"And this is...?" Chen Rong had spotted Cecilia in the room.
Cecilia was not wearing her hat or face veil. Wearing them indoors would have looked strange and made people suspect she had something to hide.
Chen Rong looked puzzled by Cecilia's foreign appearance.
Bai Xiaowen had prepared an answer. "She's a friend I met while traveling in the Western Regions. She saved my life. You could say we've been through life and death together."
"I see..." Chen Rong still looked a little uncomfortable as she regarded Cecilia, but she had lowered her guard.
Bai Xiaowen went on, "Miss Chen, you came here so late because of what just happened, didn't you?"
Chen Rong nodded. "Brother Lü, do you have any other clues?"
Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "I'm sorry. I heard a very faint cry and rushed out at once, but I didn't know the layout or the paths, and I couldn't just cut through people's rooms. By the time I arrived, it was too late. You and Elder Tang got there before me."
Chen Rong said, "The Supreme Clarity Sect disciple who died was named Zhou Wu. He was one of the elite disciples taking part in the Dao Discussion Conference at this year's Supreme Clarity Ceremony. This is the third time a disciple of the Supreme Clarity Sect has been killed this month... Since it happened in the sect's inner grounds, it's a scandal. Elder Tang doesn't want outsiders to know."
"When you and Elder Tang examined Zhou Wu's body, did you find any clues about the killer?" Bai Xiaowen asked.
Chen Rong shook her head. "Junior Brother Zhou Wu died when someone seized his neck with tremendous force and snapped it. There was no trace of foreign energy on his body, so we couldn't infer anything