The Scent of the Orchid in the Forest of Secrets (密林兰香)

Chapter Twenty-One

The news of Yu Ziyan's identity caused ripples through the Lianyun Temple and the entire jianghu. For a while, the Yu Sect was unable to lift up their head in front of others, but as the ripples slowly ceased and people grew accustomed to the truth, a meeting was called among the Lianyun Temple, Qinghuai Pavilion, Yu Sect, and all the other smaller martial arts Sects that had arrived at the Lianyun Temple. Shu Haolin chose an inconspicuous spot to stand and kept her head slightly lowered. Standing on the raised platform in the center was the abbot of the Lianyun Temple, the leader of the Qinghuai Pavilion, and Yu Jielan, looking extraordinarily out of place with her young face.

The purpose of this meeting was obvious. Shu Haolin didn't bother listening as the abbot of the Lianyun Temple told the whole story in his grave and solemn voice. Having the details confirmed, many people burst out into conversation as soon as the abbot finished talking. The hubbub went on for a while before the abbot gestured for it to stop.

"But the purpose of today's meeting is not only to let the world know, but it is also for this monk to put forward a proposition. There are many details about Yu Ziyan's case that are not clear, and thus, I propose that a public trial shall be held in front of the entire jianghu to try and convict him of his crimes, and the determination for his punishment."

Yu Jielan stood up. "No."

The abbot: "..."

The leader of the Qinghuai Pavilion: "..."

Everyone: "..."

"If I may ask, what opposition does the young Sect Leader have against this old monk's proposition?"

"This is a family matter. I will resolve it privately."

"You're his daughter, can you even settle it properly?"

"Exactly!"

"Who decided that the criminal's daughter would inherit the Yu Sect?"

"Who knows if she isn't complicit in his crimes as well?"

The moment the first person spoke, everyone else's voices followed, the atmosphere filled with a cacophony again. It took a long time for the group to quiet down again. Shao Mingrong was now standing up on the stage.

"Everyone, please calm down," he said with a nervous smile. "I can attest to the quality of Jielan's character, and the fact that she knew nothing about his crimes beforehand."

Shao Mingrong must've had stage fright—his face was pale, verging on gray, and he was even dripping a little sweat. Shu Haolin frowned—no, it wasn't just stage fright. He looked positively ill. Even so, he continued. "She was confirmed as the heir of the Yu Sect a long time ago. The leader is removed, so naturally the heir inherits leadership of the Yu Sect. In consideration of the fact that over generations of leaders of the Yu Sect, there was only this one bad apple, I ask everyone to respect her as the Yu Sect's next Sect leader."

But when Shu Haolin looked at Yu Jielan, she was surprised to see how cold her gaze was. It wasn't her normal impassive coolness, but rather an iciness that could penetrate to the bone.

There was an awkward silence onstage after Shao Mingrong finished speaking. Finally, the old abbot of the Lianyun Temple cleared his throat. "In this case, then, the criminal will be left to the Yu Sect to dispose of. Everyone, this meeting was called to discuss a strategy to fight against the Baiyu Alliance. Since the leader has now been captured, our Lianyun Temple respectfully offers everyone to stay for a few more days before returning home."

The truth was, everyone, with a twisted sense of schadenfreude, was itching to see the leader of the Yu Sect be put in his place, and to see his daughter humiliated and even disposed. When the meeting ended just like that, there was some dissatisfaction as they dispersed, muttering amongst themselves.

Shu Haolin was leaving as she heard the people next to her start to gossip.

"You know, I've met that Silver Oracle many years before. I can't believe he would've done such a thing, that he would've aided and abetted such a heartless murderer."

"Right? My impression was that he was a kindhearted and timid man. My mother's friend had fallen upon hard times once, and had fled to a temple, her husband dead and herself pregnant with no means to support herself. It was the Silver Oracle who helped her all the way until she gave birth."

"Exactly! Those were the stories that made the Silver Oracle famous throughout the jianghu. I guess you can never really know if a heartless wolf hides behind the mask of a sheep. Now I think of the way he seemed entirely harmless and without martial arts ability—it's terrifying to think that he had such deep experience and was capable of hiding all that."

"After all, who would expect a harmless prophet to be able to fight? The heavens are truly making a fool out of us..."

"I know, right?"

Shu Haolin's eyebrows were furrowed. Entirely harmless and without martial arts ability? That certainly didn't sound like the Silver Oracle she'd met. The moment they'd first crossed weapons, Shu Haolin had felt the experience of years and years of martial arts training behind his moves. A sense of doubt struck her heart, and squirmed in her stomach. How could she have defeated him so easily? And Chen Linfeng... how had he found the location of the Silver Oracle so quickly, and he just so happened to be nearby? And how had they just so happened to stop by the Lin Sect ruins, leading to Shao Mingrong pissing his pants and confessing the whole truth out of fear? Not to mention Shao Mingrong's deathly ill appearance...

Shu Haolin's footsteps grew quicker, and she pushed out of the crowd, searching for Shao Mingrong. However, as she glanced right and left, his timid figure was nowhere in sight. Her heart sank. Was she just overthinking it?

Later that night, the silence of the night was broken by two figures, walking side by side, murmuring to each other about the events of the day. They turned a corner into a dark corridor and continued walking. At first, they felt that nothing was wrong, but when an abnormally cold gust of wind brushed past them, they halted in their tracks and glanced at each other.

One of them broke out into a nervous smile. "Look at you, acting all terrified. Sect Leader Yu... I mean, Yu Ziyan, he's already been locked up. There's nothing to be afraid about."

The other laughed just as nervously, and they continued walking. But when a quiet rustle sounded, the both of them stopped in their tracks. "Did you hear that?"

Wind rushed past them, and they instinctively cowered. They weren't given a chance to scream before their vision went dark, and they collapsed to the ground, lifeless and gray.

In the darkness, someone sneered. "You'll knowin your next life." His face, previously pale and gray, had now been restored tofull color, and he no longer looked like he was on his deathbed. Patting thedust off of his shoulder, he walked on, returning to the Yu Sect quarters andgoing back to bed.