Listening to Yi Lin recount how the Nameless Swordsman had killed Tian Boguang, Abbess Dingyi and the others were all deeply shaken.
It would have been one thing if someone else had died, but who had died this time? It was Tian Boguang, the Wandering Rogue of Ten Thousand Li, a peerless lecherous thief famed throughout the martial world for his lightness skill and ability to stay alive.
If he had truly wanted to flee, even experts at the peak of the Minor Grandmaster Realm might have found it difficult to kill him.
Yet now, news of his death had come from Yi Lin's lips. For a moment, no one could quite believe it.
Abbess Dingyi fixed Yi Lin with a solemn gaze and asked again, "Yi Lin, are you certain everything you just said is true?"
Yi Lin nodded. "Master, you taught me that those who have left the secular world must not lie. Every word this disciple spoke was true."
Seeing the earnest expression on Yi Lin's face, Abbess Dingyi finally chose to believe her.
The shock in her heart only grew stronger.
As one of the Three Ding of Mount Heng, she had long since reached the Minor Grandmaster Realm. She was considered a formidable expert in the martial world.
Yet if she had faced Tian Boguang herself, she would not have dared guarantee a certain victory.
And the Nameless Swordsman who had saved Yi Lin and Linghu Chong had cut down the infamous lecherous thief Tian Boguang in fewer than five moves.
Just how strong was he? Could he be a senior expert of the Grandmaster Realm?
But if he truly was a Grandmaster Realm expert, his age did not seem to fit.
According to Yi Lin, that Nameless Swordsman was about the same age as she and Linghu Chong.
Could someone so young truly become an expert of the Grandmaster Realm?
Abbess Dingyi was filled with doubts, yet she did not dare jump to conclusions.
Daoist Tianmen and Liu Zhengfeng wore equally shocked expressions.
Their thoughts were much the same as Abbess Dingyi's. Both were astonished by the Nameless Swordsman's terrifying strength and youth.
Of everyone present, only Yue Buqun wore an uncertain expression, as though he were pondering something.
Black clothes, short hair, a ring-pommel saber... That appearance was remarkably similar to the swordsman Lin Zhennan mentioned, the one who killed Yu Canghai. Could they be the same person?
With that thought, Yue Buqun looked at Yi Lin and asked, "Martial niece Yi Lin, think carefully. Did that swordsman have any other distinguishing features?"
Eager to determine whether the swordsman who had saved Yi Lin and Linghu Chong was the same one who had appeared in Fuzhou, Yue Buqun's tone became urgent, carrying a faint hint of interrogation.
Faced with Yue Buqun like this, Yi Lin grew frightened. She instinctively took a step back and hid behind Abbess Dingyi.
"Senior brother Yue, what is the meaning of this?" Abbess Dingyi frowned at Yue Buqun.
At that moment, Yue Buqun also realized he had lost his composure. He hurriedly offered an apologetic smile and explained, "Yue was out of line. I merely wished to confirm something with martial niece Yi Lin."
Then he looked around at the others and slowly said, "When I arrived yesterday, it was already late. There is something I forgot to tell you all."
"Oh? What did senior brother Yue forget to mention?"
"Yu Canghai is dead!" Yue Buqun announced, enunciating every word.
In an instant, the room fell silent once more.
After a long while, Liu Zhengfeng and the others finally came back to their senses and looked at Yue Buqun in disbelief.
"Senior brother Yue, do you mean Yu Canghai, master of Songfeng View of the Qingcheng Sect?"
Yue Buqun nodded. "That's him."
"This..." Everyone fell silent again.
Yu Canghai was of the same generation as them, and his strength was at the Minor Grandmaster level. He possessed two exceptional martial arts, the Heart-Shattering Palm and Pine Wind Swordplay. He was considered a notable expert in the martial world, yet such a man had died without a sound.
Moreover, judging from Yue Buqun's reaction, there was more to Yu Canghai's death. It had not been a natural death; he had most likely died violently.
How could they not be shocked?
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"Senior brother Yue, what exactly happened? Please tell us in detail," Abbess Dingyi urged.
Yue Buqun shook his head. "I do not know many of the details either. I only know that the one who killed Yu Canghai was also a swordsman dressed in black with short hair."
As he spoke, he looked at Yi Lin. "So, after hearing martial niece Yi Lin describe the swordsman who saved them, I instinctively linked the two together and wanted to verify it."
After hearing this, everyone understood. Their expressions all became grave.
If the swordsman who killed Yu Canghai and the one who killed Tian Boguang were the same person, then this matter was far from simple.
In just two or three days, that swordsman had consecutively killed two experts of the Minor Grandmaster Realm.
Such a person was truly dangerous. Unless they got to the bottom of it, none of them could rest easy.
"Yi Lin, you heard them as well. This matter may not be so simple. Think back carefully and see whether you missed any details," Abbess Dingyi said.
Under everyone's gaze and questioning, Yi Lin grew nervous. "I... I'll think."
As she spoke, a thoughtful look appeared on Yi Lin's face.
"I remember that before the swordsman left, he seemed to say he was going to collect the reward."
"That's it, that's right!"
Upon hearing the words "reward," Yue Buqun suddenly became excited and cried out.
Daoist Tianmen, Liu Zhengfeng, and Abbess Dingyi were all startled by Yue Buqun's reaction.
Yue Buqun, the Gentleman Sword of Mount Hua, had always appeared as a refined gentleman, gentle as jade. When had he ever acted so startled and agitated as he did today?
"Senior brother Yue, what exactly matches up?"
Yue Buqun took a deep breath and calmed his restless emotions before saying, "Back in Fuzhou, I heard Chief Escort Lin Zhennan say that he had spent ten thousand taels of silver to hire that swordsman to kill Yu Canghai."
"So, when martial niece Yi Lin mentioned that the swordsman who saved the two of them had also spoken of collecting a reward, I inferred that the two should be the same person."
After hearing Yue Buqun's account, everyone fell silent again.
He had killed Yu Canghai for ten thousand taels of silver, and killed Tian Boguang for a reward.
It all sounded somewhat fantastical.
After all, by their estimation, that Nameless Swordsman was most likely an expert of the Grandmaster Realm—or at the very least, an exceptionally powerful Minor Grandmaster.
Would such an expert truly attack two other Minor Grandmasters for nothing more than a little silver?
As the saying went, scholars might be poor, but martial artists were rich.
Those who practiced martial arts generally lacked no money, especially experts.
The people present were all wealthy despite keeping a low profile. Liu Zhengfeng in particular—being able to establish such an enormous estate in Hengyang City was beyond mere wealth.
Ten thousand taels of silver was not a small sum to them, but it was by no means a large one either. At the very least, it was nowhere near enough to make them launch an ambush against a Minor Grandmaster expert.
They judged others by themselves.
Since they would not do such a thing, they naturally believed the Nameless Swordsman would not either.
It would have been fine if he had some other reason.
But if that man truly was merely a swordsman who killed for money, then the matter became even more troublesome.
Who in the martial world could claim not to have a few enemies?
Though everyone present came from renowned orthodox sects, they had killed and offended no small number of people over their years in the martial world.
If that Nameless Swordsman truly killed for money, then what if someone hired him?
Of those present, who dared say with certainty that they could withstand an assassination by such an expert?
Thus, an inexplicable heaviness settled in everyone's hearts.
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