Limited-Time Contract

What Luo Jun wants to know most right now is the identity of the murderer. But judging from the bride's previous answers, she clearly doesn't intend to tell him.

Therefore, the second biggest mystery in this case, after the real culprit, is the bride's motive for deliberately staying behind.

Perhaps, knowing this will help us deduce the identity of the murderer to some extent.

Faced with Luo Jun's question, the bride said with a hint of regret, "Is this the Last One question? I haven't had enough fun yet."

"I've had enough fun..." Luo Jun thought to himself. Although he was confident in his current strength, this Polluter was truly unfathomable. After all, he was only at the Body Refinement Realm, so it was best to be cautious in everything he did...

"It's your turn. Answer my question." Luo Jun looked at the bride. "Why did you stay behind, deliberately letting everyone see the scene of the Great Shaman's murder?"

"Well... would you believe me if I said it was because it's fun?" The bride smiled slightly. "Anyway, if I want to leave, no one can stop me. I might as well stay and see the ugly behavior of those idiots. Isn't that hilarious? I'm increasingly convinced that staying was the right choice. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met someone as interesting as you!"

Luo Jun frowned. "I don't believe it's just because of that!"

"Then guess why?" The bride's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. "If you guess right, I'll tell you!"

"If I could guess it, would I need you to tell me?" Luo Jun said irritably.

Wait... could it be that...

The real culprit isn't among the enemies, but the real culprit is someone who wants the Great Shaman dead... isn't that the real enemy?

"So, now that you've seen through the whole truth, what are you going to do?" The bride spread her hands. "Go and expose me to the Fifth Elder right now?"

"What you're after, isn't it A Li?"

Therefore, the Dice of Heavenly Secrets did not point to A Li, because the real culprit was not A Li at all, and the bride's real name should be hidden in the list of many guests!

With her cultivation level, she didn't need to worry about the so-called Curse at all. Now all the information connected!

The bride smiled slightly, "How clever! You didn't even give me a chance to explain..."

No, there's still a problem... what is it?

Everything was already strung together; nothing was missing...

"For one person?" Luo Jun frowned. "Do I know this person?"

"If you had fled after killing her, the Fifth Elder would have suspected A Li and searched high and low to find her. But you didn't flee; you even created a fake murderer to mislead everyone... While everyone was investigating the case, A Li secretly left Yunzhou City. On the third day, the day of the Great Shaman's burial, you will use your Divine Ability to leave!"

"Uncover the whole truth?" The bride's words startled Luo Jun. Right, if he had already uncovered the entire truth of the case, then why hadn't he received a notification that the mission was complete...?

The bride was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't I A Li?"

Luo Jun suddenly felt a flash of inspiration; he seemed to have grasped some crucial information...

"Well then, I'll give you a hint." The bride, having finished laughing, looked at Luo Jun: "I stayed for someone. If you can guess who it is, I'll tell you why."

"Is it people on the list?" Luo Jun thought to himself, "That's a huge range... The wedding guests, the servants in the Council Hall, plus the Luo Yue Clan and Wujida's enemies, that's over three thousand people in total..."

"Hahaha, you're angry, you're angry!" The bride laughed so hard she almost fell over. Seeing all her flaws, Luo Jun even had the urge to pull out his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade and stab her right through.

Wait, the real culprit is on this list too. Could it be that she's after the real culprit?

Eh? The person who wants him dead... his enemy...

Luo Jun suddenly realized something and stared wide-eyed at the bride.

So, are you referring to one of the guests?

The bride said that Zhenxiong was someone who wanted the Great Shaman dead... but the guests were all the Great Shaman's relatives and friends... Of course, it's also possible that some of these people were outwardly loyal but inwardly estranged from him...

"Am I right?" Luo Jun looked at the bride in front of him, still holding back half of what he wanted to say.

"Didn't you take the list? How could you not recognize them?" The bride looked at him slyly.

"No! You're not!" Luo Jun shook his head firmly. "A Li is a true person from Southern Borderlands, while you are Polluter disguised as her. The reason you're not leaving is to buy time for the real A Li!"

"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?" The bride looked at Luo Jun with a smile.

Luo Jun swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the bride. "I guessed why you didn't leave just now, so I didn't need your answer. Now I'll ask you a different question!"

"You want to play some more?" The bride was intrigued. "Sure, go ahead and ask. Consider it a reward for your clever little brain."

Luo Jun took a deep breath and asked, "Did you kill Wujida?"

The bride giggled, "Didn't I tell you? The one who killed him was the one who wanted him dead!"

"And what about you?" Luo Jun pressed, "Do you want him to die?"

"Who knows..." the bride deliberately kept everyone in suspense, "Why don't you guess?"

Luo Jun narrowed his eyes and got up to leave.

"Aren't you going to play a little longer?" the bride asked with a smile.

"You've played long enough!" Luo Jun snorted coldly, walked to the door, and observed the guards outside.

After chasing after the Ghost Shadow figure, he didn't find it and immediately returned to continue guarding the door.

Luo Jun was plotting how to leave without anyone noticing when he suddenly saw the bride flick her sleeve, and the guard at the door slowly closed his eyes and began to snore.

This guy actually fell asleep standing up.

Luo Jun looked at the bride with some surprise, wondering why she was helping him.

"You can go, I won't stop you," the bride said with a smile, "But I want to make a promise with you."

"Tomorrow... it should be today now. Before 11 PM, you must not tell anyone my identity or the truth you've deduced." The bride still had a smile on her face, but Luo Jun sensed a hint of danger in her tone.

"Are you threatening me?" Luo Jun looked at the bride. "What if I don't agree?"

"If you don't agree..." A Killing Intent flashed in the bride's eyes, causing Luo Jun's hand to unconsciously rest on the Hundred Treasure Box. The bride chuckled, "If you don't agree, then I'll run away!"

"Huh?" This sudden change startled Luo Jun. "Where are you running to?"

"Run wherever you want!" The bride smiled slyly. "I'm telling you this: if I want to run, none of you can stop me! Then, without the prime suspect, let's see how you explain yourself to the Southern Borderlands people! Tsk tsk tsk... When the Fifth Elder gets angry, Yunzhou City will be in trouble, and your Hundred Rivers Sect won't escape responsibility either..."

"If I agree to your request, can you guarantee you won't run away?" Luo Jun frowned. "Why should I believe you?"

"Do you have any other choice?" the bride asked with a squinty smile. "Why don't you believe me?"

"Based on your qualifications," Luo Jun looked at the bride, "What significance does the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) hold for you? Why should I keep your secret until then?"

"Are you trying to buy the bride time to escape? The agreed-upon time, 1-3 PM, should be the time when she can reach a safe location!"

The bride looked at Luo Jun. This was a two-way constraint. Luo Jun was worried that the Polluter would escape and wreak havoc on Yunzhou City and Hundred Rivers Sect. The bride was also worried that Luo Jun would spread the news in advance, causing the people of Southern Borderlands to start capturing the real A Li.

"Then let's sign a contract." The bride sighed, touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, and took out a thick piece of parchment, handing it to Luo Jun.

A treasure? Luo Jun scanned it with his spiritual energy and obtained relevant information.

Name: Limited-Time Contract

Grade: Epic

Introduction: A mysterious and unpredictable being created a reusable contract to restrain mortals who exchange power for his own.

Function 1: Contract: A contract can be drawn up on a Noble Phantasm. Once both parties agree and affix their handprints, the contract takes effect. If either party violates the contract, they will be punished accordingly. The contract must have a time limit, with a maximum of three years from the time of signing. A new contract cannot be signed unless the previous contract expires or is violated.

Function Two: Indestructible: This Noble Phantasm is made of a tough material, but if it is attacked beyond its tolerance limit, it will automatically become intangible to avoid damage.

Note: Fair and impartial, honest and trustworthy!

This is quite an interesting tool. Luo Jun looked at the bride. "Are you really that concerned about that girl?"

"In your eyes, she's just an ordinary girl from Southern Borderlands." The bride looked at him. "In my eyes, she's a brave Warrior who defied her fate!"

Luo Jun nodded. "Okay, I'll sign!"

Information about the treasure must be truthful, and Luo Jun didn't want a Polluter to lose control. Based on their previous terms, they drafted a contract: Luo Jun would not disclose information about A Li and the murder case, and the bride could not leave the Council Hall in Southern Borderlands. The deadline was approaching at 1 PM, less than six hours away.

When signing the contract, there's no need to worry about using aliases to mislead the other party; both parties will be referred to as Party A and Party B. At the end, when pressing your handprint, you'll be infused with vital energy, which corresponds to your identity and cannot be faked.

The most crucial punishment, however, is entirely random. It is said that at the moment of signing, one punishment is randomly drawn from a pre-set punishment pool. This time, the two of them drew the punishment of entering a one-year period of confinement.

A closed state, meaning a state where one is completely unable to use any Yuan Qi, is tantamount to running naked for Vital Energy Cultivator, making them extremely vulnerable. Although this punishment is not severe, it is enough to deter both sides.

As the contract was successfully signed, the Noble Phantasm suddenly transformed into two beams of light and entered the two people's bodies. Until the contract ended, it would not revert to its original form as a piece of paper.

The bride was finally relieved. With a wave of her hand, the door opened wide, but the guards at the door continued snoring without reacting at all.

Luo Jun glanced at her, turned to leave the room, but heard the bride's voice behind him.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing you guessed wrong."

"Hmm?" Luo Jun turned around and saw the bride looking into his eyes, slowly saying, "The hour of Wei (1-3 PM) is not the time for A Li to escape to a safe place, but the time for the soul of my beloved to return to Paradise."

"According to the legends of the people of Southern Borderlands, the soul departs from the human world at the same time on the third day after a person dies, heading to either Paradise or Hell. And her beloved was beaten to death on the day of her wedding, at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) at the behest of the Great Shaman."

Luo Jun frowned slightly, then nodded and said, "I understand..."

After saying this, he turned and left the room, summoning back the Tomb King, and disappeared into the night.

(End of this chapter)