Aunt Ma blinked. "Are you saying the Earth Pill Sect was pulling strings behind the scenes, Patriarch?"
Dong Fengwu shook his head. "That's only my guess. I have no evidence."
Aunt Ma added, "Wu Dongchuang must have already sent people to investigate. If the Earth Pill Sect was driving this, he should have uncovered some clues."
Dong Fengwu raised his head slightly. "That's exactly what I admire about Jing Yuan. He got the job done without letting Wu Dongchuang find so much as a spider's thread or a horse's track.
"Watertight, without a trace."
Aunt Ma was even more puzzled. "Why are you so certain the Earth Pill Sect did this, Patriarch?"
Dong Fengwu smiled. "If I said it was intuition, you certainly wouldn't believe me.
"Xiao Chai told me that Jing Yuan and Chu Tianshu had always been at odds. They even came to blows once.
"With something like this suddenly happening to Chu Tianshu, I can't help suspecting Jing Yuan had something to do with it."
Aunt Ma hesitated briefly. "Sect Master, there's no evidence whatsoever for that speculation. It doesn't have a leg to stand on."
Dong Fengwu laughed heartily. "It doesn't matter if there's no evidence. We can watch as things unfold. I believe it won't be long before you agree with me."
Aunt Ma made no reply, but she was clearly somewhat unconvinced.
Dong Fengwu suddenly said, "Aunt Ma, arrange for someone to visit Dingzhou."
Aunt Ma froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "Are you beginning to relent on the matter of Jing Yuan and the young lady, Patriarch?"
Dong Fengwu shook his head. "It's far too early for that. First, investigate Jing Yuan's family background and current circumstances in detail. Better safe than sorry."
Aunt Ma nodded. "I'll arrange for someone to handle