Chapter 692: Wuxia: Even Archrivals Can Become Lovers 26

Sang Ning knows Jin Chen's identity.

Mu Huaizhi's expression changed slightly, but he couldn't say what feeling it was.

Why would he know, and when did he know……

He instinctively wanted to ask Jin Chen, but felt that asking like that was too strange.

"So, he's also your friend?"

Mu Huaizhi's tone was quite flat, but upon closer listening it actually carried an accusatory tone.

What "only friend"—Jin Chen this bastard really likes to spout nonsense.

"Ah?"

Jin Chen scratched his head, instinctively sensing this question was a trap.

"Casual friend," he firmly nodded, linking arms with Mu Huaizhi, "Don't overthink it—we're truly the best of friends."

He deliberately stressed the three words "best".

Mu Huaizhi's strange inner imbalance gradually faded because of those words.

He felt he had been getting more and more sentimental lately.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value 5, total 45!】

"Alright, alright, let's head back and sort out the clues."

Jin Chen smiled, arms around him as they walked back, feeling relieved that the Heartbeat Value had risen.

My wife is finally about to achieve Opening Apertures!

But for now we still need to first uncover this town's secret.

The day after the misunderstanding was cleared up, Fu Zhiyuan and Fang Xun came to the manor again.

Yesterday, after returning, the two also talked a lot; Fu Zhiyuan finally let go of his tsundere attitude and sincerely apologized to Fang Xun.

However, apologizing to his fiancé was fine, but toward Mu Huaizhi, Fu Zhiyuan felt both awkward and guilty.

Originally a Young Master who valued face above all else, apologizing to others was harder than death.

Fu Zhiyuan took Fang Xun's hand and walked into the room, his mouth shut tight, but his eyes kept glancing at Mu Huaizhi, as if he had something to say.

Even if Mu Huaizhi tried to pretend not to notice, it was hard.

"Do you have something to say?"

He tapped the table, adopting the senior brother's dignity; after knowing Fu Zhiyuan wasn't the murderer, his attitude improved considerably.

Fu Zhiyuan instinctively twitched his ear.

"……Sorry."

His voice was smaller than a mosquito's.

"What?" Mu Huaizhi didn't hear clearly, frowned and asked again.

Fang Xun's lips curled in a smile as he secretly twisted Fu Zhiyuan's waist.

"... Sorry, senior brother!"

Fu Zhiyuan immediately apologized loudly, startling Sang Ning, who was having breakfast nearby, so much that he almost dropped his bowl.

Sang Ning hurriedly steadied his bowl, giving Fu Zhiyuan a strange glance.

Saying an apology made him seem like a respectable young man being forced.

Mu Huaizhi grunted, showing little reaction, "Have a seat."

Is that it?

Fu Zhiyuan hesitated, stepping forward half a step, always feeling something was off.

Mu Huaizhi glared at him angrily, "After returning to the Heavenly Sword Alliance, you'll copy the alliance rules two hundred times as punishment."

"Oh."

Fu Zhiyuan regained that familiar feeling and sat down with a clear conscience.

Fang Xun: "……"

He could finally understand why, when he learned of Mu Huaizhi's betrayal, even if Fu Zhiyuan was furious, he wouldn't dare go after him alone.

Jin Chen told them the clues he'd obtained from yesterday's interrogation; after discussion, they decided to go one by one to solve the mysteries.

The biggest mystery is why, of all places, it's this town.

Whether considering its geographic location or the prosperity of its trade, Yunshu Town is not an ideal place for an organization to settle.

Unless the Earth Evil Palace thinks this town has something they can covet.

Next, just how large is the Earth Evil Palace's scale nowadays?

Since the Earth Evil Palace was wiped out by a joint effort of the martial world sects over ten years ago, logically, even if remnants remained, it shouldn't have grown to this size.

And yet remain undiscovered by any organization all these years.

Either they have their own way of amassing wealth and cultivating members, or it's the imperial court.

There are high-ranking officials in the imperial court secretly nurturing them.

"By the way, there's also that manor that wails at midnight—no idea if the two sects have found anything about it."

Fang Xun pondered: "I always feel that this manor might also be related."

"Then let's go ask the governor's office, and also have the governor inform the townsfolk… the remaining missing children have all died unnatural deaths and cannot return."

This topic is truly too heavy; the expressions of all five are very solemn.

Their killing intent toward the Earth Evil Palace grew even stronger.

"There's one more thing."

Jin Chen glanced at the three opposite him, having already ruled out the suspicion that they were moles.

"There might be a mole in the governor's office—perhaps the governor himself, or possibly among the nine people from the two sects."

Fu Zhiyuan immediately asked, "How are we supposed to catch the internal spy?!!"

Mu Huaizhi: "Zhu Wu."

He lowered his gaze at the tea leaves unfurling in the cup, voice soft and cold: "The internal spy doesn't know we've already discovered Zhu Wu, nor has he seen the Blood Demon Child."

Using Zhu Wu as bait, they will surely fall into chaos.

After the discussion, the five went to the Prefect's Office.

On the way, Jin Chen glanced at the empty street, suddenly thought of something, and stroked his chin.

"Brother Sang, please go collect the broken gold pieces from those households that lost children; if they refuse, exchange them with these agency silver notes."

He pulled out a plump gold-thread embroidered silk pouch and threw it to Sang Ning.

"Got it, I'll make sure to collect them all."

Sang Ning smiled, eyes crinkling, and immediately went to do it.

Fang Xun raised his eyebrows, glanced at his friend's inexplicably tense expression, then looked at Sang Ning's back.

He cleared his throat and laughed, "Brother Jin, this Young Hero Sang sure listens to you."

Jin Chen hummed, still thinking about how to piece together these bits of gold, not giving it much thought at all.

【0731, after finding the broken gold pieces, can you scan out what they used to look like?】

0731's paws tapped back and forth on the screen.

【I remember that in some obscure corner before, there was this plugin……】

【Ah! Found it!】

It clicked it out, installed the plugin into its own program, and shook its rainbow head,

【Sure! The payment is a big serving of meat!】

【……Deal.】

Prefect's Office

Seeing them approach, the Prefect, with a worried frown, forced himself up, waved his hand at the four to signal them over.

"What have you four Young Heroes found?"

The nine people sitting sideways also all sighed.

After Fang Xun entered, his steps slowed considerably; he walked around the courtyard, with Fu Zhiyuan and him blocking the view, yet no one noticed.

Jin Chen and Mu Huaizhi entered first, their gazes unconsciously sweeping over the nine people.

Mu Huaizhi: "We've found a lot; why does the Prefect look so worried?"

The Prefect sighed, spread his hands helplessly: "Don't mention it; our constables and the nine Great Heroes went to examine the old manor for two or three days."

"They found nothing, and lost three constables in the process."

Jin Chen let out an oh, his tone rising: "How strange? Even the two famous sects of the jianghu couldn't find anything in this ordinary residence."

He observed their expressions, suddenly shifted the topic, and asked the Prefect seated above.

"Sir, do you know that temple east of the town?"

"Temple? Yes, I know it."

The Prefect frowned, pulling his sleeves together: "Young Hero Jin, why are you suddenly asking about this? Could it be related to whatever… the Earth Fiend?"