Visitors from the Law Enforcement Hall

"Have you heard? Zhang Long, one of the top three in this entrance test, actually died?"

"Exactly. Zhang Long opened thirty meridians in just seven days after joining the sect. His future should have been limitless. How did he suddenly die for no reason?"

"What do you know? Zhang Long wasn't third place. He only opened twenty-eight meridians. He took that third-place ranking under someone else's name." A disciple stepped forward to refute them. He had watched the entire newcomers' entrance test and knew that someone had opened thirty meridians within seven days of joining, placing third. He just did not know what method the Zhang Family had used to swap out that ranking.

This had originally been a scandal. While Zhang Long was alive, no one had dared spread it around because of the Zhang Family's status on Servant Peak. But now that Zhang Long had suddenly died in his residence, those minor incidents from the past naturally came to light.

With Zhang Long's death, the most discussed subjects were Zhang Long and the Zhang Family behind him.

Even Chen Huai'an, hiding in the cafeteria's back courtyard, heard the news.

The Qingyun Sect was quite the place for gossip as well.

I had no choice but to go this far. Judging from these people's analysis, what I did was still somewhat risky. Listening to his companions discuss Zhang Long's death, Chen Huai'an even heard servant disciples dig up the humiliation he had suffered at the Outer Sect Servant Hall that day. He knew then that he had acted somewhat impulsively.

Before he made his move, the Zhang Family might have noticed him. After all, the Zhang Family had made many enemies on Servant Peak, so it was perfectly reasonable for someone to target them.

But now that Zhang Long was dead, it was a murder born of vengeance. Anyone who had ever had a conflict with Zhang Long would be listed as a key suspect.

Chen Huai'an had already prepared himself for this. So although it exceeded his expectations, it was still within the scope of his plans.

Though his heart pounded like a drum, Chen Huai'an still pretended to remain calm as he ate with several water carriers.

When Chen Huai'an committed the crime, he had erased every trace of himself along the route. Aside from touching Zhang Long's corpse and making physical contact with him, he had no other contact with Zhang Long and would not have left behind fingerprints, footprints, or anything of the sort.

By evening, Chen Huai'an still had several loads of water left before completing his daily task when several sect law enforcement disciples arrived in the back courtyard. They stood together with Steward Wu.

"This is Chen Huai'an. If you have any questions, ask him directly," Steward Wu said with a smile to one of the leading law enforcement disciples.

"Chen Huai'an, please come with us," Gao Bo said, frowning as he looked at the sweat-drenched and exhausted Chen Huai'an.

"Senior Brother, may I ask why you are looking for me? I haven't finished today's task yet." Chen Huai'an naturally did not show any fear. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and spoke calmly.

"You still have to carry water? Does he have to carry water until very late every day?" one of the Law Enforcement Hall disciples asked Steward Wu.

"Yes. They are all newcomers, after all. Their strength and endurance are limited, so they have to work until very late every day to finish their tasks," Steward Wu explained with a smile.

"Has he not taken leave to go out these past two days? Does he carry water until very late every day?" Gao Bo continued, his brow furrowed.

Steward Wu thought for a moment before saying, "They are all newcomers who can barely handle their work. How could we approve leave for them? Are we supposed to finish their tasks for them?"

"All right, you can go now," Gao Bo suddenly said, waving Chen Huai'an away.

Carrying water was already so strenuous for him. Gao Bo had also just seen Chen Huai'an enter the courtyard and wipe away sweat. Carrying water was indeed physically demanding, and Chen Huai'an had not taken leave to go out. Gao Bo could preliminarily conclude that Zhang Long's death had little to do with Chen Huai'an.

As for whether Chen Huai'an had a motive, he certainly did. But having a motive did not mean he had the strength to do it.

The Law Enforcement Hall disciples came and went quickly.

Chen Huai'an could not understand why they had initially wanted to take him back to the Law Enforcement Hall for questioning and a statement, only to no longer need to do so. Nor did he want to understand.

Even if he had gone to the Law Enforcement Hall, he would not have been afraid. He had already created an alibi for himself. As long as they acted according to the rules, he had nothing to fear.

What he feared most was that they would not reason with him at all and would strike to kill from the start. That was the most terrifying possibility—they could kill him without even listening to his explanation.

He had been gambling, and he had won.

Once the Law Enforcement Hall disciples left, Chen Huai'an continued carrying water, keeping as low a profile as possible.

Has this crisis really been resolved? As Chen Huai'an went down the mountain to fetch water, he kept recalling his exchange with the Law Enforcement Hall disciples, wondering whether he had revealed any flaws.

My persona is firmly established, but why didn't they question me further? Chen Huai'an's brows knitted into a deep frown. He could not figure out the key to it.

The Law Enforcement Hall disciples were not known for being easy to deal with. Many disciples turned pale at the mere mention of them. What was the reason?

What Chen Huai'an did not know was that the Zhang Family had played an extremely important role in why the Law Enforcement Hall had not investigated him thoroughly.

Chen Huai'an had originally placed third among the newly admitted disciples after seven days, but Zhang Long had taken his ranking. The benefits that should have belonged to Chen Huai'an had gone to Elder Tang instead. Zhang Long had merely been exempted from one month of servant duties, because he possessed a high-grade spirit root and was a key target for the Zhang Family's cultivation. As for Chen Huai'an, he had a mixed five-element spirit root and was considered trash. The claim that he had opened thirty meridians was blamed on a problem with the testing stone. This also led the Law Enforcement Hall to believe that the testing stone had malfunctioned. How could a piece of trash with a mixed five-element spirit root possibly open thirty meridians in seven days?

After seeing Chen Huai'an, the Law Enforcement Hall disciples found that he took so long to carry water that he still could not finish his task. He was absolutely trash among trash.

How could such trash possibly be the murderer who killed Zhang Long?

The reason Chen Huai'an was exhausted was that while carrying water, he had divided part of his attention toward cultivation and tempering his body.

For the time being, Chen Huai'an would continue maintaining his image as a useless trash cultivator with a mixed spirit root.

As for standing out, after these recent incidents, he had realized that if you had good talent and stood out, you would receive the sect's attention.

But if your talent was merely average—if you had a trash spirit root like a mixed five-element spirit root—then no matter how outstanding you performed, you would not earn the sect's recognition. Worse, you would bring yourself plenty of unnecessary trouble.

Chen Huai'an no longer believed that performing well in servant tasks on Servant Peak would earn him any attention. The best course was to secretly raise his cultivation. Once he reached the Qi Refining realm, he could complete sect tasks and enter the outer sect directly, where he could gain access to the sect's cultivation techniques.

The more he jumped around now, the more miserably he would die.

After the Law Enforcement Hall finished its investigation, several outer sect disciples from the Zhang Family gathered together to await the results.

The death of a servant disciple was not considered a major case, but since it had happened, they had to give the Zhang Family an explanation.

"What did you say? Zhang Long's death had nothing to do with Chen Huai'an? How is that possible?" Zhang Chunlin frowned as he looked at Gao Bo from the Law Enforcement Hall.

Gao Bo frowned when he heard the questioning tone in the other man's voice.

"What, you don't trust the Law Enforcement Hall's investigation? He's just a piece of trash. He carries water at the cafeteria, and he still hasn't finished his task even now. Besides, he has an alibi. He couldn't possibly be the murderer."

"Is he really not the murderer?" Zhang Chunlin still found it difficult to believe.