Gu Ming

The sect leader of Yulin Hundred Flowers Sect, Gu Ming.

Hearing this title, Jiang Shuo narrowed his eyes.

He had joined the sect a long time ago, but the sect leader was elusive, rarely seen. Jiang Shuo had never even heard his name before, let alone seen his face.

"Sect Leader Gu has been in seclusion recently, not attending to sect affairs, so naturally you haven't seen him," Feng En explained, noticing Jiang Shuo's confusion. "Sect Leader Gu possesses profound internal energy and exquisite martial arts. He has a particular Spiritual Power called Indra's Claw, which is formless and extremely potent."

Jiang Shuo thought to himself, So that's why. The reason for him being crossed off the list was also obvious.

If Gu Ming were the murderer, why would Feng En cooperate so fully with Dream Red Pavilion's murder investigation? Moreover, the Hundred Flowers Sect's principle was to save lives and heal injuries. Gu Ming held a transcendent position and was highly respected; he wouldn't be the killer.

"Then, Master, I'll head to Dream Red Pavilion now." Jiang Shuo put the thin paper into his robes, intending to examine the names on it later when he had time.

"Ah, right. Sun Daoming is also investigating at Dream Red Pavilion right now. Be careful," Feng En added before Jiang Shuo left. Although he knew that all the misdeeds Jiang Shuo had listed about Sun Daoming were true, he couldn't reprimand the man without concrete evidence.

Jiang Shuo frowned slightly and casually said he understood, not taking it too seriously. He didn't believe that after the previous lesson, Sun Daoming would still be as willful and reckless as before.

With ten disciples dead at once, even if Dream Red Pavilion had connections everywhere, they couldn't completely conceal it.

On the imperial court's side, constables from the county yamen also got involved. Hearing the news, guests feared they might bring trouble upon themselves and stopped frequenting Dream Red Pavilion.

After a period of dismal business with only a few customers trickling in, Dream Red Pavilion simply announced a temporary closure for renovations. The killer's clear knowledge of the deceased disciples' whereabouts suggested they might have disguised themselves as customers to gather information.

The main entrance was sealed off. Jiang Shuo circled around to the back courtyard. Two female disciples stood at the back door, immediately stopping him. "Who goes there?"

"I am Jiang Shuo of the Hundred Flowers Sect, here to pay my respects to..." Jiang Shuo began his introduction when a voice suddenly called from inside, "Let him in."

"Yes, Pavilion Master." The guards stepped aside, clearing the path.

Jiang Shuo walked into the courtyard. Liu Ruyan happened to be coming out of the building, a hint of worry on her face. "You can barely walk yet, why aren't you resting in bed?"

"I heard something happened, so I rushed over immediately," Jiang Shuo said directly. "I want to see the scene."

"Alright." Liu Ruyan agreed and personally led Jiang Shuo to the site. "These ten disciples were going to the Wang family in the southern part of the city for a birthday celebration. They were ambushed on their way back."

The location was a street corner. The bodies had already been removed, and at first glance, it looked ordinary. If not for the faint bloodstains remaining on the wall, one would never imagine that a massacre had occurred here just a few days prior.

Jiang Shuo meticulously searched the vicinity from afternoon until dusk, but found nothing. With the widespread famine and plague, it was a time of turmoil. Even before dark, residents had already returned home early and locked their doors. This place was deep within the alleys, extremely secluded. Apart from the people from Dream Red Pavilion and Jiang Shuo, no one else was in sight.

"Jiang Shuo, let's go back," Liu Ruyan said, noticing the faint twilight filling the air.

Jiang Shuo frowned. Although he was still unwilling to give up, his vision was impaired, so he could only agree.

"Crash—" Just as they turned to leave, roof tiles shattered overhead, making a sharp sound that was particularly jarring in the quiet alley.

"Who's there!" a Dream Red Pavilion disciple beside Liu Ruyan immediately shouted. They quickly divided their tasks: two stayed to protect Liu Ruyan, while the other two leaped up to investigate the roof.

As the two disciples leaped halfway, the sound of shattering tiles grew louder and faster from a distance. A black shadow, accompanied by a few broken tiles, rolled down from the eaves. The tense disciples, without a second thought, swung their palms, striking out heavily.

Jiang Shuo's heart stirred. He vaguely felt the black shadow looked familiar, but the dim light and the speed of its movement prevented him from seeing clearly. Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan's eyes narrowed, and she called out, "Stop."

There was no turning back once the arrow was loosed. Although they heard Liu Ruyan's call, the two disciples were in mid-air, their moves already launched and impossible to retract. In the critical moment, Liu Ruyan flicked her wrist, and the silk scarf on her shoulder shot out like an arrow, enveloping the black shadow before them. Then, with a slight twist of her wrist, the scarf, like floating clouds, wrapped around the shadow and slowly brought it down.

When the black shadow landed on the ground, Jiang Shuo looked closely and couldn't help but be startled.

The black shadow was none other than Taohong.

Taohong was in a terrible state. Her face was pale, her lips were blue, and large patches of blood bloomed through her clothes. She was severely injured. Jiang Shuo had witnessed the martial arts of the Dream Red Pavilion disciples; even ordinary disciples were quite skilled. Taohong, who was always by Liu Ruyan's side, was undoubtedly even more exceptional. If she was so badly wounded, it showed how profound the killer's martial arts must be.