Chapter 89
A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.
Wu Guang, who had left Shen Naye and had returned to the scene just in case, could not hold back his anger when he found the man and woman of unknown identity examining the scene as he had expected.
Moreover, the man was carrying a long and strange-looking weapon on his shoulder, and since he was even wearing a mask, it gave Wu Guang's suspicion a certainty.
Wu Guang drew his sword, intending to round them up in one go.
'Wu Guang!'
Xi Xichang, hearing the name Wu Guang, immediately remembered that he was the Wise Sword, an old master of the Wudang Sect.
Moreover, the fact that he had said that he had killed his disciple was a great shock.
If her guess was correct, it meant that someone who used poison here had murdered the disciple of the Wise Sword, which was an incident that could turn the Wudang Sect upside down.
Wu Guang was on the verge of using his hands at any moment, and from outside, perhaps because of Wu Guang's shout, the sound of the Tang Clan's martial artists, who had been guarding the outside of the building, running was heard.
[Let's scatter from here for now.]
Jiang Ziya's telepathic message was heard with the feeling of being pushed from behind.
It seemed that Wu Guang was so angry that he had lost his reason. If she and Jiang Ziya were to be caught by him, she could not even imagine what kind of interrogation they would receive.
But if she were to leave the place in a hurry, it would be no different from making things more difficult.
"Please sheathe your sword. My name is Xi Xichang of the Sichuan Alliance."
Xi Xichang turned her head and took a fist-and-palm salute.
Although she had seriously considered avoiding this place for now as Jiang Ziya had said, for her, who had to stay in the Tang Clan for a while, this matter had more losses than gains.
Wu Guang flinched at Xi Xichang's words, but he did not easily let down his guard and was still aiming his sword at Jiang Ziya and Xi Xichang.
"You are..."
Jiang Ziya also took off his mask.
Now that even the martial artists of the Tang Clan were showing their faces around, it seemed difficult to avoid them unless he was planning to break through them by force.
"While I was looking into the commotion in the Tang Clan, I ended up heading here unintentionally."
Wu Guang's red, bloodshot eyes looked back and forth between Xi Xichang and Jiang Ziya.
They were surely the same Xi Xichang and her party who had faced the Two Strange Men of the Unshaven in the tavern before.
Fortunately for Xi Xichang and Jiang Ziya, the fact that Wu Guang had watched them from a distance was working positively in clearing up the misunderstanding.
Wu Guang, who had expected that they would head to the Tang Clan, slowly lowered his sword.
"When did you arrive here?"
"I arrived a little while ago and met the head of the Tang Clan. I'm very sorry for causing a misunderstanding."
"Since the matter that happened here will be investigated by the Wudang Sect as well as the Martial Arts Alliance, do not intervene carelessly."
In the first place, the possibility that they had murdered Dao Weibu was extremely low, and there was no reason for them to do so. A little of the anger in Wu Guang's voice had subsided. Xi Xichang, not missing that sign, spoke carefully but politely.
"By any chance, if we can know the situation, wouldn't we be of help?"
"Hmm..."
As his anger subsided in the cold wind, Wu Guang could have some time to organize his thoughts.
Although Tang Yizheng had lent a large number of the Tang Clan's martial artists, since the culprit was a person who used poison, he could not exclude the Tang Clan from the list of suspects.
Moreover, he could not erase the feeling that Tang Yizheng was constantly hiding something. Therefore, to conduct an investigation relying on his help might have a bad influence on approaching the truth he wanted.
But as long as he didn't know the exact intentions of Xi Xichang or the man of unknown identity, he was not very keen on receiving their help either.
"Although I know well the intentions of Miss Xi, by any chance, is the person by your side also a person of the Sichuan Alliance?"
"This person... is not a member of the Sichuan Alliance, but is Scholar Jiang, who is helping me for the sake of justice."
"My name is Jiang Ziya."
Wu Guang, who was examining Jiang Ziya, who had finished his awkward introduction, seemed to have made up his mind, as if he had finished his weighing.
"Alright. This is also the guidance of the Heavenly Lord. Since now is a time when even one more person's help is needed, I will gratefully accept your help."
It was clear that Xi Xichang was intending to put the Wudang Sect or the Tang Clan in debt with this matter.
Since the scholar named Jiang Ziya had also said that he was helping her, his intentions would not be much different.
For Wu Guang, what was important now was to find the culprit quickly, to establish the justice of the martial world, and to avenge his disciple who had died in vain.
Although he had asked for help from the Martial Arts Alliance, it was difficult to expect a quick support from the Martial Arts Alliance, which was noisy inside due to the Thunderclap Sect incident.
Even if he were to send people from his own sect, the Wudang Sect, it would surely take many days.
If so, it would surely be even more difficult to find the culprit.
Wu Guang first roughly explained the situation to them and asked for Jiang Ziya's and Xi Xichang's help.
The two, who had realized that Wu Guang's explanation was not much different from their reasoning, decided to leave this place first and to find the traces of the culprit.
"Then I will go and search other places with my disciple again."
It seemed that Wu Guang still did not completely trust them.
"Yes, we will also look around a little more."
It was clear that he would want to go and to find Tang Yizheng immediately and to hear a more accurate story about them.
Since it was clear that Tang Yizheng would be displeased if he were to hear this story, Xi Xichang's expression was not very bright.
As Wu Guang left the place, Xi Xichang's expression, which had been tense, seemed to have relaxed a little.
"Phew..."
"Since his disciple died, his grudge seems to be great."
"It's clear that the head of the Tang Clan will not be pleased if he hears the news that we have been secretly following this matter."
"If you choose something, a price will follow. Think of it as having experienced a bad thing in preparation for a good thing."
"You're being so carefree."
Since she had already made a promise with Wu Guang, there was no way out now.
"If you didn't like it, why didn't you leave when I told you to?"
"The Wise Sword is one of the top masters in the Wudang Sect. Where would you flee to in the Tang Clan, avoiding him?"
"I would have drawn enough time for the young lady to get out of the building first and to hide myself."
Jiang Ziya was confident that he could get away, thanks to his experience of sparring with the Tongtian Cult Master in the Hermit's Valley for many years.
If he were to throw a strong palm at Wu Guang and then to shake the surroundings with the eight trigrams magic, it was clear that those who were experiencing it for the first time would have no choice but to miss Jiang Ziya, one hundred out of one hundred.
"If that had happened, the Wise Sword, who was convinced that we were the culprits, would have searched the Tang Clan like a louse, and it's best to do it this way rather than to get into a difficult situation after that."
Although Tang Yizheng would not be pleased, if she were to solve the situation, she would be solving a difficult situation for the Tang Clan, so this could also be called a merit.
Rather, since she had obtained a justification to investigate openly, it could be said that she had obtained both gains and losses.
Moreover, if she were to solve this matter, the Wudang Sect would also be grateful, so it was not a bad choice for her or the Qingcheng Sect.
"Since it's late at night, how about we go back for now?"
"What about you, Scholar Jiang?"
"I will go back after I have checked a little more."
Xi Xichang looked at him with a suspicious gaze.
Come to think of it, his actions were too proactive for someone who was just helping her.
If there was one thing she had learned while traveling with Jiang Ziya, it was that when Jiang Ziya showed a proactive movement, it was either because he had some scheme or because he was trying to display a useless sense of justice.
Since it was unlikely that his sense of justice had been stimulated in the current situation, the conclusion was naturally that he had some scheme of his own.
"Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
As Xi Xichang looked at him suspiciously, Jiang Ziya imitated her expression and looked down at Xi Xichang.
"You have another reason, don't you?"
"What reason?"
"It seemed that you were distracted by something else since you arrived at the Tang Clan... and seeing you act so proactively, there must be something."
Jiang Ziya scratched his one cheek at Xi Xichang's sharp words.
Xi Xichang was questioning him with almost a certainty.
"I have some personal business... but actually, there is a probability that the culprit of this incident is the one I am chasing."
"The one you are chasing?"
It was a complete mystery for what reason a person who had been living as a scholar in a quiet village was chasing someone. His identity felt even more suspicious, but in fact, Xi Xichang had not been curious about Jiang Ziya's purpose until now, nor had she tried to find it out.
In the end, they were in a position where they were accompanying each other because they needed each other.
But now, Jiang Ziya's intentions were clearly related to her work.
"Then, did you follow me to find the ones you are chasing?"
"Well, half of it is right."
"Then by any chance... are those people also in the Sichuan Alliance?"
"I don't know about that. Actually, this is the first time I have found a trace since I came out to the martial world."
'Since he came out to the martial world...'
Although she had expected it, from the answer just now, Xi Xichang could be sure that Jiang Ziya was a newcomer to the martial world.
Although she didn't know where he was from, it was clear that he was a disciple of a reclusive master or belonged to a group.
"Did you find any other traces?"
The fact that Jiang Ziya had led her to this place, and that he had found the scene of the incident in one go, although he had said that he had followed the Tang Clan's martial artists, was too smooth.
Recalling the strange techniques that Jiang Ziya had shown before and the magic that hid his presence, perhaps he had a technique that she did not know, a technique to pursue the culprit who had caused this incident.
"No. I'm planning to check the surroundings a little more for now."
"If you find something, you must tell me."
"Of course."
Although she did not have much faith in Jiang Ziya's easy answer, since the day was getting too dark, and Tang Yizheng, who had just heard the news, might come out to find her.
She thought it was right to go back to the lodging where Yang Jian was waiting, even if it were just for an explanation of the situation.
"Alright. Keep that promise."
Jiang Ziya stood there, guarding the place until Xi Xichang, who had left, looking at him suspiciously, had completely disappeared.
Jiang Ziya, who had confirmed that Xi Xichang had completely left, slowly looked around and then took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and rubbed it around his eyes.
"Hmm..."
If you write white letters on a white paper, the letters are not easily seen, but if you write with black ink, they are well seen.
Magic, which was a foreign trace in this world, could not easily erase its traces.
Although it was faint, in Jiang Ziya's two eyes, the faint blue traces were seen, following the wall somewhere.
As Xi Xichang had expected, Jiang Ziya had lied to her.
'But is it really the Non-Duality Gate?'
If they were members of the Non-Duality Gate, they would usually leave a strong trace, not only in the case of Sheng Wang's group, who had left the Hermit's Valley, but also in the case of Miss Mu or Sorin.
The trace remained as if a small stream were flowing, so if one were to display a magic, it could be clearly confirmed, to the extent that it was difficult to miss.
But the trace now was so faint compared to the traces that the people of the Non-Duality Gate had left until now, which made Jiang Ziya suspicious.
Jiang Ziya, in his suspicion and anxiety, gradually increased his speed in his steps that were chasing the traces.
(End of Chapter)