Chapter 107 : The Bloody Case
Chapter 107: The Bloody Case
By the time they returned to the Mountain Sect, three days had already passed.
The atmosphere aboard the Flying Boat had been somewhat stiff. Hardly anyone felt like talking anymore, far from the cheerful mood they had shared on the journey there.
Part of the reason was the horrific tragedy at Twin Su Manor.
The other reason was Fang Chang.
Wasn't this guy just a little too good-looking?
Aside from Cheng Hua and Perfected Yue Han, why were all the other female disciples aboard the Flying Boat constantly sneaking glances at him?
After they landed,
some of them even boldly asked for his address.
However,
Mr. Fang politely declined with a warm smile.
Naturally, he had no interest in becoming entangled with these ordinary NPCs.
After disembarking from the Flying Boat, he headed straight for the Clear Heart Hall to submit the Ghost Monkey Medicinal Garden mission.
As for the rewards...
They amounted to nothing more than some Tai Sui White Flesh and a few merit points usable only within the sect.
Just scraps.
But Fang Chang was the type of person who would "log in and immediately clear every red notification on the list," not to mention completed quests.
A mild case of obsessive-compulsive tendencies, one might say.
While he was there, he casually browsed the mission board in the Clear Heart Hall.
Nothing particularly interesting.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he saw a disciple dressed in the Clear Heart Hall's work uniform slowly approach and hang a newly issued commission on the notice board.
—"At midnight the night before last, a Blood Fiend phenomenon appeared at the entrance to East Summer Courtyard Alley, where a cultivator was killed on the spot. Anyone able to provide clues will be generously rewarded."
Incense smoke drifted through the Clear Heart Hall as cultivators came and went in an endless stream.
The moment the notice was posted, the hall erupted into an uproar.
"Someone actually dared to murder another cultivator inside the sect? That's outrageously bold."
"Canglan Immortal Mountain's disciples are supposed to possess such fine character. How could anyone do something like this? Could it be that members of the Five Turbid Path who attacked the mountain are still hiding here?"
"It's been several months already. Those Five Turbid Path cultivators have long since been wiped out. Do you think our sect elders have been sitting around doing nothing?"
"Why kill someone now of all times? Right before the Canglan Immortal Mountain Dao Exchange Conference. Someone clearly has ulterior motives."
"My brother's wife's spirit beast's breeding partner's owner's aunt's lover's daughter said the victim's surname was Cui! The Cui Family's Cui!"
"Come on, that's way too many layers removed. Can that information still be reliable?"
"All I can say is that those who understand, understand. Those who don't won't understand even if I explain it. Better not to say anything. And don't ask me about it either. There are too many interests involved. Knowing won't do you any good."
The surrounding cultivators all voiced their own theories.
Standing among the crowd, Fang Chang glanced over curiously but did not think much of it.
He had always been a rogue cultivator player and had never joined any sect in the game.
How could he possibly know about such internal affairs?
After listening for a while,
the discussion gradually devolved into pointless arguments and drifted completely off topic.
Finding it rather boring, he returned toward the bamboo forest behind Huangmei Courtyard.
Along the way,
he also purchased some medicinal ingredients for nurturing flesh and blood, along with materials for crafting a banner.
The former was naturally for nurturing the Twin Souls' twin skeletons.
The latter was because Fang Chang intended to make a Myriad Souls Banner.
During the expedition to Twin Su Manor, he had already retired the Blood Golden Core, while the Twin Dragon-Grasping Grass Talisman Treasure had consumed most of its remaining uses in wearing down the sinister Yin aura.
He would have to conserve its remaining power.
NPCs tended to be extreme.
To them, the Corpse Refinement Path consisted solely of refining corpses.
Players, however, were different.
Aside from Yin Corpses, they had always possessed additional methods for combat.
The Myriad Souls Banner was one such example.
Ordinary Myriad Souls Banners required absorbing and refining vast numbers of living souls and resentful spirits to increase their power.
A rather cruel process.
It did not quite suit Fang Chang's inherently kind nature.
Fortunately,
he happened to know a little trick that strengthened it without requiring a large number of souls.
The method itself was very simple.
One only needed to collect the souls of women and refrain from erasing their consciousness.
Then, using a secret technique, one would cause resentment to flourish while Yang declined and Yin Qi reached its peak.
In time, the banner would become filled with endless arguments, fierce quarrels, clawing, and vicious insults.
As resentment accumulated over the years,
the Myriad Souls Banner's power would naturally rise to an even higher level.
Coincidentally,
Fang Chang happened to have three soul bodies on hand.
They belonged respectively to Perfected Yue Su, Cui Shuyu, and Cui Yinqiu.
All three had been women betrayed and murdered.
Even while alive, they had been overflowing with aggression and resentment.
With proper cultivation,
they would undoubtedly prove excellent.
"Crunch—"
Walking along the bamboo path behind the mountain, Fang Chang crushed a large patch of crisp fallen leaves beneath his feet before suddenly stopping.
The bamboo forest surged like rolling waves.
Not far ahead, seven or eight cultivators were standing in front of his little cottage.
Each carried a stern, murderous aura, with chilling killing intent lingering around them.
The moment they noticed Fang Chang,
every one of them became alert.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense, as though even the bamboo leaves no longer dared to fall.
Leading the group was a heroic-looking female cultivator with a high ponytail.
She stepped forward and cupped her hands.
"Are you Junior Brother Fang Chang?"
"I am."
Fang Chang returned the salute.
"May I ask what brings all of you here?"
The heroic female cultivator did not answer directly.
Instead, she asked,
"I am Jiang Cheng, an Enforcement Hall Deacon. Junior Brother Fang, judging by appearances, you've been away from your residence for quite some time. Where have you been these past few days?"
Fang Chang likewise did not answer immediately.
He looked around at the surrounding cultivators before smiling.
"So it really was a member of the Cui Family who was murdered?"
"..."
The bamboo forest of Huangmei Courtyard was normally sparsely populated.
The vast stretches of spirit bamboo also made it a fairly secluded place.
Apparently, they suspected the murderer had hidden here.
Jiang Cheng sighed helplessly.
"Junior Brother only needs to answer our questions."
Only then did Fang Chang reply,
"I left the mountain some time ago to carry out a mission. I only returned today."
Every entry and exit from the sect was recorded with official credentials.
There was no way to falsify such a thing.
The Enforcement Hall cultivators visibly relaxed.
After deactivating the formation protecting his cottage, Fang Chang demonstrated that, as an exemplary citizen, he was more than willing to cooperate.
"Would you like to come inside and inspect the place?"
"No need."
Jiang Cheng shook her head.
Before Fang Chang had returned, they had already inspected the formation surrounding the cottage.
They had determined that it was not a standard formation available on the market, but one custom-tailored specifically for this location.
With such skill in formations, any intruder would certainly have triggered a warning.
"So it really was a Cui Family cultivator who died?"
Fang Chang asked once again.
Jiang Cheng looked at him a little longer.
Finding him rather handsome, and also wishing to establish friendly relations with someone possessing such impressive attainment in formations, she said,
"If Junior Brother Fang discovers any suspicious individuals, you may report them to our Enforcement Hall. As for anything else, it would not be appropriate for us to say."
Fang Chang accepted the small jade token she handed him.
It was clearly a one-time-use communication device, permanently fixed to a single recipient.
"Certainly."
"Then we won't disturb Junior Brother any longer."
The two sides exchanged salutes.
Swept by drifting bamboo leaves, they parted in opposite directions.
The Enforcement Hall cultivators departed with their imposing momentum completely intact, their murderous aura still overwhelming as bamboo leaves swirled behind them along the forest path.
Fang Chang watched them leave.
No one knew what he was thinking.
After standing there for quite some time,
he finally returned to the cottage, reactivated the formation, and took out the three coffins.
Zhao Yuntong clearly had no desire to remain inside a coffin.
Having been cooped up aboard the Flying Boat for several days, she transformed into a streak of crimson light before lazily climbing onto Fang Chang's bed, lifting the blanket, and lying down.
Fang Chang paid her no attention.
He looked toward Zhang Su's coffin.
He could clearly sense the surging Yin Qi within.
Senior Aunt Zhang...
was advancing into the Fifth Realm.
She was about to succeed.