Chapter 131
Li Qiuwen's suspicions were resolved, while Yu Sui continued observing the conversation and expressions of the two men.
Tonight the thing she did most was observe.
She couldn't directly make public the information that Silver River Water was with Nian Qiuyan.
She could only reveal part of it, then observe others' reactions and actions.
Yin-Yang School Saint Zou Xian appeared casual and carefree, but his thinking was very clear. He knew quite a lot, yet wasn't the type who liked to take initiative.
Taoist School Saint Li Qiuwen, his several remarks when mentioning Gu Qian had caught Yu Sui's attention somewhat.
If he was naturally suspicious by nature, ensuring everything was accurate and true, yet when Zou Xian proposed that Gu Qian might have participated in team cooperation to steal Silver River Water, he didn't pursue it much. Instead, he reminded Zou Xian that Gu Qian was School of Names Elder Zhu's disciple, and reinvestigating Gu Qian would also slap the Legalist School in the face.
Li Qiuwen might be a participant in the Floating Pagoda fragment matter.
Agricultural School Saint Ou Rushuang was suspected of being a participant in the Silver River Water matter.
With so many Saints mobilized tonight, even if Silver River Water couldn't be found, there should be other gains.
Yu Sui put away her Wind-Listening Ruler and through Five Elements Light Cores, saw instructors gradually wrapping up and leaving.
Nothing was found on Gu Qian's floor either, though quite a few disciples were taken away, all for fighting and causing disturbances.
He calmly observed the departing Zhu Feihua and others, secretly breathing a sigh of relief that the Floating Pagoda fragment matter hadn't been discovered.
Gu Qian looked down at his Wind-Listening Ruler, his brow twitching slightly.
He remembered the initial conversation. This guy had admitted he had also entered Inverted Moon Cave that night. Looking at it this way, tonight's events were most likely caused by the mysterious person on the other end of the Wind-Listening Ruler.
Wasn't Silver River Water taken by him?
A thief calling for thieves to be caught.
Gu Qian sneered inwardly, feeling his guess was quite accurate.
Yu Sui counted the Saints in the dormitory building who hadn't left yet.
Military School Saint Leng Rouyin was searching floor by floor downward. She worked very meticulously and decisively. When Leng Rouyin was present, even when disciples were emotionally manipulated into causing trouble, they were quickly suppressed and calmed by her.
At this moment, the disciples in the corridor all shrank their heads like quails, not daring to make any moves.
Leng Rouyin's expression remained unchanged as she searched room by room.
She personally entered rooms, participating in the search of every dormitory. After entering, her gaze swept over doors and windows, watching instructors use green bamboo rods to sense the presence of Silver River Water.
Direct hand contact with Silver River Water would also result in contamination by its toxicity, but ordinary people would find it difficult to know these details, while the person who stole Silver River Water understood very well.
Though Yu Sui didn't know this, she had also stumbled upon the right approach. Saying Silver River Water was hidden in dormitory rooms was much more credible than Silver River Water being hidden on someone's person.
Leng Rouyin randomly picked a room to enter. She stood at the doorway, watching another instructor probe every corner of the room with a green bamboo rod.
No sensing was triggered, so the instructor turned back and shook his head at her.
Leng Rouyin turned to leave but caught a whiff of rich orchid fragrance. Though it was fleeting, almost like an illusion, it still drew her attention.
Her figure paused as she focused and looked back, examining everything in the room again.
The instructor asked: "Is there something suspicious?"
"A smell." Leng Rouyin said, walking toward the bookshelf against the wall.
The instructor beside her heard her words and sniffed left and right, still not understanding. He hadn't heard that Silver River Water had any particular smell.
The instructor continued asking: "What kind of smell?"
Leng Rouyin said: "The smell of Lan poison."
The instructor's face changed slightly, becoming cautious as he whispered: "How could there be... in a disciple dormitory?"
Leng Rouyin didn't explain further, as it might be her imagination and she needed to find evidence to be certain. Following the possible source of the smell, she carefully examined the items on the bookshelf.
They were all small trinkets and decorations bought from the Outer City. The room's owner was a School of Names disciple, and Leng Rouyin could spot School of Names word command secret locks on some boxes.
She didn't try to unlock these word command secret locks, only followed the scent.
The instructor also began sniffing around the room.
Instructors who had finished searching other rooms and were passing by saw the two people in this room and showed puzzled expressions.
Yu Sui observed the movement here through Five Elements Light Cores. Leng Rouyin discovering traces of Lan poison matched her expectations.
If Taiyi Academy could transport Lan poison to Qingyang Imperial Capital, it meant there was definitely plenty of Lan poison here.
Since there were people like Zhang Xiangyun lurking in the academy to steal Silver River Water and cooperating with Saints, then under the Saints' protection and concealment, disciples related to Lan poison were probably numerous.
If not those consuming Lan poison, then like Zhang Xiangyun and others, those responsible for trafficking Lan poison.
Tonight they might not find the person who stole Silver River Water from Inverted Moon Cave, but they could find several Lan corpses.
Though the Dragon Lock had been unlocked, disciples didn't dare enter their rooms to watch the instructors and others search. They could only obediently stand outside with their backs to the room doors, not allowed to watch the movement inside.
Leng Rouyin approached the bookshelf against the wall. Sometimes getting too close made it impossible to catch the scent. She stood in front of the bookshelf for a long time, slowing her breathing and naturally inhaling.
The scent of orchids.
Rich, but only for an instant.
Lan poison took many forms: liquid, mist, but all had a refreshing faint orchid fragrance.
Leng Rouyin extended her hand, her fingertip gently brushing the edge of the wooden shelf, then brought it to her nose, smelling the residual Lan poison scent, the pungent rich orchid fragrance.
When her hand touched the edge of the wooden shelf, several images flashed rapidly through her mind:
An exquisite blue water bottle, knocked over by someone's hand, the bottle mouth falling toward the room door direction, with light purple mist flowing out from inside, leaving the scent on the wooden shelf.
But at this moment there was no bottle containing Lan poison on the wooden shelf.
"Bring the owner of this room in." Leng Rouyin said.
Seeing her say this, the instructor knew she had found something and immediately complied.
He called all four people into the main room, pointed to the room where Leng Rouyin was, and asked: "Who lives in there?"
"Disciple Qiao Jun." A young man stepped forward from among them, bowing his head.
He appeared neither servile nor overbearing, seeming to think his Lan poison consumption couldn't possibly be discovered.
Leng Rouyin had him enter the room.
Qiao Jun complied, entering the room and standing not far from Leng Rouyin, bowing his head and waiting.
"You consume Lan poison?" Leng Rouyin's neither light nor heavy statement created tremendous waves in the room.
The instructor standing in the main room and the other three disciples all looked at Qiao Jun in shock.
Qiao Jun was startled at first, then bowed and cupped his hands: "Saint's discernment, I have never touched Lan poison."
Leng Rouyin turned to look at him: "Your room retains the smell of Lan poison."
Qiao Jun remained composed: "I don't know about this, but I do keep several orchid plants. Though their blooming season has passed, their fragrance still lingers in the room."
"The Lan poison in the bottle was mist form. From the size of the blue bottle, I can guess the Lan poison inside was enough for you alone to use for seven days. If you were frugal, it could last half a month or more." Leng Rouyin wasn't deceived by Qiao Jun's composed response, only gently rubbing her fingertip that carried the scent. "Unfortunately, it was knocked over, spilling almost half."
When Leng Rouyin accurately described the bottle's size and the Lan poison dosage, Qiao Jun's heart sank.
That had happened when he was alone in his room. How did Leng Rouyin know?
Fortunately, both the Lan poison and bottle had been disposed of by him. Leng Rouyin couldn't find evidence.
Qiao Jun steadied his mind and continued: "This disciple is dull and truly doesn't understand what the Saint is referring to."
"The appearance of Lan poison at Taiyi Academy is already strange. I won't decide based on just your few words." Leng Rouyin looked at him and said to the instructor at the door: "Take him to the Legalist School for blood testing for Lan poison."
Qiao Jun raised his head: "Without evidence, the Legalist School can't act this way either."
Hearing his argument, Leng Rouyin quieted, her gaze moving past Qiao Jun to look at the three disciples behind: "If any of you know anything, speak up. If you conceal and don't report, you'll be punished equally."
The three disciples felt pressure descending like a mountain collapse, looking at each other for a moment before turning to Qiao Jun.
Qiao Jun didn't dare look back at them now.
The instructor beside them said gently: "Feel free to speak. If you didn't participate, naturally nothing will happen."
"I definitely didn't participate." One disciple rubbed his head with a dejected expression. "I didn't even know there was Lan poison in his room... I mean, where did you get this stuff? You didn't accidentally let us touch it too, did you?"
"A blue bottle? I think I've seen it in his room before." The disciple with a somewhat hesitant expression also spoke up. "By the bookshelf... but I didn't know if there was Lan poison inside."
Only then did Qiao Jun whip around.
The third disciple said angrily: "Hey, don't talk nonsense! What if it was just an ordinary bottle? Qiao Jun isn't that kind of person!"
After hearing these three people's conversation, Leng Rouyin said directly: "Take him away."
Only then did the instructor begin to act.
They stood on Qiao Jun's left and right. Though they didn't physically bind him, their intent to detain was obvious.
Qiao Jun walked out with a dark expression. Just as he reached the main hall, his figure suddenly flashed, Wind-Riding Techniques under his feet. The instructor on the left reacted quickly and moved to stop him, but saw Qiao Jun's body technique strangely dodge past.
The instructor who let Qiao Jun escape felt embarrassed. As a Military School instructor, the slender, sturdy green bamboo rod in his hand was very handy to use.
The Military School instructor struck back with the green bamboo rod, sending out several sharp sword energies that blocked Qiao Jun's positioning and cut off his escape route. But he hadn't expected that Qiao Jun wasn't trying to rush toward the corridor.
The sudden fighting in the room caused commotion, making disciples in the corridor all turn around to look inside.
As a School of Names Class A disciple, Qiao Jun had some real ability. At this moment, only one instructor was fighting in the room. Their exchange was very fast, with Qiao Jun reacting quickly, only dodging without attacking.
He raised his hand in a School of Names word command that blasted open the tightly closed window with a loud bang. Wood chips flew everywhere, and in the sound of the window exploding, Qiao Jun transformed into a golden light, his form becoming a spreading-winged black bird that flew out through the window.
The three disciples in the room were all stunned.
"He... he... this..."
The School of Names had this kind of Nine Schools Art?!
The instructors who thought they could handle it were also stunned.
Kuang Chu and Jiang Shulan, guarding below the dormitory building, both noticed the movement above and saw the black bird flying out from the window.
Leng Rouyin walked toward the window, her gaze fixed on the black bird flying farther and farther in the night sky: "Divine Mechanism Art: False Beast."
Ranked 81st Divine Mechanism Art: False Beast.
It possessed the ability to transform oneself into birds and beasts, but with a time limit.
Even with just a few moments, it was enough for Qiao Jun to escape.
At this moment he had transformed into a bird soaring in the sky, flying higher and farther, almost becoming an invisible black dot in the night.
Leng Rouyin reached into the void to grasp a golden sword hilt and swung it forward, acting almost simultaneously with Kuang Chu downstairs.
Two swift and powerful sword energies accompanied by piercing whistling sounds caught up with the distant black bird in the blink of an eye and struck it down.
Two Military School Saints attacking simultaneously, the clear sword cry drew everyone's attention. People in the dormitory building unanimously wanted to look outside.
Kuang Chu and Leng Rouyin used Wind-Riding Techniques to pursue, both moving very fast and arriving simultaneously. In the peach blossom grove, they saw the dead Qiao Jun who had fallen to the ground.
Hit by two Saints' sword energies, there was absolutely no possibility of survival.
Leng Rouyin lowered her eyes to glance and said coolly: "I didn't intend to kill him."
Kuang Chu sheathed his sword with one hand, raising an eyebrow with a smile: "I didn't intend to either. What a coincidence. Didn't you know I was right downstairs and would act when sensing something unusual?"
Leng Rouyin turned to leave: "Since you killed him, while his blood still has warmth, send him to the Legalist School to test for Lan poison."
Kuang Chu stared at her back: "Let's be clear about this. The cause of death was being hit by two sword energies. It's not just my doing alone."
Leng Rouyin ignored him, her figure instantly disappearing.