Chapter 132
Kuang Chu saw that Leng Rouyin had really left, then looked back at the dead Qiao Jun before taking out his Wind-Listening Ruler to call for someone to take him to the Legalist School.
After Leng Rouyin returned, she used her Wind-Listening Ruler to transmit a message to other Saints explaining the situation of Lan poison being discovered in the dormitory search.
The Communication Courtyard's restrictions on Wind-Listening Ruler transmissions only applied to others, not to the Saints' Wind-Listening Rulers.
The Saints who received the news looked at each other with various expressions.
Taiyi Academy had discovered a disciple consuming Lan poison. The two matters of Lan poison and Lan corpses combined carried a somewhat chilling meaning.
Zou Xian at the Communication Courtyard yawned and sighed: "There's no sleeping tonight."
Leng Rouyin had people move everything from Qiao Jun's room for examination, investigating disciples who had close relationships with Qiao Jun, places he frequently visited, and so on.
The disciples on the same floor as Qiao Jun were in trouble. The Silver River Water matter wasn't over yet, and now the Lan poison search had come.
Ou Rushuang continued broadcasting to the entire academy: School of Names disciple Qiao Jun consumed Lan poison, and after being discovered showed no remorse, attempted to flee, and died during capture.
This announcement was even more shocking than Silver River Water being hidden in the dormitory.
The disciples also realized what the earlier commotion was about. As the Saints announced the news, the whispers in the corridors gradually became a din of voices.
Wei Ren hid in a corner, lowering his voice: "This was also part of your plan?"
Yu Sui answered: "Unexpected gain."
Xue Mushi sent a message asking: "Does the Lan poison matter concern us?"
Yu Sui: "No."
Xue Mushi breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about.
They were relaxed watching the show, but another group was anxious inside.
Zhang Xiangyun never expected that the Silver River Water in Nian Qiuyan's hands wouldn't be discovered, but Qiao Jun's Lan poison would be.
Saints normally didn't care about dormitory inspections. If it weren't for Silver River Water being involved, no Saints would have come tonight. But among the Saints who came tonight, there were several who were serious and meticulous about everything, which led to this accident.
The Lan poison and bottle in Qiao Jun's room had long been disposed of, but he was attached to the faint lingering scent in the room and hadn't cleaned it up completely, thinking the smell would completely disappear in a few days. He never expected to encounter a Saint's search.
Luo Fu looked at the messages in his Wind-Listening Ruler for a while, then calmly put it away, lowering his voice: "He's been sent to the Legalist School for blood testing for poison."
Zhang Xiangyun pressed his temple with his hand, lowering his eyes to suppress the murderous intent within.
He smiled without warmth, grinding his teeth: "Which bastard is targeting us?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Xiangyun glanced at Nian Qiuyan ahead.
Could it be this bastard?
Nian Qiuyan had developed rebellious intentions and had pressured him yesterday, so he wanted to directly expose the Silver River Water matter, drag other Saints down with him, and let Saints deal with Saints?
His gaze swept over Kong Yiyi and Mei Liangyu. Zhang Xiangyun was so angry he laughed. This guy Nian Qiuyan was relying on having Silver River Water in hand, not afraid of exposing his identity.
Nian Qiuyan sensed something and glanced back with his peripheral vision for a moment.
Qiao Jun was very important to Zhang Xiangyun and others because his Divine Mechanism Art: False Beast was very useful. Some dangerous message delivery work required him to do it.
So Qiao Jun's death was a major loss for Zhang Xiangyun and others.
Nian Qiuyan's heart sank slightly. These two would probably suspect him for tonight's events.
If Zhang Xiangyun went crazy...
Nian Qiuyan looked at Mei Liangyu and Kong Yiyi in front of him and lowered his eyes. Zhang Xiangyun really dared to tell these two everything.
……
More and more disciples were taken away from the dormitory building, and instructors who had left returned to begin searching again.
The previous target was Silver River Water, this time the target was Lan poison.
The instructors now looked serious, giving disciples no opportunity to cause trouble. Anyone who dared make trouble would be dealt with directly. The disciples were also much more obedient than before, since all those who had caused trouble in the previous wave had already been taken away.
The Dragon Lock opened, disciples entered their rooms and stood in punishment in the main rooms, waiting for the instructors to finish searching.
Gu Qian and his two companions stood in the main room, calmly watching the instructors search their three rooms. Even the room of the deceased Wen Yanghui wasn't spared.
Fortunately, the instructors didn't find anything in the rooms. After the instructors left, all three secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Meng muttered: "What kind of things are happening tonight? Our academy really is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. First hiding Silver River Water, now hiding Lan poison... Lan poison!"
Gu Qian said nothing and walked toward his own room.
Huo Xiao went to the door to keep watch, thinking to himself.
After Gu Qian entered his room, he went straight to the desk by the wall, his gaze locking on the black wooden box in the second row. His hands quickly unlocked the diagram and word command secret locks, opened the box, and saw it was completely empty inside.
"..."
Gu Qian slammed the box shut with a snap. After calming down for a moment, he opened it again.
There was nothing in the black wooden box.
The Floating Pagoda fragment he had placed inside last night seemed like just a dream. The empty box made Gu Qian begin to doubt himself, whether obtaining the fragment was something from his dreams or had actually happened.
Gu Qian took a deep breath. The veins on the back of his hand holding the black wooden box became visible. He told himself to calm down and recall everything that had happened tonight:
From when he confirmed the fragment's existence to leaving the room, waiting in the corridor, then the Dragon Lock closing the door, followed by instructors coming to search the dormitory.
From beginning to end, only the instructors searching this floor had entered the room and had the opportunity to take the Floating Pagoda fragment.
Could it be an instructor?
Gu Qian's eyelid twitched as he looked back.
Ji Meng saw his red, cold eyes and was startled, somewhat puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Seeing Gu Qian holding the black wooden box, he blurted out: "The thing is missing?"
Huo Xiao at the door heard this and turned back, his eyes full of surprise.
Gu Qian came out with the empty box to show them both. Without saying anything, he shocked Ji Meng into gasping and made Huo Xiao's face change color.
Yu Sui signaled the others: "Gu Qian has discovered it."
Li Jin Shuang and Xun Zhiya were together, their expressions unchanged.
Xue Mushi turned and went back into his room. The search on his side was over, and he decided to stay in his room and go nowhere unless Gu Qian rushed up and pointed at his nose, accusing him of stealing the Floating Pagoda fragment.
Wei Ren waited outside for the instructors to come out before going back, while thinking about how Gu Qian would respond. He said: "Gu Qian will definitely suspect Li Jin Shuang and you first."
"Li Jin Shuang has been under Xun Zhiya's watchful eye the whole time, she had no opportunity." Yu Sui said. "If they suspect you and want you to do a School of Names testimony technique, then refuse."
School of Names testimony technique was generally used in conjunction with Legalist School judgment techniques.
It was like making a vow. If one spoke correct, sincere words, it would be "true." If one spoke insincere, false words, they would be attacked by Legalist School judgment techniques.
When the Legalist School judged Gu Qian, Sha Qian had insisted on using Legalist School judgment techniques for the trial, but was stopped by Elder Zhu. Instead, they used the Di Su Balance Scale. Legalist School Saint Yu Sheng also cooperated by turning a blind eye, letting Gu Qian muddle through.
Both sides had intentionally let Gu Qian go, but who knew Mei Liangyu wouldn't agree.
Li Jin Shuang replied with an "Mm" to show she understood.
Though she was quiet by nature, she wasn't stupid.
……
Gu Qian's side had lost the Floating Pagoda fragment. He was so angry his temples were twitching, his heart pounding, feeling all his blood rushing up and gathering at his forehead.
Ji Meng sat in a chair, then stood up, clenching his fists and knocking them together, wishing he could strangle the person who stole the Floating Pagoda fragment and throw them to the ground to stomp on them twice.
What kind of mess was this!
"Could it be that tonight's search was ostensibly for Silver River Water and Lan poison, but actually came to steal... the fragment!" Ji Meng stood up from his chair again, saying dizzily.
Huo Xiao quickly calmed down: "Was it an instructor?"
Gu Qian took two steps forward, about to intercept the instructors outside, but stopped just as he was about to walk out the door.
Stop the instructors and say what?
I lost something, but what I lost was something that couldn't see the light.
The instructors might not recognize it as a Floating Pagoda, but so many Saints came tonight, it was impossible for Saints not to notice.
The timing tonight looked wrong no matter how you looked at it.
Moreover, was the fragment really taken by instructors?
Gu Qian looked up at the departing Zhu Feihua and others with a ghostly gaze, memorizing these people in his heart. Then he took out his Wind-Listening Ruler, wanting to contact someone, but hesitated, finally taking a deep breath and giving up on Wind-Listening Ruler contact, planning to go see him in person.
Huo Xiao was still analyzing: "Getting the fragment only happened last night. It's only been one day. Who leaked the information?"
Ji Meng was clever for once, striking his palm with his fist and saying harshly: "Or they've been watching us all along, so they could steal it right when we got the fragment!"
After saying this, he pointed outside: "It must be the instructors who came tonight. They're the most suspicious."
"The instructors definitely need to be investigated." Gu Qian sat down calmly at the table, thinking coolly. "I'm certain the fragment was still in the box when I left. Only the dormitory-searching instructors entered the room tonight. Currently, they are indeed the most suspicious."
"Too obvious." Huo Xiao said. "Unless the person who took the fragment was certain we wouldn't dare make a fuss."
"We'll know by observing these instructors tonight afterward, but if it really was them, how did they know we had already obtained the fragment?" Ji Meng made his own eyelid twitch with his words, saying viciously: "Could there be a traitor among us?!"
But Gu Qian denied it: "I trust the people around me."
Suspecting their own people at this time would be very disadvantageous. If people's hearts scattered, it would be very difficult to repair. No matter who they suspected, it could cause an irreversible situation.
Huo Xiao frowned: "You know people's faces but not their hearts."
But Gu Qian looked up with annoyance: "Are you asking me to suspect you two?"
Huo Xiao: "..."
He said helplessly: "Ji Meng and I are naturally impossible, but the others..."
But Gu Qian shook his head.
Excluding Ji Meng and Huo Xiao, there were people on Xun Zhiya's side.
Xiang Feifei had cooperated with him since several years ago in Qingyang Imperial Capital. Gu Qian trusted her, and she had no need to do this.
Qian Ying need not be mentioned.
As for Shu Chujun and Li Jin Shuang, the former was Xun Zhiya's absolute supporter, while the latter, though extraordinarily capable and having discussed with Xun Zhiya that she would cooperate with her, was after all working together for the first time and was from Xun Zhiya's side.
Gu Qian wouldn't suspect Li Jin Shuang in front of others, questioning Xun Zhiya's personnel decisions and making her lose face.
As for Sui Sui... that was absolutely impossible.
Gu Qian suppressed his irritation, took a deep breath to calm himself, then took out his Wind-Listening Ruler and asked that mysterious person fiercely: "Was it you?"
This time the other party replied quite quickly: "What's wrong now?"
Just from the text, one could feel several degrees of impatience.
Gu Qian tapped away at the character grid: "You took the Silver River Water, didn't you!"
The mysterious person replied: "What are you making a fuss about?"
Gu Qian: "You took the Silver River Water from Inverted Moon Cave, then learned I was going to get the fragment. Now that the fragment is in hand, you colluded with instructors and had tonight's dormitory-searching instructors take the fragment!"
Mysterious person: "Who?"
Gu Qian: "Who else could do these things? Of course it's you!"
"If you insist on throwing this dirty water on me, then we'll terminate our cooperation." The mysterious person replied. "You go tell the Saints it was me who took the fragment, and I can also tell other Saints what you lost."
Gu Qian immediately calmed down.