Huo Ge said, "Actually, I can't say I know him all that well."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Big Brother, who do you think gained the most from Marshal Li's murder?"
Huo Ge pursed his lips. He had already considered this question. Great Kang was rumored to be the true mastermind behind Li Tianheng's assassination, so it clearly was not the beneficiary. As for Shajia, because of the earthquake in Western Sichuan and its focus on the war against Southern Yue, it had recently taken the stance of watching from atop the ramparts. Naturally, it had gained nothing from the affair. A tiny kingdom like Southern Yue, barely clinging to life? The Horse Bandits of Heavenly Wolf Mountain? Neither could stir up any great waves. As for the Fragrant Kingdom, although it had sent envoys, it shared no border with Western Sichuan. To gain any direct benefit, it would have to cross the Redwood River.
That left only those within Western Sichuan itself. His brother-in-law Li Honghan was undoubtedly the beneficiary. With Li Tianheng murdered, he had naturally inherited everything and become Western Sichuan's de facto ruler. Hu Xiaotian's words were clearly hinting that Li Honghan was the most suspicious of all, and that his accusation that Great Kang had plotted Li Tianheng's murder was nothing but a thief crying, "Stop thief!" Often, when faced with an excessively tangled situation, there was no need to scrutinize every hidden intricacy. The deeper one thought, the easier it became to be misled by its knotted, intertwined details. Looking at its surface with the simplest reasoning might reveal the crux of the matter at once. All the bustling world came for profit; all the jostling world went for profit. Hu Xiaotian's question had clearly struck the mark.
After thinking for a long while, Huo Ge