Deceiving the Chicken

"There is one thing that perhaps none of you know yet."

"And that is that Zhou Xuan is actually my cousin."

Hong Jingcheng spoke slowly, "When I was born, my parents were busy making money, and it was my aunt—Zhou Xuan's mother—who raised me."

"When I was eighteen, I said I wanted to learn martial arts. It was my aunt who borrowed money from everywhere just to give me the chance to join the Firewood Gang!"

"In my eyes, my aunt is my mother, and I have always treated Zhou Xuan like a younger brother..."

"Now that my cousin has gone missing without a trace, I fear there is a high probability that he has met with foul play and his body has been hidden away..."

Shen Mu's gaze was deep. Although he had suspected that the relationship between Zhou Xuan and Hong Jingcheng was not simple, he had not expected that Zhou Xuan's mother shared such a profound bond with Hong Jingcheng.

He could not help but sigh inwardly.

If Zhou Xuan hadn't been courting death, how could such a thing have happened?

If he himself did not possess the Martial Dao Tree, it might have been he who died in that night raid.

If he had died, would Hong Jingcheng have arranged a gathering like this just to investigate the culprit behind the scenes?

He would likely have been treated as a stray dog, and in a month or two, he wouldn't even be worth mentioning.

Hong Jingcheng's gaze was obscure as he said slowly, "After my investigation, I can confirm that the murderer who killed my cousin Zhou Xuan is among you."

"Whoa~"

As these words left Hong Jingcheng's mouth, the people in the Bamboo Shed were in an uproar, their eyes scanning one another, attempting to find the culprit.

Shen Mu mimicked their actions, his face showing shock and his eyes filled with disbelief.

Is this guy trying to kill someone at random just to bury them with Zhou Xuan?

Shen Mu's heart skipped a beat.

Hong Jingcheng's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present one by one.

Because he did not know who the killer was, he had deliberately used those words to test them, seeing if the culprit would reveal a flaw.

Unfortunately, among those he primarily suspected, none showed any expression of guilt.

"Actually, after my investigation, I have already determined who the killer is!"

Hong Jingcheng said eerily, "However, for the sake of our past working relationship, I will still give you one chance!"

"Tell me why you and Zhou Xuan came into conflict, why you killed him, and where his body is buried..."

"The reason I gathered everyone here is to have you all act as witnesses to analyze who was right and who was wrong in the conflict between you and Zhou Xuan!"

"If it was my cousin Zhou Xuan's fault, then this matter will be dropped, and everyone here can serve as witnesses."

"Now, I will give you ten breaths of time to step forward yourself!"

"If you still do not admit it within ten breaths, then do not blame me, Hong, for disregarding our past friendship!"

"Ten!"

"..."

Hong Jingcheng began to count down. The crowd looked at each other, whispering among themselves, but no one stepped forward to confess.

Heh, this is a decent method, trying to flush out the killer by bluffing.

Too bad... I won't fall for it!

Shen Mu sneered inwardly.

He had to admit, however, that this was the only move Hong Jingcheng had.

With his cousin Zhou Xuan dead, he had to take action to answer to his aunt.

"One!"

By now, Hong Jingcheng had finished counting to ten.

"Fine. Since no one will step forward, then do not blame me, Hong."

Killing intent flared in Hong Jingcheng's eyes as he looked toward Sun Jing, who was sitting beside him.

Sun Jing's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly explained, "Brother Hong, you know me. Zhou Xuan and I were like brothers; I even helped him out at the Fragrant Shadow Pavilion. How could I harm him?"

Hong Jingcheng's gaze swept past him and continued toward Ji Shixian.

Meeting Hong Jingcheng's gaze, Ji Shixian turned pale and trembled, "Brother Hong, you know me. Zhou Xuan and I were brothers in all but blood. Anyone could have harmed him, but it definitely wasn't me!"

"Brother Hong, you know me..."

"Brother Hong..."

"..."

"Brother Hong, you know me. I only arrived at Emerald Cloud Valley a month ago and am only at the first stage of Boiling Blood. How could I possibly harm Brother Zhou?"

Seeing Hong Jingcheng's gaze land on him, Shen Mu looked panicked and hurriedly spoke in his own defense.

When Hong Jingcheng's gaze finally turned to Yuan Wenxuan, the latter remained calm and composed.

He had once had a falling out with Zhou Xuan, so their relationship could hardly be called good.

As for the death of Zhou Xuan, he was quite pleased with the outcome.

Although he was not the murderer, the fact that someone had done what he himself had wanted to do was truly gratifying.

"Brother Hong, you know me..."

However, before Yuan Wenxuan could finish, Hong Jingcheng's expression darkened. "Yuan Wenxuan, are you still trying to quibble?"

No sooner had the words left Hong Jingcheng's mouth than his figure suddenly erupted into motion. In almost an instant, he had swept before Yuan Wenxuan and struck out with a fierce palm.

Yuan Wenxuan's face changed drastically. He wanted to dodge the blow, but he was only at the third level of Boiling Blood, and the gap between him and Hong Jingcheng was like that between an adult and an infant.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a dull thud, Yuan Wenxuan was struck in the chest by Hong Jingcheng's palm. The force of the blow tore through his torso, causing his robes to explode outward.

"Pfft."

Yuan Wenxuan spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of his internal organs, flying backward before crashing heavily to the ground.

His face was deathly pale, and his entire body was convulsing; he was already on the verge of death.

"It... it wasn't... me."

Even at this moment, Yuan Wenxuan was still trying to explain himself, but Hong Jingcheng did not give him the chance.

"Yuan Wenxuan, you murdered my cousin yet refuse to admit it. Since that is the case, you can go down and keep him company."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thick murderous intent appeared on Hong Jingcheng's face, and he struck Yuan Wenxuan on the crown of his head with another palm.

Yuan Wenxuan immediately bled from his seven orifices, his cervical spine shattered, and he died on the spot with his eyes wide open.

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye; by the time the others reacted, Yuan Wenxuan had already breathed his last.

This sudden turn of events left everyone present with deathly pale faces, as none of them had expected Hong Jingcheng to lash out so abruptly.

However, it was just as Shen Mu had thought earlier: when a person possesses the power to control the life and death of others, evidence becomes insignificant. As long as suspicion arises, it is enough to justify taking a life.

Presumably, the conflict between Yuan Wenxuan and Zhou Xuan was the reason for Hong Jingcheng's ruthless strike at this moment.

Looking at Yuan Wenxuan's tragic state, dead with his eyes wide open, Shen Mu could not help but sigh inwardly.

He knew better than anyone else present that Yuan Wenxuan had been framed.

But he also understood that the reason Hong Jingcheng had acted so ruthlessly was likely to provide an explanation to his aunt; whether Yuan Wenxuan was the true murderer was irrelevant.

Even if the victim hadn't been Yuan Wenxuan, it could have been anyone else present.

This suffocating feeling of having one's life hang on the whim of another made Shen Mu feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Hong Jingcheng looked around the circle and said in a deep voice, "Every debt has its debtor. Yuan Wenxuan murdered my cousin and has now been brought to justice. When the higher-ups investigate, you all should know what to say, right?"

Wei Bo was the first to speak up. "Well killed. I saw with my own eyes that Yuan Wenxuan murdered Brother Zhou out of personal vendetta."

"That's right, Yuan Wenxuan harmed a fellow member; he deserved to die!"

"..."

The matter was settled, and no one was about to provoke Hong Jingcheng at this moment, so they all chimed in to agree.

Hearing the satisfactory answer, Hong Jingcheng commanded, "Wei Bo, Ji Shixian, you two help carry the body to the valley entrance and serve as witnesses. I will report this matter to the Market Master."

"As for the rest of you, go back and rest."