Suspicion

Chapter 48: Suspicion

Wang Sen's residence.

Luo Qiuzhen stood in the courtyard, surrounded on all sides by members of the Inspection Hall.

Sunlight spilled over Wang Sen's little courtyard. It was bright and sunny, yet Luo Qiuzhen felt a hint of autumn chill.

Xi Jiang came out of the house carrying a glazed glass cup. "This belonged to Xuan Mulang. There are also a few other things—relics of Li Baidao."

Fu Dongliu grinned from ear to ear, his voice as shrill as a woman's. "Excellent! Excellent! Where's Wang Sen?"

Xi Jiang lowered his head. "He's not in the house. The disciples on night patrol reported that he went down the mountain late last night, saying he had a sect mission."

"A sect mission?" Fu Dongliu's falsetto suddenly rose. "Arranged by Chang Duanhun?"

Xi Jiang shook his head. "I already sent a message to ask. No."

"Good!" Fu Dongliu was overjoyed. "Then there can be no doubt. Wang Sen murdered and robbed people, and used a Ground Rat Puppet. He's unquestionably a Wood Puppet Sect mole. This also ties together the murders at Huaiyin Mountain and the theft from the Pill Room. We've finally found the real culprit. Send the order: arrest him at once. Have the Divine Mechanism Hall track his whereabouts, and the Wind Chasing Hall hunt him down and take him in!"

The arson case at the Inspection Hall already had someone to take the fall, and Fu Dongliu had no intention of dragging himself into it.

"Yes, sir!" A disciple of the Inspection Hall accepted the order and left.

Luo Qiuzhen stood there, staring at the ground without moving.

Fu Dongliu glanced at him. "Qiuzhen, what are you thinking about?"

Luo Qiuzhen managed a faint smile. "I'd just begun to form a few ideas, but I never expected things to take such an unexpected turn. It really caught me off guard."

Fu Dongliu gave him a look of understanding. "Wang Sen wasn't among your suspects, was he? So you're a little disappointed? That's not surprising. You rely too much on deduction when handling cases. But the human heart is hard to fathom, and the secrets of heaven are impossible to predict. How could everything possibly go as expected? Judgments built on speculation are inherently baseless. It's only natural when they prove wrong."

Luo Qiuzhen wanted to say that it wasn't wild guessing, but he knew there was no point trying to reason with Fu Dongliu. He could only nod in agreement.

Fu Dongliu was in high spirits. Stroking his goatee, he said, "Keep searching. See if there's any more evidence. We must make this case ironclad, with proof as solid as a mountain, so no one can reopen it!"

Luo Qiuzhen couldn't help asking, "Envoy Fu, there's something I can't understand. If Wang Sen was responsible for what happened at Xuanyu Pavilion, how did he get inside? Green Wood Hall is heavily guarded. It's no easy place to sneak into."

Fu Dongliu sounded impatient. "He's a Wood Puppet Sect mole. The Wood Puppet Sect is a major sect on par with my Black and White Divine Palace. Couldn't they have given him some treasures to conceal his movements?"

In theory, that explanation did hold water.

"But why Green Wood Hall in particular?" Luo Qiuzhen still wouldn't let it go.

Fu Dongliu grew even more displeased. "What kind of question is that? What he wanted to steal is his business. Why ask me? We'll know once we catch him, won't we?"

I'm just afraid you won't catch him.

Luo Qiuzhen knew that pressing the matter would only annoy Fu Dongliu, but he still couldn't bring himself to give up. "In that case, I have one last question."

"What else? Spit it out!" Fu Dongliu's anger was already surging, ready to drown Luo Qiuzhen at any moment.

Luo Qiuzhen braced himself and asked, "How did Wang Sen know I was still alive?"

Fu Dongliu froze, unable to answer.

While Luo Qiuzhen was still at Wang Sen's residence, at a loss, Ning Ye was fretting in his own room.

Inside the little room, Ning Ye curled himself into a dark corner where the light couldn't reach, as if that might make him a little safer.

Leaning against the wall, Ning Ye sighed. "Luo Qiuzhen already knows that the missing items from Xuan Mulang include a Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment."

"Huh? Didn't he say Xuan Mulang hadn't finished listing everything he lost?" Tianji asked in confusion.

"He said that on purpose."

"How do you know?"

"Because he said he would help restore my appearance."

The greatest difference between disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect and spies from other sects was that their identities could be verified. Spies raised by other sects didn't need to disfigure themselves to infiltrate a rival sect. Heavenly Mechanism Sect disciples did.

That was why, when Luo Qiuzhen offered to restore Ning Ye's appearance, Ning Ye knew he must have learned that a Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment was among the stolen items.

The Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment wasn't the only thing stolen, so Luo Qiuzhen couldn't be certain. Even so, it was an important clue—if Wang Sen hadn't suddenly appeared to take the blame.

Tianji was getting anxious too. "So Luo Qiuzhen still hasn't given up suspecting you?"

Ning Ye smiled. "It's only natural that he hasn't given up. If he dropped his suspicions so easily just because of Wang Sen, he wouldn't deserve the attention I've given him."

"What if he really does restore your appearance?"

Ning Ye raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it's that easy? My face was ruined when I dissipated my cultivation. The merging of magical power makes it extremely difficult to restore by ordinary means. Even if Luo Qiuzhen could get his hands on a treasure capable of doing it, would he be willing to use it on me?"

Hearing how smugly he spoke, Tianji muttered, "Everyone else hopes to get their appearance back. You're actually proud and happy that yours is so hard to restore."

Ning Ye smiled. "That's not what I'm happy about. Luo Qiuzhen was testing me, but he didn't realize he'd let slip an important piece of information."

"Hm?" Tianji didn't understand. Then it saw Ning Ye's expression darken.

In that instant, Tianji felt Ning Ye's entire presence change. His aura grew heavy, his expression turned icy, and the killing intent within him poured out. A bleak, murderous chill filled the room. Then, with a series of sharp cracks, fissures appeared across the surrounding tables, chairs, cups, and utensils.

Tianji jumped in fright. They'd been talking normally. Why had he suddenly turned so murderous?

Fortunately, Tianji was a natural straight man. "What information?"

Ning Ye's voice was chilling. "That the traitor from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect is in the Black and White Divine Palace!"

Those words brimmed with boundless hatred.

When the three of them fled that day, Ning Ye had known there was a traitor in the Heavenly Mechanism Sect. He simply didn't know which sect the traitor was in now. But judging from what had happened, the Black and White Divine Palace had contributed the most and sent the most prominent figures. Ning Ye had therefore suspected that the traitor was there. That was why he had chosen the Black and White Divine Palace.

Luo Qiuzhen wasn't stupid, but he hadn't realized that his parting words had also given him away. If the traitor weren't in the Black and White Divine Palace, then even if Ning Ye regained his appearance, no one could recognize him.

Since Luo Qiuzhen had tested him by offering to restore his appearance, it was clear the Heavenly Mechanism Sect traitor had to be here.

And eliminating the traitor was precisely the second step in Ning Ye's plan. It was one of the two major tasks he had vowed to accomplish during the Cang Xiang Realm—provided the traitor really was in the Black and White Divine Palace.

Once he understood, Tianji was stunned. Then it sprang to its feet. "You still want to kill the traitor? You can barely protect yourself!"

"What's there to worry about?" Ning Ye raised his brows. "The case is already solved. I know people like Fu Dongliu and Yue Xinchans all too well. To them, once a case is solved, it can never be reopened; otherwise, it would be a slap in the face in front of everyone. Without the Black and White Divine Palace's support, Luo Qiuzhen can't do anything to me openly. Besides, Luo Qiuzhen might not even want the Black and White Divine Palace's support..."

That last remark was a little cryptic, and Tianji didn't understand. It was more concerned with the immediate issue. "But even if he can't investigate openly, he can still investigate in secret."

"Then let him investigate!" Ning Ye replied firmly.

He was ready to meet whatever came his way. Ning Ye had prepared himself for a proper contest of wits with Luo Qiuzhen.

A sudden surge of confidence rose within him. Only an opponent like this could kindle all of his fighting spirit.