly someone threw out such a sharp question. Perhaps it was a question that many people were unwilling to face.
The scene instantly fell silent again.
Shortly after, someone expressed a different opinion. “Everyone has seen the testimony. The problem is, we also have no evidence. No one saw the true appearance of Qin Jue’s meeting with Wen Guo shi. The only witness, Wen Guo shi, is also dead. There is no proof after death.”
Two opinions, without fierce collision. Silence.
After a long while, Ren Tianjiang, who had been sitting, stood up again. He said in a deep voice, “Some things do not need evidence. What matters is attitude. Chilan Pavilion has bullied us too far. How can our Qinglian Mountain sit by and allow this? In the name of Qinglian Mountain, send a message to Chilan Pavilion. Demand that Chilan Pavilion give an explanation!”
The crowd’s attitude was lukewarm, the response unenthusiastic.
At this time, Wen Xin, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke. “Sect Leader Ren, could Qinglian Mountain not get involved in this matter?”
Once these words came out, everyone stared at her in unison. They had only treated her as a decoration. They had not expected her to express an opinion on such an occasion.
Let alone them, even Wen Kui was somewhat surprised. Had they not agreed to leave it to Qinglian Mountain to handle? This way, regardless of the result, it would be a decision made by Qinglian Mountain.
Ren Tianjiang gave an oh. “What do you want to do?”
Wen Xin pressed her lips together. To express the thoughts in her heart on such an occasion, especially a major thought representing the entire Wen family, she was still somewhat lacking in confidence. But in the end, she mustered her courage and said, “Set aside grievances, quell the dispute, first extract the Wen family from this storm to avoid sinking deeper, it would not be too late to deliberate calmly after the Wen family is placed outside the matter.”
Everyone’s eyes flickered upon hearing this. The young lady’s words made them perk up.
Ren Tianjiang asked again, “How do you wish to set aside the dispute?”
Wen Xin, “Find out the place they are looking for. As long as Bihai Shipping guarantees and stops its interference and suppression of Wen family shops everywhere, the Wen family will inform them of the location. There is also no need to entangle with Chilan Pavilion. Give them the address they want, and let them go.”
Everyone was stunned.
Someone wanted to ask, the enemy who killed the Wen clan head, you would just let them go like this?
But in the end the question was not asked.
Someone said, “According to what you say, we would be no different from selling out the Tanhua Scholar. We do not know the situation. We might end up getting the Tanhua Scholar killed. Wen Xin, do you know, the forces behind the Tanhua Scholar are not to be trifled with either. Is it appropriate to sell him out like this?”
Wen Xin stood there quietly and said, “The Wen family does not know what they are doing.”
Someone still wanted to remind her, but Ren Tianjiang raised his hand again to stop them. He stared at her for a while, then slowly said, “Qin Jue killed your grandfather. Are you certain you want to make such a decision?”
Wen Xin’s mind recalled her grandfather’s voice and smiling face. She also recalled that passionate embrace and kiss in the study that day. That scorching passion which seemed to melt her very body and soul, she still remembered vividly. She could feel that he liked her, but she could not accept his deceitful conduct.
If at that time she had truly eloped with him, if she had truly left with him, perhaps the Wen family would not have faced this catastrophe?
She thought thus in her heart. It seemed she had returned to that moment when they gazed into each other’s eyes. A faint glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes, but still, word by word, she said firmly, “I must first protect the Wen family!”
At this moment, everyone seemed to see an inexplicable power within her delicate figure.
Ren Tianjiang slowly let out a breath of relief. He formally announced to the crowd, “Since the Wen family itself can set aside hatred for the greater good, how can our Qinglian Mountain not endure with forbearance? Then let us first extricate ourselves from the storm, after placing ourselves outside the matter we can deliberate calmly!”
“Yes!”
The Qinglian Mountain crowd cupped their hands and accepted the order together, opinions were thus quickly unified.
The Wen family master and servant then took their leave.
After leaving the gathering place of these cultivators, Wen Kui could not help but ask the doubt in his heart. “Miss, since Sect Leader Ren had decided to demand an explanation from Chilan Pavilion, why did you stop him?”
There was sorrow in Wen Xin’s eyes. “They did not even dare oppose my suggestion. If they act forcefully and do not do it well, just like the previous accusations, the fault will all be ours.”
Wen Kui instantly understood the deep meaning in these words. Counting on Qinglian Mountain to avenge her grandfather was hopeless. Then it returned to her previous words, first protect the Wen family.
Wenshu Pavilion, situated in the middle of a large courtyard.
Wen Kui knocked on the great gate. Wen Xin stood beside him. Ren Tianjiang also came with two people.
The gate opened. A youth inside looked out. Seeing that Wen Kui had personally come, he did not say much and directly opened the gate.
Everyone entered, the gate closed again.
Under the eaves at the entrance of Wenshu Pavilion, there was a recliner. That unrestrained old man was still lying there, leisurely flipping through a book.
Another youth was still beside him brewing tea. Seeing people come, the youth also had no reaction, rudeness seemed to have become habitual.
After Wen Kui led everyone over, he cupped his hands and said, “Old Wen, the new family head has come to see you.”
Regarding this statement, Ren Tianjiang neither confirmed nor denied it.
Old Wen moved the book away from before his eyes. He did not pay attention to the others, his gaze directly landed on Wen Xin.
Wen Xin saluted. “Old Wen.”
Wen Kui then pointed at Ren Tianjiang to introduce him. “This is the Qinglian Mountain Sect Leader.”
Old Wen merely glanced at him. He still lay there without moving, he had no intention of getting up. He directly asked Wen Kui, “So many people have come, is there a matter?”
Don’t mention him, even the tea brewing youth sat there unmoved, focusing on his own matters.
Ren Tianjiang’s two attendants were immediately angered by this old man’s rudeness. One person shouted, “Bold madman, how dare you be rude to the Sect Leader!”
Old Wen’s cold eyes slightly glanced sideways. He asked Wen Kui again, “What is the matter?”
Wen Kui was embarrassed. The ignored angry person became even more furious.
Ren Tianjiang reached out to stop him. “Forget it.”
They had come for a matter to investigate. There was no need to create extra trouble. He had also long heard that the person confined here guarding the library pavilion, apart from the Wen family head, did not heed anyone’s summons.
Only then did Wen Kui formally ask, “Old Wen, on the day the Tanhua Scholar entered Wenshu Pavilion, do you know what he was looking for?”
Old Wen did not answer. He looked at Wen Xin and asked, “You want to know?”
Wen Xin nodded. “Yes.”
Only then did Old Wen lie there and answer slowly, “Looking for a place name, a place called ‘Shiji Bay.’ In order to find this place, he flipped through many local gazetteers…” The situation at that time, from his mouth it was narrated in detail. He spoke of what he knew, a look of wanting to explain clearly and be done with it.
After explaining clearly and finishing, letting everyone know that this was all he knew, naturally everyone had nothing more to ask. Then they took their leave.
The guests left. Old Wen hugged his book and read again.
The youth brewing tea beside him piped up, “Master, is she the first female family head in Wen family history? Such a young family head.”
Old Wen placed the book on his chest. Looking at the closed courtyard gate, he let out a soft sigh.
Having figured out what was going on, the Wen family and Qinglian Mountain side immediately made arrangements.
First they sent people to see the detained You Lingluo, presenting the trade conditions. As long as Bihai Shipping guaranteed and stopped its interference with the Wen family, the Wen family would inform them of the Tanhua Scholar’s whereabouts. This was precisely the goal of You Lingluo’s pressure on the Wen family, so naturally he agreed and promised.
On the other side, they released the detained Qin Jue and his group. In exchange for the Tanhua Scholar’s whereabouts, they got Qin Jue to write a guarantee in the name of Chilan Pavilion, guaranteeing that he would no longer harass the Wen family in the future. Qin Jue had still wanted the Wen family to mobilise related forces to go to Shiji Bay to help search for people. The Wen family refused.
Two days after Qin Jue left, You Lingluo visited the Wen residence again. He had already fulfilled his promise. Making the Wen family fulfill their promise was one matter. At the same time, he also wanted to meet Wen Xin.
He had naturally learned about the Wen family’s calamity. He was curious how Wen Mao could pass the position to an inexperienced young lady.
After host and guest met and conversed, You Lingluo saw the person, and also obtained the news he wanted. Anxious to track his target, he had no intention of staying long.
When the host rose to see him off, Wen Xin suddenly spoke. “Mr. Lingluo, there is one matter for which you must not blame my Wen family for not warning you. Chilan Pavilion sent a person called Qin Jue. Two days ago he obtained the Tanhua Scholar’s whereabouts. He used the name of Chilan Pavilion to pressure us. My Wen family has the Wen family’s difficulties. No one wishes to offend anyone, nor does anyone wish to favour any side. I hope you will not take offence.”
Once these words came out, the eyelids of the Qinglian Mountain Sect Leader beside her could not help but twitch. His heart also could not help but thump. Without changing expression, he glanced sideways at this seemingly gentle and delicate woman. He discovered that her full forehead was smooth and bright, and her clear eyes were firm and spirited.