"Ah, Aunt Xia, becoming the council's assistant hasn't helped any of you. Instead, I've dragged you into trouble. I really feel terrible about it." I sighed. Pang Rujun's and Liu Yi's deaths weighed especially heavily on my conscience.
"You don't need to blame yourself. The enemy had been plotting this for a long time and kept well hidden. Perhaps it wasn't even because of you. Think about it: Yun Fengyang, Yan Huafeng, and Cui Lan have all fallen, one after another. Several leaders of the nine great southern Daoist sects have also died in succession. Now only Zhang Suli and I are left. Don't you find that strange?" Aunt Xia had no answers either. She had already ruled out, one by one, the possible causes she had previously identified.
I pondered for a moment, then began explaining, "Yun Fengyang..."
"Yitian, suppose someone deliberately maneuvered all of them into opposing you. What would you think then?" Aunt Xia prompted.
I was immediately struck speechless. It seemed a mastermind behind the scenes might have been controlling any number of these events, but what that person wanted truly baffled me.
"All right, go and see your friends. I just wanted to tell you to be more careful from now on and always pay attention to the little details. I'm still injured, and I'm tired," Aunt Xia said.
Aunt Xia was as cool and reserved as ever. I drew a deep breath and said, "All right. Take care, Aunt Xia. I'll find the culprit as soon as possible and avenge Masters Pang and Liu."
After leaving her room, I exchanged a few more words with Qixuanzi. Sun Chongyang eagerly tagged along as I went to visit Li Qinghe and the others.
"Haven't you been at the hospital all this time? Didn't you get enough