Back in the room, Ning Yin glanced at her, a bit worried. “Holy Maiden, why are you back so late… no, why are you so… are you this happy after meeting with the Sect Leader?”
Hua Yan waved her hand, not speaking, and threw herself onto the bed, hugging the quilt. She rolled around a few times before saying, “It’s… about something else.”
Ning Yin looked at her, greatly surprised. When Hua Yan was thrown out, she still had a bewildered look, but now she was beaming, as if a flower had bloomed on her head. She circled around Hua Yan, looking her up and down. “Holy Maiden, since your inner strength has recovered, if you need me, just leave a mark at the door.”
“Got it,” Hua Yan responded casually, rolling around on the bed and occasionally looking at her palms, unable to sleep well for a long time.
The next morning, Hua Yan was preparing to find Lu Chengsha, but unexpectedly, something happened early in the morning.
The two peasant women and the little boy were all dead.
They were found dead in the accommodations provided by Cixin Valley, bleeding from their seven orifices, clearly poisoned. Their death was gruesome and terrifying, evidently suffering great pain before dying. They were discovered by a nearby person who had originally agreed to meet them for breakfast—Cixin Valley provided meals. After calling for a long time without hearing a response, they pushed the door open to find the corpses on the ground, scratching their throats with distorted faces.
Someone being poisoned to death in the Medical Valley was a significant issue.
However, with the influx of disciples from various sects searching the valley, more speculation inevitably arose.
“Was it the Demon Sect Leader who poisoned them?”
“Why would he poison two peasant women? Besides, weren’t these the ones causing trouble at the valley entrance that day…”
Other disciples nodded occasionally. “I remember them too… but the Demon Sect Leader wouldn’t be helping Cixin Valley kill people, would he…”
Cixin Valley had already sent doctors to examine the bodies. They intended to move the corpses, but were refused.
A disciple said, “This murder happened right under our noses. We have an obligation to find the culprit. If there’s an examination, it should be done here. Does anyone know medicine and can help?”
Clearly, there was a growing distrust of Cixin Valley.
Hua Yan also went over to take a look. The scene was indeed tragic, and several younger disciples turned their faces away, unable to bear it. The old doctor seemed like a coroner by trade, skillfully examining the bodies. He lifted the eyelids, checked the tongues, smelled the corpses, scaring off several disciples in the process. Finally, he pursed his lips, stroked his beard, and said, “They were indeed poisoned. To find out the exact poison, I need to examine the bodies further—should I do it here?”
The crowd swallowed hard, but still forced themselves to say, “Y-yes, right here…”
Hua Yan had already figured out what poison it was but couldn’t help joining in the excitement.
Disciples occasionally shouted, “I can’t take it anymore,” rushing out with pale faces. Before long, only a few disciples were left. The old doctor, satisfied with his examination, noticed a young girl nearby and was taken aback. Then he said, “Young lady, you’re quite brave.”
Hua Yan asked, “Thank you. Have you identified the poison?”
The old doctor stroked his beard again and said, “It’s a very rare poison called Blood Phantom—it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone die from this poison.”
Hua Yan nodded. This poison wasn’t developed by the Demon Sect, but she had heard about it from her mother. Blood Phantom is extremely stealthy, highly toxic, fast-acting, and causes significant pain, making it particularly sinister. However, the materials needed for the poison are hard to find, and it’s easy to make a mistake during preparation. When it first appeared over twenty years ago, her mother had specifically asked the Demon Sect disciples to acquire the corpses and flesh of the poisoned for research. The conclusion was that it was unnecessarily complicated just to kill someone.
She followed up on the doctor’s statement, “It seems they died around midnight.”
The old doctor replied, “That’s right. I checked the room earlier. The poison was crudely administered, simply placed in the teapot. Did anyone enter this room last night?”
The remaining disciples looked at each other, clueless.
“There’s no need to complicate things. It must be the Demon Sect! Who else would be so fond of poisoning?”
“The Demon Sect Leader is indeed in Cixin Valley.”
Hua Yan couldn’t help but think that they were being overly simplistic. Any unsolvable problem was directly attributed to the Demon Sect!
She remembered what Xie Yingxian had told her last night about different positions—whether true or false, any bad deed was blamed on the Demon Sect.
No one noticed anyone entering the peasant women’s room. Many people here knew martial arts, and the room had windows, making it easy to sneak in undetected.
Just then, someone suddenly said, “Wasn’t the Yin family killed by Blood Phantom back in the day?”
“Which Yin family?”
“The medical family, the Yin family! Over twenty years ago, my parents told me about it. The entire family, over thirty people, died from this poison. Even their dogs weren’t spared. Tsk, tsk, the Demon Sect is truly evil…”
“If it really is the Demon Sect, wouldn’t they want to poison us too?” a disciple speculated in horror. “Maybe killing these two peasant women is just a warning.”
“Then why specifically these two peasant women?”
“The only ones who might have a grudge against them would be Cixin Valley… It couldn’t be that the Demon Sect Leader is secretly helping Cixin Valley kill people…”
Hua Yan also pondered why it had to be the two peasant women. She knew it wasn’t Xie Yingxian who did it. Even if he had cooperated with Nian Yi to kill for her sake, it didn’t make sense, as Nian Yi had already admitted her medicine had issues and had no need to silence anyone further.
“Wait, last night during the ghost incident, didn’t the female ghost mention the Yin family? Could it be this Yin family?”
Someone else speculated with a pale face, “Could it be the ghost seeking revenge? But these two peasant women shouldn’t be related to the Yin family…”
The more everyone discussed, the more they felt the situation was mysterious and frightening.
Killing someone in Cixin Valley to frame both Nian Yi and Xie Yingxian, the most likely suspect would be Yu Ye.
Hua Yan immediately felt a headache coming on.
At this moment, she finally saw Lu Chengsha. He still disliked crowds and sat alone on the rooftop. Hua Yan leaped up to join him. As she got closer, she suddenly felt a little shy and a bit delighted.
Seeing her, Lu Chengsha, who had been sitting with his long legs stretched out, suddenly tensed his back as if he were a bow drawn to its full extent.
Hua Yan sat next to him and started a conversation awkwardly, “Great Hero Lu, did you sleep well last night?”
Lu Chengsha hesitated for a moment before replying suspiciously, “Mm.”
Hua Yan’s gaze instinctively fell on Lu Chengsha’s hand resting on his knee. His hands, belonging to a male swordsman, were long and powerful. Her heart suddenly fluttered, and she lowered her head.
The two of them fell into an inexplicable silence for a moment.
Hua Yan tugged at her dress, realizing she had worn it for several days now. She hadn’t had a chance to change since arriving at Cixin Valley. She wondered if Great Hero Lu might be tired of seeing it—she would go buy a new dress later!
As she was thinking this, she forgot what she had originally intended to say.
It was Lu Chengsha who spoke first, “What happened below?”
Oh, right! Hua Yan snapped back to reality and recounted what had happened earlier. In the end, she tentatively said, “They all seem to think it was done by the Demon Sect!”
Lu Chengsha replied, “Mm.”
And that’s it?
Share some thoughts, Great Hero Lu!
Hua Yan, with no other option, plucked up her courage and said, “I don’t think it’s that simple. The Demon Sect wouldn’t need to be so roundabout. There must be a conspiracy here!”
Lu Chengsha responded again, “Mm.”
…Say something more!
Hua Yan, unable to hold back, blurted out her thoughts.
Lu Chengsha finally said something different, “Whoever it is, I’ll kill all the members of the Demon Sect.”
Hua Yan: “…”
That’s not what she wanted!
“By the way…” she finally asked, “Why are you so determined to kill the members of the Demon Sect?”
Hearing this, Lu Chengsha answered without hesitation, “Because the Demon Sect commits evil deeds.”
Hua Yan knew that asking further might be dangerous, but she couldn’t help herself: “What if… the members of the Demon Sect didn’t commit any evil?”
Lu Chengsha turned to look at her, seemingly puzzled by her question, but he still answered, “That’s not possible.” It seemed like an unquestionable truth to him, something he didn’t even need to think about.
Hua Yan opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but then hesitated.
In this situation, she really didn’t dare speak more.
She didn’t even dare to lower her head or show a too-dejected expression. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “It’s nothing. I was just asking. You don’t need to take it seriously. Great Hero Lu…”
Lu Chengsha responded, “Hmm?”
Hua Yan clenched her fist and declared, “I want to find out what really happened!”
She didn’t expect much of a response from Lu Chengsha, but to her surprise, he pondered for a moment and then said, “I’ll accompany you.”
Hua Yan’s heart suddenly felt warm, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit happy, though she tried not to show it too much.
He really is so kind.
****
Down below, the disciples, after much discussion, finally came to a conclusion and went to report to Ling Tianxiao, demanding an explanation from Nian Yi.
Someone had been poisoned in their valley, and the victims were relatives of patients who had come to cause trouble. No matter what, Cixin Valley couldn’t shirk responsibility. If they couldn’t find the truth, the other sects might start suspecting Cixin Valley of colluding with the Demon Sect. Though they didn’t say this directly, the implication was clear.
The disciples and officials of Cixin Valley immediately began an investigation.
To make matters worse, the news that the troublemakers had been poisoned and died gruesomely spread quickly, causing panic. Rumors grew increasingly exaggerated, with some even claiming that relatives of patients who had died under Cixin Valley’s treatment had also disappeared mysteriously.
Ming Qi was extremely anxious, dealing with several disputes throughout the afternoon. Some of his fellow disciples, unable to bear the accusations, stepped forward to argue, which only led to more conflicts with the patients. Some even wanted to resort to violence, but the presence of the valley guards prevented any fights from breaking out.
While conflicts were not unheard of in the valley, this time the rumors spread like wildfire, as if someone was secretly fanning the flames.
Many patients had already demanded refunds and were leaving the valley with their families.
Hua Yan saw many patients leaving, carrying their belongings and heading out of the valley.
She had wanted to ask Nian Yi more questions, especially since she still had an unresolved mystery: whether Nian Yi was actually Lu Chengsha’s father. However, he seemed to have gone to the council hall early in the morning and was unavailable.
Hua Yan had no choice but to return to the room where the two peasant women had stayed. The bodies had already been taken away. Even though she was almost certain it was Yu Ye’s doing, it was useless without evidence.
She meticulously searched the room again. To the Demon Sect, poisoning someone without leaving a trace was too easy. Hua Yan found nothing and had to leave empty-handed.
As she passed by the room’s door, she saw someone burning paper money in a copper basin. To her surprise, it was Xi Wu, the female steward of Cixin Valley. “Aren’t you supposed to be busy?” Hua Yan asked in surprise.
Xi Wu looked up at her. “I am busy right now.”
“But isn’t your valley in a state of crisis?” Hua Yan exclaimed. She was still busy trying to help them find evidence to catch the murderer!
Xi Wu replied, “There’s no use in panicking. Better to do what can be done… This family died horribly.” She lowered her head slightly, her words harsh, but her hands trembled a little.
Hua Yan thought for a moment, then squatted down and took a stack of paper money to burn, pulling Lu Chengsha along with her.
The three of them squatted on the ground, burning paper money, creating a somewhat eerie scene.
After the paper money burned out, Hua Yan said, “You never finished what you were saying last time. What’s the story with Nian Yi’s two wives?”
Xi Wu’s hand paused, her expression unchanged as she said, “I was drunk and talking nonsense. I don’t remember.”
Hua Yan’s mind raced, recalling the times she had seen Xi Wu. Something always seemed off. She leaned closer to Xi Wu and whispered, as if gossiping, “Do you like Nian Yi?”
She didn’t notice Lu Chengsha’s ears twitch nearby.
Xi Wu, who had been squatting and burning paper money, suddenly stood up and stepped back, almost losing her balance. Her reaction was dramatic, her expression shifting from astonishment to disgust, then back to normal. She frowned and said, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have you thrown out of Cixin Valley.”
When Hua Yan had previously suggested that Xi Wu wanted to become Nian Yi’s new wife, Xi Wu had reacted just as strongly.
This was very strange.
When she first met Xi Wu, her attitude towards Nian Yi had also been strange.
Hua Yan initially thought she just had a bad temper, but why would Nian Yi keep someone with a bad temper and who treated him with cold sarcasm around? It was even stranger. Could it be that she had been rejected in love and turned this way?
With this thought, Hua Yan decided to ask directly.
Xi Wu’s expression twisted, and if Lu Chengsha weren’t standing nearby, Hua Yan believed she would have tried to hit her—although she probably couldn’t win against Hua Yan now.
“I want you to leave Cixin Valley immediately!”
Hua Yan was unfazed. “You’re getting too visibly upset… It’s okay to be rejected. I was just curious.” She felt a bit envious of Xie Yingxian; if he were here, he would have been able to get the truth out easily.
The disciples of Cixin Valley were nearby, but seeing Lu Chengsha, no one dared to approach.
Xi Wu finally calmed down a bit and said, “There’s nothing like what you think. I don’t like him at all, and being rejected is purely fictional.”
After saying that, she turned and walked away.
But Hua Yan felt she could extract some information from this woman, who might have aspirations of becoming Lu Chengsha’s stepmother. She immediately followed her, saying, “Why not give it a try? How would you know you have no chance if you never confessed? You have such a bad temper, and he still tolerates you. Maybe he likes you too? It’s possible, right?”
“Stop following me! Stop talking nonsense!”
Hua Yan, who wasn’t afraid of following Lu Chengsha, certainly wasn’t afraid of a woman who couldn’t beat her.
Excitedly, she continued to spout nonsense, “Is it because he had two wives before? Didn’t they both pass away? Oh, you think he was insincere? How about I ask him for you! I don’t think he seems like that kind of person. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding…”
Unable to bear it anymore, Xi Wu burst out, “You know nothing! I wish he were dead!”
Hua Yan was stunned. “Is it that serious? Failing to win his love doesn’t mean you should wish him dead!”
Xi Wu was almost driven mad. She had never encountered such a persistent person, and there was even a human killing machine nearby.
She drew a small knife from her waist, meant for treating wounds, and pointed it at Hua Yan, angrily saying, “If you keep twisting my words, I won’t be polite! I have a blood feud with him; there’s no way I could have feelings for him!” After speaking, Xi Wu froze for a moment, realizing she might have misspoken, her expression changing slightly.
After that, no matter what Hua Yan said, Xi Wu remained silent.
Seeing this, Hua Yan stopped pushing. Although she hadn’t discovered the whole truth, she had gathered some useful information. She turned to Lu Chengsha with some pride and said, “See? I’m impressive, right? She’s so straightforward!”
Lu Chengsha nodded and said, “Mm,” but he seemed to be thinking about something.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Great Hero Lu, what are you thinking about?”
Lu Chengsha seemed like he was going to ponder it alone, but since Hua Yan asked, he said, “…What is a confession? And what does it mean to fail in love?”
Hua Yan was taken aback.
“Well…” She suddenly found it a bit difficult to explain. Previously, she had explained without any personal feelings, but now it was clearly different. “A confession is…” She paused for a moment, then, suddenly inspired, took a deep breath and said, “Great Hero Lu, you’ve learned so much new knowledge already, it’s time to solve some problems on your own!”
Encouragingly, Hua Yan looked at him and said, “Come on! Try guessing what it means!”