Chapter 579: Reverse Strategy 38

The servants and the on-duty disciples quickly heard the news, and when they rushed to the courtyard they saw their new sect leader lying on the bed, naked, his complexion deathly pale.

"Sect Leader!"

The servant hurried over to check and heard Young Master Ji Qiu's distraught voice sobbing.

"Young master…… young master has stopped breathing……"

Chen Ning finally understood—it was Ji Qiu who was framing him!

"It's you! You're the one who harmed Zongyang!"

Though he himself was extremely weak, he still forced himself to speak in his own defense.

"But…… I just arrived."

Ji Qiu lowered his head and shed tears at just the right moment, looking utterly heartbroken.

"Young Master Chen Ning, we clearly saw you and the sect leader come in just now."

The servants in the courtyard spoke with malice, "How dare you still blame others?"

"No……"

Chen Ning weakly shook his head, not knowing how to explain, only wishing he could kill that venomous-hearted Ji Qiu right then.

The disciples forcibly took him away and locked him up; after that he knew nothing of what happened.

When Xuan Mo heard the news of the sect leader's death, he had just finished handling outer sect affairs and was returning; hearing a disciple rush in to report, he merely paused his steps, then quickly had someone investigate the cause.

Finally, clues were found in the wine that Yue Zongyang and Chen Ning had drunk.

The disciple skilled in poison testing also hurried to test the toxins inside Yue Zongyang's corpse.

It was finally confirmed that the poison that shattered his internal energy in his dantian was the one in the wine.

And the people in the small kitchen firmly insisted that they never prepared wine at this time of day; it was Chen Ning who had them prepare a pot of wine today.

Moreover, the young servant who was supposed to deliver the wine had vanished without a trace, making confrontation impossible.

It seemed all the evidence pointed to Chen Ning.

At that moment, the disciple in charge of poison testing sneaked into the study to make a report.

Seated in the chief position was indeed Xuan Mo.

"Protector, the sect leader's body contains two kinds of poison; aside from the poison we usually give him, it's likely the one Chen Ning put in the wine."

Xuan Mo's expression was cold as he finished writing the notice of death: "What two poisons? The sect leader died from Chen Ning's poison—understand?"

The disciple was secretly startled, then bowed with clasped fists.

"Yes, disciple understands."

"Go out and properly prepare the sect leader's funeral arrangements; as for the murderer, Chen Ning……"

He lowered his eyes, pondered, then said: "However Ji Qiu may put it, he was the sect leader's most beloved person in life; why not hand Chen Ning over to him to deal with?"

"Yes."

After receiving the order, the disciple stepped back a few paces and left.

Xuan Mo took out the last bit of poison he hadn't yet had a chance to administer from his sleeve.

Let Yue Zongyang die silently, grasp the sect leader authority of the Slay Demon Sect for himself, and still be able to pin the blame on the servants.

This is his and the Yao King Jin Chen's plan.

As long as he secures the sect leader's position, he will restore old ties with the Yao Tribe, and the Yao Tribe will no longer hold past mistakes of the Slay Demon Sect against them.

But…… Ji Qiu this variable really caught him off guard.

Xuan Mo naturally would not really believe that the poisoner was Chen Ning.

He had lost his parents, had no Chen family to rely on; only the Slay Demon Sect and Yue Zongyang could support him, so even if he disliked Yue Zongyang's favoritism toward others, he would not resort to killing.

The poisoner was Ji Qiu.

This person, whose origins are unknown, yet deeply favored by Yue Zongyang, is the young master.

It's just unknown who stands behind him.

Meanwhile, Ji Qiu was just thinking of finding some way to get Chen Ning out of the water prison, but he didn't expect the Protector to still have some use.

Upon learning that Chen Ning would be handed over to him for disposal, he gleefully tidied his clothes and went to the water prison to find someone.

On the surface he still appeared grief-stricken to the point of wanting to follow Yue Zongyang in death.

Their loving servants all saw this, and for a moment they also felt pity for this lonely, helpless young master.

Naturally, no one would associate him, who lacks any martial arts, with the poisoner.

In the water prison.

Chen Ning's waist was bound with a thick rope, his whole body suspended in the viscous, foul-smelling water, everything below his waist submerged.

He didn't know what was in the water, but he could clearly feel something soft occasionally crawling along his legs.

After numbing from the cold, he was hoisted up to move a bit, then thrown back into the water.

He had never suffered such torment; in just two days he had already lost consciousness, wishing he could just crash himself to death.

The sound of chains rang out; Chen Ning, until he was about to be hauled up temporarily for "exercise," never expected that the servant guarding the water prison would actually shove him out.

Though the motion wasn't gentle, Chen Ning didn't care at all; his eyes lit up.

"Is it…… have they already found out who the real culprit is?"

He hadn't spoken for several days, his voice hoarse.

The servant sneered, "Even at death's door you're still trying to escape blame?"

He shoved Chen Ning again, his tone vicious.

"The Protector has already investigated—you are the one who poisoned the sect leader; now you will be handed over to the young master the sect leader favored in life for disposal."

As he spoke, Chen Ning had already been shoved to the ground; then a flash of clothing came into view, walking toward him from that direction.

"Thank you, Dage; you may go rest first."

He heard Ji Qiu's annoying voice.

Soon, only the two of them remained in the room.

Chen Ning struggled to rise from the ground, as if this could still maintain his ridiculous self-esteem.

"Really embarrassing."

Ji Qiu leaned against the chair, his gaze scornfully sweeping over Chen Ning.

"There's no trace left of the former foremost young master."

Chen Ning was filthy all over, emitting a foul stench, forming a stark contrast with the neat and tidy Ji Qiu.

He coldly stared at this monster, utterly puzzled: "What have I done to offend you? Is it just because Yue Zongyang dotes on you?"

"Of course not…hahaha…"

Ji Qiu heard this, and tears burst from his laughter.

Then he suddenly turned cold-faced, blankly looking at Chen Ning.

"Brother, do you know? The mass graves hill is really cold."

At this moment Ji Qiu looked like a ghostly monster; his sudden cold expression was truly somewhat frightening.

But even more frightening were the words that came out of his mouth.

Chen Ning froze, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Ji Qiu's face, slowly swallowing.

"……Chen, Chen Yu."

He stepped back a few paces, then collapsed helplessly to the ground, his gaze at the person before him now filled with fear.

"You are Chen Yu……"

"Oh dear, it's been so long since I heard that name."

Chen Yu laughed coquettishly; in an instant black aura overflowed, grabbing the fallen Chen Ning to her feet, making him kneel like a dog at her feet.

"You are so ruthless, brother."

"I once trusted you so much, even begging you to save me."

Chen Ning trembled involuntarily, "No…… it's not like that."

He was terrified, trembling as he clutched at Chen Yu's hem.

"It's not like that; Father insisted on abandoning you, brother had fought for you……"

"Brother also… had no choice."