Most cultivators in this world had a habit of infusing a wisp of their source mystic power into a special object to indicate, in real time, whether they were alive or dead.
The most convenient of these was the "life candle flame"-
As long as the life candle flame did not go out, the cultivator was not dead.
"Investigate! Hurry up and investigate, damn it!"
"Yes..."
As one of Blood Dragon City's three great Lineages, even a collateral branch wielded considerable influence.
Before long, they had uncovered the second young master of the Lin family's movements that day.
"You're saying the last place Liang'er showed his face was the courtyard on Eighteenth Lane in the west of the city, the one lent to that fellow called Bu something?"
"Yes, Master."
After hearing the old steward's answer, Lin Senyu furrowed his aged brows and looked at the youth seated in the first seat below him. "Xian'er, what do you make of this?"
The youth Lin Senyu addressed was named Lin Zhuxian. He was Lin Zhuliang's elder brother, precociously intelligent and steady in temperament.
Lin Senyu had always taken great pride in this.
"Father, that fellow named Bu Wuchen was a fellow student of mine."
"At first, his cultivation was quite impressive. I even suggested that my younger brother get closer to him. Given time, we might have gained a powerful ally for our collateral branch of the Lin family."
"But who knew Bu Wuchen was a donkey dropping with a shiny surface? Not long after he was specially recruited into Blood Dragon City Academy, his mystic Qi cultivation began dropping by the day, and his health went from bad to worse."
"Before long, he went from one of the senior class's finest young talents to being held back again and again until he reached the preparatory class, becoming the laughingstock of the entire academy!"
"Not long ago, he even became bedridden and took sick leave."
In terms of age, Lin Zhuxian was only a year and a half older than Lin Zhuliang.
But in terms of cultivation-
At just sixteen, Lin Zhuxian had already reached the Qi Observation Realm Fifth Layer and was in Blood Dragon City Academy's senior class.
By comparison, Lin Zhuliang, who had only just entered the junior class with his seventh-level Savage Martial Realm cultivation, could not have caught up even on a galloping horse!
"Hmph, so that means Bu Wuchen is a complete and utter piece of trash now?"
"Damn it, I'll make him pay with his life!"
Lin Senyu suddenly smashed the table before him with a palm strike, his eyes brimming with viciousness!
"Wait, Father!"
Lin Zhuxian hurriedly spoke up. "Bu Wuchen himself is nothing to worry about, but among those who accompanied him to Blood Dragon City that day was a Divine Communion Realm expert!"
"Even though that person was very cold toward Bu Wuchen, and even seemed rather displeased with him..."
"I still think we should err on the side of caution."
"After all, Bu Wuchen's cultivation had long since plummeted, and he had been bedridden for days. He certainly couldn't have killed Liang."
At this, understanding dawned on Lin Senyu. "You mean the one who killed Liang'er was that Divine Communion Realm expert?"
Much of Lin Senyu's arrogance immediately died down.
As the saying went, "On the path of cultivation, Brute Martial Realm is the beginning."
Cultivators in the Savage Martial Realm no longer had lives as worthless as weeds, as ordinary people did.
They could join any beast-hunting party or enlist in the army and live quite comfortably.
Above the Savage Martial Realm was the Qi Observation Realm.
Cultivators at this level were already influential pillars of many medium and large Lineages within Blood Dragon City.
If they served in the army, they could easily secure a position as a centurion or the like.
Above the Qi Observation Realm stood the Qi Control Realm.
Anyone who reached the Qi Control Realm was an undisputed expert within Blood Dragon City, a talent whom its various factions would compete to recruit!
And the Divine Communion Realm surpassed even the peak of the ninth level of the Qi Control Realm!
Blood Dragon City's city lord, the heads of its three great Lineages, the headmaster of Blood Dragon City Academy, and the few other major figures standing proudly at the summit of this cold frontier region were all in the Divine Communion Realm.
Often, just one or two experts of this caliber could determine the balance of power among the countless factions of an entire city!
He, Lin Senyu, was merely the head of a collateral branch of the Lin family.
Whether in status or cultivation, he was still a hundred and eight thousand miles behind the head of the main Lin family. How could he dare confront a Divine Communion Realm expert head-on?
What they did not know was that the Divine Communion Realm expert who had accompanied Bu Wuchen had merely been ordered to escort him to Blood Dragon City.
Once Bu Wuchen was settled, that person had dusted off their backside and left!
Even this had been special treatment tacitly permitted by the reigning king of Great Liang as an exception, out of consideration for Bu Wuchen's grandfather.
Otherwise... who would care whether someone who had nearly driven the old emperor mad with rage lived or died on his journey into exile?
"Exactly."
Lin Zhuxian nodded, then continued, "Besides, however useless Bu Wuchen may be, his status as a Blood Dragon City student is genuine."
"If we assassinate him and leave any loose ends for the academy to get hold of, we'll be in serious trouble!"
Hearing this, Lin Senyu exhaled resentfully. "Hah, are we supposed to let your younger brother die for nothing?!"
"Of course not."
Lin Zhuxian said gravely, "Even setting Liang's death aside..."
"Judging by when he went to see Bu Wuchen, the unique copies of the cultivation method and mystic technique he was supposed to return to the main family have most likely fallen into that Bu fellow's hands too. We must get them back!"
"That's right."
Lin Senyu nodded emphatically. "Those unique copies of the Fierce Tiger Soul-Searing Astral Force and Flame Tiger Fist cost me my dignity and a fortune. It took no end of effort to beg the main family to let Liang'er borrow them to study for a while."
"If they're lost, I can't bear the consequences!"
After a brief silence, Lin Zhuxian suddenly gave a sly smile. "Heh heh, don't panic, Father. I have a way to make Bu Wuchen spit out what he's swallowed and kill him openly, avenging Liang!"
"Oh?"
Lin Senyu's expression brightened. "What brilliant plan do you have, my son? Tell me at once!"
"All we need to do is this..."
Now, the band of city inspectors who had stormed into Bu Wuchen's residence had been set in motion behind the scenes by Lin Zhuxian and his father!
Yet faced with this show of force, Bu Wuchen remained perfectly composed and asked in return, "Who are you calling a murderer?"
He blinked innocently and said unhurriedly, "I was bedridden for ages and only just started recovering. I haven't even stepped outside my doors. Who could I have killed?"
"I'm sure the neighbors around this courtyard can all testify to that."
"Oh, right, the Lin family's second young master, Lin Zhuliang, came to visit me earlier too. He can vouch for me!"
"Tell me, is it appropriate for you city inspectors to slander a student of Blood Dragon City Academy without a shred of evidence?"
Following his prior instructions, the old servant A Chun and the maid Wan Xiaoyao also remained composed, showing not the slightest trace of panic.
This darkened the faces of the inspectors who had come under orders. "Huh? Still playing dumb with me, are you?!"
Their leader strode into the front hall, pointed at the patches of blood on the floor, and asked coldly, "Then tell me, what's all this blood on the floor?"
"Oh, you mean that? It's just chicken blood!"
Shen Ruochen had long anticipated this question and said calmly, "Hadn't I been struck by an evil influence and left bedridden all this time?"
"Luckily, Yao'er later found a folk remedy for this young master: sprinkling chicken blood to form a 'disease-banishing' formation."
"These puddles of chicken blood deserve the greatest credit for getting me back on my feet so quickly!"
"Chicken blood?"
The bald man frowned.
"Yes, chicken blood."
Bu Wuchen nodded emphatically and deliberately adopted a tone he had learned from watching Hong Kong dramas in his previous life, asking with a smile, "What's wrong, sir?"
"Do our dynasty's laws forbid slaughtering chickens in your own house?"