In the small grove, only disciples guarding the scene remained, along with a pool of dark purple blood seeping into the ground.

The area was near water, and the soil was soft and loose. Being a grove, the soil was perpetually damp. There were over a dozen overlapping footprints from different people, looking utterly chaotic.

Feng Rugu put on a monocle and circled the scene.

Feng Rugu asked Ruyi, "Figured out any clues?"

Ruyi was studying half a footprint. "...Mm."

Feng Rugu clicked his tongue and gently nudged Ruyi's back with his knee. "If you figured it out, then say it."

Ruyi frowned. Someone had just died here, how could Feng Rugu be so irreverent and distracted in this place?

Ruyi stood up. "The deceased and the killer knew each other."

Feng Rugu looked into his eyes, indicating for him to continue.

Ruyi was slightly startled.

This feeling was strangely familiar, just like many years ago, his adoptive father would always look at him with those eyes, encouraging him to say "thank you" to others.

Ruyi quickly came back to his senses. He pointed to a pair of footprints next to the blood stain and said concisely, "Half an inch deep, seven inches long, with grain patterns on the sole. These are the footprints left by the deceased... He once stood here, facing the assailant, but he did not make any defensive moves like retreating."

Feng Rugu intentionally tested him, "Then isn't it possible the other party had been lying in ambush in the tree for a long time, and with fast sword speed, found the right moment to strike a fatal blow?"

Ruyi said, "If that was the case, he should have maintained a posture of hurrying along the path, with one foot in front and one behind."

...But the footprints on the ground showed both feet standing together.

In other words, after the deceased saw the other person, he stood firm but did not take any defensive measures, and was then killed.

"An acquaintance..." Feng Rugu lightly scratched the tip of his nose with his thumb, lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Hey, Little Hongchen, if you saw Hai Jing or a disciple of the same rank as you from your temple, how would you greet them?"

"We wouldn't salute, just nod in passing..."

As soon as he answered, Ruyi realized and turned to look at Feng Rugu, just in time to see him wink at him mischievously.

Ruyi immediately turned his face away, his speech rate slightly faster, "...Only when facing a high-ranking sect leader, hall master, or abbot do we need to stand at attention and salute."

...That's right.

The deceased disciple, Su Ping, was passing through the small grove, preparing to return to Jianchuan, when he encountered a familiar person of higher status than him in the woods. So he stood with both feet together and respectfully saluted.

Perhaps it was while he was saluting that the other party suddenly struck, catching him off guard and ending his life here.

Feng Rugu leaned against a tree, tilting his head to look at Ruyi, "Someone with the skill to slit a throat with one sword stroke while the other is unprepared, and holds a high position... There aren't many people like that in Jianchuan. I have one person in mind now, I wonder if Master Ruyi also has someone in mind?"

This question was ordinary, but it inexplicably made Ruyi's heart skip a beat.

He didn't know why his heart felt a faint soreness. Thinking his mind was unsettled, after calming himself, he asked back, "The Lord Yunzhong should have someone in mind."

Feng Rugu raised an eyebrow and pointed to the half footprint Ruyi had just measured, "This footprint is narrow and small, with a lotus pattern embroidered on the sole that women like to use."

Ruyi said, "Of noble status, with exceptional swordsmanship. Disciples seeing her must stand at attention and salute."

Feng Rugu continued, "...And can afford to use precious fragrances like Ningxi incense."

The two looked at each other and said in unison, "Baisheng Sect, Zhu Mingchao."

By the time the two returned to Jianchuan, it was past midnight.

Feng Rugu was carried back by Ruyi. He slept sweetly nestled against his shoulder, not even waking when they returned to Jianchuan, occasionally squirming around restlessly.

Sang Luojiu, who was waiting in the courtyard, came forward to greet them, "Master Ruyi, why are you back so late?"

Ruyi said, "Went to Qingping Prefecture."

Sang Luojiu didn't seem surprised, "Was the letter fake or real?"

Ruyi glanced at him, his understanding of Feng Rugu's disciple deepening, and said, "Su Ping's parents are both alive."

...It was indeed forged, as expected.

As Sang Luojiu was thinking, he reached to take his master from Ruyi's back. "Master, thank you for your trouble."

Ruyi, carrying Feng Rugu on his back, inconspicuously dodged his hands.

Sang Luojiu grasped at air, his expression subtly shifting. Turning to look at Ruyi's face, his expression became a bit peculiar.

Ruyi walked forward on his own, "After we separated and went into seclusion, did anyone come to visit?"

Sang Luojiu withdrew his hands, "Yes. Sect Leader Zhu sent someone, and my father personally came. They were all turned away."

Hearing the voices, Feng Rugu, like a well-rested cat, stretched out his arms and legs. His face nuzzled against Ruyi's neck again, rubbing something soft and warm across it. The series of movements left Ruyi feeling flustered and annoyed.

Even asleep he's so improper.

He set down Feng Rugu, who wasn't fully awake and was blinking, his lashes lightly brushing against the side of Ruyi's neck.

Since the movement was a bit heavy, Feng Rugu staggered unsteadily. Ruyi felt a pang in his heart and reflexively grabbed his wrist, pulling him straight into his arms.

Before he could feel embarrassed, Feng Rugu reached out and hooked an arm around his neck, murmuring lazily, "Luojiu... don't move, let Master lean on you for a bit to wake up..."

Ruyi paused, realizing he had mistaken him for someone else.

He should have felt less embarrassed because of this, but an inexplicable anger made his face look even more unpleasant than before.

Ruyi said in a cold, stiff voice, "Look clearly, who am I?"

Hearing this, Feng Rugu straightened up.

Ruyi still hoped this person had a shred of shame, but unexpectedly, after discovering his mistake, Feng Rugu placed his arms on Ruyi's shoulders, interlocking his fingers behind his neck, and looked into his eyes with a half-smile, "I'm looking, very clearly."

Seeing him up close, the fengshui of the temple was quite nourishing. Sending him over was probably the right thing to do. Hadn't he grown into a beautiful big monk?

Ruyi stiffened for a moment, then brushed his hands away, "Lord Yunzhong, please have some self-respect."

"I do, I do."

After successfully making Ruyi's ears turn red, Feng Rugu yawned, his eyes brimming with tears, and turned to Sang Luojiu, "Luojiu, what's the situation now?"

Sang Luojiu tactfully handed over a handkerchief, "To answer Master, just now..."

"Sect Leader Zhu sent someone over," Ruyi took over, "Sect Leader Hua personally came."

Seeing Ruyi's attitude, Sang Luojiu's eyes flashed. He had some plans in his heart. He replied with lowered eyes, "That's right."

Feng Rugu said, "Sect Leader Hua really likes to handle everything personally."

Tonight, he also took the initiative to come, strongly inviting Feng Rugu to attend the banquet.

Sang Luojiu said with a smile, "My father is a leisurely person and rarely does things himself. His sudden change of character may be because Master is here."

Feng Rugu raised his hand and tapped Sang Luojiu's nose, "That's your father. Don't speak ill of him in front of others, or you might get caught."

Sang Luojiu gladly accepted this tap, smiling innocently, "Master is not an outsider."

Seeing this scene, Ruyi only felt a strange sourness spreading in his chest.

He could treat himself like this, but he would also be so unscrupulous with his own disciple?

He turned around and said coldly, "Those disciples have been locked up long enough."

Feng Rugu slapped his forehead, "I overslept, I overslept. I..."

Sang Luojiu stopped him, "Master, Shuang'er told me something..."

He was obviously hesitant to speak, and glanced at Ruyi again, seeming to have some unspeakable secret.

Feng Rugu knew that Sang Luojiu was heavily involved in Jianchuan's matters, so he waved his hand and said, "Great Master, you go and ask first."

Ruyi left without a word. After walking a few steps, he felt that leaving like this was really too rude. When he turned his head back and was about to say something, he saw Sang Luojiu leaning close to Feng Rugu's ear, whispering intimately.

At this, Ruyi left without looking back.

...

After hearing Sang Luojiu's account, Feng Rugu scratched the small mole on the corner of his nose. "Shuang'er saw Zhu Mingchao appear in the small woods?"

"Yes," Sang Luojiu said, "Shuang'er said he saw her waiting for someone."

This corresponded with their investigation results in the small woods.

Zhu Mingchao had indeed appeared in the small woods around the time Su Ping died.

Sang Luojiu asked, "What does Master think?"

Feng Rugu said, "It may not have been her who did it."

Sang Luojiu was stunned.

With all the evidence and witnesses, and Zhu Mingchao's involvement in both incidents, he thought it was enough to determine her guilt. "...Master?"

Feng Rugu said, "When turning the corpse in the mountain valley, she still knew to use picked-up stones to erase traces and frame Feihua Sect. But this time, for such an important assassination, she even forgot to hide her footprints?"

Sang Luojiu: "Perhaps she was hoping that after the corpse was discovered, other footprints would cover it up? The Baisheng Sect disciples were the first to discover the body, so there was a lot of room for manipulation."

Feng Rugu: "That's why I said 'may not'."

Sang Luojiu: "But it can probably be said that the person who sent the letter to Su Ping is the person who killed Su Ping, right?"

Feng Rugu did not speak, only pondering.

The death of the young disciple broke the peace of Jianchuan and gave each sect an excuse to make a fuss, causing conflicts.

The conflicts between the three sects intensified because the corpse was found facing the Qingshuang Sect's direction, and it was their disciple, Su Ping, who had been lured out by a forged family letter.

Su Ping's death was most harmful to Qingshuang Sect. If the murderer could not be found, Qingshuang Sect would be accused of colluding with outside enemies.

Among the three sects, Qingshuang Sect had the largest number of people and the most unstoppable development momentum. If allowed to develop, the other two sects would sooner or later lose their footing, either being annexed into Qingshuang Sect or being driven out.

If the other two sects deliberately sent a fake letter and ignited conflicts targeting Qingshuang Sect, it would also make sense.

While he was thinking, Ruyi had already come out from the first person's room.

The reason Feng Rugu had them detained separately and left them alone was to make it impossible for them to communicate with each other. Sitting alone in an empty room and waiting, they would inevitably let their imaginations run wild.

And what humans are best at is self-intimidation. The more they think and fear, the more likely it is to extract the truth.

Feng Rugu stepped forward, "How did the Great Master's questioning go?"

Ruyi said, "Inside is a Feihua Sect disciple. At the time of the murder, he was in charge of guarding the ice bridge."

This matched what Shuang'er said: the bridge guard was a Feihua Sect disciple. He was afraid the disciple would report to his mother and cause him to be punished, so he hid in the small woods, not daring to go back.

Feng Rugu asked, "What did he discover?"

Ruyi said, "He said that at the time of the murder, the Feihua Sect leader..."

He glanced at Sang Luojiu, and after receiving Feng Rugu's eye signal of "you can say it", he continued, "Feihua Sect leader Hua Ruohong came to inquire if Su Ping had returned and if any outsiders had visited. After the bridge guard answered truthfully, he told him to keep a close watch and crossed the bridge, but he was gone for a very short time, at most the time it takes to patrol the outer river once, and quickly returned."

Feng Rugu's mind stirred.

"Above the deep water, one cannot use magic arts and can only cross the bridge normally." Feng Rugu came back to his senses and smiled, "This is truly the most wonderful."