Chapter 675 - 335: Who Is the Killer?
Chapter 675: Chapter 335: Who Is the Killer?
The next day.
Early morning.
The people from the Three Great Sects all walked out of their residences, tidied up, gathered their numbers, and prepared to set off.
"Senior Sister Jiang."
Fairy Yunqin Jiang Yin in a blue long dress, holding a yaoqin, stepped out gracefully amidst the admiring gazes of the disciples, elegant and otherworldly, like a fairy descending to the mortal world.
She walked up to Sect Leader Bai Liu of the Feiyun Sect and respectfully bowed:
"Master, the numbers have been checked without error."
Bai Liu, no longer in the angry and uncontrolled state of last night, was handsome, elegant, and graceful:
"Good, let’s set off."
At this moment, there seemed to be some commotion from the opposite Thunder Sword Sect, with many disciples whispering.
Bai Liu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zheng Mulin, who understood and went to inquire, quickly returning to report:
"Sect Leader, Elder Huang from the Thunder Sword Sect is missing."
On the other side, Zhou Ling’Er was also reporting to Tantai Mingyue:
"Sect Leader, Elder Huang from the Thunder Sword Sect went out last night and never came back. His belongings are still in the room and haven’t been taken."
Tantai Mingyue and Bai Liu went to the Thunder Sword Sect’s campsite, only to see Su Longxiang with a grim face, angrily reprimanding a group of disciples:
"Didn’t I tell you to go find him? Where is he?"
A few disciples timidly said, "Sect Leader, we searched everywhere, but there’s no sign of Elder Huang."
Someone weakly suggested, "Could it be that Elder Huang had some important matter and left first?"
Su Longxiang raised a fist at that person: "What could be more important than the Immortal Ascension Ceremony?!"
That person’s body trembled, lowered their head, and did not dare to speak. Su Longxiang looked around: "Where is Su Hongling?!"
In the distance flew a large hammer, unmanned, yet shaking towards Su Longxiang. Su Longxiang’s expression turned stern, and he jumped onto the hammer, flying off into the distance.
Tantai Mingyue and Bai Liu exchanged a glance, also ascended on their swords, and followed.
Soon, the three Sect Leaders arrived at a valley about a hundred miles from the campsite, where Su Hongling was standing on an open space at the valley bottom, waving to Su Longxiang:
"Come down quickly, Huang Kezhou is dead here!"
The three hurriedly landed. Su Hongling pointed at the open space: "There are traces of spiritual power collision around here, and a stench, it’s Huang Kezhou. This bastard is finally dead!"
She spoke with a smile on her face, seemingly satisfied that Huang Kezhou was dead.
Su Longxiang couldn’t hold his expression and shouted: "A sect elder died tragically, and you’re still smiling?"
Su Hongling disdainfully said, "Just a trash who repaid kindness with enmity, dead is dead!"
"Rebellious girl!"
"Rebellious father! Do you still want a beating?"
"Sect Leader Su." Tantai Mingyue intervened, stopping the father and daughter from starting a fight. She said to Su Longxiang:
"Elder Huang had reached Nascent Soul Cultivation, there aren’t many who could kill him silently."
Bai Liu added: "Sect Leader Tantai is right. It could also have been someone he knew who launched a sudden attack, catching Elder Huang off guard, hence the tragedy."
Su Longxiang squinted his eyes: "Brother Bai, you mean... the murderer is among us?"
Bai Liu said: "At the moment, this seems the most likely."
Su Longxiang looked at Su Hongling: "Did you detect the presence of the one who killed Huang Kezhou?"
Su Hongling shook her head: "This person is quite skilled, erased all traces. If it wasn’t for Huang Kezhou’s strong odor, I wouldn’t have been able to tell."
The three sect leaders discussed for a while and unanimously decided to return and investigate all members of the Three Great Sects, first eliminating the possibility of an inside job, and then unite against outsiders.
Soon, the four returned to the campsite. The three Sect Leaders gathered the disciples, and Zhenyang Sect, being the leader of the Righteous Path, had her explain the situation to the disciples of the Three Great Sects.
"Elder Huang was actually killed?!"
"Such a major event, how come we didn’t hear any noise last night?"
"Someone who can kill Elder Huang silently, how terrifying must their cultivation be?"
"Could it be another Half-Step Divinity Transformation?"
"Or... someone from the Demon Sect?"
"Impossible, the Cyan Lotus Sect is already destroyed, where would the Celestial Fall Sect and Red Cloud Mountain find someone this powerful?"
As the disciples were discussing, Tantai Mingyue continued: "The murder of Elder Huang is no small matter. To eliminate the possibility of an evildoer from within the Three Great Sects, every disciple must report where they were last night, and everyone must have a witness."
Last night, aside from the Sect Leaders and elders, disciples from the Three Great Sects stayed two to a room, unless the pair committed the crime together; otherwise, if someone did something suspicious, the other would surely notice.
This step was a preliminary screening, maybe during the process someone would slip and reveal a clue.
This was also the purpose of the three Sect Leaders asking each disciple to account for their whereabouts last night.
Soon, every disciple began to report their activities last night. Each person claimed to be cultivating or resting in their room, and had their roommate vouch for them.
When it was Qin Gengyun’s turn, he hesitated, looked at Jiang Yin and Bai Liu: "Last night I... Sect Leader, may I not reveal it?"
Everyone looked at him in surprise, Xu Caihe and Zhou Ling’Er, standing next to him, instinctively jumped aside, shocked.
Oh my, I forgot Senior Brother He was from the Cyan Lotus Sect!
Could it be he killed Elder Huang last night?
Su Longxiang’s face darkened, and lightning surged on his hands: "Why not speak?!"
Su Hongling slapped his hand away: "What are you doing? He’s my old lover!"
"What nonsense are you talking?!" Su Longxiang looked dumbfounded at his rebellious daughter.
Tantai Mingyue’s eyebrows slightly furrowed: "He Zhiqiu, why can’t you say where you went last night?"
Qin Gengyun smiled wryly: "If I say it, I fear it would damage someone else’s reputation."
Jiang Yin suddenly spoke: "Last night Junior Brother He was with me!"
Wow!
Whoa?!
With these words, everyone widened their mouths in astonishment, staring at Jiang Yin.
"Fairy Yunqin was with this He Zhiqiu last night?"
"Fairy Jiang doesn’t partake in mortal affairs, how could she meet privately with a man?"
"Wait, isn’t this He Zhiqiu Fairy Su’s old lover?"
"Isn’t this He Zhiqiu already spoken for?"
"Oh my gosh, Fairy Jiang actually with a married man..."
Just as everyone was shocked, Bai Liu with a stern face spoke up: "Last night I was guiding Jiang Yin in cultivation techniques and happened to meet this He Zhiqiu."
Everyone suddenly understood, and many male disciples sighed in relief. Bai Liu looked at Jiang Yin, his gaze holding a warning.
Jiang Yin lowered her head, lost in thought.
With this, Qin Gengyun was no longer a suspect, Su Longxiang frowned and said:
"Wait, don’t you have a partner?"
Qin Gengyun looked at Ruo Mei next to him and smiled: "Sect Leader Su, my wife went to sleep early last night, and after meeting Fairy Jiang I returned to our room, my wife was there the whole time."
Elder Xu Zhenqian from Thunder Sword Sect suddenly spoke: "Taoist Friend He, your words are misleading. During the time you were away, your wife might have sneaked out to commit murder."
Qin Gengyun said: "Elder Xu, my wife went to bed early last night, and, furthermore, she just reached Nascent Soul Cultivation, how could she match Elder Huang?"
Xu Zhenqian said: "Taoist Friend He’s claim is difficult to serve as an alibi for your wife."
Su Longxiang said to Tantai Mingyue: "Sect Leader Tantai, she’s your disciple, will you interrogate her or shall I?"
Qiu Zhihe’s gaze grew cold, and her aura began to become eerie.
"After Junior Brother He went out last night, Junior Sister Ruo was with me."
Just then, a composed voice rang out.