The Truth Comes to Light?

They snatched it away!

Xu Qi'an's eyes narrowed, and his mind instantly tensed. This short sentence aroused a strong sense of crisis and urgency.

Why were Jingxin and Jingyuan able to capture Chai Xian so quickly? This doesn't make sense.

After the massacre of the entire village, Chai Xian became even more cautious. Even with my Dragon Aura Radar, I couldn't find Chai Xian's hiding place.

Moreover, those with pure hearts and pure destinies could not possibly see through the dragon's aura host in the vast sea of people.

"I must have overlooked something, or perhaps Jingxin and Jingyuan know some secrets I don't."

Composing himself, Xu Qi'an said calmly, "I understand."

Li Lingsu immediately said, "I'll go keep an eye on Xing'er first. What are your plans, Senior?"

Protect yourself.

Li Lingsu's lips twitched slightly, she nodded, and disappeared through the cellar door.

As soon as the Holy Son left, Xu Qi'an immediately bared his teeth, sensing that things were getting tricky.

"Pure Mind and Pure Fate are the peak of the fourth rank. The combination of Zen Master and Martial Monk can basically suppress any other system at the same level. Perhaps only the fourth rank of Confucian School can use words to counter the precepts of Buddhist School."

"The old monk Taling forbids me from using the pagoda to suppress or kill Buddhist School disciples. It's fine to use it for self-defense, but now I'm going to become a Buddhist School monk, so I can't rely on the pagoda."

"Chai Xian is one of the nine hosts of dragon energy; he absolutely cannot fall into the hands of the Buddhist School. Fortunately, the enemy is in the open, while I am in the shadows. They are unaware of my existence."

Xu Qi'an made a decisive move, cutting off half of the snakes, insects, and rats, and then maneuvering the remaining half to continue exploring the Chai family ancestral hall.

The spare part of his Primordial Spirit was used to manipulate the orange cat.

Outside the cellar, the lazy, sleeping orange cat opened its amber eyes, its vertical pupils deep and mysterious. It raised its proud little tail and darted out like a sharp arrow.

In the darkness, Chai Xing'er arrived without any servants or notification to her Lineage.

She walked briskly alone in the corridor, the cold wind howling, the lanterns hanging on both sides of the eaves swaying, their red glow illuminating her delicate face and reflecting in her pupils, bright as jewels.

After walking for a while, the inner hall came into view, with bright candlelight shining through the doors and windows.

Outside the inner hall stood a dozen or so monks from the Western Regions, seemingly having designated the area as a restricted zone.

Chai Xing'er approached, pushed open the door to the inner hall, and saw Jingxin and Jingyuan sitting on chairs, while one person stood in the hall, bound by dark gold ropes.

"Chai Xian!"

Chai Xing'er's beautiful eyes widened, her fair face contorted with anger. She took two quick steps and, without saying a word, slapped Chai Xian.

"No killing!"

Jingxin applied the precepts at the right time, dispelling Chai Xing'er's intention to attack.

"Please calm down, benefactor Chai Xing'er."

Jingxin rose, clasped his hands together, and said in a calm and unhurried tone:

"I have questioned Chai Xian according to Buddhist School precepts, and he is neither the true culprit in the killing of Chai Jianyuan nor the one who has been causing trouble in Xiangzhou recently. The real culprit is someone else."

Chai Xing'er's eyes darted around, noticing that all three of them were staring at her.

"What do you mean by that, Master Jingxin?" Chai Xing'er frowned slightly. "Could it be that you suspect I wronged him, that the entire Chai family wronged him, or that the heroes and valiant men of Xiangzhou wronged him?"

The martial monk Jingyuan rose to his feet, stepping forward with an imposing aura, and said calmly, "We have returned here precisely because of this matter. The Buddha does not punish the innocent, nor will he let any sinner go unpunished."

"It seems that in the eyes of these two masters, my Xing'er is the one who is sinful."

At this moment, the door to the inner hall was pushed open, and Li Lingsu, dressed in a black robe and incomparably handsome, stepped across the threshold.

Li Lingsu, Jingxin, and Jingyuan exchanged a glance, fully aware of his true identity, but deliberately ignored his presence.

"How utterly arrogant! If I were in my prime, I could easily defeat both of you." Li Lingsu felt ignored and muttered to herself.

He glanced at Chai Xian not far away and said with a smile, "Brother Chai Xian, long time no see."

When he and Xing'er got together, he had met Chai Xian a few times.

Compared to before, Chai Xian seems to have aged considerably.

In addition, Li Lingsu keenly realized that the location of Jingyuan Station was just right to "support" Chai Xian as quickly as possible.

Jingxin always kept his hands clasped together, ready to apply the precepts at any time.

The defenses are very tight. Even with Xu Qian's use of hidden poisons, it would be difficult to abduct Chai Xian in front of the two of them, Li Lingsu thought without changing her expression.

It's you!

Chai Xian clearly recognized Li Lingsu, and exclaimed in realization, "I thought my aunt was promiscuous and decadent the other day, but it turns out it was you."

Chai Xing'er glared fiercely at Chai Xian, but had no choice but to compromise in front of the two high monks. She took a deep breath and asked in return:

What do you want to do?

Jingxin replied, "It's very simple. This humble monk will question you according to the precepts. If you can withstand the test, you are innocent. If not..."

He didn't elaborate, but his meaning was clear.

Now that we've captured the host of the dragon energy, there's no need to worry about the Chai family and Chai Xing'er anymore. With their cultivation levels, they could easily sweep through not only Xiangzhou, but even Zhangzhou.

The martial monk Jingyuan stared intently at Chai Xing'er, his aura growing stronger.

While everyone was talking, an orange cat stood under the window, pressed against the outer wall, ears perked up, as if listening intently.

"After capturing Chai Xian, the Buddhist School no longer needs to worry about anything, and this arrogance immediately shows." The orange cat twitched its ears, listening to the sound to locate the source.

It was discovered that Jingxin and Jingyuan were located very close to Chai Xian.

"Even if the real body comes to abduct someone using shadow leaps, it will probably be discovered by the martial monk Jingyuan before it even shows itself. Hmm, tonight doesn't seem like the right time to snatch someone."

The cat's face revealed a human-like sorrow.

Inside the hall, Chai Xing'er nodded slightly. "Alright, Master, please ask."

Upon hearing this, everyone present, as well as Xu Qi'an outside, almost simultaneously held their breath, awaiting the answer.

Jingxin clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you for your cooperation, benefactor."

He immediately applied the precepts and asked in a deep voice, "Did you kill Chai Jianyuan?"

As soon as she finished speaking, an invisible but powerful force was applied to Chai Xing'er, making her feel that people should be born sincere, and that liars do not deserve to be called human.

In this state, she couldn't tell any lies and answered:

"I didn't kill him."

She didn't kill Chai Jianyuan. This... this isn't what I thought. Could it be that she poisoned him, then quickly killed Chai Jianyuan, lured Chai Xian over, and framed him?

Jingxin had already questioned Chai Xian about the precepts, so he had no reason to lie about this matter. But if it wasn't Chai Xing'er who killed him, and it wasn't Chai Xian who killed him, then who was it?

Xu Qi'an, standing by the window, was lost in thought when he suddenly realized that the case was more complicated than he had imagined.

Jingxin and Jingyuan exchanged a glance, both frowning.

"It wasn't Xing'er who killed him. I knew Xing'er wouldn't do such a thing. Then who killed Chai Jianyuan?" Li Lingsu was both delighted and frowning, feeling that the case had become even more complicated.

Jingxin asked again in a deep voice, "Are you the one who murdered and created corpses throughout Xiangzhou?"

Chai Xing'er shook her head. "It wasn't me, it was Chai Xian who did it."

Under the Law Technique of "Precepts," she will only speak the truth and will not lie.

"Who else could it be but you?"

Chai Xian flew into a rage, his emotions spiraling out of control. "You have accomplices! You have accomplices!"

Jingxin's eyes lit up, and while the protective Law Technique was still active, she pressed on, "Who are your accomplices? Was it your accomplices who did this?"

Chai Xing'er stated frankly, "I had no accomplices. I didn't kill my older brother, and I didn't commit any of the murders outside."

Neither Jingxin nor Jingyuan were lying. They looked at each other, both seeing surprise and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

At this point, it can be basically concluded that Myolie Chai is innocent; she neither committed murder nor had any accomplices, and could not possibly be the mastermind behind it all.

But the case has now reached a new impasse.

Chai Xian murmured, "This is impossible, this is impossible."

He seemed unable to accept this outcome.

Xu Qi'an, standing by the window, pondered. It wasn't Chai Xing'er, nor Chai Xian, so Chai Lan was the most likely candidate. But the problem was, this girl hadn't appeared at all; there were too few clues to make a judgment.

Xu Qi'an felt like he was back in the capital, dealing with cases and working himself to the bone until he went bald.

Li Lingsu suddenly said, "Where is Chai Lan? Have you all forgotten about Chai Lan?"

Hearing Li Lingsu's words, Chai Xian snapped out of his muttered, confused thoughts and glared at her angrily:

"Xiao Lan has been missing for a long time, you can make false accusations however you want."

Chai Xing'er said:

"I don't know why the precepts are ineffective against Chai Xian, but he did indeed kill my elder brother, and he also committed the murder in Xiangzhou. This was witnessed by everyone in the Chai family, and there were also many outsiders who witnessed him committing the crime. Why doesn't the master believe it?"

Purifying the Mind:

"Chai Xian could not possibly disobey this humble monk's precepts; he was indeed not lying. Furthermore, regarding your previous statement, Chai Xing'er, there are many doubts. Chai Xian is not inherently evil; how could he kill his benefactor, who had shown him such great kindness, for the sake of Chai Lan's marriage?"

"Compared to that, wouldn't eloping be a safer option?"

"Clever, this monk and Xu Qian are thinking the same thing." Li Lingsu nodded slightly.

Chai Xing'er sighed and said:

"I've been hiding something. Actually, Chai Xian... he's my older brother's illegitimate son."

These words struck like a thunderclap, resounding in everyone's ears. Jingxin and Jingyuan were slightly moved, quite shocked.

Xu Qian was right; Chai Xian really was Chai Jianyuan's illegitimate son. Xing'er did indeed know this. Li Lingsu, having already known this secret, was not surprised.

As for Chai Xian, his pupils contracted violently as if exposed to a bright light, and his face became as stiff as a stone sculpture. From his dazed gaze and wooden expression, it was clear that his mind was in chaos and he was unable to think.

Chai Xing'er continued:

"He had an extreme personality since childhood. His older brother was afraid that he would not be able to accept this fact, so he kept it a secret and raised him as his adopted son. As he grew older, he gradually developed feelings of love for his younger sister."

"My elder brother had no choice but to arrange a marriage with the Huangfu family to marry Xiao Lan off as soon as possible."

"Unexpectedly, Chai Xian harbored resentment because of this and actually killed his elder brother, showing how extreme his personality became."

"You're talking nonsense!"

A loud shout interrupted her; Chai Xian's forehead veins bulged with rage, clearly indicating he was extremely angry.

"Chai Xing'er, don't spout nonsense! I lost both my parents at a young age. My adoptive father took pity on me and thought I was talented, so he took me in. You slander me, fine, but you also slander him. You vicious woman!"

The martial monk Jingyuan frowned and questioned Chai Xing'er, "What evidence do you have?"

Chai Xing'er turned her head to look at the door and said, "The evidence is here."

Immediately afterwards, the warrior monks guarding outside the hall shouted, "Who goes there?"

Jingyuan looked towards the gate and called out loudly, "What happened?"

The monk outside the door responded, "Brother Jingyuan, a walking corpse is approaching."

Jingyuan glanced at Chai Xing'er and said, "Let 'him' in."

The door to the inner hall was pushed open, and a person dressed in gray clothes walked in. His eyes were lifeless, and his skin was deathly pale, like a walking corpse.

It was Chai Jianyuan, who had been dead for twenty years.

"Godfather."

Chai Xian's lips trembled.

Myolie Chai manipulated the zombie into sitting down, making him take off his shoes and reveal his left foot.

Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that Chai Jianyuan had six toes, but what did that prove?

Chai Xing'er said, "Chai Xian also has six toes."

Li Lingsu and Jingxin looked at Chai Xian, only to find him staring blankly at Chai Jianyuan's left foot, his face draining of color.

The handsome Zen master asked, "Benefactor Chai Xian, do you have six toes?"

Chai Xian's lips moved, and his jaw convulsed as if he had lost the ability to speak.

Jingxin and Jingyuan understood, and the latter questioned Chai Xing'er, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Chai Xing'er shook her head sadly. "My elder brother died at the hands of his adopted son, and the Chai family still has some face. But to die at the hands of an illegitimate child, how can the Chai family maintain its standing in Zhangzhou if such a scandal gets out? You two masters are ultimately outsiders, how could I tell you the truth? If things hadn't come to this, I would never have made it public."

No, just because he has an extreme personality, we won't tell him? The orange cat under the window frowned.

Jingyuan nodded, accepting Chai Xing'er's explanation, and asked, still puzzled:

"But Chai Xian passed the test of the precepts; he was not the murderer."

"No!" Jingxin shook her head and said, "It's him."

Having said that, amidst the bewildered expressions of the crowd, the fourth-rank Zen master gazed at Chai Xian and said:

"There's something I haven't asked you yet. You said you went to Sanshui Town to investigate the mastermind behind the attack. How did you know that the mastermind would attack Sanshui Town?"

Upon hearing this, Chai Xian felt as if he had been struck on the head; his pupils dilated instantly, and he lowered his head.

How would I know? How would I know?

He stood there blankly, head down, muttering to himself repeatedly.

This process lasted for about ten seconds, then suddenly, a low laugh began, gradually rising in pitch, and finally turning into maniacal laughter.

Chai Xian raised his head, his handsome face contorted in pain, his eyes filled with manic malice, and his laughter was high-pitched and hoarse.

"How should I know? Because I'm the one who committed the murder!"

In an instant, he seemed to transform into a completely different person.

"That's right, I killed Chai Jianyuan, I also committed the murders in Xiangzhou, I did it all."

He laughed maniacally:

"I was born without a father. My mother was depressed and died from overwork while raising me. I became a beggar from a young age, bullied and suffered all kinds of hardships. She deserved to die."

"Do you know how I survived those years? I lived worse than a dog. But it didn't matter, as long as Xiao Lan was still with me, I could let bygones be bygones. But he even tried to take Xiao Lan away from me."

"Shouldn't such a person die? Shouldn't he die?!"

At this moment, Chai Xian was completely different from his gentle and handsome self.

Dissociative identity disorder? Li Lingsu suddenly realized, "So that's it, he has dissociative identity disorder."

Dissociative identity disorder?! Xu Qi'an, sitting under the window, also suddenly realized.

He finally understood why the case was so chaotic, with contradictions arising at every stage: because there were two Chai Xians.

The normal Chai Xian certainly had no motive to kill Chai Jianyuan, but the other Chai Xian, who knew his own background, did have that motive; he was an extremely obsessive person.

The rational Chai Xian believes he is innocent and that someone behind the scenes framed him, so he insists on not leaving Xiangzhou and tries to find out the truth.

But in reality, the person behind the scenes is himself, another personality.

This creates inconsistencies in the case.

Xu Qi'an finally understood that Chai Xing'er had an alibi for the massacre in the small mountain village, and there was no need for it.

He had found it strange from the start: if Chai Xing'er was the one who killed that family of three, why didn't she take the opportunity to ambush Chai Xian? Killing a few innocent villagers was pointless.

However, for the other personality, it is necessary to stop Chai Xian from participating in the Demon-Slaying Conference because he is the murderer, he committed all the murders, and he is not innocent at all.

Going to the Demon-Slaying Conference is a dead end, just like now.

"Hey, there's been progress at the ancestral hall." Orange Cat An closed her eyes.

In the cellar on the other side, Xu Qi'an received feedback from a rat, which "told" him that there was a secret chamber under the ancestral hall, and that he had sneaked into the secret chamber through a burrow.

Inside and outside the ancestral hall, all the snakes, insects, rats, and ants simultaneously went out of control.

The mice began to hunt insects around them, while the snakes, awakened from hibernation, followed their feeding instincts and preyed on the mice.

"The secret room under the ancestral hall actually yielded some results." Xu Qi'an abandoned the cats and focused on controlling the orange cat and the mouse that had discovered the secret room.

This immediately relieved his burden, and the headache disappeared.

In the slightly stuffy, enclosed room, several oil lamps were placed in a recess in the wall.

Deep inside the secret room, a disheveled woman, her limbs bound by iron chains, sat leaning against a pile of straw that reeked of decay.

Her mouth was gagged with a leather muzzle, her head slumped limply to one side, her chest rose and fell slightly, and her breathing was relatively steady, as if she were asleep.

Did Chai Xing'er come to the South Courtyard the night before last to see this woman?

Did Xing'er lock her up here?

The rat scurried about in the dim light of the oil lamp, stopped in front of the woman, and spoke in human language:

"Wake up!"

The woman's head moved, and she slowly woke up. When she saw the rat in front of her, she was clearly stunned and didn't react for a long time.

The mouse asked, "Who are you?"

"Waaaaah"

Beneath the woman's disheveled hair, her eyes suddenly lit up, as if someone in dire straits had seen hope.

She struggled violently, extremely agitated, making the iron chains rattle.

"Who are you?"

The mouse asked again, looking down at its tiny front paws, and said, "You can write."

The woman's fingers trembled as she wrote two words on the wall:

"Chai Lan!"

P. S.: I'll finish writing this part of the story tomorrow; it'll only take one or two chapters.