Chapter 356: Old Case Concluded Now (I)

The Heart Amber was empty and hazy like fog. This was not the first time Seeing Pei Ye had stared deeply into this hazy, jade-mirror-like material. When facing the Sword Jian Jian Xin Zhao on the Guanlu Platform, he had thrown himself into it at the first glance. And this time, the "seizure" was clearly much weaker. Seeing Pei Ye looked at this hemisphere, feeling some dullness and dizziness first, and even had time to take this bead away.

But he did not resist, letting his mind and spirit be controlled, and thus, like falling into a fast sleep after extreme exhaustion, he fell into this dream woven by Qu Zhu.

A sword floated in front of him.

Although it was born from the Sword Jian Jian Xin Zhao, it was actually completely different from the world constructed by the entrant's cognition in the Sword Jian Jian Xin Zhao. Here, there was only a pitch-black, empty realm. Under his feet was black jade reflecting everything. There was no sky or surroundings. This realm had only three elements—the entrant, the sword, and the shadow.

A human figure stood in front. It was a man in his thirties or forties. He had no color, as if he were just a shadow cast by history. His figure was heavy and condensed, motionless like a sculpture, only holding a sword behind his back, but the sword was also a deep shadow.

Behind this figure was an iron wall like a firmament, cutting off everything, with complex patterns outlined on it.

Seeing Pei Ye was surprised to find that even without opening 【Chun Shou】, he had not lost consciousness.

But at this moment, the figure in front suddenly moved, as if the statue really had life. In this empty and silent realm, this tall figure crossed the sword blade lightly and walked toward him step by step. The sharp threat immediately pressed against his throat.

But Seeing Pei Ye did not rush to take the sword. He frowned and looked at this shadow, a sense of familiarity becoming more and more intense.

And then he discovered... the body was not under his control at all.

The moment that figure walked over, it immediately gripped the sword in response, staring at the enemy in front of it with a tense body.

That shadow just walked over with even steps. This battle could not be avoided.

Seeing Pei Ye suddenly realized the difference between this bead and the Sword Jian Jian Xin Zhao. It did not strip away your memory, nor did it have the heart to test the courage in the deepest part of your heart. If the Sword Jian Jian Xin Zhao was a trial, then this was just a ring from which there was no escape.

When the whole world only had you, the sword, and the enemy, what else could you do besides fighting with your strongest sword art?

There was no bondage of the body. Here, everyone was in the most perfect state. No matter how difficult the sword was, as long as you had used it once, you could reproduce it here.

This body indeed struck. The sword was extremely fast and dangerous, half a body closer to the enemy than a normal sword.

This was "Bamboo-Cutting Sword," which Seeing Pei Ye had seen.

It came from a White Bamboo disciple who was buried in an unknown place at an unknown time. Seeing Pei Ye was deposited in this body, and every detail and force-application was fed back to his mind and spirit vividly. He could almost feel the determination, fear, and anger when it struck.

This was the sword art at the end of this disciple's life, and it must also be the most brilliant sword light he could explode in his life.

As this body struck sword after sword, Seeing Pei Ye's thinking gradually sank into a silent silence. He felt that he was not experiencing his sword art, but experiencing his death.

The black shadow holding the sword, however, had a mechanical calmness.

He often struck after this body, defending when the enemy attacked, attacking when the enemy defended. He did not seek strange moves, nor did he seek victory, just tirelessly and step-by-step exchanging sword moves with the other party, seemingly as long as this body used the sword more detailedly and clearly.

Seeing Pei Ye suddenly understood.

After the Ghostly Life Sword was branded in, this bead had already been filled, so when it reflected the human eyes again, it was no longer seizure, but interpretation.

He felt the subtle movements of the body, and "Bamboo-Cutting Sword" was outlined in his mind and spirit with unprecedented clarity... Such an experience immediately made him think of 【Zhao You】.

And so, the appearance of this shadow in front of him also became clear. This was Qu Zhu at the age of forty-three.

After a "Bamboo-Cutting Sword" was performed, Seeing Pei Ye felt an unprecedented exhaustion of his mind and spirit again. The hidden pain in his head had already penetrated. He braced himself and experienced another sword art, and a sharp pain suddenly knocked him out of the Soul-Snatching Bead. The youth swayed and collapsed on the chair, pressing his head tightly.

". Young Master Pei!" Xu Shang pressed on the back of his head, and cool True Mystic Qi was passed in, but this was a spasm from the mind and spirit. For these days, it had been carrying heavy pressure and being forcibly overdrawn. This was the deserved reward.

For a long time, Seeing Pei Ye relaxed slightly, his pale lips curling up weakly: "Thank you."

". How are you?" Xu Shang looked at him worriedly. This youth's face was terrifyingly pale.

". It's nothing," Seeing Pei Ye managed to hook the corner of his mouth. "If someone really learns sword in this way, they will definitely live many fewer years."

"."

"The crack torn by the Edict Map has grown larger," a voice came from the Chi shadow in his abdomen. "Seeing Pei Ye, this matter involves too many things of the mind and spirit. You are not suitable to experience it yourself all the time now."

"There are too many debts to worry about, and the progress is right in front of me," Seeing Pei Ye said weakly. "Don't just give me pressure; think of a way."

"I gave you 【Chun Shou】—this is the Immortal Authority of the Dragon Lord's mind and spirit—you are just not striving."

"."

"Then I can only go and beg someone else... treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor."

". Who?"

"The friend in the white dress."

"." Seeing Pei Ye couldn't help but laugh in the pain of the wound, feeling a bit angry. "Don't bother."

The little cat stopped speaking.

Seeing Pei Ye withdrew his mind and looked at the Soul-Snatching Bead in his hand. He had now confirmed his guess.

——Perhaps on the night seven years ago, Qu Zhu really "interpreted" such a bead to someone's mind and spirit, but this was absolutely not enough for anyone to learn a sword art in a quarter of an hour.

"Imprinting" is a fantasy.

This path indeed saved a lot of effort, making it unnecessary to constantly learn and try to make mistakes against a sword scripture or climb a sword principle. It directly outlined every detail about "correctness" to the user's mind and spirit. As long as one understands and remembers, one can learn it.

But it still requires "learning."

Because this bead, after all, cannot record the consciousness of the sword master. Why should one strike like this here, and how does the sword master read the enemy's moves... especially in this process, the reader only gets the sword strike of their own body, while lacking the vision of looking from the outside.

Watching the master perform a sword art completely is a precious process in learning sword. Just "being in the body" is not enough to know the true appearance of this sword art.

At the same time, it cannot break through the upper limit of sword talent. Having a complete sword scripture is faster than climbing a wall to peek, and having a master's careful guidance is faster than closing the door to build a car. The Soul-Snatching Bead provides nothing more than such a more accelerated way of learning sword, but those who can learn will always learn, and those who cannot learn will still be unable to cross it.

Seeing Pei Ye now believed that they did not imprint a sword art to a living person that night, but what kind of way was the miracle of learning "White Rainbow Chapter" in a quarter of an hour displayed?

Seeing Pei Ye withdrew his thoughts for the moment and looked back at the long note in front of him, flipping to the back, which was the inference left by the man regarding this sound-writing paper back then.

Regarding this record, I have some of my own thoughts, which I will explain clearly here.

First.

Evidence of the case is temporarily stored in the Law Enforcement Hall, which is a regulation that many disciples do not know, and the murderer planned everything before taking action. Afterwards, the person who took the sword came and went freely in the Law Enforcement Hall, not even spending a few breaths to crack the Mystic Qi lock.

Therefore, in this matter, the Law Enforcement Hall must be excluded.

The person in the room that night colluded with an outside enemy. I do not recognize his voice, but voices are easily altered. This person's cultivation is above the Mystic Gate, and he dared to plot the theft of Kongdong's fourteen sword arts—although Kongdong's various peaks are loosely organized, to sustain a space where an outsider could commit such evil, his status must be at the level of a Peak Master or higher.

Even, right within the 【Lotus Heart Pavilion】.

Second.

According to what was obtained today, a rough description of the enemy's appearance can be made.

In terms of origin, this person is over forty, has entered the Mystic Gate, is proficient in the Dao of implements, and has lived in Bowang Prefecture.

In terms of purpose, they seem to be collecting sword arts of a fixed quality and quantity, "teaching" them to the same person, to make him achieve a "true body." After completing all this, they have completed their "twenty years of operation," and then they have to wait for a "coincidence that will surely come."

And for our Kongdong traitor, it seems that reaching the "true body" step has already achieved the goal.

In terms of means, the person in the room said "but it has to kill people." Perhaps before this, they had gentle and hidden means of collecting sword arts, which didn't require killing, and had already been going on for many years, completing a considerable amount of collection. But now they couldn't solve the problem of "bones without meat." On the surface, it was insufficient sword arts, so the man brought out this bead that can snatch souls and steal swords. Little Feng was his first victim.

Third.

If this sword really has a problem, then Little Feng didn't actually fail on the Iron Pine Platform that day.

"."

This was already the most concise part. In fact, the man had many tedious details and deductions, and the length even exceeded the previous records. He had a kind of serious nagging about this matter, for fear that the reader would miss a certain detail.

This is the entire content of this long note.

And now Seeing Pei Ye and Xu Shang had the same question in their hearts.

——Since the man had already investigated to this point, what did he do next?

Why did he disappear just like that, and why are these findings that should have been made public back then still buried in this study?

This notebook still had the last two short chapters.

After finishing the long note back then, it seemed that it was just nightfall. The man sitting in front of the desk thought for a long time, and stood up looking at the night sky outside the building.

Before leaving, he left a line of handwriting:

The south wind was very strong that day. Since this hut is open to the sky and has little wind, it is mostly sitting on the south cliff and facing north; and hearing the thick and heavy spring waterfall from afar, although Kongdong has many water waterfalls, there are a few that can be reached in a quarter of an hour from the Law Enforcement Hall... 【Hanging Heaven Curtain】?

Since they called out my name, then the two entries into the hall to place and take the sound-writing paper have probably been noticed. After I take the sound-writing paper, they will definitely go to check that sword, so I should go and explore first, and also temporarily... leave Colorful Mist Peak.

Seeing Pei Ye actually roughly understood the man's thinking. Unlike when he discovered the abnormality in August and reported it to the prefecture office immediately, the man himself was the powerful force that was "reported."

He was a Peak Master of Kongdong, a young "Tuan Shen" with a bright future, who should have supported the space that should be supported. If a person with such status and talent didn't dare to explore the fog, then the opportunity could only slip away in vain. And the Heavenly Tower of the Great Tang was not enough.

The man obviously also anticipated the danger of this trip, so he organized everything he had gained tonight so meticulously... These things were obviously not written for himself.

The facts also proved that his choice was absolutely correct.

On the morning of the second day, the man returned, without any injuries.

He indeed caught a gap exposed by the other party. Seeing Pei Ye didn't know what he saw. Perhaps he really found the small room in the sound-writing paper, perhaps he discovered something else, but in short, he must have uncovered a part of the truth in this adventure.

In the last chapter of the notebook, he left a long, and also the last, text.

The ink soaked the paper, and one could almost imagine the man sitting alone in the deep night and writing. This was not an analysis of the case, but the self-talk of the man sitting alone in the deep night, piled up over a few days.

When fighting it, it seemed to return to those afternoons practicing sword with you, Little Feng.

I didn't expect it to be such a thing. The person who designed it must be a genius of the world. No matter what he wants to do, it has already made me a bit terrified.

I have studied the Dao of implements for more than ten years, and I can only make a tentative interpretation of it—that, perhaps, is "Pulling Silk."

Very, very profound artifact-refining technique, using Mystic Qi to connect the subject and object, completing the exquisite manipulation like a puppet. I remember the great implement master mentioned to me that in Shaolong, the highest achievement of this technique is a sword of the Immortal Platform, named 【Jade Tiger】, worn by a very powerful Crane Inspector.

But can this technique be used to melt into the array? I don't know anymore. My Array Path level is not much higher than your means of chasing girls.

But in short, no matter what technique is used to connect, for a sword to use sword arts, there must be a subject to manipulate it.

So Heart Amber is used for this kind of thing.

Storing sword arts to become a subject... but I don't know how many profound array patterns were used inside to achieve all this.

And do you know what is truly making me feel cold until now?

They keep talking about "Dragon Bone" and "Sword Flow," but if it is only a "bone"...

(Pause)

So I don't have time to attend your funeral. I think you will understand.

A clue is right in front—this will definitely use a lot of Heart Amber.

(Pause)

Do you know what I have been thinking about these days?

I can't find the two people who killed you.

Perhaps they are just insignificant minions who disappeared into the lake like fish after finishing the job. I can try hard to destroy this heavy conspiracy, but those two people might never be found again.

I have been thinking about why I didn't go earlier that day, why I didn't see the short note you delivered earlier? A day's delay, and the ripples in the water disappeared.

That night I called Jingbi to the study and asked him angrily why he didn't tell me after delivering the note. I think I must have scared him.

Actually, he has always been like this, not caring about anything except playing, but I think when he grows up, he will like swords. By then, you two can spend more time together—he doesn't seem to like talking to you, but he is actually just awkward as a child. He is actually very willing to play with you "good children" who are good at practicing sword.

It's all empty talk now.

Sometimes I even think that this kind of case can be reproduced once. Then I will definitely not miss this opportunity to kill them with my own hands.

(Pause)

Actually, I know... it can be reproduced.

They said they targeted the true disciple who abandoned the sect of 【Liangshan Palace】. We can not tell anyone about this, and one act of feigning defeat can... but I can't do that, Little Feng.

Because catching them like this is just catching two minions, while the one taking the risk is that friend I have never met.

I am not his master, nor his elder. Treating someone as a bait or tool so arrogantly... is not an act of chivalry.

Since I know someone is going to be harmed, I should try my best to inform him; and to win this struggle, I must put the matter on the table and support the overall situation.

At this time, I don't have the energy to look for your murderer anymore. Sorry, Little Feng.

But I will exhaust all my efforts to slaughter these beasts who harvest lives like sword arts one by one, and use their blood to sacrifice to you.

So he went to investigate Heart Amber.

But didn't he want to put it on the table? What about the overall situation to be supported? Before leaving Kongdong, what else did he do?

Xu Shang beside him covered her mouth again, tears rolling down silently. Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a while, withdrew his gaze from the paper, and said softly: "Now, it is reproduced."

Xu Shang was stunned, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"So this time, what they want to get is the last 'bone'," Seeing Pei Ye said in a low voice. "With this bead in hand, the 'true body' will be achieved... Must stop them."

Xu Shang reacted suddenly: "Yes! Yesterday's Yan Caiyue... defeated and crippled, his personality is extreme, almost exactly the same as Little Feng seven years ago!"

She looked at the empty space and said: "Dai Shangyu won't care about him."

Seeing Pei Ye shook his head lightly: "Peak Master Xu knows, does the standard sword of Kongdong... have any way to identify the sword owner?"

Xu Shang was slightly stunned: "No, everyone is the same... No, the first one has it."

"After new disciples learn their first sword art, the mountain gate will distribute the first Kongdong sword. At that time, the children will be allowed to choose the sword strip themselves, and they can carve their names on the end of the hilt... But later, everyone just uses the Kongdong sword as a practice sword, so there is no such attention."

Seeing Pei Ye raised the sword in his hand toward the woman.

It was exactly the one he took from the Law Enforcement Hall, which Zhang Jingbi used to heavily injure Yan Caiyue under the old pine tree.

". Xu Shang looked at him in disbelief. "Young Master Pei—"

"Might as well open it and take a look," Seeing Pei Ye said.

Xu Shang took the sword, grasped the hilt, and under the True Mystic Qi of the master, the hilt and the sword strip slid apart softly.

At the head of the sword strip, the part of the hilt shape that had been wrapped for nearly ten years was still white and bright, and the color was completely different from the sword body.

At the very end of this hilt, a character the size of a grain of rice was crookedly carved on it.

"Feng."

"."

Seeing Pei Ye said softly: "Your son intentionally chose this sword. He also knew its origin."

For Zhang Jingbi, who had no chance to get his father's praise anymore, holding this sword and standing on the lotus platform of the Iron Pine Sword Discussion had extraordinary significance.

Xu Shang covered her mouth and lost her voice.

"How many days after Ji Feng failed back then was he murdered?" Seeing Pei Ye asked quietly.

"The... the second day."

". Today is also the second day," Seeing Pei Ye raised his sword. "Farewell, Peak Master Xu. We will talk later. I have to report the matter to the Law Enforcement Hall."

"I will go with you."

"Stay, Peak Master Xu. These things... are also very important," Seeing Pei Ye pointed to the notes they had spent a day organizing.

". Good."

Seeing Pei Ye stepped out of the vermilion building, and the sky was already dusk.

This peak indeed had few people. After Zhang Jingbi was gone, it was even more desolate.

Seeing Pei Ye looked at the autumn-cold peak scenery. Behind it were the dark clouds and a touch of orange-red clouds, so the green trees in front became blurred shadows, and the weak light was pulled over from the edge.

Seeing Pei Ye withdrew his gaze in a daze, lowered his head, and stepped down the mountain in the dusk.

"Young Master Pei," Xu Shang suddenly called him softly.

Seeing Pei Ye stopped and looked back.

"Thank you," the woman said softly.

Seeing Pei Ye still remembered the sharp and mean look between the eyebrows of this woman when they first met. Now, after organizing the relics of her late husband for a day, the sorrow that belonged to seven years ago seemed to be revealed again.

"After Meiqing left, everyone avoided me, this crazy woman... Thank you for still being willing to believe in Jingbi and helping to investigate these old things that no one is willing to care about."

Seeing Pei Ye was stunned. He wanted to say that he was just looking for the murderer, but the miserable gaze cast by the woman standing quietly under the dusk peak suddenly made him feel the same. A soft spot in his heart was touched, and his throat choked.

". If a person hasn't done evil, they shouldn't be harmed," he looked at the woman and said softly. "It's nothing, Peak Master Xu. It's cold, go back."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 357 =====