Chapter 270

On the bright street, the corpse falling to the ground stirred up chaos.

Turning back is the Immortal Platform office, there is no need to wait to report to the officials.

Pei Ye and the others only waited for a few breaths before a team of public servants rushed out of the Immortal Platform to lock down the scene. All four were famous people in Bowang. After clarifying the beginning and end, the few sat in the Immortal Platform's side room.

Wudong personally asked questions here.

This Crane Inspector's expression was also solemn, looking at Pei Ye sitting in front of him, unfolding the scroll and opening the brush: "Are you sure it's exactly the same as that day?"

"The same, I turned my head back, and the mask disappeared without a trace." Pei Ye frowned.

After seeing this terrifying sound and appearance for a long time, and then staying with this Crane Inspector, it actually gives people a sense of security. Sitting in the candle-lit room at this time, the hair on Pei Ye's body that had stood up had gradually subsided.

"However... the situation is different after all." He added.

Wudong nodded: "Of course, the Triple Return Treasury Pavilion and the marketplace, the difficulty of this happening beside three Mystic Gate members and under the eyes of a Fourth Life is different."

"On the other hand, what did he take this mask for?" Wudong looked at the young man, "Is there anything special about that mask?"

"... I didn't see anything special."

"Mm, anyway, it can't be taken back, and there is nowhere to trace whether it is special or not—the five volumes of Soul-Snatching still can't be found." Wudong's tone was slightly poor, "However, it doesn't affect the analysis of this case."

Pei Ye was silent for a moment: "Yes, the key is, I can't figure out this behavior."

This Crane Inspector wrote a few lines quickly on the register: "Passing some secret letters through trading is a common means for these rats and insects, and it has always been very effective."

Pei Ye understood a little: "Oh, that's how it is. But—"

"But why did he take this mask in front of you?" Wudong looked at him with burning eyes.

"... Yes."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Pei Ye said softly: "I think he deliberately startled me."

"I think so too." Wudong leaned back and stared at the rafters, "The key to this matter is not the mask, he wants you to pay attention to this vendor. And he is not afraid of you knowing his motive."

Why him?

Who would do such a thing?

Pei Ye pondered: "Before, Inspector Sui said that this ability to take things out of thin air belongs to the Sun-Swallowing Society."

"Then the vendor is the Huan-Death Tower." Wudong said, "For now, it is such a matter—the Sun-Swallowing Society deliberately exposed the shortcomings of the Huan-Death Tower to us."

"... Are there no other possibilities?"

"Of course there are." Wudong raised his eyes to look at him, "You can guess at will, but the judgment with support ends here."

Pei Ye still felt something was wrong: "Are we and the Sun-Swallowing Society... standing on the same side now?"

"At least there is a unified goal." Wudong said, "Tianshan said the Huan-Death Tower might not have succeeded, but the Sun-Swallowing Society followed them closely to Bowang. So, in fact, only the Huan-Death Tower knows the full appearance of the matter. At this stage of this matter, the Sun-Swallowing Society is not our first enemy."

Pei Ye nodded slowly.

In fact, for him, this matter has a more unique importance.

That day in the Triple Pavilion, after the case file disappeared, the black cat said it had sensed something. But after this incident, Pei Ye asked the Chi Shadow, but didn't get a consistent answer.

The black cat said very definitely no.

Either what he felt that day was something else, or this thing must meet some conditions to be felt by him, or...

Pei Ye was silent for a while.

But no matter what, this was the first time he had caught a tail of this matter. The person who left no trace was certainly nowhere to be found, but at least the vendor's corpse was left here. Of course, he had to get to the bottom of it and follow closely.

On the other side, Wudong was already questioning the two Green and Purple Bamboo.

"The two of us just met by chance." Purple Bamboo said with a solemn face, "When we passed by the Immortal Platform..."

"You are not." Wudong looked at him and interrupted.

"..."

"..."

"Tell the truth." Wudong lowered his head, picked up the brush and turned a page.

The room was quiet again, and even began to be a bit tense.

Pei Ye knew that Wudong was right, because no one should have discovered the vendor's abnormality faster than him. The performance of the two Green and Purple Bamboo at that time clearly showed that they had been watching this person for a long time.

But the Jianghu sects and the Immortal Platform...

"..." Purple Bamboo was silent for a while, "No comment."

The atmosphere tightened again.

Wudong's expression remained unchanged: "Then we have to go through the necessary procedures—"

Elder Elder Qinghuang hurriedly stood up and bowed apologetically to Wudong: "Crane Inspector Wu, my younger brother didn't mean to offend, please check the records of your platform first."

Wudong raised his eyes to look at Elder Elder Qinghuang, raised his hand lightly, and before long, someone brought a drawer of case files.

The four characters "Bai Zhu Pavilion·One" were engraved on it. Wudong's hand slid over it and stopped at the section 【Second Elder· 'Purple Bamboo' Xu Jianzheng】.

Pei Ye's gaze fell, and a scarlet seal came into view.

"Divine Capital·Can be checked and used, matters of the seventh and eighth months of the Xinsi year and their spread, do not pursue or ask."

Pei Ye was stunned, turned his head to look at Purple Bamboo. This tall, sword-like senior actually couldn't see the appearance of having lost his meridian tree. He looked straight at the floor, his two wide hands clasped together.

Elder Elder Qinghuang said softly: "My younger brother... encountered some things before, and has been unable to settle his body and mind for this month, so I accompanied him to wander around looking for it, with no purpose and no plot."

Wudong nodded and slowly closed the drawer lid: "Since the Divine Capital has stamped it, I won't ask about this matter. Try to stay away from the Huan-Death Tower, so as not to add fog."

Purple Bamboo nodded lightly.

"Small errands under big errands..." Wudong sighed leisurely and looked at Purple Bamboo, "I advise you to let go early. If you really find out what the Divine Capital Immortal Platform has swept, that would be a loss of face."

"Alright." This Crane Inspector sorted out the logic of this matter in just a few sentences, finally changed to a vermilion brush, approved a "Temporary" character at the end of the page, closed the scroll and stood up, "Let's go, go see the corpse."

————————————

The corpse was parked in the outer room, and several coroners had verified it at the fastest speed.

"Poisoning, True Qi self-destruction, these are the only two fatal injuries." The supervisor reported, handing over a page of records, "Many details have been recorded and depicted, please check, my lord."

"Identity." Wudong flipped through the booklet and came to the corpse, his hand resting lightly on it.

"Asked the neighboring stalls, they all said he was from Xiangzhou in the south who came to do business for the autumn competition, and the accent and habits were correct. Nothing more has been found out. Several acquaintances have also been detained, but the initial screening showed no abnormalities."

"Crossed a state to do business, just to sell some miscellaneous goods?" Wudong raised his brows, "Not even enough for horse feed—are those acquaintances the same?"

"Yes, but they said they came with the Qiyun Chamber of Commerce caravan, helping with loading and unloading, and the Chamber of Commerce took care of the itinerary and food and lodging. When they were free these days, they bought some goods directly from the Chamber of Commerce to sell."

Wudong nodded: "That's reasonable—go check the Chamber of Commerce, see if he mixed in alone, or if there is a paved dark path."

"Yes."

Then the Crane Inspector closed the case file, his narrow eyes like a falcon and a knife glanced at Pei Ye and the others: "You are all famous people. If you don't want to catch the Immortal Platform's breakfast tomorrow, you can leave now."

No one wanted to catch it.

The few left the office.

The two parties said goodbye and separated. Pei Ye stood in place, quietly watching Purple Bamboo's departing figure.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Not only did the joy of Pei Ye and the two wandering the streets disappear, but the Green and Purple Bamboo who were still bickering after the case also didn't say a word.

Purple Bamboo was especially silent. Since being questioned by Wudong, he hadn't said a word. Only when he was far away from the Immortal Platform did he say in a low voice: "Xu Yanhe, do you really think we are just wandering around?"

Elder Elder Qinghuang didn't answer, looked at the sky, and said softly: "As long as you think it's meaningful, that's enough. From childhood to adulthood, isn't it always like this? One month, two months, one year, two years... anyway, I will always help you."

But Purple Bamboo's expression didn't get much better. He also looked at the sky, which was an endless and deep darkness, dotted with a few distant and cold stars. This scene made him somewhat suffocated.

"I am doubting myself." He said painfully.

——————————

On the return journey on the other side, Pei Ye was also more silent than speaking.

Li Piaoqing tilted her head to look at the quiet young man beside her, seeing a kind of unfamiliar temperament from him.

In her company, the young man was mostly playful, gentle, and often appeared clumsy and confused, approachable and cute.

But at this time, he was like a wolf smelling blood.

One hand rested on the sword hilt, his eyes focused on the long street ahead, his feet walking fast, but the things flowing in his brain seemed faster than his feet.

Li Piaoqing wanted to talk to him, but felt inexplicably that it would disturb his communication with something.

Until they arrived in front of the Cuiyu courtyard, Pei Ye returned to his senses briefly and said softly: "Piaoqing, you go back first."

"... Are you going back to the martial arts hall?"

"No, I'm going to the Bai Zhu Pavilion."

"... It's so late, can't it wait until tomorrow morning?"

"It's fine, I'm not sleepy."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Don't... otherwise why didn't we stop the two seniors just now."

"Mm, why didn't we stop them?" Li Piaoqing tilted her head to look at him.

"To send you back to Miss Ming's side to sleep first." Pei Ye smiled, "You have dark circles under your eyes."

On such a night, the young lady could only make him feel at ease beside Ming Qitian or Liuli. He squeezed her forearm gently: "I'm leaving first."

"... Mm."

Pei Ye left the young lady and turned to the east.

He didn't expect that Purple Bamboo had bumped into this vendor while investigating the Candle World Sect.

From here, could he actually find traces of the Candle World Sect? After committing such acts of dismemberment, they hadn't been cleaned up yet?

And what exactly was that thing that left no trace? Pei Ye was very willing to classify it as a strange technique, but the black cat said what it sensed was not a fruit.

Why did it lose its sense today?

Could it be that what the black cat sensed in the Return Treasury Pavilion that day was actually not this thing that left no trace?

Then what else could it be?

Pei Ye only felt that there was more and more fog in front of him, but no matter what, even if there were a thousand mysteries in front of him, the first one Pei Ye would solve would always be these three words engraved in his heart.

Candle World Sect.

The streets were empty under the cold night, Pei Ye raised his head, and in front of him was the Bai Zhu residence.

Visiting late at night, the disciple who opened the door was very surprised. Pei Ye entered the courtyard and heard the sound of swords, but it was Zhang Mozhu still practicing swords over and over again.

Explaining his intention, the disciple led him to knock open the door of Senior Purple Bamboo.

Purple Bamboo had a cup of tea in front of him, sitting at the table in a daze, turning his head when he heard the door push, his reaction was really slow in the eyes of the young man who was already at the Fourth Life.

Seeing the young man, he was stunned for a moment: "Young Hero Pei..."

Pei Ye didn't answer, stood in front of the door and rubbed his cold hands, closed the door and walked in.

He stood in front of Purple Bamboo, dipped his finger in the tea, and drew half a tree shape on the table.

The room seemed to lose all movement suddenly.

The body under Xu Jianzheng's robe trembled bit by bit until it was as stiff as iron. He looked straight at this half tree, his gaze like a dead freeze.

"Senior Xu, you can ask me about what it did in Xincang in August." The young man said in a low voice, "Similarly, outside of August, outside of Xincang, where else will it appear... I also implore you to bestow it upon me, Senior."

In the quiet, Pei Ye lifted the jade pendant hanging on his chest, the black ring serpent lifelike.

"Just take the jade of Zhu Gaoyang as a letter."

Purple Bamboo raised his head sharply.

The young man and the man's eyes met for a long time, without dodging, and without words.

After a long time, Purple Bamboo looked at him, his throat hoarse as he spoke softly: "It's not that I am looking for it, it is looking for me."

"After coming out of Xincang Mountain, I have never slept well again." The man said in a low voice, pulling open the chair beside him, "Please sit, Young Hero Pei."

———————————

Southeast of Bowang, outside the Seven Serpents Manor.

Li Weiru leaned on the dense tree, his eyes never leaving this manor for a moment.

The branches and leaves of this tree were really dense, especially at night. When you passed under the tree and looked up, you only felt that a piece of the starry sky had been swallowed.

Li Weiru was not always in the same place. With the time and mood, he would randomly choose between seven or eight places, each completely without a trace.

The old man saw his position very clearly. He was not the first line of defense to stop the enemy, nor did he bear the responsibility of capturing and killing the enemy. He was just a pair of eyes.

If the eyes were exposed first, they would only be stabbed blind before seeing the enemy.

Several places were confirmed by Wudong and Sui Zaihua. Without knowing it, even if a Second Rank Mystic Gate member wanted to enter this manor, they would have to pass through his sight first.

And now, the manor was as quiet as ever, another night had passed, and the horizon had already faded with hazy light.

Those people might appear soon, or they might not appear at all. The old man didn't think much about this matter. He slid down from the tree with his sword, like a withered leaf falling silently.

There were already morning people on the street, but they didn't seem to notice this scene at all. The old man carried the gourd in one hand and walked on the still dim long street, just in time to catch the wine shop opening its doors.

He handed over the empty gourd, and when he took it back full, there was already a piece of paper and a pen in his hand.

"Nothing happened today." The old man wrote with a brush.

Thanks to the alliance leader rewarded by Yihu Laojiu and Boss Shen Xi! Thanks to Boss Shen for the support!

(End of chapter)