The young monk knew this person, who was an officer of the Clean Heaven Bureau stationed in Chaonan City, and stood up, holding his palms together in courtesy.
The name of the middle-aged man was Shi Fengchen, an important figure in the Clean Heaven Bureau, who was now in charge of the affairs related to the Cultivation circle in Chaonan City.
Shi Fengchen returned the courtesy to the young monk. "My greetings, Senior Master," he said respectfully to the older monk.
The officials of the Clean Heaven Bureau were mostly practitioners themselves, or had a background in the Cultivation sects, including Shi Fengchen.
According to the rules regarding seniority in the sects, he should have called the old monk "Senior Grandmaster", however, as an officer, it was more appropriate to call him "Senior Master".
"What has brought Master Shi here?" asked the old monk gently.
Shi Fengchen answered with a bitter smile. "I’d like to inform Senior Master of two events that happened today in Chaonan City. Firstly, two individuals forced their way into the city. Secondly, several people were murdered. All of these were the work of practitioners, I believe."
The old monk was confused. "Do you think these events have something to do with us?" he asked.
As the door of the mud temple was closed, their conversation couldn’t be heard by outsiders. "The people of the All-Three Sect are all dead," said Shi Fengchen.
The young monk was startled by this news. He glanced at the old monk.
"The dead people are those who wanted the Sedative Icy Pills in the Precious-Tree House," continued Shi Fengchen.
There was an expression of sympathy on the old monk’s face., "Where are the bodies of those Cultivation friends?" he asked. "This old monk would like to recite the Scripture of Future Life to send them off."
"The bodies were all burned to ashes. The killers were quite merciless," said Shi Fengchen with a bitter smile.
"Master, do you suspect the young monk and me of murder?"
"No, I have never suspected you two."
Shi Fengchen pretended to be offended. "Who in this world would suspect the benevolence of the Fruit Formation Temple?!"
"If it wasn’t for the Sedative Icy Pills and the murder of the All-Three Sect people, why would you be here in the first place?!" thought the young monk.
"In the end, the Sedative Icy Pills were acquired by two people in Mysterious Room 2."
Shi Fengchen looked at the young monk. "Young Master, do you know anything about those two people?" he asked, completely sincere.
The young monk was a bit astounded. Thinking of the lethal intent hidden in that sword light bringing in the drug earlier, he had already figured out the truth of the matter.
"Are you sure there were two people?" asked the old monk suddenly.
"No doubt. Those two wore gray cloth over their faces. Even the manager of the Precious-Tree House couldn’t see their true appearances."
Shi Fengchen was still looking at the young monk. "Has Young Master seen them?" he asked with a smile.
Now the young monk was certain that the killers who also sent them the drug were probably their fellow practitioners from the Green Mountain Sect. Of course, he didn’t want to tell on them, but as a monk…
"He can’t say," said the old monk suddenly.
Shi Fengchen was slightly startled after hearing this. Was it some sort of wise revelation?!
The young monk swallowed the words that had almost come out from his mouth, looking at his Senior Master nervously.
Suddenly he saw that the box containing the Sedative Icy Pills was gone, perhaps hidden somewhere by the Senior Master.
"It would be a sin to do so."
Looking at the young monk once, the old monk turned toward Shi Fengchen. "Our Young Master has taken a vow of silence," he said.
Shi Fengchen seemed to have had a sudden moment of understanding.
"We really don’t know who those two people are.
"Sorry that we can’t offer much help, Master," said the old monk.
Shi Fengchen forced a bitter smile. He knew full well that the monk had the information, but he dared not ask further, so he bowed low and left the mud temple.
After the noises and sounds outside disappeared, the young monk exhaled, finally no longer holding his breath, and sat on the ground.
The old monk sighed. "I hope this event won’t cause any trouble for our fellow practitioners."
The young monk wanted to say something, but after remembering what his Senior Master had said, he simply gave an anxious groan with his mouth closed.
The old monk understood what the young monk meant. "For now, you are under a vow of silence. It will end when we leave Chaonan City."
In the late evening, the Prosperity Restaurant was closed.
In Heavenly Room 1 of the Inn, which was not far from the Prosperity Restaurant, Zhao Layue sat on the floor cross-legged, meditating and recuperating, with the Thoughtless Sword hovering over her head rotating slowly.
Jing Jiu came to the outskirts of Chaonan City and walked to the mid-section of the Bridge toward Heaven, which was the highest spot of the bridge.
The river below was lit up by starlight. The torrential water-flow hadn’t receded, and it looked even more hazardous.
Jing Jiu retrieved the Piercing Discernment and jumped into the river. His tiny splash faded away in an instant, attracting little attention.
The river water was very muddy, and it was late at night, so it was impossible to see anything. But Jing Jiu’s Sword Eyes could see through the darkness easily.
Wading in the cold and fast-flowing waters beneath the river’s surface for a long time, Jing Jiu finally arrived at a precipice overlooking an abyss at a point far away from the city.
The water-flow here was smoother, but the water pressure was very high and extremely cold. Even a swordsman with the State of the Undefeated couldn’t stay here for too long. If he weren’t physically gifted, he’d have no chance of diving deep enough to find the Dace Devil.
The Dace Devil was dead.
The body of this Dace Devil was huge, the size of a three-story building. Its front feet looked like fins, with smooth and dark skin, wedged deep inside the precipice, looking like a regular rock. Since its body was camouflaged like the rest of its surroundings, it was difficult to find. That was why the disciples of the Green Mountain Sect couldn’t find the body.
Jing Jiu drifted to the side of the Dace Devil and saw the sword wounds all over its neck and head. With its eyes tightly closed, its residual green blood was still visible, have not been washed away by the river water. It looked like the sword wounds were inflicted by the disciples of the Green Mountain, but the wounds in its eyes were more likely caused by a kind of Mid-Air magic method.
"Somebody has definitely been keeping it here," thought Jing Jiu as his gaze fell on two iron chains.
The other half of the Dace Devil’s body was bound tightly by these two iron chains, and the other ends of the chains were probably somewhere deep within the cave on the precipice.
Swimming in the dark river around the huge body of the Dace Devil, Jing Jiu didn’t find any new sword wounds beside the ones on its neck and head.
He untied his sword and thrust it into the head of the Dace Devil, but unexpectedly, the sword tip slid sideways.
It was rumored that the Dace Devil had come from a deep ocean valley and swam through the Western Ocean. This kind of gigantic demon had skin as hard as steel, even when it was dead, so it was impossible for regular swords to cut through its skin.
Jing Jiu’s sword was from Master Mo of Shiyue Peak. It was a famous sword, but although it had some outstanding qualities, it was not all that sharp.
The dark river water was slightly shuddering. If one could listen under the water, one would be able to hear a sound like the buzzing of bees, which came from the quivering bracelet on Jing Jiu’s wrist.
Jing Jiu didn’t pay attention to the quivering bracelet. He drifted to the front of the Dace Devil, and his raised right hand swung downward.
A clear crack, as straight as a pencil, appeared on the tough skin of the Dace Devil. It slowly opened up until the flesh and cartilage were exposed.
Snap!!!
Jing Jiu opened up the cartilage on the top of the Dace Devil’s head with both hands.
Jing Jiu stared at the empty Pill Chamber inside the Dace Devil’s head. The Devil Pill was gone, as he had expected.
So Liu Shisui’s hot body that could melt snow and his long period of unconsciousness…all those strange phenomena could be explained now.