Chapter 48: The Mastermind Behind This Crime
The woman froze for a moment, then blurted out, "He's disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Lee Bane's brow furrowed deeper, his voice sharp with suspicion. "Why has he disappeared?"
Her gaze flickered, a mix of evasion and vindictiveness shining through her tears. "Mi-lord, you've been in secluded cultivation these past days," she said, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her skirt. "After... certain discussions with the Miu and Chou clans regarding arrangements, he just... vanished."
"Fool!" Lee Bane's face darkened, his voice cutting like a whip. "That disciple was a key witness, and you let those two clans kill him?!"
"But isn't it obvious?" she stammered, her confusion evident. "Yes, that damn little bastard Lordi Payne is vicious and venomous, but if that housing disciple hadn't meddled with ill intentions, arranging a monster like him into Sagwon's courtyard, would this tragedy have even happened?"
Lee Bane sneered, his voice dripping with icy mockery. "Typical feminine naivety! You take the Punishment Crypt's word as gospel? Yes, their investigations are nearly flawless—the Holy Sect has stood for ages with hardly any unjust condemnations under their watch. But even their findings don't prove Lordi Payne is the mastermind behind this crime!"
She gaped, stammering, "B-But—"
"That Lordi Payne is just a fourth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator from some no-name family—no real roots," Lee Bane said, his tone frigid. "At his age and cultivation level, beating even one of those three kids in a one-on-one fight would be a stretch. Taking on all three—including Sagwon? Where would he get the skill for that?"
"The Punishment Crypt said he's mastered some killer blade art and a lightning-fast footwork technique," she countered weakly.