Chapter 426

Chapter 426: Chapter 425 "So you’re saying that not only are you, Tian Boguang, not a complete villain, but on the contrary, you’ve actually done many good deeds for the martial arts world and the Ancient Martial World?" Dongfang Meng asked disdainfully and coldly.

"Brother Tian, you and I have become brothers because we are both straightforward and have each other’s back. Even if you were a great philanderer, I, Ye Tianchen, wouldn’t discriminate against you, nor would I care if other Ancient Martial Sects were after me. There’s no need for you to quibble!" Ye Tianchen firmly patted Tian Boguang on the shoulder and said.

However, Tian Boguang looked at Ye Tianchen with exasperation this time, let out a deep sigh as if there was a long-held grievance or weight on his mind, and then turned to glance at Dongfang Meng before he spoke:

"In my life, Tian Boguang has had no friends, much less family. That you were willing to become brothers with me shows you are someone who does not sweat the small stuff. I, too, am such a person. I have never spoken to anyone about my own affairs. Today, I want to tell you both, firstly because I don’t want to lose a brother like Ye Tianchen, and secondly because I don’t want to cause any discord between you two!"

"Who’s with him as a couple? If you talk nonsense again, don’t blame me for being impolite right now!" Dongfang Meng clenched her fists tightly and said.

"I’m touched that you don’t want to lose me as a brother. I don’t have much to do with this woman, so stop lumping me together with her all the time!" Ye Tianchen also hurriedly said.

Thump! Ye Tianchen took a punch to the back from Dongfang Meng. She hadn’t used much strength, but it made Ye Tianchen roll his eyes at her, while Tian Boguang just chuckled and continued.

"I used to have a very happy family, with loving parents and a younger brother, but more than thirty years ago, everything was destroyed. I was the sole survivor and was saved by an old Taoist master from a temple. All this happened because of a vicious woman. She killed indiscriminately, with the heart of a serpent, and from that moment on, I swore to eliminate all the cruel, heartless women in the world..."

After thirty years, now that Tian Boguang was recounting the events of three decades ago, there was still a spark of anger in his eyes, which surprised both Dongfang Meng and Ye Tianchen. No one would have expected that Tian Boguang, who had such an infamous reputation, would have such a story.

It turns out that more than thirty years ago, when Tian Boguang was only seven, his family lived at the foot of a small mountain. He was very much loved by his parents and had an adorable younger brother. The tragedy struck one evening when his parents rescued a seriously injured woman on the mountainside. Drenched in blood and barely clinging to life, Tian Boguang’s mother used herbal medicine to stop the woman’s bleeding and then took wholehearted care of her.

During this time, the woman seemed very kind, much like an innocent victim. She told Tian Boguang’s parents that she was a disciple of an Ancient Martial Sect who was being chased by evildoers after being critically injured, and she begged for their mercy and not to cast her out.

At that time, Tian Boguang’s benevolent parents didn’t ignore her. Their first instinct was to save a life. They cared for the woman wholeheartedly, even preparing a room for her and pulled her back from the brink of death. During this process, the woman showed such kindness and gentleness that it was unimaginable what would happen later on.

On a stormy night, after the woman’s injuries had healed, she struck out, repaying kindness with evil and annihilating all humanity as she murdered Tian Boguang’s parents and his younger brother. Tian Boguang’s father, in an attempt to give his son a chance to escape, clutched desperately at the woman’s leg. Tian Boguang saw with his own eyes how the woman smashed his father’s head with a palm strike, but even in death, his hands still gripped her tightly. The woman then cut off his father’s hands with a sword and pursued Tian Boguang.

Fortunately, when Tian Boguang was being pursued to the edge of a cliff, an old Taoist was meditating there. The Taoist drove the woman away and after learning the full story, he sighed, took Tian Boguang back to a Taoist temple. Yet, by that time, the young Tian Boguang’s mind was already traumatized by the deaths of his family and the horrific scenes he had witnessed, leaving an indelible mark of suffering. From that moment on, he became silent and unpredictable. The old Taoist tried to guide Tian Boguang every day, and gradually, the hatred in Tian Boguang’s heart subsided somewhat and he was no longer as cynical about the world, but the deaths of his parents and brother were something Tian Boguang could never let go of.

By a twist of fate, Tian Boguang mastered the Fast Sword Skill and acquired the Divine Movement Skill. After the old Taoist passed away, Tian Boguang buried him properly. He no longer had any family in this world, but the everlasting pain and hatred remained in his heart. From that moment on, he sought out those vicious and cruel women, raping and killing them to vent his heart’s rage. Gradually, his reputation as the lascivious Tian Boguang spread across the martial arts community. Many who didn’t know the full story joined in the pursuit of Tian Boguang, yet no one ever inquired about the kind of person those victimized women were. Tian Boguang, being a bold and fearless man, couldn’t be bothered to explain and let it be.

"So that’s how it is, Brother Tian, your life is such a tragedy, all shattered to pieces!" Ye Tianchen blurted out nonsensically.

"Indeed, shattered, my integrity scattered all over the ground!" Tian Boguang sighed dramatically.

Despite feeling some sympathy after hearing of Tian Boguang’s plight, Dongfang Meng was somewhat incredulous. After all, Tian Boguang had been a notorious criminal for decades, an object of universal condemnation, deserving of death. To suddenly hear such a story was hard to believe—lying was second nature to him.

Moreover, the most critical point was that all the Sects had been hunting Tian Boguang for decades, because he had defiled and killed a significant number of women, most of whom were female disciples of the Ancient Martial Sect. No one had ever heard of Tian Boguang’s origins; all that was known was that he was an infamous debaucher, who violated women everywhere, racked up heinous crimes, and must be killed. Where could there be a story in this?

"This is just your side of the story, how can we believe you?" Dongfang Meng spoke up.

"You can check the backgrounds of the women I’ve defiled and killed, try to understand their deeds!" Tian Boguang said.

"Empty words serve as no proof, death admits no verification, not credible enough!" Dongfang Meng shook her head.

Tian Boguang glanced at Dongfang Meng without anger, knowing that just having people listen to his story was good enough; it would be difficult to make anyone believe it. To convince others that a man reviled as a major lecher, who did nothing but evil for decades, could be a good person was indeed a tough sell. He disclosed this story, buried in his heart for many decades, because he felt that Ye Tianchen was truly a friend worth making. He was not like the other worldly people; even if everything he said was true, no one would dare become his brother, with so many forces seeking to kill him.

"Then let me tell you about the daughter of the Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect. My infiltration into the Sword Control Sect this time was aimed at killing this woman, but contrary to my expectations, the Sword Control Sect turned out to be much more powerful than I’d imagined. At a critical moment, an elder of the Sect took action, leading to my failure!" Tian Boguang spoke with a tinge of frustration.

"Why do you want to kill the daughter of the Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect? You know the Sword Control Sect has a long tradition, and their Sword Energy Skill is profound and vast, with the might of submitting the world at the swing of a sword. And as far as I know, you don’t have any grudge against the Sword Control Sect, and they’ve not joined forces with other Sects to hunt you down in the past!" Dongfang Meng asked.

"If I tell you that the Sect Leader’s daughter of the Sword Control Sect personally killed her mother and has been colluding with the top disciple of the Sect, Xiao Yuan, scheming together sordidly and slowly plotting for the position of Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect, would you believe it?" Tian Boguang asked with a sneer.

"You... how do you know all this?" Dongfang Meng couldn’t help but be surprised. These were confidential matters of the Sword Control Sect. Now that Tian Boguang had spoken them, if true, it was very likely even the Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect was unaware. How did Tian Boguang come to know this?

"Have you forgotten? I, Tian Boguang, am known for traveling thousands of miles alone; my Divine Movement Skill is unrivaled. Naturally, my methods of infiltration and investigation are far superior to yours... The daughter of the Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect, and even within the entire Ancient Martial World, is known to everyone as an exemplar of virtue, beautiful and graceful. Actually, she’s a woman with a cruel heart. To seize control of the Sword Control Sect and obtain the Sword Energy Skill, she colluded with Xiao Yuan. They’ve been conspiring for years, gathering forces everywhere. If not fearful of the Sect Leader’s overwhelming cultivation, they would probably have acted sooner. During an unforeseen incident, her mother discovered her and Xiao Yuan’s plot. She actually killed her own mother by her own hand. Do you think this woman is ruthless enough?" Tian Boguang uttered coldly.

"This..." Dongfang Meng was startled. She hadn’t expected such a thing to happen. Killing one’s own mother, the daughter of the Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect, a young woman regarded by all as paragon of virtue who rarely made public appearances, was so ruthless she even killed her blood mother, a truly venomous nature.

"There’s something odd here. The Sect Leader’s daughter of the Sword Control Sect, that is her close kin. To witness the Sword Sect’s Sword Energy Skill shouldn’t be a difficult task for her. Why would she do such a thing, even to the extent of personally killing her own mother?" Ye Tianchen asked, puzzled. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)