Chapter 119: Parting the Clouds to See the Moon, the Culprit Appears

Lingxiang was just thinking about matters when she heard a series of knocks at the door; opening it, she saw it was Xin Yi. Xin Yi merely nodded at her, and she understood immediately.

"So that is to say, this Bai Wuchang wants to know why I cannot perform Spirit-Refining," Lingxiang said, walking to the table to sit down.

"Actually, there is nothing to hide. The reason I was able to refine the Life-Prolonging Pill was entirely because I had a magical artifact on me at the time, but now that artifact is nowhere to be found, so I am unable to refine it."

Xin Yi was extremely astonished, wondering how Lingxiang, with her mere Foundation Establishment cultivation, could refine high-grade pills; it turned out to be because of a magical artifact.

"You should just reply to him like that; I imagine his master must know of it as well."

"If I tell him that, aren't you afraid he will find your artifact and secretly take it to the Demon Lord?"

Lingxiang chuckled upon hearing this: "I am actually afraid he won't find it. Ever since that artifact left me, I have searched everywhere for many years and never found it. If he really finds it, I can go to him to demand it back, can't I?"

Xin Yi was very puzzled upon hearing this: "How so?"

"Nowadays, only I can use that artifact; even if he steals it, it will be of no use. In the end, he will still have to find me—that is, assuming he can find it in the first place."

Speaking of this, Lingxiang suddenly remembered the call she heard in the Chaos when she was injured some days ago.

If that was the spirit of Linglong, then it must be at Qiuyun Peak now!

But where could it be on Qiuyun Peak...

After the selection of Inner Sect Disciples, only Mei Courtyard and Zhuyuan still had people living in them. Most of these disciples stayed because they were unwilling to accept their failure; even if they could not practice Inner Sect techniques, being able to temper themselves at the Yuanqing Sect could still be considered a rare honor.

However, the two previous murder cases had left the group of Outer Disciples feeling anxious, but ever since Ayuan arrived, things had been very different.

Ayuan had become increasingly familiar with those Outer Disciples these days. Being a child in appearance and having a silver tongue, he actually attracted several female disciples who were very fond of him, often coming to Zhuyuan to find him and bring him little things.

When the male disciples saw this child was so thin and sweet-talking, they were addressed as 'brother' this and 'brother' that; even seven-foot-tall men were swayed by his milky-voiced words.

Only one person was an exception...

Ayuan seemed unwilling to have too much contact with him; even if they bumped into each other, he would dodge away, as if he were afraid of him.

That person was Huiwu.

Everyone found it strange; although Huiwu had a somewhat eccentric temper and was unwilling to be close to others, he shouldn't be someone who would make people afraid. Why would little Ayuan fear him?

"You suspect him?"

"Exactly. Logically, the Cloud Treading Step and the Overturning Water Sword Formula are both Yuanqing techniques, and one must reach Qi Refining to practice them. Yet this person was able to use such moves during his first martial demonstration; it is truly highly suspicious. This person has a stubborn look; I fear he is someone prone to going astray."

That night, Ayuan got up alone in the middle of the night. After coming out of the west room, for some reason, he did not return to the room but walked into the courtyard.

"Oh my, the moon is sinking like water tonight; it really is quite beautiful!"

Ayuan strolled along by himself, leaving the two in the shadows, Hanwu and Guanxu, feeling puzzled—what kind of madness was this kid having in the middle of the night?

At this moment, Guanxu suddenly felt something was off and couldn't help but ask Hanwu:

"Can a brat who grew up begging in a ruined temple since childhood say something like 'the moon is sinking like water'?"

Hanwu became alert upon hearing this and was about to step forward, but was stopped by Guanxu.

"Wait a moment first; let's watch a bit longer."

They saw Ayuan wandering around the courtyard alone, talking to himself from time to time, as if he were sleepwalking.

For a child to be wearing only an undershirt in this biting cold night and yet be able to speak freely, showing no sign of feeling the cold, was indeed extremely suspicious. The Senior Brother's suspicion was correct after all.

Guanxu was about to step forward to seize Ayuan, but this time he was pulled back by Hanwu, who gestured for silence while pointing at the courtyard.

They saw a person appear behind Ayuan at some point, and that person was quietly approaching him. Ayuan seemed not to have noticed, as he had squatted down in front of the fence, seemingly teasing something.

The clear moonlight stretched the shadow of the person behind him very long, but Ayuan remained squatted there, completely unaware. Seeing that the person was about to get close, even Hanwu and Guanxu, hiding in the shadows, could not help but want to move.

Just at this moment, Ayuan suddenly stood up and turned his head, holding a giant Horned Beetle in his hand.

Whether it was the person approaching or the two hiding in the shadows, Hanwu and Guanxu, all were stunned—how could there be a Horned Beetle in these high mountains, and in the middle of winter? Moreover, this Horned Beetle was as large as a bowl; even in midsummer, one had never been seen.

At this moment, the moonlight spilled down, illuminating the person who had come.

It was indeed Huiwu!

As soon as Ayuan saw Huiwu, he immediately became nervous: "Brother Huiwu... it's so late... what are you doing out here?"

Huiwu listened and slowly approached Ayuan with his hands behind his back: "Little Ayuan, why have you run out in the middle of the night?"

"I... I..." Ayuan kept backing away, looking very frightened.

But Huiwu continued to press forward step by step: "Why does little Ayuan always ignore me? Could it be that the Small Elder told you something?"

Ayuan had nowhere left to retreat; he squatted down in fear and said tremblingly: "Fucang Elder said..."

"What did she say?"

"She said that the people who died in the courtyard before were killed by someone, and the culprit... the culprit is..."

"Who is the culprit?"

Huiwu stood in front of Ayuan; hidden behind his back was actually a Demon Blade, looking even more sinister in the moonlight of this deep night!

Hanwu and Guanxu finally saw what was in his hand and were about to strike, but they heard a scream from Huiwu in the courtyard. Looking closely, they saw Huiwu lying on the ground, his hands scratching his face incessantly, and on his face was the very Horned Beetle Ayuan had caught earlier.

At this moment, Ayuan stood to the side, completely devoid of his earlier fearful expression, and said calmly:

"The culprit is you, Huiwu!"

Once these words were spoken, they were resonant and powerful, shocking Hanwu and Guanxu so much that they were stunned in the shadows, unable to move.

Ayuan picked up the Demon Blade beside Huiwu and turned his head to the two in the shadows: "You've been hiding for a long time; you've seen what you should have seen, and the evidence is irrefutable. If you don't come out now, do you want to collect his corpse?"

Hanwu and Guanxu finally came to their senses and hurried into the courtyard. But as soon as they approached Huiwu, the two were stunned again—the two had clearly seen the Horned Beetle on Huiwu's face just now, but now there was nothing there, and his face had been scratched beyond recognition by his own hands.

Hanwu hurriedly pinched a hand seal to restrain Huiwu, preventing him from continuing to self-harm. Guanxu looked back, but there was no trace of Ayuan behind him; only a Demon Blade was stuck in the ground, glowing with a cold light under the moonlight, making one's heart turn cold!

Both were shocked; what exactly was Ayuan's background? He was actually able to bewitch them!

Huiwu seemed to have broken free from the illusion at this time. Seeing Hanwu and Guanxu, he actually started to laugh, laughing hoarsely with a hideous expression, which was extremely eerie in the middle of the night.

Seeing this, Guanxu hurriedly took a handkerchief to stuff his mouth, then said to Hanwu:

"You must go quickly to report to the Sect Master Uncle, and say that the perpetrator has been caught; I am taking him to Wuji Hall."