The disciples of the Green Mountain arrived here a bit late because the Green Mountain was far from Yu County.
The leader of the group was Chi Yan, the elder of Shangde Peak, and the rest were Guo Nanshan, Gu Han, Ma Hua, Yao Songshan and other disciples of Liangwang Peak, their bodies covered in dust and frost.
Seeing the scene in the building of the Precious-Ware House, Chi Yan asked with an icy expression, "Does your sect intend to attack our peak master?"
While Chi Yan was finishing his question, a dozen sword lights illuminated the building again, with the flying swords of different styles hovering mid-air. The sword wills were intimidating, causing many cracks of different extent on the beams.
Those Cultivation practitioners for the auction didn't dare stay in the same place, fleeing the building in tandem.
Zhang Yi'ai walked to the side of Chi Yan and gave a short explanation.
Listening by the side, Yao Songshan felt it was really ridiculous to suspect Zhao Layue, roaring, "It's impossible that Senior Master Zhao to do such a thing!"
Glaring at the disciples of the Center Sect around him, Lei Yijing couldn't help but swear, "You're a bunch of liars. Do you have a death wish?!"
Chi Yan said with a gloomy expression, "I can understand what mood your sect is in right now, but I hope you people can keep a clear head."
Zhao Layue was present in Guiyun City because of the Three-Purities Grass.
The whole Cultivation circle knew that she was in search of it.
She wasn't a supernatural deity, so how could she predict that Luo Huainan would be here as well?
"The trace of sword will of the Green Mountain was detected by the great grandmaster of the Water-Moon Nunnery herself, so this incident definitely has something to do with your Green Mountain Sect."
Ren Qianzhu's face looked even gloomier than Chi Yan's. "I'd like to know how you are going to explain this," he said icily
Guo Nanshan, Gu Han and Ma Hua had had a solemn expressions on their faces the entire time, and when they heard this, their looks became even more terrible.
It was because they had already guessed where the trace of sword will of the Green Mountain came from.
"I might know who he was, but…it's a bit hard to believe," Guo Nanshan said in a sorrowful voice.
Ren Qianzhu and Zhang Yi'ai turned around abruptly and stared at him, along with many other gazes.
"Who?" Chi Yan asked firmly.
Guo Nanshan said after a moment of silence, "It must have been Liu Shisui."
"That's correct. This event has nothing to do with Shenmo Peak."
A slightly cold voice rang out.
Tong Yan walked in the building from the outside enshrouded by the morning sunlight.
He lifted his head to look at Zhao Layue and Gu Qing by the railing on the top floor, nodding slightly in greeting.
Zhao Layue nodded in response, and led Gu Qing into the room. Yao Songshan and Lei Yijing rode their swords up, guarding outside their room door on the top floor.
Tong Yan had made eye contact with Guo Nanshan and the other two, their expressions very solemn.
The disciples of the Green Mountain were shocked, and the disciples of the Center Sect and the officials of the Pure Heaven Bureau were bewildered.
The name Liu Shisui sounded familiar.
Tong Yan turned to Ren Qianzhu and asked, "Senior Master, have you found any trace of the Bloody Devil Style?"
Ren Qianzhu narrowed his eyes, asking, "Yes…but how do you know about it?"
After a pause, Tong Yan said, "Then it was him for sure."
Someone suddenly remembered and yelled, "Liu Shisui! Is he the expelled disciple of the Green Mountain?!"
The Liangwang Peak disciples of the Green Mountain remained quiet, but the disciples of the Center Sect showed a great deal of astonishment in their expressions.
This remark reminded many people of things in the past.
Liu Shisui, someone with natural Dao Quality, was particularly nurtured by the Green Mountain Sect to become an important figure of the future, just like Zhao Layue and Zuo Rusui. He joined Liangwang Peak to begin his sword training after his first Inherited Sword Competition. However, he failed to control his desire during the battle of purging the demon in the Muddy River and took a Devil Pill, practicing the deviant magic methods in secret; as a result, his Cultivation was removed, his meridians were broken off, and he was expelled from the Green Mountain…
This was a great shame for the Green Mountain Sect. Nobody in the Cultivation circle dared mention it, but many people still remembered it.
From what Tong Yan said, it was Liu Shisui who had killed Luo Huainan!
"It seems that he has really joined the deviant sect and the Old Ones, though we have no idea how he recovered his meridians."
Guo Nanshan continued with a heavy heart, "This is truly a shocking fact."
It turned deathly quiet in the building.
Nobody spoke for a long time.
Ren Qianzhu felt something was not quite adding up.
Given the traces of the Bloody Devil Style and sword will of the Green Mountain, only Liu Shisui could possess these two energies in the whole of Chaotian.
But, how come Tong Yan and Guo Nanshan, these young disciples, could think of this person without even checking the crime scene?
It was then that a sedan had landed along with a gust of wind.
State Duke He came from Zhaoge City.
The imperial court needed to express their opinions on such a significant event.
Having heard the report by Zhang Yi'ai, State Duke He was silent for a while, thinking that Tong Yan and Guo Nanshan's hypothesis was sensible but that were still some questions that remained.
"Who was the other person?"
"Probably an assassin of the Old Ones as well."
"What sword did he use?" pressed State Duke He while staring into his eyes.
Zhang Yi'ai couldn't answer the question.
All of a sudden, a white crane flew through the morning sunlight and arrived with a letter.
It was from the Water-Moon Nunnery.
The Great Grandmaster remembered from which sword the second sword-will came.
That sword was called the "First Child".
The young Cultivation practitioners present didn't have any reaction to the information.
Upon hearing this, Ren Qianzhu, Chi Yan and State Duke He said nothing afterwards, their expressions suddenly changing.
Standing outside the ruined small courtyard, Guo Nanshan didn't lower his head, though his sleeves quivered, and his hands clenched into fists by his sides; he seemed very sad. Gu Han and Ma Hua eyed each other, revealing shock and bewilderment in each other's eyes. What had happened? This was intended as a scheme! How come Luo Huainan was killed for real?
"Was it an accident?" Gu Han asked.
"Unlikely," Ma Hua said in a trembling voice. "Even if Liu Shisui lost control of his devil energy, it's still impossible for such a mishap to happen, since Luo was in such a powerful Cultivation state. I think the only possibility is that Liu Shisui has really joined the Old Ones and used our scheme to have attacked Cultivationist Luo, ultimately killing him."
Guo Nanshan didn't say anything, his face even paler now, thinking that Luo Huainan's death was his fault if this was the case.
Ma Hua's face looked quite ashen as well, like a white steamed bun left out overnight, his lips trembling slightly due to anxiety, his voice barely discernible.
"After you had mentioned how Liangwang Peak could help Liu Shisui that day, I thought of this scheme; but to have it end like this…," Ma Hua said while looking at Tong Yan.
Tong Yan lifted his brows a bit, not a word coming from him.
Guo Nanshan was somewhat angry, wondering if Ma Hua was trying to blame somebody else for the responsibility. This was a scheme created by Liangwang Peak and Cultivationist Luo; it had nothing to do with Tong Yan.
Watching the officials of the Pure Heaven Bureau collect the traces of the devil flames in the ruins, Gu Han suddenly exclaimed, "I don't believe Liu Shisui could really become a devil himself. The whole thing is fishy."
Ma Hua said uneasily, "Let's put that aside for now. We should think about what to do next."
"I will report everything to my master in details and let him make his own judgment. I'll accept any punishment. Yet, I hope that the clues will be discovered and the real killer will be caught, in order to appease Cultivationist Luo's soul in heaven. I think the Elder Ren is still unconvinced, and for the time being you just lay the responsibility on us. I'll explain it later," Guo Nanshan said to Tong Yan.
Tong Yan said after a moment of silence, "It's better this way."
He took out a small green glass bottle from his sleeve, squeezed it into powder as he tightened his fingers slightly, and spread the powder on the ground of the ruins.
"What is this?" Gu Han asked.
Tong Yan replied, "It's something my Big Brother liked the most."
Gu Han said nothing more.
The four of them stood in front of the ruins, remaining reticent.
A few fireworks suddenly rose up in the distance.
It was the signal telling people the forbidden order had been lifted, and the Cultivation practitioners and the residents in Guiyun City could move around freely now.
Illuminated by the fireworks, the collapsed ruins of the small courtyard looked like a graveyard.