Once freed, Xu Shuxin first shot Fang Shuwen a grateful look. Then, in a few hurried strides, he was in front of Black-faced Rabbit, snatching the mask from her face.

He saw a woman with surprisingly spirited features, her face a ghastly white as she stared back at him.

Xu Shuxin’s expression did not soften in the slightest at the sight of her face. Instead, he gritted his teeth and demanded:

"Where is the real Xiao Ding Xiang?"

Black-faced Rabbit’s life was nearing its end.

Yet, a mocking smile touched the corners of her lips.

"The real... the real Xiao Ding Xiang... Of course... she’s already dead... If she weren’t dead... how could I... have taken her place..."

Although Xu Shuxin had already guessed the answer, hearing Black-faced Rabbit say it still made his heart clench.

Strictly speaking, he had never even met the young girl. The person he’d met today was Black-faced Rabbit in disguise.

But when he thought of that naive, fourteen-year-old girl—who one moment was facing exploitation by Eldest Young Master Han, and the next was dead at the hands of Black-faced Rabbit—an indescribable anguish filled his heart.

"You animals! What did that girl have to do with any of this?

"Why did you do it!?"

Xu Shuxin didn’t understand. How could they so casually disregard human life just to achieve their goals?

"Because of you... If you had just... obediently... handed over the... Hundred-Pound Saber... we... we wouldn’t have had to resort to this..."

Black-faced Rabbit spoke, her voice weak and breathless.

"What’s more, you even found... this Fang fellow as a guard...

"His Martial Arts... none of us are a match for him. Only... only with a plan mixing truth and lies... did we... did we have a chance... to pull off this switch..."

With those words, her eyes gradually grew vacant, and the last trace of life quietly slipped from her body.

Xu Shuxin began to panic.

"Wait, don’t die yet! Where is Xiao Ding Xiang’s body?

"Hey, say something!!!"

He grabbed Black-faced Rabbit by the collar and shook her forcefully.

But there was no longer any response.

Fang Shuwen gently shook his head.

"Alright, calm down. She’s dead."

Xu Shuxin turned to look at Fang Shuwen, his eyes filled with bewilderment and panic. He murmured:

"It’s all my fault... If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t have died.

"I’ve never even met her, and yet, she died because of me..."

SLAP!

The crisp sound of a slap landed on Xu Shuxin’s head.

His eyes welling with tears from the sting, Xu Shuxin couldn’t help but look up at Fang Shuwen.

"Brother Fang... you... why did you hit me?"

"When I see someone wallowing in pointless guilt, I can’t help but want to hit them."

Fang Shuwen let out a breath and patted his shoulder gently.

"This isn’t your fault. Don’t take the evil deeds of wicked people and lay them on your own shoulders.

"You didn’t make them kill the innocent, nor did you orchestrate any of this...

"They are the murderers, so they are the ones who deserve to die.

"Once you get to Yuqing Pavilion, find your aunt, and master superior Martial Arts. Then in the future, you can come down from the mountain to punish the wicked, eliminate evil, and kill your share of villains.

"You need to understand, if you sink into despair and wallow in self-pity, this Jianghu won’t change one bit.

"But if you can grow into a great hero and kill more villains in the future, you can save many, many... other Xiao Ding Xiangs."

Xu Shuxin couldn’t help but look at Fang Shuwen.

"Brother Fang, is what you’re saying true?"

"Of course it’s true."

Fang Shuwen nodded seriously.

Xu Shuxin thought it over carefully and realized that what Fang Shuwen said made sense.

Then he turned and looked at Wind-faced Bear, who was not yet dead. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

His grandfather, Xu Zeyuan, was a great hero of his generation.

From a young age, he had been taught many lessons, one of which was to be merciful whenever possible.

But at this very moment, Xu Shuxin suddenly felt that this lesson might not always be right.

Sparing the wicked is an injustice to the innocent.

Hence the saying: Evil must be utterly destroyed!

But Fang Shuwen said:

"Wait a moment."

"Mm."

Hearing this, Xu Shuxin obediently stood to the side. Fang Shuwen walked up to Wind-faced Bear.

"Where are the others from the Sang Mountain Seven Face?"

"I don’t know..."

Wind-faced Bear, showing no sign of resistance, answered obediently:

"I only know... Li Xiuci... and... and the Boss, have something very important to do...

"This matter concerns... concerns the Boss and him... and the person behind them..."

"Oh?"

Fang Shuwen was a little surprised.

"There’s someone else behind the Sang Mountain Seven Face? The one who really wants the Xu Family’s Hundred-Pound Saber is that person? Who is this person, do you know?"

"I... don’t know..."

Wind-faced Bear slowly exhaled, as if doing so could ease the pain in his body.

"That person and the Boss... have a very deep... connection... These past few years, we, the Sang Mountain Seven Face, seemed free, but in reality... we’ve always been controlled by that person..."

"What secret is hidden inside the Hundred-Pound Saber?"

Fang Shuwen asked again.

Wind-faced Bear shook his head.

"I really... don’t know..."

"Then forget it."

Fang Shuwen didn’t press further. He raised a hand and gave the man a quick end.

Then he turned to look at Xu Shuxin.

Xu Shuxin lowered his head.

"Brother Fang... I’m sorry..."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I wasn’t honest with you..."

Xu Shuxin said softly.

"The only reason they left me alive was because they wanted to use me to find the Hundred-Pound Saber.

"Back then, when Grandfather went to see Li Xiuci, he didn’t bring his saber. After that, the Xu Family enshrined the Hundred-Pound Saber and kept it until our family fell on truly hard times. With no other choice, we finally sold it.

"But we never expected that not long after we sold it, Smiling Eagle would come and wipe out the Xu Family."