"I do not know much; the information is limited, so this is only a guess.
Suppose Ruan Dong was murdered, and the killer deliberately wanted to concentrate the Golden Cauldron Sect's hostility on me. Then two things must have been true.
First, he knew about my sword match with Ruan Dong, and perhaps he was even a witness. Seeing Ruan Dong leave in grief and indignation, he conceived a venomous scheme and developed murderous intent.
Second, his ability to find Ruan Dong's trail in the vast Shalu Mountain was certainly no stroke of luck. Most likely, after Ruan Dong left the arena, the killer followed him.
This conjecture is also based on the first point. Since it was not premeditated, the killer would not have kept constant watch on Ruan Dong's whereabouts. Following him after the match thus fits the second conjecture.
That is all I can think of."
Duàn Yì had long since formed his own ideas. Faced with Bái Xī Wén's question, he organized his thoughts and spoke slowly.
Yet his words immediately changed the expressions of everyone from the Golden Cauldron Sect, including Bái Xī Wén. Liu Zhiwei directly turned to Granny An and Eunuch Qiu, cupped his hands, and asked,
"Two seniors, when they crossed swords that day, were there any outsiders hiding outside the arena and watching?"
Granny An and Eunuch Qiu possessed such profound martial arts that, among those present, perhaps only Bái Xī Wén could compare with them.
To hide from their eyes and ears, one would have to cultivate some extraordinary secret art, or possess cultivation vastly greater than theirs. But that was almost impossible as well.
If someone truly possessed such cultivation, they could simply come knocking at the door. Why hide in the shadows and use the death of a mere Ruan Dong to drive a wedge into the Golden Cauldron Sect's internal relationships?
"From what the two of us saw at the time, there were absolutely no outsiders hiding or spying within two hundred feet.
Beyond two hundred feet from the arena, aside from a mountain wall on one side, the other three sides were broad and open, with little vegetation. No one could have hidden there—unless that thing was not human."
Eunuch Qiu's square face turned grave as well. As his blade-sharp eyes opened and closed, brilliant light flashed like lightning within them. Clearly, he had thought of something too. He exchanged a glance with Granny An, and the two sighed together.
These were troubled times. It seemed they would have to be even more careful on the mountain from now on. Yuè'er absolutely could not be allowed to go out alone.
Though Duàn Yì had spoken vaguely and merely raised several possible directions for identifying the killer, a little thought made it clear that only those who had watched beneath the arena that day fit the criteria—and nearly all of them had been Golden Cauldron Sect disciples.
An outsider committing murder was easier to guard against. A disciple from within killing someone was far more dangerous, because one never knew when an acquaintance might stab them in the back.
Even with superior martial arts, if one lacked vigilance, one could still be done in by a hidden scheme.
For a time, the scene fell silent. Everyone had thoughts of their own, yet in the end, they could only look to Liu Zhiwei and Shi Jian. As deputy sect masters of the Golden Cauldron Sect, once Qū Dōng Liú was absent, the two had the authority to act as circumstances required.
Ruan Dong's death was a major matter. The possibility that the killer was someone within the Golden Cauldron Sect was a matter of utmost gravity.
"Zhào Yù, cough, cough. You should know everyone who stood beneath the arena that day. Write down every one of their names without missing a single one.
Then secretly investigate who left alone after the sword match that day, who left first, and who is most suspicious. Seize the most suspicious ones directly, investigate their backgrounds, and follow that trail. That person will not be able to hide for long.
Remember, do not publicize this matter. Conduct it in secret. Otherwise, once people's hearts are thrown into chaos, disasters will arise all too easily."
A cough suddenly sounded from behind the door on the north side of the main hall. Then a tall man in magnificent brocade robes walked out. His features were upright, though he appeared somewhat weak.
His footsteps were measured as though by ruler and compass. Step by step, he approached. Though he displayed no particularly imposing aura, the standing Golden Cauldron Sect disciples, as well as the three great elders and two deputy sect masters who had abruptly risen from their seats, all bowed to the newcomer.
"Greetings, Sect Master."
Helan Yue'er, standing beside Duàn Yì, immediately tugged on his sleeve. Her sparkling eyes blinked at him, as though she were saying, See? Isn't my uncle impressive?
He truly was impressive. Whether Liu Zhiwei or Shi Jian, both were high-ranking figures within a sect. Yet before Qū Dōng Liú, who seemed like a sickly invalid, they were completely robbed of their brilliance. How could such a man not be imposing?
Of course, Duàn Yì had another connection with Qū Dōng Liú. The more formidable the man was, the more vigilant Duàn Yì became.
"But his body seems to be in trouble. Was he injured? Or had he contracted some incurable illness? Perhaps it was the former. Was he wounded during the incident at the Moon Worship Palace?"
Duàn Yì followed the others in lowering his head and bowing to Qū Dōng Liú. Yet from the corner of his eye, he observed the man while pondering his wretched condition.
He coughed more than once after speaking only a few sentences. His face was pale as though smeared with a woman's rouge, and his breathing was short and shallow. Every sign showed that the Golden Cauldron Sect Master was currently at the lowest ebb of his health.
"No wonder Liu Zhiwei handled this matter at the outset. Aside from Ruan Dong being his disciple, another reason was that Qū Dōng Liú's body was already failing."
If an ordinary avenger saw an enemy in such a state, he would naturally be overjoyed, perhaps even already plotting revenge. But Duàn Yì was different. He kept a clear head and revealed not the slightest flaw.
Even if Qū Dōng Liú had weakened to such a degree, he was within the Golden Cauldron Sect, guarded by experts. It would still be harder than ascending to heaven for others to kill him. Moreover, after Ruan Dong's murder, he would surely guard against the disciples on the mountain even more carefully.
There was another point as well: Duàn Yì could not tell whether this man was pretending.
Just as Duàn Yì could pretend to be Bái Xī Wén's distant relative, everyone could act. Without solid certainty, he would not rashly place himself in danger.
"Cough, cough. Ruan Dong's death was indeed, as Duàn Yì said, murder. It was then arranged to look like suicide."
"Shi Jian, did you notice the bruising at Ruan Dong's Shenque Acupoint and Qugu Acupoint?
That was caused by someone pressing down on them with Internal Energy. The timing matched his death, so it was obvious that he had been captured.
You, you—why can you never change that rash temperament of yours?"
Qū Dōng Liú had clearly reexamined Ruan Dong's corpse, which was why he could make such a judgment. It was far more convincing than Duàn Yì's unsupported speculation.
Duàn Yì knew of those two acupoints. Both were concealed vital points; once struck, they caused qi to stagnate, blood to congeal, and the body to fail.
This also proved his earlier conjecture. The killer had murdered on impulse, and thus left behind many flaws.
Hearing Qū Dōng Liú's words, Shi Jian looked deeply ashamed, yet he could say nothing else. Both had examined the corpse, but Qū Dōng Liú could see traces and flaws that Shi Jian could not. That was the difference between them.
"Think about it again. Zhìwēi, if you had stubbornly insisted on holding Duàn Yì accountable just now, you would inevitably have clashed with Junior Brother Bái. Perhaps that was exactly what the killer wanted, so we must absolutely not throw ourselves into disorder."
Liu Zhiwei wore an expression much like Shi Jian's, though he was somewhat more stubborn. Even before Qū Dōng Liú, he remained unwilling to lower his head.
After saying this, Qū Dōng Liú had already arrived before Bái Xī Wén. The two met each other's eyes, and the atmosphere congealed.
Qū Dōng Liú was the first to look away. He first gave a kindly smile, then looked at the head-lowered Duàn Yì. A dark gleam flashed through his eyes and vanished.
"Duàn Yì is a good seedling. Not only is his talent for martial arts outstanding, but his thoughts are meticulous, and he is rational and steady. Junior Brother Bái, you must teach him well. Do not let him squander his natural gifts.
Also, this matter has nothing to do with him. You may take him away."
Bái Xī Wén snorted coldly and did not respond. He directly led Duàn Yì away, not even bothering to maintain superficial courtesy.
Helan Yue'er stuck out her tongue and smiled at Qū Dōng Liú. Her steps retreated as she prepared to follow them out, but Qū Dōng Liú called her to a stop.
"Yuè'er, until your uncle's wedding, you must stay obediently on the mountain. Minimize your contact with the people on the mountain, understand?
Granny An, Eunuch Qiu, I must also ask the two of you to take greater care. Do not let petty scoundrels harm Yuè'er."
Upon hearing this, Helan Yue'er's face immediately filled with disappointment. She wanted to argue, but remembering that her uncle's serious injuries had yet to heal, she did not wish to anger him and worsen his condition. She could only nod gloomily.
Though the girl loved to play, she knew the weight of matters and was not excessively willful.
The two elders were the same. Though they disapproved of some of Qū Dōng Liú's actions, they also felt that he had considered matters thoroughly.
They knew that the Golden Cauldron Sect was far from safe at present. There might be an inside traitor, and no one even knew whether there was a second one. Naturally, they attached even greater importance to Helan Yue'er's safety.
Qū Dōng Liú then had the three of them leave first. Thus, only the Golden Cauldron Sect members remained within the main hall.
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