Chapter 983: Old Friends Reunite

Although his purpose was unclear, Zuan didn't want the Demonic Cult to be implicated because of him. After all, both Qiu Honglei and Yun Jianyue were his good friends.

So he said, "Chancellor, please don't be so quick to judge. I seem to have made some discoveries, and it might not have been the Demonic Cult who did this."

Gao Ying and Pei You looked bewildered, thinking, "We finally have the Demonic Cult to blame, why are you causing more trouble?"

Sun Xun was also full of doubts, unable to understand Zuan's motive.

Zuan said, "I just made some inquiries. It seems a few of Young Master Sun's guards are missing. Could they have escaped during the chaos?"

Sun Xun shook his head. "Impossible. The killer's cultivation is very high. Many guards were killed with a single blow. Those people couldn't have escaped. Moreover, I sent people to search within a radius of dozens of miles, and there were no traces of anyone fleeing."

Zuan continued, "Then is it possible they colluded with the killer and left with him after the incident?"

"That's also impossible," Sun Xun immediately denied. "These people are trustworthy individuals carefully selected by the Sun family, and their families are still in the city. No one would take such a big risk to do something like this."

He wouldn't have assigned anyone not completely loyal to the Sun family to his son's side. And with their families as hostages, why would so many people betray at once?

"Then the answer is obvious," Zuan said, sweeping his gaze across the bodies on the ground. "Those people also died, but their bodies were taken away by the killer."

"What do you mean, Master Zuan?" Sun Xun's expression shifted. At this point, he suddenly felt that Zuan was not the killer. After all, his previous actions against Zuan at the Carefree Pavilion were mainly to vent his anger for his son. Now, if the true culprit could be found, a minor quarrel was nothing.

Zuan said, "After the killer succeeded, he could have easily escaped on his own, but he insisted on taking the time and effort to remove the bodies of those few guards. Clearly, he had a compelling reason to do so."

"What reason?" Even Gao Ying and Pei You were now listening intently.

Zuan glanced at the two with satisfaction, thinking their prompting was perfect. "I just examined the other bodies; most were killed with a single blow, so there was no need for him to dispose of them. But if he took others, it proves their bodies could reveal his identity."

"Are you saying that the nature of their wounds could reveal his cultivation method?" Sun Xun was not foolish and reacted immediately.

"Precisely." Zuan then pointed to Yang Long, who was nearby. "I heard you say he was a seventh-rank master, but the spear in his hand was broken in a direct confrontation, which proves the killer's cultivation is much higher than his. However, I just noticed he didn't die by another's hand; he committed suicide by smashing his own skull with his palm."

"Why would he do that?" This was something Sun Xun had also been puzzled by, though he hadn't had time to think deeply about it earlier.

Zuan explained, "Because he knew he was going to die anyway, and if he didn't commit suicide, remaining alive would be more painful. This indicates he knew the killer would torture him. But from what you just said, you arrived shortly after the incident, so the killer certainly wouldn't have had time to torture anyone. Therefore, his suicide must have been for another reason. Master Sun, with your profound cultivation, do you have any ideas?"

Sun Xun's eyes narrowed, and he murmured, "If it wasn't fear of torture, it might have been fear of a fate worse than death. Given the circumstances, the killer doesn't seem to use poison, so..."

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said in a deep voice, "There are some evil cultivators in the martial world who train by absorbing others' cultivation or souls. Yang Long's suicide was most likely to avoid that. And if the opponent needed souls, his suicide wouldn't have mattered..."

At this point, he quickly looked at his subordinates nearby, asking if any similar masters had recently been seen entering or leaving Yi Commandery.

Extremely high cultivation, at least eighth rank or above, and relying on absorbing others' cultivation—it's rare for someone to possess all these characteristics simultaneously.

Sure enough, a subordinate soon reported, "The notorious villain of the martial world, the Taoist with Thick Eyebrows, seems to have recently appeared in Yi Commandery."

Hearing that name, Zuan breathed a sigh of relief. The reason he hadn't directly named the person earlier was that people tend to place more trust in conclusions they've reached themselves.

As expected, Sun Xun said in a deep voice, "Immediately send someone to the Carefree Pavilion to verify if the Taoist with Thick Eyebrows attended the auction today. His two distinctive eyebrows are very noticeable; even if he wears a mask, he'd be easy to spot."

He had also heard about the Taoist with Thick Eyebrows' methods and thought that if it truly was him, he would have him flayed and dismembered to vent his hatred.

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate immediately rode off.

Only then did Sun Xun cup his hands towards Zuan and say, "Master Zuan, you are indeed a genius at solving cases, finding a direction in mere moments. I apologize for any offenses committed earlier, and I hope you won't take them to heart."

This time, his gratitude was genuine, for finding the true killer of his son made him happier than anyone.

"You flatter me, Master Sun. I hope you'll bear your grief with fortitude after such an incident," Zuan replied, thinking, "You truly should thank me, for in a sense, I avenged your son."

Just then, he suddenly felt his internal energy becoming somewhat chaotic, and a surge of violent, bloody intent seemed to stir.

He suppressed it discreetly, thinking he needed to find time to thoroughly purify and refine the Taoist with Thick Eyebrows' cultivation; otherwise, it would eventually backfire on him.

"Are you feeling unwell, Master Zuan?" Sun Xun, being a Grandmaster after all, felt the abnormal fluctuations in Zuan's internal energy from such close proximity.

"I'm fine," Zuan forced a smile. Just as he was wondering how to explain, a loud boom suddenly echoed from afar, and then the entire sky lit up as if it were daytime.

Everyone present changed color. Gusts of strong wind swept through, causing those with lower cultivation to stumble.

"This is... the aura of a Grandmaster?" Zuan and Sun Xun stared intently into the distance.

Dozens of miles away, in the sky above Yi Commandery, stood two figures. One was an old man dressed in dragon robes, attire only worn by princes, clearly Prince Yan.

Facing him was a woman of incredible beauty, with long, cascading hair reaching her hips, exuding a cool and mature aura.

"Yun Jianyue!"

"The Demonic Cult Matriarch!"

Both Zuan and Sun Xun recognized her.

At this moment, alarm bells began to clang, and a guard rushed over to report, "Chancellor, it seems people from the Demonic Cult have broken into the Prince's Mansion to assassinate His Royal Highness!"

Sun Xun's face changed drastically. "Quick, back to support His Royal Highness!"

Then he said to Zuan and the others, "Sirs, please return first. I apologize that I cannot escort you."

At this point, Zuan said, "I'll come along too."

Seeing their astonished looks, he quickly explained, "As an official of the Great Zhou, it's natural for me to contribute at a time like this. Besides, I've had many dealings with these demonic cultivators in the capital before, and I have a score to settle."

He was worried about Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei. After all, Yi Commandery was Prince Yan's territory, and Prince Yan not only had many masters under him but was also a Grandmaster himself.

He was somewhat puzzled, as Yun Jianyue didn't seem like such a reckless or impulsive person. Why would she do something so unwise?

However, he quickly recalled that she had even dared to force her way into the imperial palace before, so the Prince Yan's Mansion seemed like nothing in comparison.

"Brother Zu!" Gao Ying and Pei You quickly tried to dissuade him. "This is a feud between Prince Yan's Mansion and the Demonic Cult; it has nothing to do with the delegation! When Grandmasters fight, just a little bit of residual energy from the aftermath could kill you!"

"You two go back and inform Master Sang first. I'll go check on the situation. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Zuan instructed. Yun Jianyue didn't know these two, and he was worried they might get caught in the crossfire because of him.

Gao Ying and Pei You knew he was always composed, so they no longer tried to dissuade him. "Alright, we'll come over after we find Master Sang. Just remember not to be impulsive."

Zuan nodded and followed Sun Xun's group toward the city, silently praying, "Sister Yun, Honglei, please don't let anything happen to you."

***

Last night, I ran into Huoxing and asked him why he stopped updating. I originally thought he had writer's block, but it turns out he doesn't. He already has the plot for later chapters well-planned. It's just that sometimes he has very high standards for himself and prefers not to write a plot if he's not 100% satisfied. Well, whether you believe this explanation or not, I certainly do. If you find my updates slow and are looking for something to read, you can check out Huoxing's books. I used to really enjoy his work, though I doubt he needs my introduction.