Not Suicide

"What?"

Liu Zhiwei hadn't expected this connection. He looked at Granny An and Eunuch Qiu, who stood beside Duàn Yì, his brow furrowed as he spoke with suspicion.

"Can the two of you truly confirm that Duàn Yì had no prior martial arts foundation, possessing only the Capturing Hand skill, and that his swordsmanship cultivation, capable of defeating my disciple Ruan Dong, only rapidly advanced after he came to this mountain?"

Setting aside the Helan Family, Granny An and Eunuch Qiu were already renowned experts in the Jianghu, of the same generation as his master. It was virtually impossible for them to lie for a mere boy.

"Of course. Though this old woman is old and not as capable as she once was, her eyes are still sharp. If young Duàn truly possessed swordsmanship fundamentals and Internal Energy cultivation, it would be impossible to hide it from us.

In fact, this matter is not difficult to verify. If you don't believe Duàn Yì has such enviable talent, you can teach him a martial art he's never learned on the spot. Give him a day or two, and then see his progress. Wouldn't that make everything clear?"

Granny An's large eyes were filled with a smile. She not only cleared Duàn Yì's name but also proposed a trial method that made Duàn Yì clap his hands in admiration.

"Well done, Granny An, you're amazing."

Duàn Yì's expression was calm, but inwardly he cheered, wishing Liu Zhiwei would immediately agree and present the Golden Cauldron Sect's profound martial arts to test his talent and comprehension. Wasn't this practically handing him a benefit?

The others in the hall simultaneously looked at Duàn Yì. Seeing the young man's consistent indifference and composure since entering the hall, as if he weren't the one being suspected, they all marveled at his steadfast temperament.

Granny An's words also gave Liu Zhiwei a headache. If Duàn Yì truly possessed such talent, wouldn't teaching him martial arts only enhance his cultivation?

His disciple had died in shame and humiliation because of this person. If he were to actually help the other party learn martial arts, Ruan Dong would probably crawl out of his coffin to question how he managed as a master.

"Fine, let's assume what you say is true. Then Ruan Dong committed suicide out of shame from losing the duel. Duàn Yì should bear some responsibility, shouldn't he?"

Provoked by Granny An, Liu Zhiwei somehow uttered these words. Afterward, he felt he was being unreasonable.

The outcome of a duel was entirely related to one's own strength. If Duàn Yì had used tricks or underhanded tactics, causing Ruan Dong to lose and commit suicide in despair, then he could be considered responsible.

But this was a fair and open duel. Ruan Dong's own psychological fortitude was lacking, and now he was implicating someone else. This was akin to deliberately smearing dirt on someone.

Let alone Duàn Yì, the target of this implication, even the other Golden Cauldron Sect disciples in the hall couldn't agree.

However, the deceased were to be respected, and since Duàn Yì was not a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, no one spoke up.

Bái Xī Wén, however, seeing that Liu Zhiwei was clearly looking for trouble, glared and was about to argue. But Duàn Yì stopped him, nodded, then stepped forward and cupped his hands towards Liu Zhiwei.

"Vice Sect Leader Liu, there are still suspicious aspects to this matter. If responsibility is to be assigned, it should be clarified whether Ruan Dong committed suicide out of shame from losing the duel, or if he was murdered by someone with ulterior motives and staged to look like a suicide.

Do you think what I'm saying makes sense?"

Facing Liu Zhiwei, Duàn Yì's attitude was neither servile nor overbearing. Granny An, Eunuch Qiu, and the others secretly applauded. Regardless of how he planned to resolve this or extricate himself from the situation, his courage to face such adversity alone indicated his extraordinary nature.

Liu Zhiwei also carefully observed the young man who had brought shame to Ruan Dong and himself. Seeing his handsome features, fair skin, and steady demeanor, full of heroic spirit, he couldn't help but lament how far Ruan Dong fell short in comparison.

However, the more outstanding Duàn Yì was, the more vigilant Liu Zhiwei became. Unsure of what the young man intended to say, he nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. From my understanding, although Ruan Dong was not broad-minded, he was not someone who would easily take his own life. Therefore, I suspect someone harmed him and I suspect you.

However, according to Junior Brother Bái and the two seniors, your suspicion has been cleared. I assume he couldn't bear it and took extreme measures. Do you have a different view?"

"After the duel that day, Ruan Dong said something to me before he left. He said, 'You won, I lost. But next time, I will definitely win.'

Not only did I hear this, but many people below the arena also heard it.

I ask you, how could someone who truly intended to take their own life say such a thing?

And if he didn't have suicidal thoughts at the time, he certainly wouldn't have them after calming down.

I believe someone murdered Ruan Dong and staged it to look like suicide, with the aim of confusing everyone and directing your attention towards me, causing you to overlook the real killer.

Of course, this is just my personal speculation."

Duàn Yì's words were mere conjecture, but upon hearing them, those present gained another perspective.

Indeed, if the possibility of Duàn Yì being the killer was ruled out, and considering Ruan Dong's suicide, the Golden Cauldron Sect would still harbor some prejudice against Duàn Yì.

Because he was not a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, and due to him, a personal disciple of a Vice Sect Leader of the Golden Cauldron Sect committed suicide, and even the martial arts of the Golden Cauldron Sect were deemed mediocre. This was the contradiction.

Regardless of whether it was your fault or not, the person is dead and you are alive. This is a sin that is not a crime.

As a result, Duàn Yì's situation on the mountain would inevitably be difficult, and it could even implicate Bái Xī Wén.

And if this was precisely what the murderer sought, then their target might be Duàn Yì, or Bái Xī Wén, or perhaps they intended to sow discord, breed conflict, and even cause disunity within the Golden Cauldron Sect.

Not only that, but after committing the murder, the killer staging it as Ruan Dong's suicide could divert attention, placing themselves in a safer environment.

The people of the Golden Cauldron Sect hadn't considered these possibilities for a moment, but Duàn Yì had, and therefore brought them up.

His intention was naturally to clear himself of any involvement in Ruan Dong's death. Correspondingly, the Golden Cauldron Sect would not target him excessively, making his progress impossible.

Otherwise, if Ruan Dong died and had nothing to do with him, why would he go out of his way to incur the hatred of the hidden culprit? It was all for self-preservation.

Crack! A crisp sound startled everyone in the hall who was deep in thought. They all looked north and realized it was Vice Sect Leader Shí Jiān, who, in his agitation, had directly broken the armrest of the chair he was sitting on with his exceptionally large and fearsome palms, then crushed it into wood powder with his palm force.

"Hateful, hateful! I didn't expect the killer's intentions to be so vicious. Senior Brother Liu, it seems we must thoroughly investigate this matter. Otherwise, not only will Ruan Dong not rest in peace, but our Golden Cauldron Sect may also be in danger."

He was even more agitated than when he argued with Liu Zhiwei earlier. His gaunt face was ashen, clearly worried about the safety of the Golden Cauldron Sect. This was no different from the other Golden Cauldron Sect disciples in the hall, but it was particularly striking.

After providing his insight, Duàn Yì quietly returned to Bái Xī Wén's side, adopting the demeanor of someone who accomplishes a task and then withdraws, his merits hidden.

However, upon seeing Shí Jiān's palms, he felt a sense of curiosity.

He wondered what martial art the other party practiced. But to be a Vice Sect Leader of a sect, his martial arts couldn't be too bad.

"Then who is the killer? Are there any clues?"

Liu Zhiwei rubbed his forehead, feeling extremely vexed. He was adept at power struggles within the sect, but he knew nothing about analyzing cases or finding killers.

"Duàn Yì, do you have any insights?"

Everyone else on the scene was pondering, even Helan Yue'er's small face was tightly drawn in deep thought, clearly intrigued.

Bái Xī Wén, however, directly faced Duàn Yì and asked him for pointers. The young man's recent performance had given him quite a surprise, and he suspected Duàn Yì was still holding back.

Inside the main hall, the others from the Golden Cauldron Sect also looked towards Duàn Yì, hoping he could offer some clarity.

Unconsciously, everyone had overlooked Duàn Yì's age and status, seeking his guidance. This showed just how much his earlier performance had shaken them.

Some things, though separated by only a thin line between conceiving and not conceiving, often represent an insurmountable gap.

Setting aside martial arts and experience, perhaps Duàn Yì was the clearest-headed person present. Because he wasn't a member of the Golden Cauldron Sect, he could see things more clearly as an observer regarding important sect matters.