119: Chapter 119 "Turning Black into White" Little Red Leaf

Meng Family Village, Meng Manor.

Meng Li looked at Little Red Leaf, who was lightly waving a feather fan before him, feeling a bit puzzled.

After attending the wedding of Xiao Yuer and Mu Rong Xian, he had stayed in Poison King Valley for a few days—firstly to read, and secondly to discuss the matter of welcoming Su Ying into his household.

Once the arrangements were finalized, Meng Li brought Tie Xinlan, Jiang Yuyan, and the others back to Meng Family Village to prepare for the related matters.

Unexpectedly, Little Red Leaf suddenly came knocking, specifically asking to see him, claiming there were important matters to discuss.

To this, Meng Li was quite surprised.

He remembered that he had no prior dealings with Little Red Leaf or the Red Leaf Pavilion. His only encounter with Little Red Leaf seemed to have been at the Gathering Hall on Mount Huang, but they had only seen each other; he knew the man existed, but they hadn't spoken.

Why did this Little Red Leaf suddenly want to see him? And he even said there were important matters to discuss.

Filled with doubt, Meng Li asked directly, "Mr. Red Leaf, there are no dealings between us. I wonder what business brings you to my door so suddenly?"

Little Red Leaf smiled and said, "Since Young Hero Meng has asked, then I shall get straight to the point. I have come to ask you to step forward and resolve a predicament for my Red Leaf Pavilion."

Meng Li showed a look of confusion. "What predicament?"

"The predicament of my uncle and me being hunted by Yihua Palace."

Meng Li laughed and said, "Mr. Red Leaf, you must be joking. The two Palace Mistresses of Yihua Palace have dominated the Martial Forest for many years. Although they recently suffered a defeat at the hands of Great Hero Yan, their feminine ferocity remains undiminished, still striking terror into the major sects of the Martial Forest. If they want to kill you, how could I possibly resolve that?"

Little Red Leaf said with a beaming smile, "Young Hero Meng, there is no need for such modesty."

"Yao Yue and Lian Xing are certainly supreme in Martial Arts, but you, Young Hero Meng, crushed the East Depot's Black-Clad Arrow Squad in a single move, and you were able to fight Great Hero Yan for a long time without being defeated."

"With such Martial Arts, I fear you are not much inferior to them."

"Therefore, you can certainly resolve this predicament."

Meng Li narrowed his eyes slightly.

He wasn't surprised that Little Red Leaf knew about him crushing the East Depot's Black-Clad Arrow Squad.

Because many people were present at the time and escaped.

With the intelligence capabilities of the Red Leaf Pavilion, which even had informants before the Emperor, it was normal for them to know about this.

But as for the matter of fighting Yan Nantian, he remembered that only the people from Poison King Valley were present. They couldn't possibly be informants for the Red Leaf Pavilion, nor would they publicize the matter.

Then how did Little Red Leaf know?

Just as the doubt surfaced, Meng Li suddenly recalled a segment from the original plot: after Chang Bai Cao and Su Rushi reconciled, Xiao Yuer was playing around with E Tongtian in the courtyard, and this scene was spotted from the sky by a Disciple of the Red Leaf Pavilion riding a kite.

Could it be that when he fought Yan Nantian, there was also a Disciple of the Red Leaf Pavilion in the sky?

It was possible!

The Red Leaf Pavilion's intelligence network was vast, and since Xiao Yuer had a grudge with Little Red Leaf and Old Red Leaf, it was normal for Poison King Valley to be under their special observation. Moreover, the commotion he made when fighting Yan Nantian was quite large, making it easy to attract attention.

Thinking of this, Meng Li secretly cursed his own carelessness, but he didn't take it too much to heart.

It was true that the Red Leaf Pavilion had strong intelligence and could manipulate public opinion, but their raw strength was not very impressive.

Old Red Leaf had at least learned the Golden Bell Shield and Lightness Skill to save his own life.

Little Red Leaf was lazy and only knew some superficial skills; even Xiao Yuer could easily take him down.

Reflecting on this, Meng Li said, "The Red Leaf Pavilion truly lives up to its reputation as a place that encompasses nearly a hundred years of Martial Forest history; you really are everywhere. But even if I can deal with Yao Yue and Lian Xing, I have never had any dealings with your Red Leaf Pavilion. Why should I help you resolve this predicament?"

Little Red Leaf responded, "It's very simple. As long as Young Hero Meng helps resolve this predicament, we will be friends."

"In the future, if the Young Hero has any needs, feel free to come to the Red Leaf Pavilion to find us; we can give you a twenty percent discount."

"Regarding the Young Hero's secrets, we will also keep our lips sealed and never leak a single word."

Meng Li shook his head. "I only want to live a stable life and rarely even step foot into the Jianghu."

"In the past and present, I have had no need for the Red Leaf Pavilion, and I shouldn't have such a need in the future."

Little Red Leaf's smile remained unchanged. "It is good that the Young Hero is unwilling to be involved in Jianghu disputes, but wherever there are people, there is a Jianghu. And when one is in the Jianghu, one cannot always act according to one's own will. If some news about you were to be accidentally spread, I fear the Young Hero would not find peace."

Meng Li said nonchalantly, "Mr. Red Leaf, you must be joking. I have few grudges with the people of the Martial Forest."

"What kind of news could possibly make it so I cannot find peace?"

Little Red Leaf said, "Of course there is, and it's extraordinary news at that. For example, the death of the former East Depot director Liu Xi, or for another... the whereabouts of the Liu Ren Divine Dice."

Meng Li's heart chilled slightly, but on the surface, he acted confused. "What do these have to do with me?"

Little Red Leaf replied, "Of course it's related. Young Hero Meng, please listen to me explain in detail."

"As far as I know, one month before Liu Xi was assassinated, he used the Imperial Emergency Summon to bring together five great experts in Chang'an: True Person Yuanyang, Mad Bull Li Gao, Iron Abacus Meng Zhongliu, Divine Walker Zhao Qianhe, and Mad Lion Tie Ruyun."

"These five experts had two things in common: first, they all had Extremely Yang fates, and second, they all Cultivated Pure Yang Internal Skill."

"Liu Xi drew them there to capture them, so he could follow a legendary method to achieve the supreme Realm of the Absorbing Qi Technique, the 'Remote Energy Absorption Skill'."

"To this end, he specifically arranged for ten Martial Forest experts to besiege the five of them."

"Unexpectedly, something went wrong midway, and a mysterious person disrupted the situation."

"In the end, Liu Xi was also killed by this mysterious person."

"After repeated analysis, my uncle and I believe that this mysterious person should be related to those five Pure Yang experts. After the siege, only Mad Bull Li Gao and Mad Lion Tie Ruyun remained alive. Li Gao is arrogant and crazed, a loner; the probability of the mysterious person being related to him is basically zero."

"The only remaining subject of suspicion was Tie Ruyun."

"At first, my uncle and I only suspected and had not confirmed the identity of that mysterious person, until we learned that you, Young Hero Meng, were a hidden talent..."

"Young Hero, you wouldn't want the East Depot or even the Imperial Court to know that it was you who killed Liu Xi, would you?"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Meng Li lightly clapped a few times and laughed. "The story is brilliantly woven, but it is just a story. If I remember correctly, the East Depot and even the Imperial Court have already reached a conclusion regarding Liu Xi's assassination. Based on such a fictional story, on what grounds do you think you can overturn it?"

The smile remained on Little Red Leaf's face. "That is not for the Young Hero to worry about. If the Young Hero feels this matter is not enough, let's talk about the matter of the Liu Ren Divine Dice."

Meng Li said, "I'm all ears."

Little Red Leaf said, "Through investigation, I have learned that the formerly unmatched in benevolence and righteousness Jiang Biehe once obtained the Liu Ren Divine Dice. However, his virtue did not match his position. Although he accidentally opened the Liu Ren Divine Dice, he failed to master the peerless divine skill within; instead, it brought him disaster."

"First, he suffered from Qi Deviation and nearly died."

"Later, when the matter was exposed, he was taken away by the East Depot. Despite undergoing severe torture, he did not reveal the whereabouts of the Liu Ren Divine Dice."

"During this period, the only person who had an encounter with him and could have taken the Liu Ren Divine Dice was you, Young Hero."

"If this news were to spread, could your days still be peaceful, Young Hero?"

Meng Li frowned slightly. "Without evidence or proof, do not stain a person's reputation."

A sly smile curled at the corner of Little Red Leaf's mouth. "I naturally believe that the Young Hero is innocent and did not take the Liu Ren Divine Dice, but those people in the Jianghu might not be so willing to believe it."

Meng Li sighed. "To be so skilled at calling a stag a horse and inverting black and white, you truly live up to your reputation as Mr. Red Leaf, who can kill with a pen."

Little Red Leaf was not ashamed of this sarcasm; instead, he took it as a compliment. "The Young Hero overpraises me!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll silence you?"

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