Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Chapter 95: Old Bo

On the auspicious occasion of Old Bo’s birthday, the Chrysanthemum Garden was brimming with guests and presents.

The entire event was a gathering of individuals from the Jiang Hu, representing a diverse range of backgrounds – gallant warriors, prosperous merchants, humble farmers, and even aspiring young heroes eager to make their mark.

Old Bo, donning an appearance reminiscent of a simple farmer accustomed to toiling in the fields, stood at the entrance, his face illuminated with a warm and welcoming smile.

Amidst the festivities, there were also individuals who arrived in tears, seeking Old Bo’s assistance. With compassion, he readily agreed to aid them, leading them into his study to offer comfort and support.

Accompanying Tie Cheng Gang, Murong Lin entered the scene, and they immediately captured the attention of Sun Jian, Tie Cheng Gang’s close friend and Old Bo’s son.

Sun Jian’s swift movements carried him through the air as he rushed to Tie Cheng Gang’s side. Instantly registering Tie Cheng Gang’s pitiable condition, his features contorted with rage, “Who’s responsible for this?” he demanded, his demeanour akin to that of a furious lion.

Observing the unfolding scene, Murong Lin couldn’t help but be impressed by Sun Jian’s presence. Despite appearing around the same age as him, Sun Jian was already a Sky Reaching realm expert. This hidden realm was indeed remarkable.

Tie Cheng Gang’s eyes were heavy with sorrow as he recounted the tragedy, “The culprits were the Three Comrades of Yellow Mountain! They razed Wan Jing Mountain Village and took the lives of my six brothers.”

However, he quickly composed himself and introduced Murong Lin to Sun Jian, “This is Murong Lin, a first-rate expert who aided me in exacting my revenge!”

Hearing that Tie Cheng Gang’s revenge had been settled, Sun Jian reined in his anger and turned appreciatively to Murong Lin, “I extend my deepest gratitude to you, brother, for your assistance. Please, join us inside. My father will surely extend a warm welcome!”

With Sun Jian’s invitation, Tie Cheng Gang and Murong Lin were welcomed into the celebration.

Murong Lin scanned the crowd, searching for Old Bo’s presence, but was unable to locate him. Considering the situation, it appeared that Old Bo had retired to his study.

However, amidst the sea of faces, another figure caught Murong Lin’s attention.

Lu Xiang Chuan.

Lu Xiang Chuan was Sun Yu Bo’s adopted son, and he played a crucial role as his right-hand man.

Of course, he was also the greatest villain in 《Meteor · Butterfly · Sword》.

He orchestrated nearly every scheme within the story, steering events according to his will.

Elegantly dressed and exuding an air of refinement, Lu Xiang Chuan stood amidst the Chrysanthemum Garden, greeting the arriving guests.

Sensing Murong Lin’s gaze, Lu Xiang Chuan met his eyes with a peculiar look before nodding politely and resuming his duties of welcoming other guests.

Murong Lin observed him closely, his gaze shifting to assess the hidden weapons on Lu Xiang Chuan’s body using the knowledge he had gained from Yuan Sui Yun’s legacy. His keen observation revealed the presence of several hidden weapons, at least a dozen in total.

“Wow.” Murong Lin muttered softly to himself before redirecting his attention to Sun Jian and Tie Cheng Gang, who were engrossed in a conversation. The two were seemingly pleading with each other.

Uninterested in their discussion, Murong Lin instead chose to observe the rest of the guests present in the Chrysanthemum Garden.

Among the attendees, the majority were in the Origin realm, with a smaller number at the Manifestation realm level—considered second-rate experts. Murong Lin had only identified two Sky Reaching realm experts so far: Sun Jian and Lu Xiang Chuan.

Then, a sudden chill sent a shiver down Murong Lin’s spine, causing him to swiftly turn his head in the direction from which the sensation had emanated.

He caught a glimpse of an unkempt and unsightly figure swiftly darting past before disappearing from his field of view.

The eerie sensation immediately put Murong Lin on alert, and he reacted swiftly. He recognized that figure—Han Tang, one of the most formidable killers in this world.

Han Tang had a mysterious reputation and overwhelming power, but despite his strength, he willingly chose to serve under Old Bo as his weapon and was even willing to lay down his life for him.

As Murong Lin observed Han Tang’s fleeting presence, he couldn’t help but marvel. However, he wisely refrained from pursuing him.

He knew that he couldn’t catch up.

An assassin would never allow someone to easily catch up to them and discover their presence.

Unless that person was also an assassin.

Murong Lin, realizing this, chose to remain seated, observing the unfolding events with a sense of boredom.

After a while, Old Bo finally emerged from the gathering.

Their eyes met, and in that moment, they were both acutely aware of each other.

Murong Lin couldn’t help but feel a mixture of shock and amazement, Sun Lao Bo was on the cusp of breaking through from the Sky Reaching realm to the Cognizance realm.

In return, Old Bo’s gaze held a blend of appreciation and intrigue.

He could perceive the bloody resentment of at least a hundred thousand people from Murong Lin’s eyes.

Yet, a person like this did not exist the Jiang Hu.

He asked, “This is?”

Tie Cheng Gang quickly responded, “Old Bo, this is my saviour, Murong Lin.”

Sun Jian stood nearby and promptly explained the situation to Old Bo, who nodded in comprehension. “I understand. Don’t worry, I will seek justice for Duan Si Yue and the people of Wan Jing Mountain Village.”

Tie Cheng Gang had faith in Sun Yu Bo’s word. He knew that by tomorrow morning, the whole Jiang Hu would be aware of the truth, and the souls of Duan Si Yue and the villagers could finally rest in peace.

As Tie Cheng Gang cried in his misery, Sun Jian consoled him.

Approaching Murong Lin, Sun Yu Bo asked, “Do you have any interest in joining the Sun Manor?”

Murong Lin shook his head and replied, “This humble one has grown accustomed to a life of wandering, I apologize.”

Old Bo displayed no signs of displeasure at the refusal. Instead, he regarded Murong Lin with appreciation and encouraged him, “Young people should indeed embark on journeys.”

As the feast carried on, Murong Lin continued to observe the lively crowd while reminiscing about the events of the novels. A spark of inspiration ignited within his mind.

When the banquet finally came to an end, Murong Lin graciously declined the invitations extended by Sun Jian and the others. Instead, he chose to take a leisurely stroll around Su Zhou.

Meanwhile, Old Bo had already gathered all available information about Murong Lin. He mused aloud, “A first-rate expert who appeared out of thin air, surnamed Mu—a rare surname.”

Lu Xiang Chuan couldn’t help but voice his suspicions, “Could he be a spy sent by Wan Peng Wang to gather information on us?”

There was an unsettling feeling that Lu Xiang Chuan harboured upon encountering Murong Lin. It was as if a wolf had caught the scent of another wolf on a vast field—an instinctive recognition of a kindred aura.

“No.” Old Bo spoke certainly.

While he might not have had a complete understanding of Murong Lin’s character, he was certain that Wan Peng Wang wouldn’t employ such covert tactics for spying.

Sun Jian chimed in with agreement, “Exactly! If he were a spy from Wan Peng Wang, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to rescue Tie Cheng Gang.”

Lu Xiang Chuan fell silent, refraining from further speculation.

Then, Old Bo gave the gathered individuals his instructions, tasks that would test their respective abilities.

However, these matters weren’t of significant interest to Murong Lin.

Following the leads he had garnered, Murong Lin directed his steps towards the Merry Forest.

The Merry Forest served as the dwelling place of the story’s protagonist, a location overseen by Gao Lao Da. The four formidable assassins covertly supported her, ensuring the smooth operation of its affairs.

However, Gao Lao Da’s tendencies were excessively ruthless. When she sensed a wavering loyalty from her subordinates, Meng Xing Hun and Ye Xiang, she spiralled into a dark and paranoid mindset, feeling betrayed by the world.

In Murong Lin’s perspective, subordinates were merely tools, not something that he would hold any emotions towards. Any sentimentality towards them could lead to detrimental consequences for all parties involved.

He firmly believed that if a subordinate’s loyalty wavered, or they expressed a desire to leave or halt their involvement, he would promptly intervene to eliminate them.

Ye Xiang’s descent into alcoholism was attributed to his defeat and release by Han Tang in the story.

However, Murong Lin harboured scepticism regarding this explanation. Based on the novel’s portrayal and its adaptations, he leaned towards believing that other factors might be at play, such as some hidden guilt or transgressions on Ye Xiang’s part.

One possibility that Murong Lin considered was Xiao Die’s situation.

Xiao Die, the daughter of Old Bo and Sun Jian’s sister, became pregnant out of wedlock.

Although the novel hinted at Lu Xiang Chuan being responsible for her pregnancy through coercion, Murong Lin found this explanation lacking coherence with the subsequent events.

Considering the circumstances, Murong Lin speculated that Ye Xiang could be the actual father of Xiao Die’s child.

To Murong Lin’s reasoning, Ye Xiang’s avoidance of Xiao Die and his subsequent relief upon her relationship with Meng Xing Hun, his close friend, further supported this theory. This led to Ye Xiang ultimately assassinating Old Bo on behalf of Meng Xing Hun.

He looked at Ye Xiang, who was burying his sorrows in a bottle of alcohol, with a strange gaze as he circulated 《Lifelessness Law》, altering his appearance to match Ye Xiang’s, before walking towards him.

Translator’s note

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