Ye Feng shook her head, bloodshot veins covering her pupils, and kowtowed. "Master, Master, this disciple would never dare slander anyone!"
"But Jiang Yantian is the prime suspect, because... because Jiaojiao offended Jiang Yantian by standing up for me."
"She went to reason with Jiang Yantian for my sake too, but once she left, she never came back. Now even her soul stone has shattered. Outsiders couldn't get close. It could only be him, only him!"
Luo Xingcai very much wanted to lose her temper, but based on what Ye Feng said, Jiang Yantian would need to come over regarding this matter.
Luo Xingcai was just about to send a message when Ye Feng suddenly said, "Master, let's go straight there. I have a special secret method. If Jiang Yantian really killed her, the evidence will appear."
Ye Feng wanted to make a surprise visit. Perhaps that would catch Jiang Yantian off guard.
Luo Xingcai said nothing.
Ye Feng immediately rushed toward the Law Enforcement Lineage's camp.
On the way, she also communicated with Elder Long.
"Elder Long, you have to help me. You have to help me. I must avenge Jiaojiao. I must!"
Ye Feng really was becoming somewhat unhinged.
She had always valued loyalty and affection, and Jiaojiao had treated her so well, defending her at every turn. Now that Jiaojiao had died because of her, Ye Feng was suffering torment in both body and soul.
"Rest assured, young friend. Once we see him, I'll use the Clarity Technique. If he really killed her, traces of Hua Jiao's presence will certainly remain on him."
Luo Xingcai remained neutral, favoring neither side. Since Ye Feng had suspicions, it naturally would not be appropriate for her to take the lead.
She might as well let Ye Feng get to the bottom of it herself.
If it turned out that she had falsely accused Jiang Yantian, Ye Feng would truly be in trouble.
Even as Ye Feng's master, she would not shield her.
At the Law Enforcement Lineage's camp, the disciples were raising their cups and feasting on fragrant roasted meat.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yantian remained seated on that wooden stump, painting.
When the group arrived, Ye Feng stopped where she was and had Elder Long use the Clarity Technique.
Luo Xingcai, meanwhile, came up behind Jiang Yantian.
Just as she was about to speak, she saw the painting Jiang Yantian was working on.
It was a portrait of a woman, lifelike and very beautiful.
And the woman in the painting was none other than herself.
Luo Xingcai's face immediately grew a little hot.
This scoundrel, is he really being this blatant? Luo Xingcai grumbled inwardly.
"Hmm?" Just then, Jiang Yantian suddenly turned his head and saw Luo Xingcai.
He was just about to speak when he seemed to remember something and hurriedly hid the painting behind his back.
"Master, you... what brings you here?"
Hehe, a little ploy!
"I... I..." Luo Xingcai's thoughts were somewhat muddled too.
Her mind was filled with the sight of Jiang Yantian earnestly painting her.
"Fellow disciples, did you all come over because you noticed the Law Enforcement Lineage roasting fragrant meat?"
Jiang Yantian chuckled, looking perfectly approachable. "Really, you lot! Why aren't you sharing?"
The Law Enforcement Lineage's disciples also came to their senses. "Senior brothers and sisters, come, have a taste."
Meanwhile, Ye Feng had Elder Long use the Clarity Technique to examine Jiang Yantian.
Strangely, however, there was not the slightest trace of Hua Jiao's presence on Jiang Yantian.
It was exceedingly bizarre.
"Young friend, perhaps it really wasn't him. If he truly killed her, there would certainly be lingering traces."
"Unless this Jiang Yantian possesses a devouring martial skill and devoured her directly. That way, every trace of her presence would be dissolved by his own!"
"Then he definitely possesses a devouring martial skill. I'm certain it was him!" Ye Feng was utterly convinced.
Meanwhile, Luo Xingcai said to Jiang Yantian, "Ahem... Elder Jiang, we've come because something unexpected has happened. Hua Jiao of the Pill Lineage has fallen!"
As Luo Xingcai spoke, she watched Jiang Yantian's face.
She had originally intended to see whether Jiang Yantian would show any sign of unease after hearing her words.
After all, when someone had done something wrong, their guilty conscience would show on their face.
Yet when she looked, what drew more of her attention was still Jiang Yantian's lethally handsome face.
Pah, I'm his master! What nonsense am I thinking! Luo Xingcai cursed inwardly and hurriedly regained her cool demeanor.
"Hua Jiao of the Pill Lineage? Fallen? Master, what kind of joke is that? With the two of us here, who could get close?"
Jiang Yantian also looked disbelieving.
"It's true. Her soul stone shattered. I expect the soul token belonging to Hua Jiao in the sect's Soul Token Pavilion has shattered too."
Soul tokens were something every sect had, primarily used to determine whether their disciples were alive or dead.
After all, sects had many members. Whether they went out on missions or encountered some unexpected situation, they often died without a sound.
For those who had not died, the tokens also allowed the sect to discover their plight as quickly as possible and go rescue them.
The soul token's function naturally allowed them to identify the individual.
Everyone received a soul token upon joining the sect. Once they infused it with their own presence, it was formed.
If they met with disaster and suffered severe injuries, cracks would appear in the soul token, and its light would weaken.
If they fell, it would shatter completely and lose its light.
"Only a Spirit Transformation expert could have killed her without a sound, but that clearly doesn't hold up."
"Master, where did you find Hua Jiao's body?"
Jiang Yantian asked.
Luo Xingcai shook her head. "There was no body, only her Pill Cauldron, and the soul stone on the Pill Cauldron had shattered."
Jiang Yantian pretended to ponder, then his expression grew grave. "Which direction was it?"
"Straight ahead, north!"
"Reckless!" Jiang Yantian's angry rebuke left everyone present afraid to make a sound.
Jiang Yantian looked at them all, his words stern and his expression severe. "What instructions were you given when we came here? Do you think we're out on a picnic?"
"We can't enter the Spirit-Imprisoning Forbidden Land right now, but the things inside can come out. How can you treat this like child's play? Don't you know there's a kind of evil spirit called a Spirit Devourer?"
Jiang Yantian's words made everyone present draw a sharp breath.
Indeed, there were many spirit entities within the Spirit-Imprisoning Forbidden Land, and Spirit Devourers were one kind. Those evil spirits could devour souls.
Upon hearing this, most people actually accepted that Hua Jiao had been devoured by a Spirit Devourer.
Spirit Devourers feared Yang Qi and did not dare appear where there were many people, but Hua Jiao was a woman, with abundant yin and weak yang, and had even wandered off alone.
Now the truth had come to light.
But Ye Feng could not bear it. He pointed at Jiang Yantian and angrily rebuked him. "Jiang Yantian, stop putting on an act! It must have been you. Hua Jiao was following you back then. It must have been you!"
His good friend had died, her cultivation extinguished, and Ye Feng was overcome with grief.
At that moment, he was also somewhat hysterical.
Jiang Yantian's expression instantly turned cold!
"You're courting death!" Jiang Yantian unleashed an intensely oppressive presence.
Thud! A ripple shook the air!
Ye Feng spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body pinned firmly to the ground by that presence.
The Law Enforcement Lineage's disciples also wore fierce expressions, each wishing they could tear Ye Feng apart on the spot.
"Ye Feng, I've shown restraint time and again out of consideration for us being fellow disciples. Yet now you take a mile when given an inch?"
"You insulted me while I was enforcing the law, and now you even dare pin this accusation on this elder's head!"
"Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?!"
The law enforcement disciples would not stand for it either, every one of them burning with rage.
"Ye Feng, you bastard! Elder Jiang has been here the entire time. All of us can testify to it, yet you dare falsely accuse him!"
"That's right! Our elder has been sitting there painting and never left. Ye Feng, by falsely accusing our elder like this, do you think our Law Enforcement Lineage has no one to stand up to you?!"
Luo Xingcai wanted to speak but stopped herself. In the end, she said nothing. She chose to believe Jiang Yantian.