The Muxue Hall of Qingshuang Sect temporarily served as a morgue.

The killed disciple was around twenty years old, with gentle facial features, clearly a mild-tempered young man. But there was no sign of life left in him. His throat was slashed open, the flesh turned outward, a blurry mess. The area around the wound was pale white, the blood already drained.

His personal belongings were few - an unsheathed sword, some scattered money, a brocade pouch containing two strands of his parents' white hair, and a crumpled family letter that had fallen beside his corpse.

As soon as Luo Fuchun entered Muxue Hall, the pungent smell of blood assaulted him, nearly making him retch.

When he saw the face of this youth, similar in age and appearance to his junior brother, he felt a sense of empathy. Unconsciously, he grabbed Sang Luojiu's hand, shielding him, not wanting his innocent junior to see such a scene.

At this time, the leaders of the three sects had all gathered here. Yan Wufu, the leader of Qingshuang Sect, had been guarding the hall early on, holding the corpse's hand and using a white cloth to wipe the blood from his wrist.

Perhaps at his age, he was accustomed to the partings of life and death. The thin old man's face showed little grief or anger. His movements were extremely gentle, like an old father wiping the body of his travel-weary son who had fallen asleep as soon as he returned home.

After Feng Rugu entered Muxue Hall and glanced at the corpse, his first words were: "How did he return so quickly?"

Luo Fuchun gave a start and quietly reminded his master behind him that the deceased should be mourned first upon entering.

Feng Rugu directly retorted: "Can mourning bring him back to life?"

Zhu Mingchao had already guessed what kind of person this Lord Yunzhong was during the confrontation in the mountain valley, so she didn't think much of it. But Hua Ruohong's eyelids twitched a couple of times.

Feng Rugu walked over to the corpse, raised his hand to indicate he wanted to examine it, and sought Yan Wufu's consent with his eyes.

Yan Wufu looked up at him and did not refuse.

Feng Rugu then proceeded to inspect the body under the white cloth.

Apart from a severe wound on the throat, there was not a single injury on the body.

Luo Fuchun had not yet figured out the question Feng Rugu asked when he first entered. Just as he was about to ask Sang Luojiu, Ruyi followed in.

After seeing the corpse, he frowned and naturally completed Feng Rugu's second half of the sentence: "...Wasn't his father critically ill?"

Luo Fuchun's heart suddenly became clear, but he couldn't help feeling a chill.

—This disciple was allowed to leave by Yan Wufu because he received a family letter saying his father was critically ill.

Yan Wufu's action broke the "sealing the rivers" strategy jointly discussed by the three sects, inviting opportunistic attacks from the other two sects. If not handled properly, it could even become the start of a war between the three sects.

And this disciple, who had triggered all the hidden dangers, had just left the rivers yesterday, saying he wanted to fulfill his filial duty. Now his throat was slit, and he died outside the rivers.

Feng Rugu asked, "Elder Yan, what is this disciple's name, and where is his home?"

"His name is Su Ping, from Qingping Prefecture," Yan Wufu said, showing he was indeed familiar with his disciples. "He's a native of Liuli County."

Feng Rugu acknowledged with an "hmm" and asked, "What level has his cultivation reached?"

Yan Wufu tucked the cleaned arm back under the sheet and carefully covered it. "He had just built his foundation and learned to control the flying sword," he said.

Luo Fuchun listened on the side, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer.

If what Yan Wufu said was correct, then based on Su Ping's cultivation level, leaving Jianchuan, going to Qingping Prefecture, and returning from Qingping Prefecture would take at least two days for a round trip, even at the fastest speed.

According to this timeline, after leaving Jianchuan, he rushed to Qingping Prefecture without stopping, but hardly stayed there before rushing back.

Why?

Did he really rush there and back, or... did he never leave the vicinity of Jianchuan at all?

Feng Rugu took the family letter himself to examine it and found it stained with blood, with a circle of fresh bloody fingerprints around the edges.

He sniffed the bloody smell on it, unfolded the letter, gave it a quick read, and asked, "Where is the person who discovered the corpse?"

A disciple wearing the attire of Baisheng Sect stepped forward with his head lowered, his shoulders still trembling: "In response to Lord Yunzhong, it was me. At that time, I was patrolling along the outer river and saw a black object lying under a tree in the distance. At first, I thought it was some traveler resting in the shade, but when I approached..."

"Wait a moment," Feng Rugu looked up at him, "You were patrolling along the outer river? The order to seal the rivers has been lifted?"

Hua Ruohong interjected, not forgetting to flatter: "Since Lord Yunzhong has arrived at Jianchuan, the three of us have someone to rely on and no longer fear anything. The prohibition was lifted in the morning. With Lord Yunzhong presiding here, I'm afraid those who secretly collude with outsiders wouldn't dare to act rashly..."

Feng Rugu was almost amused by him: "...'Wouldn't dare to act rashly,' yet someone died? Are you scolding me?"

Hua Ruohong was momentarily tongue-tied.

It was Zhu Mingchao on the side who pointed out the crux of the matter, also resolving this small awkwardness: "Lord Yunzhong, this disciple of Qingshuang Sect said he was going to attend a funeral. He shouldn't have returned at this time, but now he's dead not far outside the rivers, and it looks like it was done by that Tang saber swordsman. This..."

Her words were left unfinished but were poisonous and sharp enough.

She was clearly saying that the Tang saber swordsman and this Qingshuang Sect disciple were in cahoots, of the same ilk, birds of a feather flocking together. After killing and abandoning the corpse, with Jianchuan sealed, this disciple was afraid of being investigated, so he forged a letter about his father's critical illness to escape Jianchuan.

He lingered near Jianchuan, perhaps wanting to get the benefits of cooperation from the Tang saber swordsman. But the swordsman, in order to eliminate the problem at its root, killed him with one slash and threw his corpse in front of Jianchuan as a show of force.

Upon hearing this, Yan Wufu suddenly turned his head, his face ashen: "This is in front of a Qingshuang Sect disciple's spirit. I wanted to give him peace after death, so I gave you enough face to allow your two sects to run wild again. But if anyone can't keep their ass shut and talks nonsense regardless of the occasion, I'll help sew it up for them."

"Why must Elder Yan get angry?"

Hua Ruohong leaned back in his chair, putting on an air of leisurely tea drinking, but unable to hide his gloating expression: "Let's talk sense: after the incident in Jianchuan, apart from this disciple of Qingshuang Sect, no other disciples have left Jianchuan. Yet it just so happens that it was your disciple who died. What else do you have to say? If you had admitted early on to the crime of colluding with outsiders, at most you would only be guilty of lax governance. If you insist on shielding them, what will happen to Jianchuan's reputation? With so many eyes watching, a disciple of Qingshuang Sect has committed the shameful act of colluding with evildoers. If the sect leader is unwilling to admit to such a disgrace, that sets a poor example for those below. You might as well voluntarily leave and take Qingshuang Sect out of Jianchuan. Perhaps you can still salvage a thing or two..."

Yan Wufu silently picked up his crutch and threw it at Hua Ruohong's head.

Even though Hua Ruohong knew this old man had a violent temper, he never imagined he would dare to be so brutish in public, in front of Lord Yunzhong. In a fluster, he lowered his head to dodge. The iron crutch smashed directly into the wall behind his head with a thunderous bang and the cracking sound of the wall splitting, causing Hua Ruohong to break out in a cold sweat.

...If he hadn't managed to avoid it in time, his brains would probably be splattered everywhere by now!

Seeing the atmosphere in Muxue Hall suddenly become tense, Ruyi took a step forward, vaguely protecting Feng Rugu by his side.

Feng Rugu turned his head and exchanged glances with Ruyi for a moment, then looked towards the corpse with hooked eyes.

For some reason, just by looking at his eyes, Ruyi felt he could guess Feng Rugu's meaning.

It wasn't a "perhaps it's like this" kind of guess, but a "it should be like this" kind of certainty.

Even Ruyi himself didn't know why so many of his thoughts aligned so well with this detestable person.

On the other side, Hua Ruohong was already furious with humiliation. Without further ado, he reached to draw the Qingshuang sword at his waist.

Yan Wufu wielded a cane sword, with the blade hidden inside the walking stick. The iron crutch he had just thrown out was the scabbard, and now only a shimmering sharp blade remained in his hand.

Now that the leaders of the two sects were crossing blades, ready to spill blood at any moment, Sect Leader Zhu of Baisheng Sect didn't show any intention of restraining or stopping them at all, and just sat there sipping her tea.

There was an uproar all around, some exclaiming in shock, some drawing their swords. The small number of people in the hall tacitly split into three factions, clearly demarcated.

Luo Fuchun was in a panic. He tugged at Feng Rugu's clothes, hoping his master would intervene and intimidate this group of people who were red-eyed with fury.

But what made Luo Fuchun anxious was that Feng Rugu didn't seem to understand his meaning. Instead, he slightly narrowed his eyes and stroked his sword that hadn't left its scabbard in ten years, not knowing what he was thinking.

Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Ruyi's cold face grew even colder as he drew his sword with a clang.

When that Buddhist sword was hanging there, it was no different from any other. But once it was drawn with murderous intent, the candlelight in the hall instantly flickered and swayed. An ordinary wooden sword actually emitted a humming sword cry, sounding like ghostly wails, making people's hair stand on end.

In an instant, the entire Muxue Hall fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Ruyi was only twenty-three years old. The reason he could make a name for himself across the world and stand alone above the clouds was firstly because of his ruthless nature that was completely at odds with Buddhism's philosophy of compassion, using killing to stop war, and secondly because of his Suopo Sword Technique.

...The Suopo world, the Suopo tree, it's said the Suopo world has immeasurable suffering.

Ruyi's Suopo Sword Technique was renowned for its profound lightness, unpredictability and inscrutability. It was hard to discern any pattern, and with each person killed, it could borrow the remnant soul energy of the opponent and attach it to the sword's edge. Thus, although the wooden blade had no edge, it was enough to take lives with murderous qi.

He wore the souls of those he had killed at his waist as he walked the world, constantly reminding himself of the karma he bore.

Ruyi held the constantly wailing wooden sword, his tone steady, without anger: "I ask the sect leaders of the three sects to each restrain their disciples and not start any trouble."

Hua Ruohong stared at that pitch-black "Nature of All Beings" sword, his heart apprehensive, but still putting on a front: "Daoist sect affairs, what need is there for a monk to interfere?"

Ruyi remained unruffled, slowly saying: "I am entrusted with protecting someone. Whichever sect starts trouble and injures the one I am to protect, this poor monk will first sever the head of that sect's leader."

The threat, delivered so bluntly by a monk of a younger generation and lower status, was enough to make even Zhu Mingchao, who always liked to be a bystander, turn pale.

They didn't want to admit it, but had to acknowledge that this junior had unparalleled talent, and his cultivation might even be a notch higher than Yan Wufu, who had the most seniority and the highest cultivation among those present.

And Ruyi was a famous madman in the Buddhist world, in some ways as crazy as Lord Yunzhong on Fengling Mountain.

If he wanted to kill any of the sect leaders, the other two sects wouldn't help. Once blades were drawn, it would truly be irreversible.

Yan Wufu quietly gazed at Ruyi's wooden sword, not knowing what he was thinking.

Hua Ruohong inwardly cursed this thieving bald donkey countless times, but deeply feared one of his ignorant disciples would really make a move. Gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to sheathe his sword and sit down: "Sect Leader Yan dotes on his disciples and is overcome with grief in the moment, speaking wildly out of excessive sorrow. I won't stoop to your level and argue about this."

Yan Wufu let out a cold laugh: "Good little turtle, you can retract into your shell, but you still have to say all these pretty words."

Not wanting the situation to develop in an uncontrollable direction, Zhu Mingchao spoke up: "Sect Leader Yan, say a little less."

"Good female turtle, you're willing to say some lukewarm words of mediation, but this old man is unwilling to listen." Yan Wufu didn't show the slightest hesitation. He stabbed his sword blade into the cracks between the green bricks on the floor, and with his other hand pointed at the corpse of his sect's disciple who died with eyes still open: "This old man is unwilling to let my sect's disciple die with a tarnished name. I'm also willing to believe that the disciples taught by Qingshuang Sect are all upright and proper, and would not do anything to endanger Jianchuan. I am willing to swear that it absolutely wasn't a disciple of Qingshuang Sect colluding with outsiders to kill and abandon the corpse. If in the end, Lord Yunzhong investigates and finds out which sect's disciple was involved, they can get the hell out of Jianchuan. Who dares to bet on it?"

Hearing this, Zhu Mingchao and Hua Ruohong both perked up in unison, especially Hua Ruohong, unable to suppress the delight in his eyes: "Sect Leader Yan, is this true?"

Yan Wufu said: "In black and white, with a fingerprint spirit contract—whichever way you choose is fine. If you don't dare to sign, you're not your daddy's real son."

While Zhu Mingchao was still pondering, Hua Ruohong was already overjoyed and looked towards Feng Rugu, completely ignoring the corpse still lying beside him: "Lord Yunzhong, you see..."

Feng Rugu said: "Jianchuan affairs, I do not interfere."

Hua Ruohong was elated: "Then we will rely entirely on Lord Yunzhong."

Feng Rugu felt he had seen enough of this farce and turned around, saying, "Luojiu, detain all the disciples who were patrolling by the Jianchuan Sinking Waters during the hour of Su Ping's death."

Hua Ruohong let out an "ah" sound, a bit uneasy, "Lord Yunzhong, what are you doing this for? You don't suspect them, do you?"

Feng Rugu said, "Just to ask them some questions, that's all."

"That's good then, that's good." Hua Ruohong asked, "Lord Yunzhong, aren't you going to chase after that escaped Tang saber swordsman? This Qingshuang Sect disciple has been dead for less than half an hour, the culprit couldn't have gotten far. I've already dispatched Feihua Sect disciples to spread out a dragnet to pursue him. Once we catch him, we can force him to reveal exactly who in Jianchuan colluded with him..."

But Feng Rugu was already tired of listening to his nonsense. He turned and stepped out of Muxue Hall, leaving Hua Ruohong quite miffed.

As Feng Rugu walked, he muttered to himself, "If your people really caught up to that swordsman, they would be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter."

Luo Fuchun followed closely behind Feng Rugu, saying, "Master, let's go out and chase him too. In case those disciples don't know restraint and engage with that man in black, they will suffer losses. They are all fellow cultivators, we can't just sit by and ignore it."

Feng Rugu ignored Luo Fuchun, his thoughts jumping rapidly on their own: "It doesn't make sense...it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense."

Luo Fuchun grew even more confused, "Master, what doesn't make sense?"

"Yes, today, his killing made no sense, dumping the body made no sense, killing and dumping the body in such a conspicuous way made even less sense."

Having gone through a short period of getting in sync, Ruyi actually managed to follow Feng Rugu's train of thought effortlessly, "If it was really that man in black who killed this disciple, why didn't he throw him into the water, but instead hung him on a tree?"

Luo Fuchun felt this question was a bit inexplicable, "Didn't Sect Leader Hua say that the man in black did this so brazenly in order to threaten Jianchuan? He knew Master was in Jianchuan, so by killing that disciple, he could not only humiliate Master, but also stir up conflict between the three families--"

Feng Rugu stopped in his tracks and tapped Luo Fuchun on the forehead, "If he wanted to stir up conflict, killing this disciple and throwing him into the sinking waters to make him 'disappear' would be even better than him being dead, no?"

Ruyi naturally took over, "By then, when this disciple fails to return for a long time, Jianchuan will definitely send people to search. Once his whereabouts are unknown, it would confirm the accusation that Qingshuang Sect disciples colluded with outsiders to assist in murder. Doing it like this now, displaying the corpse on a tree, is too ostentatious, too high-profile."

"But..." Luo Fuchun felt his mind couldn't keep up. "Isn't the Tang saber swordsman's goal to sow discord between the three sects, to watch them fall apart and suspect each other?"

"No." Feng Rugu asserted, "His goal has always been me."

When he first heard this, Luo Fuchun felt a bit exasperated, thinking his master's narcissism was acting up again. But thinking about it carefully, he had to admit his master had a point.

"Do you know why we can't find out the Tang saber swordsman's background and identity? Because his background is clean. Before, there was never anyone in the world who killed like this. Using the Tang sword throat-slitting method, he killed sixteen people, with the purpose of spelling out the character 'Feng' to force me down the mountain."

Luo Fuchun scratched his head, "So..."

"Now, he has killed one more person, so the pattern forming the character 'Feng' is ruined, and his plan has lost its meaning. With that Tang saber swordsman's temperament, he would not do something like this. Even if he really killed a co-conspirator, he would not let his corpse be left out in the open."

Now Luo Fuchun finally understood Feng Rugu's meaning, but found it even more unbelievable, "Just for this reason, Master believes it was not the Tang saber swordsman who killed that disciple?"

"This reason is already enough. That 'Feng' character, he wanted to display it for the world to see." Feng Rugu said, "Someone who can do something so shocking, would he do something as petty as 'making a threat'? Would he be willing to ruin the scheme he so carefully arranged just to 'make a threat'?"

Although once again in agreement with his thinking, Ruyi couldn't help but furrow his brows, "You sure understand him well."

Feng Rugu smiled without answering.

Luo Fuchun's mind finally got on the right track, and the more he thought about it, the colder his spine felt, "Since Master says it wasn't the Tang saber swordsman who killed, then who killed that person?"

"Is the Tang saber swordsman's killing method some kind of secret?" Feng Rugu said, "Jianchuan has over two thousand Daoists in total. As long as someone has a Tang sword, anyone could be the Tang saber swordsman. Isn't that right?"