Xie Yingxian ran his fingers along the wall, not finding any inscriptions but instead coming across a slightly loose brick. He wedged his fingers into the gap and pulled out a small piece of brick, revealing a tightly pressed cloth strip under the firelight.
Hua Yan stood at the entrance waiting for a moment, when a shadow flashed past her, and then Xie Yingxian emerged.
She curled her lips and asked, “Have you finished looking?”
Xie Yingxian responded with a nod, holding a cloth strip between his two fingers and handing it to her.
The cloth strip appeared to be torn from clothing, with jagged edges and dark red, almost black, ink smudged across it, making a few words barely discernible.
“Save me. Jiang. Yue.”
Xie Yingxian said, “It’s written in blood. Either it was left here to be found by someone, or it was meant to be delivered but never made it.” He paused, “The character for ‘(楼)’ has too many strokes, so it might not have been written.”
Hua Yan stared at the cloth strip for a while and then asked, “The one locked inside…is it really Jiang Louyue?”
The light inside was so poor, and without a lamp, even these few words must have been written in the dark using their own blood, making them look crooked and hard to read.
Xie Yingxian said, “The person you saw earlier was likely an impostor. Jiang Louyue never showed her face or voice because she had been replaced. As long as the difference wasn’t too great, no one questioned it, and the only relatives who might have noticed were all dealt with.”
He spoke casually, but Hua Yan felt a chill run down her spine.
She had confronted Jiang Louyue not long ago, unaware at the time, and hadn’t thought much of it. Now, knowing the other person was a family-murdering impostor who had imprisoned the real Jiang Louyue after cutting off her hands and legs, yet still lived freely under Jiang Louyue’s identity, she felt a sense of dread.
If such a person existed, they could certainly commit atrocities like those at the Miyin Dragon Cave.
Hua Yan pondered and asked, “What about the real Jiang Louyue? Is she already dead?”
Xie Yingxian said, “The body isn’t here. Either it was moved or buried. But if buried, there’s no need to leave these body parts. Most likely, she was moved. She might not have been here long. If she had been confined for ten years, there would be more traces left. That cloth strip was probably an attempt to seek help from her relatives or the outside world, but she never got the chance.”
Hua Yan couldn’t help but say, “That’s too tragic…”
According to Xie Yingxian, Jiang Louyue was only confined here for a short time, trying to seek help from her relatives, only to have them die one by one unexpectedly. The twisted part was that at first, her relatives didn’t even know she was locked up here; they lived their lives blissfully unaware, possibly even laughing and chatting, while Jiang Louyue suffered below.
Hua Yan had suspected whether Jiang Louyue’s relatives were involved in a power struggle, possibly collaborating with outsiders to usurp power and then turning on each other. However, she quickly dismissed this possibility. If they had noticed something was wrong, they would have fought back desperately as soon as people started dying. It could only be that they were completely unaware and were outmaneuvered by someone who had meticulously planned their demise.
This was far more ruthless than anything their sect had ever done in the past.
Lu Chengsha’s hesitant voice broke the silence.
Hua Yan, sensing his hesitation, asked, “Hmm? What do you want to say?”
Lu Chengsha hesitated for a moment.
Xie Yingxian helped him out by saying, “He’s afraid of scaring you, but the flesh on that arm and leg was sliced off piece by piece before they were finally severed. It didn’t happen too long ago, probably in recent years.”
Hua Yan was stunned, “Lingchi1 Lingchi (凌迟), often translated as “death by a thousand cuts” or “slow slicing,” was a form of torture and execution used in ancient China. This method involved slicing the flesh of the condemned person in multiple cuts over an extended period, eventually leading to death. It was designed to be both a severe physical punishment and a psychological torment, as the victim endured prolonged pain before dying. The practice was officially abolished in 1905 during the final years of the Qing Dynasty.? What kind of grudge could warrant that…”
Xie Yingxian said, “Either the fake Jiang Louyue has a sadistic nature, or the grudge is indeed very deep. But it’s strange, Jiang Louyue rarely showed her face in the past. I’ve investigated thoroughly and couldn’t find any significant enemies or conflicts involving her. Business dealings wouldn’t warrant such brutality. After the fake Jiang Louyue took over, there were no signs of concession to any businesses, nor any large sums of money flowing out. Otherwise, we would have noticed something wrong long ago.”
Hua Yan pondered for a while, recalling the operas she had seen, and said, “Is it possible that the real Jiang Louyue was a woman? The fake Jiang Louyue could be either male or female. If female, it could be a love rival. If male… perhaps someone infatuated with Jiang Louyue, who became enraged and twisted when rejected…”
Xie Yingxian paused, seemingly puzzled, and said, “…Can romantic entanglements really lead to lingchi?”
Hua Yan was momentarily speechless and said, “Generally, no. But in those tragic love stories, it’s not unheard of for someone to lock another in a secret chamber for a long time, torturing each other until they are both exhausted. That poor woman would suffer greatly!”
Xie Yingxian said, “Would they sever limbs?”
Hua Yan thought for a moment and said, “Maybe she resisted fiercely and fought back?”
Xie Yingxian calmly replied, “Then they could have drugged her. Moreover, there were no such marks on the bed, and even the excrement was inside. I don’t believe the fake Jiang Louyue had any affection for her.”
Hua Yan said, “But the fake Jiang Louyue could have simply killed her.”
Xie Yingxian said, “Perhaps the fake Jiang Louyue wanted to extract some information from her.”
Hua Yan couldn’t argue with that and said, “Alright, it’s ultimately the fake Jiang Louyue’s crime. How can we expose this fake Jiang Louyue? No one will believe us based on just this cloth strip.”
They hadn’t even found Jiang Louyue’s body. Furthermore, the reputation of the Dongfeng Buye Tower’s master was far better than theirs from the Zhengyi Sect. Everyone in Jiang’s household died from accidents, and there was no evidence linking Jiang Louyue to the crimes. If they insisted on it, it might turn into an accusation that their demonic sect was framing Jiang Louyue.
With such a bad reputation, no one will believe anything we say!
Xie Yingxian suddenly smiled and said, “Don’t we have a righteous young hero?”
Before Lu Chengsha could speak, Hua Yan interrupted, “He’s already been expelled from Tingjian Manor! He’s useless now!”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Hua Yan quickly added, “I didn’t mean to insult you, I just…”
Without enough evidence, even if Lu Chengsha got involved, he couldn’t bring down Jiang Louyue. Instead, he might ruin the little reputation he had managed to regain.
However, after a brief silence, Lu Chengsha said, “I’ll go talk.”
Xie Yingxian asked, “How will you talk?”
Lu Chengsha replied, “I’ll confront Jiang Louyue.”
Xie Yingxian said, “What if Jiang Louyue denies it?”
Lu Chengsha answered, “Then I’ll fight first and talk later.”
Xie Yingxian leisurely remarked, “Attacking Jiang Louyue without cause might make it look like you were ordered by the demonic sect. That would ruin your reputation. Don’t you still want to restore your reputation and one day gain Lu Zhenxing’s forgiveness?”
Lu Chengsha hesitated for a moment, then said, “Doing what should be done is also important.”
Xie Yingxian said, “You just followed her here. Aren’t you afraid this is all a setup by us to frame Jiang Louyue and force you to confront her?”
As a sect leader, Xie Yingxian had a bad habit of testing people with hooks in his words when talking to outsiders.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but say, “Sect Leader…”
But Xie Yingxian raised a hand and motioned her to hush.
Lu Chengsha said, “I trust her.”
Xie Yingxian raised an eyebrow slightly, “What if she is deceiving you?”
Lu Chengsha said, “She wouldn’t.”
Xie Yingxian was a bit surprised, “Hmm? You’re so sure?”
Lu Chengsha nodded, “Yes.”
Hua Yan also nodded, “Yes!”
Xie Yingxian: “…”
However, it was only for a moment. Xie Yingxian’s face broke into a smile, raising his eyebrows. His long, fox-like eyes narrowed slightly as he said, “I was just saying, I didn’t deceive you. However, you don’t need to step forward in this matter because we still need to investigate further. Miss, you mentioned that investigating the Miyin Dragon Cave would lead to being hunted, right? Let’s see if we can stir up some trouble by investigating this Jiang residence and see if anyone comes after us.”
They had been very cautious until now, moving lightly and quietly, except when breaking the wall. They had mostly stayed hidden in the rooms.
Now that it was confirmed that the current Jiang Louyue was indeed an imposter, the mysterious deaths of the Jiang family were no longer in question. After all, if the Jiang family were alive, even if they couldn’t see through the deception, once someone noticed something was wrong, the Jiang family could become key witnesses.
Now, with no witnesses left, the remaining mysteries were: who exactly was the fake Jiang Louyue and whether this fake Jiang Louyue was connected to the Miyin Dragon Cave incident.
Xie Yingxian then made slight adjustments to his disguise, transforming into a middle-aged swordsman in his thirties or forties. He then leapt out of the Jiang residence, brazenly strolling to the gate, and started chatting loudly with the gatekeeper. After a while, Xie Yingxian expressed his desire to take a look inside.
The gatekeeper shook his head and said, “No one has been inside for a long time. It’s eerie. You’d better not go in.”
Xie Yingxian smiled amicably, “Thank you for your concern, brother, but it’s no big deal. I came here out of admiration. I find the mysterious deaths of the Jiang family intriguing and want to take a look. I’ll be out quickly.”
The gatekeeper sighed, “The Jiang family was indeed strange. It’s a pity… Even this house is affected…” He whispered, “There were thieves who tried to sneak in before but were found dead under mysterious circumstances. I’m only telling you this because I feel a connection with you. I would have just turned anyone else away.”
Xie Yingxian feigned surprise, “Is that so? Then I must go in. I’ve always had a strong yang energy since I was a child, not afraid of any ghosts or monsters. Seeing such a haunted house piqued my curiosity. I also know a bit about soul calming techniques; perhaps I can help reduce some of the grievances here. Don’t worry, I’m a martial artist. If anything happens, I won’t blame you.”
From a distance, Hua Yan listened to Xie Yingxian’s nonsense and couldn’t help but tell Lu Chengsha, “Next time, don’t believe a word he says!”
Unexpectedly, Lu Chengsha responded, “I didn’t believe him.”
Hua Yan was slightly surprised, “You can tell?”
Lu Chengsha, as if reciting text, said smoothly, “Demonic sect members are naturally deceitful…”
Hua Yan raised an eyebrow, “…Hmm?”
Lu Chengsha added, “…except you.”
That’s more like it!
While they were chatting, Xie Yingxian had already managed to persuade the gatekeeper to let him in with his silver tongue.
By this time, dusk was approaching. He walked in boldly, seemingly fearless. Hua Yan stood outside, stomping her foot, staring unblinkingly at the Jiang residence.
Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed when Hua Yan saw several black shadows also sneaking in. She then noticed another shadow flash overhead — the speeds of the two types of shadows were vastly different. The former she could clearly see as they scaled the walls, while the latter was so fast that even its afterimage was nearly indistinguishable.
Hua Yan immediately followed.
By the time she scaled the wall, those shadows were already lying neatly on the ground, with Xie Yingxian standing nearby, hands tucked in his sleeves and leaning against the railing.
Xie Yingxian shrugged and said, “I didn’t make a move.”
Lu Chengsha’s calm voice came from somewhere, “Just knocked them out.”
Those black-clad individuals apparently didn’t even have time to react. Hua Yan felt a moment of pride and said to Xie Yingxian, “Isn’t he quite fast?”
Xie Yingxian gave her a sidelong glance.
Hua Yan continued, “I told you his talent isn’t inferior to yours!”
Xie Yingxian used the tip of his boot to lift a mask, saying, “You haven’t even married yet, no need to be…”
Lu Chengsha interrupted, “She has married.”
Xie Yingxian paused in his action, “…When did this happen?”
Hua Yan quickly interjected, “It was just a temporary measure, merely for appearances, it doesn’t count!”
She felt a bit guilty, having not mentioned this to Xie Yingxian. Marrying herself off in a muddled situation made her feel quite embarrassed. She had initially intended to tell him but eventually forgot about it after getting angry with Lu Chengsha.
Lu Chengsha started to say, “It counts…”
Hua Yan cut him off, “Let’s focus on these black-clad men first.”
Lu Chengsha’s words were swallowed back.
Xie Yingxian followed her lead, “Their faces are disfigured, and there are no markings on their bodies. Did you see the same before?”
Hua Yan inspected them closely, even prying open their mouths to check, and nodded, “Yes, it’s the same. But can we really determine anything from such death warriors?”
Xie Yingxian said, “There’s no such thing as so many coincidences. The Miyin Dragon Cave, the sect battles at the Sword-seeking Tournament, the Jiang residence, and many other incidents I suspected were framed on my sect. If all were designed by Jiang Louyue, it wouldn’t be surprising. The Dongfeng Buye Tower has the most comprehensive intelligence network in the martial world, reaching from high officials to commoners. With such extensive intelligence, the leader could easily exploit others’ weaknesses and commit heinous acts without arousing suspicion.”
Hua Yan asked, “What do we do next?”
Xie Yingxian said, “We continue to investigate. However, these two groups of actions have already alerted the enemy. The fake Jiang Louyue will likely stay hidden for a while and will hastily destroy evidence. In my opinion, this Jiang residence will likely catch fire within a few days.”
Hua Yan pouted for a moment and said, “Why is it that those who commit wrongdoings can’t be caught, and we have to take the blame every day?”
Xie Yingxian said, “Because this world is inherently unreasonable.”
Lu Chengsha’s voice suddenly sounded, “If innocent, the truth will come to light.”
Xie Yingxian laughed and said, “What’s this? This righteous young hero, you no longer kill demonic sect members? Now you want to clear the name of the demonic sect?”
Lu Chengsha paused and said, “I will still kill those who commit evil.”
Xie Yingxian said, “If you want to marry her openly, you’d better restrain yourself. Otherwise, I won’t agree.”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Xie Yingxian smirked, “Just because Lu Zhenxing disapproves, does it mean our Zhengyi Sect will agree?”
Lu Chengsha was at a loss for words.
Hua Yan softly and coyly said, “Sect Leader, you will agree, won’t you…” Her tone was drawn out, almost pleading.
Xie Yingxian gave her a look, the same kind of look he gave her last time she interrupted him.
Hua Yan felt even more guilty.
They already had it tough enough! No need to make it harder!
She tried to signal Xie Yingxian with her eyes.
After a moment of watching her, Xie Yingxian sighed and said, “Alright then, Lu Chengsha, you’re my blood-related younger brother after all. Call me ‘big brother’ first, and I’ll consider it.”
Hua Yan: “…?”
Lu Chengsha: “…???”