Li Mingyue also came closer out of curiosity. Peering over, she asked in puzzlement, "Jiuyang, this sheet of paper... only has the word 'stop' on it? What does it mean?"
Cui Jiuyang frowned deeply and slowly shook his head. "Mister Danyang must have left this sheet before entering his cocoon."
"He placed it on the table, where his Demon Soul cocoon concealed it."
"Now that the Demon Soul cocoon has broken, the paper has been revealed."
His gaze fell on the conspicuous word "stop."
The word was crooked, its strokes utterly lacking in strength, the brushwork weak and unsteady. Clearly, Mister Danyang had exhausted his final shred of strength to write it in his last moments, when he was desperately weak and his life was all but spent.
Once again, Cui Jiuyang could not help recalling the enormous Red-Crowned Crane that had soared through the formation space, only to helplessly dissipate in the end.
What exactly had Mister Danyang meant by writing "stop"?
Had he wanted him to stop here?
Had he been unwilling to let them continue investigating the truth behind White Crane Manor's extermination, afraid they would bring death upon themselves and fall into danger?
Or... did the name of the murderer who had wiped out White Crane Manor contain the character for "stop"?
Or did this word point to a particular location, or some crucial clue?
For the moment, Cui Jiuyang could draw no conclusions.
The two searched elsewhere in the great hall, but found no further clues.
Cui Jiuyang carefully tucked the sheet bearing the word "stop" into his robe. Though he did not know exactly what Mister Danyang had meant, it surely concerned White Crane Manor's extermination.
As they left the great hall, Cui Jiuyang looked back at the plaque above it.
The four characters